Beauties in Bloom

I have had my eye on Mac's Lady Danger lipstick for a looooooong time. It was continually out of stock at the Mac stores near me and is not available at department store counters. I always prefer to shop in store so I can swatch it to see how it will look on my skintone--so the obsessive shopper in me HAD to see it in person!! I finally got my hands on it and it is undeniable love. Lady Danger is an incredibly pigmented, opaque, matte shade. It's a beautiful red-orange--it's definitely a different look than the Mac Runaway Red I posted about a while ago. Whenever I look at it I can't help but think of old hollywood glamour--pairing a bold red lip with cat eye liner. This is my first matte lipstick from Mac and I was very pleased that it didn't dry my lips out at all. I don't own many matte lipsticks as I usually prefer a more moisturizing, glossy finish--however the matte finish really makes the shade last longer and the bold lip looks so much more eye-ca...

Vanilla Pigment seems to be one of the most popular and most loved products from Mac. What I love about pigments is that you can use it for so many different things--you can use it on the eyes, cheeks, mouth, body, and even mix it in with your foundation for glow or a clear nail polish to make your own unique color. I use Mac Vanilla all the time as a cheek highlighter and eyeshadow and have even mixed it in with a body lotion to give my skin a pretty sheen! It's such a gorgeous, versatile product! Here's some more info: When you first look at the pigment in the jar, you'd assume it's just a shimmery white color. However, when used and blended the color is much more complex. As you can see below (on the right) it has a mixture of gold, peach, and yellow shimmers in it. Texture wise it's not frosty at all and feels really smooth--it has a beautiful sheen to it. It also (thankfully) lacks big chunks of glitter, making it very wearable and flattering on the sk...

It seems that with every spring season, bold lips are always the big trend! Mac Vegas Volt is such a perfect color for spring and summer. It is a bright, creamy coral/orange with a touch of pink! The color is very, very pigmented and opaque. It can be a little bit intense for those (like moi!) who shy away from bright, opaque colors--it can almost come across as neon if you apply it to heavily. I prefer to blot it down a bit or apply a gloss over it to make it a bit more wearable! It is such a flattering bright color though. I can see it working for a variety of skin tones, but it would probably suit warmer skin tones since the color is so warm itself! It's really a color you should try yourself--I've seen swatches online where it leans more orange and others where it leans more pink so i think it really depends on your skintone and how pigmented your lips are! In terms of the formula, Vegas Volt is an amplified creme so it is very smooth and creamy, making them a dream to ...

I got this brush a while ago from Mac--I believe it was the Naturally collection. I was really excited to get it because I didn't really have a good, large eyeshadow blending brush in my brush collection. I had ones that were smaller (and better for crease placement) but none that were all over blending brushes. The 286 is exactly what I needed! The Mac 286 is a duo-fibre blending brush--a mix of goat and synthetic hairs. Mac says it gives a sheerer more controlled application of eyeshadow. A Mac sales associate told me it is very similar to the Mac 224, which is a very popular blush for blending the edges of eyeshadow. I am sooo happy to say that this  brush has been the perfect blending brush for me! Because of the domed shape, I can use it to apply and blend crease shades as well as using it for overall blending of harsh edges. Because of the duo-fibre I do notice that it picks up a little less product than my other brushes, however I find that it's actually an advantag...

I've been wanting to do a post on Mac See Sheer lipstick for a while now. It has been a staple in my purse the last two months--I think it's the perfect color to transition from the warmer summer months to colder weather. Mac See Sheer is a semi-sheer coral pink lipstick. Depending on your skin tone and pigmentation of your lips, it will come off more coral or more pink. On me it shows up as a coral-reddish shade. Despite the name it is definitely NOT sheer! Although it's a Lustre formula, which is known for being less pigmented, See Sheer can build up to a creamy and glossy opaque color. With a few swipes I get very good coverage so it completely covers my lips. On the other hand, one swipe delivers a soft coral tint. I love the feel of the lustre formula--it doesn't dry out my lips at all. It almost feels like a mixture between a gloss and lipstick. Here's some lipsticks to compare! See Sheer is in the middle L-R: Mac Modesty, Mac See Sheer, Revlon Kis...

Mac Patina is one of my favorite eyeshadows I own! It's a color that, in the pan, will make you think it's just an ordinary, boring brown. But it is much more special than that... Patina is a gorgeous antiqued gold--it has a tan brown base with bits of pink and gold and green. It's more complex than you'd think, though very beautiful. It's not frosty in the slightest, but has a nice bit of shimmer that subtlety reflects on the eye. It's soooo versatile...you can wear it all over the lid, in the crease, on the lower lashline...you can pair it with olive greens, dark greens, purples, pinks, browns...the list could go on and on, I can't even imagine a pairing that wouldn't work. Here's some other Mac eyeshadows I compared it to... Mac Woodwinked is a very pretty gold, but unless you have more tanned skin, it can pull very orange, and not in a good way. Many people compare Patina to Woodwinked, but I don't think they're anything a...

Today I went by the mall near me and of COURSE i had to walk by the makeup counters...I was pleasantly surprised that one of the Mac makeup artists told me they had one Mac Ever Hip lipstick left in stock (from the recent "Fashion Flower" collection, see temptalia for more info!). Online it seems like makeup lovers have been freaking out over the repromotion of this lipstick, so I would have been crazy to pass up something so wonderful, right? Nothing else had really caught my eye but this lipstick so I went ahead and got it. This is my second mac lipstick ever and after trying it on I am SO glad i purchased this! It's the perfect color for spring and summer! On to the pics... Ever hip is an extremely gorgeous creamy pinky-coral. I think it pulls a little bit more pink on me, which makes it more wearable on my skin tone. It's also a Cremesheen formula. To be perfectly honest, the only other lipstick from Mac I have is "Fanfare" which is also a Cremesheen fo...

Decided to do something with more color for today! Earlier I saw this beautiful orange eye look by Mira (check out her EOTD's, they are gorgeous!) and was inspired to play with my neglected Mac Mythology eyeshadow. It's not the brightest orange ever, but it's still a vivid color! Typically, I'd pair a brighter color with grey or brown or black, but I thought I'd try to be a little more adventurous and pair the orange withs some burgundy & purple instead! Mac mythology all over lid, Mac Star violet in crease, Mac Signed Sealed in outer-v Products... Face: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer and Mineral Powder Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Bobbi Brown Corrector Nars Laguna Nars Luster Anastasia Brow Powder Make Up For Ever HD Powder Eyes: Mac Painterly Paint Pot Stila Smudge pot in bronze (to deepen the eyeshadow colors) Mac Mythology, Mac Star Violet, Mac Signed Sealed, Mac Shroom (highlight) Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in bl...

Decided to play with some brighter colors today! I wish it photographed as vibrant as it was in person! The lid was a much deeper turquoise. Mac Shimmermoss on Lid, Mac Birds and Berries on outer lid, Mac Signed Sealed in Crease and Outer V, Mac Wedge to blend Products... Face: Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in Nude mixed with Revlon skin illuminator in bare light Laura Mercier secret camoflauge & secret concealer Mac MSFN Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Amused Mac Hush on cheekbones Anastasis brow powder in brunette Eyes: Mac Painterly Paint Pot Benefit Skinny Jeans Mac Shimmermoss, Birds and Berries, Signed Sealed, Wedge R&R Skintight (highlight) Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink Covergirl Lashblast Lips: Revlon Colorburst in Petal (this is kind of a default when I don't know what lippie to wear!) Beigy-Pink Gloss by Kiko (makeup in Milan Italy) Looking back I wish I picked a brighter li...

Normally I am the girl that tends to shy away from brighter lipsticks. I love my pinks, pinky nudes, mlbb ("my lips but better"), even peachy ones...I wear bright ones only once in a while. Lately though I've been trying to wear lips that are a little more bold. I had some extracare bucks at CVS the other day and picked up Revlon Cherries in the Snow. It's a beautiful bright reddish pink and I'm kind of surprised that I really love it and I don't feel self conscious wearing it! Yay! Today I did a very, very neutral look to go with it...here's how it turned out... R&R Skintight on lid & highlight, R&R Diffused in crease & outer lid, Mac handwritten in outer-v and Mac Wedge to blend Awkard non-smiley pic! lol Products Face: Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in Nude mixed with Revlon skin illuminator in bare light Laura Mercier secret camoflauge Mac MSFN MUFE HD powder Nars Laguna Nars Madly Mac Hush on cheek...

I decided to do a look using the green/olive side of Nars Nouveau Monde! I used mac humid in the outer-v to bring out the green tones in the nars shadow--the camera didn't pick up all the color, but it turned out much more green in person! A year ago I never would have touched green eyeshadow, but I really love doing looks with it now! I also used my bobbi brown chocolate shimmer ink--it's gorgeous but I always tend to use black eyeliner in my looks over any other color. Hope you like! :) Mac Creme de miel on lid, Nars nouveau monde in crease and outer lid, Mac humid in outer v Products used: Mac Painterly Paint Pot Mac creme de miel on inner lid and humid in outer-v (I got creme de miel at a CCO a few months ago but i think it is similar to something like ricepaper or nylon!) Nars nouveau monde in crease and outer lid Bobbi brown gel eyeliner in chocolate shimmer ink Covergirl lashblast (orange tube!) Anastasia brow powder in brunette Thanks for looking!

This is the look I wore out for my birthday night with some friends! I definitely wanted to go for a sultry, smokey eye using my new nars mekong! Hope you enjoy! Mac Femme Fi as highlight and inner corner, Satin taupe on lid, Nars Mekong in outer-v Products Used: Face: Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in nude Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage and Concealer pot Mac Mineralized Skin Finish Mac Hush to highlight Nars Laguna Nars Orgasm Eyes: Mac Painterly Paint Pot Stila Smudgepot in bronze Mac Femme Fi, Satin Taupe, Wedge (to blend crease) Nars Mekong Anastasia Brow Powder Lips: Revlon colorburst lipgloss in Hot Pink Thank you so much for looking!

Here's a quick eye look I did today! I normally don't think pinks or reds are very flattering on my eyes (they can make me look tired or bloodshot very easily), but Star Violet is one of the few colors that I really love wearing. Unlike it's name, it is not really violet at all. It's more of a warm metallic burgundy with a touch of brown and pink. To be honest, it is probably a color one should try in person because on certain skin tones it could look like a bruise--I think by applying it lightly on the outer lid and crease with a bright inner lid color (I used Mac jest here), it softens the eye so as to avoid looking too harsh! Mac jest on the inner lid, star violet on lid, crease, and outer v, beauty marked in outer v Products Used: Mac Painterly Paint Pot Mac Jest, Star Violet, Beauty Marked, Wedge (to blend), Shroom (highlight) Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in black ink Covergirl lashblast (orange tube) Anastasia brow powder in brunette

Bare Escentuals Glimmer "Night Owl" all over the lid, Too faced Lap Dance on center of lid, Mac Signed Sealed on the outer v, Mac Shroom to highlight, Mac Wedge to blend crease I absolutely love using my bare escentuals "night owl" glimmer. I received this as part of a Sephora VIB gift a year or two ago and have been in love with it ever since. It's a really gorgeous shimmery grey amethyst color with a touch of brown. It usually pulls more grey, but for some reason over my benefit skinny jeans the color turns into a much darker taupe-y brown with a touch of purple. I will do some swatches for it later, but it's a beautiful shadow if you can get your hands on it! Then I just added a little too faced lap dance (from the Naked Eye palette) for a little dimension on the lid! Products Used: Eyes: Mac Painterly Paint Pot as a base Benefit Skinny Jeans all over the lid Mac shroom, wedge, signed sealed Bare Escentuals glimmer Night Owl Too Faced Lap Da...

Last week I did a Back2Mac at the MAC store the other day and decided to get a lipstick! I am a big fan of MAC's paint pots, eyeshadows, blushes, msfn, etc... but I had never tried any of their lipsticks before. I had my mind set on trying out a few of their very popular shades: creme cup, angel, russian red, cosmo, ruby woo, etc... but found that none of them were what I was looking for. I realized after swatching all these colors that what I wanted was an everyday type of lipstick...Fanfare was exactly that for me. Fanfare is a really pretty "my lips but [a million times] better" medium pink, with a touch of coral. It is also part of the Cremesheen category, so it has a smooth, creamy texture, wonderful pigmentation, and a bit of a sheen to it (definitely no glitter or anything!) It may look boring in the tube, but on my lips it's a perfect medium pink/coral color. The wear is lovely; it's very comfortable on the lips and lasts for a good few hours. Overall...