M.A.C. | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Jan 7, 2013

MAC Cosmetics Archie’s Girls Sneak Peek Photo Links

January 7, 2013 By Carleenp Leave a Comment

MAC Cosmetics is releasing the Archie’s girls collection this spring. Being a big Betty and Veronica fan when I was younger (oh heck, I’m still a fan!) I’m excited about the collection! I will most certainly be buying a few items to review and swatch when it arrives. If anything I want a few items just for the cute packaging!

Update: Karen at Makeup and Beauty Blog now has excellent photos and Archie Girls swatches. Go see them here. I plan to buy a few items and will swatch them as well when I get them, but you can see everything you need at Karen's site.

For now, you can get a tiny sneak peek of sorts from these twitter photos released by MAC. The first one doesn’t show the color, but it does let us know that there will be some eye shadow quad palettes involved, and it gives a sneak look at the packaging. See the photo here. The next shows what is believed to be the inside of a palette. See that one here.

Here are a few photos from the upcoming Archie’s Girls collection!

Betty pigment and lipstick

Betty Lipstick and Blush

Tumblr post showing blush with hearts

Instagram photo of Ronnie Red

The collection should be out around February. I will post more info and photos when I have it.

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Filed Under: Collections and Looks, Palettes and Collections Tagged With: Collections, M.A.C., Palettes

Dec 28, 2012

Best Beauty Products of 2012

December 28, 2012 By Carleenp 4 Comments

2012 is almost at its close and it is time again for the annual best of the year awards. The list below are my favorite products that I covered in 2012. Click through the links to read the original reviews.

You can also see previous years here:

Urban Decay Naked Skin, with the Urban Decay Optical Blurring Brush: Naked skin wears incredibly well and, when applied and buffed with the optical blurring brush, it gives a flawless airbrushed look. It has become my all time favorite foundation.

Lorac Unzipped: This was the best of the nude/neutral palettes this year. A perfect selection of matte and shimmer shades.

Laura Mercier Artist Eyes Palette: A wonderful all around palette with shades perfect for just about any occasion.

Fyrinnae Eye Shadow: This indie company offers unique blends of high pigment micas and oxides for stunning shadow looks. Try their Pixie Epoxy for making super glittery shadows stay put!

Urban Decay Vice Palette: Who can resist a palette full of new UD shades? This one was a winner all around.

Nars Lahasa: Simply a beautiful purple dark taupe. Love it!

MAC Nail Lacquers: I love MAC nail polish and was glad to see them make a number of shades part of their regular collection.

Urban Decay Smoked Palette: Another winning palette from Urban Decay. This one offers all that you need for sultry smoky looks.

L’Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow: High pigment lightly pressed shadow at decent prices and readily available. Great for those who love pigments but want to save a few dollars.

Skin79 BB Cream: My favorite BB cream this year. It covers well and wears wonderfully.

Darling Girl Eye Shadow: Another indie brand with great pigment and a silky smooth formula. I like their base formulation quite a bit for a loose shadow. I also found a taupe that I am in love with among the samples that I ordered.

Cinderella Palette: A surprisingly good eye shadow palette that is more grown up than you would expect. Nice shades in an attractive package.

Lorac Pro Palette: Another wonderful all around eye shadow palette with a great selection of useful shades.

Essie Luxe Effects Top Coat and Bikini So Teeny: Bikini So Teeny was my favorite polish shade of the year, and a Luxe Effects top coat looked great over it!

The Balm Shady Lady Vol. 2: The Balm is seriously underrated in my opinion. The Shady Lady Volume 2 was one of their palettes that I tried this year and I found it to be super pigmented, with little fallout and long wear.

Youngblood Creme Powder Foundation: A very nice cream foundation that very well might have become my new favorite if Naked skin hadn't come into the picture. I still wear this one a lot too, especially when I want something more portable.

Silk’n Flash and Go: The hot new product in permanent home hair removal. This one can be used on the face. See our comparison to the Tria for decisions on which to buy (I love the Tria too).

Smashbox Masterclass: A super palette of shadows, blush, lip products, and highlighters. It is all that you need for any look with quality products.

Filed Under: Eyeshadow, Face Products, Foundation, Hair Care, Hair Removal, Makeup, Nail Products, Palettes and Collections, Shopping lists, Skin Care Tagged With: Best of Lists, Essie, Fyrinnae, Home Laser Hair Removal, L'Oreal, Laura Mercier, Lorac, M.A.C., Makeup, Nars, Sephora, Skin 79, Skin Care, Urban Decay

Dec 26, 2012

MAC Custom Palette Review

December 26, 2012 By Carleenp Leave a Comment

The following is a reader review of the MAC Custom Palette and her picks for shades. What shades would you put in a MAC Custom Palette?

When it comes to finding eyeshadow that will survive humidity, rigorous dancing and a rainstorm, you don't have to look any further than MAC. I have been turning to that company for six years now, beginning with my wedding day. Though MAC is famous for Gothic and punk-inspired shades and finishes, they also carry richly pigmented neutrals and more universally flattering shades.

It is wise to invest in a MAC palette that will give you the perfect smoky eye for evenings out and weddings, in shades other than the predictable silver and black combo you see at many clubs. I built a custom palette around shades of purple, a color which flatters all eye colors and skin tones.

There are a few different ways to achieve a smoky eye, but I choose to do mine with a subtle pop of color. For this, I would suggest "Stars 'N' Rockets," which is reminiscent of a sheer orchid pink. I like to put this on the center of my eyelid. This hue plays equally well with purple, black, gold and brown shadows, making it surprisingly versatile.

I accent it with the light lavender "Seedy Pearl," which I brush at the top of my brow bone and in the inner corner of my eyes to brighten and highlight. The shade is more flattering than a stark white or beige, as I prefer my smoky lids truly blended.

For the smoky part, I would recommend the scorched plum shade of "Shadowy Lady," a rich, mysterious matte that blends seamlessly into "Stars 'N' Rockets."

Finally, I prefer to finish off a dramatic eye with a small dose of true black. "Black Tied" has the shimmer needed to keep the look from falling too flat. Its finish is like a jet or onyx beaded brooch glinting in low light.

Since the colors are roughly in the same family, they make achieving a sexy evening look easy -- even for those lacking extensive makeup experience.