Makeup : Beauty and Fashion Tech

Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation

Maybelline has done an impressive job entering the mineral makeup market. Their Mineral Power liquid foundation (read review) is one of the few liquids branded as a mineral foundation in the drugstore price range. With its Mineral Power Powder Foundation, Maybelline has done a nice job of providing a good basic powder foundation in a wide variety of shades.

Maybelline advertises their mineral makeup as talc free, but they do not mention bismuth. I did not see it on my ingredient list of the one that I purchased, but I have seen others report that they saw it listed as one of the “may contain” ingredients.

The number of shades is quite nice. Women with pale skin like mine up to dark brown skin shades will find something that works for them in this line. The range really is quite impressive.

The downside to the powder seems to be for those with oily skin. For example, Makeup Moxie tried it and found that it didn’t quite cut it–she got oily not too long after applying it. I too found that it didn’t really absorb oil well when I wore it on an oily day.

However, when I used Mineral Power on my drier days, it worked quite well. I did not experience issues with it settling into lines and wrinkles and it never looked flaky.

Coverage with this one is light to medium. I found that it covers redness fine, but it didn’t really hide my areas of melasma and hyperpigmentation. So if you have pigmentation that you want to hide, this one might not be quite enough.

Popularity: 15% [?]

DHC Eye Shadow Palette and Eye Shadow Brush

DHC is a Japanese skin care and cosmetics company. I am a long time fan of DHC skin care products, especially their Olive Oil cleanser (read review) and White Sunscreen (Read Review), but I had not tried any of the DHC makeup. Having read some good things about various DHC makeup items, I decided to change that by ordering some.

My first review is of the DHC Eye Shadow Perfect Pro Palette in topaz, and the DHC Eye Shadow Brush . I am impressed with both. Below is a photo I took of the palette.

The first thing that struck me about the DHC Eyeshadow palette was the packaging. A little door opens up over the applicator, and then a mirrored door opens over the eye shadow. It is unique and attractive. The shadow itself is fine. The shades are rather light, and sort of remind of some of the Clinque light neutral shades. That is also fine with me, but if you like really dramatic eye shadow, this might not be for you. The shadow also generally wore well for me. I also like how it is packaged, with the largest pan being the base shade and the liner as the smallest. It balances out the use better that way!

DHC also makes a line of synthetic brushes and sells them at a pretty good price, so I added an eye shadow brush to my purchase. This turned out to be one of the best synthetic brushes I have ever used. Most cheap brushes will have some initial hair loss and might not feel all that soft. But the DHS brush that I bought was quite soft and not a single hair fell out of it. So I was left quite impressed with it, especially considering its $9 price tag.

DHC items are only available online and through mail order. You also get your choice of four samples with every purchase and each mail catalog comes with a sample or two (or sometime three or four) in it. So it is a good mailing list to be on!

Popularity: 26% [?]

Nars Makeup Technique Video: A Beautiful Cheek

This is the second in a series of videos being released by Nars. In this video you can learn how to apply power and cream blush and features the popular Nars product, the multiple (read review).

Nars Makeup Technique Video: A Beautiful Cheek

Watch for further videos from Nars in November and December!

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Popularity: 15% [?]

Nars Makeup Technique Video: A Healthy Radiant Complexion

Nars is releasing a set of short makeup technique videos. In this first one, you can learn how to use Nars foundation, powder, and bronzer.

Nars Makeup Technique Video: A Healthy Radiant Complexion

Note the application of the bronzer in a number 3 movement. This is the best way to apply bronzer and the video shows it very well.

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Popularity: 19% [?]

Pierce Mattie PR’s Haute List.

A while back, Shannon Nelson at Pierce Mattie Public Relations complied a great list of Haute Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle Brands that you should keep your eye on. Reprinted here with permission are just a few examples from her article.

To see the entire list with other items ranging from Women’s and Men’s apparel to Magazines, Cocktails, Fitness, Vacation Destinations, and more, visit the full article at the Pierce Mattie website!

TV Shows:
1. 90210
2. Kath & Kim
3. Gossip Girl

Jewelry Brands:
1. John Hardy
2. Alexis Bittar
3. Trollbeads

Handbag Lines:
1. Rebecca Minkoff
2. Foley+Corinna
3. Timi & Leslie

Cosmetic Lines:
1. e.l.f.
2. Colorescience
3. Classified Cosmetics

Skin Care:
1. Korner
2. Lavera
3. Kaeline Argatherapie

Popularity: 17% [?]

M.A.C. Cosmetics is in the Red This Holiday Season!

M.A.C. Cosmetics has officially released information on its 2008 holiday collections, available beginning October 16. Here is the information sent by M.A.C. :

M.A.C. heats up the holidays with red hot colours, cases and compacts this season. Give jeweled compacts, stylish brush sets, beautiful lip and eye palettes, or gifts that give back.

“RED” SHE SAID

Passion, heat and danger come together to create this simply sparkling holiday collection. Lips are coloured in lusty shades with shimmering Dazzleglass to add resplendent moisture. Two shades of Mineralize Eye Shadows are zipped together by a strip of silver or gold, while shimmery blushes and silky nail lacquers accentuate a radiant holiday look. (pictured below)

PASSIONS OF RED

Decadent and fiery colours for eyes and lips are housed in brilliant jeweled casings. Beautifully embossed, jeweled compacts create the ultimate gift of glamour. Choose from four Eye Shadow palettes (pictured below), with shades ranging from warm, cool, classic and smokey. Polish off the look with three luxurious Lip Palettes, complete with two lipsticks, one lipglass and a mini lip brush. Each compact is a treasured gift.

PASSIONATELY RED

Vivid colour with a passion for giving equals the perfect gift. Warm or cool, each lip palette contains two shades of Viva Glam Lipstick and one Viva Glam Lipglass for a chic lip look. Every cent of the selling price is donated to the M?A?C AIDS Fund to support men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS. Give glam, give hope.

ADORING CARMINE

Holiday gifting is in the bag. Lip colours and brush sets in red satin stocking stuffers with patent trim. Adorn lips with Adoring Carmine Lip Bags, filled with 2 full size Lipsticks and 1 Lipglass in holiday shades. Adoring Carmine Brush Bags feature elegant red-handled M?A?C brushes in a perfectly-sized holiday makeup bag that can be used year-round.

LITTLE DARLINGS

Glamourous goodies, perfectly presented. Dazzle and delight with mini-sets of Lipglass & Lustreglass, Pigments & Glitter, Softsparkle & Eye Pencils in our most cherished shades. Each set is encased in an elegant cylinder, wrapped in shiny, red patent paper (pictured below).

KIDS HELPING KIDS

Holiday cards that help bring joy. Greeting cards, gift tags and pillow packs designed by children living with, or affected by HIV/AIDS. Attractive and heartwarming, an easy way to give back to kids during the holidays. Proceeds go to the M?A?C AIDS Fund to help support pediatric AIDS organizations around the world.

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Popularity: 27% [?]

Fall Makeup Trends with M.A.C. Cosmetics

With their involvement in so many aspects of the beauty industry and multitude of runways shows, M.A.C. Cosmetics is always on top of the trends. Actually, they often set the trends! So I was happy to meet up with M.A.C. representative, Heather Park, and M.A.C. senior makeup artist, Konstantine Mironychev in Chicago a while back to take a look at what is in store for fall.

One of the top runway trends from M.A.C. that I have already seen on the street is the rich and dark lip. It is often worn with little else to make a statement on its own, or for a twist that is new this year, it can be coupled with a rich smoldering and stand-out eye color, as seen from the Cult of Cherry Collection pictured to the left.

The collection has some of the most interesting and gorgeous eye quads that I have seen from M.A.C. in some time and, the mattene lipsticks in the collection are fabulous. this is my most recommended fall collection.

Another trend for fall is the brightly colored eye, with neon themes from pop art or punk-rock glam looks inspired in part from the 80’s. For some particularly dramatic pigments, look to M.A.C.’s Overrich collection .

Pretty feminine looks with a bit of an artsy eye or almost nude or androgynous looks with a pink lip are also around. So if the deep dark shades are too much for you, pair a neutral mineralized skinfinish duo from the New View Collection with a pinkish nude lipglass for a simple, yet classy look. Or do the same thing but with more color on the lip if just the overdone eyes are too much for you.

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Popularity: 23% [?]