Posts Tagged mac
Huzzah! MAC Morange Has Finally Been Conquered
I almost gave up. For months I tried and tried to make it work, without success. But this past weekend, my friends, I finally managed to wear my nemesis down and make her bend to my will. I AM VICTORIOUS!!
…I’m talking about the illustrious MAC lipstick shade, Morange, of course! No world domination yet! 
Who hasn’t heard of Morange before? The ‘Loudmouth Orange‘ shade with an amplified creme finish is nearly if not as popular as MAC’s other iconic classic, Russian Red. While orange isn’t your standard classic color, nevertheless somehow this has become a well-known staple for the runway and real-life beautistas alike. I managed to snag it for my very own in a swap several months ago, and I have since spent several agonizing months trying to make it work without running screaming in terror from the mirror. Ladies, this shade has SERIOUS attitude.
In swatches, it doesn’t look that daunting to me. It’s bright, yes, but surely no more so than my new fave Quince. However, getting it to look at once eye-catching yet without it taking over my whole face was a major beauty challenge – probably one of the most difficult to date.
Eeks! I just find this plain scary.
Perhaps I should have known how challenging this shade would be, given how retina-searing it is, but I have several other shades in my stash that come very close to this (albeit at a significantly decrease saturation):
Left to right: MAC Morange, Dior Delice Addict Extreme, NARS Wonder Lipgloss
Through this months-long experiment is how I’ve confirmed that I do not have a warm skintone, as I’ve always generally thought, but rather a more neutral tone with a slightly cool leaning. To say it plainly – orange just ain’t my shade. While more recent trends have leaned toward wearing colors that clash against your natural skintone, and for the most part I love this effect – I have to admit, though I’d love to say I embrace that kind of boldness, but I’m just not there yet.
However. I am nothing if not persistent, and after trying various different application techniques and various makeup looks, I finally figured out the mystery of Morange. It all comes down to: a light touch and A HECK OF A LOT OF BRONZER.
It is absolutely imperative to warm up your face when wearing Morange, if you don’t already have that kind of skintone to begin with – though I have read that shades like these look great on more olive-toned skin. I found when I bronzed the shit outta my skin and added a touch to my eye area, it managed to pull it together much more seamlessless. In addition, instead of going for a full-on opaque pout, which is normally how I wear a bold, bright lippie, I applied one thin coat and blended for a more muted look. It’s not necessarily my preference, but in order to get the POW! from the orange without blinding people, its just the way it’s got to be.
The result of this mega-effort I think is well worth the hassle. It was a beautiful sunny, warm spring day here Sunday, and the orange lip looked so season-appropriate and fun! Morange overall is a nice lipstick, and goes on smoothly, if a bit thicker, and doesn’t dry out my lips. I’m super-stoked to have figured this conundrum out and to incorporate this happy, summery shade into my repertoire this year!
What recent beauty challenge have you faced? How did you handle it?
ALL THE THINGS: An Abundance of New Lippies (But First: An Apology)
Posted by Latoya in BITE Beauty, Dior, Lips, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, Sephora, Spring 2013, YSL on April 14, 2013
I have to admit that sometimes I’m a jerk. Sometimes, when people seem to be making excuses for things, I judge *just a little bit* Case in point: in the past, when reading posts in which the blogger noted that they had been sick and gave that reason for why they hadn’t posted in a while, I always thought ‘Jeez, you’ve been home for a week and you were so sick that you couldn’t even type? Pfffffft.’
Well, consider this my sincere apology at my secret douchebagginess.
*Did you know that when you google douchebag images that you get 99% pictures of guys? So maybe douchebag can’t apply to females, I dunno. Let’s just stick with jerk shall we?
As I noted in my last post, I was sick with a cold this week. Nothing life-hindering, just general shitty malaise with a seriously stuffed up (yet super-sneezy) nose, which meant some badass pressure in my head from all the congestion which made behind my eyes hurt, and the absolute necessity of on-hand kleenex at all times. Just your general bitch of a cold. I was off two days from work and skipped out on my extra-curriculars like yoga and running, yet I only posted once. It wasn’t that I couldn’t type. It was that I DIDN’T WANT TO. I didn’t want to do anything – I wanted to wallow in my own snuffling misery and drink lots of warm tea and feel kind of sorry for myself. I didn’t type nor did I read anyone else’s blogs (which is an admittedly passive, scrolling-finger-only kind of action). I watched a lot of Mad Men episodes and stayed on top of Big Brother Canada (which by the way is AWESOME – and the Nova Scotia peeps are ROCKIN’ it, woohoo!!!!!). And that was about it.
Long story short (this is what happens when I don’t get my chatty out on the regular), I am SORRY for judging you, my periodically sick friends. I recognize the error of my thoughts ways. Forgive me, as I get sick very infrequently and when it does happen, it lasts for 3 days max. I misunderstood – it’s not that you physically can’t, you just feel like doing sweet F.A., and I get it. I understand. So again I say: SO SORRY. My bad.
Ok, with that out of the way! Here is a sneak peek of a bunch of lippies I’ve procured over the past month or so. I went from not purchasing a lipstick since last August (!) to buying 3 in a week plus acquiring 1 via swap as well as 1 lipgloss via PR. For some, this is just another day, but for me it’s a lot. And they are all pretty damn sweet.
I plan on doing separate posts for each of them but for now I leave you with this:
Above: MAC Morange. I received this in swap and thought it was going to rock my world. I still think it’s an amazing color but on my face? OMFG IT IS SO INTENSE. And I’m not sure if that’s in a good way. It’s so frustrating, because in these swatches it seems like this color would be great on my skintone, and looking at it on others online it’s stellar. I WILL find a way to wear this, I just haven’t figured out how… In the meantime, I bought this:
One of the new Dior lippies, #433 Delice, in the Addict Extreme formulation. I bought this at Shoppers when I had a $10 gift card. They actually sent me home with the wrong version – the regular Addict which is more sheer – that thankfully I noticed before using it, but good grief Dior did you have to name them ALL the same name, same number? The poor SA’s… Anyway, no harm no foul on my end, but I would have been totally disappointed in the Addict shade; this Extreme one is more opaque and absolutely amazing on. It’s a more toned-down version of Morange and super-wearable, though I won’t give up on the former just yet.
Yay! I actually bought one of my wishlist items! Meet Quince, a High Pigment Pencil (matte formula) from BITE Beauty, my first from the brand. This is the exact fuchsia shade I was searching for, it looks SO good on – not too bright on my skintone, which was one of the major challenges, but also not so dark that it’s more berry. On me it’s just perfect. LOVE.
Yes, I caved and bought a YSL Rouge Volupte Shine since everyone and their dog seemed to be raving about them! I wouldn’t have probably picked this up if not for the 15% off VIB sale, which eased the painful $39CAD price tag down a bit. I initially didn’t think these were anything to write home about, but they’re actually more pigmented than I thought. I really wanted to get a soft pink shade as I don’t seem to own one, and #8 Pink In Confidence fit the bill. Very pretty and wearable.
Lastly, I received a couple of products from MUFE in shades that complimented the Pantone 2013 Spring shades. This is a Lab Shine Star Collection gloss in S0, which is essentially a shimmering beige. It’s fairly translucent but not clear, so it mutes my lip color a bit. I have to say that I do like the Lab Shine glosses, they have a nice smooth texture, feel hydrating worn, and have good staying power. This isn’t a terribly exciting color but it’ll be great for a casual look or for layering!
I think I’m pretty much set for spring with all of these lip colors, I finally have a few serious brights to play with, and also a couple muted shades to pair with any bright eye looks I choose. They’re all worthy of their own posts so keep an eye out! I wanted to get them up earlier but being sick my lips were so dry, everything I put on them just looked like a flaky mess. They’ve pretty much healed so I should be able to give you full reviews this week 
What new lippies have you bought lately? Do you prefer brights or more subtle shades? Gloss or lipstick? Did you buy anything from the VIB sale?
Everything is Just Peachy: An Update and a Pretty Powder from MAC
Posted by Latoya in Highlighters, MAC, Make-up on April 7, 2013
So, remember this post? Yea, you know – the mega-sad one. Well, just so you know: ever since writing that post and opening up about my current situation, things have much improved! We all have heard that talking about things always makes you feel better, but we don’t always put it into practice. Let this be a lessons learned for everyone (including myself): IT REALLY DOES MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. I think why it helps is that you feel like you’re sort of being pro-active, and doing something for good yourself, even if you’re not actually putting a solution into action. Once I did that, it was easier to start doing other constructive things to get back to my usual perky self. I started doing kick-ass yoga (aka ashtanga yoga) to compliment my half-marathon training, and I feel stronger and more fit than ever. I had my friends over for dinner and brunch this past month, and felt a little less disconnected that before. And this past week, I made a connection with another gal who needs a place to stay, and soon I might just have a roommate, which would help my financial situation immensely. Things are most certainly looking up, and I just wanted to give you a little update and also to thank each and every one of you who were so fantastically supportive after I wrote that post – you gave me such comfort and the courage to then open up to my friends and family, and since have felt infinitely better. So THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for being the wonderful people you are and for being so kind and caring. Though I haven’t met most of you in person I feel very fortunate to call many of you friends 
Particularly amazing friend-cheer from the wonderful Sarah of Beauty and the Baked Goods…aside from the very fact that she SENT me a care package, the sweet hat card and note plus hilarious envelope quips made me laugh out loud. BEST. THERAPY. EVER.
Now, let me share some other goodness with you! MAC has put out a collection this year (one of the million) called Year of the Snake, which contains a handful of repromoted shades with snazzy box packaging and beautiful snake-like embossing on the actual product, and only available for purchase online. The moment I saw the peachy-golden fantabulousness of the Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl (which I hear has been repromoted up the wazoo….how did I miss it before?) on Circuits of Fever, I was 100% madly, desperately in love. I went to buy it on the site, only to find that it had been sold out, to my utter disappointment. Denise assured me that often things will come back in stock after a time, and to keep checking back every few days. So, like a makeup obsessed crazy person, I checked the site constantly for a week, each time crossing my fingers and toes that it had come available again. No such luck.
Of COURSE, as things go, after a few weeks of giving up online shopping for Lent, I happened to be casually browsing the site and came across the powder, which was IN STOCK. Let this be an indication of how much I wanted to own this powder, that I broke my Lent promise (which I have NEVER done) and snapped up the powder in seconds flat. My love was that serious.
And do I feel guilty? HECK NO. This is why:
It’s sooo pretty you guys!! I have purchased a few items over the past year with pretty designs and such, but this one really gets me goin’. It’s just SEXY. Love, love, love it.
I find the color to lean slightly pink and reads more coral than peach, but who are we kidding – coral is the SHIT! No complaints here. The golden shimmers throughout are really beautiful, and NOT an overspray.
As you can see from the swatches (first diffused, then layered), when worn it’s more of a golden highlight versus getting any serious pinky/peachy/coral hue showing. Fair skins could probably wear this as a subtle blush though I think, as it does give even my darker skin the barest hint of color.
Comparing this to the other highlighters I showed you earlier this week, I would say that this does sparkle a bit in the sunlight, but it’s subtle and manageable in my opinion. There is something about this powder I just ADORE. I find it reminds me of a warmer version of Chanel’s Poudre Signee – it really illuminates my face in a beautiful way while remaining somewhat elusive. I can see why MAC has released and re-released this powder several times over – it’s just so gorgeous! To look at as well as to use. I even prefer this design over the Chanel (sacrilege, I know).
Currently this powder is sold out on the US site but in-stock on the Canadian one (lucky us!). I don’t know how long the collection will be available, but I would suggest if you’re interested in this powder to get it sooner rather than later – I know they’ll likely release it again (and again) in the future, but this design is not to be missed. I even plan on keeping the box it came in too, that is BY FAR the best packaging I’ve seen to date.
Oh yea, FYI – the Beauty Powder retails for $29CAD.
Have you come across any beauty products that have rocked your world lately?
How Convenient That Pantone’s Color of the Year Was Also PERFECT for St. Patty’s Day!
Posted by Latoya in a-england, Blush, Chanel, Eye Liner, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, Urban Decay on March 18, 2013
So. Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day! 7 years ago (OMG how time flies…barf) I was in Dublin for Paddy’s Day (as they shorthand it in Ireland), and yea…it was as crazy as you’d imagine it to be! Not so much a drunken mess, but just the sheer amount of people…yowza. It was a fantabulous time, and I’ll never forget it!
As the years pass, it seems the crew of hardcore Paddy’s Day party-goers dwindles in my crowd – job responsibilities, babies, and aging in general all seem to keep everyone at home on one of the most fun days of the year ~tear~ Thankfully, I have an excellent partner-in-crime who I can always count on to celebrate with me! This year it was just the two of us, so it was more low-key than usual, but I still made sure to dress the part – which includes green makeup (and nails), of course!
I usually do a lot more green on the eye, but since it wasn’t a rip-roaring party I went subdued and just wore a simple flash of green liner on the top lash line. I used Urban Decay’s 24/7 Liner in Covet (an emerald green with silver microglitter) on top of MAC’s Blacktrack Fluidline – the black gave the green more depth and helped the line look more crisp. I added MAC All That Glitters shadow all over the lid, as I find it gives the most beautiful shine to the eye without ever seeming like too much, and then a dab of Giorgio Armani’s Eyes to Kill shadow in #6 Khaki Pulse to the crease to add a little bit more depth. *Side note – anyone notice that I’m trying to grow my eyebrows out? It’s so frickin’ hard dude! I want to pluck all the random stray hairs but I’m trying to be patient ~sigh~ They are coming along though
Since it was going to be a long day, I wore MUFE’s HD Blush in #12 First Kiss on bare cheeks, layered foundation on top, and then added a touch of MAC’s Mineralize Blush in Early Morning to make sure my blush had good staying power. I quite liked the way it made my skin look kind of lit from within. I don’t usually layer cream and powder blushers but I really need to get on that! I topped off my cheekbones and other high points of the face with MAC’s Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl, which gives the best glow – I finally got my hands on the Year of the Snake version last week and I LOVE this product. Review will be forthcoming!
I finished with a very simple lip using Benefit’s Ultra Plush gloss in Hoola. I didn’t want anything competing with the green liner, so this gave the barest hint of shimmer and warmth, but that’s about it.
Of course, the look isn’t finished – gotta get some flash on the nails too, right!? Because I’m not a fan of green nail polish as a whole, I don’t actually own any that are going to give me serious pizazz. But I have shades with a green tinge… haha. I made it work, I think! I just read about sideways manicures, so I tried it out – easiest nail art EVER. And also my new favorite!!
The shades I used were a-England Tess d’Urbervilles as a base, and Chanel Peridot on top. This was probably more subtle than I should have gone with – the nature of Peridot with it’s duochrome nature just makes the a-England shade look like a shadow. Nonetheless, I loved the effect, and loved how darn easy this one (no nail stickers required – freehand works perfectly!), so I’ll definitely be trying this again and again with other shades. Fun!
I always have intentions to get these kinds of event posts up before the actual event, but who am I kidding? That’s never going to happen – I’m too busy prepping for the occasion to actually have time to post! LOL Anyway, all the other bloggers have got this covered for me And it’s not like I did anything particularly unique, and both the makeup and nails could be done any time of the year, right?
How did you celebrate Paddy’s Day?? Did you do any themed makeup and/or nails?
The Ever-Helpful Filler Post: A FOTD, Polish, and Nail Art!
Hiiii guys! I have been hiding out and trying to minimize the time in front of my computer zombifying…seriously, these damn electronics can suck you in and eat your brain big time. I’ve been drafting up posts here and there but not sitting down for too long because I just need a break. S’OK? And plus, I want to show you some fab looks with all of my new(ish) pretties! Here’s one look that I wore out this weekend:
Forgive me for less than stellar shots, as usual I was running late and took these in the bathroom of the party I was at while trying to remain inconspicuous lol. And I probably had a few rum & cokes by this point… I’m a lost cause ~sigh~ Anyway, I took this look directly from this tutorial of Lisa Eldridge’s – I ADORED how it came out, another one of those looks that made me feel badass and awesome all evening (and isn’t that the point?). I’ve been really getting into colored shadows again lately, so fun! FYI – I’m wearing MAC’s Blue Edge (discontinued) topped with Shimmermoss on my top lid and Beautiful Iris on my lower lash lines. Oh, and also, I used the Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil in my hair and HOLY SMOKES. I LOVE THIS STUFF – look at my hair! Just look at it!!!!!
I’ve also got a spring-themed post in the works that I’ve been thinking of for ages but haven’t had all the pieces to put it together. If I’m not too, um…under the weather after Paddy’s Day on Sunday, I plan to get it done that Monday as I’m off work. It involves some very pretty polishes that I’m totally diggin’ – unlike this polish, which sadly did NOT do it for me:
I know, an it’s an a-England polish too! Tess d’Urbervilles, a blackened green shimmer. It looks nice here but I couldn’t wait to take it off. I’m just not a fan of green hued polishes, unless they’re pale /pastel-toned or more of a teal green. Ah well, can’t win ‘em all!
I have been trying to do things that are good for my well-being as much as possible – this semi-computer break being one of them, as well as joining a yoga studio that had an awesome deal: $108 for three months of unlimited classes. Heck YES! I went today after work; the focus was shoulders and OMG I feel so effing great!! My back and neck are always sore from working at a computer (and being at one at home too) and this worked it out so well. I am feeling particularly SUPER WOMAN LIKE today because I also went for a run at lunch. So YAY for mental & physical health! 
I feel all zingy – kinda like this nail art I did a few weeks ago:
This could have been SO much better – the concept and colors I totally liked, but I used french manicure strips that kept pulling up the polish beneath it, no matter if I let it dry for 5 minutes for 15. SO irritating! Half of this ended up being freehand and the other is just a mess of me trying to fix the peeled polish areas. Urgh. For reference, the shades I used there Revlon’s Sterling, Essie No More Film, and Zoya’s Wednesday.
And there you have it! My very best attempt at giving you something to look at while simultaneously chattering away with abandon, and trying to link the two. Successful? Probably not, but I wasn’t sure when or how I’d post these photos, so it worked for me!
I hope everyone had a great Monday!!!
My Lip Color Collection (Part II – Lipsticks)
Posted by Latoya in Lips, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, My Collections on February 25, 2013
Here is the second part of my lip color collection – my lipsticks, as well as a couple lip liners to boot (check out the first part – glosses – here) I am kind of surprized by the number of lipsticks I have – as in, how few I have, when it seems like I’ve been ogling rich, pigment dense lip colors for the last long while. I feel like I should have a lot more than I do considering the long wishlist of shades I’m dying to own – let’s hope this year I change this! You’ll see that similarly to my glosses, I tend to stick to a few shade categories – actually, even more so here. There is a WIDE gap in colors which I am all too happy to fill Let’s take a look!
First up, we’ll start with the neutrals again:
Flash
Natural light
The NARS lip color is called a gloss, but it’s far too pigmented and not really all that glossy, so in my opinion it’s more of a lipstick. This is not true for all of the NARS gloss pencils though, as a note. Out of all of these, I actually only really wear the Buxom lip pencil regularly (which is actually a nude shade on me rather than ‘neutral’) – I think the others are supposed to be kind of ‘my lips but better’ shades, but they just aren’t nailing it very well for me. Thankfully, out of the four I only purchased one (the NARS), so it’s no real hardship. But once I use up one or two of these, I’ll be investing in a really good every day shade – every girl’s gotta have one!
Next, we have another shade category of which I think every gal should own at least one color – RED:
Flash
Natural light
I have a hard time not buying every single gorgeous red on the market – I LOVE me some red lips! Though as you can see, my stash is very homogenous – where are the orange reds!? I didn’t realize that all the shades I owned were essentially true reds or even blue-leaning until I did this swatch session. It’s interesting actually because I think my skintone leans warm, which typically means that I should be choosing a more orange-based red to get the most flattering effect. However, I do feel the colors I have are great and I feel very good wearing them, so I’m not going to concern myself with it too much. But, it gives me great pleasure to realize that I have this gap, as it gives me free reign to buy a few more
I would say I wear all of these reds equally as often, except for perhaps Russian Red, which I feel is a more ‘special event’ red as it’s so bold. The Aqua Rouge is also very ‘in your face’ but because it’s so long-wearing I’ve put it in more regular rotation because it’s so low-maintenance. The Dior Addict shade, which has since been discontinued, is the sheerest of the bunch, but with a flushed cheek it looks just perfect (though it’s a bit gritty feeling with the gold sparkle).
Yet another ‘must-have’ shade in my humble opinion, is a good vamp:
Flash
Natural light
MAC’s Bing (an LE shade) was my first vampy shade, and as you can see I pretty much dove right in! It’s VERY dark and mysterious and…insanely hard to wear. I either blot it down to wear as a stain (as you saw here), or I mix it with other shades to tone it down a bit. I still dream of being able to wear it full force, however, reminiscent of the looks in these pics below:
LOVE this photo all around – fabulous makeup on Leighton, and he-LLO Ed Westwick!!
Chanel Noirs Obscurs Winter 2009 collection
I’m not too upset by the difficulties of Bing however, because I have found MY best berry lippie shade since – Ellis Faas’ L102. I get so many compliment on this lip color, it’s crazy!!! You’d think I’d wear it every day, but it’s almost like I’m trying to ration it or something, because I don’t. Silly, I know. In any case, when I do wear it, it honestly makes my day. You always have to have one of those kinds of products in your back pocket, right? The Dior #976 is actually a similar color but doesn’t have the same impact, somehow, perhaps because of the golden shimmer.
The Shu lipstick is very sheer and not really my style, but I don’t own any Shu and I got it in a swap, so I’ll hang onto it for now (note that it is no longer available). Funbathing was also procured via swap (and LE), and I really like it’s berry-bronzey goodness, but it feels fall-ish to me, and I haven’t really had a chance to wear it since I was away for most of the fall and was doing the whole *next to no makeup* thing. It’ll get it’s chance next year!
And now…CORAL. While it isn’t the typical ‘you gotta own one’ color, trust me – you gotta own one!
Flash
Natural light
These kind of look pink in my swatches, but IRL they definitely have a coral leaning. Crosswires is described as a ‘clean pinky orange’ but I don’t see any orange when I wear it at all. Chanel’s Empire (LE) is described as a ‘pink-peach’ and MUFE’s N36 an ‘iridescent coral’, but to me they’re all in the same vein – coral-pink. In any case, these are highly wearable shades and seem to go with almost any look I choose (well, Crosswires is a bit bright, but the rest are good to go). I love them all and enjoy each of these shades immensely! No favorites nor duds in the bunch.
I have one straggler shade here, and sadly it’s also one that I wish would just DIE already – it’s a mauvey purple shade, and I’m not hating on the color, just this one in particular:
Ehhh…it’s just not my thing! It’s got too much grey in it, which I have to steer clear of (which tends to rule out a lot of mauve tones) – it just washes me out and doesn’t do me ANY favors at all. I try to wear it occasionally to use it up, and pair it with brighter shades and bronzer in order to keep me from looking dead and blah. I’d love to have a great purple shade, as I’ve seen it look truly amazing, but just not this one. Think more like this:
Gah. Such an awesome look. SO not like that lipstick I have. Must rectify.
Lastly, we have my few lip pencils, which I keep because it seems prudent to do so, but which get absolutely NO play from me at all (oops):
I think have have the gamut covered well here – a nude, a neutral, and a red. These will work with all the lip colors I own, if I ever do get the idea to wear one lol. Happily, none of these cost me a dime so I might as well keep them on hand and not worry about using them – it’s not like they take up a lot of space!
So – gaps. There is a lot (in my mind!). I’m thinking I need a true girly pink, a bright fuchsia, an actual nude, an orange-red (and – just an orange!), a coral-orange, and a fabulous purple…sound about right? Since I went with 25 as my ‘max’ for lipglosses, I don’t see why I can’t apply the same number to lipsticks. I’ve got 19, add these shades I’ve noted…well, that makes 26, but I’m sure I’ll finish one of these in time no problem ~schemes~
What are your thoughts? Any shades here you’ve tried and loved (or hated)? What color do you normally gravitate toward?
From the Pages of a Magazine: FOTD Inspiration
Before the online world took over, I used to be a voracious reader of magazines. First it was YM, which I only read for the ‘Say Anything’ section when I was about 11-12 years old. Then it progressed to Seventeen, then Cosmo, and then Allure – the latter which firmly entrenched my love affair with makeup eternally. Often, I would pull pages out of a magazine with pictures that evoked a certain ‘something’ – I can remember papering my walls with Calvin Klein ads for DAYS (OMG this is bringing back memories!); the models all seemed to fabulous and mysterious. As I grew up, I instead began to pull makeup looks from the pages of my favorite mags, anything that piqued my interest visually and was just begging to be attempted.
Though I don’t do this as often today (I have a subscription to only one mag now, and try to avoid buying any because – hello, internet!), I still do come across pictures in print that I clip out for future reference. I have a big photo album full of ‘em now, tied together as a collage – each page with a different theme (YES I KNOW I AM ORGANIZED/OCD/CRAZY/WHATHAVEYOU). This morning I thought of my album and pulled it out to get some ideas for the day’s look. What I decided on was this:
Every so often I go through the album and remove photos that I’m no longer ‘feeling.’ Amazingly, this actually doesn’t happen very often – even though the span of these photos is over probably 7+ years, I still love most of them and they don’t seem to become dated. The photo above is one of my oldest, and yet I think it’s still as relevant today, and I still totally love it. A flash of blue liner and a stained pout – simplicity at it’s best.
I wore this look today for the first time, and I’m pretty pleased with how it came out:
I did tone it down a bit by not bringing the blue all the way to the far inner corners; I was after all, at work today and my office isn’t terribly ‘creative’ (I know, totally not what you expect for the GOVERNMENT, right? Ha). But otherwise, I actually think I captured the look fairly well. The liner shade is exceptionally close (though I suspect she’s wearing liquid – while I used MAC’s Petrol Blue Pearlglide liner). I think I even almost got the lip stain right (MAC’s Bing Mattene lipstick), though it looks a little worn here because I reapplied and then forgot and ate some chocolate. Oops.
And an even more up-close shot:
I chose to bring the liner around to just the edge of my upper lash line, though I don’t think she has that in the photo. I liked the effect though. Overall, I liked the look – I don’t think I’ve ever worn anything like it, and it was a great way to use the MAC eye pencil as I’m trying to get rid of it (great shade, terrible wear on my eyes which tend to get smudgy at the corners). I wore an eyelid primer (NARS Smudgeproof) to prevent this from sliding down my face. I must admit, similar to my other blue look, I felt kinda badass wearing this, which is always a good thing in my books because if it gives you a little bit of a swagger, all the better
So what do you think of the look? Where do you get your inspiration from? Do you get any benefit from these kinds of posts? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Swatching Is Rough (AKA My Eyeshadow Collection)
Posted by Latoya in Bare Escentuals, Bobbi Brown, Burberry, Chanel, Clinique, Eyeshadow, Giorgio Armani, Hourglass, Illamasqua, KATE, L'Oreal, Laura Mercier, Le Metier de Beaute, Lise Watier, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, My Collections, NARS, theBalm, Urban Decay on February 9, 2013
I was going to leave my eyeshadow collection ’till last to swatch in my ‘find the gaps’ series of posts, but the superstorm (which…is kind of lackluster – yea, there’s lots of snow, but I want some action, darn it!) seemed like the perfect time to just get ‘er done – so I did! Oh man…for those of you who have larger collections than mine, I feel sorry for you if you attempt to do this – it is a BIG EFFING ORDEAL. I started last night and got just over halfway through before both (!) arms had had enough. I continued today and after needing to re-swatch several shade categories to get them *just right*, my left arm is just burning (as you’ll notice in the photos – red spots galore!). So: enough. I’m ready to rock ‘n roll. Now – let’s get into ‘er!
Note: All shades are permanent within their respective brands except where otherwise noted.
WHITE EYESHADOW
Avon True Color Quad in Smokey Eyes (satin white)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Uzi (shimmer w/glitter) (LE)
‘HIGHLIGHT’ EYESHADOW
Make Up For Ever Star Powder in #920 (iridescent)
KATE Real Create Eyes BR-2 Palette (white gold pearl)
MAC Eyeshadow in Vex (frost)
NUDE EYESHADOW
MAC Eyeshadow in Next to Nothing (Cult of Cherry Tempting Quad – frost) (LE)
Laura Mercier Eye Color Duet in Suspense (matte cool beige) (LE)
Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Trench (satin)
BEIGE, CHAMPAGNE & PEACH EYESHADOW
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (shimmer w/glitter)
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #13 Warm Beige (frost)
Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Emerveille (shimmer)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Snatch (shimmer w/glitter)
Kate Real Create Eyeshadow BR-2 Palette (soft peachy shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Arena (satin)
GOLD EYESHADOW
MAC Pigment in Melon (frost)
Laura Mercier Illuminating Eye Color in Gilded Moonlight (pearl) (LE)
Clinique Touch Tint for Eyes in Gold Glimmer (shimmer) (discontinued)
COPPER & ORANGE EYESHADOW
MAC Eyeshadow in Amber Lights (frost)
Ardene Eyeshadow in 8B (pearl)
BRONZE EYESHADOW
MAC Pigment in Cocomotion (frost) (LE)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Smog (shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Tempting (lustre)
Clinique Color Surge Super Shimmer Eyeshadow in Rum Spice (shimmer)
BROWN EYESHADOW
MAC Eyeshadow in Dark Edge (Cult of Cherry Tempting Quad – satin) (LE)
KATE Real Create Eyes BR-2 Palette (deep brown shimmer)
Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in #17 Espresso (matte)
Laura Mercier Eye Color Duet in Suspense (matte burgundy brown) (LE)
TAUPE-BROWN EYESHADOWS
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Suspect (shimmer)
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Rajasthan (beige-gold taupe) (shimmer) (LE)
KATE Real Create Eyes BR-2 Palette (taupe shimmer)
TAUPE-PURPLE EYESHADOWS
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Grand Palais (silver-taupe shimmer)
Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Exhibition (mauve shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Shale (satin)
bareMinerals High Shine Eye Color in Meteorite (frost)
Le Metier de Beaute True Color Eye Shadow in Corinthian (shimmer)
RED & PINK EYESHADOW
L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Golden Mahogany (frost)
Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Abstraction (shimmer)
Avon True Color Quad in Smokey Eyes (matte light pink)
MAUVE & ROSE EYESHADOW
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Bordello (shimmer w/glitter)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Last Call (metallic)
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Grand Palais (matte dusty rose)
PLUM EYESHADOW
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Habanera (sparkling plum)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Rockstar (shimmer)
Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Exhibition (eggplant shimmer)
PURPLE EYESHADOW
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Psychedelic Sister (shimmer)
MAC Paint in Infamous (metallic) (discontinued)
BLUE EYESHADOW
MAC Paint in Blue Boy (metallic) (discontinued)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Radium (shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Blue Edge (matte w/shimmer) (discontinued)
AQUA & TEAL EYESHADOWS
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Rajasthan (blackened teal shimmer) (LE)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Loaded (metallic)
theBalm Shady Lady Eyeshadow in Jealous Jordana (shimmer)
Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow in 8E (matte)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Haight (shimmer)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Money (shimmer w/micro-glitter) (LE)
NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Habanera (mint frost)
GREEN EYESHADOW
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Kush (shimmer w/micro-glitter)
Le Metier de Beaute True Color Eye Shadow in Jade (shimmer)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Mildew (shimmer)
MAC Eyeshadow in Sharp (Cult of Cherry Tempting Quad – satin) (LE)
Lise Watier Couleur Folle Eyeshadow in Folie Pomme (iridescent shimmer)
Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in #57 Chartreuse (satin)
YELLOW EYESHADOW
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #24 Yellow (matte)
MAC Eyeshadow in Bright Future (
KHAKI EYESHADOW
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Waterproof Eyeshadow in #24 Smokey Copper (shimmer)
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow in #6 Khaki Pulse (shimmer)
Clinique Color Surge Soft Shimmer Eyeshadow in Autumn Moss (satin)
TAUPE-SILVER EYESHADOWS
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Maui Wowie (metallic w/glitter)
Bobbi Brown Chrome Eye Shadow in Pewter (frost) (LE)
theBalm Shady Lady Eyeshadow in Insane Jane (shimmer)
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #2 Steel (shimmer)
GREY EYESHADOW
Avon True Color Quad in Smokey Eyes (medium grey & dove grey) (shimmer)
BLACK EYESHADOWS
MAC Pigment in Dark Soul (frost w/glitter)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Perversion (matte)
….PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you make it??
…So. To be honest, when I started swatching all my makeup, I was originally just trying to find a way to justify new purchases – if it could be considered a shade I didn’t already own, then I would feel free to go for it. However, now I’ve discovered that being so fully aware of what I own, has made me really excited to play with my current collection, instead of seeking out new products. I especially noticed this with this eyeshadow post – there are so truly fabulous shades in there! While there are still of course colors I’d like to pick up to fill the gaps (namely – a lilac and a skintone [MY skintone, to clarify] shade, among a couple others), overall I’m WELL aware I have a ton of shades to rock out and don’t really *need* anything else at the moment. I did notice I have a lot less color than I imagined, but that’s actually OK because I don’t tend to wear it a ton and try to avoid buying a lot of it only for it to go unused. I think my stash is fairly representative of the kind of makeup I wear day to day! So SCORE for being logical in my purchases
I am kinda worn out from the work necessary to do this post, so I’m done now LOL. But – I have questions for you!
Do you see any gaps that I could fill? What shades make up the bulk of your eyeshadow collection?? Also – anyone bother to count how many shades I have? I’m too tired now to bother LOL
Playing Where’s Waldo with My Makeup Collection
Posted by Latoya in Benefit, Blush, Bobbi Brown, Burberry, Chanel, Clinique, CoverFX, Estee Lauder, Illamasqua, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, Milani, My Collections, NARS, Rouge Bunny Rouge, theBalm, Too Faced on January 9, 2013
I spent two hours – TWO HOURS! – last night, researching what products and shades I should to order from Becca Cosmetics (a brand I’ve yet to try and desperately want to). My (totally logical – I swear!) reason for doing this? To avoid purchasing any shades that were similar to ones I already own. I DID come up with a (very) pared down list, you’ll be happy to hear; if you’re interested (and FYI – the blog Shades of BECCA is a good resource for some swatches):
Papaya Beach Tint $30CAD (hot red)
Fallen Angel Ultimate Color Gloss $29CAD (nude spice)
There were a handful of other products I liked the look of, but in checking out swatches, they seemed to be too close to items I already own (though, c’mon, the brand is gorgeous and I could have easily gone for one of everything!). Which brings me to the point.
You’re all familiar with my organizational obsession right? (and…if you’re new and not aware: Hello! My name is Latoya and YES, I have a problem which manifests itself into a bit of compulsive organization. Could be worse!) Anyway, another problem I have is lack of funds; when you own a home on your own and don’t make the big bucks, things can get tricky. However, I have ANOTHER problem (jeez, someone institutionalize me, will ya?), which is that I love shopping – for cosmetics in particular. Smash the three of these together and what do you get? Well…you get THIS:
My poor broken MAC blush up on the right 
What ‘THIS’ is, is me taking a good look at an area of my makeup collection – specifically blush/bronzers in this instance – and seeing where I have gaps. By gaps, I mean: what shades do I lack that I can justify buying, in order to round out my stash and also quell the burning desire to shop my face off. Ya dig? This fantabulous idea kills three birds three mosquitoes (no one cares about those) with one big-ass swat. I get to organize something*, figure out what shades or products I’m missing, and rationally and systematically purchase new items that are on my wishlist and fit the ‘missing’ bill. BOOM!
*Seriously guys, I joke but….I really like organizing things. So much so, that near the end of the month I’m signing up for a Professional Organizers intro course to see if I’d like to become a professional organizer for realz. It’s THAT serious :S
So, as you can see, I’m starting with blush – because clearly blush is THE BEST EVER and deserves the number one spot for allowing EVEN MORE BLUSH. Because clearly 20 (+ 7 bronzer-type things and 2 mini-blush) are NOT ENOUGH.
(I swear I’m not on the sauce tonight guys – I just feel a little peppy ’cause I’m back into running and signed up for the Ottawa 1/2 Marathon in May…wooo! )
Left to right (flash): Rouge Bunny Rouge Florita, NARS Turkish Red, Illamasqua Tweak; NARS Taj Mahal, Make Up For Ever Blush Powder #25, Illamasqua Lover, Make Up For Ever HD Blush #12 First Kiss
Left to right (flash): NARS Sin, Bobbi Brown Velvet Plum (discontinued shade); MAC Raizin, CoverFX Bronzed FX in Garnet, Burberry Russet, MAC Early Morning
Even with 20+ blush, I can plainly see what shades I’m lacking: A bright red! (NARS Turkish Red is more of a burgundy) A true orange! (NARS Taj Mahal is kind of a burnt orange and quite shimmery) A neutral pink! (…I literally do not own one beige-y pink blush, for shame) A nice deep berry would be lovely! And also – varying formulations! I have NO cheek tints, and only four cream blush. You see, there actually ARE shades/formulas I do not have despite having far more blush than is probably necessary. And then, there are shades I need NO more of, like medium pinks…I have enough of those, yep. I don’t think I need any more bronzers, especially since I rarely wear them and I’m already kinda *ahem* bronze. I only really have a couple coral shades, which tends to be the one a lot of people go gaga for (myself included), but I’ll hold off till the warmer months on thinking about those right now. Same goes for apricot-hued shades.
Left to right (flash): NARS Desire, Illamasqua Unrequited (discontinued shade*), theBalm Down Boy, Chanel Blush Horizon de Chanel, Benefit Bella Bamba, Illamasqua Hussy, Bobbi Brown Calypso Coral, NARS Torrid, theBalm Hot Mama
Left to right (flash): NARS Laguna Illuminator, Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzing Powder, NARS Laguna Multiple, MAC Refined Golden Bronzing Powder, Milani Sunset Duos in Sunset Beach, Clinique Bronze Uplighting, Estee Lauder Illuminating Gelee in Shimmering Sands
What I’m wondering is, what gaps do YOU see? Since I only have my stash to compare it to, I can’t get a good idea of what I’m missing. What shades can you suggest that I should focus on buying?
I’m planning on doing this little experiment with all my makeup over the next little while, so be prepared: more lame examples of my organizational obsession coming your way! But do come back anyway, because I need your help
Is your makeup collection where you want it to be, or do you have a few gaps you’d like to fill?
Holiday Color Pairings
Posted by Latoya in a-england, Black, Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Essie, Eyeshadow, Glitter, Gold, Green, Holiday, Illamasqua, Lips, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Make-up, Metallic, Nail Polish, Red, Sephora Brand, Sparitual on December 12, 2012
When I start to think about it, it’s not really a surprise to me that I love makeup. When I was a kid, I use to spend hours pairing my crayons together in color combinations I thought looked good together (which was also a great indication of my obsessive tendencies toward organization, but that’s a whole OTHER topic in itself!). While I don’t feel societal pressures to follow trends in shades (woohoo, Emerald for 2013!), nor feel like I ‘should’ wear darker colors in winter and brighter colors in summer, I choose to follow these paths often because it just makes sense to me. I love the idea of changing the shades I wear according to seasons – heck, I even do it with the change in weather! Rain means somber shades of grey or blue; sun means warm tones of gold, or brights like aqua and orange; and snow equals icy silvers and cool pinks and purples. Its just how I roll, ya’ll!
As it’s the holidays, of course I imagined an array of festive shades to represent the season, and since the work was already done, I thought I’d share them with you! On the weekend for the first time I matched my lips to my tips, and it was a lot of fun. I’m not entirely sure I’d do the same with eyeshadow, but the colors below all complimented a polish I own so well I figured what the heck. I hope you enjoy!
Bobbi Brown Chrome Eye Shadow in Pewter; Chanel Le Vernis in 529 Graphite
Chanel Graphite; Bobbi Brown Pewter
Both of these silvers are so much more than plain ol’ silver. They both veer into a warmer tone rather than stark icy shades, which means they’re quite wearable for all skin tones. Pewter is currently unavailable as this was an LE shade, but at times Bobbi Brown brings it back in palettes and such, so keep your eyes peeled! Graphite has had a ton of reincarnations over the past year since it was released (though I don’t believe it’s LE anyway) – the best being Sally Hansen’s Shoot the Moon which was just featured on All Lacquered Up.
Essie Limited Addiction; Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in #46
Essie Limited Addiction; MUFE #46
MUFE’s #46 Rouge Artist lippie was the red shade I wore on the weekend to compliment my red manicure (done with China Glaze Ruby Pumps). I ADORE this lipstick; it is by far my favorite red that I own. It’s more of a true red I think, and looks so darn good on! The moistness of the lipstick keeps it looking so juicy and festive without being overwhelming in the least. It feels amazing on and I just can’t get enough! The only downside is that it’s only available at MUFE Pro stores and kiosks, but well worth the effort.
Essie Limited Addiction was, unfortunately, limited edition, but there are a billion reds out there I’m sure that are similar – just a bit deeper than your typical shade and neither warm nor cool.
MAC Jealousy Wakes; a-England Saint George
a-England Saint George; MAC Jealousy Wakes
Hot DAMN Saint George is beautiful! I don’t wear this polish nearly as much as I should, mainly because when I bought it last year, I wore it about three times in a few weeks – obsessed, I was! I’m wearing this to my work Christmas party this week and I’m super excited! Its one of the few greenish hues I own, and one of the few of that color palette I like. In truth it’s more teal than green but whatever – evergreen, shall we say? I LOVE IT and all it’s prismatic shimmer.
Jealousy Wakes is also another shade I rarely wear, probably because I don’t wear color in my shadows nearly as much as I used to, but I still enjoy it from time to time when I do pull it out. I dislike the texture of the shadow immensely – it’s so stiff and rough! – but it IS a lovely shade.
Sephora Brand She Sparkles; SpaRitual Aurum
SpaRitual Aurum; Sephora Brand She Sparkles
Oooh, sparkly indeed! Though Aurum is sort of a crap color on me – probably on most people, it’s so damn blingy I’m going to HAVE to pull it out for the holidays! Look at that sparkle! It’s a bit more greenish-gold than the orange-y gold of She Sparkles, but they both shimmer prettily together, don’t you think? I wore She Sparkles like crazy the last holiday season (when I purchased it), but haven’t given it much love since. I’ll surely be pulling it out again this month!
MAC Dark Soul Pigment; Illamasqua Creator
Illamasqua Creator; MAC Dark Soul
Though I’m not a huge lover of black nail polish, Creator has won me over with its glittery goodness, and looks both elegant and edgy at the same time. It compliments Dark Soul so perfectly! I could totally see rocking these two shades together, it’s like they were made for each other. I rarely wear Dark Soul for sort of obvious reasons (its a shimmery charcoal shadow – the rockstar look doesn’t exactly work at the office), but I’m trying to find ways to implement it more when I can. It’s definitely a perfect shadow for the holidays!
It was fun making these pairings and a huge throwback to my formative years It’s also scary to see that I happen to have enough polish and makeup that I can actually make pairings that coordinate so well… ~shrugs~ I’m a collector, what can I say?
Have you gotten into the matching trend? Would you be willing to try it, or do you avoid it at all costs? What colors say ‘holiday’ to you?
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