I rarely talk about MAC collections these days. There are already way too many blogs that feature them and besides, I find their collections boring and full of repromotes and dupable shades. But for the first time in I can’t even remember how long, I’m actually excited about a MAC collection. Dare to Wear features bold, bright and colorful shades that are just right up my alley.

I’m so pleased that after all those natural and safe colorful shades, MAC has finally gone back to releasing some more daring shades. It was about time me thinks! I don’t really care about the glosses, but I want all the eyeshadows especially Going Bananas (I missed it when it was first released and have been kicking myself ever since), Louder Please and Zingy. Here’s the details:

EYESHADOW
Aqua: matte subdued, pale greyed aqua
Atlantic Blue: matte bright violet blue
Crazy Cool: mid-tone lavender
Louder Please: matte bright fuchsia pink
Sassy Grass: matte bright pale green
Shock-a-holic: bright purple
Free to Be: matte bright true coral
Going Bananas: soft lemon yellow
Lime: matte lime green
Sky Blue: sky blue
Winkle: mid-tone cornflower blue
Zingy: matte mbright blue

DARE TO WEAR LIPGLASS
Ban This!: deep purple with multi-pearl
Bold & Brash: bright red with multi-pearl
Dare to Dare: light blue pink with multi-pearl
Gimme That!: bright fuchsia pink with pink pearl
So Bad: mid-tone coral orange with pink and gold pearl
Wind Me Up: dirty bronze with pink and gold pearl

What do you think of the collection? Are you excited about it or is it too daring for you?

Sources: 1, 2

Hello ladies,

today’s look is a bit different. I wanted the lid color to be natural and use colorful shades on the crease instead. I tried to keep the colors soft so that it would be more easily wearable but I’m not sure I’ve managed to accomplish that. Still, I really like how this look turned out and I think I’ll try it again, just with different colors. What do you think of the look?

Products used:
– Senna Totally Transforming Eyeshadow Primer
– Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
– Sleek Storm Palette (pale gold)
– Sleek I-Divine Original Eyeshadow Palette (medium green)
– Sleek Curious eyeshadow palette (lilac + white)
– Pupa True Eyes eyeliner pencil in black
– Collistar Infinito mascara
– YSL Teint Singulier Sheer Powdercreme Veil Foundation
– Max Factor Erace Concealer
– Milani Minerals Blush in Luminous
– Senna Spot Lites Highlighting Pencil
– MAC Viva Glam VI SE

Directions:
– Apply an eyeshadow primer (I used Senna Totally Transforming Eyeshadow Primer) all over the lid to create a base for the shades to adhere to and last longer.
– Apply Fyrinnae’s Pixie Epoxy (if you don’t have, you can skip this step) on the lid to make the colors brighter.
– Apply a pale goldish cream shade (I used the one in the Sleek Storm palette) on the lid.
– Sweep a medium green shade (I used the one in the Sleek Original palette) on the crease.
– Apply a lilac shade (I used the one in the Sleek Curious palette) on the crease, between the green and the lid color. Blend well to soften any harsh lines. Then, sweep the same shade on the lower lashline.
– Highlight your browbone with a white highlighter (I used the one in the Sleek Curious palette).
– Line your upper lashline with a black pencil eyeliner (I used – Pupa True Eyes eyeliner pencil in black) and apply mascara.
– On your face, apply concealer (I used Max Factor Erace Concealer) to cover dark circles and any other imperfection you may have, and then your usual foundation (I used YSL Teint Singulier Sheer Powdercreme Veil Foundation in no.5).
– Sweep a pink blush with pink undertones (I used Milani Minerals Blush in Luminuous) on your cheeks and highlight the cheekbones, middle of the nose and chin with a subtle champagne highlighter (I used Senna Spot Lites Highlighting Pencil).
– Finish the look by applying a soft pink gloss (I used MAC Viva Glam VI SE)

Name: 219 pencil brush
Brand: MAC
Price: €24,00

From MAC’s website:
For precision shading on lid, in eye crease or along lash line. The soft, smooth fibers of this brush are gathered into a pencil-shaped tip. It is ideal for blending eyeliner into eye shadow to create a smoky looking eye.

What I liked:
- soft and dense bristles
- picks up a lot of color
- can be used to place color everywhere
- perfect for precise work, to create eyes shape and to work in small areas
- can be used to place the color, blend it and smudge it
- doesn’t shed
- doesn’t lose its shape after washing

What I didn’t like:
- white bristles get stained easily and they are hard to clean
- if you don’t like using brushes with natural bristles, this is not for you
- the price

As you know, I’m not a big fan of MAC these days but I have to admit they make some of the best brushes around. One of my absolute favourites that I use in almost every look I do is the 219 Pencil Brush. It’s a must have for me and I have never regretted buying it. I actually wondered how I could have lived without it!

The 219 pencil brush has a pointed tip, just like that of a pencil as the name suggests. The bristles are soft so they don’t scratch skin but dense and pick up a lot of product, so be careful or you might end up with too much powder on your brush. Also, its size and shape ensure precise application in small areas and make this a very versatile brush that can be used for lots of things.

This brush can be used to apply color on the lower lashline effortlessly and blending it too or to apply highlighting shades in the corner of your eyes to brighten them up. It can also be used to place colors in the crease easily and painlessly so that then you can blend them with a crease brush, or to create a defined line. But that’s not all. If you’re into smokey eyes, this brush makes your life so much easier as it can be used to smudge eyeshadow and eyeliner. Because of its shape, the results are very precise and achieved in a jiffy.

It is also useful to blend shades in the outer corners and to create every eye shape you want. You could even use it to apply colors on the lid if you wanted to. Seriously you can place the color everywhere with this brush and it deposits a good amount of it too so that, whether you want to create a defined shape or blend out the edges, you can do so very easily. In addition, the bristles don’t shed and reshape very well after washing, which is something I was worried about.

However, there are a couple of things I don’t like about this brush. First off, the white bristles get stained easily and are hard to clean. Most of the times, after I wash it with baby shampoo and water, they are still stained and look like they’re dirty even though they’re not. I really wish the bristles were darker but considering how amazing this brush is, I can put up with it.

The other downside is the price: €24 is a lot of money for an eyeshadow brush. Still, this is one of the very few cases when I didn’t mind splurging because not only this brushes has so many uses and I can do pretty much anything with it, but if taken proper care of, it can last for years and years and you won’t have to repurchase it ever again. Considering the quality, I consider it to be a really good investment.

Also, some people may not like that the bristles are natural. They are made of goat hair, so if you have a problem with that, you should avoid this and choose a pencil brush with synthetic bristles instead.

Available at: maccosmetics.com, macy’s and nordstrom

Summary
Overall, I adore MAC 219 pencil brush. The soft but dense bristles place color effortlessly everywhere: crease, inner and outer corners, crease, lower lashline and even lid. The pointed tip is perfect for precise work in small areas, to create defined lines and shapes and to smudge colors. Also, the bristles don’t shed but are hard to clean and natural. And the price is steep for an eye brush too.

Rating: 5/5

You all know what I think of MAC. The products are average, overpriced and boring. I’m tired of keeping up with their endless collections, so I’m just gonna write about those I’m more interested in, like Color Forecast.

This is a huge collections with shades ranging from corals to pinks, from plums to ambers and if the products didn’t look so easily dupable, I’d be all over it. The only thing I absolutely love from the collection is the Lipstick in Pink Burst. That’s so gorgeous!

I was actually shocked to find out I’m finally lemming something from MAC after months, but I’m trying to resist the urge. I rarely wear lipstick (I’m a gloss gal), and I don’t wanna pay so much for something that I wouldn’t use a lot. What about you? Are you gonna get something from the collection?

Spring Colour 1 Forecast

EYESHADOW ($14.50)
Da Bling: pink with gold pearl
LaLa: mid-tone pink
Rosy Outlook: frosted baby pink
Very Violet: dark violet

CRUSHED METAL PIGMENT: STACKED 1 ($32.50)
Pale pink, light lilac, mid-tone rose, dark purple

BLUSH OMBRE ($25.00)
Azalea Blossom: light cool pink

LIPSTICK ($14.00)
Bubble Gum: light lavender pink
Laugh-a-lot: mauve pink
Phlox: sheer light pink
Pink Burst: clean bright pink with pearl

LIPGLASS ($14.00)
Cultureclash: frosty clear baby pink with multi-dimensional pearl
Hush, Hush Rose: mid-tone blue with pearl

NAIL LACQUER ($12.00)
Galore Pink: creamy mid-tone blue pink

CREATIONS: PINKAURA ($25.00)
Lingeringly floral, slightly foxy. Starts off green then bursts into a flowery bouquet of freesia, black violet and magnolia petals. Sashays into a rich warm amber and balmy vetiver.

Spring Colour 2 Forecast

EYESHADOW ($14.50)
Hot Hot Hot: mid-tone coral
Nanogold: sheer yellow beige with pink pearl
Perky: light salmon pink
Straw Harvest: frosty light yellow-orange

CRUSHED METAL PIGMENT: STACKED 2! ($32.50)
Pale gilded beige, yellow gold, green gold, copper gold

BLUSH OMBRE ($25.00)
Ripe Peach: light coral

LIPSTICK ($14.00)
Colour Me Coral: frosted light coral
Fresh Salmon: sheer bright pink-orange
Rose Maiden: frosted bright berry
Victorian: frosted light golden pink

LIPGLASS ($14.00)
Cha Cha: mid-tone pink with gold pearl Ember Glow: creamy light apricot
Kumquat: frosty tangerine

NAIL LACQUER ($12.00)
Malibu Peach: bright creamy tangerine

CREATIONS: MV2 ($25.00)
Cool, calm, and classic. Vanilla teased with lemon, melted with lavender creme, and then given a warming shot of vanilla bourbon mixed with vanilla mousse and heliotrope.

Spring Colour 3 Forecast

EYESHADOW QUAD — COLOUR 3 ($36.00)
Black Tulip: frosted dark grape
Bruised Plum: frosted mid-tone dirty mauve
Jungle Moon: blackened deep eggplant
Mink Pink: neutral soft pink

BLUSH OMBRE ($25.00)
Vintage Grape: mid-tone violet pink

LIPSTICK ($14.00)
Hang-up: deep berry
Radicchio: sheer mid-tone blue-mauve

LIPGLASS ($14.00)
Lavender Wind: lavender with pearl
Purple Rage: dark berry with pearl

NAIL LACQUER ($12.00)
Imperial Splendour: deep creamy violet

Spring Colour 4 Forecast

EYESHADOW QUAD — COLOUR 4 ($36.00)
Aztec Brick: frosted true copper
Creole Beauty: frosted dark golden brown
Flip: bronze gold
Manila Paper: pale frosted white gold

BLUSH OMBRE ($25.00)
Springshine: neutral suntan

LIPSTICK ($14.00)
Beigeland: frosted light pink beige
Bronzilla: frosted mid-tone yellow brown

LIPGLASS ($14.00)
Almondine: pale gold with pearl
Gold Dust: mid-tone copper with pearl

NAIL LACQUER ($12.00)
Abalone Shell: light creamy warm beige

Source

Hello everyone and welcome to a new feature here at Beautiful With Brains. Every now and then, I’ll write a letter to a brand expressing my opinion about it. Sometimes, they’ll be rants, sometimes they’ll be raves, sometimes neutral, but always honest. I hope you like this new feature and please let me know what you think of these brands in the comments. I’d love to hear your opinions. So, let’s get started. First up, is MAC Cosmetics:

Dear MAC,

it saddens me to write this letter, but I’m afraid I can no longer hide that lately my feelings for you have changed: we’re OVER. It wasn’t a decision I took lightly, but your behaviour over the past months has left me no choice.

I still remember the way we met. It was online. There aren’t any MAC counters here and I discovered you while surfing the net. The wide selection of colors, the not-too-high prices and the good quality of your products made me fall in love with you.

Every time I was in another town and I had the chance to visit one of your stores, my heart was full of joy and excitement. I would spend hours at the counter playing with everything on display and never went home empty-ended.

Everyone kept saying how you were the best in the business and for a while, I believed the hype. Then, you changed. You kept wanting more of more (of my money) but only kept giving less and less (of your products, both in quality and sizes).

The recent decrease of the size of pigments is the last straw for me. I don’t care if you still give me enough product to last me a lifetime or how good those pigments are, making people pay the same for less is NOT cool, nor right. And that’s not the only time you downsized a product and I’m sure it won’t be the last either.

And do we want to talk about the endless amount of collections you keep throwing at us faster than I can say “I do”? You released more than 30 collection in 2009! 30! And how many were actually interesting? Mmmm…. NONE! They were all full of repromotes and boring and dupable colors that aren’t even as pigmented as they used to be.

The few times when the promo pix got me all excited and eager to see the collection, the swatches would soon disappoint me. Everything seems to have become so sheer lately. I can’t even remember the last time I saw a pigmented lipgloss from you, they all look the same clear crap when swatched these days.

And yet, the prices keep going up. I understand that prices can’t always stay the same, esp in this economy. Sometimes they go up, rarely they go down, but you keep increasing the prices by 50p every year for no reason at all. I’d understand if you were in trouble, if that was due to the recession, but let’s face it: even if the economy was blooming, the prices would still increase.

The price increase wouldn’t be so bad if the quality of the products kept increasing too. I don’t mind paying a bit more for better products, but they are slowly becoming worse overtime. You have become so greedy and all you want is to make the most money as you possibly can with as little effort as possible, without caring for your customers at all.

And so, overtime, I stopped caring for you too. We’ve had some good times in the past. I loved you and bought your products and, in return, you made me look pretty without making me go (too) broke. We had fun together, but the past is the past and it’s now time to move on.

That doesn’t mean that I’ll never buy your products again. I’d still get some of your brushes every now and then (after all, their quality is still super) and if you decide to release some unique, colorful and pigmented shades, I’ll give in and get them. But you’re no longer one of my first choices when it comes to buying makeup.

There are lots of brands out there that release much better products than you at a much cheaper price. And most of the time, their colors are permanent so I don’t have to rush out to buy their collections as soon as they get out or miss them, like I’m forced to do with you.

Thanks for all the good memories, but now it’s time for me to move on.

Gio

Source

A collaboration that feels like the best tongue-in-chic resort retort delivers that joyously bright and refined Key West bloom: new floral patterned Pearlmatte Eye Shadow and Face Powder, plus all the retro-modern colour combinations that Lilly is famous for.

PEARLMATTE EYESHADOW ($19.50)
It features three matte and pearlized shades (white, green, pink) in a floral pattern.

PEARLMATTE FACE POWDER ($27.50)
It features four matte and pearlized shades in a floral pattern.

CREMEBLEND BLUSH ($18.50)
Florida: bright fuchsia
Joie-de-Vivre: peachy coral
Optimistic Orange: bright coral
So Sweet, So Easy: light yellow pink

LIPGELEE ($14.00)
Lush & Bright: bright pink with yellow coral with pink
Preppy: blue pink with pink pearl
Resort Life: off white with pink pearl
Shift to Pink: light violet with silver

NAIL LACQUER ($12.00)
Coconut Ice: light yellow peach pink
Steamy: hot’n'steamy pink

Hello everyone,

as the year is drawing to a close, I thought I’d share with you the products that rocked my world in 2009. The list includes the products that I tried this year, not those that were released this year, and they are all things that I love very much and use again and again. Curious? Read on:

FACE

Pupa Professionals Smoothing Foundation Primer is a silicone-based primer with a very silky texture that applies like a dream. An excellent base for makeup, it diminishes small imperfections, makes skin smooth and helps makeup last longer. And I love that it is also available in a mini size which is a better value for money for people like me that don’t wear face primers often.

The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals Foundation SPF 25. Although it’s not HG material (mainly because it is available in very few shades and doesn’t control oil too well), it’s one of the best foundations I tried this year. It is a pure mineral foundation that provides a light to medium coverage for a very natural finish that lasts long.

EYES

Barry M Intense Eyeliner Pen is a retractable liner that doesn’t need to be sharpened. The colors are bright and intense, easy to apply, last for hours even on the waterline and don’t smudge.

Unfortunately for my wallet, Chanel Exceptionnel De Chanel Mascara is the best mascara I’ve tried this year. This long-lasting, smudgeproof mascara provides volume, length and separation without clumps. It takes a while to learn to use the wand properly, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll get a dramatic, false lashes effect.

Sleek Eye Dust Pigments are easy to blend, last long and have great color payoff. I wouldn’t say these are the best pigments on the market (although the quality is great), but what I love the most is the size: they are almost as big as MAC pigments (actually I heard MAC is reducing the size of their pigments again so Sleek’s are bigger now) but only cost £2.99. A real steal!

And obviously, I couldn’t forget to mention my beloved Sleek Eyeshadow Palettes. The ones I got these year are Curious (LE, featuring a mix of green, blue and purple shades), Safari (LE, a mix of neutral and colorful shades), Acid (LE, bright and neon shades) and Chaos (permanent, bright and matte shades), but all the others are amazing too. They feature 12 soft and highly pigmented mineral eyeshadows that last all day. And they are super cheap too!

CHEEKS

Barry M Blusher comes in six bright shades that, if applied with a light hand, look very flattering on pale skin too. The packaging could use some work, but the blush is very pigmented, soft to the touch and provides a rosy and healthy glow to the cheeks.

E.L.F. Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder contains a pigmented blush that gives cheeks a rosy glow and a pigmented bronzer that is perfect for contouring. Unfortunately the bronzer is not suitable for pale skin, but overall, this duo is a steal!

Lumiere Blushing Bronzer in Sugarberry, a dark mauve that gives cheeks a natural flush. And because it has a matte finish with just the sightliest hint of shimmer, this is perfect for contouring pale skintones. In addition, it is nicely pigmented and lasts all day.

Senna Cheeky Blush was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting to like this much since I prefer powder blushes cos they last longer. But this cream blush lasts for hours and doesn’t feel sticky at all. The color is pigmented and because it is very shimmery (too shimmer for some people) it provides a nice flush with a sparkly glow that allows me to skip highlighting powder.

LIPS

Although I’m a lipgloss girl, my favourite lip products this year are both lipsticks. My favourite is Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick for its creamy and moisturizing texture. It is available in lots of beautiful and pigmented shades and it’s fairly longlasting too.

NYX Round Lipsticks aren’t as longlasting as Lancome lippies, but they are still a great and much cheaper alternative. They’re also available in a wide selection of shades, are creamy and have a great color payoff. And most importantly, they aren’t drying on the lips.

BRUSHES

E.L.F. Studio Powder Brush is my favourite brush to apply both liquid and mineral foundation. The dense bristles feel like silk on my skin and provide medium to full coverage for an airbrushed look in just a few seconds. And it’s very inexpensive too!

MAC 219 Pencil Brush is one of those brushes that, once you have them, you wonder how you could have lived without. It’s definitely a must-have. The soft and dense pointed tip is perfect for precise work. It defines the outer V and crease perfectly, deposits eyeshadows on the lower lashline effortlessly and it’s great at creating shapes and smudging colors.

MAKEUP REMOVERS

I’m still on the look out for a cheap and effective makeup remover. All the ones I tried this year are average and the only one that truly impressed me is Helena Rubinstein All Mascaras! Complete Eye Make-Up Remover. If it weren’t for the high-price, I would stick to this and never use anything else. It completely removes all traces of eye makeup, including waterproof mascara and eyeliner, in just a few seconds and is gentle on the eyes.

HAIR

I like trying new products all the time, but when it comes to my hair I usually stick to my old favourites. But this year, I had the chance to try Bottega Verde Anti-Age Cream Conditioner and I completely fell in love with it. It conditions hair well, leaving it soft, moisturized and tangle free. And it smells gorgeous too!

Can you see something missing from the list above? Yeah, that’s right, skincare products. That’s because none of the skincare items I tried this year have blown me away. Some of them are great and worked well for my skin, but I haven’t found any HG or must-have products.

What are your favourite beauty products from 2009?

Disclosure: all the products in this post, apart from the Lumiere and Senna blushes which were provided by PR for consideration, were purchased by me. For more information, please see my disclaimer.

Source

Every couturier has forever had a fascination with the mysterious and alluring qualities of Lace. From Evita to Marlene Dietrich to some of the best-dressed of our red-carpet modern screen stars, it’s a long love affair. This salon-intimate collection is all about a dramatic, intense, smoky eye, with shadows that flash frosty grey to deep blue.

EYESHADOW ($14.50)
Hypnotizing: grey mauve
Love Lace: midtone greyish blue
Pincurl: dusty white
Suave Intentions: light silver blue

KOHL POWER ($14.50)
Feline: rich black
Raven: black with red pearl
Sense of Style: blackened deep marine blue

LIPSTICK ($14.00)
Intricate: cool icy taupe
Pretty Please: pale pink

LIPGLASS ($14.00)
Icescape: sheer pale pink with pink pearlized pigments
Utterly Discrete: sheer cool icy mauve

NAIL LACQUER ($12.00)
Light Affair: pale grey taupe