MAC Kinda Sexy

MAC Lipstick Collection + Lip Swatches, Musings & Favourites

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DSC_0398 As were many first makeup loves, MAC (lipsticks) were my first form of lipstick love, back in grade eight- with a questionably pink shade and a few months later my beloved Creme d’Nude – so I thought it would be fitting to share my favourites, considering that I’ve been blogging well over a year. However, upon contemplating my favourites, I realized that I kind-of-sort-of adored all of my shades because over the years I’ve returned or back-to-mac‘ed all the ones that I did not love. And, I resolved this inner conflict by deciding to show and discuss all eight of my MAC Lipsticks but highlight my top five favourites in brackets. I’ll warn you that there are two limited edition shades in here and neither of them are available (from MAC, anyway) but don’t despair please.  Get ready for some posing slash lip swatching awkwardness, dodgy lipstick application and terrifyingly rough lips. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

P.S. MAC Lipsticks come with 3 grams a product and retail for $19 CDN/ $16 US

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the naked lips, pre-swatching and pre-rough

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MAC Lipstick in Patisserie (Lustre) | “sheer creamy neutral pink” (1)

Recently Updated59MAC Patisserie came into my life during the late Fall of 2013 and hasn’t been neglected ever since, becoming my go-to purse lipstick as it’s foolproof to apply, doesn’t require a mirror and is essentially a glorified tinted balm with an extra dose of pigment. Being as moisturizing and dryness forgiving as it is, the formula is not the longest wearing, only lasting three or so hours but for me it’s worth it. It’s a mix between a nude and a my-lips-but-better colour, being slightly browner/darker and warmer than my lips but still staying in that nude-ish family; I don’t wholeheartedly agree with MAC’s description and I would be more likely to call it a pinky beige with warm brownish undertones. I have yet to find a makeup look that the shade doesn’t suit + its actually hydrating also! 🙂

MAC Lipstick in Creme d’Nude (Cremesheen) | “pale muted peach beige”

Recently Updated58Creme d’Nude is, to this day, my favourite true paler nude lipstick and we’ve had a love affair since I was in ninth grade (or maybe the summer before) and now I’m nearing the end of my third year of university… Cremesheen formulas are not always my favourite as I don’t find them overly creamy, moisturizing or flattering, – they tend to stick to any textured parts – this shade has the best formula out of all the shades in the range that I’ve tried. I’ve come to prefer this warm-toned beige-nude with strong peachy-orange undertones with lip-liner to avoid that concealer lips effect and add some shape, though and it is very pretty that way. It lasts for about four hours on its own and had medium colour payoff that makes it more wearable than other paler nudes – MAC Myth, anyone? – even though it swatches very light. I would not recommend this for anyone with extremely cool undertones – it might be questionable.

MAC Lipstick in Sweet & Sour (Cremesheen) | “soft peach cream” (5)

Recently Updated60Despite being of the difficult-to-wear pastel family and not being one of the better Cremesheens, I bloody love the muted peachy-coral shade but given that it’s a pastel and remains rather pale in colour, I might suggest a lip liner to make it look a bit more wearable and for your lips to look like they have actual edges. It lasts 4-5 hours, surprisingly with medium colour payoff and can actually remain on the lips through some light eating and drinking. This is one of my absolute favourite everyday lipsticks in the spring and summer, even though my lips don’t love the formula and it tends to highlight every bit of texture and dryness in the lips.

MAC Lipstick in Kinda Sexy (Matte) | “neutral pinky-rose” (2)

Recently Updated61In the summer, I was wandering around MAC, tried on this lipstick and I fell in love with the neutral rosy-peach shade with some brown to it. It’s up there with Patisserie as being my favourite lipstick and is in the neutral category as well, but with much more colour than a nude. I’m tempted to almost consider it a my-lips-but-better shade even though its quite deep to be considered in this category. The finish is matte but it’s not drying, wears a ridiculous amount of time and doesn’t look outwardly bad on my dry lips. It also doesn’t hurt that the rosy-hued neutral shade is just so flattering on my fair warm skin tone, blue eyes and dark hair.

MAC ‘A Fantasy of Flowers’ Lipstick in Dreaming Dahlia (Lustre) | “sheer red-coral” – limited edition

Recently Updated62I don’t agree with the description of the last spring’s limited edition lipstick because it’s surprisingly pigmented and not sheer in the slightest and I find it leans much more pink-coral than red but I wouldn’t be overly concerned as it’s limited edition and no longer available. It was from the MAC A Fantasy of Flowers Collection, which overall was an impressive collection in my opinion. I haven’t worn this lipstick as much as I should in the past because it’s not exactly a bold lipstick or a neutral one either but lately I’ve been giving the balmy comfortable formula more play. It lasts maybe four hours on the lips and has that hydrating consistency whilst providing even medium and slightly buildable opacity. If you’re looking for a shade like this that you could actually get your hands on without resorting to ebay or the like, I’ve found that the more affordable NYX Butter Gloss in Cherry Cheesecake to be impressively close, with a slight bit more orange to it and a balmy-gloss consistency.

MAC Lipstick in Dubonnet (Amplified Creme) | “deepened claret” (4)

Recently Updated63The Amplified formula does all that it promises, gliding over the lips with that hint of hydration, providing amazing pigmentation, being as comfortable as anything on the lips while lasting for 5-6 hours unless there’s been some oily-food eating or sliding before the colour has fully dried down on the lips. Dubonnet is my favourite and only MAC deep autumnal shade offering and I love its versatility, straddling the line between a more wearable berry or deep read and a true vampy shade. It’s one of those colours that believe MAC named aptly because it actually looks like the wine in colour, being a red-leaning berry hue with neutral brown undertones (in the best way possible). I have to say that the pictures do not do the shade justice because the glossiness does not show up favorable on camera, but this is fixed as soon as you let the lipstick set or do a bit of blotting. The shade is very similar to my other favourite NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Golshan and notably cheaper.

MAC ‘Hey, Sailor!’ Lipstick in Sail la Vie | “bright mid-tone orange” – limited edition

Recently Updated64As one might guess on account of the pretty nautical packaging, this neon orange shade with a little hint of red to it, was, in fact, limited edition and out almost three years ago before it sold out quickly. Believe it or not, I bought this shade to wear to my prom over the top of a reddish liner (to match my dress) and I’m some glad that I did. The satin formula wears for ages and ages and eventually stains the lip with more comfortable and easier application than a matte. It’s nice and pigmented, also and lasts on my lips for a good five hours. I’m sure that this is a dupeable shade but I can’t think of any options on the top of my head – and if you’re crazy and want to track this one down, I’ve seen it on Amazon for inflated but not absolutely ridiculous prices. I haven’t worn this as much since starting my blog, unfortunately – but I wore it loads before – just because I didn’t want to be wearing a shade that you couldn’t get your hands on in a post…

MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo (Retro Matte) | “very matte vivid blue-red” (3)

Recently Updated65The cult-favourite shade has possibly the most drying clay-based formula ever and is difficult to apply to the lips but it lasts so long on the lips and doesn’t move so it definitely has its merits; the formula is most certainly worth it because the flame-bright red with cooler undertones and a hint of pink is stunning and as universally flattering as its reputation assumes. The shade lasts a ridiculous amount of time on the lips and doesn’t transfer but when it does fade, it tends to leave that ring effect so I would recommend reapplication and it makes teeth look remarkably whiter without being jarring on my warmer skin tone. I’m tempted to say that this is my favourite red and I’m definitely one of those red kind of girls.

Do you have a favourite MAC Lipstick to share? What one should I try next?
Maggie, x.

August Favourites

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DSC_0451Ahh, I suppose the summer is now coming to an end and to be honest, I’m not particularly sad about it for two different reasons. First off, I’m beyond done with the hot summer weather and am ready for more than a little bit of cooling down and also, this summer wasn’t a great one for me and I’m ready for a change of scenery. I’m sure I’ll change my mind as soon as the stress sets in, though. This month brought a smaller selection of products than my usual but I’m definitely pleased with this bunch as a whole… This post does contain affiliate links too.

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The Bath & Body Works 3 Wick Candle in Beach Day ($10.50 on clearance – now) was my first foray into the world of Bath & Body Works scented candles and I’ve been obsessed with this light and unoffensive but potent scent. I smells like a relaxing beach day, reading on the beach and the gentle crash of waves with the light lemon and lime, saltwater and light citrusy musk scent. It’s a nice relaxing and low-key scent that lingers nicely. Plus, finding this one on sale was rather nice and it softened the blow of spending fifty dollars on candles.

Also, on the “non beauty” front, I’ve been obsessed with my Forever 21 Coffee Understands PJ Set ($15.80). This should not be a surprise because I’m one of those people who are obsessed with comfort and these fit the bill on that one and somehow seem more appropriate to be lounging around in at random hours of the day than mismatched tops and bottoms. The set is nice and lightweight which was key for the weather earlier in the month and I do adore the cheeky and true ‘nobody understands me like coffee does‘ lettering on the top and the printed shorts. I’m saying that I wore out the top portion in public but I may have been spotted leaving the house, wearing it with leggings…

Before venturing into the usual charted territory, I have two more mentionables of the more random variety. I’ve been really loving watching Suits this month and I may or may not have had a slight binge watching episode where I went through three seasons in less than 24 hours. Without paying attention, I grabbed the fifteen dollar special issue of People Style Watch and despite its purchase happening my accident, I adored the ad-free issue. I loved how it wasn’t based on actual pieces or selling of items but rather about styling outfits for everyday life. The price-tag on this one was rather hefty but it might actually have been worthwhile – it did help me with recognizing what kind of pieces I’m looking for and what is essential/extraneous.

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By the second week of the month, I had pulled out the muted neon peach MAC Lipstick in Sweet And Sour ($19) and since, I have not put it down or gone many places without it. I will admit that it’s not gorgeous when my lips are looking a bit horrific but at a certain point, I couldn’t muster the effort to care and the gorgeous colour was worth it. It’s one of those shades that adds some colour to the face but isn’t out there in the slightest. In the latter half of the month, I had gotten lazy on the lip balm front and then managed to burn my lips — ow / ew — so I wasn’t reaching for the matte formulation as much, but I also enjoyed the flattering darker peachy-nude shade, known as the MAC Lipstick Kinda Sexy ($19). Despite being a matte formulation, this lipstick manages not to dry out my lips and isn’t completely unflattering on them either — unless they are both flaking and peeling…

Around the midpoint of the month, I picked up a few things at MAC, shortly after making an order to Sephora online and there are two products that were late to the party but I fell in love with so instantly that they were begging to be mentioned. It’s been almost every day that I’ve been reaching for the creamy and jet black MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline ($19) and I’ve been adoring it. The pencil glides on as smoothly as any one has before with almost a liquid-like appearance and can be smudged nicely until it sets, when it becomes long-wearing. Its only faults are how difficult it is to remove without an oil based remover and that it transfers from lower to upper waterlines so easily. Because of the formula, this pencil can reach small spaces that other pencils cannot and I’ve been enjoying this.

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Since receiving the NARS Contour Blush in Paloma ($46) with my Sephora shipment, I don’t think I’ve put on any makeup without going for the contour portion of this duo. It doesn’t look that amazing in the pan — it’s really a rosy tan shade — but its formula is so amazing that it provides an ‘instant cheekbones’ kind of sculpted effect without much effort at all. I’m in love.

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I wore the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette ($67) consistently this month, as I had in July but this month I was much more consistently pleased with the result. To be honest, I don’t use the golden Radiant Light powder often at all, but the other two shades were consistently gracing my face. Dim Light is a nice finishing powder that adds a bit of glow while blurring things slightly and I’ve been enjoying this as I’ve discovered not to put this on the sides of my forehead – it tends to look weird and out of place there — and Incandescent Light is a lovely subtle highlighter that simply reads as a glow on the skin that I’ve also been using to set my under-eye section. I reviewed the palette in full here, if you’re interested.

What were your standout products this August?
Maggie, x.

The Daily Face #20

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It has been a good couple of weeks since my last ‘Daily Face’ post, strangely enough, so it goes without saying that it was time for another one. On another note, don’t get used to this whole two posts in one day kind of deal — it’s only happening because life has gotten in the way lately and this morning’s post was really meant to go up yesterday, so it truly is the post I wanted to put up today and I had the time, inspiration and focus to do so. With it being all Summery and whatnot paired with general life busy-ness, I haven’t been feeling like playing and faffing around as much with makeup so it’s on the more basic end of the spectrum for me and easily takes less than 10 minutes.

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DSC_1153First things first, I promise that the above shot is not doing my eyeliner justice — it’s the angle that makes the line look uneven, seriously. End Ramble. Seeing as I’ve accidentally gotten a bit of colour from the sun (whilst using good spf of course), I’ve been able to wear the lovely dewy Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation in 73 without having to work at blending the rather dark shade into my pale neck and therefore I did so. I was much too lazy to do that whole pinpoint concealing regime, but I had quite a red blemish on my right cheek so I covered it up (somewhat) with the Revlon Colorstay Concealer in Light and my finger. As per usual, I relied on the tiniest amount of the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque to cancel out some undereye darkness. At this point I decided to run some of the MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Quiet Brunette through the brows for some heavy-duty taming and some natural-looking effortless definition — before I went on and continued with the face.

I decided to use my loved MAC Harmony Powder Blush that I recently depotted to contour the face a bit and then of course, I decided to use a whole load of MAC products — apparently I’m having a bit of a MAC moment. For blush, I used another shade in my palette, MAC Tenderling Powder Blush, a rosy tan hue to add some warmth and colour to my cheeks with little to no effort. Then I went and grabbed the lovely Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette , running Dim Light throughout the t-zone for some finishing and blurring action and finishing with a dose of Incandescent Light to highlight the cheekbones.

As I have been for the last week or so, I went for the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded as my base to add some much-needed longevity. Then on the eyeshadow front, I stuck to three colours from my MAC palette that I’m currently obsessed with; Soft Brown was blended through the crease, the antiqued-gold Woodwinked went all over the lid and my recently acquired shade, Smut was placed in the outer corner and used to line the lower lashes. I’m having a bit of a love affair with all of these shades but Woodwinked might be the most noteworthy as I’ve had it for ages and have just recently rekindled my obsession with it. In the last week or so, I’ve also become reacquainted with my liner love, the effortless L’Oreal Lineur Intense and I obviously went for a subtle flick — that I repeat is much more on point in real life. Because we all know that mascara is a necessity, I’m sure you’re unsurprised to hear that I went for the Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara.

On the lips — you guessed it — I went for another MAC shade that I’m currently obsessed with and that shade is the MAC Lipstick in Kinda Sexy. While it’s a matte lipstick it’s not overly drying or unflattering on the lips but most importantly it’s the most flattering my-lips-but-better rosy peach shade with the subtlest brown-tinge to it. Neither words or swatches do this one justice, I’ll tell you…

Thoughts on this makeup?
Maggie, x.

 

Products Heavily-in-Rotation: July

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While I haven’t technically done one of these posts before, it’s not miles different from the ‘Daily Essentials’ posts that I have done in the past. I can’t promise that these products will be anything that you haven’t heard me ramble on about before but sometimes I believe that it’s nice to share the products that you constantly grab for even when you don’t have time to faff around with a million products and brushes, taking loads of face photos to end up with a decent one. Here are some of those products.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup:

So, by no means have I neglected mentioning this lightweight foundation; in fact, if you’ve been keeping up with things around here at all, I’m sure you’ve heard me declare my love for it countless times. My love for it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. It’s easy to apply with my fingers and offers impressive weightless coverage that doesn’t look heavy or dull in the slightest with its luminous yet velvety finish. And it doesn’t highlight dry patches or any less than perfect texture.

Skin79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream SPF 45++:

I wouldn’t describe this one on even ground to the Chanel PLV by any means but it has been convenient to reach for this one to get some coverage, hydrate the skin and provide non-irritating strong sunscreen protection at once. Although the one shade offered has beige undertones, the hefty-SPF included kind of ensures that there’s a white-cast involved so it requires some attention to application and blending but it lasts well, can look seamless on the skin and provides medium coverage with a finish that sits halfway in between satin and truly luminous. If I’m not feeling up to a full face of makeup or I’m too lazy to put on a separate SPF product, I go for this one. There really should be a review up on this one soon, I’ve had one done in rough for long enough…

L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in Universal Sun:

For being someone who sits on the paler end of the spectrum, I have a strong love for bronzer and this is only magnified in the summer-time; this bronzer has been the object of my love. It’s definitely a warmer-toned bronzer, sitting a bit more on the red side to imitate the look of the sun and has the smoothest shimmer-free texture. It’s pigmented as anything, also. I tend to use it both in a precise way to add shape to the face and as a general bronzer and it’s amazing.

MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Quiet Brunette:

This is my first foray into the tinted brow-gel territory so I don’t have loads of experience in this department but this one is smudge-free and true to its name, adding natural-looking definition to my brows in mere seconds. This shade is a nice one for medium brunettes with cooler eyebrows, if you ask me. I especially love this product when I can’t be bothered to do the whole brow-pencil or eyeshadow filling in routine.

L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black:

For a month or so, I hadn’t been feeling my favourite felt-tip liner but as the weather has gotten much much hotter and other eye makeup has the tendency to slide right off and I have been favouring a more minimal look, I’ve been reaching for this constantly to do that quick little kitten flick that lasts until you take it off! If I’m not going to wear a load of makeup, this eyeliner is a necessity.

Benefit Rockateur Boxed Powder:

I’ve already mentioned falling back in love with this warm rusty rose shade despite its usual status as a colder-weather shade here, so it should serve as affirmation that I have hardly been able to put down the gorgeous sheeny shade. It’s not too overwhelming on the cheeks and has that warmth while still differing from my usual corals and just instantly adds life to my tired face with minimal effort involved.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow:

I may have stopped rambling on about my love for this rather expensive cool-toned pink blush in at least every other post but I have not been neglecting this one despite its lack of mention. With a little colour to my skin I do need to build up the flattering cooler-pink shade more than when I’m at my fairest but it still works at providing that lovely subtle rosiness that adds instant life to the face without any sort of perceptible sheen. I will say that this is one for fairer skin tones but I’m sure the other shades will suit your fancy if you have more colour to your skin. I know I have my eye on a good few of them, the corally Diffused Heat in particular. Oh, and I have been using the powders from the same line but I forgot to photograph them and lack anything particularly interesting to say about them.

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Milan Moment:

The neutral sheer-tangerine hue of the liquid “lip stain” has proven itself as the perfect everyday hue, with minimal makeup or even more of a heavy kind of deal going on around the eyes. The fact that the formula is flattering on irritated lips and that the gloss-type applicator ensures easy application is ideal especially when paired with its no-fuss wear and long-lasting stained effect.

MAC Lipstick in Kinda Sexy:

I’m certain that I’m cheating here with including this one because I haven’t even had this for a week yet but ever since picking it up, I’ve been constantly reaching for this one. The matte formulation somehow manages not to highlight dry patches or overly dry the lips out, lasting ages on the lips and the peachy-nude hue with a hint of brown to it is one of those really flattering everyday lipstick shades on me.

L’Oreal Sublime Sun Alcohol Free Quick Dry SPF 50 Sheer Finish Spray:

Thankfully it’s mostly under control at the moment, but I do suffer from body acne on my back that tends to be irritated by sunscreens and also tend to break out from sunscreens as well, in both cases — this however, neither irritates my skin with alcohol-content nor breaks me out. Spray SPFs might be a little less economical but they are ever-so-practical and this one stands out to me with it’s non-irritating properties. It does require a little bit of rubbing in but it’s an effortless one that provides solid protection without having to endure that sunscreen sensation on the body.

Nivea Vanilla and Macadamia Lip Butter:

I’ve been rather late on the bandwagon with these basic but emollient and effective lip balms but I love them just the same. This balm doesn’t have a weird fruity scent and actively nourishes and soothes my dry lips and doesn’t risk irritating them over time or stop working. It can leave somewhat of a white cast but I don’t mind considering that its actually hydrating. Plus it’s like three-something tops…

Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black Rollerball:

I’ve been weirdly getting into fragrance lately and I’ve been reaching for this one that I got as a deluxe sample at Sephora. Without being too overwhelming, the vanilla base has some muskiness and spiciness with a hint of floral underneath and doesn’t smell overpowering but doesn’t smell sweet and girlie in the slightest. This is a rather strong scent for Summer but I’ve been loving it anyway. Don’t quote me on my scent description in any shape or form.

 I apologize for my less frequent posts but things have been busy around here. What have been your go-to products?
Maggie, x.