MAC Venomous Villains

A stepmother who first sentences death by way of woodsman and when that plan fails, attempts poison via popularly loved fruit. A mad woman who sits atop PETA's most wanted list when her love of fur stretches to p...pu...puppies ::lip quiver::. The aforementioned, Evil Queen and Cruella de Vil will be joined by comparably cold-hearted evil-doers Maleficent and Dr. Facilier in MAC's Venomous Villains Collection. I suppose now that the Disney Princesses have been claimed by younger audiences, we are left with the dark and despicable cougar dames (and one man-coug - Dr. Facilier). In a dark alley or heavily wooded area I'd much prefer the Princesses, but in this case, I quite like the edge of said villains.

MAC's Venomous Villains Collection

*Image from Source has been resized

MAC's Venomous Villains Collection is expected to launch in the US at the end of September and should be available at MAC retailers worldwide beginning October 1, 2010.

xoxox

MAC Rodarte Collection Update

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MAC's controversial Rodarte Collection, which had alluded to the tragic and unbelievable dangers of life in Juarez, Mexico, will not be shipped after all. MAC's FB announcement regarding the collection which was slated to launch September 15 and includes shades titled "Factory," "Sleepless," "Pale," "Badlands," "Sleepwalker" and "Juarez," is as follows:

M·A·C Decides Not to Ship M·A·C Rodarte Makeup Collection Out of Respect for Women & Girls of Juárez and their Families

by MAC Cosmetics on Monday, August 16, 2010 at 9:27am

This decision will not impact M·A·C 's commitment to donate all of its projected profits from the collection to benefit the women and girls of Juarez.

Out of respect for the people of Mexico, the women and girls of Juarez and their families, as well as our M·A·C Mexican staff and colleagues, M·A·C has made the decision not to ship the M·A·C Rodarte limited edition makeup collection. This decision will have no impact on M·A·C's commitment to donate all of its projected global profits from this collection to local and international groups that work to improve the lives of the women and girls of Juarez. We are currently conducting due diligence to ensure we donate to organizations with a proven record of directly supporting the women and girls of Juarez.

M·A·C and Rodarte are deeply and sincerely sorry and we apologize to everyone we offended. We have listened very closely to the feedback of concerned global citizens. We are doing our very best to right this wrong. The essence of M·A·C is to give back and care for the community and Rodarte is committed to using creativity for positive social change. We are grateful for the opportunity to use what we have learned to raise awareness on this important issue. 

MAC's statement is direct from the FB announcement and has not been altered.

What do you think about the decision to cancel shipments?

xoxox

July Faves!

Product Review: MAC Fix+

Dare I review a MAC product and leave myself open to retaliation by the brand's army of enthusiasts worldwide? Yes. I dare.

MAC Fix+ $18.00

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MAC's site describes the product as follows: "An aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance, finishes makeup. Spray it on. Skin drinks it up!"

Society's take: your skin will need to learn to chug. While the product may be whittled from nature's best offerings, the dispensing of said miracle juice is far from refreshing. A soft spritz to awaken the senses would be lovely - absolutely ideal, however, this is not delivered. Furthermore, reviews that I saw in regard to the product, pre-purchase, claimed it would set my makeup, act as a mixing agent, assist with foiling my shadows, ... fly me above the rainbows so that I could play amidst soft and snuggly clouds. To sum, the product was to be the answer to all my makeup woes; no such luck, Dear.

The spritz that comes from the container (a thoughtful container, might I add, with a twist-to-close nozzle that protects its roomies during travel) is almost not even worthy of being categorized as a spritz. The amount of product that dispenses is far too concentrated and leaves your face wet, not misted and refreshed. I've tried "spritzing" from 6" (as a rookie), 10" then 12"... the trial and error involved with using Fix+ is unbelievable. Thinking that perhaps I was a cynic after watching praising reviews, I decided to try the product on Society Gal Andrea - only to produce yet another wet face, frightened by the deluge of product that had just rained down.

As for foiling - trusty H2O never fails. Dampen your brush and press it against a paper towel to rid excess, then tap a bit of the mineral product into its lid and circle your brush to create a tiny paste of product for application.

Lesson learned: some things really are too good to be true.

xoxox

MAC for Rodarte

When did glamour become so tasteless? If you have not yet learned of the terribly tactless MAC for Rodarte collection, I first urge you to read Mizz Worthy's blog post regarding the controversial issue here. For additional information regarding the background of the situation, read the Wikipedia article regarding Mexico's Ciudad Juarez which can be found here. Additional information will be available in the upcoming days.

This Summer's Formula: SPF (Sunscreen Plus Foundation)

We've just returned from a trip to the beach and I am happy to report that my Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup passed the sand and sun test! Even after swimming in the Atlantic (which, by the way, showed mercy and only tossed a few taller-than-me waves in my direction) my makeup was, surprisingly, intact! Not only did my foundation stay where I'd coaxed it this morning, but my shadow, liquid liner and mascara were unwavering as well! I am still unsure how, as I had a couple of close encounters of the wave kind, but I was quite pleased when I evaluated the results.

For those of you who are curious, today I used: Smashbox Photo Finish Light Primer, Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup in Golden Medium, MAC Powder Blush in Well Dressed, Bare Escentuals Illuminating Mineral Veil, Urban Decay Primer Potion & Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows, Maybelline's Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner, and Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Mascara. I may have used additional products but the list was getting embarrassingly long for a relaxing day at the beach...

The Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup's performance was quite impressive, however, there is an option for those who have yet to hop on the mineral makeup bandwagon but want a less heavy look and feel during beachy summer days. Try this simple solution that will help your liquid foundation transition, when being completely made-up is not necessarily the look that you're going for:

Mix a non-greasy formula sunscreen like Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock with your foundation, then apply as you would normally. The product should be about one part sunblock and two to three parts foundation, allowing for coverage while protecting your skin from the sun's harmful rays. Your foundation will instantly be more beach and pool friendly, and with a quick dust of finishing powder or veil, you will be ready for the sun and sand!

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 30 $8.66

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Buh bye, Beach Bunny!

xoxox

Excuse me! I'd like to MAC an announcement...

Whilst perusing MAC's site I happened upon very pleasant news: Saint Germain is back a-gain! Alright, so I wasn't necessarily perusing...I suppose I was more...stalking.

Dun dun dun...

It all began during a search for the perfect light pink lipstick (you know, pastels are really taking 2010 by storm). My efforts led me several different directions, none of which were quite right. Paula Dorf's Flamingo was a bit too nude; N.Y.C.'s Chiffon was much too frosty; NYX's Harmonica was a moisturized version of Chiffon; Bourgois Paris' Rose retabli had a peach-red undertone; Smashbox's Pout was a glaze-type formula that lost pigment against my lips. Having seen reviews of the seemingly elusive Saint Germain, I knew that since its departure with the Sugar Sweet Collection, it would now only be available through the Euristocrats Collection in the UK; out of my reach.

Luckily, the introduction of Viva Glam Gaga appeased my Barbie-pink hunger and paired with the pastel purple-pink of Snob, I found myself happy as a clam. If I were nine inches tall with plastic features and a dream house, and Barbie saw me wearing the Snob and Viva Glam Gaga combo, I'm sure she would have wanted to be my friend.

Of course, you always remember the lipstick that got away. Thus, upon hearing that Saint Germain might be returning in a MAC collection this year, I began my daily site-searches. And finalmente! The time has come! Saint Germain is back and though I am unsure of the collection or duration of its stay this time, I offer this suggestion: purchase yours online now or [potentially] forever hold your peace. Even better - use code LASH510 at checkout for free shipping and a free mascara sample!

Warning: Saint Germain is not the usual everyday go-to color - it's pale pink. If you like the Barbie-pink lip look, go for it!

Buy Saint Germain here!

My Time in the Sun.

My days in Savannah are numbered as the date of our departure back to the Golden State draws closer, so yesterday, we opted to take a trip out to Tybee Island to appreciate the beach that is only thirty minutes away from us. Despite the beautiful weather, we packed three bags of items we could potentially need in any situation because we like to be prepared on road trips (even small ones)! I even followed the SPF instructions and slathered 70 screen on at least thirty minutes prior to sun exposure.

Most of the items we hauled along with us included snacks, towels, beach blankets and extra clothing in case of wind, rain, snow, sleet, a typhoon...you never know, right? I did, however, pack a small cosmetic bag with just a couple of essentials. Items in my beach touch-up makeup bag included:

A Physician's Formula bronzer in Baked Tan $11.49

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The Physician's Formula Baked Tan bronzer gave me a pleasant surprise as it was the perfect tan hue and had a nice texture. It was extremely easy to blend and will work nicely for contouring as well. At just over $10, I had no worries in regard to taking it to the beach with me as I would have with other, more costly and fussy products.

Loreal True Match liquid foundation in Nude Beige W3 $8.99

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An excellent liquid foundation that provides a nice amount of coverage. This product applies smoothly and is easy to blend. You will see best results when using this over a primer and under a setting powder like the bareMinerals Mineral Veil. It has an SPF 17, but I suggest using other SPF products as well, especially for days at the beach (hence the SPF 70 I mentioned above). Not only does this product's performance gain it kudos from me, the selection is shoppable as well. The shades offered are clearly organized as they are grouped into W, N, and C depending on whether your skin tone is warm, neutral, or cool. I have warm (golden) undertones and am a level 3, with level one being the lightest, seven or eight being the darkest. Though I have tried liquid foundations from varying price points, I am most pleased with this product as an everyday liquid foundation.


A powder brush like this one from Ulta $30

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One of the aforementioned VS lipsticks $12 in a nude hue and two other MAC lipsticks in
Viva Glam Gaga and Snob $14.

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I ended up not even needing to touch my touch-up bag once! It did, I must admit, make me feel a bit better knowing that I had it at my disposal just in case...perhaps similar to a child's baby blanket, my touch-up bag makes me feel a bit more comfortable.

Best of luck packing your bags, Beautiful!

Cheers to adventures.

xoxox

Product Review: Victoria's Secret Makeup

Having discovered that Victoria's Secret is now selling a full makeup line, I, like any other Gal might do, found myself falling victim to a 1-2 punch. Googly-eyeing the makeup, I pictured the flawless faces of Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima and determined that they must use these magical products as well. Yes, I somehow found myself reasoning that though pretty panties and structurally-sound underthings with straps that connect fifty different ways may have been the store's previous forte, VS must also have the winning formulas for makeup as well, as their entire livelihood is built upon beauty. Realizing the new VS makeup line existed was punch one.

You see, as a Gal who loves being made-up, the realization of a new product collection anywhere would make my day. We're talking Ace Hardware with a lipstick line based on paint samples and I'm through the roof. So, as I was reeling from recovery of the initial discovery, punch number two came and took me out. If the display would have had hands, I would have been putty in them. The salesgirl, who I'm sure was only legal by a parentally approved work permit, didn't even need to tell me that I could play with the testers. I had already started, and much to my husband's dismay, a forty-five minute fawning of shadows, blushes, glosses, liners, and lipsticks ensued. By the time I had finished my hands looked like I had completed a very involved art project. And now that the dust from my shadows and powders has settled, I can clearly see which products are yays and which are nays.

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The Luminous Face and Cheek Highlighter (pictured above) was an attractive purchase because I love a nice luminous cheekbone (as I am sure you detected from my post The Highlight of My Day), unfortunately I feel that this product (which I purchased in the shade Desert Rose) doesn't dispense easily and for the price ($14) there are other options that are far more effective. The product works nicely along the nose, but I would rather not spend $14 on a product that I am only using to accentuate my nose, of all things. The packaging feels cheap and the stick formula works against my liquid foundation as it doesn't glide on easily at all. I would not repurchase this product and would urge you to reference the products in The Highlight of My Day for an idea of other highlighters that are worth the money.

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The Mineral Eye Shadow Palette (pictured above in Jungle Heat) seemed to have excellent pigmentation when I swatched it at VS, however, when using brushes I found that the colors didn't hold pigmentation as well as I had expected, wet or dry. The gold lightweight plastic packaging again feels cheap instead of the chic result they must have hoped for. At $15 for four shadows the product isn't a ridiculous expense but I don't deem it to be worth repurchasing, either.

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I purchased two VS Blush Trios, Bliss and Wild. At $14 I found the trios to be priced reasonably for the product. Again, the finger swatch test returned skewed results as this product does not apply as pigmented from a brush.

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VS offers lipsticks in three different finishes: Perfect Lipstick, Sparkling Lipstick and Matte Cream Lipstick. At $12 I found the packaging, again, cheap. Unfathomably so considering that MAC lipsticks are offered in an unbelievable range of shades and packaged in sturdy little capsules for just $2 more. I chose-Femme, a Matte, and Spotlight, which is Sparkling, and I find the textures similar to those of Lorac's lipsticks in that they are very creamy. The formulas are nice as they are not noticeably drying to the lips (think bareEscentuals and Paula Dorf) but overall, I would opt for spending the additional $2 at MAC.

So, suffice it to say that VS' forte remains pretty panties and structurally-sound underthings, and perhaps over time they will have evolved their makeup line to include structurally-sound packaging and pretty useful cheek highlighters. As much as I'd like to love the current VS cosmetic offerings, I just do not at this point.

Sorry so glum, Gorgeous.

Bright new possibilities are on the horizon!

xoxox