Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish vs. MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder

I really like the texture, feel, and finish of Bobbi Brown's Sheer Finish Pressed Powder as a setting powder and I like having it in my purse for touch ups. However, I hate the packaging. The square shape of the compact makes it larger than I would like and takes up a lot of space in my purse. So, I went to MAC and decided to try out the Select Sheer Powder to see if would be as good of a product as the BB powder, in better packaging.

As you can see, the BB compact is larger, pointier, and bulkier than the MAC compact. Also, the numbering of the BB powder is funky. I use the third darkest shade Soft Sand, or number 5. This throws me off because in the foundation range my number is 3.5, Warm Beige. The MAC powder uses the same numbering as the foundation and in both I am an NC25. 

Both compacts have a mirror and come with a powder puff. 

Both powders are very sheer and don't deposit a lot of color, which is what I wanted. Both powders are very silky, blend in to the skin, are great for setting my face makeup, and control my minimal shine. I really couldn't tell much difference between the two when worn on my face. Considering that I like the MAC packaging and numbering system better, I am now going to stick to the MAC Select Sheer powder. Oh, and the MAC powder costs $23 for 12g of product and the Bobbi Brown powder costs $34 for 11g of product, so clearly MAC wins this battle.

Alternatives to Black Eyeliner

Although black is the most commonly used eyeliner shade, there are 2 great alternatives that provide a dark line, but aren't as dramatic as black.

Clockwise from top: Smashbox Jet Set Eyeliner in Intrigue*, MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy, MAC Technakohl Eyeliner in Steelpoint (LE), Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Shimmer Ink

Brown Eyeliner: Brown eyeliner is great for fair to medium skined beauties because it is more natural looking than black. However, that doesn't mean dark skin tones can't rock brown. I like medium to dark shades of brown because it provides the intensity of dark eyeliner, without looking black. Personally, I wear a lot of brown eyeliner, both during the day and at night, most frequently when doing a brown smokey eye or when wearing natural or no shadow. My two favorites are Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Shimmer Ink and MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy (both are permanent products)

Grey Eyeliner: In the same vein, I LOVE grey eyeliner because it is much softer than black, and really complements brown and green eyes. Again, I like using grey eyeliner with little to no shadow on the eyes. I love using colored eyeliner and grey gives me the feel of using a colored liner, but is still very natural looking. The trick here is to use a grey that is dark, not silvery, like most grey liners are. My two favorites are Smashbox Jet Set Eyeliner in Intrigue (currently part of Smashbox's spring 2012 release and it comes with a mini liner brush) and MAC Technakohl Eyeliner in Steelpoint (a limited edition liner that came out a couple summers ago and I wish they would re-promote).

L-R in Natural Light: Smashbox Intrigue, MAC Steelpoint, BB Chocolate Shimmer Ink, MAC Teddy

L-R w/ Flash: Smashbox Intrigue, MAC Steelpoint, BB Chocolate Shimmer Ink, MAC Teddy

Other colors like dark navy and aubergine are also great alternatives to black, but are also a bit more adventurous than brown and grey. 

*Disclaimer: This product was provided by PR for consideration. As always, my thoughts and review reflect my honest opinions. 

MAC Must-Haves: Samoa Silk Eyeshadow

With Pantone declaring Tangerine Tango as THE color for Spring, it's no wonder we have been seeing orange on the runways, in the stores, and on the makeup shelves. If you aren't quite ready to take the plunge with bright orange eyeshadow, you may want to try out my latest addiction: MAC's Samoa Silk Eyeshadow.

Samoa Silk is a veluxe finish shadow and is described by MAC as a polynesian peach. It isn't bright and doesn't have any shimmer in it, so it is very versatile. It can be used in the crease or on the lid, and the peachiness factor is just perfect. 

Swatch of Samoa Silk in daylight

Swatch of Samoa Silk w/ flash

Lately I have been wearing this all over the lid, with a darker peach or soft tan in the crease, and black liner. The peachiness really awakens the eyes and adds a touch of warmth, which is perfect for spring. Here I am wearing Samoa Silk on the lid, Soft Brown in the crease, and a touch of mascara.

This is a must have for me because I love neutrals, especially warm neutrals. This would be especially flattering for those with blue eyes because peach/orange opposes blue (color wheel theory) so the peachiness brings out the blue in blue eyes. This shade would also be great for mature women because the brightness of the peach counteracts the grey, sallow tones surrounding mature eyes.

What peach/orange shades are you rockin' this Spring?

MAC Tres Cheek and Extra Dimension Swatches

Hey Dolls! Today I have a treat for you! The MAC Tres Cheek and In Extra Dimension collections launch in-store next Thursday, April 5th, but I have swatches for you today!

The Tres Cheek collection includes 6 springtime blushes that are super pigmented.

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I think all these colors are super pigmented and perfect for the spring/summer. The shades are:

• Pink Tea - Neutral beige pink (Satin)
• Lovecloud - Bright mid-tone pink (Satin)
• Peony Petal - Bright blue pink (Satin)
• Modern Mandarin - Red-orange (Satin)
• Immortal Flower - Bright peach (Satin)
• Full of Joy - Lavender (Frost)

Here are the swatches:

Top: Pink Tea, Modern Mandarin, Immortal Flower

Bottom: Lovecloud, Peony Petal, Full of Joy

Top: Pink Tea, Modern Mandarin, Immortal Flower

Bottom: Lovecloud, Peony Petal, Full of Joy

Top: Pink Tea, Modern Mandarin, Immortal Flower

Bottom: Lovecloud, Peony Petal, Full of Joy

Although the pinks aren't that unique, Modern Mandarin and Full of Joy aren't shades we see frequently so I think they will definitely sell out. My personal favorites are Modern Mandarin, Pink Tea, and Lovecloud. I do want to mention that the Reel Sexy collection also launches on the same day and includes two blushes, Pink Cult and Magenta, which look just ok in the pan, but are beautiful on. Unfortunately, I don't have swatches of those, but if you like blush you have to check those out too! (I almost like those shades better than these!)

The In Extra Dimension collection includes 3 skinfinishes that are multi-use highlight powders. The texture of these is completely different from mineralize skinfinishes. These skinfinishes are are super smooth, almost creamlike, metallic powders with an extremely shimmery finish. The good part is they are not glittery. The collection also includes 12 shadows with a similar texture and finish. 

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Whisper of Gilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish

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Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish

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Glorify Extra Dimension Skinfinish

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Here are swatches of the 3 skinfinishes:

L-R: Whisper of Gilt, Superb, Glorify

(top row is blended, bottom is a heavy swatch)

L-R: Whisper of Gilt, Superb, Glorify

(top row is blended, bottom is a heavy swatch)

L-R: Whisper of Gilt, Superb, Glorify

(top row is blended, bottom is a heavy swatch)

These skinfinishes are described as liquid-powder highlighters that are supposed to wear 10 hours. I haven't worn them on my skin so I can't vouch for that. These are each 9g and cost $29. A regular mineralize skinfinish (MSF) has 10g and costs the same, so these new ones are pretty on par with the MSFs. Because these are so shimmery, less is more, but I think these new skinfinishes are a fun new multi-purpose product.

Are any of these products on your wish-list?

Blending Shadows

There are some shadows that I can always rely on to help with blending...these are what I like to call blending shadows. I use these shades to blend harsh edges, to create a gradient for smokey looks when going from a dark color on the lid to a light color on the browbone, and correcting mistakes. Sure, I use these for other purposes too, like on the lid or in the crease, but I use them most for blending and bringing a look together.

Top: Orb, Wedge

Middle: Soft Brown, Texture

Bottom: Cork, Espresso

Yes, all of these shades are from MAC. I really believe that MAC does the best neutrals. They have a HUGE range of shades, finishes, and tones. 

L-R: Orb, Wedge, Soft Brown, Texture, Cork, & Espresso

I know what you are thinking, these all look very warm. Perhaps, but bringing warmth to the eyes really brightens the eye area. Plus, my philosophy is like that of Bobbi Brown: all skin tones naturally have warm tones in them, so warm colors are very complementary.

My absolute favorite for myself is Texture. This shade works wonders for medium-dark skin tones and also looks great on mature skin (especially auntie types). I highly recommend all these shades, whether or not you use them for blending.

Do you use and love any of these? What is your favorite blending shadow?

MAC Must-Haves: Ricepaper Eyeshadow

Just about everyone in the blogging world has confessed their love for MAC Ricepaper, so I figured it's time for me to share why I think it is a must-have.

Mine is almost used up, an indication that I use this a LOT. The color is a peachy beige color with a frost finish. MAC describes this shade as a "peachy gold with shimmer," but on the skin it is not shimmery at all.

I use this mostly as a highlight and inner corner shadow. On light-medium skin tones this also works as a lid shadow, as I am wearing it here:

This reason this is such a popular shade is that it just works. The peachiness allows the color to blend in with the skin and is not look stark like a lot of white-based shadows. This is a must-have for all skin tones and is one of my everyday staples. 

Just Finished

I finished a few products in the last few days so I want to share with you my thoughts.

1. Bath and Body Works Body Butter in P.S. I Love You - I picked this up in one of the semi-annual sales and I think it is an older formula of body butter and a discontinued fragrance since I can't find it on the website anymore. The body butter itself is extremely thick...so much so that it was hard to spread on the skin so I ended up using a lot of it each application. It also took a couple minutes to absorb in the skin, although that is the case with most body butters. I remember B&BW re-vamping the body butter formula last-year so I think it has improved, but I haven't tried the new one. On the other hand, this fragrance was very lovely! It is a mix of rose and amber, but not overwhelming. I really hope they bring this scent back!

 

2. Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser - I received this as a sample and it is good, but nothing amazing. The exfoliating beads are very small, and the cleanser didn't remove all my makeup, so I didn't feel like I was getting a good clean or a good scrub. This may be a good exfoliant for sensitive skin, but it didn't do anything for me. 

3. Origins Starting Over Age-Erasing Moisturizer with Mimosa - This is one of the brand's best-selling anti-aging moisturizers, but I didn't find any improvement in my skin. When I went on my Bahamas cruise last month I wanted a small jar of moisturizer and I had this in my stash and it was only a 1 oz. jar so I decided to use it up.  This has a bit of a citrus scent, which is nice and refreshing, but most anti-aging cremes are very moisturizing and this definitely was not moisturizing enough for my dry winter skin. This is supposed to be effective for all skin types but based on my experience it may be better for oily-normal skin types. I didn't see any improvement in my fine lines, in brightness, or any other aspect. I also wish this had SPF. I really like Origins products (I LOVE GinZing Eye Cream), so I am tempted to try out the other lines of moisturizer and recommendations are appreciated.

4. The Body Shop Hemp Hand Cream - This is a nice hand cream, but I HATE the packaging. I despise the foil-type tubes because they are rigid and get holes very easily. The cream is nice, but after trying the Gud by Burts Bees Natural Hand Creme, I am glad this is finished because the Gud one is sooo much better at moisturizing my hands. 

5. MAC Eye Brows in Lingering - The Eye Brows pencils are twist up, thin, brow pencils that make it easy to draw or fill-in brows. I really enjoy the ease of this pencil, but it gets used up pretty quickly, so now I prefer using a brow powder or shadow and an angled brush. If I was made of money I would definitely re-purchase this. 

Have you tried any of these? What are your thoughts?

MAC Shop Cook Collection - Haul and Look

Hey Dolls! I haven't been interested in the recent MAC collections, but I did pick up a couple things from the recent Shop Cook collection: Call Me Bubbles Eyeshadow Quad and Added Goodness Fluidline Eye Liner.

L-R: Call Me Bubbles, Fresh Daily, Full of Flavour, Brash shadows; Added Goodness liner

The shadows are super pigmented and I especially love Brash, which is a veluxe pearl texture (my favorite). These shades are perfect for spring and summer. I have so many Indian outfits in these shades so I am excited to wear them with my sarees and lehengas...perhaps even a look like the following:

In this look I am wearing Call Me Bubbles and Fresh Daily on the lid, with a mix of Brash and Bronze (not from the quad) in the crease. I used a similar gradient on the lower lashline. I lined the top lid with Added Goodness Fluidline and used Black Funk pencil on my waterline.

What do you think? Did you pick up anything from the Shop Cook collection?

Make Up For Ever Lab Shine Lip Gloss vs. MAC Dazzleglass

Every now and then I like a sparkling lip gloss, and two of my faves are the Make Up For Ever Lab Shine Lip Glosses Diamond Collection and the MAC Dazzleglasses.

The MUFE Lab Shine formula has 3 different formulas, the Diamond Collection being the sheer, sparkly one. I compared the shade D16 (shimmering beige) to the MAC Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks.

Both glosses have a brush applicator (which I am not fond of because the bristles tend to splay after some use), with the MAC one being a tad bit flonger.

MUFE Lab Shine in D16 (shimmering beige)

MAC Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks

L-R swatches in natural light: Lab Shine in D16, Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks

L-R swatches with flash: Lab Shine in D16, Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks

Lab Shine in D16 on lips

Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks on lips

MUFE's Lab Shine glosses are supposed to have a slight apricot fragrance, but I thought it was quite strong and very fruity. The Dazzleglasses have a slight vanilla fragrance that all MAC lip products have, and is much more subtle than the MUFE glosses. The Dazzleglass is also stickier than the MUFE one so it does last a bit longer on me. Overall, both glosses are very similar in shimmer and are sheer in color. The MUFE gloss contains 0.09oz and is $18 which is a better value than the MAC Dazzleglass, which is 0.06 oz and is $19.50. I don't wear sparkly glosses all the time so I don't care too much that the MAC one has less quantity, as they have quite a good shade selection and are more readily available.

January 2012 Favorites

Yes, I know I am not the first to say this, but can you believe January is already over? Where does the time go?

Anyhoo, here are the products I kept reaching for in January:

1. Laura Mercier Luster Eye Colour Duo in Dusk/Chocolate - These two shades work so well together making it easy to create a contoured eye. Both shadows are smooth, easy to blend, long lasting over primer, and very pigmented. I have really been loving Laura Mercier's color products lately and will be featuring more of my fave products in the coming weeks.

Swatch of Laura Mercier Luster Eye Colour Duo in Dusk/Chocolate

2. MAC Mineralize Blush in Early Morning - This is from the Naturally collection and although I normally don't go for mineralize blushes, this one is amazing. It is extremely pigmented so I use a light hand and a skunk brush (I prefer MAC's 188) so that I can have good control of how much color I apply. I think this is gorgeous on all skin tones, but due to pigmentation, it is best suited for medium-dark skin tones. All 3 blushes from the Naturally collection are super smooth, finely milled, and have a natural sheen to them that is not sparkly or matte. Ever since I got this one I have been using it almost everyday.

Swatch of MAC Mineralize Blush in Early Morning

3. Hana Shine Shield Serum - I originally reviewed this here, and I liked it, but I have really been loving it the past few months. After washing my hair I apply a few drops of Moroccan Oil to damp hair, then blowdry and flatiron. Due to the winter static and dry weather, I have been having a lot of flyaways so after straightening my hair I rub a drop or two of this serum between my palms and smooth it over the top of my head. It works really well to control the flyaways, but it also adds softness and shine without adding any greasiness. Don't you love re-discovering good products you already have?

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Corrupt - I confessed my love for this here and honestly, I haven't been using any other liners. This is darker than basic brown, but not as harsh as black, and it just works. I use it day and night and with all sorts of shadow combinations (or with no shadow). This pencil is just amazing and judging by how much I use and sharpen this, I better find another pencil just like it soon, cuz this is going to run out and it is not permanent....le sigh.

Swatch of Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Corrupt 

What products have you been loving?