Beauty

Beauty - MAC Angel Lipstick Review

6:00:00 pm

MAC, Mac Angel Lipstick, Mac Cosmetics, Mac Lipstick Review, Mac Pink Nude Lipstick, Mac Angel Swatches

MAC, Mac Angel Lipstick, Mac Cosmetics, Mac Lipstick Review, Mac Pink Nude Lipstick, Mac Angel Swatches


MAC, Mac Angel Lipstick, Mac Cosmetics, Mac Lipstick Review, Mac Pink Nude Lipstick, Mac Angel Swatches

Having sentimental attachments to lipsticks is never a good thing as it will make you buy it over and over again, perfect for the company, perfect for my lips, not so perfect for my purse.  Mac's Angel was the first lipstick from the brand that I purchased, I had seen one of the girls I watch on You Tube talking about it loads, off course after seeing it I wanted it.  At first I wanted it because I liked the shade but it came to have a lot more meaning than I first thought. I bought it in the airport on the way to my Grampa's funeral, hoping that buying the lipstick would make me feel better, it didn't but at least my lips looked pretty.  With the Shade name Angel I often think that it was fate that I liked this lipstick and so much so to purchase it when my Grampa had become an angel himself.  I hope you followed that, got a bit carried away.

As the classic black packaging would suggest this is part of the permanent line from Mac, this is my favourite packaging from the brand as I like everything to match,as soon as you start throwing limited edition fancy packaging into the mix it doesn't have that same appeal to me.  It's easy to keep clean and small enough to pop in your tiniest clutch bag

With this being one of the 'frost' lipsticks the colour is quite sheer with just one application, but easily buildable to give more of an opaque finish.  There is a very very slight pearl shimmer that runs though this lipstick so slight that to me it just adds a natural shine.  Comparing it to other lipsticks I have that are similar I would say its almost identical to Avon's Flirt Alert and is just a couple of shades up from Mac Hue but slightly cooler.  Of course Angel has the signature Mac Lipstick vanilla scent which is as delightful as always.

As you can see this is a very well loved lipstick in my collection and probably my most used, I normally apply this onto a my lips that has been lightly dusted with foundation and pair it with Mac Ample Pink Gloss, one true pairing if ever I saw one.  I will definitely be repurchasing when this is completely finished, I couldn't be without it now, my perfect everyday pink/nude lipstick.

Do you have a sentimental attachment to any lipsticks, or is it just me being a freak?

Glowing Skin

Beauty - How to Fake a Healthy Glow

5:00:00 pm


Mac Mineralise Skin Finish Soft and Gentle, MAC, Mac Cosmetics, How to give your skin a healthy glow, healthy glow, Glowing skin

Mac Mineralise Skin Finish Soft and Gentle, MAC, Mac Cosmetics, How to give your skin a healthy glow, healthy glow, Glowing skin

Mac Mineralise Skin Finish Soft and Gentle, MAC, Mac Cosmetics, How to give your skin a healthy glow, healthy glow, Glowing skin

Mac Mineralise Skin Finish Soft and Gentle, MAC, Mac Cosmetics, How to give your skin a healthy glow, healthy glow, Glowing skin

Mac Mineralise Skin Finish Soft and Gentle, MAC, Mac Cosmetics, How to give your skin a healthy glow, healthy glow, Glowing skin

Highlighter was something I wasn't even aware of before I started blogging so Mac Mineralise Skin Finish Soft and Gentle was definitely a case of 'The Blogger Made Me Buy It', it seems to be something many a blogger uses regularly.  I purchased this way back in September 2012 when I had my first Mac make up application, thankfully purchasing this was a massive positive from the negative experience.
Protected by classic Mac packaging this champagne highlight is a delight to have in my make up bag, it's perfect for carrying around in my handbag,  until recently it has never given me any grief regarding security due to the click close seal.  I say until recently, this will be two years old in September and the click close has unfortunately given up ghost so now my beloved Soft and Gentle stays at home when I'm out and about.

The velvet soft, blendable formula makes this very easy to use and work with, this is proven by the fact that I use this every single day.  Its one of those products that I don't really have to put much thought into application, I just buff into my cheek bones, brow bone, and centre of my face, anywhere that the light would naturally hit.  If I'm going out somewhere special and want to make more of an effort with contouring I also add this to my cupids bow and inner corner of the eye and to my collar bones to add a bit of interest to the area.  The name 'Soft and Gentle' gives the impression that this mineralise skin finish would be similar in texture to the setting powders of the same line but the product itself is actually slightly finer milled ensuring just the right amount of product is picked up by your favourite highlighting brush.

I love how this makes it so simple to achieve healthy looking complexion in seconds, with it making my quest of how to contour a winning battle I truly believe this is worth all the hype it gets.  I have been using this on my skin every time I apply make up, to ensure that glow, for nearly eighteen months now and as you can see in the photographs there is still mountains of product left, making the £22.00 price tag slightly more justifiable.  I say slightly as this is still a lot of money to spend on one product for your skin so I may try and get my hands on, the similar and more affordable, Prestige Cosmetics Mineral Bronzing Powder.  

Soft and Gentle I commend you for being one of my favourite Mac products I own.   

Mac Mineralise Skin Finish Soft and Gentle, MAC, Mac Cosmetics, How to give your skin a healthy glow, healthy glow, Glowing skin

Beauty

Beauty - Sharon and Kelly Osbourne MAC Collection

4:41:00 am

Sharon and Kelly Osbourne Mac, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne Mac Collection,Sharon Osbourne Mac Eyeshadow Palette, Kelly Osbourne Mac Lipstick,
images are not my own, obtained from instagram and Pinterest, edited by myself


It's not often I get excited about the MAC celebrity collaboration collections, in fact I don't own any pieces from their previous ones, but something about the Kelly and Sharon Osbourne Collection is catching my eye.

As soon as I seen the picture of Kelly's lipstick I fell for the packaging.  The classic bullet shaped lipstick casing, in a subtle shade of lavender resembling Kelly's pastel coloured locks, is to die for.  The signature scrawled in red creates an eye catching contrast that my eyes could not bypass, its going to look beautiful in my handbag.  As the pictures released the moment show no sneak peaks of the shade inside my imagination has ran wild with what I expect from the shade range.  I'll expect to see a classic red somewhere to represent the vintage glamour Kelly loves.  There has to be a deep berry vampy shade to remind us of Kelly's younger days when she was slightly more Gothic and a peachy toned nude to pair with the smokey eye Kelly has been sporting for years. 

The eye shadow palette Sharon clutches in her right hand looks like a quad I would create myself with what looks like a neutral highlight, a cranberry inspired plum, peach/bronze all over lid colour and a deeper brown/plum detailer which looks perfect for use in the crease and defining the lash line.  The Packaging outlined in red keeps with the theme of Kelly's lipstick with the famous Mrs O signature concealing the bottom two shades slightly.

This collection without a jet black eyeliner would be like me without eyebrows - bare - so I will be disappointed if there is not one included, c'mon MAC do it right.

Due to be released in June 2014 its definitely going to be a very popular collection but believe me I'm gonna be first in line.  Its just so exciting to see a MAC collaboration without a picture of RiRi in sight, refreshing to say the least.

Are you as excited as me for this launch, what are your expectations?

MAC

Beauty - MAC Quad Eyeshadow Palette Review

3:49:00 pm

Mac eye shadows were something I could never walk past without having a look and covering my hand(s) in swatches but for a long time the number of colours just overwhelmed me and I could never decide which to buy.  This was until last summer when I visited the Mac store on Canon Street, Birmingham.

Having just dyed my hair from brown to a more daring plum, I wanted shades that would work well with my hair and compliment my green eyes. As soon as I set eyes on the eyeshadow stand I was drawn to purples, lilacs and deep aubergines. 

After browsing independently for a few moments I was approached by a very welcoming sales assistant, I explained what I was looking for and she brought my attention to a range of different shades,  the lady was so helpful and gave me the best service I had ever experienced in a Mac store.  I eventually, after much deliberation,  choose four shades.

MAC cosmetics build your own eyeshadow palette


Mac eyeshadows Phloof, Stars 'n ' Rockets, Fig 1, Nocturn-Elle

I feel that the four colours I chose compliment each other well and can be used separately for a more simplistic look or together for something more dramatic. 

Phloof - I choose this off white shimmery shade for use as a base, blender and for highlighting the inner corner and brow bone.  I find it works very well for all of these uses and needs very little blending to get my desired finish.  One thing that confirmed that this had to be in my palette was the name, it makes me giggle.

Fig 1 - This is the only matte shade I chose for this quad and with good reason too, I mainly chose this to mix with my usual brow powder to match the colour of my hair better, since getting this home I have used it for my eyebrows most days but also as a definer and crease colour.  Being a matte formula it takes slightly more work to blend when using it on the eyelid and is the only shade in my palette with any fall out,  but that was to be expected being a matte shade. 

Nocturn-Elle - I love this colour so much, described as a pinked up chrome purple on the Mac website, I couldn't describe it better.  I love creating a purple smokey eye using this in the crease and along the bottom lash line.  The shimmer isn't too much but perfect to give a look more dimension.  I love the way this blends so effortlessly.

Stars N' Rockets - I had seen this in so many blogs and You Tube tutorials before I had swatched it in store and as soon as it was on my skin I new it had to be mine, it was the first colour I chose for my palette, all the other colours were chosen to compliment this.  I would describe it as a light purple with an iridescent shimmer running through it.  What I love most about this colour is how build able it is, one layer will create a subtle hint of colour but with two layers it becomes really eye catching.
 
All of the shades are beautifully pigmented and a delight to use, although creating this quad has left me with a big problem!  I now have a wish list for so many other shades.  The five that are at the top of that wish list are; satin taupe, sketch, coppering, cranberry and expensive pink, but those will have to wait until my next visit to the UK.

Which Mac eye shadows do you own?  If you have blogged about your Mac shadows/palettes please leave me the links below I would love to read them.

As always thanks for reading

Gemma
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