PosieSushi

Just to set the scene for this handy little tidbit, I have a new plan for purchasing MAC shadows. I'm going to try as much as possible to head down to my nearest MAC freestanding store, even though it's farther away, because they sell pan shadows. I'm going to try and scout out some MAC shadows that could work as blushes too, so I can put them in a four-shadow palette with three other shadows for on-the-go makeup.

One of my first candidates for a blush came from my recent visit to my local Benefit counter. The lovely lady introduced me to Posietint, a lovely pink liquid blush.


For those of you looking for a MAC equivalent to that lovely cool-but-still-ok-for-warm-tones blush, try Sushi Flower. It's a beautiful pink blush that still has an element of strength to it. I love that just like Posietint, it can be sheered out for a universally flattering blush or put on liberally to make your cheeks the center stage. Just to warn you though, the online swatch is really not that accurate.


I found the concept of Posietint, however, to be more like MAC's Cream Colour Base in Virgin Isle. I swear by this, as it is a perfect liquid-but-not-runny blush for everyday. However, in the container, Virgin Isle is an incredibly scary pink colour and Posietint is this Pepto-Bismol hot pink tone. But both of these blushes translate beautifully and subtly to a gorgeous cheek.

Makeup Mishaps and Redemptions

Tea at the Drake was so much fun! But the beauty parts of the trip were a little iffy...then sorted themselves out in the end. To begin with, my friend and I stopped by Sephora to pick up the fragrance for my other friend who was the one celebrating her birthday. Unfortunately, after browsing for a little bit we realized that we had five minutes to walk halfway down Michigan Avenue (which, for those that do not know Chicago, is an impossible feat in heels). Thankfully, we were on time, but the beauty lover in me felt unsatisfied. So, after an amazing time at tea with my friends, I headed down to Macy's with another friend and we counter hopped, visiting different booths and getting our makeup done. Because I got home late, I didn't have time to take pictures of anything, and I didn't buy anything...but I did snag a free gift from Lancome (my friend bought some stuff, so the sales lady gave us two!), so I'll swatch that and maybe do a look tomorrow. But here are just some things I noticed, beauty wise...


MAC Pro Longwear Lustre Twins need to come in more natural colours! I know plenty of people, like myself, that are looking for an everyday lipcolour that's as long-wearing as the prolongwears. Unfortunately, all of the ones I've tried have been far too bright. Today, I tried Ripe and Ready/Soft and Lush, and wow, it's bright. I put on just the stain at first, and my lips were far too orange, so I tried it with the gloss...to no avail. I've seen the colour look lovely on other people, so I'm definitely not slamming MAC for this product at all, I'm just warning anyone who's planning on using these as an everyday, muted colour to not set their hopes too high, otherwise you might end up with orange lips, like me! I ended up having to blot out what I could, and then cover it with a nude lipstick. Maybe next time I'll try Custom Rose/Pink Virtue.


I love MAC Tendertone in Hot 'n' Saucy (bright red). I've always said that my favourite products are tinted lip balms, and this one is definitely no exception. It looks incredibly bright in the pot, but especially on my tanned skin, it comes out to be pretty natural-looking; it was pretty much a "MLBB" (my lips but better) product. I didn't buy it mainly because it doesn't last very long, the little pot is pretty tiny, and it's $14.00. For that price, I can just dab my lips with a lipstick and brush on some Minted Rose balm, thank you very much! This is definitely something not for recessionistas like myself...even though I kind of still want it and I'm kind of still kicking myself for not trying Hush, Hush (shimmery gold) out.


For all of you paler girls out there...give Lancome's elephant bronzer a try. I'm really not much of a bronzer person at all, because my own skin is fairly tan and I'm usually striving to make it paler (don't worry, I don't own any sort of Asian bleaching products). However, a friend of mine was having her makeup done at Lancome and she had the bronzing powder put on her. She is also pretty wary of bronzers, just because she's relatively pale and they often are too dark. But this one gave a nice, light glow...and the design of the compact was adorable. For me, $36.50 is way too much for a bronzer, but if you're planning on using it for a long period of time it could definitely be worth it.


And finally...I am officially in love with Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Graphite Shimmer Ink. I don't care if the container is miniscule...the colour is so unbelievably gorgeous. However, I try my best not to make impulse beauty buys so I'm going to wait this one out a week or so to see whether I truly love the product.

On The Mac Track

MAC is somewhat of a cult brand, with many dedicated followers (me included) enraptured by its glorious pigmentation, diverse offerings, and creative launches. But it's not just the consumer population that suffers from MAC madness. The high fashion world of catwalks and models has gone mad for MAC as well, showcased in a featured on the MAC website.

The feature on catwalk looks created using MAC products highlights different trends seen on the catwalks, filed into five categories: Artsy, De-Vine, Glamodrama, Honed, and Seventease. Within each category, the looks from five catwalks are broken down using MAC products.

Here are my favourites (all pictures are courtesy of www.maccosmetics.com):

Dark Dimension (from Artsy)


This look, from Monique Lhullier, is a great evening smoky look that still has a pop of colour. This isn't as much my style, because visible glitter (as opposed to a pearlized sheen) is really not something I like to wear that often. But the combo of purple and blue in an evening-worthy smoky eye is typically MAC.

Flora & Fauna (from Artsy)


This look, from Catherine Malandrino's runway, is a great example of how mattes can be used to make looks that are far from boring. I love the dark green shadow, used as a liner.

Brow Beat (from Honed)


Though I may love a really defined, strong, brow...it would take a very steady hand and some natural ability to be able to draw a brow that defined and that natural. Thankfully I haven't had to worry about brow problems because mine are so thick...which unfortunately means regular tweezing.

Bare and Breezy (from Honed)


This may seem like a really simple look, but a lot of the runway looks featured were of the nude/natural variety, so I figured I should feature one. Plus, this one utilized my go-to lipcolour, the Slimshine in Funshine. How's that for a lip swatch?

Gold Mined (from Seventease)


I'm in love with pretty much every gold eyeshadow under the sun, and this look is no exception. It's smoky and gold, so it's twice as good! Luca Luca definitely made a good choice with this look, and I'm going to try my best to re-create it...except with a more antiqued gold and with a more blended line between the two.

Sex Tease (from Seventease)


This is such a hot lip look...and it's totally me! It uses a tinted lip conditioner, and I love balms, and it's the perfect strawberry-red colour. I'm not sure whether I would wear this out, because when you're not on the catwalk it looks more like you were just sloppy with your lipcolour, but I'm definitely going to look into that tinted lip conditioner.

Dark Drama (from Glamodrama)


Speaking of hot lip looks...this one's on the other end of the spectrum, it's very dark and vampy. With MAC's upcoming Cult of Cherry look, we might be seeing a lot more dark lips this fall. I think that this dark burgundy shade looks great, and I love that red glitter was used to add even more shine to the model's already glossy pout.

Glamour is Black (from Glamodrama)


Wow. The words "black lip" sound atrocious...but this is oh so very hot. Maybe in a full-body shot it would look weird, but this close-up is incredible.