MAC A Tartan Tale Holiday Colour Collection Preview

This Holiday Collection focuses on the fantasies of A Tartan Tale! Enter a world of imagination with sparkly Dazzleglass Cremes and lush Lipsticks. Mineralize Eye Shadow in splendid tartan striping and ornamental satin Powder Blush. Eyes stand out with stunning colours of Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner and bold Zoom Fast Black Lash mascara. Chic and luxurious Pigments and Nail Lacquers in opulent shades are the final touches to a truly lavish holiday look.

Dazzleglass creme in Gone Romancin'
Mid-tone lavender with multidimensional pearl
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Dazzleglass creme in Lightly Prancing
Light peach with gold pearl
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Dazzleglass creme in Passing Fancy
Bright orange coral with soft pearl.
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Dazzleglass creme in Radiant Jewels
Dark sparkly magenta
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Dazzleglass creme in Soft Dazzle
Mid-tone peach pink with gold pearl
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Eye Shadow in A Wish Come True
Dirty mauve with bubblegum pink tartain striping
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Eye Shadow in Enviably Fun
Grass green with dark green tartan striping
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Eye Shadow in Follow Your Fantasy
Mid-tone peach with chocolate brown tartan striping
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Eye Shadow in Glamora Castle
Dark grey with teal tartan striping
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Eye Shadow in Golden Crown
Light gold with bronze tartan striping
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Eye Shadow in Semi-Precious
Aubergine with chocolate tartan striping
$23.50 CDN/$18.00 US

Lipstick in Courting Lilac
Sheer lilac mauve with soft gold pearl (glaze)
$16.50 CDN/$14.00 US

Lipstick in Cut A Caper
Mid-tone peachy pink (lustre)
$16.50 CDN/$14.00 US

Lipstick in Deepest Wish
Deep creamy reddish brown (amplified)
$16.50 CDN/$14.00 US

Lipstick in Full Fuchsia
Bright blue fuchsia (amplified)
$16.50 CDN/$14.00 US

Lipstick in The Faerie Glen
Pale neutral pink (lustre)
$16.50 CDN/$14.00 US

Nail Lacquer in Sly As A Fox
Creamy mid-tone russet/burnt red (cream)
$15.50 CDN/$13.00 US

Nail Lacquer in Style Clan
Dark taupe with red pearl (frost)
$15.50 CDN/$13.00 US

Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Black Line
Black with gold pearl
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Black Swan
Black with pearl
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Lord It Up
Bronze with pearl
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Petrol Blue
Deep navy with pearl
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Undercurrent
Teal with pearl
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Pigment in Later
Black with transforming purple pearl
$23.50 CDN/$19.50 US

Pigment in Moonlight Night
Blackened teal with teal pearl
$23.50 CDN/$19.50 US

Pigment in The Family Crest
Blackened bronze with bronze pearl
$23.50 CDN/$19.50 US

Powder Blush in Her Blooming Cheek
Very bright iridescent blue pink (satin)
$22.00 CDN/$18.50 US

Powder Blush in My Highland Honey
Bright coral with soft gold pearl
$22.00 CDN/$18.50 US

Zoom Fast Black Lash Mascara in Deepest Black
$16.50 CDN/$14.00 US

What do you think? Anything on your MUST list? I've picked up a few things already (preview party) which I'll share with you in a later post, but tell us what you are loving (and not loving) from this colour collection!

To see MAC's holiday gift sets and kits (all A Tartan Tale) click here, here and here. 

C.

In the Groove Jazzed Lipstick and Petticoat Mineralize SkinFinish FOTD (A.K.A. Too Damned Hot and Humid FOTD)

This was my "haul" from MAC's In the Groove. Yup, I'm a big spender. I picked up Jazzed lipstick and Petticoat Mineralize Skin Finish. I took a look at the legendary Stereorose but it was too orangey-gold for me and I opted for Petticoat instead.

Jazzed lipstick

Jazzed is a cremesheen lipstick described by MAC as a bright coral pink but I would omit the bright part of that description. It's quite muted and opaque but a wearable, pretty summery shade.

Petticoat Mineralize Skin Finish

Petticoat MSF is described by MAC as pale rose with gold and amber veining. Like the other MSFs, it's sheer and buildable and can work as a highlighter, a blush and an eyeshadow. This is my second MSF (I also have By Candlelight) and it's much more highly pigmented and shimmery.

It's been INSANELY hot and humid in Toronto with temperatures in the mid 40Cs with the humidity. I don't have airconditioning at home so temperatures have been around 30C inside and getting ready in the morning is a bit of a challenge. Make-up just melts off my face before I can get out of the house. Not to mention trying to make my hair sleek. I won't even get into that.

When In the Groove was released by MAC on Thursday, I went by to check it out and picked up Jazzed lipstick and Petticoat MSF. I'm not one to go without make-up much and like to look as polished as possible so the weather has been frustrating. Heading out to a backyard BBQ on Saturday and to watch the World Cup Final, both low-key affairs, I pulled together a look using very few products.

What I used:

• Kiehl's Ultra Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 in Light
• Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil in Feather Light
• MAC concealer in Studio Finish NW20 (undereye and in spots)
• MAC Petticoat MSF 
• Kiehl's Marvellous Mineral Mascara in Black
• MAC Jazzed lipstick
• Benefit Eye Bright

And here's how it looked:

With flash.

I applied moisturizer which provides a light coverage, then concealer to my undereye area and on any redness I wanted covered, then powdered over it all to set it, and focusing on my T-zone (which gets the oiliest). With a large fluffy brush I dusted Petticoat MSF along my cheekbones and up to my temples for a bit of pinky-gold glow. With a blush brush I applied Petticoat to my cheeks for blush and with my index finger I swiped it across my lids. I curled my lashes and applied lots of mascara to both my top and bottom lashes. I used Eye Bright on my waterline to make my eyes pop a bit more and to enhance the contrast between the Petticoat on my lids and the black mascara. The final touch was Jazzed lipstick on my lips.

Natural light.

Close-up of Petticoat on my cheeks and eye.

Of course, the photos don't capture the actual shimmer of Stiletto but I can tell you it's quite a shimmery product. Use it sparingly as a face powder or with more intensity as a blush and eyeshadow.

This was just enough make-up to make me look polished and fresh-faced but not too much so that when it melted away, I wouldn't look drastically different.

So what did you pick up from In the Groove? Got any summer beauty tips to share? 

C.

An Intensive (this is Canada, afterall) Winter Weather Beauty Guide

This wasn't taken on the day I describe. This is another, quite pretty winter day in Toronto.

Toronto had its first nasty weather day of the winter last week and it got me thinking. Icy rain, slushy sidewalks, deep puddles, humidity, strong winds - hats, boots and umbrellas are a must all too frequently during the winter. Commuting was a nightmare and much coffee, tea, soup and comfort foods were consumed. Days like this require special tricks and techniques to keep you looking and feeling as unruffled as possible.

Skin (body): Cold weather outside, hot dry air inside and hot showers has your skin feeling tight and dry so exfoliation and moisturizing are very important during the cooler months. Be gentle on your skin as it is more apt to damage when it's dry - exfoliate in the shower with a loofah or exfoliating gloves and a creamy, moisturizing cleanser. You can also use a scrub, such as one with essential oils and sugar like Cake's Brown Sugar Body Scrubs or make your own:

• 2 parts brown or golden sugar (brown is coarser than golden)
• 1 part olive oil
• a few drops of essential oils (whatever you prefer)

Keep the water as cool as you can stand it. Pat your skin dry with a towel and if you wish/need to slather on lotion. You can also try my trick of putting lotion on while still in the shower.

Skin (face): Just like the skin on your body, the skin on your face (and throat and chest) suffers with the drier hair and extremes in temperature, so treat it with care. Keep it moisturized and if necessary opt for a milder cleanser than you'd use in the summer. Use a mild exfoliator (try a little baking soda and water or mix a little into your cleanser) to slough away dry skin, and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

Don't forget about your lips! The thin, delicate skin gets chapped, dry, cracked and generally uncomfortable. Use a moisturizing lip balm (avoid anything that tingles if you have cracked or chapped lips) frequently to protect and repair your lips.

At night is when your skin (and body and mind) are repairing and resting. Take advantage and apply your richer moisturizers, leave-in hair masks, cuticle cream, foot cream and lip balm.

Make-up: I admit I've never had to wear waterproof mascara. I love to walk in the rain and humidity wreaks havoc on my base but I've rarely had to deal with mascara blotches or smudges. But of course, there are many who switch up their usual mascara for waterproof or at least water-resistant mascara on rainy days. Maybelline Waterproof Great Lash is a great one to try.

If you don't already use a primer, you might want to consider one on messy stormy days. Face primers help your base, concealer and blush last, while eye primers can prevent shadow from creasing on your eyelids.

Powder (loose or pressed) is your best friend on messy days. It will help set any cream or liquid, such as foundation or concealer, as well as tone down any excess shininess and oil. Yes, even for those of you with dry skin! It's a good idea to carry powder and a retractable, covered brush with you, as well as blotting papers to help combat shine. If it's humid, you might want to carry an eyelash curler with you since the moisture in the hair will lessen the curl in your lashes.

Keep your make-up simple if you can on messy days. The less complicated your look, the easier it will be to maintain it. Even if you have to switch up your look - from work to going-out for example - keep it simple and you'll look polished longer.

If you can skip base, do it and stick with a tinted moisturizer or concealer and loose powder. If you need to conceal undereye circles, use something light like Benefit's Eye Bright. Layer a cream or gel blush with a powder to help it set and last. Dust a thin layer of loose transluscent powder over your eyeshadow to help it set.

Last but not least, look on the bright side! Humidity gives your hair volume, so all of you with fine or thin hair, embrace the puffiness! You can forgo the highlighter and blush on cold, damp days as the cold hair brings a flush to your cheeks and the humidity makes your skin naturally dewy. Embrace the youthful glow, flushed cheeks and volume in your hair!

Happy Wintering!

C.

MAC: Can't-Live-Withouts

It's the end of the semester and things at school have been heating up - leaving me not much time to blog or even peruse the local makeup counters!  It's at hectic, stressful times like this I rely on my "can't-live-without" articles of makeup to get me through the day without looking like the zombie I really am.

MAC tends to be my standby for basics, so I've compiled a list of the items I can't get by without. 

Select Cover Concealer

I don't get enough sleep and even when I do I still have dark circles (it's genetic!).  Select Cover is my go to because it covers naturally, dries to a matte finish and has a long wear time.  I recommend using a warm shade to counter balance blue or purplish under eye circles (NW range of shades).

Eye Shadow

I have sparse brows and defining them really helps frame my face.  I mix two shades to fill in my brows, Espresso (a dark neutral brown), and Cork (a muted golden brown).  Espresso gives me the darkness my brows need, while Cork helps keep the look soft and natural.

Brow Set

I use Brow Set in Show Off to groom my brows into place.  I find that using it actually helps the eye shadow I've used to fill in my brows last longer throughout the day.  I recommend thoroughly wiping the excess product off the wand either on the lip of the tube or on a tissue before using it to style your brows.  I find if I don't do this I get large clumps of product in my brows which looks anything but natural.

Technakohl Liner

The basic eye for me is mascara and liner drawn in between my upper lashes - it's quick to do and really helps combat the look of sleepiness.  MAC's Technakohl Liner gets my vote as it's formula sets within a 10-20 seconds and has excellent lasting power.  The two shades I use regularly are Graphblack (a rich black) and Auto-de-Blu (a dark pthalo blue).  Auto-de-Blu really makes the whites of your eyes seem whiter, while not being too obvious in the colour department.  Technakohl Liners are also waterline safe and resist smudging excellently after they have set (even on the waterline!).

J

Picks and Skips: MAC's Holiday Offerings Part Two - Mineralize Kits

MAC has two Mineralize Kits out for Holiday 2009. Both kits retail at $71.50 CDN ($59.50 US) and each includes a Mineralize eyeshadow duo, a Mineralize Skinfinish (highlighter), a Mineralize blush and a mini buffing brush.

Fun In the Sun Mineralize Kit - Shimpagne Mineralize Skinfinish (soft beige-gold shimmer), Nuance Mineralize Blush (peach-gold), Play on Plums Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo (bronze, burgundy, peach, gold, pink), and the 181SE Mini Buffer. Shimpagne is a covetable shade that was released as Limited Edition (LE) so if you need a reason to pick up this kit, I've just given you one. Just check out Karla Sugar's swatch of it here. It's a beautiful champagne shimmer highlighter that anyone can use. Play on Plums is also a gorgeous eyeshadow particularly for the burgundy and the way the warmer tones compliment it.

Like all the kits, these colours would work on any skin tone but Fun In the Sun, as it sounds, has warmer shades and will work to give your skin a sun-kissed glow. Both Nuance and Shimpagne are LE's (Play on Plums is permanent) so I give this kit a PICK.

Pinkzapoppin! Mineralize Kit - Light Flush Mineralize Skinfinish (soft pink-bronze-peach shimmer), Dainty Mineralize Blush (gold pink moderate shimmer), Love Connection Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo (beige, gold, pink, rose, hint of blue) and the 181SE Mini Buffer. Like Shimpagne in the Fun In the Sun kit, Light Flush Mineralize Skinfinish is also a LE shade that beauty junkies lust over. The kit is worth buying for Light Flush alone. Because this kit is slightly cooler than Fun In the Sun, it's more for fairer skin tones or if you want a more subtle glow effect from these products. Both Dainty and Love Collection (eyeshadow) are permanent colours, so the only reason to buy this kit is if it's a gift for someone, or if you must own Light Flush. SKIP

Karla Sugar has swatches of both kits here if you want a better idea.

Happy Shopping and stay tuned for the remainder of our Picks and Skips for MAC's Holiday Collection!

For MAC's Holiday 2009 Lip, Eye and Face Kits Picks and Skips, click here.

C.

What is Your Morning Beauty Routine?

Now that I'm back in school (and not working), I seem to have a wee bit more time to put myself together in the morning. Being able to squeeze in time everyday to apply a bit of makeup has made my life that much more enjoyable - seriously!

All this thinking about my morning ritual gave me the idea that we should compare notes! So readers - tell us what your morning beauty routine is by leaving a comment.

Jill: I start the day by cleansing with whatever I have at hand & moisturizing (Biore's Dual Fusion SPF 30), I also use eye serum (Dior First Capture) . Then I wait a few minutes & apply a mattifying base to my t-zone, which is oily (Philosophy Never Let Them See You Shine or Clinique T-Zone Shine Control). I follow with under eye concealer (MAC Select Cover NC 25) and I also conceal any pimples if I might have them. I fill in my brows with a mix of MAC Espresso & Cork shadows & then use MAC Brow Set in Show Off to groom them. I usually use MAC Tecknakohl liner in Graph Black, curl my lashes with Kevyn Aucoin's curler and finish with Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara in Very Black. I finish with Chapstick.

To top it off I'll often throw lipgloss, blush or highlighter in the mix - but that depends on how I feel & how much time I have left before classes.

Catherine:

My morning routine starts in the shower. I don't always cleanse per se, but when I do I use Kibio Fresh Pureness Foam, an organic cleanser I get at Shoppers Drug Mart. When it's warmer I do this every morning, but when my skin gets drier (in cold weather) I don't cleanse in the morning. This is something I learned working at Lush. Basically, during the day your skin is exposed to dirt, oils, make-up, germs, all kinds of things - it's dirty by the end of the day! But while you sleep, your skin is clean and refreshing itself naturally. (This is why you should never ever sleep with your make-up on!) You shouldn't use the same cleanser in the morning that you do at night since your skin is nowhere near as in need of it in the morning.

Prep: After showering, I use the Boots No. 7 Restore and Renew serum all over my face, including my eye area. I use Kiehl's Tinted Ultra Moisturizer, then usually a primer - this varies, depending on what freebies I've gotten or what samples I've gotten from Sephora. I do like Bare Escentuals' Primer for everyday, Skin Perfekt for night's out and Dr Brandt's Oil-Free on hot and humid days.

Base: I swirl Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil all over my face, concentrating on the oilier spots of my face (around my nostrils, forehead, nose and chin). Mineral Veil is BE's version of a loose powder (although technically all of their products are loose powders) and it works UNDER the foundation as an oil-absorber and protects your make-up. It's pretty amazing. Then I apply my BE in Fair, using my fingers to apply it as concealer on any red spots or blemishes. Depending on how dark my undereye area is, I conceal using my Maybelline Age Rewind Double Face Perfector (a dual-tipped concealer/highlighter) or my Benefit Eye Bright pencil or the BE or a combination of all three. I swirl on the BE Mineral Veil on top of my foundation to set it.

Basic: My basic make-up is a brush and shaping of my brows with an eyeshadow called Pigeon. This also helps to tint my brows so they match my hair colour better. I always use a bit of blush since I'm so fair and because it does wonders to make you look healthy, rested and youthful - depending on the look I'm going for, but more often than not it's MAC Strada powder blush. I always curl my lashes since they naturally point down, using the Shu Uemera lash curler and then I apply a lot of black mascara - currently I love BE Buxom mascara or Benefit Bad Girl.

Eyes: I like wearing make-up, so I do wear eyeshadow every day. For work it's often a single colour (my favourites are Laura Mercier in Pewter, BE in Java and MAC Greystone) from my lashline to my crease. Another favourite look is MAC Vex from lash to brow and Laura Mercier in Pewter along my lashline (top and bottom) and on the outer half of my eye.

Lips: It's got to go with my eye make-up! For work often a medium-toned rose colour, occasionally in gloss, but usually a lipstick. I always have 3+ lip products in my purse - by the end of the week, there's usually 8 or so!

J.