MAC Casual Colour Preview and Photos

STILETTOS, OFF! HAIR, DOWN!

Enjoy this collection of our idea of weekend chic, which includes all-in-one NEW Lip and Cheek Colour Pots, Nail Lacquer, Prep + Prime Highlighter, Studio Fix Mascara, Mineralize Skinfinish and the 187 Brush. Effortless and easy, these lightweight, barely-there formulas feel like you’re wearing nothing at all. In shades including: Weekend Getaway, Lazy Sunday, Out for Fun. Relax, it’s M·A·C – but don’t slack, this collection is only available for a limited time.

187 Brush
Duo fibre face
$50.50 CDN/$42 US

Casual Colour in Evening Stroll
Violet cream (creme)
$24 CDN/$20 US

Casual Colour in Have A Lovely Day
Neutral Nude (creme)
$24 CDN/$20 US

Casual Colour in Keep It Casual
Warm wine (creme)
$24 CDN/$20 US

Casual Colour in Keep It Loose
Warm peach (creme)
$24 CDN/$20 US

Casual Colour in Lazy Sunday
Baby pink (creme)
$24 CDN/$20 US

Casual Colour in Out For Fun
Cool coral (creme)
$24 CDN/$20 US

Casual Colour in Relaxation
Warm pink (creme)
$24 CDN/$20 US

Casual Colour in Weekend Getaway
Cool rose (creme)
$24 CDN/$20 US

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium
Soft creamy beige (neutral)
$34 CDN/$29 US

Nail Lacquer in Ballet
Pale sheer ballet pink (creme)
$19 CDN/$16 US

Nail Lacquer in Please Me
Mid-tone warm pink (creme)
$19 CDN/$16 US

Nail Lacquer in Style Tip
Soft pink nude (creme)
$19 CDN/$16 US

Nail Lacquer in Tangerine Fizz
Mid-tone orange coral (creme)
$19 CDN/$16 US

Prep + Prime Highlighter in Bright Forecast
Mid-tone peachy coral
$27.50 CDN/$23 US

Prep + Prime Highlighter in Light Boost
Soft yellow cream
$27.50 CDN/$23 US

Studio Fix Lash in Black Fix
$18 CDN/$14 US

MAC Beth Ditto Preview and Photos

THE M∙A∙C BETH DITTO COLLECTION SHOOTS A KNOWING WINK TO CANDY-GLOSSED POP

Featuring Zoom Lash Mascara in 3 colours plus Zoom Fast Black Lash, Pro Longwear Lipcremes and Nail Lacquers.  Premiering in this collection is Shade & Smoke Shadow/Liner, a dual-ended pairing of Eye Shadow and Greasepaint Liner for achieving a perfect smoky eye.  And of course, there’s Liquidlast Liner and our 7 Lash for extra drama.  With polished punk sensibility and shades ranging from tender to tart, this collection of unadulterated Beth Ditto aims the spotlight on you.

Lip Pencil in Embrace Me
Vivid pinkish fuchsia
$16.50 CDN/$14 US

Lip Pencil in Entertain Me
Clearly orange
$16.50 CDN/$14 US

Lip Pencil in In Synch
Bright yellow pink
$16.50 CDN/$14 US

Lip Pencil in Nightmoth
Blackened plum
$16.50 CDN/$14 US

Liquidlast Liner in Point Black
Black
$22 CDN/$18.50 US

MAC Powder to the People
$45 CDN/$38 US

MAC Shade & Smoke Shadow/Liner in Beth Mask
Reddish brown bronze liner/golden peach pink shadow
$26 CDN/$22 US

MAC Shade & Smoke Shadow/Liner in Beth or Glory
Deep brown liner/bright blue shadow
$26 CDN/$22 US

MAC Shade & Smoke Shadow/Liner in Drag, Strip
Smoky navy liner/pale blue shadow
$26 CDN/$22 US

MAC Shade & Smoke Shadow/Liner in Little Miss Moffet
True black liner/true white shadow
$26 CDN/$22 US

Nail Lacquer in Life and Beth
Milky peach (creme)
$18 CDN/$15 US

Nail Lacquer in Near Beth Experience
Light yellow (creme)
$18 CDN/$15 US

Nail Lacquer in Nocturnelle
Black (creme)
$18 CDN/$15 US

Nail Lacquer in Vagabondage
Mid-tone lavender (creme)
$18 CDN/$15 US

Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Booyah!!
Bright orange
$20 CDN/$17 US

Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Embrace Me
Vivid pinkish fuchsia
$20 CDN/$17 US

Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Heart Hangover
Deep purple
$20 CDN/$17 US

Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Love Long Distance
Light mauve
$20 CDN/$17 US

Pro Longwear Lipcreme in You're Perfect Already
Neutral pale pink
$20 CDN/$17 US

Zoom Fast Black Lash
Black
$18 CDN/$15 US

Zoom Lash Mascara in Blue Charge
Deep navy blue
$18 CDN/$15 US

Zoom Lash Mascara in Plum Reserve
Light violet purple
$18 CDN/$15 US

Zoom Lash Mascara in New Hue
Blackened burgundy
$18 CDN/$15 US

7 Lash
$18 CDN/$15 US

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Summer 2012: Bronze Sands Pure Colour Gelée Powder Eye Shadow Palette Review and Swatches

I realize I'm very late to the game on this collection. I did see it when it originally came out on counters months ago but I ignored it because I honestly can't remember the last time I even considered buying anything from Estée Lauder. In my mind  Estée Lauder's traditional image (and therefore what I assumed to be it's demographic) is early middle aged, old money, weekend-in-the-Hamptons type ladies. Now before all the younger, non old money, EL loving readers send me hate mail, I do realize that over the past decade EL has been changing their image and products to reflect a younger, more ethnically diverse and dare we say slightly trendier consumer!

But I digress! To make a long story short I changed my mind when I watched the excellent tutorial by Lisa Eldridge which uses the Bronze Sands Pure Colour Gelée Powder eye shadow palette. Shortly after watching this tutorial and being sufficiently impressed I hopped on EL's website and purchased both the Bronze Sands eye shadow palette ($48.50 CA) and the Shimmering Sands Illuminating Powder Gelée ($50.00 CA). This post reviews the eye shadow palette which is limited edition, all photos in natural light on NC 35/40 skin.

Estée Lauder Bronze Sands Pure Colour Gelée Powder Eye Shadow Palette

swatches clockwise from bottom left - center

About a year ago Estée Lauder introduced the Gelée Powder formula which is a tri-blend formula that incorporates gel, powder and liquid textures in one product. Without some sort of complicated chemistry lesson, the main take away point of this new formulation is that pigments are suspended in a gel base and not a powder base like regular shadows. This results in a unique texture which is simultaneously dry, powdery and creamy. The shadows feel very dry on the brush or applicator but apply densely and blend like butter. This is the same type of technology seen in MAC's Extra Dimension shadows.

The very summery colors in Bronze Sands include a soft white-gold, rich copper, pale yellow-gold, slightly blackened chocolate brown and a muted grey-teal. All five shades have a metallic finish, though the chocolate brown shade is the least metallic of the five. The copper is the most intensely pigmented shade. My favorite shade of the five is the pale yellow-gold which is neither too warm nor too green. I also appreciate the mix of cool, neutral and warm tones. This broad range of shades means this palette will look spectacular on both warm and cool toned skins.

This is a great palette and although the color choices are not that unusual for a summer release, their texture and finish are reason enough to pick this up. If you love shiny, metallic shadows this is the palette for you. At the time I purchased this (two weeks ago) it was still available on EL's website. Unfortunately at the time of writing this, it appears to have sold out online in Canada. A quick check on ebay reveals that numerous palettes are still available there albeit at a marked up price.

Overall grade: A

J

Beauty Squared Round-Up - June 3, 2012

Here are the stories that caught our attention this week:





This is a great makeup tutorial video for anyone with acne. The beautiful, brave girl in it suffers from cystic acne and you can hear the emotion in her voice when she's barefaced in front of the camera. And look at the beautiful finished product when she's finished!

Un-photoshopped, photoshopped.

German Vogue's June issue is running an 11-page spread featuring Peter Lindbergh's un-Photoshopped portraits of prominent German women including supermodels, actors and Vogue's editor-in-chief. 

The New England Journal of Medicine published a study of a 69 year old man who worked as a trucker for most of his life. As a result of spending so much time driving a truck, the left side of his face received much more sun exposure than the right and the results are startling. Doesn't this make you want to wear sunscreen?

Can yoga help prevent wrinkles and sagging in the skin on your face? 

Real Beauty has a list of the best highlighters to make your skin luminous and glowing this summer. 

Also for summer, here are some tips on how to detangle wet hair. You know, for after jumping in the pool, lake or ocean on those hot, hot days. 

Bloxsun makes sunscreen fabrics in the form of hats, scarves and gloves to protect you from the sun's damaging rays. 

InStyle offers 11 Hair Rules You Need To Break (some may surprise you)!

Florence and Machine's new video, directed by David LaChapelle is just as over-the-top, dramatic, glamourous and spectacular as you might expect and Florence is pushing the beauty and fashion envelopes again. Florence looks absolutely stunning and I kind of love her hair.