My go-to MAC products

One of my all-time favorite makeup brands is MAC cosmetics. MAC carries high-end makeup artist quality products at reasonable prices. They also have color and product selections that can't be beat. They carry everything from foundation to brushes and everything in between. To go to a counter or store can even be a little intimidating at times because the selection is just so vast. Since I've tried a lot of their products, I thought I'd share a roundup of my go-to MAC staple items:

Lipstick

One of the most iconic and raved about MAC product is their lipstick. I have an ever growing collection that you can read more about here. They offer just about every shade and finish you can think of, which is what makes them so popular. I recently dug through my lipstick stash and pulled out some of my favorite summer brights including this shade, Pink Nouveau. Its a blue-based, cotton candy pink. Blue-based pinks and reds are great because they make you teeth appear whiter, which is always a plus.

Mineralize Skinfinish

MAC describes these powders as "luxurious and velvet-soft with a high frost finish." My favorite way to use them is to highlight my cheeks and brow bones. All of the MSF's have a marble swirl throughout the product. They are really beautiful to look at. The texture is soft and finely milled. There are six shades in MAC's permanent line but they are constantly releasing new shades in their limited edition collections. This one is Perfect Topping, a pale peach highlight with lavender marble.

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

This is a baked mineral setting powder that provides a natural, matte finish. This is honestly the most natural setting powder I own. It is not powdery at all and really leaves my skin looking like skin. MAC touts this as a setting powder but in the past I've actually used this as a powder foundation and it worked great! It is also one of my favorites to bring in my purse for an on-the-go touch up. The shade I use is medium. They've re-done the packaging for this and it now contains a mirror, this is the old packaging.

Blush

Like MAC lipsticks, their blush comes in a vast array of finishes and colors. There are over 30 shades in the regular line. All of the blushes are soft and finely milled, making them easy to use. They are also long-wearing. If I apply it in the morning I can still see the flush on my cheeks when I get home from work. This shade is Lovecloud, a bright mid-toned pink. This is a great color to give you that natural, healthy flush.

Pro Longwear Concealer

This is a great full coverage concealer. It works for me both under the eyes and to cover blemishes and dark spots on my face. Even though this is full coverage it feels very lightweight when applied and a little goes a long way. I only need 1 pump for under my eyes and there will be some left over if I have any spots to cover. It dries to a natural matte finish. My shade is NC20.


These are the products that are not only my favorite but they are the ones I go back to and if I run out, I always repurchase. Do you have any MAC go-tos?

MAC Lipstick Collection & Finish Guide

I am always on the hunt for that perfect shade of lipstick and MAC makes some of the best. The quality is amazing, the color selection can't be beat and the price is fairly reasonable for a high end lipstick at $16/tube.

I've accumulated quite a few of them over the years and wanted to share my collection as well as a guide to the nine different lipstick finishes that MAC offers:

Matte

Rich in pigment, long-wearing. No shine, shimmer or sparkle, just pure color with a velvety finish. The downside to mattes is that they don't offer any moisture, they can drag and tug during application and they can cling to dry patches on your lips. It's important to exfoliate and apply a lip balm before reaching for a Matte shade.

Colors: Charmed I'm Sure (Marilyn Monroe), Good Kisser (A Novel Romance), Strange Journey (Rocky Horror)

Retro Matte

Ultra-matte finish, pigment rich, no shine. If you want an even matter finish, enter Retro Matte. I've only tried one Retro Matte and it wasn't my favorite. This is a high-maintenance lipstick that can be very drying and uncomfortable. But, if you are up for the challenge, it can be beautiful when applied correctly.

Color: Relentlessly Red

Satin

Very pigmented with a more comfortable, soft finish. If you are looking for a matte look but don't want the sometimes uncomfortable matte finish, then satin is for you. They still pack a color and long-wear punch, but are much more wearable for everyday.

Colors: Daddy's Little Girl (Archie's Girls), MAC Red, Rebel (Heirloom Mix), Faux, Kelly Yum Yum (Osbournes), Pink Nouveau

Amplified/Amplified Creme

Medium to high pigmentation with a glossy finish. These two are so similar I grouped them together. Amplified packs a color punch while Amplified Creme is still high in pigmentation but has a more creamy finish.

Colors: Impassioned, Oblivion (Rocky Horror), Chatterbox

Lustre

Glossy finish with a wet-look, medium opacity. I find that the color payoff in these is more sheer and they are not very moisturizing, but they aren't drying either. They also contain a decent amount of shimmer. Sometimes the color will wear down and you are left with just sparkles on your lips.

Colors: Spice it up!, Sweetie, Woodrose (Proenza Schouler), Lovelorn, Viva Glam V, Syrup

Cremesheen - Creamy finish with a slight shine, medium opacity. They provide a luminous sheen to the lips and are so creamy and comfortable on the lips. My favorite shade right now is Mystical from the Alluring Aquatics collection. It's a great Rose color that is appropriate year-round.

Colors: Mystical (Alluring Aquatics), Japanese Maple

Frost

Frosted, shimmery finish, medium to sheer opacity. The only frost I own is Angel. This shade has a cult following. It contains micro-shimmer that shows up ever so slightly when applied. Its a great neutral medium to light pink.

Color: Angel

Glaze 

Sheer opacity, low color impact, glossy finish. These are similar to the balm or butter lipsticks that you see a lot of on the market today. They are quick to apply, comfortable to wear and very low maintenance. These are nice for daytime but be ready to reapply often as they don't wear for long.

Color: Hue

Lipsticks are one of those makeup items that I just love to collect. MAC, especially the limited edition items, are almost considered collectors items in the world of makeup. Their limited edition items are often hyped up and then extremely hard to come by when released (well played MAC!) It's become almost like a sport to get your hands them. This can be frustrating at times so I try not get too consumed by this and just curb my limited edition quests to the collections that most interest me.

I hope this post was helpful in breaking down the different lipstick finishes that MAC offers. It can sometimes be intimidating to go to counter and be greeted with endless shades and lipstick finishes to choose from. Knowing a bit more of what MAC has to offer can help you make the right choice.

Shop this post:

MAC Lipstick (Nordstrom)
MAC Lipstick (MAC Store)

MAC Cinderella Collection Picks

I wanted to share a review of the items I purchased from the new MAC Cinderella collection. This is a limited edition collection, inspired by the beloved Disney princess, to coincide with the release of the new movie, which comes out today!. I've always loved Disney so I knew I wanted to check out this collection, Here's what I picked up:

Glass Slipper Lipglass

MAC describes this color as "light milky pink with pinkish pearl".  I was worried that the sparkle in the gloss was going to be too intense, but it is actually a fine micro-shimmer that gives a 3-D iridescent glow to the lips. The base of the lipglass is a lightly pigment soft pink. My favorite way to wear this on top of a pink lipstick to amp up the finish and shine.

Mystery Princess Beauty Powder

This is a cool-toned beige beauty powder intended for highlighting. It looks a bit metallic in the pan, but I've been wearing this as my cheek highlight all week and it is much more natural than it appears at first glance. It can be applied more densely with a tapered brush to get a more noticeable shimmery effect or more sheerly with a duo fiber brush to give a soft highlight. Both give a natural glow, it just depends on how noticeable you want it to be. The texture of the powder is smooth and blended out nicely on the skin.

Final Thoughts

The quality of the two items I purchased did not disappoint and the packaging is just adorable. I love that it is that beautiful powder blue that matches Cinderella's famous dress. I purchased these online the day they went on sale, 2/26. They went on sale in stores last Thursday, so I'm getting this up a little late. Of course, in typical MAC fashion, the online supply was depleted in just a few hours, but these are still available in stores. The collection is exclusive to MAC stores and Macy's counters. I'd recommend calling your local store to check their supply if you are lusting after a specific item from the collection.

Do you have your eye on any of the MAC Cinderella items?

Kylie Jenner Lip Trend: Three takes on Mauve Lips

Fall is one of my favorite seasons for beauty! The colder weather and changing leaves inspire me to switch gears and try new out looks. One change I've made lately is switching out brighter lips for more rich and neutral hues.

The inspiration:

c/o twitter @kyliejenner

Pinterest has been going crazy lately over Kylie Jenner's makeup. She has been rocking beautiful neutral makeup with a rich mauve lip. Here are three ways to recreate her look:

MAC Lipstick in Faux

This is one of the lipstick colors Kylie is rumored to wear for this look. It is a beautiful mauve with a satin finish. It feels velvety when you run it across your lips. MAC describes this color as "muted mauve-pink". It is long-wearing and leaves a slight stain behind.

Tarte Glamazon Lipstick in Inspired

This is more of a rosy mauve. I'd say that this is a satin finish as well. It feels buttery smooth when applied. I think this lipstick line may be being discontinued by Tarte as I can only find a few colors that are on sale on their website and Sephora. Side note, I freaking hate the packaging of these. Its huge and bulky and it only has a standard size lipstick inside that giant tube. Packaging aside, the formula of this lipstick is nice and it is long-wearing (claims to be 12-hours) so hopefully Tarte is just revamping the packing and not discontinuing this line.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Warm Me Up

This color is very comparable to the first two lipsticks but the finish is shiner and slightly glossy. This is a nice option if you aren't into the completely matte look but dig the color. It is also a nice affordable option from the drugstore.

MAC Lip Pencil in Dervish

An important part of this look is the use of a lip liner. It is said that Kylie uses MAC Whirl lip pencil for her matte mauve look. I actually own Whirl but to me it leans more brown and I thought Dervish was more appropriate. MAC describes the color as "pinky-mauve". This lip pencil was actually one of the first products I ever bought from MAC. It is the most universal pink color that can work with just about any nude or pink lipstick. Kylie uses lip liner in her look to overdraw her lips slightly above her lip line to make them appear fuller. I don't particularly like that look on me but I still use a liner to outline my natural lip line and fill them in at the corners to achieve crisp edges and also extend the wear of my lipstick.

All trends aside I really love the mauve lips look. Its daytime appropriate and is great for school, work and transitioning into the colder months.

August Beauty Favorites

Since I started blogging, I've been wanting to get into a routine of doing a monthly post on my most used products. As we transition into a new season I thought, what better time than now to do my first favorites post! These are things that I've genuinely been using and loving throughout the month which includes both new products and things that I've rediscovered.

August was a hectic month. We traveled a lot which meant living out of suitcases half the time. I've been packing and repacking my travel makeup bag nonstop. I've had it kind of half unpacked on my vanity all month. This made it really easy to see what products I've been getting the most use out of lately. Here's what made the list:


Urban Decay All Nighter 

This is a great setting spray that really helps elongate the wear of your makeup. It has also been a staple in my rotation to help combat makeup breakdown in the heat and humidity we've been having.

Lorac Pro 2 Palette

I've been loving the Lorac Pro 2 palette this month. It has the same half matte/half shimmer shadow split as the first pro palette but this one is more cooler-toned. This time they've switched it up by adding in some brighter colors along with some great staple neutrals for everyday. Its been perfect for summer but there are also some great deeper shades in the palette that will transition beautifully into fall.

Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Mascara

This mascara gives my lashes some serious volume. I actually hated this mascara when I first got it. Its a really wet formula which applies heavily and left my lashes volumized but clumpy. It required alot of combing through to get a pretty effect. I got frustrated and left it untouched for a few months and when I picked it back up last month I was in love. The formula had dried out slightly and now it is magical. If you have this and didn't like it at first, definitely give it another try, it gets better!

Tarte Exposed Blush

This the perfect summer blush that I've gone back to year after year. I'd describe it as a rosy nude. It gives a natural muted flush to my skin when I've gotten some sun. Its a color that I don't have to think about, it goes with everything.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

This has not been a great skin month for me so I was thankful to have found a new go-to full coverage concealer. Its a nice all-in-one product that is great under the eyes for covering dark circles and also does an awesome job covering blemishes and dark spots. As the name suggests, it is very long-wearing and doesn't break up halfway through the day.

Everyday Minerals Eye Kabuki Brush

This is the brush I've been using for concealer. I've actually had this for years and decided to bust it back out this month and give it another try. It works so well with my Pro Longwear concealer! I use it two ways. For under my eyes, I dot on concealer and then go in with this brush to fan it out and blend it in. To cover blemishes, I dot concealer on the back of my hand, dip my brush in and then stipple the brush over the blemish. It provides great coverage without looking cakey.

Sephora Pro Airbrush #56 Foundation Brush

As I mentioned before, I had a rough skin month in August and was looking for a fuller coverage foundation application and this brush was perfection for that. I'm a devoted Beauty Blender user and this is the first foundation brush that I've fallen in love with. It blends beautifully and gives that natural airbrush finish I get from my Beauty Blender but with a fuller coverage. The bristles are buttery soft and it feels so nice on my skin.

MAC Good Kisser Lipstick

This is from the new "A Novel Romance" collection. Its a medium fuchsia with a matte finish. I've really been loving brighter lips lately and this is a great hot pink thats not too hot or crazy to wear to work. It is long-wearing and when it does fade it leaves a good deal of staining color behind.

Maybelline Luxe in Lilac Color Elixir

This is from the Bleached Neons summer collection. Its a vibrant plum that I'm actually wearing today. The color has a muted Radiant Orchid vibe that I think will transition nicely into fall as it leans more on the purple side. I love the formula of the Color Elixirs. They're creamy and comfortable to wear with great color payoff that isn't sticky. The only thing they're lacking in is staying power but I really don't mind reapplying throughout the day.


What have you been loving lately?

MAC Sharon & Kelly Osbourne Collection Picks

MAC recently launched a collaboration with Kelly & Sharon Osbourne.  The mother-daughter duo each have their own collection of 11 products which include lipsticks, blushes, eye shadow quads, liners and glosses. Kelly's line features violet packaging and Sharon's is bright red modeled after their vibrant hair colors. Here is what I picked up:

Cheeky Bugger Blush (Kelly Collection)

MAC describes this blush as peach brown with a satin finish. I'm not a fan of how they described it because I don't see any brown in this color. It is a nice pale pink with a yellow undertone.  It gives my cheeks a beautiful, natural rosy glow. Due to the light nature of this pink, it will show up more true to color on paler skin tones.  My only complaint with this blush was that it was a bit powdery when picking it up with a brush but it did end up blending out nicely into my skin.


Peaches & Cream Blush (Sharon Collection)

MAC describes this blush as a mid-tone rose color with a satin finish.  The satin finish gives it a nice subtle sheen, which radiates a natural looking "summer glow" on your cheeks. The color was very pigmented and blended nicely. A perfect everyday blush.

Kelly Yum Yum Lipstick (Kelly Collection)

This is a satin version of the ever popular, Candy Yum Yum lipstick. Candy Yum Yum is matte and more cool toned while Kelly Yum Yum is slightly warmer and pinker.  I chose this shade because I've always wanted Candy Yum Yum but was a bit scared of the electric color and matte finish.  I think Kelly Yum Yum is a more wearable version. The color can easily be sheered out by layering it on top of a lip balm or by lightly dabbing it onto your lips. The satin finish is also more comfortable to wear.


Final Thoughts

Unfortunately all of these items are now sold out on the MAC website but I was able to find them in-store. With the limited edition MAC collections I always have better luck finding them at a counter than I do trying to buy them off the website. Overall I am happy with my picks.  Did you purchase anything from the Kelly & Sharon Osbourne collections?