MAC: The Matte Lip Collection

So a couple weeks ago my little black box arrived bearing my spoils from the MAC Matte Lip Collection! As many makeup lovers do, I adore a matte lip and usually find them to be irresistable. Therefore, as I predicted when I first heard of this collection months ago and in keeping with my self proclaimed lipstick junkie status I got all the colours with the exception of Heroine which I already own. 

I scrambled at work to order my lippies from this collection when it launched as I assumed that it would have been one of those collections which sold out within half an hour. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the collection was available for a long while after, hopefully because MAC has decided to listen to customer complaints about the availability of their limited edition collections.

I picked up the lipsticks:

• La Vie En Rouge
• Fashion Revival
• Nouvelle Vogue 
• Pander Me
• Damn Glamorous 
• Styled In Sepia 
• Living Legend

Below are my swatches of the lippies! I'll eventually update my thoughts on each individual colour but I must say that these mattes are an improvement on MAC's somewhat stiff matte formula. They are creamy and glide on easily making them an ease to wear! Though the colours may not be all that unique to my collection there are some that I especially loved including Nouvelle Vogue and Pander Me!

L-R: Damn Glamorous, Living Legend, Styled in Sepia, Pander Me, Nouvelle Vogue, La Vie En Rogue, Fashion Revival. NC42/43 squinting

Same order as above, different lighting with MAC Nude to the bottom of Styled in Sepia for comparison!

Picture taken with flash! Same order are previous pictures with MAC Nude from the Rihanna Collection  to the bottom of Styled in Sepia for comparison!

Leave me the details on anything you guys picked up from the collection and what if any are your faves! 

I'm back and i'm finding my voice!

Firstly, to all my readers out there I just want to apologise for my lengthy absence! Life took over and then I was on a purely relaxed mode! I've graduated from law school and I'm waiting to be called to the bar. I've started a new job and I know that i'll be extra busy because of that! However, I think posting and updating my blog will be a means of retaining an identity outside of just being an attrorney-at-law!

I've made lots of purchases in the past few months and have lots to share with you guys! My posts may be a lot less but i'll try to keep you guys updated with quick posts and swatches.

As I write more and more posts, it has become clear to me that finding my voice is not as easy as I thought it would be. For some reason, whenever I mentally dictate my posts my inner voice comes across as bubbly and ditzy and I feel that this translates into my posts. There's nothing wrong with being either of those things but I do think they are a little stereotypical of what persons think the beauty industry and all related things are about. 

I feel as if this stereotype has seeped into my own work and as such i'm going to make a conscious effort to channel myself and my own voice and style into this blog. 

I'm not sure if i'm thinking too much into this but I think it all goes back to the fact that we, and well especially me in this situation, need to trust our voices, trust in ourselves and who we are and most importantly trust that that person staring back at you in the mirror is enough.

MAC Alluring Aquatic! MAC Goddess of the Sea Lipstick & MAC Seduced at Sea Extra Dimension Blush

When I think if 'MAC Alluring Aquatic' the first thing that springs to mind is the packaging. Let's face it. This PACKAGING is beautifulllll!  MAC could have stuck the most hideous  colours in this packaging and it would have flown off the physical and virtual shelves. 

It's the big MAC Summer 2014 Collection (and no we do NOT have a 'Summer' in Trinidad) and so it consisted of around 32 pieces which can be seen here!

When I first saw this packaging on Specktra (makeup lovers, this site is a must join- wonderful online community) wayy back in March or so I knew that my inner collector HAD to have something from this collection.

At the time of the online launch of this collection I was preparing for my exams and as such chose to not get into that buying frenzy at that point in time. My upcoming examinations trumped makeup at the end of the day and needless to say I somehow managed to resist the MAC online launch as well as the various department stores. 

When my exams actually began I resigned myself to the fact that I would just have to skip the entire thing. After a two week exam period, my exams ended on a Thursday and on that said day I saw a local MAC girl post an 'Alluring Aquatic look' which suggested that the collection was launching or was about to launch in stores. However, I preferred to have the usual celebratory drinks etc and forget about heading down to Westmall to grab some stuff.

By the Friday I was in major regret mode and headed down to Westmall bright and early-ish on the Saturday morning. When I got there only two lipsticks were left, one blush, a few of the eyeshadows, the brushes and pencils. Needless to say, I immediately told the MAC guy i'd take the "Goddess of the Sea" lipstick and of course due to  my weakness for extra dimension formula products I asked for a blush too. I got the last GOS lipstick and  I was definitely not interested in the only other remaining lipstick, 'Siren's Song' which is a pale sheer beige in a lustre formula. Purchasing that one would have been money down the drain!

Now that my long winded story is over, let's get down to some packaging pictures! I 'try ah thing' with these pics and I'm actually loving how they came out!

Artsy right?!

Love how these came out!

The packaging is a metallic teal-blue colour with actual raised water droplets on it. It really is beautiful. Even the boxing comes with water droplet indents on in.  MAC really outdid themselves with this one and I can't help but think it's so creative and especially clever for a 'Summer Collection'. Love love love it! 

Water droplets everywhere!

See the water droplets <3!

Up first is MAC Goddess of the Sea Lipstick!

To be frank ,between the two lipsticks left this was the only one that would work for me and so I bought it blindly!

This lipstick is one of MAC's cremesheen formulas and is described as a "dark vibrant violet". On me, it seems to be a deep violet which leans a little toward the berry side of things. Personally it's a good addition to my stash as i didn't have much else in this colour range. The lipstick itself is creamy and applies evenly. One swipe or passing of the lipstick makes it a good daytime colour which can be built up and used for a more vampy look. Well at least on me it seems vampy!

MAC Goddess of the Sea. Diff lighting indoors and last pic with flash! NC42/43 skin tone

The swatch on top is built up to about 3-4 passes of the lipstick whilst to the bottom I've just swatched it with one swipe! As usual each pic is in different lighting indoors and the last pic is taken with flash!

Next up, MAC Seduced at Sea Extra Dimension Blush!

MAC Seduced at Sea EDB

As aforementioned,  this was the only face/cheek product left in the entire collection. MAC describes this blush as a 'mid-tone neutral plum' but on me it translates to a muted orangey almost coppery colour with a lovely gold shimmer.

MAC Seduced at Sea EDB

As you guys may recall from previous posts, I'm enraptured by the extra dimension formula. This blush is no exception. It has enough golden shimmer that it would warrant the description tacky of the shimmer was done incorrectly. Fortunately MAC got it right as the shimmer is fine and extremely beautiful! The blush applies smoothly, is easily blended and gives a lovely glow. 

I used my finger to apply the blush heavily in the pictures below. The swatch to the top is blended out whilst to the bottom the blush has been heavily swiped. I changed the lighting for the pictures but again, they were both taken indoors. This blush applies a lot better with a brush as compared to using my finger to swatch.

Using my finger to swatch: Top is the blush  blended out! NC42/43 skin tone!

Different lighting! NC42/43 Skintone!

The picture below is one of me wearing the blush. To the bottom of my cheek i've used a bit of MAC Refined Golden Bronzer (which was as seems to be the usual available as part of the Summer Collection. I got mine in a previous release) for a slight contour and to the top of my cheek I applied MAC Fairly Precious EDSF!

Used on the cheek!

Not the best photo but I'm really not comfortable with adding full face photos onto my blog! Sorry! 

Let me know your thoughts on this post, this collection and what if anything you guys got from it! xx

Mini MAC Haul: More A Fantasy of Flowers: Dreaming Dahlia Lippie & A Basic Essential

In confirming that my brian is indeed getting older, the following post was started pre exam season, that is, way back in March and sadly I thought I had posted it when I evidently did NOT. I figured I might as well complete the post and so the following is  what you should have seen way back then. OOPS!

"Exam season is fast approaching and I have been ridiculously swamped with work these past few weeks so please accept my apology for the shortage of new posts in the past few weeks. I did manage to sneak in a small 2-bit MAC haul this past weekend (gone are the days of my large hauls apparently) and got the following items:

•  MAC Dreaming Dhalia Lipstick and
•  MAC Brush Cleanser

I went to MAC with the intention of leaving with only the MAC Brush Cleanser.  Of course, being a lipstick junkie, I had to stay true to my nature and just HAD to purchase a lippie. Dreaming Dahlia from the MAC A Fantasy of Flowers collection was a lipstick that spoke to me when I had first seen it. It somehow become stuck in my mind and in the end I broke down and ended up buying it."


CONTINUATION of post:

Whilst I normally dislike Lustre finishes, I felt that DD was a great everyday-brighten you face type of colour with one swipe and which could be built up to go from sheer to almost full coverage to provide more of an 'oomph'. 

MAC describes this lipstick as a 'sheer red coral'  but it pulls almost a pinky orange shade on me. That might just be the worst colour description ever but it really looks beautiful! Since i've gotten it, it has become one of my go to lip colours!

I feel like this lipstick has a lot of shimmer as well which gives it a luminous shine. The lipstick itself applies evenly and smoothly and does not feel gritty at all. Overall, this lipstick really is a winner!

MAC Dreaming Dahlia on my nc 42/43 complexion! Swatches in different lighting with the final picture taken using flash!

I know this post is super late but hopefully it helps one of you guys out there with a decision with regards to this lipstick. Btw, the brush cleanser is gonna get its own post soon! xx

I'm BACK!

Hey Guys! hope some of you are still here! I had a senile moment and thought that I had posted a 'leave of absence' post where I explained my upcoming exams and the need to go into total hibernation mode. Unfortunately it didn't infact post..I do apologise for that! buuuuuuuuuuuut

My exams are finally over and i'm ready to re-enter the world guys! Over the past few months I've bought the following products:

Collective Haul!

• MAC Brush Cleanser (not pictured oops!)
• MAC Proenza Schouler Collection- Ocean City Blush, Sunset Beach Blush,Mangrove Lipstick
• MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection- Seduced at Sea EDBlush, Goddess of the Sea Lipstick
• MAC Dreaming Dahlia Lipstick 
• MAC Studio Fix Fluid
• MAC Studio Careblend Powder 
• MAC Studio Finish Concealer
• SACHA Matte Me Berry Lipstick

Now I'll review these products over time after i've tested them etc but for now i'll just provide pics and swatches in quick posts! Off to do that now but just wanted to quickly do an 'i'm back post'! I hope some of you readers are still out there xx

Mini Haul: L.A. Girl Pro Conceal and NYX Conceal

Hey guys! I'm sorry i've been so MIA but school is really really killer right now! I'm just here to do a quick post about a Wonderful World mini-haul. These are actually my first makeup purchases since my MAC Fantasy of Flowers mini-haul back in January. 

Everything seems to be mini these days as i'm trying not to let my love of makeup get the better of me this year. 

Anyway here it goes:

That's my haul...remember I did say it was a mini-haul..mini as in minuscule! 

I was killing some time browsing around Wonderful World with no intentions of purchasing anything at all when I remembered that I had seen a local MAC makeup artist post a few weeks ago that they had restocked the 'L.A. Girl Pro-Conceal High Definition Concealer'. I searched and searched and simply wasn't finding any so I thought I was too late and it was again sold out. 

It was during my search that I stumbled upon the 'NYX Full Coverage Concealer' in the traditional corrector shades at $40.00 each. I grabbed the Orange shade to try as i've been eyeing the MAC Colour Corrector in orange for the longest while. It's recommended that an orange corrector can be used, for lack of a better term, to CORRECT those greyish areas that women of colour seem to get when they use concealer or foundation over discolourations. Traditionally for me these areas include the muzzle area (around the mouth) and under my eyes. 

After wandering the store with only tthat in my basket I proceeded to check out the jewellery. The LA Girl Concealer just would not leave my mind though and I again went over to peruse the LA Girl display. it was then that I found the concealers tucked into the display close to the ground. You really had to look to the back to see them as the ones to the front had been sold. Unfortunately the shade range was really limited and the deeper colours were obviously sold out.

Each concealer was $15 so I decided to pick up two. I left the shades that were clearly too light for me such as Nude and chose two in the shades 'Medium Bisque' and 'Warm Sand'

Medium Bisque to the top and warm sand to the bottom!

I honestly would never have given these concealers a second glance before I stumbled upon some glowing reviews on the internet late last year. Ever since then i've been interested in trying them out and I finally had my chance today.

The concealer comes in a tube packaging with a squeeze top head with a brush attached. It's not bad packaging per say but I do find that the brush head tends to be wasteful in that you don't have control over just how much comes out. Additionally, I find that this sort of brush tends to be unsanitary but that's just me.

 Below i've included the swatch of the concealer in Medium Bisque.

Medium Bisque: Top photos without flash, bottom with!

Whilst blended out the colour seems decent, this shade has too much of a pink undertone so that it's not the best for my NC42 complexion.

Below are the swatches of Warm Sand which again has too much of a pink undertone to work for me.

Warm Sand, top no flash, bottom with flash!

So far i've run water over the concealer, washed with soap and rubbed vigorously in order to test them. Once they set they stay put and i've found that they stand up to liquid soap pretty well. They definitely seem worth the price so hopefully i'll be able to find my shade soon.

Up next is the NYX Concealer in the shade orange. This shade is generally considered a corrector shade as I mentioned before.

I hate that it's in a jar but when I remembered that I have my handy new spatula which I can use to remove some product and then wipe clean all was well again.

A little bit of this product goes a long way and its definitely an orange colour when applied.

No flash and flash from left to right!

I'll have to do a detailed review of how this works later but so far the staying power is pretty good.

I've also included some snaps of my mixing palette and spatula which I got off Amazon at a really good price. They both feel hefty, and the quality exceeds my expectations. They both came in a pouch which has a separation for the palette and the dual ended spatula. This is a purchase i'd recommend to anyone. I'll include the link soon. 

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Take care!

MAC Phlox Garden & Sassy Moss Fluidlines!

So today my little black box finally arrived! For those of you who may not know, MAC ships orders in black boxes so when you see your box you know exactly who it's from. As you may recall in my MAC A Fantasy of Flowers post , I purchased both the limited edition fluidlines, Phlox Garden and Sassy Moss!

Before I review i've added a fun pictorial of the unboxing!

My Black Box is here!

On Opening!

Removed the first layer of black tissue!

Lifted off the second layer to reveal both fludlines!

I'll share my first thoughts and opinions on them below.

 MAC PHLOX GARDEN FLUIDLINE

I've been lusting after this fluidline from the moment  I first saw pictures of it late last year. The fluidline is a purple fuschia colour with an almost plum undertone. It's definitely unique compared to anything in my collection. It has a matte finish and it goes on smoothly and opaquely.

MAC SASSY MOSS FLUIDLINE

Sassy Moss is a beautiful bright green almost teal looking colour with a shimmery finish. Despite this it goes on really well though not as smoothly as Phlox Garden! I can't believe I almost skipped this colour because I may actually love this one even more than Phlox Garden.

Pic with flash!

It's been about 6 hours since i've swatched these and they are holding up pretty well. I've washed my hand at least three times and they've only just faded slightly. The wear time seems to be pretty good. If you love your fluidlines then you'll def love these as well! I won't hesitate to recommend these to anyone!

Leave me any of your thoughts and comments below! xx