Category: MAC Cosmetics

Today I wanted to talk about some products that I just can’t seem to part with, but I could stand to declutter. This is a fantasy declutter because I have no intention of donating or selling any of these products. There are times when I don’t hesitate with letting go of items that don’t work. When you try a lot of makeup (or anything really) there will definitely be items that don’t work out, it’s inevitable. Whether it is because of the formula or the shade, I’ve come to realize that there is something about all four of these products that just aren’t right for me.

Continue reading “Fantasy Makeup Declutter, Vol 1 (Pat McGrath Divine Rose Blush, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Foundation Stick, MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara)” →

Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty is well underway at this point, so I won’t go too much into that. But, if you by chance have never heard of the sale, during the sale you can get select high end beauty products for 50% off. Since it will be $18.00 on March 31, 2022, I wanted to share my experience with the MAC Studio Radiance Face and Body Foundation.

I honestly have had a hard time getting my thoughts together on this foundation. It is so well loved that I really wanted to love it too. I guess it is not so much that I don’t like the product as much as it doesn’t suit my preferences. There has been some debate on whether or not this shade expansion is also a reformulation. The brand has stated that this formula is the same as the original Face and Body. I did try Face and Body back in 2014, and regardless of a change in formula, I didn’t like that one either. Since it was so long ago, I can’t directly compare them, but my thoughts are the same on both. This formula is so sheer, I don’t understand the point of taking the time to put it on.

When I hear people talk about the MAC Face and Body Foundation, the phrase “skin-like” always comes up, and I can absolutely agree on that point. When I apply this with a brush I get the promised radiant finish and it does, in fact, look like skin. The problem for me is that I just want more coverage. When building the coverage, I get a light coverage at best. The brand claims this is a sheer buildable formula, so I can’t say that it doesn’t perform as intended. I did try applying this formula with my hands as is commonly suggested for more coverage. This didn’t work for me at all. Oddly enough, using fingers resulted in the formula setting to a matte finish on me. I do have dry skin, but other than that, I can’t explain it. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Continue reading “50% off MAC Studio Radiance Face and Body Foundation On March 31, 2022 (Ulta 21 days of Beauty Sale)” →

I looked high and low to find a swatch or review of this blush on someone closer to my skin tone and finally, Lili came to the rescue. If you are a regular here, you should know Lili by now if not from me mentioning her and her blog, then from her helpful thoughts in the comments. We both have dry skin and typically have similar experiences with products. However, we differ a little on the MAC Mineralize Blush formula, so I would suggest checking out her post to get her perspective as well.

MAC Mineralize Blush in Flirting With Danger, $33.00

MAC describes Flirting With Danger as a burnt red orange.

This blush was as hard as the glow play formula to photograph. When I have this issue photographing them on the color wheel tends to help. Putting the shade against red and red-orange on the color wheel does reveal that there is more depth a cooler lean to this shade. UPDATE: It was so hard to figure out how to explain this color and I thought I had it down but of course a better way to say it just came to me. So my apologies if this ends up being confusing. It is not that it is cooler, it is that the tone has been deepened rather than being a bright red.

It is still very much a warm red-orange shade but on my olive undertone, I lose some of the orange tones for some reason (when sheered out) and it just looks like a red. You can see the red-orange come out more when it is compared to another shade further down in the post.

Continue reading “MAC Flirting With Danger Mineralize Blush (swatch)” →

When I decided to post about these products I had no idea a MAC sale was on the horizon, but as luck would have it, one started yesterday. Right now on maccosmetics.com loyalty members can get 25% off their purchases (no code needed). It is free to join the loyalty program but if you don’t want to join you can still get 15% off your purchase. The sale ends at 3:00am EST on 3/15/2022.

If you are a MAC fan like I am, then you’ve likely also seen them do better sales than this one. So it may be worth it to you to hold out for 30-40% off which we did see them do last year.

I purchased a new Glow Play Blush and a Powder Kiss Soft Matte Eyeshadow this past summer when I made my way out to the Cosmetics Company Store (CCO) to do some shopping. If you aren’t familiar with the CCO (Cosmetic Company Store), it is a discount outlet owned and operated by Estee Lauder Companies. You can find several of their brands like MAC, Too Faced, Clinique, Origins, Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, Tom Ford, and of course, Estee Lauder being stocked at a discounted price. Sometimes the inventory is discontinued and other times it is just overstock. If you are not sure if you are near a CCO, you can check here (Tanger outlets) and here (Simon Premium outlets) to find out. If you have one near you, it can be dangerous 😂, but it is definitely worth checking out. Just to give you an idea of the deals the Glow Play Blushes retail for $31.00 and I paid $12.00 for mine at the CCO.

MAC Glow Play Blush in Rosy Does It, $33.00

MAC describes Rosy Does It as a jewel tone purple.

Continue reading “MAC Rosy Does It Blush and What Clout! Eyeshadow (swatches)” →

If you follow MAC Cosmetics, then you may already know that several years back they made the switch to synthetic makeup brushes. Most people are not happy about that switch and the reviews of the synthetic brushes have been terrible. The only good reviews I’ve seen have come from Makeup artists and people that I assume had never tried MAC’s natural hair versions. I got the synthetic 239 brush for free in an order that I placed and I actually liked it, which led me to try these two brushes as well. I won’t be reviewing the 239S at the moment. It has been so long since I have used it, I don’t feel like I can give a good review of it right now. So I’ll have to circle back to that brush in the future.

Keep in mind when reading through my thoughts that my natural hair MAC 217 brushes (I have 2) are about 6 years old. So some of the variations could be due to age. Also, I no longer own the natural hair version of the 224 so I’m working from memory on that comparison. I will also be comparing the 224S to my Smashbox Shadow Blending Brush because it is the closest shape I currently own.

Continue reading “MAC 217S and 224S Eyeshadow Brushes (Review)” →

There are just some products that don’t wow you, and you end up not reaching for them. Sleeper hits are the products that once got pushed aside, but for whatever reason are now used quite often. If you like this kind of content, I have three other versions that you can check out by clicking these links: Sleeper Hits: MAC Next to Nothing Bronzer and MAC x Selena La Layenda Highlight, Sleeper Hits, Vol 3: NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder Pressed (Crystal Translucent), and Sleeper Hits, Vol 4: Tom Ford Eye Color Quads Honeymoon, Golden Hour, and Peach Dawn (Swatches and review). I also have a couple of products that I plan to cover in the future, so stay tuned for those as well.

This is basically a spin on shopping my stash. My hope is that it helps you think of ways to take inspiration from what you see others using and find a way to recreate it with what you own. Today, I’m going to be discussing some limited-edition eyeshadows from MAC. Bougie Babe was released with the 2020 Loud and Clear collection, while Dare to Diva and Hollywood Heroine were released with the 2019 MAC in Monochrome Collection.

Since everything I am sharing is limited edition, I’ll also offer you some alternatives from my own stash, as well as some products I’ve discovered using Temptalia’s swatch catalog (love her website!).

First, let’s take a look at the swatches of my limited edition shades next to the alternatives I found in my own stash.

Continue reading “Sleeper Hits, Vol 2: MAC Bougie Babe, Dare to Diva, and Hollywood Heroine Eyeshadows (with alternatives)” →

You guys, I’m falling back in love with MAC. I never really gave up on them, but lately, I just find myself more interested in buying from them over other brands. While I don’t like the overall packaging design for the collection this year, I like that they released these sets that have the classic black packaging in them. The MAC Now You See Me Extra Dimension Eye Kit comes in two colors, Smoky and Golden. Golden is the kit I bought.

At $39.50, this kit is an excellent value. The brand states that it is a $91 value. So considering the retail value of each item, the included makeup bag is worth $5. This set includes the In Extreme Dimension Mascara in 3D Black ($25), the Technakohl Liner in Graphblack ($19), and two Extra Dimension Eyeshadows ($21) in Quick as a Flash (bright bronze) and Fool Me Once (warm nude).

Continue reading “MAC Now You See Me Extra Dimension Eye Kit – Golden (Holiday 2021)” →