Neutral Brown Look using MAC

Hey glamour girls!!

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately, I've been under a lot of stress. There's a lot going on in my life right now. I don't know if I'll be able to post as often as I did before, but I will certainly try. I start work tomorrow and I start school on Wednesday, both fulltime. That means I won't have a lot of time to myself. I really want to try to put out 2 posts a week. I'll aim for that right now, and I'll change it later according to how it goes.

So as I've mentioned previously, I got a ton of stuff at MAC and Sephora. This past week, Sephora was giving 4X the points for VIB Rouge members (me!) so I racked up quite a lot of points. They are also giving out a bag with 9 samples. I should be getting mine in the mail soon as I made an online purchase. I finally got the VIB Rouge card. You basically get a cute little box and inside it you get 2 cards, one of them is your VIB Rouge membership card and the other card is your free makeover card that you show them anytime you want a free makeover. VIB Rouges get free makeovers anytime they want.

Today's look is slightly more natural than my usual bright and bold looks. This is a great school or work makeup look. I can say that I will probably wear something similar tomorrow, but since we don't really have a dress code when it comes to makeup, I like to change up my look everyday. Sometimes I'll do my makeup bold and smokey, other times it'll be pastels, and if I'm feeling very studious I'll go with neutrals. I guess it just depends on my mood that day.

Today I'm wearing light neutral browns on my eyes with grey eyeliner. I kept the contouring soft but still visible. The blush is a light pink that livens up the face but isn't overbearing and I used MAC Shroom eyeshadow as a luminizer on my face as an experiment. And it really looks nice. I'm not just saying that, Shroom makes a GREAT luminizer. I've always wanted to try Too Faced Candlelight but this definitely works fantastic in the mean time. On my lips I'm wearing a yellow-pink to complete the look and to add a little bit of "oomph" to the whole look. It's called Pink Pearl Pop (by MAC) and the color kind of reminds me of Too Faced Marshmallow Bunny La Creme Lipstick. I'm really liking this lipstick. It caught my attention out of nowhere and it's the perfect color to match with my blush.

I tried out the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and I gotta say, I like it. It added volume to my lashes and made them look dramatic. It also made them look longer but most decent mascaras do that. Overall, I think it was a great mascara. It's up there with their Lashgasm Mascara, though Lashgasm is still my #1 mascara pick. If you're looking for a new mascara or you just really want to try this one, I would recommend this mascara. While I don't think it is actually better than sex, it is a damn good mascara.

Another thing I tried out is brushes. Specifically, MAC Brushes 130 and 168. The 130 is the Short Duo Fibre Brush. I use this brush for cream blushes and it is perfect for that. I use the brush in a stippling motion on my cheek and that allows me to control the amount of product that I'm putting on my face. I also use less product this way. The brush is very precise and it allows you to put the blush exactly where you want. It also gives an amazing finish, so it doesn't end up looking like you schlepped the cream blush and foundation together. It also allows you to blend out the color so you don't get any harsh lines. I really love this brush. The other brush I got is the 168, which is the Large Angled Contour Brush. Don't be afraid of its name (I know I was), it isn't actually large at all. It's fairly small in fact. It fits perfectly into my cheekbone so I'm able to get a flawless contour line. It's also great for getting the temples and the perimeter of the face. It's also good to blend out the contour color and getting rid of any lines. It makes contouring so easy and so fun! Finally the contour on my forehead looks like a gradation instead of a line. I also use it to put bronzer on the sides of my nose. If you go over the sides ever so lightly you can get it to contour wonderfully. I honestly really love this brush and how the hell did I live without it. I definitely definitely recommend both of these brushes. They are both truly amazing and they serve their purpose like no other brush I've ever had!!


Neutral Brown Look using MAC

Prime your eyes using Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer. Take a medium shadow brush (Sephora PRO Medium Shadow Brush) and apply MAC Quarry to your eyelid. Next take a crease or blending brush (MAC 217 Blending Brush) and apply MAC Satin Taupe to your crease and outer V. Next take another blending brush and apply MAC Naked Lunch anywhere where this isn't already color, like above your crease. Blend out the browns using Naked Lunch. Reapply color to your crease if necessary. Next take a grey liner like Urban Decay Smoke. Apply it to your top and bottom lash lines. Then take a black liner like Urban Decay Zero and fill in your top and bottom waterlines. Lastly, apply a mascara like Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. Fill in your brows using Benefit Instant Brow Pencil. The eyes are done, let's finish off the rest of the look!

Apply a face primer like Too Faced Primed and Poreless. Conceal any under eye circles using MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer and by using a concealer brush (Sephora PRO Concealer Brush) to get into little spaces. Then apply MUFE HD Foundation using a stippling brush (Sephora PRO Stippling Brush) onto your entire face. If there is any redness or acne still showing through, use MAC Studio Finish Concealer to cover it. Next apply a setting powder like MUFE HD Powder to set your foundation and concealer. Use a kabuki brush (MUFE HD Kabuki Brush) for this and lightly tap it onto your face. To contour, use Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless and apply it using a contour brush (MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush). You want to suck in your cheeks and fill the line starting from the top of your ears all the way down towards the corner of your upper lip. You also want to contour your temples, perimeter of the face, and down the sides of the nose. Next you want to apply a light pink blush like MAC Cremeblend Blush in So Sweet, So Easy using an appropriate brush (MAC 130 Short Duo Fibre Brush), stipple it onto your cheeks. Then take MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom and a crease brush (Sephora PRO Crease Brush) and using it as a highlighter, apply it to the tops of your cheek bone and make a "C" shape around your outer eyes. Also go down your  nose, your forehead, chin, and cupid's bow. The last step is to apply a yellow-pink lipstick, MAC Lipstick in Pink Pearl Pop. This is the stand-out color of the look. Now the look is complete, so enjoy it :)

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Eyeshadow in Quarry
MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe
MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Smoke
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Brows

Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Medium

Face:

Too Faced Primed and Poreless
MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in NW20
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20
MUFE HD Foundation in 110
MUFE HD Powder
MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom (as luminizer)
MAC Cremeblend Blush in So Sweet, So Easy
Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless

Lips:

MAC Lipstick in Pink Pearl Pop

Products Used:

MAC Eyeshadows (12$CAD for pro palette refill) in:
Naked Lunch
Quarry
Satin Taupe

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Smoke - mini shown, fullsize is 23$CAD

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero - mini shown, fullsize is 23$CAD

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara - 30$CAD

Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Medium - 25$CAD

MAC Cremeblend Blush in So Sweet, So Easy

MAC Cremeblend Blush in So Sweet, So Easy - 25$CAD

Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless

Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless - 38$CAD

MAC Lipstick in Pink Pearl Pop - 18$CAD

Swatches from left to right:
MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch
MAC Eyeshadow in Quarry
MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Smoke
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero
MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom
MAC Cremeblend Blush in So Sweet, So Easy
Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless
MAC Lipstick in Pink Pearl Pop

Thanks for reading my blog. It means a lot to me. I hope that today's post was enjoyable. School and work starts this week so it means less time for this blog. I really want to put out at least 2 posts a week so I will try my very hardest to get it done. My next post is very likely to be a back to school/work makeup post and hopefully it'll give you some tips for the big day (if it hasn't already passed)! But til then, how did you like today's post? Did you ever think of matching MAC Quarry with MAC Satin Taupe? N do you like it? I think the 2 colors look great together! And what do you think of the dark grey eyeliner I used? I'm not too sure about it, only because I'm so used to using black all the time. Have you tried Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara? Did you think it was better than sex? Tell me about it :P  N lastly, which are your TOP5 MAC MAKEUP BRUSHES??? I don't even have 5 so I can't make a post about this yet hahaha. I look forward to hearing from you all  :]

Have a great first day back at school!!

Steph xo.

Fall Makeup Look using MAC

Hello dollies!

As if you haven't noticed, my love for MAC has come back in full swing. I've always been a fan but for a couple years I got really into Too Faced, Benefit, Stila, and NARS. I still love all those products, but MAC will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first makeup brand I ever had. My mom loved MAC when I was young and so I grew up loving it too. When I was old enough to finally have some makeup, you can guess it was MAC. My first eyeshadows were Shroom, and a very light shimmery pink color I no longer remember the name of. On that same day, I bought a Select Moisturesomething concealer. I also got my first lipglass, Cultured. I loved it at the time, but I can't say I have one in my kit now. I also got 2 brushes, one of them is still with me to this day and that is my trusted 217 brush. The other, the 266, was a great eyeliner brush but unfortunately it didn't last. My mom had brought me to MAC to get my very first makeover. I was 14. We were getting me all dolled up for school. I wish haha, it was more like subtly enhancing my features, since we weren't allowed to wear makeup (I don't understand why not, as long as it's done fairly neutral!).

So now when fall is coming around the corner, I'm thinking what everyone else is thinking. How to look good in the fall season and how to look good for school. Now that I've got you in the mood, today's look is going to be a Fall Makeup Look, which is a little bit more grown up. I will do another one that is more of a Teen Back to School Look. I know for me, school starts in a little over a week (a week already!).

When we think about fall, we think about browns and reds. We think about leaves changing colors. We think about it getting cold. Fall is my favorite time of the year. In today's look, I'm wearing brown eyeshadows that have a red undertone to them along with a good classic red lip. My face is contoured with a matte bronzer and a dusty pink with a blue undertone is on my cheeks. Dusty colors also remind me of fall, but the truth it, I couldn't find a more neutral/brown blush that I wanted to use in this tutorial. Despite that, I still love the look and it's perfect to me.

If you find that the red lipstick is a little too much for day wear, you can wear a nude lipstick instead, or even a pale pink lipgloss for a natural look.


Fall Makeup Look using MAC

Apply an eyeshadow primer like Too Faced Shadow Insurance. For a lighter eye, you can apply MAC Naked Lunch as a base to your entire eye area (up to your eyebrow to act as a highlight) or you can apply it later on, as I did, for a more intense eye look. Take a medium eyeshadow brush (Sephora PRO Medium Shadow Brush) and pat MAC Twinks onto the lid. Next, take a blending (MAC 217 Brush) or a crease brush and blend MAC Embark into the crease and outer V. Take a highlight color like MAC Naked Lunch and a clean blending brush (MAC 217 Brush) and blend it into the crease color to get rid of any harsh lines. Bring Naked Lunch down into the inner corner of the eye as well. Line the upper and lower lash lines with Urban Decay Demolition Eyeliner. I also filled in my bottom waterline with this. I also filled in my upper waterline with MAC Engraved to make my lashes look fuller. I finished off my lashes with MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash. I filled in my eyebrows with Benefit Instant Brow Pencil. The eyes are finished so let's do the rest of the face!

Prime your face with Too Faced Primed and Poreless. Apply a liquid concealer like MAC Select Cover-Up to your under eye area using a concealer brush (Sephora PRO Concealer Brush). Next, apply a foundation like MUFE HD Foundation to your face using a stippling brush (Sephora PRO Stippling Brush) for a flawless finish. If there are any blemishes or redness still showing, use a cream concealer like MAC Studio Finish and using your fingers, carefully cover up any imperfections. To set the foundation and concealer, use MUFE HD Powder and a kabuki brush (MUFE HD Kabuki Brush) to apply powder all over the face, focusing on areas that tend to have more oil. Next, contour your cheeks using a matte bronzer, like Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless and a contour brush to get that nice line. (I don't have a contour brush yet so I squish a powder brush to get that line, Sephora Collection Powder Brush). Now, apply a dusty pink blush like MAC Dame onto your cheeks using a blush brush (Sephora PRO Angled Blush Brush). Make sure you blend it outward and down into the contour. You can also use a more peach- or brown-toned blush if you want. The last step is the lips. Fill in your lip line using MAC Lip Liner in Cherry. Then put on MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo. I like to go back in and draw my lip line over again to make sure the lines are good. This is the finished look!

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch
MAC Eyeshadow in Twinks
MAC Eyeshadow in Embark
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Demolition
MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved
MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash in Black

Brows

Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Medium

Face:

Too Faced Primed and Poreless
MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in NW20
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20
MUFE HD Foundation in 110
MUFE HD Powder
MAC Powder Blush in Dame
Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless

Lips:

MAC Lip Pencil in Cherry
MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo

Products Used:

MAC Eyeshadows (14.50$CAD for palette refill) in:
Naked Lunch
Twinks
Embark

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Demolition - mini shown, fullsize is 23$CAD

MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved - 19$CAD

MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash in Black - sample shown, fullsize is 19$CAD

Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Medium - 25$CAD

MAC Powder Blush in Dame

MAC Powder Blush in Dame - 25$CAD

Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless

Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless - 38$CAD

MAC Lip Pencil in Cherry - 18$CAD

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo - 18$CAD

From left to right:
MAC Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch
MAC Eyeshadow in Twinks
MAC Eyeshadow in Embark
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Demolition
MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved
MAC Powder Blush in Dame
Too Faced Bronzed and Poreless
MAC Lip Pencil in Cherry
MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo

Thanks for reading and I hope you all liked my Fall Look. I can't believe it's right around the corner and that it's that time of the year again. I'm in that last minute hustle and bustle of getting all the things that should have been done a while ago, done now. I hope this look inspires you to come up with your own ready for fall look. Whether it's with a bold red lip or red-toned brown eyeshadows, I find that there's always something to be liked for everyone. Fall is my favorite time of the year and it's also my favorite makeup season of the year as well. I love the dark colors. So it's no surprise that I spend a lot of money on fall collections.

This is the first time in my near 100 posts that I've rocked a red lipstick. I want to know your thoughts on my bold red lip. Love it or leave it? And which MAC lipstick is your favorite red lipstick? They have so many, Ruby Woo, Red, Russian Red, etc. Which one do you love?

I want to see your fall-inspired looks so feel free to post pics or links. What is your most coveted makeup product from the Fall Collections that are starting to come out in stores?

And speaking of my 100th post... which is creeping up pretty quickly actually. I'm not sure if I should do some sort of giveaway for my loyal readers, or what. Or do some sort of exotic makeup look. Any thoughts on what I should do for my 100th post?

Steph xo.