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.

Another MAC Haul (and NARS)

Hey my preciouses!!

It's time for another MAC Haul!! I went to MAC today with the intension of building my makeup kit, specifically to check out concealers and foundations so that I can start doing some serious freelance work. If you need to get your makeup done for an event and you live in the Montreal and surrounding area, please contact me! My email is on my Contact Page, or you can just leave me a comment here, or find me on my facebook page. Makeup has always been a passion of mine and I want to share my knowledge with others and make them feel beautiful about themselves by enhancing their natural attributes with makeup.

So I went to MAC and they didn't have the concealer palettes I wanted :(  I wanted to try the Light one first, on myself, to see if I liked it before I picked up all 4. I also have a good idea, based off Dusty O Hunter's MAC foundation palette. I'm thinking of buying a minimum of 6 and possible up to 12 different shades of MAC Full Coverage Foundation, which is a cream, and buying a MAC Pro Palette with a 12 well insert. Full Coverage is a cream foundation, so it's excellent for putting into a palette. I will also buy a White shade so I can mix the in-between shades that I do not buy. Now, I know something like this is ambitious and ridiculously expensive. Obviously I won't be able to buy all these in one day. But every month, I can buy one foundation and within a year or less I will have my foundation palette. To get the foundation in the well nicely, you'll have to scrape out the cream and put it in either a small metal pot, or a microwave safe dish, whichever method you like. With the foundation in the small pot, heat it over the stove. You don't want to "cook" or burn the foundation, you want it to be just melted. Then you will pour it into one well. For the microwave safe dish, put some foundation in it and then put it in the microwave. Make sure to constantly check on it so you do not burn it. When it has all been melted, pour it into one well. You now have your own custom made MAC foundation palette.

Honestly, maybe I should just buy the Bobbi Brown BBU Palette. If you haven't seen it in my most recent Shopping List post, it is a double palette with foundations on one side and concealer and correctors on the other. It's about 250$US. Which is a lot cheaper than making my own foundation palette with 12 foundations. We haven't even factored in the 100$ that it costs for the 4 MAC Concealer palettes!!

I'd love to know where you guys get your foundation and concealer palettes. I'd like to get something from a reputable brand. I like putting a lot of money into one good product instead of wasting more over time buying shitty products that don't work half as good.

So onto the actual Haul portion of this post....


Another MAC Haul (and NARS)

MAC Lipsticks

Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Royal Azalea

This is a lovely blue based pink. It is creamy, but not too creamy like some other Sheen Supreme Lipsticks. I love the color and the texture of this one.

Cremesheen Lipstick in Pink Pearl Pop

This is a nice yellow based pink lipstick. It looks almost as if there could be peach undertones as well. It's different than the usual round of pink lipsticks I have, which is why I chose this one. I had swatched it on my hand and I fell in love with it.

Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo

For a long while now I've been needing to buy that classic ultimate red lipstick. I think every girl should have a red lipstick in her stash. I prefer a matte lipstick because you have 2 options to wear it. You can wear it matte as it comes, or you can put a clear gloss on top to make it glossy. I really love the color of this lipstick. It's a blue-based red. If you're going to rock a red lipstick, you need a red liner, keep on reading to see which one I bought.

MAC Lip Pencils

Hip n Happy

I've been on the hunt for a while to find a light pink lip liner and I've finally found one! It's a great blue-based pink lip liner and it goes great with MAC lipsticks such as: Snob, Pink Nouveau, Mineralize Rich in Dreaminess, just to name a few. It's the only light pink lip liner that MAC carries. The rest are extremely darker shades compared to this.

Cherry

If you're going for a red lip, this is the perfect lip liner to pair it up with. It's a wonderful blue-based red but with a hint of pink, hence its name. This looks absolutely gorgeous with Ruby Woo lipstick. The pair will be featured in an upcoming tutorial and it is to die for.

MAC Illustrated Rebecca Moses Face Palette in Plum

Of all the current MAC Illustrated sets, this one called out to me the most. Though it's called plum, I see it more as a neutral palette. The brown one they had was just way too brown. The eyeshadows were brown, the blush was brown, and so were the lipsticks. With the plum palette, we see a little bit of variety. There are a few permanent colors in this, such as Yogurt eyeshadow. I'll talk about all the shades more in depth when I do a tutorial using this.

NARS

Fairy's Kiss Eyeshadow Palette

Every time NARS comes out with a palette, I want it. His palettes are absolutely gorgeous. This is my first NARS palette and I'm really excited to use it. I really liked this one for its practicality. You can either go with a very light, day-time look, or you can darken it up for a smokey night-time look. There is so much you can do with this palette and I loved the colors. A NARS palette hasn't screamed out to me quite as much as this one has, so I knew it was meant to be. There is one NARS palette that I've always wanted that I still want, even though it came out a few years ago. That's the Danmari blush palette. If you don't know what it is, google and tell me you don't love it. I can't wait to use my Fairy's Kiss palette and that too will be in an upcoming tutorial.

Thanks for reading and I hope you liked me sharing my MAC and NARS haul with you! I hope you enjoyed the post as well as my foundation palette ideas.

What kind of foundation palette (either bought or made) do you have in your makeup kit? 

What do you think of the lipstick colors I bought? What do you think of the lip pencils? Do you know of any brands that make lighter pink lip pencils?

And lastly, what do you think of the MAC Illustrated palette and the NARS Fairy's Kiss palette? Which MAC palette do you prefer out of the two and which NARS palette do you prefer out of the two, and why?

Again, hope you liked reading about the haul, and I will do makeup looks very soon using the products shown here and I will talk about the colors a bit more once I've had a chance to use them!

I'm not sure what my next post will be, it's either a purple sparkly smokey look or it's a fall look. Both are coming up anyway.

Steph xo.