Make Me Brighter

Dazzle Me

cleegiants — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Are you afraid of color? I'm not! I live in color and try to incorporate it into my look, whether it's with clothing or makeup. One of my favorite ways to dress up an otherwise plain outfit is with lipstick or lipgloss. If you check my purse right now, I probably have at least 5 lipsticks and another 5 lipglosses in there. It's an obsession that I'm trying to hold under control. One of my favorite formulations are the Dazzleglasses from MAC. They are full of shine and glitter. It may not be for those who want the "no makeup" look, but the range of colors are beautiful. They're fairly thick, but not goopy. They're pigmented but not opaque and not sticky. I normally don't care too much about stickiness, but I know there are a lot who do.

MAC recently released the Dazzleglass Cremes, which look similar to the regular Dazzleglasses, but like the Cremesheen launch a couple months ago, are a bit creamier and have more opacity than usual. Still chock full of glitter though! I currently have five of the Dazzleglasses; three of them original and two of them the cremes. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, consider this post over 5,000 words!

Sorry my picture quality is low; I'm researching a new camera that will take better closeups. These pictures will go in order of color intensity, from the most neutral to the most vibrant.

First up: Smile.

Next is Steppin' Out

Third is Roman Holiday.

Now the Dazzleglass Cremes. Totally Fab is up first.

And lastly, but not least, is Creme Allure.

Aren't they all lovely? I wish the glitter would show through more in these photos, but hopefully you'll get an idea. And don't be afraid of glitter -it works well in these! I swatched these one after another so you can see some smearing, so ignore that please. MAC seems to release a lot of shades that are similar, but I think I've got a good mix. About the only type of color I think I would add would be a coral color but for now, my collection looks good! Here are a couple of shots of the Dazzleglasses lined up so you can see how they compare.
without flash
with flash

From L to R: Smile, Steepin Out, Roman Holiday, Totally Fab, Creme Allure

Mac DSquared

cleegiants — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0700

It's been a while since I've highlighted any new collections, so most of you probably know that this is out already. DSquared by MAC is a small-ish collection that came out Monday, September 28th. It includes a couple of Sculpt & Shape powders that are usually only at pro-stores, so if you're looking for something different, check it out. Grease sticks, lipsticks, lip balms, and an eyeliner round out the collection.

From MAC:
Every season the fashion crowd is up and on the run, crazy for the fierce and sexy fun we’ve come to expect from designers Dan and Dean Caten, the Canadian twins who know how to pack a punch and throw a party! With their haute hi-jinx and body-beautiful clothes for boys and girls, a collaboration with MAC simply could NOT be avoided! “DSquared2 and MAC are on the same trip!” says Dan. This collection brings us to the Ziegfield Follies by way of Grey Gardens, a bit disheveled, a little Girl Interrupted, both dramatically hip and dangerously sexy.

It starts with a strong, sooty, blackest-ever wild-child eye…a new Greasepaint Stick also in blue and violet versions, and Pro Gloss to create it. Neutral and perfected skin will get more drama with highlighting and low lighting from Sculpt and Shape Powders and the 165 Tapered Cheek/Highlight Brush all the better to achieve it. And finally, the totally nude Pro Lip Erase does its stuff, followed by a light Lipstick and Lip Conditioner to put the lilt and lift back in…. But the cynosure of this season’s scintillating collaboration is the daring, dramatic slightly demented DSquared2 eye. Have fun with it!

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My bad

cleegiants — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Why hello there! Remember me? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't; it's been a couple months since I've posted! Whoopsies. I don't really have a good excuse because yes, I'm still one of the millions unemployed, so it's not like I didn't have time. I feel like life is trying to keep me down but I keep kicking to stay afloat. Is anybody else tired of this recession? I am! So while I may not be getting paid to do anything productive, my beauty routines and purchases have not gone ignored. I haven't been able to indulge as much as I would like, but I do have things to share with you, so hopefully you'll forgive my absence as we move forward.

So what am I looking forward to most in the coming weeks? MAC Style Black. Admittedly, it's a collection of pretty dark...black...makeup products, so it might not be for everyone, but it's the skincare items that have me drooling. I missed out on the Volcanic Ash Exfoliator the first time it came out (a year ago?) so I am not going to be denied this time. Or so I hope. I heard rave reviews about it, so I'm a little worried that it won't be all that, so I'm trying to temper my excitement a little. There's also a mask that I'm so going to check out as well because I love masks. Every week or so, I can be found with a mask or two on, as I treat myself to a mini-facial. So get thee over to your local Mac counter on Thursday, September 24th to check out Style Black.

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MAC Love That Look

cleegiants — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Update: Love That Look is available now! The four repromoted shades are Smoke&Diamonds, Glamour Check, Grand Entrance, and Dreammaker. Interesting because I think I have all four of those. Heh...guess I chose the popular colors then. I saw them at my local Nordstrom's and I thought most of the colors were gorgeous. Here's my thoughts are a couple of colors.
Rated R is the only color I would hesitate to buy simply because it's a very yello/green shade that is hard to pull off. If you own Sharp or Bitter, they're very similar.
Strike a Pose is this gorgeous sea blue. It's similar to Plumage (permanent), but it's more shimmery.
Ego is described as a yellow pink, but I think it's just a nice baby pink. A versatile color that will be great at highlighting.
One Off is this pure green - not too blue, not too yellow.

Coming in August July to MAC is Love That Look, a collection of 12 eyeshadows and 4 pearlglide eyeliners. If you missed out on Smoke&Diamondseyeshadow last year, it's being repromoted! Holla! Sorry, that's cheesy, I'll stop now. I think most of the shades are limited edition, but I don't have the exact information available yet.

Here is the preliminary information i do have:

Eyeshadows:
Grand Entrance: Cool apricot beige
Smoke & Diamonds: Dirty dark grey
Glamour Check:Reddish brown
Strike a Pose: Dirty deep sea blue
Ego: Light yellow pink
Fashion Groupie: Light, blue violet
Unbasic White: Snow white
One-Off: Medium green with silver pearl
Rated R: Light, yellow green
Style Snob: Dirty pink brown with gold pearl
Fashion: Light gray-green with gold pearl

The four pearlglide eyeliners are Fly by Blu, Black Russian, Molasses, Rave

Grand Entrance
Strike a Pose
One-Off
Fashion
Rated R
Smoke & Diamonds
Unbasic White
Glamour Check
Fashion Groupie
Dreammaker
Style Snob
Ego

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Round 2 of Weddings: the Maid of Honor

cleegiants — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:30:00 -0700

I showed you the pictures from the wedding I did 2 weeks ago earlier, so here are the pictures from the wedding I did just a week ago. I have a few more pictures for you and I actually have more specific product names and colors. It was interesting to see how the makeup held up since the weather was H-O-T in the Bay Area this weekend. The church where the ceremony was held was air conditioned, but standing outside in the heat for any length of time would certainly cause the makeup to melt off!

First up is the Maid of Honor, the bride's sister Denise.

Before

I start the application process.

Applying false lashes

The eyelashes really made Denise's eyes pop.

Bah. I realize now that I didn't take a direct "after" picture of Denise's makeup. This was taken at the end of the evening though, so you can see that her makeup held up well!

Here's what I used:
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, MAC Eyeshadow in Shrrom: For the grays, I used this 4 pan Stila compact's light gray color (I don't have a name for it) and the dark gray is the dark gray in Lancome's 4Romance palette. Liner is Estee Lauder DoubleWear in Graphite
Face: Prepped face with Exuviance Matte Perfection, Exuviance Skin Caring Foundation, Make Up For Ever HD Powder, Nars Blush/Bronzer in Orgasm/Laguna
Lips: Oops...forgot this one. I think it's a Bobbi Brown lipstick I got for free somewhere.

Denise and her makeup artist.

Nordstrom Beauty Exclusives

cleegiants — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:30:00 -0700

I am getting back into this blogging thing just in time for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. How is that? Well just fo you, here are the "Beauty Exclusives" that are released just at Nordstroms, either online or in store. Most are available in stores, but there are some that I admit I have never seen in stores. There are a lot more exclusives that I'm not mentioning here, so head to this site to check them all out. Everything is available for preorder now (and has been, sorry!) but it starts tomorrow, so I'd head tho a Nordstrom's quickly if you have any intention of picking up some stuff. I'll note which ones I think are more likely to sell out, if not sold out already.

MAC Look in a Box: Three looks titled Seductress, Sun Siren, and Sweet Tease. These are good for those who need an introduction to makeup. Each look includes 2 eyeshadows, a lipstick/lipgloss, a powder and brush, and a mascara. All the items are permanent and would have a total retail value of about $100. For Nordstrom's, it's $59.50. I think these will sell out, especially Sun Siren. If you don't have the eyeshadow Shroom or if you want to get a Dazzleglass, Sun Siren would be a good kit.

Graphic Gardens eyeshadow palettes. Fresh Cut (L) and Graphic Gardens (R), $35 each.

MAC Lip Bags. Those bags are really, really tiny - probably would hold about 4 lipsticks. Just saying...I was like, why so small? But it's a group of prodcuts valued at $57 for $35. Very neutral and probalby one I will be skipping, but that's just me.

The two brush sets, 5 brushes each, for $49.50. For the novice/intermediate user, these brush sets are a quick way to start building a brush collection, but if you really want to build a collection that will last a long time, the quality of these special edition brush sets is usually a little lower than those in the regular collection. The good thing about these brushes is they generally have shorter handles, so they're great for traveling. The bags are cute and graphic. Actually I think all these MAC sets are likely to sell out, even if I won't be buying.

Bobbi Brown "Must Have" Set. Wow - there's a lot of product here for $75. A lip palette with 7 lip shades, the gel eyeliner (fabulous!) in Espresso, plus the brush, a mascara, and a two pan eyeshadow (can be replaced with new shadows when it's empty). It's a $122 value if purchased separately, so if you love Bobbi Brown's neutrals, this is a great kit. The gel eyeliners are great - I gave the one I had to my sister and have been looking for another one. Hmm...better hurry, this well probably sell out.

Oh Chanel how I love you. $45 for this palette of 2 shadows and 4 lip products. The 2 green shadows are at the bottom are just lovely and are reminiscent of the nail polish I heard Chanel is releasing this fall. A typical Chanel quad of shadows is in the $60+ range, plus with lipsticks in the $25 range, I think this is quite a bargain for Chanel. Not cheap, but reasonable for Chanel. Will.Sell.Out.

If you're a fan of the Chanel No. 5 scent, you may want to pick up this bath oil. I like the three colors, but personally find the scent too flowery for my liking. $75.

Dior "Jazz Club" Eye Palette. $65 for six shadows in a nice palette. The purples, pinks, and grays would combine to create a nice range of looks ranging from the dramatic to the neutral.

Lippmann Collection of nail polishes. $35 for 3 nail polishes is a little steep, but these polishes are gorgeous. Ruby Red Slippers, Funky Chunky (sequined sheer black glitter) and Superstar (copper-flecked fugde glitter) are amazing looking and are one item I haven't seen in stores.

Lancome "Declaring Indigo" Brush Set. Four brushes for $52. While more expensive than the MAC brush sets, i love the cobalt blue bag and blue detail on the brushes. A pre-cursor to the indigo nail polish Lancome is coming out with later. Yup. I'm excited about the fall nail polishes. That's another post =).

Smashbox "After Hours" collection. I'm a little perplexed by Smashbox's identity; I'm not sure if they're supposed to be a fun color young lady or a sulty, smoking evning mistress. With this collection, I'm leaning toward the latter. $59.

Nars "Modern Love" Palette. These are 6 eyeshadows that are part of the permanent collection, but as one of the two shades in a duo. A nice way to get your $55. People love Nars though, and so I suspect it will sell out.

Ahh Clairsonic. I want one, but even a $225 special package isn't enough. You get the Clarisonic, some trial sizes of cleansers and an 2 extra brush heads (one sensitive, one normal). The Clairsonic won't sell out, but I'm sure this package is limited to just the anniversary sale. A regular Clairsonic is $195, plus the $25 brush head

La Mer "The Signature Collection" Have you heard of Creme de La Mer? The creme that costs over $100 an ounce? Well add a lifting serum for face and for eye and you're at $300. But for a limited time, this is only $240. Fans of La Mer, hurry! The rest of us? Get back to me when the economy picks up.

Ahh Clinique, a little more wallet friendly. This "Best of Clinique" set is only $45 and gets you 6products. Youth Surge w/ SPF 15; All About Eyes; Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser; Almost Lipstick in Black Honey; Cream Shaper for Eyes; High Impact Curling Mscara.
And no picture necessary, but get a value sized (6.7 oz) bottle of the ubiquitous Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion or Gel for $35.

Juice Beauty "Organics to Glow" set. 3 Lip Moisturizers, 2 facial moisturizers, a hydrating mist, and a green apple full strength peel. Only $29.

Okay like I said, there are lots of other Beauty Exclusives, so head online or to Nordstrom stores tomorrow. Oh, the rest of Nordstroms will probably have specials too.

MAC Colour Craft

cleegiants — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

The other MAC collection currently out is Color Craft. Unlike Euristocrats II, this is a much larger collection that includes eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks, lip glasses, The shadows and blushes are in the mineralize formula, which I do like for the eyeshadows. And somewhat to my surprise, as I think about it, I haven't actually tried the blushes in the mineralize formula. Maybe I should. But that's for another time. The eyeshadows are different from the usual; it's actually a quad of shadows. Now the regular mineralize eyeshadow duos seem fairly decent sized; it's bigger than the regular single shadows, so I feel like you get two shadows for a decent price. The quads are same size as the regular duos. Four shadows for $19.50 or 2 for $19 but at half the size? You'll ahve to decide for yourself if you think it's worth it. Since I haven't run out of an eyeshadow before and I have so many colors, I don't think the size would bother me much.

I'm intrigued by the lipglass- it's meant to be swirled together to get a unique and marbelized color, but what's with the price of $17.50? Come on MAC, haven't you noticed we're in a slow economy? You should be lowering prices!

Wow, that is a lot of color on this girl. But with a name like Color Craft, what were you expecting?

Lipsticks ($14.each)

Madly Creative: Pink neutral with white pearl

Ever Embellish Plum brown with red pearl
Made with Love Bright coral pink
Colour Crafted Milky pink
Trimming Talk Bright fuchsia
Most Popular Purple with yellow undertone

Lipglass ($17.50 each)
- Pretty Pattern Warm dirty beige
- Crazy Haute Blue pink
- Nice Mix Up Burnt ginger
- Funky Fusion Pink coral
- Eclectic Edge Cool violet
- Miss Marble Muted pink

Mineralize Eye Shadows - four shades in one palette. ($19.50.each)

Assemblage White with silver pearl / Deep Grey / Black with silver glitter / Warm yellow gold
Odd Bits Mid-tone Silver Grey / Dusty Rose with gold pearl / Dark burgundy / Peachy bronze
Fashion Patch Ice Blue / Off white / Black with silver glitter / Light white pink
Eccentricity Rich gold / Light violet / Deep plum/Rich bronze
Natural Flare Copper / Yellow orange / Dirty brown / Rich gold
Girlish Romp Dirty violet / Yellow white with gold pearl / Light pastel coral / Mid-tone pink

Mineralize Blush ($21.each)
- Hand-finish Light pink with deep gold veining
- Fad-dabulous Dirty Burnt coral with yellow gold veining
- Daft Pink Deep blue pink with light white yellow veining
- Improvise Mid-tone neutral coral with light white yellow gold veining
- Cheek & Cheerful Mid-tone bronzy brown with yellow gold veining
- Style Demon Dirty brick red with copper veining

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MAC Mineralize Skinfinish ($27.each)

Sunny By Nature: Rich Bronze with pink pearl
Cheeky Bronze: Soft Golden Coral with bronze pearl
Porcelain Pink: Soft pinky coral with gold veining
Triple Fusion: Soft Champagne Gold/Soft Golden Pink/Rose Pink with Golden Nuances
Smooth Merge: Soft Champagne Pink/Deep Rose/Pale Cool Pink
Warm Blend: Antique Gold/Mahogany/Copper
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source: The Makeup Gril

Mac Euristocrats

cleegiants — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:30:00 -0700

So just because I took a break from blogging doesn't mean the beauty world stopped. Summer is in full swing (seriously, I'm feeling toasty in this Bay Area heat). Summer usually means lighter makeup since days are often spent in water, at the beach, or can just plain melt off. One thing that typically stays on though? Lipstick. So let's start with Mac's Euristocrats collection. It's available now in the U.S.; next month internationally.

While “a kiss on the hand can be quite continental,” a modern girl does the kissing now, knowing she has the drop-dead drama of these hot new Dazzleglass shades. In the very latest violet, coral and pink passion hues, to add the sheen, the sparkle, and the ooh-la-la that never fails to entertain. They’re the “something extra” we’ve added to the lipstick and dazzleglass collection Euristocrats can’t get enough of. More, More, More!

I don't get the name, but I love lipstick and the dazzleglasses.

Lipsticks ($14.each)

Costa Chic Frosty light coral
Naked Paris Sheer pink brown with multi-dimensional pearl
Patisserie Sheer creamy neutral pink
Milan Mode Sheer deep pink with multi-dimensional pearl
London Life Sheer deep berry with multi-dimensional pearl
Saint Germain Clean pastel pink
Cockney Sheer yellow red with multi-dimensional pearl

Dazzleglasses ($18.each)

Date Night Soft blue purple with pearl
Euro Beat Peach coral with gold pearl
Internationalist Yellow pink with blue pearl
Local Colour Neutral yellow pink with gold pearl
Roman Holiday Medium brown coral with pink pearl
Rue d’Rouge Light red with pink pearl
Via Veneto Light violet with blue pearl

Lip Pencils ($13.each)

Magenta Vivid pinkish-purple
Cherry Vivid bright bluish-red
Subculture Underground pink
Whirl Dirty rose

As evidenced by the watermark, all images courtesey of temptalia.

A Rose Romance

cleegiants — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:30:00 -0700

A Rose Romance is MAC's newest collection, to be available tomorrow, April 23rd.

As its name suggests, the collection is heavy on the pinks and purples. If you like the rose impression on your blushes, check out the Beauty Powders. There is a quad of eyeshadows that will be exclusive to Nordstrom. Fix+ Rose is also a new item, as is a new fragrance.

Suggesting sonnets celebrated for centuries: Come into my garden, I would like my roses to see you!” poet Sir Richard Brinsley Sheridan once said, and what lady could resist such flattery? A tradition in haute-couture, an enduring Icon of Love and certainly the only flower acceptable to throw on stage at the Met or clench between teeth in a Buenos Aires tango salon, the rose remains beyond reproach. M·A·C creates a very modern Rose Romance, our lovely new colour collection for the summer season. Spring buds blush in fragrant new hues when Just A Pinch Gel Blush debuts; Fix + Rose refreshes; and our bring-back favourite fragrance, Creations Hue: Dejarose, whispers anew… But with great beauty there is always pass ion and peril… mind the thorns

Lipstick ($14.00)

Way To Love Creamy light yellow pink
A Rose Romance Mid-tone pink with gold pearl
Odyssey Spiked-up plum (Permanent)

Lipglass ($14.00)

Virgin Kiss Sheer pale pink with multi-dimensional pearl
Magnetique Frosted violet fuchsia (Repromote)
Steal My Heart Sheer bright pink with multi-dimensional pearl

See Thru Lip Colour ($14.00)

Loving Touch Sheer pearly light pink
Tender Tryst Sheer pearly plum
Secret Crush Sheer red berry

Pigment ($19.50)

Mutiny Clean sky blue with gold pearl (Repromote)
Circa Plum Frosty dirty mid-tone laevnder (Repromote)

Eyeshadow ($14.50)

Of Summer Frosted light dirty mauve
Et Tu, Bouquet? Frosted pale pink gold
Creme de Violet Vivid pinkish-violet flecked with gold shimmer (Permanent)
Silverthorn Mid-tone gray with silver pearl
Shadowy Lady Darkly veiled plum (Permanent)

Nordstrom Exclusive Quad ($38.00)

Solar White Golden white (Frost) (Repromote)
Contrast Dark purple/blue (Velvet) (Permanent)
Seeds of Love frosted peach (Frost)
Petal Worship Light, blue-based pink (Frost)

Just A Pinch Gel Blush ($18.50)
Sheer gel cheek blush in a pot delivers a rosy glow of coverage for a healthy complexion. Dewy texture blends into a thin film on skin, giving low to medium transparent coverage.

Just A Pinch Sheer red pink tint

Beauty Powder ($22.00)

Blush of Youth Clean pink with gold pearl
Summer Rose Soft violet pink with pearl

Nail Lacquer ($11.00)

Love & Friendship Creamy dirty mid-tone lavender

Creations Hue: Dejarose ($22.50)
A striking bouquet of lush Bulgarian, Turkish, and Tea Red Roses is ruffled with dewy watery and luminous green nuances. Velvety petals of exotic orchid, lily, jasmine and peony are teased with a hint of crimson red raspberry and the gentle texture of pink pepper. The interplay of light and dark woods, weathered teak contrasting with patchouli, adds to the intensity, while hypnotic incense vapours and amber crystals lend a sense of intrigue and allure to this sensuous creation.

Fix+ Rose ($17.00 U.S. / $20.00 CDN)
An aqua-spritz of vitamins and minerals, infused with a Calm-the-Skin blend of green tea, Chamomile, Cucumber, topped off with the scent of 100% natural rose water. Adds radiance, finishes makeup.

A Rose Romance
Odyssey Lipstick

Way to Love Lipstick

Magnetique Lipglass

Steal My Heart Lipglass

Virgin Kiss Lipglass

Loving Touch See-thru Lip Color

Tender Tryst See-thru Lip Color

Secret Crush See-thru Lip Color

Creme de Violet eyeshadow

Et Tu Bouquet eyeshadow

Of Summer eyeshadow

Shadowy Lady eyeshadow

Silver Thorn eyeshadow

Circa Plum pigment

Mutiny Pigment

Just a Pinch gel blush

Blush of Youth beauty powder

Summer Rose beauty powder

Love Friendship nail lacquer

Above pictures from Style It

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Dazzle Me

cleegiants — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0700

My friends will attest to the fact that I do not always go for the most subtle makeup looks. I'm not trying to make my face look makeup free, just polished and hopefully blemish free. One guideline I try to use when applying makeup is to emphasize one feature. If I want to create a smokey eye, I'll try a nude lip; a red lip will call for a softer eye. With that in mind, I picked up 2 of the new Mac Dazzleglases. I love the glitter in these Dazzleglasses, but as you'll see from the pictures, it's not for the lady who wants to blend in. Even with a neutral shade, the Dazzleglasses punch some serious Wow.

First up is the Moth to Flame. I thought it was limited edition at the store, but it's actually Goldy Rocks, Utterly Posh, and Stop! Look! that are the LEs. That aside, Moth to Flame is a beautiful color. It's described as 'sheer neutral beige with violet pearl'. You can see the see the shimmer in the pictures, although I don't really see the 'violet'.

I'll be using Moth to Flame for those days when I want some sparkle on my lips without much color. For days when I do want color, it's Love Alert time. Described as 'raspberry red with red pearl', it turns out much more pink on me. It makes my lips shine without feeling sticky. Perfect!

If I had $324, I'd be plopping my money down for all 18 colors, but alas, these 2 will have to do.