BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS »

Saturday, November 27, 2010

MAC Tartan Tale Chapter 2: Smoky Thrillseekers Pigment Swatches

Hiya lovelies!


Out of all the products in the entire Tartan Tale collection, I knew I had to get one of each of the pigment sets! I think pigment sets are a really good value. Click here for Temptalia's explanation of volume, size, price and other stuff.

What I especially like about the pigment sets is that there are four pigments and one glitter vials. I think it's good for people who enjoy loose colors/pigments but also if you want to begin collecting pigments. A little bit of pigment goes a long way so even though the vials are smaller than the average full-sized pigment container, for most people one vial will last quite a long time. Also if you noticed, some of the colors included in this year's holiday sets are repromotes from previous limited edition collections. This is a great way to pick up a couple colors you missed the first time around.

Please note: All these swatches are done wet with my homemade mixing medium.

To get the reflects glitter to stick (and all glitter, really) I've been using LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/Base. It's thicker and more tacky in consistency so the glitter has something substantial to stick to. I apply it to my skin or over eyeshadow then pat the glitter on and use a strip of scotch tape to remove any fall out.



Smoky Thrillseekers Tin
 
Naked, Jigs & Jives, Dark Soul, Blue Brown pigments

 
Reflects Blackened Red 

Friday, November 26, 2010

MAC Tartan Tale Chapter 2: Cool Thrillseekers Pigment Swatches

Hiya lovelies!


Out of all the products in the entire Tartan Tale collection, I knew I had to get one of each of the pigment sets! I think pigment sets are a really good value. Click here for Temptalia's explanation of volume, size, price and other stuff.

What I especially like about the pigment sets is that there are four pigments and one glitter vials. I think it's good for people who enjoy loose colors/pigments but also if you want to begin collecting pigments. A little bit of pigment goes a long way so even though the vials are smaller than the average full-sized pigment container, for most people one vial will last quite a long time. Also if you noticed, some of the colors included in this year's holiday sets are repromotes from previous limited edition collections. This is a great way to pick up a couple colors you missed the first time around.

Please note: All these swatches are done wet with my homemade mixing medium.

To get the reflects glitter to stick (and all glitter, really) I've been using LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/Base. It's thicker and more tacky in consistency so the glitter has something substantial to stick to. I apply it to my skin or over eyeshadow then pat the glitter on and use a strip of scotch tape to remove any fall out.

Cool Thrillseekers Pigment Set Tin

 
Mauvement, Silver Fog, Softwash Grey, Cheer My Dear
 

Reflects Pearl Glitter*
(LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/Base)

*Sorry, the right swatch is a little sooty because my brush that I used to transfer the glitter was a little dirty from swatches I had done earlier.  Rest assured the glitter is pure loose cosmetic grade glitter with no brown base.  (And yes, I cleaned my brushes at the end of the day)

MAC Tartan Tale Chapter 2: Warm Thrillseekers Pigment Swatches

Hiya lovelies!

Out of all the products in the entire Tartan Tale collection, I knew I had to get one of each of the pigment sets!  I think pigment sets are a really good value. Click here for Temptalia's explanation of volume, size, price and other stuff.

What I especially like about the pigment sets is that there are four pigments and one glitter vials. I think it's good for people who enjoy loose colors/pigments but also if you want to begin collecting pigments. A little bit of pigment goes a long way so even though the vials are smaller than the average full-sized pigment container, for most people one vial will last quite a long time. Also if you noticed, some of the colors included in this year's holiday sets are repromotes from previous limited edition collections. This is a great way to pick up a couple colors you missed the first time around.

To get the reflects glitter to stick (and all glitter, really) I've been using LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/Base.  It's thicker and more tacky in consistency so the glitter has something substantial to stick to.  I apply it to my skin or over eyeshadow then pat the glitter on and use a strip of scotch tape to remove any fall out. 

Warm Thrillseekers Pigment Set Tin


Gold Mode, Most Darling, Gift O'Glamour, Gilded Green


Reflects Bronze Glitter
(using LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/Base)

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

OPI The Show Must Go On Dupe for MAC Bad Fairy??



OPI is one of the brands that has teamed up with the upcoming film Burlesque starring Christina Augilera and Cher.  When I first saw the teaser trailer for the movie with all the glitz, glam, sparkly lights and such, I was happy to find the nail polishes seemed to reflect that.  I did not purchase all the nail polishes but when I was in my nearest Ulta, I noticed The Show Must Go On bore a striking resemblence to a color I already owned: MAC Bad Fairy.  Turning the bottle slowly in my hand, I noticed the way the pinky red shimmer seemed similar to the highly coveted Bad Fairy.  Impulsively, I purchased it (along with Tease-y Does It) despite the $8.99 price tag.  Don't judge me, my local salons that carry OPI products have not even gotten these in! 

Tonight I did a couple swatches to  find out if my assumption in the store was correct and in answer the question the title of this post asks--no, The Show Must Go On is not a dupe for Bad Fairy. 

In comparison, The Show Must Go On is much more pinky-red, while (in the lighting that I am in while I write this post) Bad Fairy is more ruby red/red-violet.  Honestly, I don't know why I thought these would be similar.  My memory of Bad Fairy at the time I made the purchase was definitely skewed especially when you look at these two side by side in the bottle and on the nail!  But I'd rather admit my silliness than have someone who missed out on Bad Fairy buy The Show Must Go On only because they shared my thoughts.

Having said all that, I still think The Show Must Go On is a great color.  It's flirty, pretty and the shimmer puts some from fun in the color.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  Seeya, lovelies!


OPI The Show Must Go On, MAC Bad Fairy (L to R)





Sunday, November 7, 2010

MAC Tartan Tale: Chapter 1 Pigments Review

Heya guys!

I wanted to share my thoughts with you, real quick, about the pigments from MAC's Tartan Tale holiday collection.

These are very gorgeous--when applied properly. I applied these with a dry brush and there was quite a bit of fallout. These pigments have a black base and when I tried to clean it up with a quick, gentle sweep of my kabuki, it made a bit of a mess. It reminded me of soot. I have some ideas to counter act the possibilities of mess.

  • Apply the pigments to your eyes first then use something like MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover or MAC Gently Off Eye and Lip Makeup Remover (obviously you can use whatever removers you like, but for those who don't know of a good makeup remover, now you have ideas). You can read about the MAC removers here.
  • Use a mixing medium. You can read more about mixing mediums . Mixing mediums are great because with one drop and a bit of pigment (or glitter or loose shadow), the consistency is like a paste and the product will adhere to your lid or where ever you are applying it. And, because the pigment has the mixing medium to hold on to, fallout is reduced or usually eliminated altogether.
I would recommend the mixing medium with these pigments for another reason.  These pigments are best applied wet.  In the pictures, I used MAC Fix+ Spray because I had it readily available when these pictures were taken.  In the pictures, you can see the flash of teal in Moonlight Night, the flash of purple in Later and flash of copper/gold + bits of shimmer in Family Crest.  These are gorgeous colors but if not applied wet, you can miss out on some really nice effects.

I should mention Later is a repromote from Alice + Olivia, but beautiful nonetheless.  I know I missed it the first time around and I'm glad I didn't this time!


The Family Crest (Dry/Wet), Later (Dry/Wet), Moonlight Night (Dry/Wet)
The Family Crest pigment


Later pigment

Alternative angle of Later pigment (last one wasn't the best)

Moonlight Night pigment


Moonlight Night, Later, The Family Crest
(Wet using homemade mixing medium)
Oh my GAWD can you stand the gorgeousness of these with the mixing medium?  And they're even more jaw-dropping in person IMO. 

Additional Products

Here's a quick post about some additional products you can use so your makeup will last longer and/or look more vibrant.  Also some products you can use to fix or remove your looks.

Makeup Removers
You can use whatever you like.  Some people use baby wipes, some use drugstore brands and some use expensive department store brands.  I'm going to be purchasing MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover and MAC Gently Off Eye & Lip Makeup Remover.  I'll do a full review of each when I do.  The reviews I've read have definitely recommended both.  For those of you who are considering purchasing either of these (or both), below is a comparison.

  • An MUA at MAC told me if you need a quick fix while you're creating your look at the beginning of the day, dip a q-tip into the MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover and fix your mistake.  It's water-based so it won't leave behind a residue that will not allow you to apply more makeup.  MAC Gently Off Eye and Lip Makeup Remover is a two-part solution that removes everything, including waterproof formulas.  This is something you can use at the end of the day to completely demolish your look.  The MUA said it does leave a slight residue on your skin that will cause applying additional makeup a little difficult (which is why it was recommended to me as an "end of the day" remover).

Mixing Mediums
  • You can purchase a mixing medium (like the ever-popular MAC Mixing Medium $18.00) or you can view numerous Youtube videos on how to make your own Mixing Medium. The jist is 1 part glycerine + 3 parts water = homemade mixing medium! Keep in mind the homemade mixing medium shelf life is pretty short. I've heard 2-3 weeks max. This is because homemade mixing mediums do not contain preservatives. I have heard MAC Mixing Medium can last a year or two.
Eye Shadow Primers
  • I use Too Faced Shadow Insurance (TFSI).  I used to use Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP).  Those are the ones I hear the most.  I switched because I noticed UDPP creased quite a bit after about four hours.  I'm guessing because I'm obviously not staring at my eye shadow every second.  By the end of the day, my shadow was seriously faded and creased to an awful mess.  I've been using TFSI for about a week and it seems to be lasting like it is supposed to.  I'll update this as I go if anything changes.
UPDATE:  I definitely prefer Too Faced Shadow Insurance to Urban Decay Primer Potion.  The shadow definitely adheres to my lids better.  I do still notice the shadow seems less vibrant after it's been on for 8 hours.  It's like it's rubbed off although the eyeshadow itself doesn't really migrate and I don't rub my eyes so I'm not sure what's happening.  At the end of my 8 hour day, the eye shadow can just look a little worn.  I do notice a little bit of product gathering in the deeper line on my eyelids.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Tartan Tale: Chapter 1 Swatches

Hiya Lovelies!
Below is a list of what I've purchased from Chapter 1.  I may be buying more from Chapter 1 but I have a bit of a short list for Chapter 2.  I'll do reviews of each product in separate posts.  For now, I'll say I really love all these products so far!

Reminder: Chapter 2 is coming to stores (and I've also heard online) November 11th!
 
 
 



Baron's Rose Lipstick


Dazzle the Lads Lip Bag box

Check out this cool MAC crest.  Festive!


Dazzle the Lads Lip Bag (with lip pencil to show size)

Moth to Flame dazzleglass, Draw Me Close lip pencil, Baron's Rose lipstick


Reelers & Rockers Palette box

Reelers & Rockers Palette


White Rabbit, Melt My Heart, Carbon,
Family Treasures, Gaelic Gold, Crown & Scepter



The reason I did the penny was to show size.  When I finally saw this palette, I was disappointed by the size of these.  I don't know what I expected, there are six shadows--how big can they be?

Undercurrent, Petrol Blue, Black Swan, Lord It Up, Black Line
(L to R)



Family Crest pigment, Later pigment, Moonlight Night pigment
(Dry/Wet with MAC Fix+spray)

Family Crest pigment (top 2-Dry/Wet) Later pigment (bottom-Dry)



Family Crest (Wet), Later (Dry/Wet), Moonlight Night (Dry)

Later (Wet), Moonlight Night (Dry/Wet)

Moonlight Night pigment, Later pigment, The Family Crest pigment
(Wet with homemade mixing medium)