Special Delivery!

YAY - this is one of my favorite packages receiving in the mail:

I snagged a bottle of one of the limited edition re-issued shade, ANNE

Gorgeous, isn't it? Anne is like a golden olive-brown with fine gold, pink glitter. This was from the Real Housewives of Tudor Fall 2010 collection. I passed this up the first time and I'm so glad I picked up when Ms. Ji Baek kindly brought it back for us RBL fanatics!

Now I just wished I picked up one of the Holiday shades. I guess I'll have to wait till those are brought back again. I'll be back with manicure photos.

I HEART MAC: My Go-To Neutral Eye Shadows

You know those days when you don't want to put your makeup on but you have to because you'll scare anyone in your path? I turn to these shadows to help keep me presentable:

Woodwinked - antique gold, my lid color about 85% of the time.



(color is slightly off as I'm still learning how to adjust the color/exposure in my editing process)

Soba, soft golden brown - a strong workhorse that's my crease 90% of the time. I'm proud that I hit the pan it's like a badge of battlefield honor! I love this shade because it adds depth to an otherwise neutral eye and for dark charcoal smoky eyes this adds a bit of gradation between a dark liner, lid color and light, shimmery brow bone highlight.
And when all else fails, I turn to this unassuming shadow.

Arena, soft peach satin that I layer on top of a Paint Pot or use as a brow bone highlighter. This shade never disappoints and this is my second pan.

Here's my lineup:

(a true depiction of the colors on my NC42 arm)

Here's the obligatory EOTD shot using Woodwinked and Soba. I just realized that I didn't use Arena as my brow bone highlight shadow. Just trust me that it's magical!



Also used -  MAC Feline Kohl Power Eye Pencil, GA Eyes to Kill mascara, Anastasia Brow Express for Eyes and Brows - Brunette. 

MAC Eye shadows retail $15/USD and $11.50 for a pan refill (for customized palettes - which I recommend!).

I HEART MAC: My Favorite MAC Blush

Today, I want to share my all time favorite MAC blush - Gingerly.

Gingerly is a Bronze with some peachy tones in it. I wear this a lot in the summer for obvious reasons then I discovered the NARS South Beach Multiple and Gilda blush. Sadly, Gingerly took a backseat. It wasn't till I was digging around for product to build my stage makeup kit (more on that soon!).

I started to wear this again and I love the warmth this gives my skin in Winter. This is a sheertone blush but don't let that fool you - it packs a bit of punch if you're not careful. It blends easily if you need to buff it out with a bigger fluffier, kabuki style brush. It has pretty good staying power but I also use a primer underneath my foundation.

Here's a little snapshot of me and my Gingerly blush:

Gingerly is part of the permanent collection. It retails for $19.50/USD and can be found at MAC stores and department stores that carry the line. You can also find it online. I was lucky enough to find this at my local Company Store for $15. 



I HEART MAC: My Lip Lining Staples

The way how I make almost any lip color to work on my naturally dark pigmented lips - lip liner. My two favorite nude liners are Cream O'Spice Cremestick liner and Whirl Lip Pencil.

I have used other nudes in the past from other brands but I always come back to these two liners and when I am done I go back to the MAC counter and purchase two new ones.

Whirl is considered a dirty rose and Cream O'Spice is a neutral beige. I love Whirl underneath sheer pink blush or peach toned glosses. I love Cream O'Spice when I need to warm up cool tone lipsticks. I also use this underneath glosses to deepen glosses just like I use Whirl to add a warmer rose tone to beige lip colors.

Here's Edward Bess' Pure Impulse, a lovely neutral beige with just the slighted peach tone to it. This color is wonderful on lips that are naturally lightly tinted.

It's a bit flat on me...not too bad but not great either. My lips blend in with the rest of my face.

Now warmed up with Cream O'Spice. It becomes a warmer pink beige.


Here is Whirl liner on it's own. I really love Whirl, it's like a MLBB (my lips but better) shade. All I need is a light topping of my kiehl's lip treatment balm.

And here it is paired with Pure Impulse:

Okay, I apologize for some of the inconsistent exposures. I will say that Whirl gives Pure Impulse a more soft pink look whereas, Cream O'Spice makes it a deeper beige. Both altered versions work better with my skin tone, NC42.

I'm not just a fan of these two shades, I know quite a few of them. They apply easily and they are pretty inexpensive - Lip Pencil, $14 and Cremestick Liner, $14.50.

Whirl and Cream O'Spice are both part of the permanent collection and can be found at all MAC counters. If you're lucky like me, you could find the Cream O'Spice liner at The Company Store, Estee Lauder Brands Outlet stores.

I HEART MAC: My Staples

One of my popular post is a MAC fail and it makes me feel a little guilty. MAC was there for me in the beginning back in 1994 where I was introduced to the brand by a little matte red lipstick named Russian Red. But along the way, the relationship soured.

It's no secret that I have a love/hate relationship with MAC - when it's good, it's an intense passion and when it's bad it's like that bad morning after feeling. You know, just intense awkward silence? One of my intentions with this blog is to give you, the reader, my honest opinion on products - good and bad.

This week I will focus on the basic MAC staples that have not failed me. The products that I find myself actually finishing and restocking.

I know this may not be fair because the first product I am going to share is actually a limited edition item.

LIMITED EDITION...who knew those two words together would incite an eye roll response. MAC is the leader when it comes to limited edition items in a collection. This phrase can cause a anxious feeling like: if I don't get this MSF powder, lipstick, pigment, shadow...etc...I will lose my mind! Who ever is in charge of  their Marketing department is pure genius!


Yes, I have been there before. I forgot what collection made me the most jaded in terms of trying to obtain a L.E. Mineralize Finish Powder but I do remember walking away intensely angry because the item I THOUGHT was promised to me was actually given away to another person. I guess waiting list don't always guarantee, of all things, blush!

So when I heard that my all time favorite (smudgy) black liner, Feline was going to make a comeback:

You know how you have 25 different pairs of black shoes in your closet that all serves a different purpose? Well I have different black liners that serve different purposes depending on my makeup mood that day or evening. For a more 60's doe eye, I turn to my NARS Larger than Life liner and if I want a more clean, thin defined line I use my MAC Blacktrack Fluidline.

Look how dark and sooty that is! I am not a huge fan of the popular MAC black liner, Smolder. I feel that just smudges a bit too much. Feline has a bit more holding power - it's not waterproof or long-lasting but it doesn't budge as much!

I love this liner when I want a sexy, almost slept in smudged black lined eye with a nude lid. This is when I try to channel my inner Angelina Jolie. I love when she does the smudgy black lined eye without any noticeable shadows.

Feline makes an appearance now and then. So when it does, you have to move quickly because it tends to sell out. It made a superstar cameo appearance in Cindy Sherman's collaboration collection this past Fall. This is the first time I bought two pencils at the same time. I have been holding on to a pencil from 2yrs ago and it has dried out. I didn't have the heart to toss it. Until now!

Not quite Angelina like but it's a good attempt, nontheless!
I believe it's still offered online, however I was super lucky to find mine at the MAC store location at the Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo, CA. It retails for $15/USD/0.05 oz.

Oh Feline, how could I ever be mad at you?