Product Review: Mac Face & Body Foundation

I’ve been reading about Mac Face & Body for years but it wasn’t until this summer that I decided to try it. My continued use of the St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse necessitated a different shade of foundation. Add that to the fact that I like to use a much lighter foundation during the summer than in the winter and things were ripe for a change!

Since I have never used this product and since it has been years since I’ve had any kind of tan on my skin, I ventured to my closest Mac counter at the local Nordstrom. I”m “normally” an NW20 in Mac foundations but Face & Body uses a different methodology for naming colors. Since I wanted to cover both my face and my neck/chest (which I do on occasion), the counter associate matched me to C3 and C4. It turns out that either color on its own, or a mixture of the two colors works great as my fake tan fades. To give you an idea of my coloring without the St. Tropez tan, I believe my match would be either N1 or N2 in F & B.

C3 and C4

C3 and C4

One of the great things about Face & Body is its consistency. It’s very thin and watery, which makes it ideal for summer. Not only can it be applied in thin, buildable layers, it doesn’t sit in pores so the skin looks smooth and luminous. F & B is moisturizing and lasts extremely well in the summer heat. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in Arizona in 110 degree heat and I’ve been going in and out all day. I didn’t even set with powder and while my skin is definitely not matte, it is luminous and the finish is still great!

“Buildability” is what Face & Body is all about so I took some pictures without makeup, with one thin layer of F & B and then with two thin layers of F & B. In each of these pictures, I’m wearing a coat of mascara on the top lashes and a neutral lip gloss. I am NOT wearing any powder and when these pictures were taken, I was literally in the desert where temperatures were over 100 degrees every day. As a result, my face is more "glowy" than normal. It is not oil but it is due to the heat!  Here are the results:

No makeup

One layer of Mac Face & Body in a mixture of C3 and C4

Two layers of Mac Face & Body in a mixture of C3 and C4

No makeup, one layer Face & Body, two layers Face & Body

You can see that my face is luminous and natural looking, even with two thin layers of foundation. I haven’t applied more than two layers yet, but I would imagine you’ll get subtle increases in coverage with each additional layer. In these pictures, I’m not wearing any concealer (a review is coming on my favorite Mac concealer) but, admittedly, I have very good skin (with a few minor discolorations at the jawline and maybe a blemish every so often). If you’re looking for a high coverage foundation, Face & Body is not your answer. But for those of us who appreciate the positive impact that a sheerer foundation has on aging skin, this one’s a keeper!!!

Mac Face & Body is available in two sizes: 1.7 ounces for $27 and 4 ounces for $33 (holy cow---great value!!!). I got the smaller size and this stuff will last me for a looong time! You can find this product at your local Mac and Nordstrom stores or online.

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Sneak Peak

I’ve been busy doing research on skin care along with my normal search for new products to love. Here are a few shots of products that I’m testing right now. I’ll report back over the next few weeks on which ones I love (and don’t love so much!).

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer; Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 “1970”; Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum

Julep Glycolic Hand Scrub; Hampton Sun Continuous Mist Hydrating Aloe

Smashbox CC Cream; Chanel Soleil Tan; Becca Luminous Skin Color Ultra Sheer Foundation

The Balm and Tarte Blushes

Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer

The Balm Schwing Eyeliner and What’s Your Type Mascara; Sonia Kashuk Eyeshadow Quad

Maybelline Studio Quad; L’Oreal Eyeshadow; Blinc Mascara

NYX Lipgloss; elf Pout Perfector; Nars Chubby Pencil

Ulta Fragrance Mist

Stay tuned!

Product Review: Stila All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

Stila’s All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner is touted as waterproof, non smudging, and easy to use. I’ve been wearing it quite a bit lately. Not only has it proved to be non smudging in our cooler Spring weather in Virginia, but also during the time I spent in Florida where it was in the mid to high eighties every day. Since I take issue with liners that smudge, that is a great thing!



The Stila liner costs $20 and is available in the following colors:

• Black
• Alloy (Charcoal Gray)
• Dark Brown
• Moss
• Indigo
• Periwinkle
• Snow

I purchased mine from Sephora in Moss, which is a beautiful forest green color.



For me, the two things that matter the most, in the success of an eyeliner, are the tip and the formula. In Stila’s case, the tip is a cross between a marker and a brush—soft enough to flex when applying either a thin, winged out look and firm enough to accomplish a thicker line. This is key when executing a precision look. That’s probably why I don’t tend to love eyeliner pencils as it’s pretty difficult to get a good, clean line with them sometimes.



The pigmentation in this eyeliner is excellent and the wear factor is even better. I wore it for twelve hours with no smudging, flaking or fading. That’s a huge accomplishment for me! See below for pictures of the eyeliner in a makeup look. Please disregard the peeling skin! I was still recovering from my last TCA peel.





Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Product Review: Guerlain Meteorites Voyage Pressed Powder

Lately, I've been all about foundations and powders. I don't know if that's because Spring is here or what but I have found some great powders lately (some that I've already shared with you). One that I've been wanting to try for a long time is Geurlain's Meteorites Voyage Pressed Powder. I finally got my hands on this and I'm ready to tell you all about it. Click below to find out more!

Product Review: Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream

Garnier's Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream was the very first non-Asian BB Cream that I purchased when the BB Cream craze hit the U.S.  What do I think of it? Click below to find out!

Product Review: Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum

I never really got on the band wagon of the magic marker/pen type of eyeliners. They seem like an expensive, iffy kind of proposition for my hard earned dollars. So I was pleasantly surprised when I started hearing great things about Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum. 

Click below to find out my thoughts!

Product Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows

I may be late to the game but I just had to write about my love for the Maybelline  Eyestudio Color Tattoo 24 HR Cream Gel Shadow. While I don't recommend wearing any eye shadow for 24 hours, there is so much to love about this product that you just have to try it!

You NEED this product and I'm going to tell you why! 

Product Review: Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush

Happy 1st Day of Spring!!!

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush has been beckoning to me every time I pass a Physicians Formula display. I finally gave in and purchased both colors. Click below for my thoughts!

Product Review: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

As my obsession with foundation grows and grows, it was only a matter of time before I tried Nars Sheer Glow Foundation! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!!!

The March PopSugar Must Have Box is here!!!

I just love it when I hear the UPS man knocking on my door and I especially love it when he has the new PopSugar Must Have Box under his arm!

Click below for more on this month's box!

Product Review: Bobbi Brown Lilac Rose Eye Palette

Ever since I first saw the ads for Bobbi Brown's Lilac Rose Collection, I knew I had to get the eyeshadow palette! It finally arrived and I've been testing it since late last week. Did it live up to my expectations? Click below to find out!

Glossybox for February 2013

My February 2013 GlossyBox shipment was waiting for me when I got back from my cruise and today I took the opportunity to dig in to it. Wanna hear more about it? Click below to find out more!!

Bobbi Brown's Lilac Rose Collection Now Available!

Are you as ready for Spring as I am? Well, Bobbi Brown just released her new Lilac Rose Collection for Spring 2013 and it's really getting me in the mood for warmer weather and lighter clothing! 

Let's take a look at what we have to look forward to!

Product Review: Trish McEvoy High Volume Mascara

I've written before about my quest for the perfect mascara; one that lengthens and volumizes, doesn't clump and doesn't smudge. Not normally one to spend more than a few bucks on mascara, I have lately been going out on a limb by trying higher end mascaras. 

Does Trish McEvoy's High Volume Mascara fit the bill? Read on!

Product Review: Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick

I am always looking for good, long wearing lip colors that don't dry the lips. In my real life, I travel a lot for work and attend day long meetings on a regular basis. One thing I hate is to come out of a meeting with a ring of lip color around my lips because the "long wearing" lip color has worn off much sooner that it should have.

Enter Hourglass's Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick. I've worn this quite a bit lately, while in my home office as well as on the road. How did it hold up? Click below to find out!

Product Review: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

I had always heard how wonderful Chanel's foundations were so a few years ago, I decided to take the plunge. Vitalumiere Aqua was the first Chanel foundation that I had ever purchased and I was anxious to see if it lived up to everything I had heard.

Face of the Day: A Simple, Chic look

I'm a big fan of Lisa Eldridge, a famous celebrity makeup artist from the UK. Not too long ago, she did a You Tube tutorial on a makeup look she called "Flawless and Chic," available here.

It's a look that can be worn during the day or for an evening out and I've worn it many times. Click below to get the details and the products I used.

Product Review: L'Oreal Magic De-Crease Eyelid Primer

L'Oreal recently introduced their new eyelid primer, which is available in most drugstores and retails for $8.99 (I got mine at CVS). As someone who has dry facial skin but somewhat oily eyelids, I wear an eyelid primer whenever I'm using a powder shadow but also sometimes when I use cream shadows.

Has L'Oreal been able to replace my favorite Urban Decay Primer Potion with their new Magic De-Crease? Jump ahead to find out!

Do you Glossy Box?

One of my favorite new "things" is the monthly or quarterly beauty/lifestyle subscription box. I belong to three: GlossyBox, New Beauty's TestTube, and PopSugar, which is more of a lifestyle box. The basic "jist" of these boxes is that monthly or quarterly, you are sent an assortment of deluxe samples or full sized  beauty items to try, rate and earn points to purchase other products. Each company does it a little differently but if you're a person who likes variety (and who doesn't!), you'll generally find that the value of the products in the box far exceed the price you pay (the ones I've seen run from $10 to $49 per month or quarter, depending on the service). 

The box in the picture above is the Man Repeller box from GlossyBox. 

Product Review: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars: Pinks

Super long lasting lip color!!!

Lip tars from left:  Digitalis, Narcissus, Pageant, Ophelia, Memento

Last summer, I started reading all about Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (O.C.C.) and their incredible lip colors. Since one of my pet peeves is lipstick that disappears quickly, I thought I should check these out. At the time, I was on a quest for a long lasting red lipstick as nothing I already had lasted more than an hour or two at the most. Enter O.C.C. lip tars!

My first lip tar was their aptly name red, NSFW, a bright, beautiful red. Depending on what I was doing (drinking, talking, eating or just  quietly going about my day), this color lasted anywhere between 4 and 9 hours on my lips. No lie!!! As a result, I HAD to have more, therefore, I went out and stocked up on a bunch of colors and thus, the first of my blog reviews for O.C.C. lip tars. This review will focus on the pinks in my collection. These are, by no means, all of the pinks that O.C.C. has released, but just the ones that I have purchased.