Makeup Essentials: Mac Taupe and Mocha Blushes

Do you ever have those days where there are tons of things going on and you don’t want to think about anything too difficult, especially when it comes to putting on makeup? On those days, I like to reach for my “tried and true” products and two of them are Mac’s Taupe and Mocha blushes. Both can be applied very subtly or amped up for more color. Neither blush looks very exciting in the pan but both of them can do wonders for your look and your outlook!

 

Mac Taupe Blush

Mac Taupe Blush

Taupe is my go to color for contouring. For lighter skinned ladies, in general, it is the perfect color that actually is close to the color of a real shadow. That allows me to successfully create a slight hollow under my cheekbones and at my jaw line. It’s subtle, but effective.The nice thing about Mac’s Taupe blush is that there’s no orange which often is the case with contouring products.

Mac Mocha Blush

Mac Mocha Blush

Another non descript color, Mocha seems to be misnamed. A neutral medium pink (no hint of coffee brown in this one), this blush is the workhorse of my blush wardrobe. It’s easy, natural and provides just the right amount of glow. Mocha literally goes with everything! When I’m traveling for business, there is never any doubt that my look that day is becoming and professional as long as Mocha is in my bag.

Mac Taupe blush as a subtle contour with Mocha on the cheekbones

Sometimes I like to amp up the contouring a little bit so I’ll layer my Illamasqua pigment (another makeup essential!) in Hollow underneath Taupe. Not only does this provide an extra layer of color, it also adds to the longevity of the color. I typically contour under my cheekbones, at the jaw line. sometimes down the front of my neck (my “waddle”) and up towards my temples. See below for a couple of pictures using both taupe contouring products and Mocha blush.

Illamasqua Hollow Cream Pigment

Subtle but effective contouring with Illamasqua Hollow, Mac Taupe blush and Mocha Blush

The cheekbone contouring is subtle here but it works. I also apply some right along the hairline on my forehead

Mocha and Taupe pro palette refill pans can be purchased for $17 by clicking here. I put them in one of my Z Palettes but you can also purchase them in the Mac packaging for $21 by clicking here.

Do you have any essential blush and contouring products? What works for you?

Product Showdown: Best High End Black Eye Pencils for the Waterline

To set the stage, a few weeks ago I decided I wanted to try lining my lower waterline with black liner, like I have seen on many You Tube videos. Now you may think, “Wow, Denise! Get with the program! I have been doing that for ages!!!” Yeah, I know. I guess I am behind the times because I had never tried it on myself. So it was time! I decided to do a product showdown between high end liners and drugstore liners to see what I could find in each category. The lower waterline is really a special area---it’s wet, sensitive and some liners do not “transfer” well onto that area, leaving the color patchy or non existent. My objective was to find a black eyeliner that didn’t smudge, provided a deep, dark color and stayed put on the waterline at least four hours. Today’s showdown is on high end  liner pencils and after I finish testing all of my drugstore finds, I will post about the lower cost liners.

For each of these tests, I used the same eyelid primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion), mascara (Trish McEvoy—upper lashes only), gel liner on upper lid (Bobbi Brown), under eye concealer (Bye Bye Undereye, set with loose powder) and eye shadows that I find to be long lasting (Mac and Wet N Wild). None of these products smear on my eyes.

Top: Mac Smolder

Center: Chanel Ebene

Bottom: MUFE Aqua Eyes 0L

Mac Smolder

I was in Nordstrom when I remembered that Mac had a deeply black eye pencil that I should check out. The SA told me that the Smolder kohl pencil was the only one that was rated for the waterline and that it provides the best coverage and is long lasting. She said that she got about 4 hours of wear out of it and that it was the best on he market. Skeptical that four hours would actually be consider “the best,” I decided to take a chance and purchased it. True to her word, the color was the richest of the three high end pencils I’m reviewing. See below how great it looked when it was applied!

Mac Smolder upon application

Beautiful, right? Well, unfortunately, after one hour, I had smudging under the both eyes and virtually none of the liner left on my waterline. At four hours, the smudging was significantly worse and at eight, I had black eyeliner deeply down into the troughs of the eyes. For some reason, I am unable to find the pictures. It’s possible I was so disgusted that I didn’t take pictures, LOL! Beautiful pencil, but definitely a fail on the waterline. I will, however, try it on the upper lid and also use it in future smoky eye looks!

Ages of Beauty rating (for lower waterline): zero stars

Chanel Ebene Eye Pencil

This pencil has been in my collection for awhile and I’ve enjoyed wearing it, with good results, on my upper lid. It’s a nice, dark shade of black but not as intense as Mac’s Smolder. The pencil glides easily over the waterline and transfers color easily to that area. See the pictures, below, at application, after 4 hours and after 8 hours.

Chanel Ebene at application

Chanel Ebene 4 hours after application

After four hours, the Chanel pencil had slight smudging under each eye but nothing too serious. There was still a little bit left on each waterline.

Chanel Ebene 8 hours after application

After eight hours, Ebene left significant smudging but no where near as bad as the Mac pencil. the worst of it was on the right eye (the left side of the picture) at the outer corner. In real life, I would have cleaned this up at the first sign of a smudge so this wouldn’t have been that bad after a full day of wear, although it was completely gone from the waterline and definitely would have needed a refresh after four hours.

Ages of Beauty rating (for lower waterline): **

Make Up for Ever Aqua Eyes in 0L

This pencil is part of the famous “Aqua Eyes” line that was supposedly developed for synchronized swimmers. I have many of the cream eye shadows from this collection and they definitely stay put. The color 0L is a slightly muted black, making it the least intense, color-wise, of the three high end pencils I tested. It went on very easily and didn’t pull the skin upon application.

MUFE 0L at application

MUFE 0L 4 hours after application

Four hours after I applied the MUFE pencil, I experienced very minor smudging at the corner of the eyes but there was nothing left on the waterline. Since smudging is the bane of my existence, I was very pleased with this (if only it would have stayed on the waterline!!!).

MUFE 0L 8 hours after application

After eight hours, the smudging at the corners was only very slightly worse, making the Make Up for Ever pencil the winner of these three pencils, for lower waterline use. Since there was no color left on the actual waterline, this pencil isn’t a home run, but it is definitely what I would consider usable!!

Ages of Beauty rating (for lower waterline): ***

Interestingly enough, I tested one drugstore pencil in between these three and it performed better than all of these (I was shocked!!). Starting today, I’m testing a few more and should have a post on my drugstore results later this week!

I’ll keep testing high end brands as well and will let you know if I find anything better than the MUFE pencil for the lower waterline.

Do you use a black liner on your lower waterline? Have you found anything that doesn’t smudge and stays put? Please share!!!

MAC Haul

I am so ridiculous. Last week, I decided to “clear out” my MAC blush and lipstick list and order all the things I’ve been eyeing for quite some time. Some of these lipsticks were the results of turning in some empties (thank goodness for that program!) and then I just had to add my new favorite foundation, Face & Body, in my “winter” colors (N1 and N2)….Come on, though! Those of you who are freaks for beauty products know EXACTLY how I felt when I opened the Nordstrom box within minutes of my UPS driver dropping it on the front porch. The adrenaline rush…the flushed cheeks…the excitement…OK, I digress…

Anyway, besides a few eye shadows, my Mac list is complete (at least for now…*eyebrow raised*). Here’s what I purchased:

Colors (not in order): Syrup, Ravishing, Snob, Brave, Pink Nouveau, Modesty, Honey Love, Angel, Capricious

Aren’t they pretty???

Blushes: Mocha, Springsheen, Pink Swoon

Mac Face & Body: N1 and N2 for the winter months

What have you “hauled” lately? Please share!

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: *****

Products I’m Loving Right Now

I have tons of things going on right now but thought I’d give a quick flash of some products that I’m currently using and loving. During the summer, my skin care, hair care and makeup needs change (as do yours, I’m sure) so most of these products are new to me. Detailed reviews will follow!

Mac Face & Body

S’well Bottle

Cetaphil Moisturizer SPF 50

L’Oreal Eversleek Sulfate Free Shampoo (and conditioner)

L’Oreal Everstyle Energizing Dry Shampoo

Skin Actives Formulation Kit for Beginners

DIY Hyaluronic Acid Serum with B5

Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Sticks

Chanel Soleil Tan

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

High End Makeup of the Day

I’ve been playing around a lot with some items I’ve had in my collection for awhile. Some are things that I’ve received as part of various subscription boxes (so i didn’t pay separately for them) and some I purchased at a retailer. Since I’ve also been using the St. Tropez self tanner on the rest of my body, I thought I’d do something summery on my face. All of these products are so called “high end” products.





First things first---foundation. Becca’s Luminous Skin Colour Ultra Sheer Foundation is a new product for me. I have been wanting to try this product for awhile so I finally purchased it at Sephora (here). Retailing for $42, it comes in a fairly large 1.7 oz bottle. I got it in Olive, which is about two shades darker than my complexion.. This worked perfectly against my chest since I have been using the self tanner. It’s also really sheer so even if it’s darker than two shades, it’s pretty hard to mess up. At some point I’ll do a full review of this foundation as I think it’s great for summer.





Since the foundation is so sheer, I not only used concealer under my eyes but on a few darker areas of my face. For this, I used Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Concealer in R1. This is another new product that, again, I purchased at Sephora (here). This particular shade works well for my “tanned” look, but that’s sad because there’s only one color lighter than this one so that says a lot about my level of paleness! It’s a good product and at $20, I think it’s a good price point for a high end concealer. I’ll also review this one in the future.





Over that I applied the Nars Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder (reviewed here), which I already had in my collection. Next up was Bobbi Brown’s Matte Bronzer in Medium 2, which was also from my collection. I like this bronzer because it’s matte and it’s also more red based than orange/brown based like a lot of bronzers. The red undertones are important because when I tan, my skin has a red undertone rather than yellow. That means that this color of bronzer tends to look more natural on me. You can check out this bronzer on Bobbi’s website here. It retails for $38 but you get a lot of bronzer which will last a long time. I used the bronzer to contour my cheeks, along the edges of my jaw and at the top of my forehead and down the middle of my nose.

As for blush, I had received a full size Be a Bombshell Blush in Sweet Cheeks as part of one of my subscription boxes. Since I had never even heard of the brand, I was anxious to try it. This is a really nice blush and I’m looking forward to trying more of their products. Sweet Cheeks retails for $16 and you can see more here.





Now on to the eyes. I used Mac’s Blanc Type powder shadow (from my collection) from the last line to the eyebrow. In the crease, I used Nars Cosmetics’s Ondine shadow, a plummy browny yummy color. Both of these colors are great for everyday wear and look good with all eye colors.








For mascara, I used The Balm’s What’s Your Type? Body Builder mascara (here for $19) and I also used The Balm’s Schwing black liquid eyeliner (here for $17).






Last but not least, I used a Paula Dorf eye pencil in Baby Eyes Enhancer on my lower rims. I received this in a subscription box but this retails for $20 (I also like this product).

Finally, to finish things up, I used Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Rouge in 20 Baby Pink. I love this product and must review it soon!









That’s my latest summer “high end” face. What do you think? Have you used any of these products? Are there any you want to try?