Sunday, October 21, 2012

MAC Extra Dimension Eyeshadows- Worth $20.00?

(Pictured Above: MAC "Round Midnight" Extra Dimension Eyeshadow)
 
So evidently I have been living under a rock and had NO idea that MAC released the Extra Dimension eye shadows a few months ago and have had a few colors available for purchase already. I try very hard (most times failing) to sometimes ignore MAC launches because almost every collection has something in it that I feel that I "HAVE" to have and I would most definitely go broke. I guess the Extra Dimension shadows was a collection I was able to overlook, thank God!
I was super excited that MAC came out with the Extra Dimension Eyeshadows with their Holiday Glamour Daze collection. I was not so excited that they were $20.00 each. I wasn't sure if they were going to be worth the money. When I went to the launch party at my local MAC store, I found myself in awe of the eyeshadow displays. Before I had a chance to swatch them, I thought they were a cream eyeshadow (almost with the consistency of the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush). They had of course been swatched a few times, and it looked almost.. squishy? LOL When I got to swatch it for myself, I was pleasantly surprised! I initially swatched "Round Midnight" (a gorgeous burgundy color). The pigmentation was insane, and it was SO shiny! I was immediately intrigued and found the nearest MAC associate to talk her ear off about these eye shadows! For those who, like me, were not aware this particular eyeshadow formula was already available (just in different colors), I was told that these eye shadows are a liquid-powder eyeshadow, and have the finish of almost a Satin but with A LOT more shine. They can come off even metallic depending on the color you have. According to MAC, these shadows are supposed to last up to six hours (with, of course, a proper primer base).
All together, there were 8 Extra Dimension Eyeshadows released with the Glamour Daze Holiday Collection, and in my opinion ALL of them were absolutely gorgeous, but I needed to stick to my budget that I had planned before even going into the store so I would not go bankrupt after the collection!
The 8 eyeshadows being released with this collection are:
  • Divine Blue -a gorgeous aqua color
  • Stylishly Merry - a violet color that reminds me a bit of  MACs "Stars n Rockets"
  • Evening Grey- a very nice silver
  • A Natural Flirt - a beautiful peach
  • Ready to Party- a subtle light purple
  • Stolen Moment- a very dark taupe
  • Round Midnight- a beautiful burgundy
  • Tall, Dark, and Handsome- a very dark, black with a pearl finish
While I loved every single one of the colors released in this collection, I had to narrow it down to 2. I chose Round Midnight and Stylishly Merry (I am a huge fan of a pink smokey eye, and felt these colors would compliment each other beautifully).
I am extremely happy with these eye shadows. Though the price may throw some people off, I think they are well worth it. They are SO easy to blend. It takes almost no effort to blend these beautiful shadows. Their pigmentation is amazing. The finish of these eye shadows are beautiful. You get a subtle metallic look, mixed in with what I describe as a Satin finish. These colors lasted a full work day for me (8 hours) which is saying a lot. I will say that towards the end of the day, it seemed like I needed to touch up a bit, but nothing to bad. As long as you use a great primer (my favorites being MACs Prep and Prime Eye or Tarte's eyeshadow primer), you should be fine.
As far as packaging is concerned, I think it is super sleek and cute! The collection has shiny, black packaging, and the detail to the eye shadows themselves are amazing! Each eyeshadow is embossed on the top half on the shadow with the words "MAC" and the bottom has a wave type of design. I almost felt bad using these shadows because I did not want to ruin the designs!

All in all, I give these eye shadows a 10 out of 10. Totally worth the money, and definitely a good investment as far as eye shadows are concerned!

Peace, Love, and Pug Hugs,
Maryann
http://www.youtube.com/makeupmaryann

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

MAC Glamour Daze Collection Haul Swatches

You can watch my haul video on Youtube with these products here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAhhIzndS-0&feature=plcp

MAC Glamour Daze Holiday Collection Haul Swatches
 
 
 
 
 
Extra Dimension Eyeshadows in Round Midnight (Left) and Stylishly Merry (Right)
$19.50 each
Round Midnight is a dark burgundy, almost purple color and Stylishly Merry is a frosty pink/violet color. These pictures were taken on bare skin without any base or primer.
 
 
 
Lipstick in Outrageously Fun (Cremesheen)
$16.50
Outrageously Fun is a cremesheen finish in a violet color.
 
 
 
Kohl Power Eye Pencils in Feline (Bottom) and Mystery (Top)
$16.50 each
Feline is a very dark black color. Mystery is a black with a green pearl color.
 
 
What items did you get or do you want to get from the holiday collection?!
 
Peace, Love, and Pug Hugs,
Maryann
 
 

Haul Swatches

As promised, here are swatches of the products I mentioned in my most recent haul video on YouTube (you can watch that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-asGjLAS_A&feature=plcp )

Maybelline Eye Studio Quads

Cozy Cashmere
 
 
 
Smokey Cinnamon
 
 
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stains
 
Honey (Top) & Cherish (Bottom)
 
 
 
 
Lorac Eye Candy Full Face Collection ($59 at Sephora)
 
Ooh La La Vanilla Nude Eye Quad
 
 
 
Tantalizing Cocoa Bronze Eye Quad
 
 
 
Caramel Love Affair Golden Eye Quad
 
 
 
Blackberry Truffle Seduction Smokey Eye Quad
 
 
 
Mesmerizing Dark Chocolate Cream Eye Liner Quad
 
 
 
Indulge In Berry Kisses Lip and Cheek Tint Quad
 
 
 
Unfortunately, I can't swatch "Pink Sugar" perfume over the internet, or else I would, because it smells so yummy!
 
Be on the look out for my full review on the Lorac Eye Candy Full Face Collection! I will be posting a video on it after I have had a chance to play around with all the colors and quads! :)
 
Peace, Love, and Pug Hugs!,
 
Maryann
 
 
 
 
 




Saturday, July 21, 2012

MAC Haul (Heavenly Creature)!


I went into MAC with NO intention of buying anything I bought, except for the Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. This collection has some absolutely gorgeous colors in it. Here is the link to my youtube video showing the products I purchased: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu0_q3grFx4&feature=plcp
The following is what I purchased: 

MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator 

$28.00 
This exfoliator is AMAZING. It leaves my skin feeling so clean, smooth, and refreshed. The last time this product was released was about 2 years ago and I was devastated that it was a limited edition product. (The Volcanic Ash thermal mask was incredible as well! Unfortunately that was not re-released with this collection.) I wish MAC would make this a part of their permanent line! 


MAC Mineralize SkinFinish in "Star Wonder" 
$29.00
I LOVE MAC's Mineralize SkinFinishes. They go on so smoothly and give your skin such a healthy glow. I have been using this as a blush and it is BEAUTIFUL. It gives you a beautiful blush color as well as an amazing highlight color, all in one. The swirls of dark plum, bronze, light pink, and shimmer blend together perfectly when you brush it on. 


MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow in "Universal Appeal"
$20.00
This eye shadow is gorgeous. I really loved one of the other ones in the collection as well. I do not remember the name of it but it was swirls of blue, green, and yellow. As much as I loved it, I knew that this one would compliment my eye color better and I would enjoy it better. It has swirls of purple, plum, and bronze. It goes on nice and smooth and blends beautifully and effortlessly. You can use the Mineralize Eye Shadows wet or dry, so you control how much intensity you get. 

MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow in "Magnetic Attraction"
$20.00
Another Mineralize Eye Shadow that I absolutely love! The pigmentation in this eye shadow is awesome. You wind up getting a really pretty, orange/coral color when you blend it all together. There are swirls of yellow, pink and reds. This also goes ono beautifully and effortlessly and blends so nicely! 

I highly recommend all these products. They are worth your money and are all super amazing! Remember, they are a limited edition and part of a collection, so get to your MAC stores/counters ASAP! 

Peace, Love, and Pug Hugs,
Maryann 





Sunday, July 15, 2012

Bronze/Coral Goddess Look

I created this look using Maybelline's "Coral Oasis" quad. 
You can watch my tutorial for this look on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NccTOxmbJEA
The products used for this look: 

  • MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC25
  • MAC MSF Natural in Medium 
  • Stila Bronzer in Shade 02
  • Benefit Box Blush in "Coralista" 
  • Too Faced Shadow Insurance
  • Maybelline Quad in "Coral Oasis"
  • Maybelline Define-A-Line Eyeliner in "Soft Black"
  • Maybelline Mascara Mega Plush Volume Express in "Very Black" 
  • Rimmel Lipstick in "Airy Fairy" 




Peace, Love, and Pug Hugs,
Maryann
xOx

AMAZING Limited Edition Perfumes

I am a complete perfume maniac! I love trying new scents. I tend to like the more vanilla-y scents, but I find myself always looking for a new perfume. 
Some of my all time favorites are "Fancy Love" by Jessica Simpson, Burberry Brit, and Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion. I like perfumes that last all day and that you can smell on yourself. I have recently found two perfumes that I absolutely LOVE, especially for summertime, but the one downfall is that they are limited edition. 


The first one is Escada "Island Kiss". Here is a description of it, according to Sephora.com:
"The heady days of beach lounging in the Caribbean Sea inspired this fragrance. Island Kiss expresses the core heritage of Escada fashion fragrances with a blend of tropical red fruit and oriental floral notes. The trio of orange, passion flower, and mango top notes offers a mixture of sweet tropical passion that’s brought to life with a hint of citrus freshness. The heart notes of magnolia and juicy peach provide a splash of warmth. At the base, the Escada signature of red fruits are blended with sultry woods and musk to drive the passion of the fragrance. 

Notes:
Orange, Passion Flower, Mango, Magnolia, Sunny Accord, White Peach, Hibiscus, Blond Woods, Musky Notes, Red Fruits. 
Style:
Tropical. Floral. Passionate."

 I tend to wear this perfume at nighttime, since it has a heavier, muskier smell to it. I absolutely LOVE this perfume. I smell a hint of vanilla in it as well. You can definitely smell the musky notes, ad well as the tropical scents. It is SO pretty and makes me think of the beach right away. It comes in a super cute blue bottle with a little pink bow and palm tree charm on it. "Island Kiss" is one of the three limited edition scents. The others are "Sexy Graffiti" and "Rockin' Rio". I am not sure when these limited edition scents will stop being sold, but I would check your local Sephora or Sephora.com and pick one up because they are amazing! 

The second perfume I have been obsessed with is Estee Lauder "Bronze Goddess". Seriously, this is the beach in a bottle. It smells SO yummy. It smells just like sun tan lotion (I love that smell). There are notes of coconut and vanilla and its just such a beautiful smell. Here is it's description, according to EsteeLauder.com:
The fragrance that worships every inch of you.

A sensuous, sun-drenched blend of Bergamot and Mandarin, cooled with Tahitian Gardenia Petals and Coconut, warmed with Amber, Sandalwood and Vetiver.

All heat. All desire. All woman."
I can't say enough good things about this perfume. It lasts all day and I love to wear it during the daytime. It is light enough for the day, but still wearable for nighttime. I definitely smell the coconut and sandalwood notes along with the amber notes. It is such an amazing scent and really just reminds you of the summertime and the beach. Estee Lauder's website is sold out, but I purchased mine at my local Macy's. Try your best to get your hands on it because it is limited edition! 

Here is the link to my youtube video talking about these perfumes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW1pLGg9a8E&feature=plcp
Peace, Love, and Pug Hugs,
Maryann
xOx