FOTD: Halloween + Cleopatra = Love

Well, since we still have two major holidays before Christmas, I figured I've gotten a little too ahead of myself, and so here I am, backing up a little to enjoy Halloween, which is in just a few days! 

The look I've chosen today is Cleopatra, inspired by MAC's Alexander McQueen collection, one that was released about 1 year ago. Now you will have to forgive me, because this was a spur of the moment thing I decided to do, so I have barely any face makeup on, so I'm sorry if my skin looks grotesque- believe me, it feels even worse! I need a shower. :) Anyways, here is the promo image I was going for:

And, here are a few photos of my rough re-creation: 

What I used:

(all are MAC products)

Eyes:

Otherwordly Paint Pot (McQueen LE)

Haunting Eyeshadow (McQueen LE)

Blacktrack Fluidline

Plushlash Mascara in Black

Lips:

Fleshpot Lipstick

Prr Lipglass

Face:

Fix+ over a bit of powder 

Solar Riche Bronzing Powder

Tips for Creating this Look:

-Try using a regular eyebrow pencil to first shape your eyebrows as desired. I made mine a little thicker than usual, and doing this first helps to figure out what areas need to painted.

-If you don't have the McQueen paint pots, paint pot in another color will create the same look. An eyeshadow over a paint pot will probably look fine, and allow you to even the color a little better.

-The original image calls for Masque lipstick- if you don't have Masque, you can try a mix of Viva Glam II and Myth, or like me, just use a fleshy color lipstick with a rosy/pink lipglass.

-Some dramatic false lashes would look STELLAR with this! I think I might pick some up, if I decide to do this for Halloween! :)

 

MAC Holiday Palettes: Warm and Smokey

B-E-A-utiful! These two palettes were my choice faves for the holiday season, and so far I have created some sweet looks! I will be using these for the next couple of weeks to see how many awesome looks I can achieve.

Okay, first off, the warm palette. Colors are: Warm Suede, Grand Entrance, Real Drama, Gentle Heat, Well-Spiced and Sweet Joy.

 Anyways, this palette is AWESOME, it's so versatile, and the colors are just smooth and creamy- they apply really well. Below is a swatch of the colors on my hand:
The colors are all really complementary which is exactly how a palette should be. I don't know about you, but that's usually why I buy these- so I can have some quick and fun looks at my disposal. I used the greenish side for a "smokey" eye effect, and will post an FOTD soon of it! I can't wait to try the orange-red side, also!

And now, onto the smokey palette. Yesterday, I created a look with this palette, now here's a chance to show you what the palette looks like! I can honestly say that this one was initially the last palette I thought I'd be interested in, because it's got two common colors: Satin Taupe and Carbon. Surprisingly however, it has turned into being one of my faves!


All the colors are really smooth and pretty, and blend really well into the perfect smokey eye! Swatches:
In conclusion, both the Warm and Smokey palettes are awesome additions to your MAC collection, and definitely worth the $38! Happy shopping!

FOTD: MAC Smokey Eye Holiday Palette

The MAC Smokey Eye Holiday Palette is simply divine! The colors included are perfect for a nice, traditional smokey eye, and they apply so smoothly, like butter! I am loving the texture and quality of this palette. I have last year's palette and it just doesn't compare to this one! Review to come!

What I Used:

Eyes:
-MAC Smokey Eye Palette in Scant (highlight), Gorgeous (Inner lid), Ambiance (outer lid/crease), Carbon (outer v).
-MAC Blacktrack fluidline
-MAC Paint in Bare Canvas
-MAC Plushlash Mascara

Cheeks:
-MAC Stark Naked Blush
-MAC Solar Riche Bronzer
-MAC Petticoat MSF

Lips:
-MAC Lipliner in Subculture
-MAC Lipstick in Myth
-MAC Dazzleglass in Sugarrimmed

Christmas before Halloween: MAC's Adoring Carmine Brush Sets!

Hurray! Well, I can always tell Christmas is coming when MAC releases their greatly anticipated holiday collection! This year, in conjunction with Red, She Said, MAC has released Adoring Carmine, which includes some awesome special edition brush sets and eyeshadow palettes! I am obsessed with eyeshadows, so the palettes were right up my alley! And, since MAC reduced the price of the brush sets to $35 at Nordies (orig. $49.50), I could not pass them up either. Here are some photos and reviews:

Adoring Carmine: Basic Brush Set



Included (top to bottom): Blush brush (129), Small shader brush (239), Pencil smudger brush (219), Lip Brush (319) and Liner Brush (266).

PROS: The Basic Brush set is GREAT for beginners who need some simple makeup brushes, or for those who don't want to lug their expensive brushes all over the place. The set costs $35 at Nordstrom, making each brush only $7, which is a total steal considering the prices of the full size MAC brushes! It's great for traveling, having back ups of your favorite brushes, or even as a sampler to MAC brushes. MY favorites in this set are the small shader brush (239, and the Lip Brush (319). The small shader feels nicer than the normal one, for some reason! Flexible bristles!

CONS: The brushes are not the same quality as MAC's regular brushes. For starters, the hair is not quite as nice or fine; it may be slightly coarser, such as the blush brush, and the liner brush. The liner brush is almost unusable as a liner, but can be used easily as a brow brush; it is just too thick to line, and feels slightly harsh for use on the eye. The paint on the handles seems like it could chip off fairly easy, so treat the brushes with care or they may start falling apart! Other than that, this is a great set.

Adoring Carmine: Eye Brushes

Includes (l to r): Large Shader Brush (252), Blending Brush (217), Angled Blending Brush (275), Liquid Liner Brush (209), Liner Brush (212).

PROS: For any eyeshadow lover, the eye brush set is a must-have! It includes many of MAC's most popular eye brushes, once again for that $35 price tag! All of the brushes serve a different purpose, and are pretty well made, and feel just like the real ones.

CONS: Same as basic brush kit, pretty much.


Overall, these are great brushes to have, and to be honest, the price is just really right. MAC has never lowered the price like this, as far as I know, and so If you have been at all interested in grabbing some brushes - for whatever reason- there's no time like the holidays to do so!

Spotlight: MAC Paint Pots

One of the secrets to great, long-lasting eyeshadow is a base, which can be many different things, depending on the makeup line you use, but that acts as a sturdy foundation or canvas for your creativity. Bases are usually a cream-to-powder formula, and probably the best base I have used so far is MAC's Paint Pots. 

These paints come in a variety of colors, from nude, fleshy colors, to colors that, when worn underneath your makeup, can actually make the colors more vibrant and fresh. I took a photo of my favorite paint pot, "Painterly", that I bought 8 months ago:

So 8 months have gone by, with me using this product almost every single day, and I'm still not out, in fact, I've got plenty to go. Here it is, compared to a brand new "Painterly":

It's quite amazing how long this product lasts! At $16.50 each, you may be tempted to buy a whole array of colors, as they are really useful and convenient to have on hand! I've got 8 of these bad boys and I can't wait to get more!

Egg Shaped Sponges

You may be aware of a makeup innovation known as the Beauty Blender, an egg-shape sponge that is said to provide flawless foundation application. It's shape was designed so that it would fit into those awkward face spots. Even Allure magazine gave BB a "best of beauty" award- 2 years in a row.

But what if I told you that you could get an even better product for half the $19.95 price tag? Well okay, I guess it would depend on the beholder if it was better, but Target's Sonia Kashuk line sells a similar blending sponge for $9.95, and, unlike the Beauty Blender, the Sonia Kashuk version is has a slightly altered shape that fits the face even better.

I have used this sponge several times and I love the way it rolls over my skin. The material is likewise convenient because it doesn't shed or flake like a lot of cheap sponges. It's a great addition to any beauty maven's collection!

Get the Stocking Ready: Urban Decay 24/7 Liners Sets

(purple pencil displayed to compare to the set size-wise)

Imagine my surprise, when I stumbled over this awesome 5-piece set of Urban Decay's cult-favorite 24/7 liners, at no other than Urban Outfitters. I always find something amazing at UO, so I guess it's no surprise that I found these there. You have to understand, in Utah (where I live), beauty stores are far and few between - and these liners are incredibly hard to find! In fact there are only 2 places in Utah that sell these, one is 3 hrs away, the other is 1.5 hrs away, but it's also a  really run-down boutique that never has any colors in! So I was really shocked to fall upon these while shopping and of course scooped them up instantly!

These are 3/4 the size of the full-size pencils (.03g vs .04g) and much cheaper! They're less than $6 per pencil ($29 for the set), but the full-size ones are like $16, for just  .01g more! 5 for the price of 2! ANYWAYS, it's a great deal, especially if you want to try them all out. This is the "Velvet Rope" set, and there is also a very colorful MULTI set available (see Urbanoutfitters.com) that might be pretty sweet!

So, what's so great about UD 24/7 liners? 

These are smudge proof and glide on like butter! They have been heralded over all other pencils, and the black is a true, deep black. Many brands have attempted to imitate these pencils, but I honestly do not think anyone has succeeded. You know my love for MAC, and even I'll concede that MAC doesn't have anything as good as this. Also, these can be worn on the waterline, which is ideal.

Great stocking stuffers as well. :)

Christmas comes early!

Alright friends, well for my first "real" entry, I will be showing you a few of the goodies I got from the first leg of MAC's holiday line, "Red" She Said.  Again, this is only the first of a few parts to be released this week and next (and a few holiday-esque collections in November). I obviously didn't get EVERYTHING, but here is what I did get, and what I consider to be the  highlights!

Mineralize Eyeshadow Trios: The mineralize trend has gradually wended its way into MAC's products, and one of the first products they made were these mineralize eyeshadows. They started off with complementary color duos, and this holiday is the first time they've added three colors to the mix! But be warned, the middle color, or "zipper", is not like the outer colors! It's very grainy, glittery and all around difficult to use, even wet! But just pretend it's not even there, and the colors are all really amazing, particularly Dangerzone. 

Red and black always are cool colors, and if you are familiar with these Mineralized Eyeshadows and missed last year's Mi'lady (the purple and red one) or even Hot Contrast, you will be happy to know that it's the same red in all of these! And may I add that a true red eyeshadow is hard to come by, particularly because to make red, you have to add carmine, which I'm told is derived from a beetle. Yuck! 

Dangerzone 2008 (l) and Mi'Lady from 2007 (r) 

Honorable Mention MES trio: Word-of-Mouth (see it online at Maccosmetics.com).

Dazzleglasses: These are one of MAC's most successful lip glosses! A spin on the traditional MAC lipglass, dazzleglasses are infused with high shine and glitter to *dazzle* your lips! :) These were originally released as a full collection in May 2008, but was limited and sold out quickly. They have thus added a new color, Miss Dynamite for the Holiday collection, but expect these to be gone quickly! The great thing is, you cannot feel any gritty glitter on your lips when wearing these, so you can have the high shine AND happy lips.

So the colors I picked up this round were Sugarrimmed and Baby Sparks. Two very safe colors, I know, but they will have lots of use for that very reason! 

Pomposity Lipstick: I must say, this one came as somewhat of a surprise to me! It is a beautiful, mild-tone hot pink color with a bit of shimmer mixed in. It was originally released in Summer 2007 with the  neon-bright C-Shock collection, and it's back! When I first went to the counter, they told me it was already sold out within one day (they only got 3 in!), and so I had to hunt for this at a MAC location 45 min away! But it is well worth it, and perfect for anyone who wants to try some color on their lips but who don't want anything too WOW, ya know?

Stark Naked Beauty Powder Blush: One of the most beautiful items in this collection is the Stark Naked blush. It is a nice rosy pink with gold shimmer flecks mixed in and is just astonishingly beautiful while also adding a bit of shine to those cheeks so they don't look so matte. It reminds me a LOT of Blooming blush from the Cult of Cherry collection, but with gold shimmer. In fact I have taken comparison shots to prove it!

Blooming (l) and Stark Naked (r)

Okay so those are MY Red She Said highlights, and there are plenty more to be had at your local MAC or at maccosmetics.com so check em out! :)

Welcome

Hey, and welcome to Quack's Passion Pit, your #1 resource to cosmetics, makeup art and all things beauty! Now, I must admit I am quite partial to MAC cosmetics, but I will also be showing a ton great beauty buys from all over the spectrum of cosmetic lines. So stay tuned, feel free to send questions my way, and enjoy! :)

Quack