MAC Cosmetics Swatches & Review

I know a lot of you have reservations against MAC for many, many good reasons. It was actually one of the many reasons I stopped purchasing MAC products for a good ten years. I was never big into this company anyway; it was super expensive for a tween and that was the age when I bought my first item. I actually STILL have the items I purchased back then and use it from time to time. =X

In any case, I was browsing a few blogs one day and it seemed that the "Rose" pigment was being featured in every look. I love anything that's pink with a gold undertone so I went to the store to check it out. The ladies there were crabby but wasn't so offensive I could never go back. To tell you the truth, I did also help myself to one of their underside drawers - popped it open and grabbed my pigment. Nobody was helping me and I wanted to get in and get out. There was a lot of annoying people in there that day. o_O This was in the MAC store at the Tyson's Corner mall in Virginia.

The second time I went back, I went to the Friendship Heights, DC store and I had a fabulous rep attending me named "Anna". She was so friendly and nice and she actually took the time to listen to my request. I gave her an outfit and she gave me a look. It wasn't over the top dark and dramatic but soft and natural, which I loved. I'm pretty easy to please so I basically bought most of the items she threw at me. This is how I ended up with 2 pigments and a DazzleGlass. I was only going in there for *maybe* one pigment. I would've never bought the DazzleGlass if I didn't think "oh, I really like this girl, might as well!" If you read my previous post on lip items, you'd get a sense for my aversion to lip products. It was after this experience when I purchased Darling Girl's holo-gloss and all those NYX lip products.

Anyway, there you have it. I had a pretty good time at the MAC store.

Moving onto the swatches!

















All pigments were swatched over MAC Paint Pot in "Soft Ochre". It's not as bright as PE would have made it look but I love the soft colors. You can see that in levels of chunkiness, it would rate with Rose being the chunkiest, then Tan, then Vanilla. Vanilla is quite fine and in Anna's words, the absolute most perfect highlighter. I love all three colors.

I know a lot of people don't like the tackiness of MAC's DazzleGlass but I LOVE how sticky it is. I know it's going to stay on and won't have to apply as often. Also, it won't bleed past my lip because it sticks so well.

What do you think? What MAC products have you tried and loved? Any pigments or glosses you'd like to recommend?

Urban Decay: Smoke Out Eye Pencils & Pigments Swatches

Right before Christmas, Haute Look had a fantastic bargain going on with Urban Decay. I got 4 powder eye pencils from their "Smoke Out Eye Pencil" collection and 2 loose pigments. I've only used gel and cream eyeliners before so I was interested to see how different powder pencils were. At $2 each, you can't beat it, especially since I spend around $6-$8 for ones from the drugstore.









I love both pigments. X and Shag are definitely going to become a part of my regular routine. There's very little fly-away, the color pay-off is fantastic and it glides on. The only complaint I have is the containers they come in. Why is UD so fond of inconvenient/inefficient containers?

The pencils are a lot of fun to play with too! They also go on quite smooth and after taking pictures, I ran my finger across the lines. You can definitely draw these on your eyelids and smudge them. It'd be the same as wearing eyeshadow. :)

The other day, I went to the National Botanic Gardens. It was the last day of their Holiday Train display which was basically Thomas the Steam Engine trains traveling all over the world - or at least, scale model versions of world monuments.



The fantastic Great Wall of China.



I also wandered around and checked out some beautiful flowers. This one didn't have a name plaque and I had to climb on top of a fountain to take a picture of it. It's SO gorgeous. I wish I knew what it was!

Also, thank you to the lovely Liquored on Lacquer for the awesome blog tag! It means so much to be mentioned!

Anyway, have you shopped at Haute Look and/or Urban Decay lately?

EDITED TO SAY that you should all head over to Glitter and Toucans as she is hosting a contest to give away an entire sample set of Aromaleigh's Ciao Italia collection!

Meow Cosmetics: Simple & Guilty Pleasures Swatches

Have I said how much I'm loving Meow Cosmetics? SURIOUSLY. From my original haul, here are the final swatches! (Sans freebies because I am too tired to do anymore swatches and pictures today.)



Purrrties. :D



Even MOAR purrrrties.



My favorite purrrrrties! I definitely like the colors from the Guilty Pleasures collection more than I like the colors from the Simple Pleasures collection. One of these days, I am going to have to just go and purchase an entire Meow collection because I know that of the colors I don't purchase, I'm missing out on a lot.

Still learning to do good swatches and taking good pictures! I looked at a couple of my earlier swatch work and bleh. I may actually redo them sometime in the future. :)

Meow Cosmetics: Egyptian Treasures Swatches

Today is Aromaleigh's final closing sale! I've already ordered from the Ciao Italia and Lost in Faerie collections last night. This afternoon, I got the rest of them. But we're not yet finished! I need t get my hands on a couple of Aromaleigh's beautiful Pure Rouge blushes and then we'll be finished. Woo! I think I got all of the colors I wanted instead of Jolie and Dragonfly. There was only 1 each left and I wasn't fast enough. But the other colors I did get will definitely keep me busy for a while.

How did you guys do in your Aromaleigh dash? :D

Moving on, here are the swatches for Meow Cosmetics collection, Egyptian Treasures. This was the collection that got me into Meow in the first place. Before purchasing, I had been eyeing them for a long time. The colors are super vibrant, bright and the formula is wonderful. I haven't figured out how I can incorporate them into work but I am going to experiment. Exciting!



I read that there were a couple of rumblings on how similar these colors all looked to one another. It's no rainbow but it definitely keeps true to the theme of the collection. Swatching is awesome. I'm learning more and more about my camera and Pixie Epoxy isn't as intimidating anymore!



Temple would be perfect for work. Just brush it on your eyelids and out the door you go! I am loving the deep reds though. Seriously, the colors just make your eyes go wide.



I could actually see these three as an entire look. Artifact for the crease, MIW for the lid, and Ra for the highlighting, brow bone, etc.



Fair warning: these blushes are highly pigmented. I swatched them on with a super heavy hand. If you dust it on your cheeks, make sure to do it in layers, not one big swipe. Beautiful colors! Not sure how I would wear Cleopatra though. It's a cooler pink than my skin color would agree with. Finally, last but not least, the glows:



Aren't they pretty? :)

Edited to say that I tried the look with Artifact, MIW, and Ra. Here's my conclusion:



I put more green on my left eyelid than I did on my right so it came out uneven. Wore it for a potluck tonight and just noticed how unbalanced it was. Aarrrrgggh. Still, loving Meow. :D

Meow Cosmetics: Lost Rainforest Swatches

Looks like another limited edition will be tucked away over at Meow Cosmetics. This time, it's the Lost Rainforest. I'm absolutely loving this company. Great colors, great formula, great prices, great customer service...should I go on? ;]

This beautiful collection is set to retire at the end of this month! Woot! Just in time for my low buy/no buy period to be over with!



I got a total of 3 blushes, 2 glows, and 1 eyeshadow. It's paltry. I know. So this really isn't that informative of a post as the other bloggers out there can be. But I'm amused. And I gots to play with the makeup. :D These were all swatched over Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy. Nothing makes colors stand out like that awesome product. Plus, I'm learning slowly how to utilize it to its full potential. WOO!



I haven't gotten around to using this color. Still trying to figure out what I should pair it with and I'm thinking purple. But I use purple in a lot of things so maybe not. I'm still trying to work out my camera so even if I did have a look for it, I probably wouldn't have good pictures for it. MUCH SADFACE.



Phantoma really is gorgeous. The color description says it's got a "pink iridescence." It's definitely a cooler pink because in certain lights, it looks purple.



My ONLY problem with the blushes is that I could NOT tell the difference between Forest Flame and Ginger Torch. I do think that if I squint hard enough, Forest Flame is more coral than Ginger Torch. All three colors are fabulous. Anana is so pigmented, it will definitely have to be applied with a very light hand.

Meow Cosmetics: Wild Child Swatches

I'm finally getting around to doing some more swatches. I still haven't received my Lost Rainforest replacement blush samples from Meow Cosmetics so those will be held off until I've got them. Wonderful customer service. They responded to my inquiry fast and while I haven't received the items in question yet, I'm sure they'll come. In the meantime, here are some swatches from their Wild Child collection. These eyeshadow and blush minerals are highly pigmented, great quality, and go on buttery.

These were taken in natural light on a cloudy day, no flash, and swatched over Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy.



I really need to get a book for all these sample baggies I'm amassing. Below is the first set of swatches.



I fell in love with ROFLMAO. I don't know when I'd be able to wear it but the teal color with a lime green shimmer - it's gorgeous. As a lover of corals, I really loved BT Dubs also.



TTYL was another favorite. BFF was just flippin' fierce. It went on super smooth and buttery, too.



The blushes were super pigmented. I think I might use Hang Up as an eyeshadow though. I'm really loving the color. :D

Meow Cosmetics: Caribbean Escape Swatches

Tonight is the last night you guys will be able to get your hands on Meow Cosmetics beautiful collection, Caribbean Escape. I ordered a large bunch of Meow samples, a few of which included samples from this collection. These puppies were shipped and received right before my business trip so I didn't have anytime for swatching. I won't have much time this week either because of my GMAT on Saturday (wish me luck) but hopefully, if I do well, I will have plenty of time after that. (All things held fixed: necessary purchases, grad school applications, work in general)

Moving on...for Labor Day weekend, Meow is having a special sale. All items are 20% off, plus free shipping with no limit! Since this LE collection will be going away for a bit, I was itching to buy. However, I have stayed away and hope to keep it that way because until my low-buy is over, I must not purchase any new makeup. Then, I will SPLURGE. :D

There was a bit of a mix up in my order though. Two of the blushes I ordered from their Lost Rainforest collection, Forest Flame and Ginger Torch, were the exact same. I consulted a few people, swatched both colors multiple times, and played with the minerals every which way. I don't know which blush color I received but I do know the mineral in the baggies labeled Forest Flame and Ginger Torch are an identical match. No worries. :) I contacted them so hopefully this will get sorted out soon.



I love the kitty print bag I got! Definitely useful. :)



Aren't the colors pretty?



I didn't realize how many shades of green I got until I saw this. Ah well, they're all very beautiful. <3



I have already used Calypso for a look. It's SO pigmented, all you need is a tiny bit! Definitely worth purchasing!

That's it for the swatches. I'm going to wait for my Lost Rainforest issue to be resolved before posting more swatches. :D This is only one part of my Meow swag.

What's your favorite colors? I am absolutely gaga over Papaya! It's a very pretty dusky pink. These pictures are in natural sunlight but since it was somewhat cloudy outside, they're a bit darker than usual. I didn't want to use flash since it washed out all the colors. Hopefully, I'll be able to work out this camera issue soon. Preferably not much longer than that. :)

Lumiere Swatches

Here are swatches from the Lumiere goodies I received recently. Eye shadows up first!



Oh my gosh, I absolutely love how well these pigments go on. It's buttery, there's not that much flyaway, and even though it's highly pigmented (you only need a small amount), it doesn't come off like colors you should only wear at night. My favorite is Allure. It looks so bright in the jar but when you swatch it on, it's actually a very subtle, pretty, pink with gold color. Subtle might not be the right word, makes it sound more boring than it is. It really is a pretty color. I love it. I am definitely going to start integrating this into my daily makeup routine.

The free sample I chose was Silver Rose. Also a very pretty color. It's a bit cool for my tastes but I'm still going to try it out in some new looks.



"Natural Radiance" is a Lumiere face and body enhancer. I got it because I've been meaning to try out a glow for a while, but haven't found anything that made me go, "Wow. Must have." Then I saw a swatch of this and since Lumiere was having this big sale, I figured, "why not?"

"Ditto O" on the other hand, is supposedly a dupe for NARS blush, "Orgasm." I've been craving to purchase the NARS blush but couldn't fathom eating $26 for blush (nevermind I did $24 for mascara and eyelash curler EACH). So I shopped around for a dupe. Aromaleigh's Pure Rouge "Verve" popped up a lot. A bit more searching and I found myself some swatches of Lumiere's "Ditto O." I think NARS might have a bit more golden shimmer? Haha, I might need to go to the store and check it out again. Either way, I really like both items and can't wait to try them out.

The had a bit of a problem pulling the tape off the sifters for these two products. The sifter is really flimsy so when I started pulling at the tape, the sifter also lifted up and product started getting everywhere.



This was also another product I received for free since I spent over a certain amount. I love the formula. It doesn't seem too drying which makes it an immediate win. :) Still, whenever you wear gloss, my one tip to everyone is to use some sort of lip balm underneath!

I would definitely purchase from these guys again. LOVED the products.

Pre-Review Haul

For the...few (read: zero) subscribers out there, I've just made some purchases from a couple of already well-reviewed makeup companies. Mainly for my enjoyment and mostly because I'm waiting for an important call. In the last day or so, I have blown $50 on these items:

TKB Trading (www.tkbtrading.com)

- TKB Matte Texture Base
- C-SMAX
- Boron Glow
- Magnesium Stearate
- Methicone Treated Titanium Dioxide
- Black Mica
- Sapphire Mica
- Antique Copper
- True Green
- Amethyst Mica
- Hot Mama
- Red Basics
- Rouge Flambe Red
- WWKT?

I'm experimenting with making my own mineral eyeshadows which explains all the bases I'm getting. Hopefully, I won't go too crazy from breathing in all the particles while working. Ha! Gotta go purchase a face mask. Hmm. In other news, I tried purchasing their tiny ziplock bags for mixing purposes but it jacked S&H up to $10.99. Maybe next time. :)

Fyrinnae (www.fyrinnae.com)

- Pixie Epoxy
- Nijiro Loose Eye Shadow
- Freya Loose Eye Shadow
- Dark Magik Loose Eye Shadow
- Daemon's Tail Loose Eye Shadow
- Avenging Salem Loose Eye Shadow
- The Fancy Lad Loose Eye Shadow
- Painted Roses Loose Eye Shadow

All sample sizes again. :)

Aromaleigh (www.aromaleigh.com)

- Eye Lustre: Chloe
- Eye Lustre: Olivia
- Eye Lustre: Amelie
- Gothic Lolita: Teddy Wisp
- Gothic Lolita: Angel Bouquet
- Opulent Lustre: Tea
- Elemental Lustre: Entangle
- Elemental Lustre: Alloy
- Elemental Lustre: Zinnia
- Elemental Lustre: May Lily
- Valentine: Fervor
- Eye Lustre: Persephone
- Eye Lustre: Chloe

I'm aware I got Chloe twice. I contacted them to see if I could switch it to another color but they haven't responded back to me. I'll figure something out if I do get both...

EDIT: They replied and will be replacing one of my Chloe with Astonish. :D Yay! Can't wait to receive them!

TKB will probably arrive first, followed by Aromaleigh. In fact, they might both arrive at the same time. I know that Fyrinnae has a 2-week turnaround period right now so I'm not expecting theirs for a while. It'll give me some time to play with the other items. :)