Showing posts with label mac cosmetics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mac cosmetics. Show all posts

Friday, July 4, 2014

MAC Alluring Aquatic | Goddess of the Sea

First off, I'm absolutely, inexcusably so late to be jumping on this bandwagon. It almost seems cruel now that the rush and excitement of this collection has died down to once again bring it up. Especially if you weren't able to get your hands on it and with that I'm sorry. Second off, this post has been brought to you by may super-cali-fragi-awesome boyfriend, Anthony. Without him, this post would literally never be (which is either good or bad, you decide, haha!) Now, we move on. 

MAC. Oh you wondrous and totally frustrating company, you! How can you come out with some shit (sorry, again) packagings for collections (looking at you Maleficent!!) and then come up with this gem? See? It's not so hard to be brilliant! And that's exactly what the Alluring Aquatic collection was, freakin' brilliant. I can imagine beauty fanatics just wanted to get their hands on the packaging alone! I know I did. How could this mermaid not? Originally though, I wasn't going to get anything from this collection. Not because I didn't adore it but because I was trying to be really good with my money. Welp, in comes Superman (my wonderfully lovely boyfriend) who put up with my incessant blabbering about this collection and "how coooool!" it was and "how perfectly mermaid!" the packaging was. I talked about it so much so that he knew exactly when the collection would hit MAC stores and bought me the Goddess of the Sea lipstick the day it came out #bestestboyfriendoftheyearaward For that, I thank him and am eternally grateful because I would not have let myself buy this gorgeous piece of makeup because I am stubborn like that.

Goddess of the Sea is a color you would not expect to come out within a summer collection. Before I had only heard about the collection I was expecting nudes and corals and hot, hot neon colors. Those would have been nice but Alluring Aquatic offered some more subdued colors that, after looking at them once or twice, would be fit for a natural beauty of the sea. It's a Cremesheen finish, which means it's a best friend to those blessed with dry lips. It applies smoothly, evenly, and is opaque in color in one swipe. I'd describe the color as a mid-toned plum. Def. not something I've been pulling out a lot in the summer but a color I can see myself wearing a lot in the fall and winter. Something about it just doesn't go so well with a floral or bright colored top. It's not a hindrance though as it's still a stellar performing lipstick. Wear time is great- it lasts and lasts and then stains just a little, which, again, not such a bad thing. In fact, the stain just makes the natural color of your lip look a little deeper. 

I honestly wish I had just sucked it up and bought a few more pieces from the collection, like the bronzer and maybe a blush because I think the packaging is just so wicked cool. I'm thrilled to have the lipstick though and glad to have a color that I'll no doubt get use of, just not in the current climate, haha! I'm not sure if you can still get yours hands on any of the pieces of this collection but I'd def. take a look around MAC counters in department stores and MAC itself. The lipsticks may have been the quickest to go but don't miss out on having such a truly unique piece of makeup in your collection if you can!
 Did you pick up anything from the Alluring Aquatic Collection?
Also, Happy Independence to all the le Americans! Hope it's filled with fireworks and many a thing red, white, and blue! 'MERICA!

Friday, January 31, 2014

BLOG SALE

Ah, blog sales. Where one blogger's trash becomes another's treasure. Well, that's not the case today with this blog sale because all the products here are ones I absolutely adore! Recently I've had a look at my credit card bill and it's not the most glorious looking of numbers. One of my resolutions for 2014 was to get my credit card bill down to $0 and then stop using it entirely. Spending money I don't have is far too easy, as it turns out. So in attempt to make this number go down (as my bi-weekly paycheck isn't cutting it at the moment) I've had a look through my make up stash and found some products I think some of you lovelies would love to get your hands on!

Blog Sale Rules 
  • First come, first served (I'll keep this updated as often as I can!)
  • Please leave your e-mail address (along with the items you'd like) in the comments so that I can contact you with an invoice and give you the PayPal address to send the money to.
  • You must pay within 24 hours, or the products will go to someone else. Also, please mark your payment as a gift so PayPal doesn't take a fee from it :)
  • Shipping is $3 for each item and then $1 extra for each additional item in the US. If you buy a couple of products, I'll adjust accordingly. I'll ship to the UK, Europe, and Australia for $6.
  • If you're curious about swatches, everything here is 'google-able'. So please look up swatches if you're unsure of color because there will be no refunds (geez, that sounds harsh, haha!)
  • If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me :: themodmermaidx@gmail.com. I'll answer any questions you may have!
  • Other than that, happy browsing/shopping! :)
Urban Decay 15th Anniversay Eyeshadow Palette (RRP $55) incl. Large Black Z-Palette (RRP $20) - the eyeshadows have only been used a few times, none are even close to hitting pan --- $25

MAC Marilyn Monroe Showgirl Eyeshadow - swatched 2/3 times; larger than a standard MAC eyeshadow (RRP $21) --- $8
MAC Let's Skate Paint Pot (in LE white top packaging) - used a few times, still a whole lot left (RRP $18.50) --- $8

MAC Hang Up Lipstick - used a few times and sanitized (RRP $15) --- $8
MAC Overtime Pro Longwear Lipcreme - used twice (RRP $18) --- $8

LUSH Cosmetics Yuzu & Cocoa Forum Special Gorilla Perfume - sprayed at most 5 times, still very full (RRP $45) --- $10
LUSH Cosmetics Twilight Forum Special Gorilla Perfume - sprayed at most 5 times, still more than half full (RRP $50) --- $10

Deborah Lippmann Candy Shop Nail Polish - used once (RRP $18) --- $10
Butter London Knackered Nail Polish - used a few times (RRP $15) --- $6


Sephora by OPI Mermaid to Order Nail Colour - used a few times (RRP unkown) --- $4
Sephora by OPI Chestnuts About You Nail Colour - used a few times (RRP unkown) --- $4

Whimsical Ideas by Pam In the Whole Wide World - used twice (RRP $10) --- $4
Whimsical Ideas by Pam Eloise - used twice (RRP $10) --- $4

TopShop Smokey Eyes Eyeshadow Palette - used a few times (RRP $24) --- $8

LUSH Cosmetics Santa's Lip Scrub - tried once (RRP $9.95) --- $3

Tarte Exposed Travel Size Blush - used a couple of times, quite lightly; smaller than standard Tarte blush but still plenty of product (RRP unknown) --- $2
NYX Creme Blush in Glow - used a few times with a stippling brush (RRP $6) --- $2


Thursday, May 2, 2013

Lipstick Picks for Spring

Morning everyone! It's my 20th birthday! & I just needed to get that out of the way, haha! Today I have a really exciting, and super colorful post to share with you all and that is my Top 5 lipstick picks for spring! It's a guest post I wrote for the lovely Sandra at The Puzzle of Sandra's Life and if I do say so myself, it's a good one! There's a nice mix of light, pastel shades, as well as some of my favorite brights (couldn't exclude those beauts!) so hopefully you'll be able to find some lip-spiration (oooh, I quite like that!) for the warmer months! If you guys are interested, do head on over to Sandra's blog through this link -> here and have a read! I'd really appreciate the support (it's my first guest post ever, eek!) and would love to know what you guys think! Don't forget to share your favorite spring time lipstick with me when you get over there!

Have an awesome day everyone! (Almost wrote 'birthday' LOL)

Friday, February 8, 2013

Valentine's Day Look | Archie's Girls Inspired

Happy Friday, guys! Hope all of you on the eastern side of the States are nice and safe at home! Why do we always seem to get such random, out of the blue weather always? It's insane, and I'm not sure for how much longer we can all keep up!

Earlier today I posted a video on a Valentine's Day look I had created based on the Archie Girls! It's actually a collab I did with Andrea from the blog FromInsideMyCloset. I took inspiration from Betty, and she from Veronica. I don't mean to toot both our horns but I think we did a pretty awesome job! Hey Veronica look is something I could have totally pictured Veronica wearing for make up and I like to think I did a pretty good job with Betty! You'll have to let me know! Besides being inspired from the Archie Girl's, I think this is a very wearable and sweet make up look that you could pretty much get away with wearing for whatever it is you're going to do on Valentine's Day! My entire school schedule is messed up because of one day off we have and now I'm spending all day in school. No Valentine plans for me, but studies, studies, and more studies. I do hope you guys check this look out and let me know what you think! I linked Andrea's tutorial in the video description and at the end of the video, but I'll link it here as well so you can go give it some love!


Andrea's Veronica Tutorial :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41uUNgaH_tQ

What have you all got planned for Valentine's Day? :)

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

MAC | Let's Skate Paint Pot

Left: Natural Lighting, shows the pale pink
Right: Artificial Lighting, shows the pearlescent gold shimmer
Drumroll please for the only MAC Paint Pot I own and can now freely review and talk about! Why? Because MAC has come out with a collection of Pro Longwear Paint Pots that includes this gorgeous shade I'm going to talk about, that once was limited edition! That shade is Let's Skate. I originally bought this with MAC's Glitter and Ice collection! That's why the lid of mine is white. Let's Skate is a a super pale color, pearly pink base color. I was instantly attracted to it because of the color, it was unique and nothing like I had in my collection. In the pot it doesn't look like it'd be very shimmery but holy cow when swatched it's jam packed with mini gold shimmers. Maybe not jam packed, but a considerable amount. Personally I think the shimmers enhance the color and makes it so that you can actually wear this paint pot as an all over shadow and get away with it. It's pretty opaque when you pat it on the lid. I wouldn't recommend using a brush for application because it can pack the glitter all in one place and make it look chunky. The consistency is creamy and easily blend able (it does dry down quickly though, so if you're gonna blend, blend quick!)  My only recommendation would be to store these upside down because it really makes a difference and keeps it from drying out!When it's not dry I've been loving using this as a primer! I also love taking some on my pinky and placing this as a gorgeous inner highlight. It brightens the eyes and just leave a that gold shimmer that I'm a huge fan of! 

Let's Skate retails for $18.50 at MAC stores, counters, and online. It may seem steep but this (and any of the paint pots) will seriously last you SUCH a long time! I was worried I'd need a back up of this when I bought it but as you can see I've been using it a lot, and not even a dent!

Do you own any MAC Paint Pots? Which are your favorite?

Thursday, January 17, 2013

MAC | Candy Yum Yum

Happy Thursday! It's almost the weekend and it couldn't come any sooner. I have an exciting lippie to share with you! It is MAC's Candy Yum Yum lipstick! You will have no doubt heard about this lippie if you've been stalking the MAC part of the blog o sphere. Candy Yum Yum was actually a lipstick that MAC brought out with a limited edition collection a few years back and then once more, for a limited time, in their MAC By Request collection. Everyone goes gaga for this shade, and even the color shy want to try this out, or at least own it! So MAC made it easy and it's now a permanent shade! It is a bright, neon, hot pink. It encompasses everything that is bright and girly. It is basically everything I love in a lipstick. You look at this and think "show stopper". It's a matte finish and MAC's matte finishes are known to be a little more hydrating, but I'll admit that if I didn't "scrub and balm" my lips, this feels a tad dry and shows all the icky bits! Just make sure your lips are nicely moisturized and this will apply a magnificent coating of color in one sweep! I can see this being a HUGE hit during the spring and summer months. Heck, I'm wearing it now! Haha! The packaging of this is the classic MAC black bullet and it retails at $15 anywhere you can find MAC products. There's nothing stopping you from owning this beaut!
What do you guys think? What are some of the brightest lippies you own?

Monday, January 7, 2013

Current Craves: MAC Brushes

MAC | Brush Wishlist
I 100% blame Andrea from Andrealamode (FromInsideMyCloset) for my current lust for MAC brushes. (Okay, maybe like 95%, the MAC girls are pretty darn convincing, too) Every time I watch one of her haul videos it seems like a new MAC baby gets added to her family of brushes and I die inside and cry "Why can't I have you too?!" I don't want them all, just a few that I feel I would get a lot of use out of (and one that everyone and their cockroach owns in the beauty world!) They are muy expensivo which is why I'm not running over to MAC to "impulsively" buy some. I tweeted at MAC to see if they would be at IMATS in NY, but alas, they won't ): So no discounted brushes for me! Anyway, I'm rambling... here are the top 5 brushes that I am in seriously lust with at the moment!

  • 168 Large Angled Contour Blush | A lady at MAC once used this on me to apply blusher on my cheeks and I noticed two things: 1. It applied/blended so well and 2. It was the softest thing I've ever felt on my cheek! 
  • 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush | This is where I blame Andrea. She mentioned in one of her videos that this brush in particular was amazing for applying highlighters, and me being on my highlighter kick, I immediately thought "MUST HAVE!"
  • 239 Eye Shader Brush | This would be the one that everyone and their cockroach owns. (Plus, it's amazing at applying like ... everything.)
  • 217 Blending Brush | It soft, but stiff all at the same time and it's amazing for adding color to your crease and then blending it out to perfection. 
  • 227 Large Fluff Brush | Large. Fluff. Brush. I think that's all really. It's large. It's fluffy. I want it.
I seriously never understood the hype for these brushes unless I got someone to use them on me and I actually touched them. They are like your own personal make up artist because you honestly can't do any wrong when you're trying to work with them! I don't think I'd buy these three all at once because they average out to almost $29.80 each and that's a lot, even for me! But some day, maybe, I'll own these beauts in my collection and be yelling at you all to go out and get one because they are the bees knees!

If you could choose to get any one brush from MAC, which would it be?!

Friday, January 4, 2013

MAC | Show Orchid

FINALLY! Just ... finally! Today I'm going to be talking about the lipstick that I've lusted after for the longest time. Many a time I would convince myself I didn't need it and then go buck to lusting after it. My dear friends, it is MAC Cosmetics lipstick in Show Orchid and she is perfection. It's a MAC Pro product which made it rather difficult for me to find, but I've finally got my hands on it! It's this gorgeous fuchsia-berry-hot pink (it's got a lot going on) shade. It's one of those shades that can do no wrong in any season. It's bright enough for the spring/summer but berry enough to pull off in the fall/winter months, as well! The finish is Amplified Creme which means it's practically the smoothest and most pigmented type of formula you'll ever come across from MAC. It glides onto the lips like a dream (and I say this is a girl with dry lips!). I also love that it stays on my lips even after I've drunken a grande Starbucks coffee. I'm guilty of being that girl who just knows which cup is hers because most of her lipstick has transferred onto the cover. But this one doesn't budge and I love it! MAC lipsticks all retail for $15, which may seem a bit pricey but this color is so worth it! 

Saturday, October 20, 2012

MAC | So There Jade

It's no secret that I am sucker for any cosmetic color that is teal, mint blue, sea foam green, or any other variation of that sort! So it was no surprise when Tanya Burr (how many times can I drop her name in my posts?) used this in a tutorial or mentioned it somewhere and I skipped to the store to get it. The color I am talking about is So There Jade, a Powerpoint Eye Pencil from M.A.C ($15). It's a seriously smooth gliding formula that needs just a swipe or two to become an opaque mint/teal color. I'm pretty sure Jade is a more green color, but ... technicalities, haha! 
I probably should have reviewed this in the summer time as we now seem to be getting into darker plums, reds, and berry's. I say we should but we don't have to, haha! I still really love to use this now as the weather can't make up it's mind and we keep switching back and forth from warm and cold! I've seen some people create lovely looks by covering their whole lid with this liner, smudging the edges and adding a bit of a deep blue in the crease. My personal favorite way to use this is lined on the upper lash line and then the lower lash line with heaps of mascara! The color is light enough to give you some vibrance in your eyes and make you look more awake (who doesn't love that?!) and it's still a fun pop of color without being a WHAM-BLAM-THANK-YA-MA'AM sort of look!

So what do you guys think? Was I late in the game reviewing this? Or something you may check out anyway? ;)

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

❤ MAC Marilyn Monroe Collection Review ❤

[ WARNING: super long post/pictures ahead ]
Image Credit to: examiner.com
The amount of exclamation points I want to insert into this post right now is insane. So yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to the unveiling of the MAC Marilyn Monroe (!!!) collection at the MAC in the Flatiron District! I was so excited because I saw a line at the door of other lovelies who were invited and it just got me really pumped; even knowing that it was about to be a chaotic mess! Shops in New York City are tiny, especially when you're trying to squish in 50 women (boozed on champagne that they were serving)! My invitation was for 7:30 and I went with my mom! Only, we got there super early and tried to see if we could get in (we did! haha). Walking inside was insane! They set up two collection displays on either ends of the shop but they were so TINY. There was also a big set up where they had a model dressed up like Marilyn Monroe and she was swaying and smiling the entire time. They had servers walking around with champagne, tiny hors d'oeuvre's, and little chocolate covered strawberries! When you walked in they handed you a paper and a pen so you could jot down everything you wanted then hand it to a make up artist and they'd get it for you in one go! My mom and I charged in like we were in battle, but for the first 10 minutes I was staring at other people's hands to see swatches, haha! It was insane, we were all crowded in front of this tiny display, grabbing and swatching. People were actually trying to put things on their faces which was hysterical because they were being shoved every which way. I had to use a pen to label which color was which because I swear to you that I swatched everything up my arm, haha! The packaging of all the products was actually a lot nicer than I thought it would be. A lot of people were saying how tacky it looked but it honestly didn't, save for maybe the beauty powder. 

So how about we move onto the things you guys really want to see, the products and the swatches! This is collectively what my mom and I bought (she paid for hers and I paid for mine). Allons-y!
Large Eye Shadows ($21.00)
I'm surprised that I came out with two eyeshadows. When I saw the promotional pictures the only color that really caught my eye was Preferred Blonde but that was the one I was most disappointed with. Both of these eyeshadows are Veluxe Pearl finishes. They both have lovely and smooth textures. The colors are both nicely pigmented with a gorgeous pearly finish. Showgirl is a gorgeous blue/grey color that when I swatched it I thought would be so pretty for smokey eyes. How to Marry is a brilliant white that could have looked chalky but is smooth which would make it great to wear on the whole eyelid or even just as highlights on the brow bone or inner corner. I can't wait to start using these and I'm super impressed with the quality!

Lipsticks ($16.50)
The lipsticks are the thing I always look to first when MAC comes out with collections. They're usually the best and the first things to get sold out. The lipsticks are probably the main reason I was super excited to be able to preview the collection before anyone got a chance to buy them all out! The first lipstick is Love Goddess. Holy hot macaroni, this color is spectacular! Love Goddess is a sort of subdued bright raspberry lip that is perfect, perfect I tell you! for this season! It's a color I can start wearing now, into the fall and even carry over to the winter! The finish of this lipstick is satin so it's got a nice sheen to it. The second lipstick was Pure Zen. My mom and I both got this lipstick so I would like to again say, Holy hot macaroni! I honestly just swatched it because I was already swatching everything. The millisecond the lipstick ran across my arm and my eyes registered it, I was in love. It's the nude I have been looking for. It's perfect. It's not too beige, and it's got a tinge of pink to it which is what I think makes it so great! Also, the fact that it's a cremesheen is just icing on the cake!

Dazzleglass ($21.50)
I love MAC's dazzleglasses. I love them because I love glittery disco balls of joy. I've never had one though because I didn't feel like spending $20 on picking just any color for the sake of having it. This collection came out with two dazzleglasses and Phiff! is the one I fell in love with. It's sheer but with little gold glitters in it and the tiniest tinge of pink. It doesn't make your lips look like to wet seals and it's not as sticky as I thought it would be! I also think it would look really pretty layered over any of the two lipsticks I got! I can't really find the words to describe why I like it so much. 

Blusher ($22.00)
My mom picked up this blush because when I saw it I thought it was too similar to colors I already have. Boy, am I ever glad she got it. Legendary is a really light coral color that has a Satin finish. As with all the products we seem to have picked up it's got that pink tinge and little gold, finely milled shimmers. It doesn't appear on the skin, just adds a subtle glow. I can see this blush getting unnoticed because the color isn't wham, bam, and in your face. I do think it'll be lovely for just accentuating your cheeks without making it look obvious that you're wearing blush!

Eyeliner ($15.00)
The last thing I picked up is nothing too exciting because it is part of the permanent range. Smolder is just your run of the mill black eye liner. The reason this makes me excited is because of how soft the liner is. When you run it across it doesn't pull the skin and delivers nice and opaque color in one go. It's also very blend able which would be absolutely perfect for a smokey eye of just smoked out liner! I think it was very appropriately added to this collection!

What's my verdict? I'm thoroughly impressed with this collection. It was perfectly tailored by theme with all the colors and packaging being nicely reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe herself. I particularly love this collection because it seems to be really tailored to fair skinned girls. If you have a darker skin tone I would recommend you skip the blushes and take a really good look at the lipsticks and eyeshadows because I think those would be lovely. I'm in love with the products I got it and more importantly, very happy with them! Kudos to MAC!

What are you thoughts? Are you guys excited for this collection to come out? I can't wait to see what you guys pick up! 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Review: M.A.C. Arena Eyeshadow

Oh hey guys! Long time no talk. A weekend and a day in the blogging world is like years! I've been in a blogging funk and playing Sims 3 for days and days. I haven't abandoned this baby! I have been given opportunities to have a life and so I took them. Doesn't it just suck when life gets in the way? Haha! So I'm here, in my college library, sick and early for my classes, watching YouTube videos and thought "Jess, you have the time, REVIEW YOUR MOST FAVORITE-EST SHADOW" So that is what I shall be doing following this line jump.

Okay, so you've probably visited your M.A.C. counter and swatched every shadow about a couple of dozens a time, each. You've probably swatched Arena as well but were to un-impressed with the swatch on your hand to think much about it. Boy, are you missing out! (Why do I always seem to sound like an info-mercial?!) My blue eyed/green eyed lovelies out there, you will love this! It's a really neutral orange-y beige shadow. It's subtle and perfect for an everyday look, a natural look, a highlight, and a quick make up look! I like to wear this by itself all over my lid and then up into the crease a tad (hooded lids, boo!) It does a brilliant job of making my blue eyes pop just a little more! It's orange enough to make the blue pop and beige enough to make it look natural. Paired with a brown liner and it's astounding how blue my eyes look! 

It takes a bit of getting used to with this color because it does apply ever so sheerly. You'll need to use a brush that really picks up color. My preferred method is a large shader brush! A finger to hand swatch does this shadow no justice. I'll see if I can get a FOTD up using this shadow soon so you guys can get a better look! But I definetly reccomend that blue eyed beauties take a closer look at this shadow, you won't regret it! :)

Saturday, July 28, 2012

How Much Does My Face Cost?


Andrea from Andrea and the Beauty Blog came up with this brilliant post idea! As soon as I saw her comment with this idea I got so excited and made sure that the next time I wore my sort of 'everyday make up' I would keep track of everything! This is more of a summer every day routine. I'll be sure to do one in the winter as well! Now let's see how much damage there is to my wallet to make my face all purrrrty...


  • Caudalie Beauty Elixir $18.00
  • L'Oreal MagicLumi $13.00
  • Sephora Liquid Liner $11.00
  • Make-Up Forever Aqua Liner $18.00
  • Smashbox Eyeliner $19.00
  • CoverGirl 24HR LashBlast Mascara $10.49
  • Benefit's Hervana Blusher $28.00
  • NARS Laguna Bronzer $34.00
  • EOS Lip Balm $3.00
  • M.A.C. Venus Lipstick $14.50
GRAND TOTAL: $168.99

Consider my jaw on the floor. WHAT? Holy guacamole! This is even more of a reason for me to just stop shopping. This is for just one look! And a summer look that doesn't need as much make-up. Oy, I'm ashamed to look at this. 

I challenge everyone to find out how much their everyday face costs them! Link it to me in the comments!
xo