MAC

MAC Collection – Antonio Lopez

29 July 2013 / Celebrity, Products

MAC Cosmetics new fall collection is dedicated to the work of the late illustrator Antonio Lopez and they have enlisted the help of the ever fabulous Jerry Hall, Pat Cleveland and Marisa Berenson’s to front the campaign.

Antonio launched all three models careers and the limited-edition make-up bag, mirror (which I’m lusting after!), tote and make-up compacts all printed with his vibrant watercolour illustrations. I adore these eye, lip and face palettes which come in the striking violet, teal, fuchsia and gold which really capture the magic of the 70’s and each one bears the face of one of his model muses. Whatever about the makeup, I want these just for the packaging!

James Gager, senior vice president and group creative director for MAC said… “…we felt this was the right moment to reintroduce Antonio Lopez’s work to a wider audience, and the world to these women, who are still iconic and look really fantastic. They are steeped in an age that we are all intrigued by.”

The new MAC Antonio Lopez collection is available from September 2013 from http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk.

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MAC Glitter & Ice

7 November 2011 / Products

I love seeing what goodies MAC launch every Christmas and this years 2011 range does not disappoint.

As some of you will know, I’m a complete package junkie and the packaging on the MAC Glitter & Ice range is gorgeous… it’s white! A complete contrast from their usual black and although they tried something different with the red Wonder Woman range, which I didn’t really like, I LOVE the white. It’s crisp and clean and so festive. However, if you’re make-up bag is a little messy with loose make-up and dirty brushes they may not stay white for long so watch out!

All the pieces, bar the lashes, are limited editions so if any of the items are on your Christmas list then get them fast as they normally sell out pretty fast and they only get in a limited amount.

The range includes:

6 Mineralize Eye Shadows – Fresh Ice, Snow Season, Hold that Pose!, Frozen Blue, Shimmermint and Winterized

3 Paint Pots – Let’s Skate!, Morning Frost and For Effect

6 Technakohl Eye Liners – Silver Skates, Going for Gold, Seasonally Spicy, Fancy Moves, Practice Makes Perfect and Smooth Manoeuvre

Opulash Mascara in Black

2 beauty powders – Snowglobe and How Beautiful

6 Dazzleglass lipglosses – Pleasure Principle, Dressed to Dazzle, Glitter and Ice, She-zam, Love Alert and Spanking Rich

6 Lipsticks – Whirls and Twirls, Double Spin, Soft Sable, Eloquent Air, Such Flare and What Joy!

3 Nail Lacquers – Unconditionally Fabulous, Get Noticed! and Festive Finery

Personally I can’t wait to try the lipsticks, LOVE them all, especially the purple one, What Joy!

Clare xox

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MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

13 February 2011 / Bridal, Products

I was first introduced to MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural on Zoe Clarks Bridal Course (http://www.zoeclark.com) and it’s become my everyday make-up since then. I’ve never been a girl who wears lots of make-up on a daily basis, as I like to let my skin breath as much as possible but then also like a little coverage to hide any imperfections so this suited me perfectly. While the MAC Face & Body would be my ‘going out’ or ‘special occasion’ foundation, this is my ‘day to day’, ‘can’t live without’ foundation.

The first thing that I love about it is the fact that you can use as little or as much as you like to achieve the coverage you want. I would say that its really a light to medium coverage product as if you go too heavy you run the risk of it looking cakey. I use it with my MAC kabuki brush (182) which allows you to really buff it in and get a flawless finish which looks like you have nothing on at all.

They don’t have a huge range of colours (there are 8, ranging from ‘Light’ to ‘Dark’) and I have 2, the ‘Light’ and the ‘Meduim’ which I use on their own or mix up depending on whether I have a bit of a tan or not. The other great thing about it, is it can also be used over your normal foundation as a powder or the darker ones can be used as a bronzer so it’s very multi-functional which is good on your purse! It last for ages too, I only replaced mine a few weeks ago after almost a year, so for 27Euro it’s great value.

I found it doesn’t irritate my skin at all either, in fact I think it’s actually helped improve my skin since using it and I get quite shiny along my ‘T’ Zone so it’s great for mattifying the skin too. The MSN would also work great for summer brides who might be getting married away in the sun and need something that won’t melt away or cake your skin.

Overall I just love this product and would highly recommend it especially as the summer approaches and you might want something lighter to wear.

Clare xox

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The Foundation of good make-up!

13 October 2010 / Products

I get the bus to work every morning and this morning I was sitting opposite a girl in her early 20’s I think. Many women use the morning commute as a chance to do their make-up and this girl was one of them. She was beautiful, amazing pale skin and striking features and as I watched she proceeded to start applying her foundation. To my horror this stunning girl turned from pale to orange in a matter of seconds… I was probably staring but I couldn’t help it! She layered and layered the foundation on so it was like a mask covering her whole face. I might understand her wanting to do this if she had problem skin but she didn’t!

Anyway, it got me thinking of how many women just don’t use foundation the way they should and are probably wearing the wrong colour as well. I know in the beginning, when I started training as a make-up artist it was the one thing I wanted to know, how to find the perfect foundation. So here I will just give a few pointers that I think every woman should know about foundation.

Firstly, foundation should only be used to even out your natural skin colour and tone. It should NOT be used to make you more tanned or cover any major flaws or blemishes on your skin. Concealer should be used to cover these and then your bronzer and blusher used to add colour and contour your face. One of my favourite foundations and one I use a lot is the MAC Face & Body. Its a lightweight foundation that goes on very easily and gives a lovely flawless cover. Perfect if you don’t like wearing anything too heavy or just for daytime. I use a sponge when applying it to get a seamless look.

If you prefer something a little heavier the MAC Studio Sculpt is very good and again goes on quite easily but another favourite of mine is the NARS Sheer Glow. It’s like velvet going on your skin and gives a gorgeous finish. Perfect for brides! You can get this in a matt version also. It’s a little pricey but will last you ages as you shouldn’t need a lot. For older skin the Armani foundations are lovely and have that extra coverage you might need.

With all foundations though, you can use as little or as much as you like to get the coverage that you prefer but I would always say less is more. You want your skin to breath and look it’s best, not look caked or overdone. I think every woman wants to look like the best version of themselves so just keep this in mind when applying your base. And remember, if you have your foundation right you shouldn’t have that line around your jaw line that you see so often.

Clare xox

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