Because It's Never Too Early to Plan for the Holidays...

Two entries ago, I mentioned that I wanted this on my gift list:

(Buxom City Slickers holiday set, $39 at Sephora.) 

And because I tend to have a wandering eye when it comes to these things, I thought I could put this on my wish list too. 

(MAC 5 Sassy Neutral Lassies, $29.50; screenshot from MACcosmetics.com) 

That, however, does not compare to some of the things that I actually do want: 

Jillian, you affectionate little meanie, you. I'm already getting 30 Day Shred from Scribey, so this would be a nice addition to my stash of workout videos. 

Also:

OMG BRITISH LAW AND ORDER OMG OMG OMG!!! 

Corny-sounding, I know, but you're looking at the person who will deliberately watch old Law and Order reruns whenever they're on. (But only the first three seasons, though, especially the ones where Chris Noth was still quite hot.) While people may scoff at the UK edition ripping off scripts and plots wholesale from the first few seasons of Law and Order: Original Recipe, I personally think it's a reminder of why the original series was so great in the first place. 

And then: 

OMG MARTIN FREEMAN OMG OMG OMG!!!!!

A friend from NaNoWriMo Philippines recommended this series to me; apparently it has become quite a popular torrent download, which is weird because Filipinos don't always lean much towards the Anglophilic end of the TV spectrum unless it involves Mr. Bean. Also, it has been a while since Mr. Freeman has appeared on my radar - especially after last year's constant marathon of Hot Fuzz - so I'm pretty optimistic about how he does in the Watson role here. 

(Benedict Cumberbatch, on the other hand, will always be on my good side, especially since I'm used to watching him run around frantically in The Last Enemy. I wouldn't worry about his career just yet, is what I'm saying.) 

...Santa? 

MAC Spring Colour Forecast: A First-Impression Review

Of all the four Spring Colour Forecast collections that MAC has put out this year in the US market, Amber might be my favorite.

 

1) I can't think of any other company that would put eyeshadows named Flip and Manila Paper in the same quad. (It helps that they're both neutral, too - even more reason for Pinoy and Pinay MAC addicts to go nuts!)

2) Ever since I started working at the university, I've become obsessed with wearing earthy nude colors all over, especially on my lips. Not boring, work-safe nudes, mind you, but nudes with a little bit of tint and shimmer. These lipsticks fit the bill.

3) Seriously, that Gold Dust lipglass looks like fresh mango juice to me. Again, very Filipino - and very Tetchie Agbayani - without being too literal.

My second-favorite collection would be Coral, because I'm more partial to warmer tones of peach and pink. Unfortunately, I can't wear pink eyeshadow without looking ridiculous, and I can't bring myself to wear a lipstick named "Fresh Salmon." That hasn't stopped this lovely Blush Ombre from calling my name oh so softly.

The other collections, Pink and Plum, don't seem to appeal to me... but that's ultimately because cool, blue-based colors rarely flatter me, if at all.  So until I can get my hands on this collection at my nearest MAC outlet, I'll still continue to dream of Amber and Coral.

Disclaimer: No samples were provided for this review. All screencaps are mine, with additional commentary produced with MS Paint.

Makeup Piracy: Don't Do It

Will somebody please tell me what these fake MAC products are doing at Mactan International Airport in Cebu?

(Besides being cheap, of course. I'm not against cheap, mind you, but I am against cosmetics of dubious quality... and slapping a fake MAC sticker on it just makes things worse for everyone involved. Especially since the Cebu airport has a gigantic Duty Free store across the street from this terminal.)

(Disclaimer: All pictures in this entry are mine. Please do ask for permission if you want to use them somewhere else; similarly, please do let me know if I've broken some law regarding taking secret photos of airport-store merchandise. As they say in Cebu, daghang salamat!)

Trendwatch 2009: Pale Pink Lips

There used to be a time when pale pink was the color of sweet girliness: Barbie, Strawberry Shortcake, Molly Ringwald; peony blossoms, Easter eggs, a child's first ballet class. And wasn't it almost yesterday that MAC had a line of girly pastel pinks for last spring's Sugarsweet collection?

Now, as fall approaches and springtime's promises are still out of reach, the pairing of pale pink lip color with strongly-colored eyes - from dark smoky eyeliner to vivid Technicolor lids - becomes more than just a "transition" look; it's a bracing shot of sugary politeness, the better to soften the bolder fashion statements of the coming months.

Check out this ad for MAC's Style Black collection...


...and the models in Michael Kors' Spring 2010 runway show during New York's Fashion Week (credit: WWD via Allure)...


...and the pages of Sephora's Beauty Central...



...AND - perhaps the most fun interpretation of them all, in my opinion - on the lips of Sandara Park and fellow members of the Korean girl group 2NE1, in this TLC-esque video for their Bollywood-flavored megahit "Fire."



Best of all, you don't have to wait until Spring to get pretty with pink, regardless of your skin color: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Check out the pink-ribbon beauty products, fashion items, and other items available to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Fund.

Stuff Like That (Over) There: A Preview of the New Beauty Stash

The one good thing about this particular trip to the Philippines - besides the fact that I'll be staying there indefinitely - is that I don't have to worry about the shopping any more, and not just because we finally got our own Gap. Most of the major brands, after all, are available in the big city of Manila: the big malls have the high-end heavy hitters like Lancome, Shiseido, MAC, Shu Uemura, Chanel, and Lush; the drugstores are catching up with Revlon, Maybelline, L'Oreal, and Nivea; and Kerastase is the brand of choice for many of the best salons in town. (Don't even get me started on The Face Shop - our first branch had just opened during my last visit three years ago, and now it's all over the place!) That's not even to say that our local beauty brands have a long way to go; the last time I checked, some of our local brands have started catching up to innovations from our neighboring countries in Asia.

Even so, however, it's still tempting for me to stockpile on things that I'm afraid I'll run out on by the time I get there. Foundation, for instance, is a major sticking point for me: no matter which brand I use back home, I always end up with something that's way too light for me... and if it's not too light, then it's too obvious either way.

(Insert grumbling here about how dark-skinned Southeast Asian women - even a sunblock-slathering morena like myself - are forced to conform to the long-established cultural standard of "white skin," and how even the major global brands in the Asian market have yet to realize that they are leaving out a huge chunk of the market by not expanding their shade selection enough. Say it with me now: GRRR ARRGH.)

Imagine my response, then, when I found out that Walgreens had a BOGO special on L'Oreal foundation last week.


As a drugstore-makeup junkie, I'm not afraid to admit that L'Oreal's Sun Beige is the only shade that has matched my skin perfectly over the years. I've tried it as part of the True Match line, and I raved about it nonstop when Sun Beige became part of the shade selection for the Bare Naturale mineral makeup line. So of course I just *had* to stock up on two new formulations for my beloved Sun Beige: Infallible Never Fail Powder, which can be used wet or dry, and the pressed version of Bare Minerale, which couldn't be more portable.

On the other end of the spectrum, I also took my MAC empties for the Back to MAC program, where 6 empty containers will get you a free product of your choice at the nearest MAC counter. (Refresher: Most department-store counters will give you a free lipstick, but your local free-standing MAC store will give you a choice between lipstick, gloss, or eyeshadow. How fun is that?)

And this is what I got:


This is Dare You, which looks tomato-red here but is actually a deep brown red (swatch here, courtesy of Makeup and Beauty Blog). Believe me when I say that this lipstick is shiny, shiny, shiny - one swipe makes your lips look soft and hydrated, and the deep red makes the look fresh instead of antiquated.

And, speaking of MAC: I was one of those folks who really wanted to get something from the Style Warriors collection that just came out this month, and as soon as I saw that eyeshadow in Bright Future (the bright yellow one) I brought it upon myself to add a bright yellow to my existing eyeshadow palette.

This is what I got instead:


Yep, L'Oreal's HIP Bright Shadow Duo in Flamboyant. No surprise, considering that the HIP line is a perennial favorite 'round these parts (even my sister is in lurve with them!) but I dare you to look at that yellow-and-purple combo without drooling. Not to mention that I got this for just $7 at Longs instead of spending $29 en toto for the two separate colors from MAC's Style Warriors that these two shades were meant to duplicate in the first place, down to the saturation of the pigment and durability in wear. Score!

Randomesticity: My Blog is On Fire

Some things that are taking over my attention right now:
- RIP, Ricardo Montalban. May you be welcomed in heaven as warmly and hospitably as you have welcomed everyone else on Fantasy Island... preferably with Saint Peter presenting you with your own seat of Corinthian leather.
- Kings of Leon, "Sex on Fire." I would've put this on my New Year's 2008 list (as if throwing Lesley Gore in the same playlist as TI and Kevin Rudolf wasn't crazy enough) but I think this song deserves a separate category in itself. Dark, dirty, danceable: it's up there with "The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret" on my list of hot, sweaty, sexy indie-rock joints.

- Eddie Izzard, again. As far as MAC-endorsing drag queens go, I'd still take him over Dame Edna any given day... and, since he does admit to fancying "birds" (ahem), I'd also take him anytime, anywhere, any way I can get him. Even if it means he'll need to take me out to shop for hot shoes first.

- Which reminds me: As much as I adore Dame Edna (and don't get me wrong, I actually do), I am actually getting tired of looking at that old heffa's face every single time I pass by the MAC stores at Ala Moana and Pearlridge. Why? Brunette Blonde Redhead -that's the reason why.

- Rock-n-roll shirts. Usually I have a hate-on for the likes of Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier, not the least of which because the tattoo-print tee is already an overplayed look all over HNL. (Seriously, I can't even go to the supermarket without my eyeballs getting seared by an overly blinged Ed Hardy shirt.) That changed, however, when last weekend I accompanied a friend to a store that sold shirts from Affliction and Sinful, on top of the usual Hardy/Audigier stuff. Let me tell you: When I say it's hot, I mean hot - in a biker/rocker, Mickey Rourke-before-he-messed-his-face-up kind of way. The Sinful shirts, in particular, looked super hot on my friend (who has a day job in the medical field), but I, personally, still can't get away with wearing any of it without looking like a total poser. Still hot and adorable, though - and a surefire cure for the American Apparel-style hipster chic that we've been enduring for the last few years.

- Flirting with the dark side. We all know that the dark side has cookies, on top of biker-tattoo shirts, male lesbians, the Wrath of Khan, and rock anthems about hot sex. And while nothing, not even the messed-up face of Mickey Rourke, is going to get me to watch Grindhouse, this hilarious fake trailer from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright - which also has a short cameo by featured player (and certifiable hottie) Rafe Spall - comes dangerously close.
- Letters from home. One thing that does keep me from being enticed to the dark side, however, is the occasional sunny missive from friends and family. It just so happens that the lovely Dess (who went to school with yours truly and Scribey) just started her own blog, All Things Manila - and what do you know, the most recent posts have been about two of my favorite things in the Philippines: food and travel! Definitely worth a read. :)

Cult of MAC, Part 3: Lime Slice

I have to close out my MAC Cult of Cherry series with a view of the eye look seen here:

Lovely, isn't it? Chantel from the MAC store started out with the Cream Colour Base in Pearl, then proceeded to use shades from the Spiced Chocolate and Tempting quads.

Tempting, of course, is the star of this look, especially when you consider that gorgeous shade of chartreuse (MAC calls it Sharp) that ends up in the crease.

Jude of The Girly Show demonstrates a similar eye look both on her blog and her YouTube channel (seriously, this girl is the American version of UK's Lauren Luke), but she does make an excellent point - this look can be replicated on your own, if you already have similar colors in your collection and an equally deft hand with the brushes.

In my case, I didn't cave on Tempting because I already have way too many neutral eyeshadows at home. I mentioned this to Chantel because I had been eyeing all of the other green eyeshadows and I wanted something as close as possible to Sharp - closer to lime than apple or mint.

After much swatching, Chantell and I found a perfect counterpart: Bitter, which isn't as frosty as the Sharp, but shares the same acid yellow-green base tone.

(picture was color-corrected using Photoshop Express)

I've experimented with recreating the Cult of Cherry looks several times since this makeover, and while I still have yet to master eyeshadow contouring, I will say that the Bitter eyeshadow really makes the look - especially when blended with a bronze or brown eyeshadow to create the appropriate je ne sais quoi. Not to mention that it does make my brown eyes stand out with a vengeance. :)

Now I have a solid collection of workhorse basics and a few zingers to throw in whenever I feel especially adventurous. Looks like I'm set for the rest of the season!

Cult of MAC, Part 2: You Are My Constant

Electro Flash @ Nordstrom, early July

Color Forms @Nordstrom, late July

Cult of Cherry @ MAC Ala Moana, August

At first the last picture from the Cult of Cherry stands out for all sorts of reasons, - not just because I had somebody else (the lovely Chantell from MAC) do the makeup, and that the lighting in this particular bathroom is harsher than the ones at Nordie's. There's still that sultry ManCatcher edge - especially since the "O" lipstick is a lovely stand-in for the Lustre Twins - but it's a lot less in-your-face.

But then... the eyes. And in particular, the eyeliner.

Make no mistake about it: That Fluidline gel eyeliner in Blacktrack looks fantastic on me. Love love love it. Love how it stays on for hours, even when I've sweated the rest of my makeup away. Love how it's so versatile for a simple cat eye as well as a full-on smoky mod/goth look. Love how makeup artists use it to give my eyes so much definition, especially since they can apply it straight to my eyes without diluting in water. Love how it stays on and never runs, EVER.

So why have I not bought this stuff?

If I had a whole hour or two for makeup, as I did during these makeovers, I would totally use the stuff as regularly as possible. Unfortunately - with my life being what it is, now that I'm working two jobs (none of which require black eyeliner as part of the dress code) - working with a gel eyeliner and a separate brush in the mornings (or between functions) would be unwieldy at best, impractical at worst. And, c'mon - for the MSRP of $15 a pop, I do expect to be able to wear it every single day, right?

Sigh.

Anyway, this may be a good time for me to start talking pencil eyeliners. The long-running gold standard at Casa de Mei - heartily endorsed by the makeup-wearers in my family - is Revlon's ColorStay, for its tenacious staying power; their black is suitably dark and intense, while the Black Brown is work-friendly and versatile with just about any color. I've also had some luck with Jordana's EasyLiner (aka the dirtiest, best-kept secret of fashionista wannabes everywhere), but right now I've decided to road-test their regular 7-inch pencil liner instead... yes, the 99-cent one from Walgreens that they're also promoting just in time for Halloween. (Oy, tell that to the emo kids!) I'm not expecting this to last as long as the MAC or Revlon, but I am expecting richness and intensity, and an ability to at least play nice with everything else that I wear with it.

But until then... we shall wait, and see, and find out soon.

Cult of MAC, Part 1: Making Our Own Lightning

Tell your mama, girl, I can't stay long
We got things we gotta catch up on
Mmm, you know
You know what I'm sayin'
Can't stand still while the music is playin'

- Neil Diamond, "Cherry Cherry"

As much as I would've loved to cave on all the rich, deep colors from that Cult of Cherry collection, practicality (and my budget) eventually won out in the form of "O" (yes, as in "The Story Of..."). It's still a dark, rich red, but it's lightened by all those shots of gold - which means that it can go from work-friendly to sultry without taking you to Transylvania. On me, it's the perfect bronzy red that isn't too brown and isn't too orange. No wonder it's always been a cult classic for more than a decade.

And then there's the *other* cerise-inspired lip product in my arsenal...

Revlon's Just Bitten Lip Stain in Cherry Tart was supposed to be limited-edition, which explains why I hunted this tube down at Longs Ala Moana when it went on sale for $5.75 (only to discover that they put the price back up at $11.95). The consistency of the stain is almost syrupy and gel-like, so it's not as watery as the much-hyped Benetint - which makes it easier to control, too. Plus the roll-on applicator reminds me so much of the old Kissing Potion, which warms my retro-loving heart. Result: a bright, cheery pinup red that won't be out of place on the set of Mad Men.

And yes, I did try layering the "O" lipstick over the Cherry Tart, which resulted in the picture from the last entry. Still doesn't explain the headband, though...

The Post You've Been Waiting For... Part 2

So we've talked about this picture in Part 1:

Okay, the more that I look at this picture, the more I think it resembles my dark, sultry alter-ego, Mancatcher (or as my four-year-old self used to call her, Catch Girl) - and she's ready to prowl the streets of Gotham in her mission to convince Dick Grayson to return to his post as Mr. Wayne's assistant. Whoooa, here she comes! Watch out boy, she'll chew you up!

(Dear Chris Nolan: Could you pleeeeaaase make the third Batman movie about Robin? As long as you don't cast Shia or Zac Efron in it, we should be fine. Thank you.)

And if this is Mancatcher in her full sultry superhero form, this is how she looks like when she's trying to walk among the mortals:

Of course, there are some of you who will say, "Darnit, Meimei, that's just you before your morning coffee." But that's the genius of this makeunder: it's a little more than what I usually look like straight out of bed, and less than what I'd look like when I'm ready to face the world.

Here's the story about this face: I was on my way to the rest room at Macy's in downtown HNL when I stopped by the Lancome counter to check out the Maharani Jewels collection. A sweet Lancome girl saw me checking it out... and the next thing I knew (because I'm game that way), I was on her makeup chair. No foundation, concealer, mascara - NOTHING.

That said, she did use the Colour Design Quad in Secrets of Benghal on my eyes - especially that dirty taupe shade in the middle of the quad (shown in this post from Blogdorf Goodman) - and applied it in a similar fashion as my MAC makeover: light shade as a highlight in the tear duct area, dark shade (the plum one) in the outer corners, green/taupe on the lid. Really pretty... though you probably would not have seen it in this photo, since it was taken in broadest daylight (and I didn't want to hold up the line at the Macys restroom by taking vanity photos).

And can we talk about that lip gloss? The lipstick is Jaipur Spice (very sheer, applied with a finger) and the lip gloss is a Juicy Tube in Ginger Palace, with Le Lipstique in what appears to be Bronzelle in the photo. This combo got me thinking: What if I combined the eyes from my MAC makeover with the neutral lips from this Lancome makeover? The possibilities are mind-boggling...

What's definitely not mind-boggling: The Poudre Elephant Teint bronzer in Sunny Manorama.

Remember what I said about bronzer being a good alternative for blushphobes? This powder here is a bronzer for the blushphobe. Not just for that embossed gold top coating, but also for the swirl of coral, pink, gold, and bronze - and if you're tanned or darker, you can just go ahead and swirl away! But if not, at least it's a pretty, pretty compact.

The Post You've Been Waiting For... Part 1

So here's the makeover I've been holding back from posting:

This was taken right after my most recent makeover at the Nordstrom MAC counter. The foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow base are the same from my last MAC makeover, with the addition of Sunbasque blush on the cheeks. Also, she did use the Colourforms Warm Eyes x 5 palette for the eyes - using the pale beige (Frostastic) on the browbone, the pinky-nude (Tancentric) in the crease and inner eye corners, and the brown (Fertile) on the outer corners.

But.

Remember what I said about the green shade in the palette? That one's called Rolled Gold, and it's a pretty taupish-green. Tiffany and I, however, both saw that green and realized that it's almost a dupe of one of the new shades from the Starflash collection - Mink and Sable, which actually swatches darker than the Rolled Gold. So we used Mink and Sable on the lids, and it went so well with the rest of the Colorforms shades that it nearly took my breath away.

You may not see it in the picture, though, but when I went into the bathroom I was surprised by how dramatic the effect was all over. Very Monica Bellucci, if I should say so (especially since I saw MB sporting a similar olive-green shade on the billboard next to the Dior store at Ala Moana). So forgive the smirky-sultry expression on this picture; part of it is just me worrying that my family won't recognize me when I show up for dinner with this face.

The lip color I'm wearing here is the Pro Longwear Lustre Lipcolor in Coco Lust/Sexy Sweet from the Lustre Twins collection. Again, it does show up a little lighter and rosier in the photo - thanks to that hot topcoat! - but I still couldn't help but smirk: Chocolate color aside, was this going to dry my lips out? I had to wonder because I've had bad experiences with longwear color in the past and I was worried that this was going to peel off my lips in big chunks like the other guys did. I'm glad to say, however, that the Pro Longwear stuff did stay on pretty nicely for the next few hours, not even rubbing off on my water bottle while I took sips. Great stuff.

*****

Now, I'm sure those of you who don't have access to Nordie's must be wondering where to get the rest of this MAC stuff. Well, guess what - you'll be able to get Starflash and Lustre Twins at your nearest MAC counter starting tomorrow - not just Nordie's, but also the MAC store (Ala Moana and Pearlridge) and select Macy's counters as well. And if you want my opinion on what to buy, I've drafted a little shopping list for you.

Starflash: A lot of the Nordstrom testers for this collection went instantly missing, which goes to show how popular these shadows are even among the counter staff. Besides the Mink and Sable, I'd also recommend one of the fleshy-nude colors - Go, Grand Entrance or Bold and Brazen - which would be a great substitute for some of the shades from the Colour Forms palette. There's also a lot of blogger buzz about Smoke and Diamonds, which was also among the missing testers.

Lustre Twins: Besides Coco Lust/Sexy Sweet (cute names!) I would also try to check out Alta Moda/Hip Love (oooooo, dark brick red!); Boss Brown/Slave to Pink; Gypsy Rose/ Shimmer It; Pink Air/White Top; and Custom Rose/Pink Virtue.

And then... there's Part 2.

Post Warmer: Return to the MAC Counter

Yes, the eye look shown above - which looks pretty subtle on-cam, but is plenty dramatic in real life - was created with colors from the MAC Colorforms Warm Eyes x 5 Palette shown below.

So why is it that I'm holding off on blogging about this look until later this week? Hint: It has everything to do with the green shade in the middle of this palette, and the upcoming launch of yet another MAC collection on Thursday - the details of which have yet to appear on the websites of either Nordstrom or MAC until further notice. DUN DUN DUUUUN!

The Best Revenge

So this week isn't exactly going as well as I hoped, as far as the job market is concerned. Sometimes I feel like second-guessing myself - is it something I did? - but you know, that can only take me so far. Best just to pick up where I left off and move on from there.

That said, I do believe that looking good is a gal's best revenge in moments like these, when defiance - and a little rebellion - is in order.

First, the MAC arsenal, which I've lined up above for you by size. On the left: the Sheer Shimmer Powder in Revenge, which I talked about in my last MAC-related entry. I don't know what compelled me to hold on to this for so long - well, okay, it has everything to do with a horrible breakup that coincided with the release of this collection (hence the apropos naming) -but after seeing the Sonic Chic blushes I figured that I might as well take it out of storage. It's the makeup equivalent of the Chivas Regal that my Dad used to keep in his liquor cabinet; it's nice to save it for company... but when it really, truly matters, you just gotta do what you've gotta do.

Next to the Revenge powder is, of course, the Hot Contrast eyeshadow that I bought at Nordstrom on Sunday... and the regular eyeshadow in Contrast. I'm so in love with the swirly, dirty combination of red and silver in the Hot Contrast eyeshadow that I've decided that it would be a perfect companion for the Revenge, while the black goes with the indigo/purple tones in the (regular) Contrast.

Here's how I looked like when I decided to wear all three together, with nothing more than Smith's Rosebud Salve on the lips.

And - and! - if that wasn't enough, guess what came in the mail for me yesterday? (Um, besides a "thank-you-for-your-job-application" affirmative-action form from Cleveland State...)

Yep, I broke down and got the sample pack for Everyday Minerals. Wanna see what I got from them?

Clockwise from top left: Semi-Matte foundations in Golden Winged Butter, Light Tan, and Medium Tan; Peach Color Corrector powder concealer, and B&B blush (which looks like a peachy terra-cotta color). I'm planning on getting a lot of mileage from that concealer this week, since sleep hasn't come by so easily as of late.

Watch this space; there definitely will be more pictures of me wearing all sorts of combinations from this stash!

POSTSCRIPT: I followed a link to Three Custom Cosmetics from Beauty Addict, and after a little clicky-clicky on their site I found that - janjararaaaan! - they have the formula for Revenge, which means they can replicate this blush near-perfectly. OMG.

Face of the Moment: Why Is This Blogger Smiling?

You have to understand: It's not every day when a girl walks into Nordie's and walks away with a brand new face. (Nor is it every day that the same face fades when she realizes that she has spilled Coke Zero in her bag, resulting in massive damage to her cell phone and making her realize that perhaps she may be overdue for an upgrade. Karma, alas, is one sad beeyotch.) Then again, because I'm a real sucker for anything and everything that MAC makes, I did end up on the makeup chair, admitting to the sweet MAC girl who did my face that I was a blogger and my interest in the new collections was somewhat more than academic in nature.

The great irony of it all is that, while I do have photographic evidence up here, I did not take good notes on the rest of this "look" - so I might end up skipping some of the particulars, like brush numbers and the like. So I'll try to concentrate on as much of what I remember as possible.

Prep: There was a moisturizer (SPF 15, yay!), a primer (want, if it wasn't for the fact that my Sephora Professionel one is still kicking), and Prep + Prime for the eyes. And, God bless us, there was also an undereye concealer involved.

Eyes: My makeup artist, Tiffany (love her!), took me through every step in terms of the eyeshadow application - and thank goodness for that, because otherwise I would never have scribbled everything down!

• Paint Pot in Painterly - used as an allover base



• Bamboo eyeshadow - blended into the crease using the #244 brush in tight circles



• Mineralize eyeshadow duo in Polar Opposite: I was intrigued by the "swirly" side of this compact, so she put that part on the lid - which ended up coming out as a dusty, dirty lavender. Surprising! The silver was also used in the inner corner of the eye.



• Mineralize eyeshadow duo in Hot Contrast - now this one really intrigued me because of the silver and red; the black ended up in the outer corners, which really brought out the pretty from the Polar Opposite.
  


• The winged eyeliner is Fluidline in Blacktrack. And I got a priceless tip from Tiffany here: When planning on making your own winged eyeliner with liquid liner and an angled brush, start with a quick "sketch" by first lining from the inner corner, then marking off where and how far you'll be winging the eyeliner in the corners before filling in the rest.



• On lashes: Plush Lash in Plushblack



• On brows: Brow Finisher in Wheat; Brow Shader in Soft Charcoal; Brow Set in Clear

Face: On top of the concealer was a combination of the new Mineralize Skinfinish Duo (I believe I got the Medium Dark/Natural and Shimmer, since the two darkest shades sold out over the week) and another Mineralize foundation (forgot the shade - sorry, Tiff!), followed up by Mineralize blush in Nuance. All of these were blended with MAC's own version of the baby kabuki brush.

(A word about the aforementioned Mineralize blush from the Sonic Chic collection: I swear - cross my heart and hope to die - that Nuance is the near-exact replica of my late, lamented L'Oreal Feel Naturale in Cocoa Rose. I also swear that the Merrily shade is also as close as MAC can get to reincarnating another fave of mine from their own archives: Sheer Shimmer Powder in Revenge, from the Lady Danger collection. )

Lips: The liner is Cremestick in Naked Rose, followed by lipstick in Mellow Mood and (be still my beating heart!) Tinted Lipglass in Major Minor.

Finishing touch: Fix+ spray. Lurve!

So what else do I do with this new face, besides taking pictures in the Nordstrom bathroom? Guess what - I end up at a picnic, which meant that I ended up sweating some of this lovely makeup away in the hot noonday sun. (Thank goodness for all that SPF!) Then I went to meet up with some more new friends at Ward Center, where I didn't get to a mirror until around 5:30 PM.

And here's what I looked like by then:

...What? The lipcolor loss was inevitable - I had to eat something at the picnic. ;) But the eye makeup? Miraculous.

So what DID I end up buying after all of this? Yay on the Hot Contrast eyeshadow, since I've always needed a black eyeshadow anyway. Also yay on the MAC #244 brush, which means I now have another eyeshadow brush in my arsenal. Actually, just... yay, because I'm also coming back to Nordstrom for the Colour Forms launch two weeks from now. Whee!