Ask Temptalia Session #025
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Got a question? Now’s the time to ask it!
I’m taking your questions and answering them today. You can feel free to ask any question you’d like, both beauty-related or unrelated! Some tips on asking me questions so that you can get the best answer AND quickly…
- For color/makeup recommendations, please let me know your skin tone, if you have a brand preference, colors you love (whatever is applicable). I don’t want to recommend something that doesn’t work for your skin coloring or recommend a brand that’s more than you want to spend!
- If you’ve tried a lot of products and are still looking for the one that works, if you could tell me products or techniques you have tried, that helps me suss out what might work! Again, I’d hate to just recommend you a product/technique you’ve tried!
It is always a pleasure to answer your questions, and I always hate answering your question with a follow-up question about your coloring or what brand you’d like the dupe in or what-have-you, so hopefully this will allow me to give you better answers and more efficiently, to boot! 
Feel free to answer other readers’ questions, too! The more the merrier! Plus, your feedback really helps to round out any answer I give. It’s like a more complete worldview!
Don’t be shy — ask one or twenty or none!
Edit @ 10:00PM PST: Session is now over! Thank you for participating!
Hi Christine! Could you suggest some Mac eyeshadows to use for highlightig the browbone in purple eyeshadow looks? I normally use Vanilla on the browbone with pink, purple and burgundy eyeshadow colours and while it looks perfect with pinks and burgundies and really brightens the eye look, I find that it doesn’t work as well with purple looks on me - it looks a little bit chalky and a bit dull sometimes. I’m not sure if I need to try something brighter or whiter. Any suggestions? I’ve had a look online and thought Mylar, Dazzlelight and Vapour might be good but not sure what they’re like on or what they would look like with purple eyeshadow. Thanks for your help.
What about Hush?
Thanks for responding so quickly! What sort of colour is Hush? I think I've seen you use it a lot in your purple eyeshadow looks. Does it have quite strong pink undertones or is it more white/beige with very light pink shimmer? I don't want anything that is too pinky but something that is sort of neutral with pink undertones is fine. Does Hush go well with other eyeshadow colours as well?
It's a soft white that has pink undertones, which is why I loveee it for pink/purple looks. It also works as an all over lid color, too. I don't find it too pink!
Thanks so much - was so nice of you to reply so quickly :o) . It sounds like just what I have been looking for. I'll check it out next time I am in the Mac shop. The 'Ask Temptalia' sessions are so helpful. It's so nice that you take the time to run the sessions and respond to all the comments, as I know that you get tonnes of comments when you run each new session. When I'm looking at products in the Mac store, there are so many different shades to choose from that it can be a bit overwhelming, so it's really good being able to ask questions about products, etc.
It's my pleasure! :) I find Sephora intimidating and overwhelming. Even the MAC store can be overwhelming at times, though I know the range well enough by now (I should hope so!) that it's not *too* bad going there.
Hi Temptalia! I ready your page everyday day sometime 2-3 time. I am looking for a chapstick or lip balm. I’ve used from La Mer to Softlips and none of them tend to work. everytime i put them on i get the white dead skin i assume on the side of my mouth or inner lips…looks funny. I’ve tried exfoliate and also brushing my lips. NOTHING works =( any suggestion… everythimg i ask someone at the mall they try to sell me something new… PLEASE HELP
Try using Jack Black's Lip Therapy! I think that might work!
What do you recommend is a good body scrub and body butter my skin is really dry. But i dont' want something that is sticky. I currently use the Clinique Body butter in the yellow tube.
Have you tried Bath & Body Works? I actually find their True Blue Spa line to work quite well.
frisbee golfing!!
Hello, I'm NW20 skin tone, which MAC blushers would you recommend from their permanent line for me? I have Tenderling, but would like to try out some more. I like colours with a hint of gold in them. :-)
Try MAC Peaches, Trace Gold, Cubic
Hello Christine, First I just want to say that I absolutely LOVE your website its AMAZING.....like I truly think so! I find you reviews and pictures to be so helpful. I find my self searching through different websites and different videos all the time but I seem to find mostly everything that I need. I usually don't comment or subscribe to different blogs or websites but I just couldn't resist here lol! Ok, on to my question....sorry about the long "preview"! 1. Ok, so I have a pretty fair complexion (close to Rihanna or Beyonce) but I have blemishes and I was wondering if you could recommend a full coverage concealer? 2. Have you ever tried the Ebay professional makeup brushes? Are they any good?
Hi Stephanie, Thank you so much! :) 1.) Try Make Up For Ever's Full Coverage Concealer - it's in a tube and very creamy! 2.) I haven't! I'd go for EcoTools or Sonia Kashuk over those :)
Thanx you so much!!!
I have found that my MAC eye/lip pencil (with aloe vera and vitamin E, MAC 1599)does not go on smoothly...at all. You really have to tug it across the eye lid. Have you experienced this with their pencils?
No idea... it doesn't tug for me!
Have you ever tried BB cream?
Nope.
Hi Christine, I was just wondering if you can please give me pros & cons as to whether I should depot my MAC e/s or not. I watch some people's tut's on YT and of course some have only palettes, a lot of them have both, and some refuse to depot. I'm not a makeup artist of any sort...just have a love for makeup period. Thanks for your help!!
Hi JC, I don't know what the cons are, really, LOL. I would say portable, but then the palettes are quite portable (or you can get an empty quad or two just for travel purposes). Umm, you can keep pretty packaging. This is why all of mine are depotted :P I can only see the pros! - Saves space - Easier access (you don't have to pop open the little pots or find the ones you need) - B2Ms
:( you didn't even answer my question..
Hi Air, I did answer your question about Utterly Frivolous -- did you check out the other pages of comments? There are several! Let me know!
hi christine.....i am on the lookout for a daily face moisturizer with sun protection.....i have dry skin but don't really like the greasy look and feel that some give......so could you suggest some good ones for me?
Maybe Neutrogena Dry Touch? It has a very matte finish!
Is it too late? What is a dupe for Mac's Fleurry Powder Blush? I saw this color swatch and I want something similar!
You could try Style :)
Is it possible to be NC in winter and NW in summer? Because I got matched during the winter to NC and just a couple weeks ago I got matched for NW.
You may just be neutral :)
Sorry to keep asking questions and so close to the end of the day (literally!).. I was just wondering though. Do you have any tried and true foundations that won't give my face that white cast in pictures? Budget isn't really an object but I want a nice special occasion foundation for pictures. Thank you!
MUFE HD :)
Sometimes I feel like when I create a dramatic eye look it's "drag-queen-ish". I know it's a funny question but I love dramatic, bold, and colorful eye looks but it's always my fear. Any tips to avoid this or overcome my fear? lol. ALso, what do you think works best to keep oily skin at bay?
Don't worry about it ;) Make funny faces in the mirror! Enjoy your inner drag-queen! Let her out :D Smashbox Anti-Shine helps a good bit!
Thanks so much for this Q&A! I'm trying to figure out what I want to buy for the MAC launch next week and I know I'm definitely getting Thrills, but I'm trying to figure out whether or not I want to buy Hipness, Marine Life, or something else. I really appreciated your dupe comparison and the accompanying swatches; they really helped! I have a bit of a natural flush so I normally don't wear blush, but sometimes I want to emphasize them a little more, you know? I'm Asian and wear a NC35 and wasn't looking for anything too matte (like Hussy by Illamasqua) but not too shimmery (like MAC Springsheen). I'm leaning towards Hipness because I thought Marine Life may be a little too loud for what I'm going for. I do wish Hipness was a LITTLE more coral-red, though... so basically, can you think of a product that is sort of a combination of Hipness and Marine Life? And should I try shooting for either MAC Hipness (or Marine Life) when they're released? I'm afraid they'll both be gone before I make up my mind! Thanks again!
Hi Joy, I think you should get Marine Life :) You can tone it down if it's too bright! It's easily sheered down, and this way you won't have to pile Hipness on! But if you like the color family, I'd just get both and think about it, lol.
Sorry to ask yet ANOTHER question (my computer won't let me resond to my own questions for some reason), but why carbon? I swatched it and it was really unpigented, hard to blend. Thanks for all your answers though, it's a lot of help! :)
With mattes, you can't just swatch - you gotta use them. Typographic is really dusty, that's why I don't love that one!
What would you recommend for a nice gold color. I had one that was discontinued so I'm still on the search. I already have goldmine, gorgeous gold, one in a L'Oreal HIp duo & honey from UD.
Make Up For Ever #10, LORAC Gold
Sorry to ask more questions, but could you recommend some mac lipglasses for me too? And I'm thinking of getting sweet and punchy, do you think it wuld look good with my coloring?
Check the link I gave ya - lists Lipglasses, too! And yep, Sweet & Punchy would be nice on your skin tone! I am NC25 :)
Can you make any suggestions for blushes and lipsticks/glosses/combinations that would look good on me, please? I'm NC40, light honey brown eyes, and VERY VERY pigmented lips (I hate that they always seem to alter gloss colors, which is why I'm looking for lipstick combos as well!)
Hey Ashley, This is an excellent post - http://www.temptalia.com/best-eyeshadows-lipglosseslipsticks-blushes-for-dark-skin I would also try taking a nude lipstick or even a little foundation to pat onto lips to mute your natural lip color, too.
What bronzer would you recommend if it seems like they all turn orange on me? Other wise they are too dark or muddy. I do like Laguna however would like more options. I have been matched as NW25 (studio fix - powder).
Cargo Bronzer, Rimmel Sun Bronze!
Dear Christine - Can you tell me colors used here? http://www.projectvanity.com/storage/Screen%20shot%202010-02-02%20at%208.07.15%20AM.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1265077210613 -And shadows here and here? http://www.mybeautymatch.com/images/diane-kruger-sag-awards-2010-red-carpet-look.jpg and http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cyH_7sPxVcQ/S7N9TZuj7_I/AAAAAAAABAw/Kak0Tl93flg/s1600/Diane+Kruger+picture+at+82nd+Academy+Awards+(5).jpg - Is there a less shimmery/matte version of Orgasm? Tried it on recently, it made my skin look sooo good but the glitters were everywhere and my pores looked huge! - I'm NC25, asian with black hair and black eyes. Could you recomend some colors for me? Warm-yellow toned. What bronzer what look good as a light contour? i used BB matte medium when I was tan but sadly I haven't been able to get that tan lately and y bronzer looks harsh on me. What shadow would look good as a crease color but NOT harsh? (light browny color) -Does fix+ really make your MU look less powdery? -Can you link me some looks where coral crepe was used as a base? - Would you recommend the black in NARS pandora or Carbon? Typographic?
Sorry, and could you recommend me some MAC lipglasses?
Hi Lora, 1.) Maybe Shadowy Lady kind of smudged onto the lid. Vampy lip like Rebel. Looks like something like Amber Lights and Rule, then Ladybug lipstick (texture is off). Could be Patina with Bronze and Angel lipstick. 2.) You could try MAC Springsheen or Peachykeen - maybe not quite as shimmery as Orgasm. 3.) If you're going for a contour, I would try MSF Natural in Medium Dark. Check out this post for recs for NC25: http://www.temptalia.com/best-eyeshadows-lipglosseslipsticks-blushes-for-medium-skin 4.) A good crease color would be Soft Brown. 5.) Fix+ will do that, but so will any water product (even just water). 6.) http://www.temptalia.com/tag/mac-coral-crepe-paint-pot 7.) Carbon!
Hi, - What's a good setting powder to use after I put on my liquid foundation? - I don't own any MAC brushes, what would you recommend for starters? - What would you say are the must have eyeshadows and lipsticks from MAC? Both neutral ones and brighter ones. Thanks!!
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