Four Fun Makeup Looks Using MAC Coppering Eyeshadow
Bright golds are easily accented by blending Coppering eyeshadow into the crease. It also helps keep Coppering looking gorgeous rather than making your eyes look tired.
Add burned flavor to your look by deepening some of your browns with the tones of red from Coppering.
Make oranges even more vibrant with Coppering to emphasize their richness.
To rock pink, try adding it on top of Coppering, so you can get pink tones without just pink. The red and brown tones from Coppering help make pink more wearable.
How do you like to wear Coppering eyeshadow?
The Best Mascaras for Colored Lashes
Benefit BADgal Plum ($19.00) will help warm up eyes! You can see me using it here. I definitely prefer plum over brown for more natural-looking lashes, too! BADgal is a reliable mascara formula that gives some length, average thickening, but it doesn’t clump up easily (which is always a huge plus in my book).
Urban Decay Big Fatty ($17.00) is available in several different shades–from Electric Blue to Purple Haze. Use colored mascaras to help bring out different colors in your eyes. Big Fatty has a larger-sized brush, so for those of you who aren’t used to it, you may find it a little difficult to adjust to at first. However, I’ve found UD’s colored mascaras to work better than the average one, so it’s worth trying out.
Laura Gellar Line & Define ($20.00) is more than a mascara, actually, with one side meant to line and the other side is a mascara wand. There are five shades available, with New Navy being my personal top pick as it really makes your eyes appear whiter.
Givenchy Eye Fly Lash Extender ($24.00) comes in a gorgeous indigo blue called Fly in Blue, as well as a fun violet shade called Fly in Violet. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it gets the job done well. I particularly like the lengthening it gives me.
YSL Everlong ($26.50) comes in lots of fun colors, and the brush is really spectacular. There are just so many bristles on this baby that it really helps coat every lash.
To learn more about or purchase these mascaras, check out Drugstore.com
, Nordstrom.com
, Prescriptives, and Sephora.com
.
Don’t forget to check out our post on: Best Mascaras — Thickening and Lengthening.
What are your favorite colored mascaras?
The Best Mascaras for Thick, Dramatic Lashes
MAC Plushlash ($11.00) is my all-time favorite mascara. It’s exactly what it says: plush. I always get ultra black, thick lashes with this mascara. No matter how many mascaras I try, I always end up coming back to Plushlash. I think, ultimately, I might make the switch to Chanel Exceptionnel if it weren’t so pricey (and not 2.5x better than Plushlash). MAC’s Zoomlash is another good one, though I feel it’s a little more prone to clump, though it has the super black color I love.
Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes ($28.00) is one of those new-fangled mascaras, because it has a crazy mascara “wand” which looks more like a spiky ball. This works best without a primer, as when I used it with MAC’s Prep + Prime, I found it smudged.
Dior DiorShow Iconic ($27.00) beats out the original DiorShow for me, because Iconic doesn’t smudge or flake like DiorShow (the original) did for me. DiorShow is a classic mascara, known for its dramatic lengthening, thickening, and ultra rich pigmentation of black.
Lancome Oscillation ($34.00) is a moving mascara. Oscillation doesn’t come cheap, but it really does work well to give you long lashes without clumping them up. It does take several applications to get the hang of it, and you’ll have to figure out what technique works best for you. You can read my full review if you please.
Chanel Exceptionnel ($28.00) is a deliciously luxe formula that gives you incredibly dark, lush lashes with insane length. You can read my review and see how it looks!
CoverGirl Lash Exact ($8.00) is a mascara that really proved drugstore mascaras often are better than high end products. Good level of color richness in the black, plus lengthening and thickening to make your lashes that much more enviable. If you need more volume, check out Volume Exact. (Oh, and I’ve heard good things about LashBlast, though I haven’t personally tried it.)
To learn more about or purchase these mascaras, check out Drugstore.com, Nordstrom.com, Prescriptives, and Sephora.com.
What are your favorite mascaras for thick, dramatic lashes?
Four Easy Makeup Looks Using MAC Stars ‘n Rockets Eyeshadow
Match it with hot pinks for a bold and bright look that’s a little bit over the top, but totally fun!
With greens and blues for a truly fun combination that’s perfect for spring! (One of my all-time favorite looks!)
For springy pastels, Stars ‘n Rockets has the best mix of iridescence and color to brighten up any look.
On the lash line to complete any purple-themed eyeshadow combination. Plus, it has a good level of shimmer and brightness that it just might open up your peepers, too. Double-duty, hello!
What do you like to wear Stars ‘n Rockets with?
5 Tips to Keep Your Brushes In Top Shape
We just told you our essential eye and face brushes, and once you make the investment in high end, high quality brushes, you have to make sure you take care of them.
Brushes should, and will, last you many, many years if you take care of them properly. I have seen artists with brushes that are ten years old that look absolutely pristine when they are meticulously cared for!
Clean your brushes regularly. Whether you use baby shampoo or MAC’s Brush Cleanser ($11.00), it is imperative you make a point to clean the accumulated gunk out of your brushes. This is not only good hygeine (for you, your skin, etc.), but it keeps your brushes in good shape.
Always reshape your brushes while wet. Once you’ve washed your brushes, make sure you reshape them before they dry. Whatever shape your brushes are left in to dry is the same shape they will be when they are dry. You don’t want your contour brush looking like a tapered blush brush, do you? Similarly, if the shape is off, wetting/washing your brush will allow you to reshape a brush.
Never stand your brushes up to dry. You do not want to let in water or dampness into the ferrule portion of the brush (the metal part, right above the brush head), because it can weaken, errode, or loosen the ferrule making your brush wobbly. Always lay your blushes flat on an absorbent surface (like a wash cloth or towel–probably one dark in color!), and if you can manage it, turn your brushes after an hour or two.
Condition your brushes regularly. On top of cleaning, condition your brush with a quality hair conditioner will help keep the bristles soft. It’s not something that needs to be done as often general washing, but it is a good idea to do it often enough–like once a month. Mostly, it depends on how often you use and wash your brushes.
Wash brushes right away when using rich colors. It’s easy to stain a white-haired brush if you’re using a richly colored product, like Ruby Red pigment or True Chartreuse pigment. I remember using Flammable paint once, and it has forever-stained my 252 brush. One quick and dirty way to help minimize staining is to run the brush back and forth over a makeup remover wipe.
Share your own tips to keep your brushes in tip-top shape in the comments section!
8 MAC Face Brushes You Need In Your Arsenal
129 Powder/Blush Brush ($34.00) is your best bet for general blush application. Seriously, I’m constantly reaching for this brush whenever I go to apply colored blush. If you can only afford one face brush, this is the one I recommend getting first, because it can apply blush, highlighters, and do a little bit of buffing in a pinch. It’s thick, dense, and deliciously soft on the skin. (And don’t be fooled by the 129 in the brush sets–it is not at all the same in regards to quality.)
138 Tapered Face Brush ($52.00) is a domed-shaped brush, much more tapered than many powder brushes. It’s excellent for both highlighting, shaping, and contouring the face–whatever tickles your fancy!
165 Tapered Cheek/Highlight Brush ($34.00) is like a thinner, smaller version of the 138, and it’s $18 less–so if you’re on a tight budget, you might think about picking up this one instead. I love, love, LOVE this one for highlighting. The tapered end really makes placement of highlighting powders ridiculously easy.
168 Large Angled Contour Brush ($32.00) is THE brush to have handy if you ever want to sculpt and shape your face. The angled, slightly-fluffy-and-not-overly-dense brush is perfect for making cheekbones pop, jawlines thin instantaneously, and polish the face.
182 Buffer Brush ($45.00) is an essential face brush to have. I love it so much that I have two, because it is so phenomenal and perfect for a variety of jobs. Ultimately, buffer brushes are designed to finish your face, whether it’s blending contouring and blushing colors together, applying loose powder, or just blending all your face products together. You can buff out harsh blushes by moving this brush in small circles, so you can wear Frankly Scarlet blush without fear. I love it to apply foundation personally, as it gives a polished, streak-free result. Worth every single penny.
187 Duo Fibre Brush ($42.00) is a must-have brush if you love mineralize skinfinishes. Yes, it is indeed a fabulous brush for applying those delicious baked goodies MAC puts out from time to time. The way the brush is designed uses a blend of goat and synthetic fibers and it allows for softer, lighter application of product. It’s also known as a stippling brush (for those trying to find a dupe), and it works well with highlighting (if you don’t need so much precision).
188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush ($34.00) is a smaller version of the 187 Duo Fibre Brush, and it works in similar ways. However, I do find that this brush is not a substitute for the 187, but more like a complement. This brush works best with creamy products, like MAC blushcremes and cream colour bases. In the summer, I love wearing blushcremes layered with a powder blush for more long-wearing color in the hotter months!
195 Concealer Brush ($22.00) recently debuted, and it is superior to the 194 Concealer Brush. It’s a thin, firm bristled brush that holds its shape and easily applies concealing products, but it is also great for dabbing liquid foundations onto the skin (to then be smoothed and spread out using a face brush like the 182, 187, or 190). I find using a concealer brush to apply liquids onto the face helps waste less product than directly applying liquid to a fluffier face brush or sponge.
Honorable Mentions: 109 (great if you do a lot of contouring), 134 (great for loose powder)
What are your must-have face brushes?
