5-Minute Makeup Look & How to Wear Bright Lipstick

With all of the Summer Season lipsticks we’ve featured (and the many more to come!), it’s only natural to wonder how one can wear some of those vibrant, retina-burning shades. One of my favorite ways (and easiest!) is to pair whatever bright lip you want to wear with very neutral eyes.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot (neutral beige base), MAC Hey Eyeshadow (peach champagne), MAC Sorcery Eyeshadow (matte burgundy), MAC Prepped for Glamour Eyeshadow (dark taupe brown), MAC Almost Noir Pearlglide Eyeliner (burgundy-black), MAC Plushlash Mascara (black)
• Face: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (140)
• Cheeks: Chanel Terre d’or Soleil Tan de Chanel (bronzer)
• Lips: Make Up For Ever #203 Lipstick (bright pink), Illamasqua Frenzy Intense Lipgloss (bright pink)
• Brushes: 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: N/A

For eyes, start by applying Soft Ochre paint pot as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply Hey eyeshadow all over the eyelid. Next, apply Sorcery eyeshadow on the outer third of the eyelid and lightly blend with the outer crease. Lightly blend Prepped for Glamour eyeshadow, with the 239, on the outer corner and lid. Lightly tap and brush Hey eyeshadow directly above the crease to soften. To finish the eyeshadow look, sweep Heyeyeshadow as a highlighter on the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Almost Noir pearlglide liner on the lower lash line and finish by sweeping lashes with Plushlash mascara.

For cheeks, apply Terre d’or to the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply #203 lipstick first, and then layer Frenzy lipgloss for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

MAC Prep for Colour Collection

The Prep for Colour Collection is a short and sweet collection. I’m not even sure why they bothered with any color cosmetics, and I could have gone for repromotes of great permanent neutrals, too — just because MAC does have a great neutral range. The collection includes one lipglass ($14), three eyeshadows ($14.50), Prep + Prime Skin Brightening Serum ($40), Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50 ($30), and Prep + Prime Fortified Skin Enhancer SPF 35/PA+++ ($30).  I don’t have photos of Prepped for Glamour Eyeshadow yet, which I will purchase when it launches in-store on Thursday (so check back then!).

• Hey Eyeshadow is is a gilded beige-champagne with a touch of peach.  It was a very shimmery, frosty finish.  For reference, it is a veluxe pearl finish, though!  This is a repromote from Fafi, but I know a lot of you love this shade.
• Sorcery Eyeshadow is a burgundy-brown with a satin finish–it’s not entirely matte, but it’s not overly shimmery, either.  It has more of a satin sheen.  It reminded me of a a lighter version of Sketch.
• Prepped for Glamour Eyeshadow is a darkened chocolate brown with a taupe edge to it.  It’s sheerer and lighter than Satin Taupe, but it also has less of a frosty sheen.  Pretty, but if you already have Satin Taupe, you could probably skip this.
• Just Add Colour Lipglass is a reddened, dark fuchsia pink with fuchsia-pink shimmer.  It’s a frost finish lipglass, and though my sample comes in a square tube, online shows it in a regular lipglass tube, so don’t buy because it’s square   It’s a very pigmented, color-rich gloss–so if you’ve always wanted a darker pink than Pink Poodle but still very intense, this might be it.
• Prep + Prime Brightening Serum is a clear, slightly watery liquid that pumps out.  It’s hard to describe — it’s cool and thin, and it absorbs into skin quite quickly.  I haven’t used it long enough to really be able to tell you about results, but I can at least tell you about the consistency!  Hopefully will have more for you later on in April…

There are no must-haves in this collection from me. While all the color products in this launch are high quality and well-pigmented, they’re not necessarily must-haves.  Hey is the closest to a must-have, but I think you could easily substitute All That Glitters, Gleam, or Retrospeck in its place.  Sorcery is too similar to Sketch and Beautymarked, while Prepped for Glamour is quite similar to Satin Taupe.  Just Add Colour Lipglass is pretty, but again, just doesn’t strike me as a must-have.  You can’t go wrong with any of the four, so this is more of a “there’s nothing super-duper original or so awesomely pigmented you have to get it” kind of a review.

Skip if you have…

• Skip Hey if you have All That Glitters, Gleam, or Retrospeck (unless you use these 24/7, then you’ll probably love Hey!).
• Skip Sorcery if you have Sketch or Beautymarked, particularly if you don’t use those very often.
• Skip Prepped for Glamour if you have Satin Taupe, unless you’ve always secretly wanted Satin Taupe but didn’t like how frosty it was.

So, are you stopping by MAC (or shopping online!) for Prep for Colour or are you waiting until Pret-a-Papier?

See more photos & swatches!

Prep + Prime Skin Brightening Serum

Prep + Prime Skin Brightening Serum, Ingredient List for Skincare Fanatics!

Just Add Colour Lipglass

Just Add Colour Lipglass

Hey Eyeshadow

Hey Eyeshadow

Sorcery Eyeshadow

Sorcery Eyeshadow

Hey & Sorcery Eyeshadow, Just Add Colour Lipglass

Just Add Colour Lipglass

Just Add Colour Lipglass

Prepped for Glamour Eyeshadow

Prepped for Glamour Eyeshadow

Prepped for Glamour (left) / Satin Taupe (right)

This was a very quick, ten-minute look I created using MAC’s Devil May Dare Eyeshadow Palette, which was one of their holiday palettes.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral beige base), Gold Tease eyeshadow (softened gold), Prankster eyeshadow (greenish antique gold), Sorcery eyeshadow (dark reddish brown), Brun eyeshadow (matte dark brown), Oh My Darling eyeshadow (soft beige-white highlighter), Smashbox Love Pencil (copper-brown), Plushlash mascara (black)
• Face: Kiehl’s Tinted Moisturizer
• Cheeks: MAC Margin blush, Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer (bronzy highlighter)
• Lips: Chanel Imperiale Rouge Allure Laque
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Gold Tease = Goldmine; Prankster = Patina; Sorcery = Embark; Oh My Darling = Shroom

Directions: Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249.
On the inner lid, pack Gold Tease eyeshadow on using the 239. Apply Prankster eyeshadow to the middle and outer portions of the lid. Darken crease with Sorcery eyeshadow using the 226, then deepen with Brun eyeshadow with the 219. Sweep Oh My Darling eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Smashbox Love Pencil on lower lash line, then lightly apply Plushlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with MAC Margin blush using the 129, then highlight with Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer with the 188. Apply Chanel Imperiale Rouge Allure Laque to lips for color and shine.

Check out more photos!