Temptalia

Quick & Easy Spring Look

Christine — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:00:10 +0000

Quick & Easy Spring Look

I needed to do something soft enough to wear with a variety of lip colors, as I was doing some swatching, and I didn’t want to spend too long on it either — this is the result. The weather lately has been wreaking havoc on my skin, though — SO DRY!

You will need the following…

Eyes: Laura Gellar Eyeshadow Base (neutral eyeshadow base), MAC Prance Eyeshadow (mauve gray), MAC Top of the Posh Eyeshadow (soft pink), MAC Noir Plum Eyeshadow (purple), MAC Unflappable Eyeshadow (dark brown), Burberry Trench Eyeshadow,Urban Decay Delinquent 24/7 Shadow Pencil (vibrant purple) Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara (black)
Face: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (140), Burberry Pressed Powder (03)
Cheeks: MAC Sur Blush (neutral pink-brown), Guerlain Teint Rose Pressed Meteorites (pale shimmering beige)
Lips: Chanel Byzantine Rouge Coco Lipstick (pink-red), Dior Trianon Silver Ultra Gloss (silver)
Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 222 (fluffy crease brush), 263 (angled eyeliner brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
Substitutes: Prance = Vex; Top of the Posh = Pink Venus; Noir Plum = Grape pigment; Unflappable = Satin Taupe; Sur = Prism; Gana = Soft & Gentle

For eyes, start by applying Eye Spackle as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply Prance eyeshadow all over the inner two-thirds of the lid. Lightly blend Top of the Posh eyeshadow onto the outer corner with the 239. Apply Unflappable eyeshadow in the crease with the 222. Next, apply Noir Plum eyeshadow into the lower crease with the 222, only in the center. . Blend Trench eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Delinquent on the lower lash line and pat Prance eyeshadow on lower lower lash line with a dampened 219 to brighten. Finish by sweeping lashes with Buxom Lash mascara.

For cheeks, apply Sur blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116, then highlight with Teint Rose using the 165.

For lips, apply Byzantine lipstick first, then layer Trianon Silver lipgloss for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

MAC Peacocky: Mega Metal Eyeshadow Dupes & Comparisons (Part 2)

Christine — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 18:07:08 +0000

MAC Peacocky: Mega Metal Eyeshadow Dupes & Comparisons, Part 2

I’ve split the Mega Metal Eyeshadows into two parts for dupes and comparisons, and then I will also do the Kissable Lipcolours (also in two parts) so no post is overwhelming! I think Spectacle of Yourself is the most dupable of the bunch, while Paparazz-she is a shade I don’t quite have anything like in my stash.

ODALISQUE is tealer and slightly lighter than Strike a Pose, while Birds & Berries is a sheerer, less intense version. Talent Pool is a lighter blue with a bit of a golden sheen. Parrot is just a touch darker than Talent Pool, so it is not comparable. Cool Heat is tealer. Shimmermoss is far too light in comparison, which is so odd to think of Shimmermoss as light.

PAPARAZZ-SHE is closest to Orange Tangent which is a lighter, golder variation of it. The strong orange tones of Paparazz-she really make it harder to dupe. Copper Sparkle pigment is much, much darker (but an awesome shade if you don’t have it!). Amber Lights is a bronzier version (less copper pull), while Aztec Brick is merely a redder version of Amber Lights. Valet is only slightly less red than Aztec Brick–again, not comparable.
PEEK-AT-YOU is closest to Soft Force, which is a tinge yellower. Both Creme de Miel and Dreammaker are stronger yellow golds in comparison. Nylon and Dazzlelight are similar but more intense versions with frostier finishes–whiter, too, less champagne.
PRANCE is closest to Hypnotizing, which is slightly darker and more mauve. Shale is ridiculously darker, while NARS Melusine is cooler and grayer. Style Snob is significantly darker and browner, while Winter Sky is quite pink in comparison.
SEX-PECTATIONS is more of a mix of Coppering (much more orange) and Cranberry (stronger burgundy tones, darker). Urban Decay Last Call is berrier than Cranberry, so it’s not quite a dupe of Sex-pectations either.
SPECTACLE OF YOURSELF is the one shade that really has very, very close dupes. Antiqued looks nearly identicaly, but I would say it is slightly warmer. Glamour Check is slightly redder-toned.
TOP OF THE POSH is similar to Ego, except Ego lacks the golden sheen. Urban Decay Hot Pants is more fuchsia and iridescent. Pink Papillon is also similar but pinker, just as Da Bling is pinker.
TWEET ME is a slightly peachier version of Benefit Nice Melons, less metallic version of Melon pigment, and far peachier than Urban Decay Snatch.
UNFLAPPABLE turns out to be closest to Smut, which has the same strong dark shade and cooler tone as Unflappable, but it lacks the slightly purple cast of it. Urban Decay Rockstar has a stronger purple cast, but it doesn’t have enough brown/taupe. Satin Taupe is much lighter and less intense, while Urban Decay Hustle is too brown and not quite dark enough.

See swatches!

Shimmermoss, Strike a Pose, Birds & Berries, Odalisque, Talent Pool

Odalisque, Talent Pool, Parrot, Birds & Berries, Odalisque, Cool Heat

Copper Sparkle pigment, Paparazz-she, Amber Lights, Aztec Brick

Amber Lights, Aztec Brick, Valet, Paparazz-she, Orange Tangent

Creme de Miel, Dreammaker, Peek-at-You, Soft Force

Peek-at-You, Soft Force, Nylon, Dazzlelight

Shale, Prance, NARS Melusine, Hypnotizing

NARS Melusine, Hypnotizing, Prance, Style Snob, Winter Sky

Coppering, Cranberry, Sex-pectations, UD Last Call

Antiqued, Spectacle of Yourself, Glamour Check

Ego, Top of the Posh, UD Hot Pants, Pink Papillon, Da Bling, Ego

Benefit Nice Melons, Tweet Me, Melon pigment, Snatch

Smut, Satin Taupe, Unflappable, UD Hustle, UD Rockstar

MAC Peacocky: Mega Metal Eyeshadows Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 3)

Christine — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:52:05 +0000

MAC Sex-pectations Mega Metal Eyeshadow

MAC Peacocky: Mega Metal Eyeshadows Review, Photos, Swatches, Part 3

MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadow ($19.50 for 0.11 oz.) are a new long-wearing metallic powder with an intense metallic finish with medium-buildable coverage that is not supposed to fade or crease. This post features these five shades: Sex-pectations (metallic burgundy), Spectacle of Yourself (deep bronze), Top of the Posh (frosted white pink), Tweet Me (gold bronze), and Unflappable (frosted black with purple pearl).

Sex-pectations is a rich berry red with soft pink-red metallic sheen. It seems rather similar to Cranberry (permanent)–possibly less burgundy, but we’ll have to see in a comparison.
Spectacle of Yourself is a rich, molten chocolate bronze with a coppery shimmer-sheen. It’s warmer than Centre Stage. This seems like it may be similar to Twinks (permanent).
Top of the Posh is a soft pink with a white gold shimmer-sheen and metallic finish.
Tweet Me is a peachy melon with peach-gold metallic sheen. It looks a lot like Melon pigment to me. It’s totally a Temptalia-color, but I know I’ve seen this before.
Unflappable is a plummy-gray-taupe with soft metallic shimmer-sheen. A bit like Satin Taupe, but I think the plum differentiates it some.

Buttery, smooth as silk, blendable beyond belief, and richly pigmented, the new Mega Metal Eyeshadows are easily one of the best new products I’ve seen MAC put out in the past year (if not longer). The best part about these is the consistency across the fifteen–they all have the same creamy, silky texture and solid pigmentation across the board. Though the color range is not necessarily the most unique, the formula is fantastic, which makes the quality top notch. I wouldn’t necessarily run out and buy duplicate shades, but every shade is worth checking out. I feel like it’s been too long since I’ve said that about a MAC product.

These are over double the size of regular MAC eyeshadows ($14.50 for 0.05 oz.) and are the same size as Cream Colour Bases (in shape/packaging), and the texture is richer, almost thicker in a way, than veluxe pearl finish shadows. They have some of the intensity and the pearly finish of Starflash shadows, but they stand out on their own, too.

P.S. — I have also used these wet (“foiled”) and have not noticed any wet spot left behind, but it’s only been a few hours–so I’ll get back to you on that!

MAC Peacocky launches on January 6th, 2011 in-stores across North America, January 2011 for international. The approximate launch date for online is January 4th but may not be exact. It features 15 Mega Metal Eyeshadows ($19.50 each) and 12 Kissable Lipcolours ($18.00 each). All products are limited edition.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

Product: 30/30
Value: 10/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: Slightly subdued, these shades are as wearable for color-fiends and more neutral fans. There are shades that are sure to appeal to everyone, but the power of these lies in the quality–smooth, buttery textures combined with intense pigmentation, effortless to blend, and cohesive application.

WHERE TO BUY: MAC Cosmetics, January 6th for North America; January 2011 for international

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Sex-pectations Mega Metal Eyeshadow

MAC Spectacle of Yourself Mega Metal Eyeshadow

MAC Top of the Posh Mega Metal Eyeshadow

MAC Tweet Me Mega Metal Eyeshadow

MAC Unflappable Mega Metal Eyeshadow

MAC Metal Eyeshadow: Sex-pectations, Spectacle of Yourself, Top of the Posh, Tweet Me, Unflappable

MAC Metal Eyeshadow: Sex-pectations, Spectacle of Yourself, Top of the Posh

MAC Metal Eyeshadow: Top of the Posh, Tweet Me, Unflappable