Ask Temptalia - Question & Answer Session #11

Have a question you’d like to ask? E-mail questions to temptalia@gmail.com – if your question is time-sensitive, please be sure to let me know so I can do my best to answer it in time.

Q: Which eyeshadows have good color payoff: Fade vs. Tilt; Parfait Amour vs. Satellite Dreams vs. Beautiful Iris? Do you have any suggestions for blue and purple on the lid?
A: Tilt has good pay off. Satellite dreams I think has the best. Parfait Amour is awful. For a true blue, nothing is better than Freshwater. Purple? MAC has yet to make a fantastic permanent true purple. I love Stars ‘n Rockets, but it’s a magenta purple. Beautiful Iris and Satellite Dreams are your best bets for a purple, as you mentioned.

Q: I am slowly building my collection of MAC (getting quite obsessed with it now!) but only have one pigment pot. I love them but have only recently gained confidence in using them. Please can you recommend a few must-have pigments as staples in my makeup kit that could get me started?
A: Oh, goodness, must-have pigments? I could name you a dozen. I love Fuchsia, Golden Olive, Melon, Pink Opal (excellent cheek highlighter), and Teal. Those are all permanent, readily available pigments at most MAC freestanding stores. You may love Vanilla or Frost, both white-based pigments, too.

Q: I am seeking some advice for the best way to find some help on how to choose the make-up colors that are going to be the very most flattering on me. What will be my “stunning colors”? I was hoping for some suggestions on how to find a person who could help me figure this out. I love the MAC store and the ladies there….but honestly at times I do feel that they just want to sell colors and are not the most helpful when it comes to picking colors that are truly flattering. Should I hire a make-up artist for an hour or two and pick her brain? If this were the choice how would I even go about finding someone like that?
A: Tanya, perhaps one of the best things you can do is take advantage of the free artistry talent available at most department stores. Beyond MAC, there are many outstanding brands that would really assist you on how to look “stunning” without being over the top, because MAC is known for its array of bold colors. Counters like Shisheido, Shu Uemura, Chanel, Dior, etc. are all known for more natural, classic looks. I stopped by the Chanel counter at Nordstrom’s once, and the artist ended up spending over an hour with me. He basically gave me a makeover! If you want to go to a MAC artist, you can schedule a consultation; it may cost money, though ($40-50). I would suggest trying to head down when it isn’t busy, if you have the time, and just chat up different artists to see who can help you best.

Q: I was wondering if you can tell me all the different eye makeup makeup and brand I should invest in. I love doing my eyes makeup, but the brushes I have are cheap and I need to replace them. I am ready to replace them: crease, liner, smudge etc.
A: I personally use the 239 for nearly everything when it comes to eyes. I use it to apply shadow to the lid, crease, and brow–even to blend shadows! I also use the 219 to line my eyes if I want to do so with eyeshadow. I recommend the 266 for lining, because it is one of the best brushes for this purposes–especially if you use fluidline or any gel liner. A lot of people love the 217 for blending (soft fluffy brush) and 222 (or 224) for placing color in the crease and blending it.

Q: Could you please tell me if there are any good dupes in the permanent line for Say Yeah eyeshadow and also Elite eyeshadow?
A: Say Yeah eyeshadow is actually hard to replicate – it’s a peach-pink highlighter, very light, but also quite frosty. I would recommend trying Jest or All That Glitters, though. For Elite, try Woodwinked eyeshadow instead.

Q: How do Harmony and Emote blush compare for a contour color? I noticed you recently switched to Emote.
A: Harmony has rosy undertones, which can be unwanted in a contour color; it may bring out some of the rosiness in your own undertones, as well. It is a pretty good color, and I do find the rosiness is generally subtle at best. Emote has less rosiness, which makes it look more natural, I suppose. I find Taupe blush to also be a great contour color, unfortunately it’s only available at PRO stores. MAC recently released sculpting powders at PRO stores, but they will be bringing Sculpt & Shape duos to all stores December 26th, and you can pick up the duo with “Sculpt” in it, because this is beyond the best contour color I’ve found! These are MEANT for contouring and highlighting, so they are subtle, natural, and perfect for this purpose.

Have a question you’d like to ask? E-mail questions to temptalia@gmail.com – if your question is time-sensitive, please be sure to let me know so I can do my best to answer it in time.