My Goodies: Cult of Cherry & Overrich

So of course I made it out to my nearest MAC counter/store to get my hands on Cult of Cherry and Overrich.

Here is a quick rundown:

Cult of Cherry

Generally I found the collection to be sultry and wearable. The lip colors are the real stars. I didn't care for any of the quads except the Spiced Chocolate Quad, which is dupable (details further down)

The Mattens are the bomb. I have only tried Mattens once before and didn't care for them, but I do like the color and feel of the Cult of Cherry ones. And the dark lip really isn't all that dark. Kirsh is a nice dark plum, but it isn't terribly dark.

I am a sucker for blushes, so of course I liked Plum du Bois, even though it isn't mind blowing. I am still waiting on the blush version of Patina. Oh well.

The lipsticks didn't do a whole lot for me. I didn't bother with O or Russian Red, but I did try and love So Scarlet. Go out and get it ladies! I'm considering a back up, although I really have to stop doing that...

As you know, I don't do Lipglass, but I do like the looked of Jampacked and Liqueur. I might have to do back for those two.

And now for the main event, the duping of Spiced Chocolate Quad. First let me say that Sweet Chestnut is not Cranberry, it's its deeper darker cousin. It is however very very very similar to Heritage Rouge pigment (Overrich). That being said, the quad can be duped by using Seedy Pearl for Nanagold (on my skin, the pink and not the white is what shows), Coppering for Brash, Embark for Spiced Chocolate and Heritage Rouge for Sweet Chestnut. When I figured this all out, I simply returned the quad for the pigments and picked up Seedy Pearl and saved myself some money. Now if you don't have any of these colors, go ahead and get the quad, it is pretty after all, but if you do, well...

And now on to Overrich

These pigments are so gorgeous! I got 6 of the eight because I already own Mauvement, and I didn't like Blonde's Gold (and of course the ladies on Specktra are raving about it. I don't see what the fuss is about) although I may be taking Vintage Gold back because it is nearly identical to Copperized pigment, although the former is the prettier of the two.

I don't know what else to say other than run out and get them all!

So that's the quick rundown. Ask me if you'd like further insights about anything.

My list of goodies includes:
- So Scarlet l/s
- Kirsh m/t
- Bing m/t
- Chock-ful m/t
- Plum du Bois blush
- Heritage Rouge pigment
- Copperbeam pigment
- Vintage Gold pigment
- Antique Green pigment
- Museum Bronze pigment
- Mega-Rich pigment
- Seedy Pearl e/s
- Woodwinked e/s

Cool Heat

Another collection, another review. Well, not quite a review really, more of an overview And I am actually going to keep this short and sweet. I walked away with Climate Blue, The End. Others have said it's hard to get the pay off that's reflected in the pot. I didn't have that problem in the store. And now for a quick review:

Slimshines - Skipped them. Wasn't interested

Warming Trend- A brighter, more golden Patina, but in the end, Patina looks better.
Warm Chill - A watered down Golder's Green Pigment (She Shines) or a more golden Aquavert (Lure), whichever you choose. It doesn't have much color pay off. From other swatches that I've seen, it has a tendency to disappear on lighter skintones. It's pretty but it's weak.
Solar White - Bright ,white gold highlighter. Too light and bright for my tastes as a highlighter. I don't like the super loud, "Look at my eyebrow arch" effect. It's pretty for what it is.
Gulf Stream - On me GS is just a more intense Shimmermoss. I can get the same effect by just using a slightly heavier hand.
Blue Flame - A prettier version of Deep Truth (it has more purply-blue tones) with better color payoff, but if you already have DT or if you have Blue Storm (from Blue Storm) then you can skip it.
Cool Heat - The not so long lost twin cousin of Big-T (C-Shock). There may be the minutest difference in the two, but again, if you have one, you don't need the other.

This collection is the perfect example of why you shouldn't necessarily freak if you miss items from a long gone collection. Give it a year, maybe a bit more, and something just like it will come along. I don't blame MAC, there are only so many colors you can make.

*** I'd also like to add that I swatched all of the shades with a brush, which gives you a less intense swatch, but a more realistic idea of how it is going to look on, unless of course you apply eye shadows with your fingers, and sincerely hope that you don't, but hey, to each her own.

-paix

MIA - Part Two: Swatches Galore

I took the time before work to put together some blush swatches. Too bad none of them came out too clearly, still, hopefully you can get the gist. And also remember that this is a concentrated swipe of color. The actually application would be much sheerer.


On to the swatches - The first is features Spaced Out and blushes that are similar to it:



I know what you are thinking - "These look ashy!" Trust me, they aren't. And I am a ashyaphobe. These look add a great pop of color on the cheeks or a subtle finish on the cheekbones. Accentuate is the highlighting half of the Accentuate/Definitive Sculpt & Shape Duo.

Here is a photo of the swatches in softer light:



And here's another with better focus.



Now on to X-Rocks and it's relatives:



A Specktralite described X-Rocks as the love child of Sweet As Cocoa and Flirt & Tease. I don't see it.

Hopefully this was helpful to someone, although I very much doubt it.

MIA - Part One

I have been MIA for what seems like forever. There was a mini-move from Nashville back to Atlanta, and then work, and everything else, regardless, I am back, yay! And what better way to re-introduce myself than with a MAC Review?



So this week (because let's be honest, MAC releases something new every week) it's Neo Sci-Fi and Solar Field (Future Earth is not anything I am interested it). As some of you may already know, I'm a blush whore (and a bronzer whore) and I, as a general rule, don't really do Lipglass, so that means I skipped over the Lipglass and made a bee line for Spaced Out and X-Rocks, both of which I got. Both are Sheertone Shimmers and have a duochrome finish, which is particularly apparent with Spaced Out which is described as a "shimmery peach". I'd add that duochrome aspect gives it a pink glow, that is reminiscent of Porcelain Pink Mineralize Skinfinish. X-Rocks is described as "shimmery dirty mauve". Really MAC, really, is that how you are going to describe a product, because who wants anything dirty going on their cheeks? Anyway, I like the blush, I think it is very Woman of Color friendly and a must have for those of us who love blush. It reminds me of a eye shadow, although I can't put my finger on which one. Maybe Star Violet.... I'll let you know when I figure that one out.


The lipsticks in this collection are great and offer something for everyone. I have to admit that I didn't see Sunsonic. It wasn't on the display, and I knew I didn't want it. Specktralites have described it as white frost that needs the help of another liner or gloss to make it look like anything. Great if you like to experiment, not so great if you just want a hot color without all of the work. Sci-Fi-Delity is a beautiful reddish plum color that I almost got, but...(when swatched on my hand) it was nearly identical Viva Glam IV, so I decided to save 1400 pennies and wait until I have a serious penny surplus. Pleasureseeker is light pink, and therefore just not me, but I've seen pictures of it on different people and it looks good. Astral is a pretty, sheer, very very sheer bronze shade that's nice on, but a little too subtle for my tastes. It would be gone the second I licked my lips. So I passed. I did get Electro, because how can you resist orange lipstick, and I was determined to make this shade work. At first I was afraid I looked like a clown, but the MA and I decided it would look best if I paired it with other makeup; I almost always walk into MAC with no makeup on.




And now on to the bread and butter, the shadows. I was expecting to want at least three of these (I already have Expensive Pink) but I was less impressed by Evening Aura than I thought I would be. I expected to LOVE it, but I applied it, and it just didn't do anything special for me. I can think of a handful of shadows that are prettier (if a little different) - Juiced, Fab & Flashy, Jezebel (Stila), Rubensque Paint Pot, the list goes on. Femme-Fi is just another highlight. They all start to look the same to me. Magnetic Fields rich chocolate-black color with sparkle, that is very versatile. There was no way I was leaving without it. When I think about my makeup evolution, it's the kind of color I would have skipped over two years ago because it's not colorful, but it's pretty and useful. I also picked up Time & Space, which is described as "frosty copper" and that's exactly what it is. Doesn't sound terribly unique, but there is something about the finish (it's frosty, not shimmery like other coppers I own) and it just looks really good on.

Oh, and I almost forgot. I skipped all of the Solar Bits. Too expensive, too little product and too difficult to apply.

That's it for now - I'll be back in full swing with another "Almost Picture Perfect", "I'm Lovin' It", and product swatches soon. Stay tuned!

Goodies and Reviews

A few weeks ago I was stressed about finals, so I took a trip to my local MAC store and picked up these goodies:



Pictured are Matte Gel, Blot Powder Loose, Iridescent Loose Powder in Golden Bronze, Mineralize Loose Powder and Bronzing Powder in Refined Deeper Bronze.

I thought I'd go ahead and share how they've been working for me so far. First, the Matte Gel. The product description reads "A matte-ifying cream that acts like a powder, M·A·C Matte adds a sheer, no-shine matte texture in one smooth layer." The product can be used all over or on the T-Zone to prevent shine or on the eyelids as a primer of sorts. I've been using mine in the T-Zone alone, and while it isn't a miracle product, it does help with oiliness. For me though, preventing shine is a multi-product process, which segues into the next review, the Blot Powder Loose. This is simply a loose version of the Pressed Blot Powder (which I carry with me at ALL times). I actually prefer this product to the pressed because it is a bit more subtle. It takes away shine but doesn't make the face totally matte and unnatural.

Initially I wasn't going to get the Mineralize Foundation, but I wanted to try it as a matte bronzer/finishing powder. I find that these powders run on the light side. For instance I am Deep Dark in the MSF Natural, but Deeper Dark in this formula. Also, Deeper Dark is a slightly too dark and red, so for the applied with a light hand, and for my purpose, it works great. I can't speak to it's effectiveness as a foundation though. Perhaps I will try it as a foundation in the coming weeks and I will be sure to post my findings.

I'd swatched the Iridescent Loose Powder a long while ago and it's been on my wishlist for some time, so I was happy to finally get it, however, I haven't even opened it yet. Eek. Bad me.

And saving the best for last, my Bronzing Powder. It's love in a compact. It's an coppery, flattering shade with just the right amount of shimmer. I would not use this powder all over the face though (see my older post on bronzers). but applied correctly, it is love.

Next up, a review of my new [free!!!] Stila goodies and bronzer swatches.

I Think I'm Paranoid

I like my MAC Select so far, but I've read a lot of bad reviews about the product on Makeup Alley. Complaints like the foundation doesn't last long, streaks, oxidizes, slides off the face and causes breakouts. Oh No! I don't want any of that, but the color match is so good and I really really really don't want to dish out $60 for a Custom Blend Foundation this summer. And I am definitely not going back to the Dillard's counter to get it done (which is the only Custom Blend location here in Nashville). So let's just keep our fingers crossed that this works.

P.S - I picked up MAC's Select Tin SPF. It's the closest thing MAC makes to a Tinted Moisturizer. Sometimes a girl just needs that light, barely there touch. :-)