Stay or go: MAC Blackberry?!

Make up can get expensive but I have recently discovered the world of swapping and think that maybe I would like to give it a go.

So I have been going through my collection to try and find something to swap but it is very, very hard. There seems to be a ‘Just In Case’ (aka JIC syndrome) scenario for every product.

 

I think the closest I’ve come to finding something is Blackberry, a matte eyeshadow from MAC. I remember when I brought this item from MAC- it was part of my first MAC haul- I was so excited but to be honest, I don’t think that I have used it since that first week and I’m not sure why.

According to macmakeup.net, a matte eyeshadow is meant to be intense with true colour payoff and, obviously as a matte, it has no shine or shimmer.

Therefore I can see why my MAC artist and many reviewers suggest using it as a contour and an outer lid colour. I brought it to combine with Shale (a satin) as recommended by the MAC artist -I have swatched the two above- This also seems a popular combo on Make Up Alley so why have I not used it again?!

I’m not sure.

I think that I felt Blackberry was hard to build up and my eyes had less impact then I initially hoped. These two colours were meant to create my night look but once on my lids, didn’t seem to quite reach par. I think I was comparing the combination to a Purple Smoky Eye that Nic of PixiWoo did on You Tube. My Blackberry/Shale combo sadly was nowhere near as striking.

So maybe Blackberry should go!!!

Yet, I still have a bout of JIC syndrome. Surely there is a way that I could work this shadow. Currently 77% of Blackberry Make Up Alley reviewers would buy the shadow again http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=19409/Blackberry_Eyeshadow/MAC/Eye_Shadow  .

It looks such a gorgeous colour in the pan and it is basic colour wheel theory, that purple will be a great compliment for my green eyes. What is more, even I can see on my complexion that this shade of purple does not make me look bruised.

I think that I’m going to try my Blackberry/Shale combo again and rate it for what it is and not in comparison to something else. Lately I have been sticking to the same old contour colours (Sable, Barry M Dazzledust in Pale Tan and Satin Taupe). It is time to shake things up a bit.

I read somewhere that contrasting these matte shadows with shimmer ones can create good results. I may try it Blackberry with All That Glitters, a veluxe pearl, as well as Shale.

And while All That Glitters is out, I may combine it with another swap contender, Embark. Another darker contour type colour from my first haul which has not overwhelmed me. I think I originally brought this to combine with one of my faves, Modellette but now often use Satin Taupe or Sable instead. However again, Embark is a popular choice for others so one that I am reluctant to swap before I have a little play.

As you can tell, I’m really enjoying the reviews on Make Up Alley at the moment. I would recommend everybody has a look before a shopping trip. You can get a good idea of products and I think maybe you can find products that will work in the long term for you rather then just the latest fad shadow or lippie overwhelming You Tube etc.

I have also discovered Mac MakeUp. net and I think this would be a brilliant site for any real MAC obsessives to hop over to. There is a very useful index detailing lots of combinations of MAC shadows that work well together and all of the MAC face charts are available to purchase. Check it out here, http://www.macmakeup.net.

So what do you think of Blackberry and Embark? Do they really deserve to be evicted from my not so little collection or do you know how I can work them? Please, please let me know. Also any other comments or product suggestions are more then welcome as is your support. Don’t forget, there will be some sort of competition/giveaway when I get 50 followers!!

There may be a video soon too as I’ve nearly reached 100 posts on WordPress but as usual, I am having trouble uploading and now, I’m starting to go off the idea so we will see :)

Update: As you can see I’ve tried the Blackberry/Shale combo again. It is okish, enough to keep Blackberry but I’m not that excited about it. I don’t think either colour is particularly striking on my eyes and it is difficult to see where one ends and the other begins and believe me, I walked all around the house trying to find a flattering light. Blackberry was very hard to build even in the swatch and I think the shimmery moisturiser I had on underneath actually helped this matte shadow out a little, added a bit more interest. On the plus side, there is a little colour added to my eyes with the Blackberry/Shale combo although I would have preferred a more purple contour but then at least, I do not look like a clown. You’ve done just enough to be redeemed, Blackberry, but little more!!!

X

FOTD: MAC London

Hi Girlies

So here is a face of the day with the rest of my MAC haul from London. Sorry about the picture!

 

Face

Revlon ColorStay Ivory

Erase Paste No 1

FCUK Bronzer

MAC Sheertone Blushbaby

(Note I would normally finish with my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Natural but apparently this is not too flattering in photos. I think I got this tip from Pixi2Woo.)

Eyes

Benefit Cream Shadow RSVP (a base)

MAC All That Glitters (Lid)

MAC Satin Taupe (Crease)

MAC Carbon (To line)

Benefit Cream Shadow Skinny Jeans (To line)

Max Factor Lash Extension Effect Extreme Lengthening Mascara

Brows Mid Brown powder from Sue Moxley Famous Brow Kit (love)

Lips

Boots Fresh Vanilla Lip Balm

MAC Patisserie

Let’s break down My New MAC . . .

I do like Patisserie. I think it will look great when I need a polished but subtle look. I think it will work well with looks where I want to look groomed rather then ‘Look at my lipstick’ looks. The MAC assistant said that I could use it with Snob and it would more or less create the MAC Angel colour. It is a lovely lipstick and I will probably use it lots but I’m not sure I could describe it as exciting. A good friend rather then anything more!

All That Glitters reminds me of Modellette in the pot but when it is on the lid, it is certainly more shimmery and oranger. I wasn’t sure when I first put it on how much I liked it. As usual, I had done my eyes first but when I started painting my face around it then All That Glitters came in to its own. It looks quite neutral in the pot but I personally would not wear this shadow without more or less an entire face made up.

 

I love Satin Taupe. I wore it on my lid the other day even though a lot of people suggest it for the crease and contouring. Let me tell you, Shale has a little bit of competition. I thought that this was beautiful and today, I thought it worked very well with All That Glitters.

Carbon has created a lovely line. It went on quite evenly and even though, I deliberatly kept it light. You can certainly see a black outline on my lower lash line.

I purchased my three shadows with a MAC pallette, I have one more spot left. I nearly grabbed Knight Divine but wasn’t sure how me it was and if I would wear it. There is another purple one, is it Satellite and Rockets (?) that has caught my eye. What do you think of these shadows. I think I am looking for one that edges towards a smoky night look, any suggestions?

Now on to blush . . , my first MAC blush. When I went to the counter, I looked at Pink Swoon and Well dressed (mainly because these were the only two that I remembered people mentioning). They were so different. One was so bright and the other, you could hardly see at all. I sought the assistants advice as I wasn’t sure whether with my pale skin I should go all out there and add a bright colour or spend the money on a blush, that you would hardly be able to see. The assistant advised that I go for an inbetween and recommended Blushbaby. I was a bit puzzled as it didn’t look at all pink like the two I had been considering. It looked like a brown in fact I would have said it was more of a bronzer but when the man swatched it, it looked ok and I decided since I already had blushes from Benefit , both pink and peachy, that I might as well do something different with my MAC blush.

It certainly made me look a bit more radiant today but apart from that, I am not sure what I think. I think when I finally do a post on Coralista, I will look at this baby too.

So that is my little MAC haul.  I hope you enjoyed it. After all, Snob and I were parted for at least five minutes to do this face of the day! If you fancy adding to your MAC collection, why not check out Sophie’s blog (BeautyMarked19, link in the sidebar) as she is giving away a limited edition MAC ColourCrafted lippie?

X

PS Don’t forget, you can still qualify for my competition that ends this weekend, See the Competition Post for details!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first date: My MAC!

Well, well, well . . . My MAC and I had a date this morning! ;-) Here is what I learnt about My MAC.

Firstly, we have Blackberry. A matte finish eyeshadow, it is very dark purple/brown. I have swatched but it was quite a hard colour to photo and it looks more purple in reality.

 

Then we have Modelette, a beautiful peachy neutral with a satin finish. I think I could get a lot of use out of this. I have already used it on my lid today and it just slipped on so easily over Untitled. Very impressed.

 

 

Next up is Shale. This was one that I personally picked out yesterday. It is beautiful and reminds me of Barry M Mushroom. As soon as I picked it up, I knew that I wouldn’t be putting it down again. I think I would normally use this on the lid or as a highlight colour but today I was playing and wanted a bare minimum look for the day so actually used Shale to contour Modellette and I think it worked ok. This is a satin eyeshadow.

 

Embark. Wow, what a strong impact this heavy chocolate colour is going to make. I think it goes without saying this is going to be a strong contour colour and good for smoky eyes. It reminds me of the contour colour in Big Beautiful Eyes from Benefit. This has a matte finish.

 

 

Here is Untitled, my paint tube and I like it. I mentioned that I usually use concealer (erase paste) or cream shadows as a base but I used the tiniest amount of this and poof, there was a base. It is also a nice colour, nude with a little pink and I think you could use this without shadow, a little mascara and viola, your eye is made up. The swatch actually photographed quite well.

 

Hue!!! I like it. I applied this on to my lips and just used my normal Revlon foundation underneath to take any red out of my lips. It is meant to be a glaze lipstick and looks very neat, tidy and groomed which is kind of the look I want to go for. I also believe that this lipstick might have a bit of staying power because when I was swatching, it was worse then the shadows to clean off.

 

Underage. I am not that familar with glosses. I wore this over Hue and it felt quite heavy and sticky on my lips but it is lasted for three or four hours until I ate a meal. I probably will not apply as much next time.

 

Mineralise Natural Skin Finish in light to medium feels lovely on my face but you just can not see anything in the swatch. I have to say that I think it is the softest powder that I have ever applied to my face which surprised me since it is not even loose.

 

The shadows too feel very soft on my lids and weightless.The only weight or mask like sensation that I feel is on my lips but I kinda like it. It is reassuring to know that there is something there.

You may have noticed that I stuck to certain products. I don’t think I heard one British guru recommend the concealers and many were wary of recommending the foundations because people have had breakouts when they start using MAC foundations. Nobody seemed to have much time for the mascaras either and when it came to blush, there seemed less reviews available and aside from that, I have one Maybelline blush and my other blushes are Benefit which leads to me one of my other purchases yesterday, Coralista, another yay! Yesterday was a good day for me ;-)

Have any of you tried any of these MAC products or Coralista? Are there any products that you want to warn me off?

X

PS Don’t forget you can now subscribe and you may want to as among my shopping bags yesterday was a very special little one containing the prizes for my Subscriber contest. Subscribe or keep coming back, to learn more soon!