Review: MAC "Flat Out Fabulous" Lipstick

 

It's officially summer, so I decided to hop into MAC and get this bright plum lipstick called "Flat Out Fabulous." This retro matte finish will stay put all day. The only downside to this is how drying it feels (don't want that cracked lip look). To combat this, the makeup artist put a dab of the tinted lipglass called "Rebel" in the middle. She also wanted a little more definition and used the lipliner "Currant." Below is a swatch with my outfit deets.

 

 

 

 

 

Outfit Deets

Shirt - Marshalls (similar style here)

Skirt - Marshalls (similar style here)

Necklace - J.Crew (similat style here)

Impromptu Trip to MAC

While shopping the streets of Soho this past weekend, my bestie and I decided to pop into the MAC store. She was looking for the perfect nude lip to match her skin tone and as a woman of color, this could be a severe hit or miss. After looking at a few colors, we were approached by an artist who asked if we needed any help. We said yes and before you knew it, we walked out of there with not only the perfect nude lipstick for both of us, but also what foundation to use and how to get the best smokey eye.

I know these pictures have a glare but this was the end result of my impromptu makeup lesson. She used the following products on me:

FACE
Prep + Prime Natural Radiance in Radiant Pink
Pro Longwear Compact Foundation in NC50
Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Dark Deepest
Powder Blush in Ambering Rose

EYEBROWS
Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Set in Brown Ebony
Studio Conceal and Correct Palette in Dark (she used NC 45 on the bottom & nc50 on the top)

EYES
Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline
Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Dark Deepest (in crease)

LIPS
Lip pencil in Cork
Lipstick in Cherish
Tinted Lipglass in Viva Glam V

Of course, I bought all three lip products, the foundation and brow set. As a disclaimer, the Pro Longwear foundation comes out really light and a bit on the ashy side. I noticed this looked two shades lighter than the NC 50 Studio Fix Fluid I usually wear. With that said, you HAVE to use a darker powder to set it.

I was amazed by the smokey eye she did! After putting the kohl eye pencil all over my lid, she buffed it out and put the skinfinish in my crease. That took at most 60 seconds. It is amazing what little tricks you can learn from people who truly know their craft.

Have you had a similar makeup experience? What are your favorite MAC products?

Awesome Beauty Products under $10

Image: beautyismyduty.com

 

I'm all about scoring cheap beauty products. Sometimes they work a lot better than expensive brands. Not sure what to buy? Here are a few of my favorites under $10:

Pigmented Blushes

  When you don't feel like wearing bright lipstick, opt for a highly pigmented blush. Just remember that a little goes a longggg way because too much will have you looking like a ragdoll!  Below is a list of my favorites:

IMATS NY 2012

Today I attended the IMATS NY Pro-Night courtesy of Royal & Langnickel. It was a great opportunity to see all the exhibitors before the show opens to the public on Saturday and Sunday. Last year was my first time attending and it was mayhem! I had to wait on the Inglot line for about an hour so I encourage you to get there early. It was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion which is a lot smaller than this location Pier 94 so hopefully it won't be as crowded. Now, this year they have soooo many deals! Check out the pics I took after the jump:

Holiday Palettes @ Sephora

Every year Sephora comes out with an array of different makeup palettes for you gift givers out there. Over the years I've realized some of these products are a lot better then others. So this past weekend, I was helping my best bud find a good palette that was more bang for her buck. After trying out a bunch, these are the ones I highly recommend.

Items I want to try....

There are a few products out there on the market that I've been dying to try. Let me know what you think if you have any of these items.

2review: MAC Matte Lipstick: "Russian Red"

Summer Makeup Routine

Since it's summer I want my makeup to feel as light as possible so these are the products that I currently use:

Makeup in 5 minutes

Lately,

I've been experimenting w/ different kinds of make-up. I've finally come up w/ a group of products that complete my "5 minute face".

Primer- Don't get me wrong Smashbox Photo Primer is good but dang...at $36?? For some reason I just can't buy it because I know there is another product out there just as good. After watching random makeup and hair videos I came across people using Monistat chaffing gel as a primer. So at $6 I didn't mind buying it lol. And, now I'm glad I did because I use it all the time. It works just as good.

Mascara- I use Smashbox Eyelash Primer & Lancome Hypnose mascara. I'm currently looking for a new mascara cause that Lancome is expensive (yea yea call me cheap lol). I just tried it because my friend was raving about it and at the time I didn't wear mascara much. I'm thinking of just trying a regular Maybelline mascara to see how it works.

Powder- I use MAC NW45.

Lip Balm- LOVE Rosebud in Strawberry. Hands down. My lips get very dry, especially during the winter.Carmex, Vaseline, Soft lips, I done tried it all.

And they don't work. So I'll be sticking w/ the Rosebud.

Concealer- Stila Perfecting Concealer. This product is on the expensive side BUT I hardly use any because my dark spots

are fading away. So this will last me a good while.

Blush- Tarte Cheek Stain. I love how rich the color is when you apply it. It was $30 and yes that is crazy expensive but it will last you

a long time. I'm also in the process of finding an orangey blush. I def want to try something like that now for the winter.

How I apply everything

1) Put a pea size amount (not even, about half of that) of the Monistat chaffing gel on my face. I let that sit for about 3 minutes.

2) I then dab on concealer where I need it.

3) Then take a large powder brush and apply the MAC Studio fix all over my face in a swirling motion.

4) I apply the smashbox primer to my upper lashes (I don't wear it or mascara on the bottom).

5) I then immediately apply the Lancome mascara. I only do one coat on each.

6) I use my finger and apply the Tarte Cheek Stain to just the apples of my cheeks.

And that's my 5 minute face!

2review: Tarte Cheek Stain

I just bought this product a couple of weeks ago and I love it! I like wearing blush but hate the powdered ones and needed something creamy. So a friend of mine recommended this product. The color I have is called blissful. Now it is pricey, but the product will last you some time so it can be looked at as an investment. A lot of times I don't like to wear much make-up so I just dab a generous amount on the apples of my cheeks, apply mascara, lip gloss and go!