Mac Technique and Mac haul

I still feel a bit overwhelmed when I enter a Mac store even though I've been inside plenty a time (I'd say at least once a month now that we have a Mac in my hometown Leuven).  There's just so much to choose from, sometimes I wish I could be locked in a Mac shop for a night just so I would have time to try out everything.  Unfortunately that's never going to happen but a good alternative is to book a Mac Technique class.  Last week I went to my third (I think) Mac Technique, the first one in Leuven, and I took my bestie along (if you're Dutch speaking you can read her blogpost about it here).

A little surprise was waiting for us, a black Mac Technique makeup bag

 and a travel size mascara (which I threw in my handbag and of course

 it's nowhere to be found, it has probably disappeared in that secret section

 of my handbag where stuff just magically disappears in and just as

 magically turns up again someday).

Mac Technique is like a private group makeup class, we were 7 including myself, and the reason for booking one is different for everyone.  Some people just started using makeup, others wanted to learn more about techniques and others (like myself) just wanted to test products/colors that are out of the comfortzone.  All of this is under supervision of well trained Mac MUA's (Katleen, Elke and Eva in our case) and served with snacks, drinks and lots of laughs ... all the ingredients for a fun friday evening!

MAC HAUL!!!

(and a sample size foundation and concealer)

When you sign up for Mac Technique you have to buy a voucher of 60€ that you can use to buy products on the night itself.  Needless to say I had no problems spending my 60€ and then some.  

Mac eyeshadows in Coppering (bottom) and Nocturnelle (top)

I was brave when they asked me what colors I'd like to use on my eyes.  I went with "you can choose, I'm open for everything and anything".  After a bit of whispering (I admit I did get a bit nervous at that point), Katleen and Elke introduced this duo to me: Nocturnelle and Coppering.  I know purple and orange tones go great together yet I never really try this combo on myself.  But these two were great together!  I even got some compliments from the man when I got home ...

Mac fluidline pencil in Metropolis

I used this on the outer part of my upper lashes, smudged it out and immediately decided to buy it.  The color is described as a deep metal grey and since black can be a bit harsh on me, this is a great alternative.

Mac lip scrubtious in Candied Nectar

I'll be doing a blogpost on lip scrubs soon but this one got me hooked on its smell alone.  You'll see more details on this soon so stay tuned!

Mac blushes in Blush All Day and Harmony

(I couldn't get the colors to appear correct in this picture)

I used Blush All Day on myself and since I've been looking around for a new blush colors I decided to get it together with Harmony (Eva was wearing this one and I was looking for a more brownish blush).

Mac blushes in Harmony and Blush All Day (top row) 

compared to a cool toned Sculpting powder in the color Sculpt

As you can tell by this picture, Harmony is actually very wearable and not at all too brown.

Mac cremesheen lipstick in Crosswires

Crosswires is described as a bright pink-orange and this color has been on my wish list for ages so I finally decided to just buy it (and make space for new items on my wish list).

Mac mini Zoomlash mascara in Beets Me

I admit I bought this for my makeup kit because aubergine colors are a necessity.  I love these mini mascara's, they come in a few different colors and since you usually don't use these colors on a daily bases there really is no need to buy a full size one.

I really love these Mac Technique classes, I always have so much fun and come home with goodies that I probably never would've tried if left on my own.  So if you want to venture out in to the Mac world of makeup go check out your local Mac store for Mac Technique dates.

HAUL: MUFE, MUG, MAC, Catrice and Rimmel

I know you all got the silent treatment these past few weeks but if you think I didn't do any beauty shopping during that time, you're dead wrong.  And I'm ashamed to admit that I've gone a bit overboard the past week as wel, think concealers (two different brands!), moisturizer, some lip colors  and eyeshadowpalettes.  That's right eyeshadowpalettes, as in more than one.  Don't judge,  it's not like I'm hurting anyone here and in my defense the eyeshadowpalettes are limited edition and one of the concealers was restocked after being sold out for a couple of weeks so I had no choice but to buy it now.  You know I'm right about that!

So here's a little* haul with some first impressions and reviews.

First up I ordered some plastic make up bags from Make Up Forever.  Nothing really special about these but I really love plastic make up bags.  I use them when I travel to put in liquids because they are just so easy to clean and if a liquid was to explode the plasic would keep the product inside (as opposed to a cotton makeup bag where all your clothes would be affected).  I ordered 3 because I couldn't make out the size online.  

The material is really sturdy, which isn't a bad thing necessarily because it shows that these aren't made of some crappy cheap plastic but they will take some breaking in to get them more 'easy going'.  The largest one is a different model than the other two and I was hoping that this one was a bit taller and I could put some MUFE Ultra HD foundations in there standing but that's not the case.  

I recently discovered the charms of palettes you can customize.  Buying a prepaid palette is usually a lot cheaper than buying all the colors separately, but there are always a few colors in there that you'll hardly (if ever) use.   Making your own palette is a solution to that.  I bought a large empty Mac palette with the blush insert.  

That's one lonely Sculpting powder in 'Sculpt' you're seeing.  Sad isn't it?  Maybe I should go out and get her a new friend so she's not lonely anymore ;-)

I couldn't just order the makeup bags and in all fairness, I am lacking in the lip pencil department so I bought 2 Make Up Forever Aqua Lip Pencils.  I love these!!  I used them every day when I did my course at MUFE and they are so easy to work with but because they are water resistent they stay on like forever (unless you're eating oily stuff but since oil dissolves all makeup that's normal).  Safe to say I will be getting more of these babies soon!

I got the color 2C Rosewood (top swatch) and 18C Coral (bottom swatch). 

The iconic 5 Camouflage Cream Palette has been on my wish list for a while.  I'm not the biggest fan of camouflage but sometimes you just need a bit extra and this palette provides that.  A very creamy consistency and not tacky at all makes that these are very easy to use (when you know how to use them anyway).

I already said that I would gradually be expanding my Makeupgeek collection and this month these 3 beauties joined the ranks.  

From left to right: Grandstand (foiled), Americano and Beaches & Cream.  Like the other shadows these are great quality.  The foiled eyeshadow really surprised me, so creamy and blendable while being very pigmented.  Nothing but love for these!!

Another lip pencil but by Rimmel this time.  They recently launched new lipsticks and their lip pencils are the same (or almost the same) colors.  I had bought a few before but really wanted this color.  The only bad thing about these lip pencils is that they are really soft and therefor they break easily while applying.  It's a system where you turn and the product comes up and you really have to make sure you don't turn it too high because it will just break off.  But other than that they apply easy and are a great base for your lipstick.  I went out to dinner with this one as a base and the matching lipstick on top and after dinner the lipstick was almost completely gone but the pencil was still there.

I got the color 018 Addiction.

Lastly I got me some Catrice eye pencils.  3 Kohl Kajal colors and one Longlasting eye pencil waterproof.  This may surprise you but I don't have that many eye pencils and I wanted some Kohl pencils to use as a base for a smokey eye.  

From left to right: Longlasting Eye Pencil Waterproof in 100 Pearly Bird, Kohl Kajal in 210 Brownzer, Kohl Kajal in 140 Chocwaves and Kohl Kajal in 010 Ultra Black.  I haven't tried the Longlasting Eye Pencil yet but if it is indeed waterproof I will get some more colors, you can't go wrong for 2,39!  I do have mixed feelings about the Kohl Kajal pencils, they worked great for the smokey eye I had in mind but when I used Bronwzer at the roots of my eyelashes to accentuate them on a normal working, the color didn't stay put at all.  Not even until noon!  I usually wear an Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil and they stay put all day.  I think I'm going to get a dark brown Longlasting pencil to see how that one holds up.

So there you have it.  It turned out to be a bit of a longer blogpost than I anticipated but hey, it is weekend so there's plenty of time to read.  If there's anything you see that you want to know more about just leave a comment.

* little is open for interpretation ;-)

Where to buy:

Make Up Forever: makeupforever.be (or your local MUFE website)

MAC: maccosmetics.be (or your local MAC website)

Makeupgeek: Beautybay.com (Europe) or makeupgeek.com (internationally)

Rimmel: at the local drugstore

Catrice: Kruidvat.be

MAC Viva Glam Miley Cyrus 2

Did I really need another red lipstick?  Of course not.  So the only way I can justify buying these is that I was supporting a good cause.  That, and the fact that a girl can never have too many red lipsticks, was enough reason for me to buy these.

I have to agree that the lipstick isn't really anything new, it's almost the same color as Lady Danger.  It's a gorgeous red (although Mac describes it as bright orange) matt lipstick.  Gorgeous but nothing new really ...

I'm not a lipgloss girl and this one hasn't been able to turn me into one.  I always reach for a lipstick and only on a very rare occasion do I put on gloss.  I just don't like the feeling of glosses, it's just always 'there' you know.  When wearing a good lipstick, I hardly feel like I have anything on my lips but when I put on gloss, I always feel it sitting on my lips and that irritates me so much.  I want make-up to been seen and no to be felt by me.

The combination of these two though ... it's just magic.  There are no other words for it.  I absolutely love them together.  I love them so much that I've been wearing them almost daily these past week, my week off work.  I wore them during our visit to Ikea, I wore them when I was going through my old clothes, I wore them to dinner with the man and I even wore them while I was vacuuming (just because I could) ...  I'm dreading going back to work and one of the reasons is that I won't be able to wear these.  Well, technically I guess I could but I can only imagine the reaction of my colleagues and clients.  But I will be wearing these to the zoo tomorrow, fingers crossed that I won't spook the monkeys ;-)

I know I look half asleep but it was the best one I could make, 

working had on the selfie game :-)

Where to buy:

You can buy the Viva Glam Miley Cyrus 2 Lipstick (€19,50) and Lipglass (€18,50) at a Mac Cosmetics store or online.

MAC Relentlessly Red lipstick (retro matte formula)

I like a bold lip, just not for everyday.  I don’t find it very work appropriate on my face so I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing it at work.  But when I’m not working and especially when I’m going out, I love putting on a bold lip.  It just makes me feel totally different somehow.  I guess that’s the magic of make up for me, depending on what I put on it can make me feel totally different (rocky, romantic, fierce …).

Yesterday was girls night out, the best occasion to pull out the latest addition to my lipstick collection: Relentlessly Red by MAC.  If you look up the lipstick on the international MAC website it’s described as a 'bright pinkish coral red' on the Belgian website it’s described as a 'bright coral red'.  There’s definitely a lot of pink in this lipstick so if I was looking for a coral red lipstick and I would’ve bought this based on the description, I would not have been a very happy camper.  But I bought it in store after seeing it on a you tube video so I knew exactly what color I was getting.

And I love it!  The lipstick has a retro matte formula which I love.  I had no problems applying it but I do moisturize my lips all day long when I know I’m going to be wearing a matte lipstick at night.  Your lips have to be smooth because it will show every imperfection your lips might have.

Oh and can we just talk about the smell of a new MAC lipstick … is there anything that smells better?  Probably, but that’s besides the point here.  When I open a new MAC lipstick the first thing I do is close my eyes and smell it.  It’s just that typical vanilla MAC lipstick smell.  I swear they put some kind of drug in there because that smell is just addictive.

'the serious look'*

I don’t know what your girls nights out are like but mine typically involve: drinks, noise, starters, more noise, food, quiet while we eat, dessert (sometimes, depending on how many of us feel guilty about it) or coffee, more noise … and then it depends, it was a Sunday and most of us had to work so I called it a night after that.  But if it was a Saturday, there would probably be more drinks (preferably frozen margaritas to give me that brain freeze from hell that you just want more of) and much much much more noise.  Because girls you know …

'the half smile' with a little touch up (automatic lighting correction) on the right*

So after all that eating and drinking, what was going on on the lips you wonder?  Well, there was less lipstick (which is normal) but there was still a nice stain of color on them.  I really had to wash it of with make-up remover.  So thumbs up for sustainability. 

when taking selfies gets boring*

What is it with bold lip colors?  I really don’t know but the fact is that I probably have more bold colors than I do more muted, everyday colors even though I don’t wear them as often.  But that won’t stop me buying them.  They make me feel fierce and every girl deserves to feel fierce from time to time.

*selfies are taken with an Iphone5 and are not my forte, in case you hadn't noticed already, no filters were used and no touch ups unless stated differently

Where to buy:

You can buy Mac Relentlessly Red at a Mac counter, Mac (pro) store or online (www.maccosmetics.be for the Belgian readers, in case you didn't know).  Retail price is €19,50.

Everyday makeup routine

Jeej, it’s monday - said no one ever.  I imagine most of us have a morning routine we don’t mess with once it’s in place and there isn’t a lot of margin for change.  So it’s no surprise that my makeup routine for working days is pretty much the same every day.  I can even do this before I have my first cup of coffee and it usually takes me 10-15 minutes max to put it on.  (the exception being those days where I really can’t get started no matter how hard I try and I end up wondering why there isn’t any color coming off my mascara only to find that I’ve been putting 3 coats of eyebrow gel on my lashes).  I guess I can even get it down to 5-10 minutes but putting on makeup feels like a little treat to me, a bit of me time before the hustle of the workday starts and therefore I don’t want to rush it.

This is what I wear to work every day, I’m going for the 'me but better' look.  Very natural and not too 'synthetic’ looking and something that easy to apply even when you’re still half a sleep.  

First is the base: Mac Prep + Prime Natural Radiance Base Lumière in Radiant Pink.  I love this, it feels moisturizing and gives my skin a healthy glow. The skin on my cheeks is quite dry and as I’m getting older I feel like my skin is starting to look a bit more dull, especially in fall/winter time.  This is the perfect primer if you want to remedy that.  

In the fall/winter I put on a real foundation but now that the weather is getting warmer, I switch to a BB cream or something similar.  Last year I bought the Guerlain Lingerie De Peau BB Beauty Booster in Light and since I had some left I started using it again this year.  I still love it as much as I did last year, it’s easy to apply (I use my fingers instead of a brush for this one),it looks really natural and has an SPF 30.

I don’t use under eye concealer simply because I haven’t found one that doesn’t crease.  I have lines under my eyes so under eye concealer is a tricky one.

To set everything I use my Hello Flawless powder by Benefit and for a blush I love my MAC legendary blush from the Marilyn Monroe collection.

For my eyes I really wouldn’t know what to do without my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.  My eyelids are a bit greasy so without a primer my eyeshadow would never stay put.  Next up is MAC Haux in the crease or should I say to create a crease.  I have hooded eyes (it only gets worse when you get older, don’t say I didn’t warn you) so I don’t really have a crease.  Nevermind, I just slap the color above my eyelid and pretend it’s a crease.  MAC All that glitters on my eyelid and MAC Dazzle light on the inner corner for that extra pop.  After the lash curler had done it’s duty I tightline my upper lashline with a brown pencil (Bourjois Contour Clubbing waterproof pencil in 57 up and brown) and a good coat of Benefit’s They're Real mascara.

MAC Eyebrow pencil in Fling to fill in those brows a bit and to set it Hema eyebrow gel

And to finish it all off some MAX fix+ which helps the whole thing to melt together and make it look very natural.

I play with the lip color a bit although I don’t go for very bold colors when I have to go to work.  But MAC Pink Plaid, Cut A Caper or Shy girl are regular guests here, as are Too Faced Melted liquified long wear lipstick in Melted Peony and Urban Decay Sheer Revolution lipstick in Sheer Streak.

A simple, neutral look that you really don't have to think about, perfect for weekdays!