MAC

Blogmas Day 3: Gift Ideas

~ stashy ~ 39 Comments

This isn’t just any ol’ gift ideas post – I’ll focus on gift ideas for the beauty addict – because that’s what I know best! 😛  There are 2 schools of thought on gift giving for beauty items: buy practical things that you know the person uses up and would want a replenishment.  Or, buy things which perhaps are a little frivolous and the person might not buy for herself.  I don’t see any issues with either of those strategies, you can even give a mix from each categories – so here are my gift ideas divided into: Sensible and Sensational. 😉

I’m not a fan of pre-packaged gift sets – I think it’s more thoughtful to pick items and package them together yourself.  I’m going to keep the gift ideas capped to below $100 so it’s realistic!

Sensible

Blogmas_day3_gift_ideas5
Shiseido Facial Cotton x6 ($11 each = $66)
I’d be pleased as punch if I received enough Shisedo cotton for an entire year!

Continue reading →

MAC foundation samples

~ stashy ~ 38 Comments

I got 3 MAC foundations samples when I went in the last time to redeem my “free” lipstick for the Back to MAC program.  I’ve now had the chance to try all 3 foundations at least twice each, so I can provide a first impressions type of review on them.
MAC_foundation_samples2
The foundations I got were: Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm SPF35, Matchmaster SPF15 Foundation, and Mineralize Moisture. Firstly, what I typically like in my everyday foundations:
• lightweight – skin-like finish
• easy application – I typcially use my fingers
• long wearing – at least 8 hrs to last me through a work day
• good colour match
I have combo skin with an oilier t-zone, sensitive skin that can get dehydrated.  Foundation is a product that I like to try a sample first before taking the plunge with a full size – I like to check the colour match in a variety of lighting, and also make sure they don’t cause break outs.
MAC_foundation_samples3
I’ve been curious to try the Mineral Moisture foundation since its launch and the other 2 samples were chosen for me by the MA who recommended them based on my preferences and skin type. Here are my thoughts on each after trialing them.

Continue reading →

MAC Party Line Lipstick

~ stashy ~ 59 Comments

Finally, I’m getting around to wearing MAC Party Line!  I got this a while back as my Back to MAC item, where I returned 6 MAC empties for a lipstick.  That was back in September.  But the shade I chose was quite a deep plum colour, more of a Fall-looking shade that I had to wait until recently to wear.
MACPartyLine4
Plus, I had to work up the nerve to wear this deep colour! 😮
Continue reading →

MAC Studio Sculpt Defining Powder

~ stashy ~ 39 Comments

Since I finished up my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (MSFN) powder last month, I finally got to open up my MAC Studio Sculpt Defining Powder (SSDP), which has been sitting in my stash since it launched in Sept 2014. :/  I know… I have a tendency to buy stuff and then not open it for months.
MAC_Studio_Sculpt_Defining_Powder2
The compact costs $37 for 10g and is made in Italy.  I mainly bought this because the tester at the MAC store felt so smooth.  I told the MA that I love the MSFN and she said this was comparable but even more smooth looking. I was intrigued!  I was matched to the Light Plus shade.

Continue reading →

Trash Stash: October 2015

~ stashy ~ 59 Comments

October’s trash stash features an exciting bunch of MAKEUP products – woohoo!  Every month I put my empties in a Sephora tote and this month, it was overflowing:
trash201510_2
But I did manage to get a group shot:
trash201510_3
Last month I seemed to have finished all my face skincare, but this month I seemed to have finished all my base makeup!

Continue reading →

TBT: MAC Twig

~ stashy ~ 72 Comments

In today’s Throwback Thursday post, I’m showing my MAC Twig lipstick:
MAC_twig4
The colour in itself isn’t really a throwback, although I’m willing to bet money that the shade has been around since the inception of MAC.  But what’s TBT about this lipstick is the bullet.  It’s silver.  And no, it’s not a limited edition.

Continue reading →

TBT: Wayback Machine

~ stashy ~ 28 Comments

I’ve been wanting to start some Throwback Thursday (TBT) posts for a while now, and I figured I’d start with a fun one: Internet Archive Wayback Machine
TBT_wayback2
If you’re not familiar, Internet Archive Wayback Machine started in 1996 to archive the World Wide Web, page by page. You just type in a url into the Wayback Machine and it will display a timeline with every instance that a snapshot has been made of the site:
TBT_wayback3
What’s great about the Wayback Machine is that it retains a fully functioning website with links and images (where available) as if time stood still.  I’m fond of nostalgia, so I could honestly spend hours looking up old versions of websites.  For fun, I dug up some old makeup sites!

Continue reading →

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish

~ stashy ~ 44 Comments

This post was prompted by the prospect of letting go one of my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (MSF) in my makeup purge.  By now, you will already know which one got the boot.  I only owned 3 of them in total, so the 33% reduction was a significant event.  I owned:
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Left to right:
Stereo Rose – Coral with golden bronze shimmering nuances
Petticoat – Pale rose with gold and amber veining
Rio – Bronze with bright pink pearl

Mineralize Skinfinishes are baked products with a marbled effect which makes them very eye-catching in the pans (they look like little planets to me!)  MAC describes them as “A luxurious powder with 77-Mineral Complex that adds highlights to the face and body”. MSFs can vary so much in their finish, level of shimmer and pigmentation from shade to shade.  There are some that are more of a highlight but some act more like a blush.  The 3 that I own I use as blush.

Continue reading →

Back to MAC pick and some other stuff

~ stashy ~ 44 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I asked for recommendations on which MAC lipstick to trade in for, and a number of you chimed in on your recommendations.

Back to MAC
Hint: It’s a Cremesheen!

The big reveal!

Continue reading →

Where was it made?

~ stashy ~ 79 Comments

On this Labour Day holiday, I thought I would examine where in the world our cosmetics are made.  It’s something that I always take note whenever I buy a product – I like to turn over the compact or box to find that fine print: made in xx / fabriquĂŠ au xx. For me personally, of the typical cosmetics producing countries, here’s how I rank them in terms of quality, from high to low: Disclaimer: this post in no way is a reflection of all qualities of products made in each country. I understand that there are high and low quality products made in every country. This is a generalized overview, and as such, there will be exceptions.

France – most notable for perfumes and skincare.  Certain brands exclusively produce in France, staying true to their origin, such as Guerlain, Chanel, and Bourjois.  I feel that these brands focus on controlling both the heritage and integrity of their products.  There are also excellent pharmacy skincare brands like Nuxe, Avene and Bioderma – luckily in Canada we have easy access to these brands!

made in France
Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush, Guerlain Meteorites Perles, Yves Rocher eyeshadow, Sisley makeup remover

Interestingly, I noticed that my Benefit Boxed Powder Blush changed from “Made in USA” (in the shade Dallas) to “Made in France” (Hervana) and 4g less product!
Benefit Boxed Powder Blush

Continue reading →