MAC

MAC Prim & Proper and dupes

~ stashy ~ 29 Comments

Ahh, this blush. THIS BLUSH. I love it, and I hate it.  Well, I mainly hate the fact that I didn’t buy a back-up of it.  It’s not the blush’s fault. But the love I have for it… yes, I want to marry it.
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It was part of MAC Give Me Liberty of London collection from 2010.  MAC’s official shade description is “neutral nude” which really downplays how nuanced the colour is.
MACPrimProper3
It’s a shimmering bronze nudey shade, yet it’s got a plummy-ness to it as well.  It registers as both warm and cool tone on the skin, depending on the rest of my makeup look.

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Inconsistent Products

~ stashy ~ 61 Comments

Today I’m looking at product inconsistencies.  Specifically, how does a product differ from batch to batch?  This might be a crazy thing to some people, but I do own multiples of the same makeup item because I like to have back-ups or have more than one to use at the same time (as in the case with makeup brushes).  Here are some things that I’ve found to be inconsistent:
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MAC 217 Blending brush and the like

~ stashy ~ 33 Comments

The 2nd installment of “Comparison Week” will feature the ever popular MAC 217 Blending Brush:
MAC217brush7
This versatile brush regularly appears on “Best Makeup Brushes” lists due to its high quality and multi-purpose-ness (yes that’s a word now).  It is rated 4.7 out of 5.0 on MakeupAlley with 946 reviews and 92% stated they would repurchase this brush again.  It is a universally lauded beauty tool.  But should you rush out to buy one?

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MAC Face & Body vs MUFE Face & Body

~ stashy ~ 43 Comments

This post kicks off “Comparison Week” here on the blog!  I’ll be comparing a bunch of products, showing differences and similarities, and maybe even unearth some dupes!

Today I’m comparing 2 foundations with the same name: MAC Face & Body and Make Up For Ever Face & Body.  Having the same name and similar claims naturally lend them to be compared against each other.  Since I posted my base stash not long ago, I had a few questions about my opinion on them, so I hope this comparison will help.
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MAC F&B comes in a plastic squeeze bottle, whereas MUFE comes in a glass bottle with a pump (the addition of the pump is a recent phenomenon, it used to be just a pour bottle).

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Back to MAC suggestions

~ stashy ~ 81 Comments

I’ve collected 6 MAC items to return to MAC!  They’re not all empties – most of them are expired products or items that just didn’t work for me.

For those of you may not be familiar with the program, this is what MAC’s site states:

Because we share your commitment to the environment, M·A·C accepts returns of its primary packaging through the Back To M·A·C Program. By returning six (6) M·A·C primary packaging containers to a M·A·C counter or M·A·C Cosmetics Online, you will receive a free M·A·C lipstick of your choice as a thank you.

Since 100% of the selling price of VIVA GLAM Lipsticks and Lipglass is provided to organizations that help people living with HIV/AIDS, these are excluded from this program.

I thought I’d show you what I’m returning to MAC and then you can help me decide what to select as my free lipstick!
BacktoMAC3
This will be kind of an empties / purge post too.

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MAC Paint Pots and Paints

~ stashy ~ 62 Comments

Today I’ll swatch my collection of MAC Paint Pots and Paints.  They’re an essential part of my daily eye makeup.  My lids are quite oily and after years of trial and error, I’ve finally settled on the fact that I need both a primer and a cream eye shadow base to create a canvas for my powder eye shadows.  MAC Paints Pots are hands down, one of the best cream eye shadows on the market.  They help to prevent creasing, can be worn a lone for a wash of colour, and they do not dry out as fast in the pots compared to others on the market (Maybelline Color Tattoos, I’m looking at you!)
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MAC Paint Pots ($26) contain 5g of product and are contained in glass jars, whereas the Paints (also $26) are in the squeeze tubes and contain 6.5g of product.

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The Blush Addict Tag

~ stashy ~ 32 Comments

I saw this Tag ages ago on Katie’s blog (Plus+Beauty) and I knew I had to do it.  Have you SEEN my blush stash post? 😛

What color blush suits your most?
Peachy nude shades – a good representation of this would be the Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop.
Clinique_CheekPop_ginger

Pressed, cream or loose blush?
Pressed.  It’s just the easiest for me to work with.  I have some cream and some loose (mineral) blushes and I hardly ever reach for them.

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Foundation, Powder, Concealer Stash

~ stashy ~ 66 Comments

Most people have maybe 1 or 2 foundations (perhaps a winter shade and one for summer), a couple of concealers (under eye dark circles vs covering blemishes), and a face powder.  That’s normal.  Why I have amassed this many foundations / powders / concealers (or as I call them, base products), I have no excuse for.  I couldn’t even fit everything I own into one frame so here’s a portion of what I’ll be showing today:
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I figure I would just lump all my base products including highlighters and bronzers into one post instead of them separating out.

Remember, this is a no judgement zone. 😉

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My MAC Extra Dimension collection

~ stashy ~ 55 Comments

I mentioned a while back that I love the then still limited edition MAC Extra Dimension finish, and I was super excited when it was announced that they were making it permanent.  Today, I’ll swatch my collection of Extra Dimension items, which include eye shadows, and blushers and a bronzer:
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Extra Dimension formula is described as a “liquid-powder hybrid” with most eye shadows having a shimmery finish – some do have more obvious glitter or frost.  They can be used dry or wet for higher intensity but I’ve never used them wet – I will have to try that eventually. Worn dry, I find them to be exceptionally pigmented and smooth (all my swatches are done dry).

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July beauty favourites and 200 Days of No-Buy

~ stashy ~ 57 Comments

I’ve never done a monthly favourites because I fear that my picks will become too repetitive month after month, since my favourites don’t change drastically.  Maybe it won’t be a monthly affair but let’s see how it goes. Before I get to my July favourites, I just want to acknowledge that today is my 200 day of No-Buy (aside from my birthday purchases, which is completely pardoned in No-Buy-land) – yay:
nobuyachievement200days
Onto the July favourites:
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