MAC PRO NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!!!

MAC PRO now available online to all!

Yes, this post is worthy of the caps in the headline.

Finally, MAC has made some of its most coveted (and hauled by yours truly) products from their PRO line available online at MACcosmetics.com. These are products and colors not regularly sold outside of MAC PRO stores unless repromoted in special collections or popping up unannounced on the website for sale. Before you run off to the site with credit card in hand, here are a few items I highly recommend purchasing.

Chromaline in BlackBlack

This is without a doubt the BLACKEST and most long-lasting gel eyeliner I have ever used. It is a waterproof gel/cream and It lasts through sweat, humidity (yes I have Florida tested it) and applies smooth and precisely. The pigmentation is second to none and no other black gel eyeliner I have tried has come close to how black this is. I personally like using a light line of this along my lashline to use as a ‘guide’ to putting on false eyelashes.

Chromagraphic Pencil in Hi-Def Cyan and Process Magenta

These brightly-colored pencils are very soft and go on smoother than the eye and lip pencils in MAC’s regular retail range. Hi-Def Cyan is truly cyan as in #E0FFFF hex code and the glowing blue color from TRON which looks amazing paired up with a black & silver smokey eye. I like to use the Process Magenta color as a lip liner to amp up pink and purple lipsticks.

Mixing Medium in Shine and Matte

Ever wonder how to get those gorgeous MAC pigments to stick on your lid? Have a fancy to fiddle with finishes? These mixing mediums are great to use to apply and punch up the intensity of MAC pigments, or to use with the eye shadows should you choose to. If you are a pigment hoarder like I am, you need this product in BOTH formulations.

Pigment in Kelly Green and Electric Coral, Eye Shadow in Bottle Green and Blue Calm

MAC pigments serve as wonderful bases in order to amp up your eyeshadow color. Kelly Green is a gorgeous green well-suited to cool skintones, and Electric Coral is just cool enough to make coral eyeshadows like Paradisco and Motif pop. I am very partial to MAC Veluxe Pearl finishes and bright blues so Blue Calm is a must while Bottle Green is a gorgeous dark matte green perfect for Fall/winter.

So those are all of my must haves. Of course the MAC Pro collection has lots of other lipstick colors (Violetta is definitely worth checking out) and items so definitely visit the website to see what goodies tickle your fancy.

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Makeup Intel: MAC Extra Dimension [April 2012]

Coming in April 2012, MAC invites you to take your eye shadow to the Extra Dimension.

: MAC Extra Dimension–bringing color to another level!

Scheduled for a North American release the first week of April 2012 (yes, same time as Reel Sexy) this collection will debut a new technological formula in the form of ten (10) Extra Dimension Eyeshadows and three (3) Extra Dimension Skinfinishes. Also coming back from its successful launch with the Semi-Precious eyeshadow collection are the split fibre cheek and eye shadow blending brushes.

: MAC Extra Dimension eye shadows–can they top Peacocky?

Extra Dimension Eye Shadows

Warm Thunder- mid-tone silver grey
Blue Orbit- light iridescent purple
Grand Galaxy- mid-tone violet
Lunar- royal blue
Havanna- mid tone copper brown
Sweet Heat- bright peach champagne
modern pewter mode-tone olive gold
Rich Core-mid tone aubergine
Dark Dare-charcoal black
Young Venus-pale white pink

With ten eye shadows it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Reports indicate these shadows are large-sized like the Mineralize eyeshadows that were recently relaunched. For me personally I like to gravitate towards colors I will use the most frequently given the size of the product. So with my skin tone (NW) in consideration and my budget, plus what my inner beauty geek tells me, here are my top pics for the Extra Dimension eye shadows

WARM THUNDER — Described as a mid-tone silver grey, strangely this a color missing from my eye shadow stash. I don’t own Electra nor do I own any MAC silver pigments. Silver is great on gals with cool/red undertones as a base and as a highlight.

: MAC Extra Dimension eye shadow in Warm Thunder

BLUE ORBIT — Light iridescent purple? Iridescent AND purple? I’m going to call this now as THE shade to get from this collection. This is a color I don’t recall MAC having anything in its current eye shadow or pigment lineup. So suffice it to say that in addition to the color, the iridescent effect, and the new formula, Blue Orbit will be the Shimmermint (from MAC’s Christmas Glitter & Ice ) of this collection.

: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Blue Orbit

SWEET HEAT — A bright peach champagne, this looks to be a very pretty brow highlight shade and even a nice neutral color to wear all over the eyelid. It looks like it will compliment cooler skintones a bit better but not so much that warm toned beauties couldn’t rock it.

: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Sweet Heat

MODERN PEWTER — Pow! This shade reminds me of the Dalliance eyeshadow from the Peacocky collection. This definitely looks to be a cool-toned shade and would look amazing blended with Blue Orbit for an interesting eye look. I know I plan to try it!

: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Modern Pewter

You can find pictures of the remaining shadows on this German website.

Extra Dimension Skinfinish

Whisper Of Gilt- light soft white gold with shimmery sheen
Superb- Soft peach nude with Multi dimensional shimmer
Glorify- Copper golden shimmer

Unlike the Mineralize Skinfinishes (which do not last on my super oily skin) the Extra Dimension Skinfinishes (EDS) are reported to be a new formula like the eye shadows. In the graphic earlier in this post where you see the small eye shadows and three ‘bigger’ ones, those three big ones look to be the Extra Dimension skinfinishes. What excites me about these is that if you have severely oily skin as I do, those Mineralize Skin Finishes seem to last only nanoseconds on your skin before evaporating into a thought. Me being the techno-geek that I am, I so hope these do last longer on my skin. Glorify, the one described as having the copper golden shimmer is definitely on my list. Superb may be next and this is probably the one that would look the best on all skin tones. Whisper of Gilt looks to be a little too light for my skintone but could be a nice highlighter.

Split Fibre Brushes

128 split fiber brush — Cheek brush
234 split fiber brush — Eyeshadow blending brush

MAC Split Fibre 128 and 235 brushes

Finding out these split fibre brushes were coming back was the main reason the Extra Dimension collection piqued my interest. Originally launched with the limited edition Semi-Precious collection last year, these brushes are unique in that one side is made up of natural hairs while the other side is made up of synthetic hairs. This makes for a great multi-purpose brush for applying cream shadows (like Paint Pots and Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams) and cream blushes. I use mine religiously to apply cream and powder products then blend them–all this with only having to use one brush.

Closeup of MAC Split Fibre 128 and 235 brushes

So are you excited about this collection? Planning to pick up a few items? See any colors that you just gotta have? Hit me up in the comments.

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Makeup Intel: MAC So Reel / Real Sexy [April 2012]

UPDATE! –> Official promo photos are up and you can see them here!

A little preface before we continue with this updated post.

What's this I'm seeing on Specktra? ANOTHER MAC collection? Yup!

As you can see if you’ve been reading my blog for awhile (and I am so grateful and thankful to each and every one of you readers) you’ll notice these Makeup Intel posts. I’ve noticed that while some folks post about upcoming collections and the color story, I’m more interested in how it translates to what I own, what folks might own, what my beauty sense says to grab and what to leave behind and look for later at the CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet–where cosmetics go to die).

So what’s the big news for Reel Sexy? A color story, swatches and a slightly postponed release date. A HUGE shout-out to Itching2Snitch over on Specktra for the color swatches.

MAC’s Reel Sexy collection is scheduled to release in APRIL 2012 now and is reported to consist of four (4) lipsticks, four (4) Cremesheen Glass (can’t stand those damn things), four (4) eye shadow duos, four (4) eye kohl pencils, Zoom Fast lash, Mineralize Skinfinish (Lightscapade) and two (2) blushes. You can see FabDiva20’slist of individual items from the collection.

MAC Reel Sexy Collection Lipsticks (yes, Watch Me Simmer is BACK!)

I really feel MAC has another strong lipstick lineup in this collection. The four lipsticks in this collection are Pink Popcorn, Reel Sexy, Watch Me Simmer (yes, THE one from Cook MAC) and Heroine. Pink Popcorn is described as a lavender color with a Lustre finish. MAC’s Lustre formulas have been very nice of late and I’m guessing it will have a pretty nice color payoff like Flamingo from the Iris Apfel collection. Reel Sexy is described as a light, bright coral with an Amplified finish. I feel that Amplified finishes are the best finish lipsticks MAC produces so the payoff should be amazing on general principle. I’d really like to know if this color leans orange or pink coral but I’ll have to wait until I can swatch it to find out. Watch Me Simmer is a pink coral that pulls really pink on skin with red undertones like mine and more orange on warmer skintones. If you missed out on getting this when the Cook MAC collection came out, make it a top priority to haul this color as it is well worth the hype. Heroine (not to be confused with Heroine from the Wonder Woman collection) is described as a bright violet purple with a matte finish. I love violet purples so if this matte finish is nice and smooth like Quick Sizzle was, I’m very much looking forward to it.

MAC Reel Sexy Collection Eye Shadow Duos

The Dynamic Duo eye shadows (cue 1960’s Batman theme music) are most likely packaged like the Colourizations duos that came out last year. Dynamic Duo One (DD1) coral with yellow pearlized pigments (veluxe pearl)/purple (matte). Dynamic Duo Two (DD2) violet duo chrome with pearlized pigments (frost)/violet (matte). Dynamic Duo Three (DD3) mid-tone purple (veluxe pearl)/teal blue (matte) and Dynamic Duo Four (DD4) is a mid-tone pink (satin)/blackened violet (matte). As I feel MAC’s Veluxe Pearl finishes give you more value and performance, I’d lean towards picking up DD1 and DD3 if the colors appeal to you. I will say that if the teal blue of DD3 looks too much like Robin’s Egg from Iris Apfel, it may not make purchasing this duo worthwhile.

Reel Sexy Collection Cremesheen Glasses

I am not a big fan of the Cremesheen Glass finish. I’m also not a fan of the Creamsheen lipstick finish. However, the look of Color Saturation just may change my mind. The four colors in this collection are: Private Screening (a mid-tone peach), Cinestyle (a mid-tone blue grey violet), Colour Saturation (a dark cool wine) and Star Quality (a bright orange coral). Considering the cost of Cremsheen glasses, the lighter colors aren’t as much of a good value as the darker colors if you plan to wear them alone.

Swatches of Blushes from MAC's Reel Sexy (credit: Specktra.net)

The two blushes in this collection are Pink Cult (a repromote from the Jeanius collection from last year) which is a mid-tone neutral pink and Magenta which is a bright magenta. I passed on Pink Cult in the Jeanius collection because I though it too warm for my skintone. Magenta looks gorgeous but as I already own a Magenta CCB from the Stylishly Yours collection, I’m not anxious to buy this one.

Phew! That’s enough for now. Once I hear a more firm release date I will update this post.

Much thanks to the gals at Specktra.net for the scoop.

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Makeup Intel: MAC For Marilyn Monroe [Fall 2012]

A MARILYN MONROE MAC COLLECTION IS COMING!!!

If you know anything about the icon Marilyn Monroe was, and still is, you know those caps are more than warranted.

Scheduled for release in stores in October, MAC is producing a makeup collection inspired by the illustrious Marilyn Monroe. According to the press information MAC provided to the Hollywood Reporter, and announced by MAC in their Twitter Feed on 2/22/12 the collection will be comprised of over 30 pieces including eye shadow, lipstick and other goodies. I will post more information as it is released to the public.

Here is the full text of the article from The Hollywood Reporter

Blonde bombshell moment: MAC Cosmetic has unveiled plans for a special makeup collection inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s glamorous beauty. The limited-edition line (in partnership with Authentic Brands Group) includes nearly 30 products — eye shadow, lipstick (think retro red and hot pink), nail lacquer and eyeliner — and will arrive in stores in October.

“Marilyn’s an icon, plain and simple. Her look not only defined a generation but also is relevant today,” MAC senior vp James Gager told THR. Monroe’s presence is felt everywhere, even 50 years after her death, from NBC’s new hit show Smash, which stars American Idol alum Katharine McPhee and Broadway vet Megan Hilty, to the Oscar-nominated My Week With Marilyn with Michelle Williams.
“Marilyn’s back in the zeitgeist,” says Gager.

Start saving those credits, Programs. This is going to cost a chunk of change!

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Cook MAC Tendertones: The Rundown

Granted the Shop MAC / Cook MAC collection is for Spring 2012, here in the Northeastern US it is absolutely frigid. And as such, chapped lips are constantly on my mind. So when I heard the legendary Tendertones from MAC were making an appearance, I wondered if they were worth all the radio chatter. Are they worth it? Let’s discuss…

To paraphrase Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, "Should you believe the hype?"

There are a total of four (4) Tendertones released in the Cook MAC portion of this Spring 2012 release. I picked up the two most pigmented which are Hot N Saucy, and Purring. Hot N Saucy is a bright Jolly Rancher/Skittles red color that is translucent and goes on the lips semi-sheer. Purring is a bright tangerine orange that goes on with a hint of color. Not as bold as Hot N Saucy but you can definitely notice the pigmentation.

Purring Tendertone from Cook MAC. Looks crazy in the pot but sheers out on the lips.

Hot 'N Saucy Tendertone. My favorite one for the obvious red semi-sheer tint on the lips.

So on the surface all of these Tendertones just look like Philosophy Kiss Me lipgloss in a pot with the same delicious smells. But that’s where the comparison end. Tendertones are jam-packed with moisture and I noticed a definite difference in my lips when using it the first time. I’m so-so about the Jack Black lipbalms (which I think are overhyped), can take or leave the Philosophy ones and think my EOS (Evolution of Smooth) ones are wonderful, but these Tendertones I am just over the moon about.

From left: Hot 'N Saucy Tendertone, Purring Tendertone

The big reason these Tendertones are so moisturizing is found in the ingredients. Not the petrolatum (which I’m sensitive to in large quantities but in this it doesn’t irritate me or give me an allergic reaction) which provides slip and a moisture barrier, not the various fruit oils but this sucker contains…wait for it…murumuru butter! Yes, the same murumuru butter that is in the legendary and vulgar display of price point lipsticks of Tom Ford fame. Murumuru butter is also very expensive relative to the ubiquitous cocoa butter and shea butter. This is probably why Tendertones are a limited edition.

I’ve read some reviews from people saying they don’t like the lip gloss being in a pot. That of course is a personal preference. I don’t like having to squeeze the frakking tube to get the last bit out which is why I love the smooth EOS lip balm spheres. My personal advice concerning Tendertones is this: buy a retractable lip brush to use with them. Revlon makes a cheap one, Sonia Kashuk for Target has one, Sephora definitely has one and NARS has a chic one.

Tendertones from the Cook MAC collection are $15 USD and are currently available at all MAC locations. These are also going FAST! Nordstrom.com has a backorder of 2/20/12 on some of the Tendertones while Maccosmetics.com is sold out of all but one (and that is Coming Soon).