Good Gloss

Oh, how difficult it can be to find one that does not glue hair to your lips or make you look like you just ate a lot of fried chicken. My current favorites for dress-up are ck Calvin Klein Delicious Pout Flavored Lip Gloss in Pastel Gold and MAC Lip Gelee in Saphoric. Milani Crystal Lip Gloss in Taboo is a reliable everyday gloss but I have not gone near it in ages. Partly because I don't wear gloss to the office, and partly because I've been moving away from pink browns with blue undertones and leaning towards peach. By some twisted logic, these two reasons encouraged me to find a better everyday gloss. Read - I'm bored.

I gave Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lip Glaze in Forever Fig a try and found exactly that. The color is a natural, sheer peachy/pink, and the formula is far more moisturizing than I expected. Nice shimmer, but not over-the-top. A very mature and versatile gloss. Give it a try if you want something reliable to toss into your bag.

$7 @ Drugstores

Fall/Winter Makeup Update

Wow, is it almost December already? Scary thought. I can't believe my evolution is - still evolving. The time is flying so fast, I really do forget how many days go by without detailing my current makeup trials and tribulations.

Given that I was still somewhat of a newbie when I first started blogging about them and the current fall/winter season, I thought it was time to update you on what has become near and dear to me.

On a daily basis, I've been using my L'Oreal liquid eyeliner in Defined by Plum, Cover Girl TruShine Lipcolor in Chocolate Shine, and the love of my life, Almay's Amazing Eye Liner in Black Brown. Blush enters in somewhat of a variety show, but big stars have been NYX Blush in Pecan and L'Oreal's TruBlend Blush in Subtle Sable.

Other products I continue to use regularly and which serve me well (both makeup and skincare):

Clinique Almost Powder (SPF 15) in Deep
Clinique Line-Smoothing Concealer in Deep Honey
NYX Eye Shadow Trio - Guru
The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Blemish Stick (a real life-saver)
Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream
Phisoderm Gel Clarifying Moisturizer
Nivea Lip Care
MAC Lipstick in Polished Up combined w/ Milani Lip Gloss in Taboo

The cooler weather and much clearer skin (thank you, Tretinoin) have been helping things along quite a bit, and I'm grateful. Fall/winter are definitely favorable makeup evolution seasons - too bad I started this over the summer. You live, you learn.

Much Ado About MAC

Of late, I must admit that I have been contemplating returning to MAC liners for my eye-defining needs. I have found 2 drugstore liners (pencils & liquid) that have been satisfactory, but only in certain colors - black and black/brown. For more interesting colors/formulas, I've been reflecting on my past MAC experiences and think that it's time to revisit.

Which is why I'm excited about a couple of new liners from the company's limited edition (of course) collections. Pearlglide, from the Suite Array collection is described as a "creamy kohl-like eye liner with a sparkly, reflective finish...Highly pigmented: stands out for its rich, luxurious colors and pearl-metal look." This is a look/finish/formula that I've been very eager to work with, but have found that other brands (drugstore and not) didn't have the color payoff I need for my skin. Knowing MAC and from this description, these might be the more pigmented formulas that I need.

The 8 available colors are - Black Russian (black with navy blue glitter), Molasses (dirty brown with midtone brown glitter), Bankroll (rich green with bright green sparkle), Fly-by-Blu (light blue with blue glitter), Wolf (deep gray with gold glitter), Rave (deep purple with purple glitter), Miss Fortune (eggplant with light pink glitter), and Spare Change (midtone brown with copper glitter). Miss Fortune could hopefully fulfill my BIV (blue, indigo, violet - purple shades) quest.

I thought Pearglide might be similar to this summer's Starflash series in a wider (and better) range of colors, but from the descriptions, I'm not so sure. The swatches for these liners are lighter than expected, and I'm hesitant about the "glitter" and "sparkle" content.

Next, the Dual Edge Eye Pencil (limited edition), which has a regular liner on one end and a glitter-based one on the other. Again, I'm not sure how I feel about the glitter-end, but the pencil reminds me of a similar one from Vincent Longo that I've admired for months.


When it comes to shadow, also eye'ing the Eye Shadow Suite in Team Violets. The Rose duo is picture here - so pretty, and it's nice to see duos from MAC.

If all of the above fail to impress, I'm going to go stick with a Powerpoint or two for a while and see if a few months of experimentation has changed my view on them. I will test and report back soon.

Much Ado About Clinique & Such

Being that I was born the day I wrote about my Clinique concealer, it's not surprising that I've rediscovered the entire brand. Actually, discovered is more like it. Clinique has always seemed too old-school and basic to me, and I've really bothered with it.

That's right - I've never owned a Clinique skincare or cosmetic product. Once in high school I experimented with the Facial Cleansing Bar and Dramatically Different Moisturizer and hated it. I currently have the gel version of the same moisturizer and feel the same way. I love the 2 lipsticks I have though (Chocolate Ice & Rum Raisin)!

My first real makeup purchases were either from the drugstore, MAC, BeneFit, Prescriptives, or similar, newer lines that didn't exist when my sister was in high school (yeah, that's kind of how I define such things...).

When the sweet sales assistant at the Clinique counter matched me for concealer and the Almost Powder Spf 15, I experimented with its eye shadows, and was so impressed. While I haven't yet found the right shade, there were more than enough options. The few that I did test had an excellent finish - sort of shimmery but not sparkly, pigmented, but not too much, wearable for work but not completely boring either (Gold Rush and Sienna Glaze).

I mentioned to her that I was less and less satisfied with MAC lately (returned Starflashes and contemplating getting rid of Bronze shadow) and she explained the most basic thing to me - certain lines are for certain kinds of makeup and wear, and few of the ones I've been exploring would thus have what I'm looking for. Light bulb moment. Clinique may not have the best shades for my skin tone, but it will be worth exploring brands that carry the lighter, more natural, everyday makeup I'm looking for.

So in addition to the concealer in Deep Honey, I also go the Almost Powder in Deep. It was perfect in the store and has been reasonably good the last few days - no drying, good color match, made my skin feel smooth afterwards. This morning, I had one of those Makeup Alley moments that I loathe reading about - the color seemed to magically change on my face!

Ok, ok, I'm sure it had something to do with the awful condition of my skin when I applied it...I had just walked across Central Park in oh, about 80 degree weather. My face was ruddy, sweaty, and irritated. In an attempt to correct the situation, I brushed some powder on and - ew. It went on an ashy, muddy taupe that looked nothing like my skin.

I hope this doesn't happen again, otherwise I might considering taking this back to the store. In general though, I'm pretty happy with this powder - it's one of the many staples I didn't really have (L'Oreal was temporary) but need. $22.50 @ Sephora

Things I've Been Reaching For Lately

This is a quasi follow-up to my previous list of products I've been consistently using (check it out here).

Since then, I've become mentally exhausted by many a thing for no good reason, and so I've been reaching for the bare basics in the mornings, if anything at all (those marked by an asterisk are products I don't necessary use - only if I'm in the mood). These include, in some combination or another:

*1) NYX Blush in Pecan or Rimmel Blush in Berry
2) L'Oreal FeatherLash Mascara in Black
*3) MAC Bronze eye shadow or NYX trio palette in Guru
4) The Body Shop Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm
*5) Jordana Easy Liner in Eggplant

And that's about all - for no more than $15 might I add. I've nixed the face powder since my skin has cleared up a bit.

For some reason, I feel more comfortable with this list than my last one. My makeup bag is definitely lighter, and I never feel the least bit done or not like myself. Although the other day, after touching up with some Pecan, my friend noticed and said "nice makeup!"

I'm not sure how I feel about this - the point is sort of not to look done, and yet, of course it will be noticeable when I'm wearing something since I normally don't. At the same time, there's no point in wearing so little that is completely indiscernible and you don't look any better!

I'm toying with the idea of adding an additional product - or replacing about 4 of the above with it. You will hear about it very soon...

Star Crazy - MAC Starflash Collection

I hope those closest to me don't read this because they will surely think I've developed a problem. Over the last few days, I've experimented with various MAC Starflash products and been in Macy's several times conducting exchanges/returns.

This is all partly because I have credit at Macy's right now and am happy not to be actually spending extra money on this habit. Still, it is a tad neurotic and I will probably stop very soon since I've had so-so experiences so far. If only Macy's weren't so close to Penn Station...

So, onto these majorly-hyped MAC Starflash shadows. I was glad to hear about this new, and of course, limited edition formula. It was supposed to be a softer mix of pearl/metallic/matte shadows - exactly the kind I had been looking for.

Smoke & Diamonds, already sold-out online and in some stores, seems to be the new favorite, but I went with Glamour Check (dark pink/copper), Go (dark bronze), and Bold & Brazen (basically, Starflash's answer to Expensive Pink - a light, peachy/pink). All of these had a hints of pink, dark brown, and bronze, versus the gunmetal tones of Smoke & Diamonds. While I did like the finish of all three, I didn't think it was anything to write home about - it was very similar to my Smashbox shadows, and those aren't unique, limited editions!

I'm only considering keeping one - Bold & Brazen, because it is similar to the Expensive Pink I love, but a more workable version for daily wear. However, in this formula it also makes me look more washed out - EP has the gold tones that complement my skin.

Since I'm on this Starflash spree, I figured I'd give Mink & Sable (a dark, shimmery olive green) a try before calling it quits. Green actually suits me so maybe this will be the dark shadow I've been looking for. One can hope.

I really wanted the Starflash Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Raven (pictured above), a deep, coppery, "blackened" magenta, to work because it seemed similar to Laura Mercier's Black Violet (and other blackened shades) kohl pencil. It was beautiful on my hand (what else is new) but did nothing for my eyes, and was more metallic and glittery than expected, and definitely less kohl-like. I think Mystery, a blackened teal, might do me more justice.

Will keep you all posted as I become increasingly more disillusioned by eye shadow. $14.50 each @ MAC

Milani Eye Shadow - Flare

Oh my goodness. It's been a while since I wanted to make out with a product, even though I've had some decent successes so far. But this eye shadow from Milani is something else. I saw it and just had to have it. Luckily, it was so cheap that I didn't even feel bad about it.

Flare is everything I thought MAC's Expensive Pink was going to be. Not that I'm not happy with Expensive Pink - I think it is still a gorgeous, must-have pink that is extremely versatile. While Expensive Pink is a true, light rose gold, Flare is a deep, coppery pink. It's very true to its name - like one of those hot pink/magenta flares or fireworks, but with a far amount of copper and slightly orange tones (image above doesn't at all do it justice). So pretty.

Even prettier when applied. Expensive Pink takes a few layers for the pink to actually show, and when it does, it's a very fleshy pink gold. Flare gives a deeper and less shimmery effect with just one, well-blended layer. This is a shimmery/pearly finish and so it is less reflective than Expensive Pink, which is a Veluxe Pearl and can look much more frosty. Flare blends in so easily due to a very soft, velvety texture much like my Smashbox and MAC shadows. It actually complemented Expensive Pink very well, and would also work with most bronze/brown shadows.

It's one of those colors that every South Asian bride who is going to wear pink or gold (and likes to wear jazzier makeup accordingly) should have. The finish allows it to be used in a number of different ways - I dabbed it lightly over some blush and it gave it a nice, shimmery glow that would be nice for evening.

I love this shadow, plain and simple. I will find ways to wear it because I love the idea of wearing such a fabulous pink.

Milani's eye shadows have often been compared to MAC's, and I wholeheartedly agree - they are of comparable quality, if not better. I found copy-cats of my MAC Bronze (Golden Bronze) and Smashbox Ambient (Sun Goddess) and almost wish I had tried them before purchasing the more expensive ones. $3.49 @ Walgreen's

MAC Eye Shadows To Pair With Expensive Pink

I'm still enjoying my MAC Eye Shadow in Expensive Pink, and am very happy to report that I've found a couple of other MAC shadows that go well with it. They are - Evening Aura and Bronze.

Bronze is actually very similar to the Milani Java Bean shadow I have, although a shade or two lighter, making it a true bronze instead of a coffee bronze. This blends into the skin to give a fine, sun-kissed shimmer without looking frosty or too dark. I had a MAC makeup artist blend it into my crease with Expensive Pink on the lid, and it looked surprisingly fresh and natural. While this is supposed to be a Frost finish, I didn't really find it to have too much of one. My Smashbox shadow in Cinnamon Toast is definitely frostier than this - Bronze has more shimmer and a lighter texture. Very glad I bought this - it's already getting a fair amount of use.

Evening Aura is also a part of the Neo-Sci Fi collection like Expensive Pink for no apparent reason since it is in the regular collection as well. This is very much like my Smashbox shadow in Shell, but that is more of a pink frost. Evening Aura is a very pale, peach/gold yellow that is a great highlighter for warmer skin tones like mine. I found that this looks much more natural than Shell and can be worn alone on the brow bone without looking at all naked. It's a Veluxe Pearl finish, also like Expensive Pink, and so has a small amount of shimmer.

I have to say, so far, I don't love the Veluxe Pearl finishes - they seem to work on my skin, but when I test them next to Smashbox shadows on my hand, their finish definitely isn't as fine as it could be. However, this can be forgiven since the results are still great. $14.50 @ MAC

Powder Preference - L'Oreal vs. MAC

Another reason why I like L'Oreal. It convinced me to return a new MAC powder I bought.

I've never been able to settle on a pressed powder I like for two reasons - 1) I don't have great skin and avoid using face makeup/cover-up on it 2) I have never had enough of a makeup routine to warrant using a good pressed powder everyday.

Recently, being 25.5 years old and still evolving, I've been more diligent about using face powder, especially since I do have oily skin. I lost my MAC Studio Fix pressed powder a while ago, and had bought the L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder (W4) to temporarily replace it. It worked fine, but I was hoping to go back to a more high-end product.

At MAC, I asked for something with more sheer coverage than the Studio Fix since I had never been particularly happy with it anyway. I ended up with the Select Sheer/Pressed Powder (NW25), which the makeup artist selected and matched to my face with 2 questions and a light dusting that lasted all of 45 seconds.

When I brought it home, I realized how much lighter in the pan it appeared compared to my L'Oreal, although they both looked the same on my skin. The L'Oreal shade was definitely truer to my actual skin tone. The MAC powder also made my face feel a bit dry, whereas I can barely feel the L'Oreal one. Back to the store went the MAC.

I hadn't realized what a good match the L'Oreal powder was, and what a reasonable job it was doing, especially considering the price. For my skin tone especially, I think it might actually offer a better selection of shades that work. Also, the L'Oreal powder has a separate compartment for the sponge, while MAC's does not - interesting, since the Studio Fix did.

Continously impressed by this brand. In the future, will avoid MAC when it comes to high-end and will try Clinique or Prescriptives instead. L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder, $10.95 @ Drugstore.com; MAC Select Sheer/Pressed Powder, $21.00 @ MAC

Expensive Pink Correction

Just wanted to correct my previous description of the MAC eye shadow in Expensive Pink that I recently bought. I described it as a sort of cotton-candy colored rose gold that was almost, almost Barbie pink. Let's nix that last part.

After a few more experimental swirls with my eyeshadow brush, I guess the pink pigment that had settled on top has dispersed somewhat, and the entire shadow no longer looks quite as pink. I've also seen the same shadow on display in different stores, and each one looked different due to how much/little it had been used.

If you're considering this color, go for it on the basis of it being a great rose gold. No need to fear any potential pink disasters!

MAC Eye Shadow - Expensive Pink

Ok, get ready - I'm about to make up for my lack of blogging this week. This is going to be a long, rambling one (don't ask how this is any different from my other posts) because I'm quite excited but also unsettled by an eye shadow from MAC that I finally got around to trying - Expensive Pink.

I've been feeling low this week and even after all my drugstore finds and gifts (the Milani blush is working out wonderfully, and sometimes I just stare at my NARS Taos blush), I was still unsatisfied. So, I recently stopped by the MAC counter at Macy's. I'm having second thoughts about my Smashbox eye shadows, lost my MAC Studio Fix ages ago and need to repalce it, and also desperately wanted to know what my skin color "code" was since everyone on these blogs seems to use that as a reference point (I'm NW25 - yay). Like I said yesterday, Sephora has been a bit unwieldy lately, and if possible, there is little new there left to discover.

So onto MAC. I had a plan to get some real "professional" help there and spend time experimenting so I could be happy with my purchase and avoid the dreaded Return Trip. But this pesky little boy of a man whose eyebrows were fixed in place kept showing me these awful, dull, pebble-like colors that I could immediately tell would do nothing for me. Seriously, they weren't even worth a try. When I said I'd like to try something warmer, all he could manage to suggest was "How about a pink?"

It was then than I spotted this really pretty pink color that I've definitely tried on my hand before - Expensive Pink. I shy away from color on the eye, so while I had noticed this shade before, I never seriously considered buying it. Since I've had a little more experience with shadows lately, I realized that looks can be deceiving and that most colors actually fail to even show up on me, so after another hand test (I didn't have the patience to actually practice on my eye at that point), I bought it and decided to experiment more at home.

Expensive Pink is a medium, cotton-candy pink shade with warm peach and gold tones, described by MAC as "pink with gold duochrome." Pretty accurate. When I say cotton-candy, I don't mean a very pale, milky pink. This is definitely deeper than that - almost a Barbie pink. Rose gold is probably more appropriate although it looks pinker in the pot and goes on more gold. On my hand, it was a very sheer, multi-dimensional wash of warm pink and gold tones - not actually very pink at all. The gold that was neither very metallic nor too glittery.

On my eyes at home this was a) unexpectedly, refreshingly pretty b) actually more along the lines of what I've been looking for in a "neutral" shadow. The color payoff was minimal on my skin - just a subtle tint of pretty pink and more fleshy gold. More layers of shadow gave a frostier pink, but at least it was still gold and not silver. What I liked most about this was the effect it could achieve without an ounce of the usual neutral brown, other darker tones, or deep metallics like copper. The color was buildable and one light dusting gave a very pretty, glowing sheen that was natural and yet just dramatic enough for some impact.

Expensive Pink is a veluxe pearl finish, which according to MAC means that it is "Vibrantly-toned. Velvety soft. Shimmeringly metallic. Veluxe eye shadow, now overlaid with high-shine pearl." Hate to say it, but that just about sums it up. However, this wasn't exactly "velvety soft," and the formula gave a much less smooth application than I had expected - certainly not as smooth as some of my Smashbox shimmer finishes. Still slightly more chunky than I would have preferred, but for the effect that it is meant to give, that's forgivable.

This is definitely a very versatile color that can probably work with any number of other shadows, and with various looks. The shadows that I currently have tend to get chalky or look kind of dead/dull mixed with other shades - this is a much better base for blending in other shadows. I think I can pull this off for day, and with a heavier hand and some liner, definitely exactly what I had in mind for night (since, you know, I go out so much and need a "night" look...).

Now that I've ventured into pink territory, I'm willing to give deeper shades in the same color family a shot. My friend once did my eyes with some wonderful palette of pink/plum eye shadows, so I know I can go darker without looking bruised. Overall, excited because this was a surprise find, but also unsettled because I'm not sure if it will really work out in the long run.

This has been reintroduced as part of the limited edition Neo Sci-Fi collection for 50 cents more - silly. I hope that doesn't mean it's going to be discontinued from the regular line, though. I will check out some of the darker pinks and rose golds at MAC to see if this needs to be exchanged, but for now, it's a keeper. $14.00 @ MAC

M.A.C Lipsticks I Like

Sorry, I haven't been able to come up with very creative titles lately. At least these are to the point!

The last M.AC. lip products I wrote about were the Lipgelee in Saphoric and Polished Up lipstick. I know San doesn't love M.A.C., but I'm quite partial to their lipsticks. There are a few other honorable mentions that I have been meaning to share. These are all lipsticks that I'm hoping to adorn my dresser in my non-existent Manhattan apartment where I will not be able to eat because I will have spent all my money on rent and makeup.

One lipstick that I used many years ago and eventually had to throw out was 3D. This shade is hardly ever mentioned as one of M.A.C.'s classics, but it is a wonderful rosy/pink with a very pretty sheen. I love this for day and even for night. It's a great base for almost any gloss but manages to hold its own as well. It is more pigmented than some of the other lipsticks below, but has just the right amount of color payoff.

Next up - Touch. I borrowed this from a friend once and immediately wished I had my own. It's another very nude, pink/brown that is definitely more suitable for the most natural look. It has a slightly balmy/glossy effect and is a bit refined looking without seeming done. 3D definitely has more color payoff than this. Touch is more like a nude balm that is probably also best for heavier eye makeup looks when you need to go easy on the lips. The gay sales guy at the M.A.C. counter told me it didn't look like I was wearing anything (in fact, he said the same for several shades - don't know if it was him or me!), and had urged me to settle on Polished Up, but I'm determined to go back at some point and get this.

Now, a series of special M.A.C. lipsticks - Viva Glam IV through VI. I know, I know - some must think these are so overrated, but I think they're perfect, why? Ta-da, because they are some awesomely fresh, more glam combination of the above two shades and all the rosy/mauvey pink/browns in the world that I can think of. They also definitely have some more shimmer/shine, and the packaging is different. If you want to spend money on a M.A.C. lipstick that also supports HIV/AIDS, these are good choices.

Lastly, the Sheer Plum. This color is the most similar to the Plum Sable from Maybelline that I've written about. A very light, natural plum shade that is "my lips but better." I could probably same the same for all of the above, actually. You just can't go wrong with any of them.

All of these are decently long-wearing. I reapply often anyway because it is fun and because who wants them shellacked into place? $14.00 @ M.A.C.