MAC Angel Photos, Swatches & Review

I'm back! I apologize for the gap in posting... between work, life, and some medical issues, I had barely any time for this hobby of mine. But I'm back! And have accumulated a significant amount of summer beauty products that I'm looking forward to sharing with you.

For now, I am reviewing the lipstick and lip glass versions of MAC Angel, a color that I recently purchased for a big event I have coming up. I wanted a neutral pink that would brighten my face but not overpower my look. Angel has been very popular for the past few years after it was reported Kim Kardashian wears the lipstick with NARS Turkish Delight gloss on top.

Angel ($15 each, lipstick and tinted lip glass, maccosmetics.com) is a light, neutral to blue toned pink with a frost finish in the lipstick version. It is not overly frosty, but I would love to see it in the Cremesheen finish, which is my favorite from MAC. The camera picks up the level of frost pretty well in the photo below:

Both the lipstick (left) and lip glass (right) versions of Angel are well pigmented. The lip glass is even more impressive to me for the amount of pigment it has for a light pink, as I find most light pink glosses are either too opaque to be flattering or too sheer to add color. 

The lipstick alone wears about five hours on me, and with the gloss, I can get another hour of it. This does fade quicker than some other MAC lipsticks I have, probably because it is lighter, and I tend to drink/talk a lot during my work day. While it looks pretty similar on camera, in person I find that adding the lip glass really makes this lipstick work better for me. I usually do not purchase coordinating lip glosses, but after trying it with the lipstick at the MAC counter, I had to have it. I feel like the gloss helps minimize the frost of it and just gives a great light pink glossy look.

MAC Angel is very close to Creme Cup, and Rimmel's Airy Fairy is widely considered a dupe for Creme Cup. Since I own Airy Fairy, I thought I would swatch it next to the Angel lipstick for anyone who is deciding between the two shades:

The photo is blurry but I think the color comes off accurately - Airy Fairy (left)  is darker than Angel and without the frost finish. I did try Creme Cup in person and it looked very bland and perhaps chalky on me. Angel was much better for my fair skin tone.

My Two Cents: MAC Angel Lipstick & Lipglass

Pros:

• Gorgeous color
• Solid pigmentation
• Coordinate very well together
• Great everyday pink for light skin tones; has enough punch to complement smokey evening eye looks without competing with it
• Great vanilla scent that all MAC lipsticks have

Cons:

• Wear time is a little weak for MAC lipsticks
• Frost finish isn't my favorite, but I would still repurchase it. 

Overall, if you are in the market for a every day pink lipstick and you are in the NC/NC 35 or lighter range, I would definitely try Angel! There's a reason it is a bestseller!

XO
Beauty Cents 

My Depotting Experience: Photo & Tips!

I can admit it: I am an organization freak. I enjoy organizing my things, I enjoy nothing more than a clean desk/dresser/countertop. Clutter distracts me and drives me crazy! So when I saw an article in a magazine a few weeks back about depotting and creating your own makeup palette, I was extremely interested.

I quickly turned to the places all scholars look to for answers: Google and YouTube. Duh! I found a million depotting tutorials for all different brands. I have been looking at reviews for different palettes, namely Z-Palette and MAC palettes, for at least two months. After picking up a few new NYX trios last week and having them barely fit into my eyeshadow basket, I decided it was time to suck it up and commit to a palette. I ordered two Z-Palettes through LeCosmetique (free shipping $25+!). I chose a Large one to house most of my shadows and a Small for my dailies/travel purposes.

I decided to start depotting last night, before my palettes even arrived, just to see how difficult it was going to be. I chose an older Kat Von D palette of mine that I wouldn't be horribly upset about if my attempt went awry, because I've hit pan on half the shadows anyway. I did find a tutorial for it online that showed the inner casing of the palette popping out easily, but my palette wasn't constructed that way. I removed the top of the palette to make it easier to work with and peeled the stickers off of the back of the tray. Then, I used the candle method with a pair of my fiance's pliers to hold the tray safely. Once I could see the bottom of the tray starting to look soft and develop some lines in it, I moved the tray to over a paper towel and poked at the back with a knife.  When done correctly, each pan area was warm enough and pliable, so it wasn't much work to get them out.

Depotted Kat Von D Palette. Success!

After depotting my Kat Von D palette, I moved on to my MAC and Urban Decay singles. These were so easy! The MAC shadows popped right out of the casing with a nail file. Urban Decay singles were more difficult and just required more patience to wedge my tool in between the outer plastic and inner pod. Once popped out, I used the candle method again. These melted in 10 seconds or less, so keep an eye on them!

I knew from reading tutorials around the blogosphere that the pans would be hot after popping out, so I was very careful about gingerly popping them out and trying to "land" them softly. I used a pair of pliers to flip them right side up and didn't attempt to clean the glue off of the bottoms until I was certain they were cooled.

All in all, depotting was not as painful as I thought it would be! Here are my tips for anyone looking to try it out for themselves:

Depotting Tips:

• Try it with a shadow you aren't totally in love with, just in case it breaks. You can always fix the shadow with rubbing alcohol and a spoon/coin, but I find it heartbreaking anyway. Avoid the whole issue by using something you won't be upset over potentially shattering.
• Make sure the tool you use to separate the shadow from the larger packaging has a sturdy handle. The nail tool I used at first was from a cheap travel set and the plastic handle broke during use. Yikes! 
• If you are using the candle method, make sure you have a sturdy set of tongs or pliers with a handle that will stay cool. This protects you from getting burned.
• Keep an eye on the bottom of the shadow you are heating up. Not all packaging is the same thickness, so some shadows may be ready to go quicker than others.
• If you are working with a palette, concentrate on having the flame directly under one or two shadows at a time. I slowly circled between two shadows at a time with my Kat Von D palette and they both came out easily each time.
• Use something with a long handle to poke the shadows out from the back of the melted packaging. I know some people use thumbtacks, which is the perfect tool because it is sharp and will go through the melted plastic, but I wouldn't want my fingers that close to the hot plastic! I used a steak knife and it worked out fine.
• Set up a soft surface for your shadows to "land" on. One hand will be holding the shadow packaging, and your other hand will be poking the shadow out from the back. Unless you have an assistant, this means your shadow kind of falls. Set up a towel or something soft to minimize the impact.
• Have patience! :)

That's all the tips I have for now... I will certainly edit if I come up with more after my next round of depotting. My Z-Palettes arrived in the mail today and I can't wait to get home, slap magnets on the backs of my depotted shadows, and get them set up!

Have you depotted anything before? Do you love it or wish you left your shadows alone?

XO
Beauty Cents
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MAC Sketch: Swatch and in two FOTD's!

Hi there! One of my favorite eyeshadows to play with is MAC Sketch. It's part of their permanent collection and I see it used in YouTube tutorials quite often. I have had it in my makeup bag for years. Today I thought I would share swatches for any of you who have considered it or are in the market for a dark plum, as well as show you two ways I wore Sketch this week.

 Sketch is great because it is so blendable and buildable, like most MAC shadows. Want a light wash of medium plum? Does that. Want a smokey plum eye? Does that too. How about a wine liner? No problem. It is so versatile that it is no wonder many people consider it a staple. The swatch above is just one layer. Like with every other MAC shadow I have owned, the staying power on this is really impressive and literally lasts all day and well into the evening without a touch up.

So, how did I use Sketch this week? Have a look, and let me know what you think! I am always trying to improve and change up my techniques.

Sketch FOTD #1: Plum All Around

 Here I worked Sketch into the crease and lower lashline, with Lancome Color Design eyeshadow in #311 "You've Got the Look" on the lid. You've Got the Look is in the same family as Sketch but is a shimmer with a good amount of glitter in it. There's a good amount of fall out with this shadow, so I definitely recommend tapping it out well before applying to your lid. I also worked NYX Sahara (dupe for MAC Naked Lunch) along the lashline, inner corner and under the brown to lighten up. This ended up being a little more dramatic and bold than I normally do during the daytime, especially as a glasses wearer, but I was pretty pleased with it anyway!

 Products Used:

Lancome Teint Idole Foundation in Bisque 2C

NYX Mosaic Powder Blush in 06 Rosey

NYX Sahara

Lancome Color Design 311 You've Got the Look

MAC Sketch

Rimmel Scandaleyes Liner in Nude

Sephora Waterproof Smokey Cream Liner in Must Have (black)

Buxom Amplified Lash Mascara

NYX Brow Cake Powder in 02 Dark Brown/Brown

Sketch FOTD #2

Following the earlier FOTD's high level of vibrancy (for me!), I tried out a toned down use of Sketch by pairing it with a gold shadow on the lid and just blending the two pretty well.

I worked Sketch under my lower lash line, gold into the inner corner, and Kat Von D's Enjoy The Silence (from her True Romance Shadow palette in Saint) on the browbone. I am totally aware my eyeliner job is quite sloppy on this eye! But hey, I can't be the only girl who is flying out of the door on work mornings like a crazy person.

Products Used:
Palladio Cosmetics Herbal Wet/Dry Powder Foundation in Cypress Beige
NYX Mauve Blush
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Sandstorm
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Dark Brown/Brown
Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Concealer in Light
Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Eyeshadow in Gold
Mac Sketch
Kat Von D Enjoy The Silence Eyeshadow
Revlon Colorstay Liner in Black Brown
Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude (waterline)
Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

What do you guys think? How have you used Sketch? Is it a staple in your makeup bag, too?

FOTD: On Trend, Office Friendly Spring Turquoise Liner

Hey everyone!

I am seeing blue, green, and purple liners all over the place on YouTube for the spring, especially on the lower lash line. Here's my take using MAC Steamy shadow as a liner:

I used gold on the lid, tan in the crease, and MAC's Steamy, a great frosty turquoise shadow on my lower lid as well as halfway through my lash line. I followed the blue out under my winged eyeliner for a little oomph that still felt office appropriate!

Have you tried this trend?

Products Used:
Garnier Miracle Skin Perfecter for Oily/Combo in Light/Medium
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder 
Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in Camo
Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in Cafe au Lait
MAC Eyeshadow in Steamy
Tarte SmolderEyes liner in black
Buxom Amplified Lash Mascara in black
NYX Brow kit in medium/dark
NYX blush in Mauve

XO,
Beauty Cents
 

Face Of The Day: Goldi-Bronze

Hello all!

I thought I'd share with you my Face of the Day. I am certainly not a makeup expert or artist, just a regular 20something trying to find looks that work best for me and my coloring. At the very least, I hope sharing this helps anyone considering a product see what it looks like on someone with my complexion.

I work in an industry where I can get away with a little creativity, so sometimes I take advantage of that with colored eyeliners and so on. I've named this look Goldi-Bronze because of the eyeshadows used.

 I used a gold shimmer shadow as the base and a copper-bronze in the crease. I topped it with a shimmer brow highlight.

I had a little fun by using a Stila smudgestick in Moray as my liner. Its a really gorgeous olive green. I will definitely swatch and do a review of this in a bit. Its dark enough to define the eye, but still gives you some glitz. I also used Rimmel's ScandalEyes in nude for my inner rim.

I completed the look with a light/medium pink lipstick and a soft blush. I feel like this one (NYX Mauve) is great for giving a little flush without overpowering anything.

Products Used:
Revlon Colorstay for Combination/Oily Skin in Buff
Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Concealer
Laura Geller The Real Deal Concealer in Light
NYX Brow Kit
Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Wet/Dry Eyeshadow in Gold Rush
MAC Eyeshadow in Mythology
Stila Smudge Stick in Moray
Rimmel ScandalEyes in 005 Nude
Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara in Black
NYX Mauve blush
Rimmel Airy Fairy lipstick
ELF powder and eyeshadow brushes
Bare Escentuals blush brush
Not Pictured: Benefit Hoola bronzer

Hope this post helps you see how any of the products used looks on fair skin!

XO,
Beauty Cents