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Tag Archives: MAC
Dollface Reviews: MAC Fluidline Gel Liner
As you can probably see from the state of the box, this little tub of MAC Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel has seen better days. That’s because I use it a lot.
This wasn’t always the case, though. You see, this is actually the very first gel eyeliner I’ve ever owned (I know, shocking), and I’ve only had it for a few weeks. In that time, however, I’ve become converted, and this conversion has come as something of a surprise to me, because I really didn’t expect it. I mean, I’d found my holy grail eyeliner pencil , I’d even found a budget version I loved: there was just no need for gel eyeliner in my beauty box.
Or so I thought.
I bought this tub of Fluidline on impulse a few weeks ago, when I was ordering some new brushes from MAC. (You know that thing where you think, “Oh, what the hell, I may as well just add something else to my basket, make the total up to a nice, round number?” That’s just me, isn’t it?) It comes in a little glass tub, and has a thick, creamy consistency:
You will need a brush to apply this, and there isn’t one supplied with it. I have an Anastasia one which came free with something years ago, but any angle brush should do the trick.
To apply, you simply press your brush into the pot:
And then use the brush to draw a line on the eyelid.
The reason I like this so much is that it creates a really smooth, thick line which is perfect for cat’s eyes and flicks. I only use it on the top lid – if I was doing a smoky eye, say, and wanted a more smudged effect I would go back to my trusty pencil, but this is the perfect product for precise application, and the kind of dramatic flicks I like. (I did take some photos of it on my actual eyes, but… I deleted them from the camera by mistake. Whoops. I will try to remember to take some more soon!)
This costs £13.50, but I know a lot of people swear by the Maybelline version, which is supposed to be almost identical – I’ll have to give that a try, too.
If you want to try this, meanwhile, you can click here to buy it at MAC.
MAC Packed to Go Shape & Perfect Makeup Brush Kit
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I’m on a bit of a mission to sort out my makeup collection at the moment, and one of my resolutions was to buy some new makeup brushes. My current brush collection is… well, the less said about that, the better, to be honest: I’m very guilty of using brushes until they’re way past their best, and although I did replace a few of them last year, the relatively high cost stopped me buying more. Faced with the choice between a new lipstick or mascara and a new blusher brush, I’ll always go for the makeup itself, but this month I decided it was high time to make a more sensible investment!
Luckily for me, this decision coincided with me discovering MAC’s ‘Packed to Go’ collections. As the name suggests, these are really intended as travel kits, and you can buy everything from eyeshadows and liners to lipsticks and powdered, all packed in a little travel pouch, ready to be slipped into your suitcase. I, however, was most interested in the two brush sets which are available as part of the Packed to Go collection, and although I’m not planning on travelling anywhere (more’s the pity), I figured they’d be a good way to stock up on some new brushes without spending too much money.
I chose the ‘Shape and Perfect’ collection, which is £39.50. For that, you get five brushes, complete with case:
The brushes included are:
L-R:
219SE – pencil brush
275SE – medium angled shading brush
187SE – duo fibre brush
212SE – flat definer brush
168SE – angled contour brush
These are all short-handled versions of their regular-sized counterparts. I was actually expecting them to be smaller than they are, so was pleasantly surprised by their size. (Not that smaller handles would have bothered me, mind you: I’d rather pay less for a “travel-sized” brush than pay more for a “regular” one) Here’s a photo of them with my hand for context:
I haven’t used these yet because they just arrived today, but so far I think they were a pretty good deal, and I’ll probably buy the other brush set in this collection – the Define & Blend brushes if it’s still available next month.
These are available from the MAC website: click here to visit it!
Dollface Reviews: M.A.C. Pro Longwear Lip Colour in ‘Lasting Lust’
I feel like all I do at the moment is apologise for the lack of posts here: sorry! I can’t promise a whole lot of them over the next little while, but here’s a quickie featuring the other M.A.C. lip colour I picked up a couple of weeks ago: the Pro Longwear Lip Colour in ‘Lasting Lust’.
Because of my great love of red lips, I’m always particularly interested in long-lasting lipcolours, because as dramatic as the colour is, it can also be very high maintenance. I find the M.A.C. lipsticks I normally use last longer than most, but they still require frequent top-ups, and, well, I’m just too lazy. Also, bright red isn’t a colour you can apply one-handed while checking your email or reading the newspaper on the train. It requires careful, precise application, and given that I’m rarely without either a hot beverage or a bottle of water, mine generally tends to disappear after the first coffee of the day, never to be re-applied.
I’ve tried many long-stay products over the years, but this was actually my first experience with M.A.C’s Pro Longwear, which has colour on one end and gloss on the other. ‘Lasting Lust’ is a bright, true red, which you paint on using a sponge applicator which comes with it:
In certain lights this can look slightly orangey on me, which put me off at first, but I’ve come to really love it. I’m not much of a gloss girl, so I normally just wear it like this, but in the interests of Dollface research, here it is with the gloss over the top:
It’s shiny, but not sticky. And that’s really all I can tell you about it, because as I said, I don’t really use it – sorry, gloss girls! If they sold this without the gloss, for less money, I’d be a happy Dollface indeed.
My main interest in this, however, wasn’t in the colour, but the longevity. I put this to the test the very first day I bought it by coming home, slapping it on, deciding the colour was waaay too bright… and then being completely unable to get it off. A tissue didn’t work. Water on a tissue didn’t work. The, er, back of my hand didn’t work. Finally I had to put some eye-makeup remover on a cotton wool pad to get rid of it. From this, you can probably tell that this stuff LASTS. It really does. It’ll get you through a meal and a couple of drinks, say, without too much trouble, and while it WILL fade, it tends to fade fairly evenly, so you’re not left with the dreaded ‘Lipstick Moustache’. On me, it doesn’t last perfectly all day. I mean, I could just leave it all day, and there would still be colour on my lips by the end of it, but it would be that kind of blurry, end-of-the-day colour, so while it will get you through lunch, or dinner, or whatever, as I said above, you’re probably going to want to apply it at least once to keep it looking its best.
(You’re also going to want to take a lot of care applying it. The fact that it doesn’t budge is great news if you’ve applied it perfectly and love the colour, but not so great if you don’t. Trust me.)
The other good point about this product is that, unlike most other longwear lipsticks I’ve tried, it’s not drying. It’s not as comfortable to wear as a cream lipstick, obviously, but I’ve had no major issues with it, and it doesn’t have that “caked on” look some similar products can give you too.
Overall? Two thumbs up from me. This is expensive at £17, but if you’re looking for a lip colour that will last, this is it.
Click here to buy it. (It’s available in eight other shades, too.)
Dollface Reviews: M.A.C. Russian Red Matte Lipstick (with swatches)
As longtime readers of this site (Hi, both of you!), may recall, I’m a huge fan of red lipstick, and for a while now, my go-to red has been MAC’s Ruby Woo. I happened to walk past the M.A.C. counter in Harvey Nichols this week (OK, OK, I went in deliberately for that very purpose. I’ve never been able to resist M.A.C. lipsticks…) and ended up picking up a couple of new colours, one of which was the classic ‘Russian Red’, which I can’t quite believe I didn’t already own. (I actually really wanted to get this in the Wonder Woman packaging, but of course, I left it much too late for that and it’s all sold out, so I had to settle for the regular version.)
This lipstick is so well-known in beauty circles that I’m sure it needs no introduction from me, but just in case you’ve never heard of it, it basically enjoys a reputation as THE red lipstick from this brand, and it’s a very deep, blue-toned red, which, ironically enough, is much more of a “ruby” shade than its fellow M.A.C. red, Ruby Woo:
Also like Ruby Woo, this is a matte formula, but it’s much, much easier to work with than the former lipstick. Ruby Woo (I promise I’ll stop the comparisons between the two soon…) is very matte, and very dry (I normally have to wear lip balm under it because it’s so dry), but Russian Red is very creamy, and has a slight sheen to it: it glides on easily and is really comfortable to wear – in fact, in terms of application, etc, it’s pretty much perfect.
As for the colour, well, it’s one of those classic, “retro” reds, as seen on pin-up girls and old movie stars:
It’s also bright. That’s one of the reasons I like it so much, but every so often I get comments/emails from people who say they’d love to try red lipstick, but are a bit daunted by the thought of it, and all I can is that if that sounds like you, Russian Red probably isn’t the colour to start out with, because it’s not exactly subtle. It’s a red that’s designed to stand out, and as much as I love my red lipstick, it’s maybe a little too bold even for me to wear as a day-to-day colour (Because I have very pale skin, this lipstick looks very dramatic in contrast. I love the look, but it’s not for the faint hearted.) although perfect for evenings, special occasions etc.
So far I’ve been really impressed with how long this lasts, too. One problem I’ve always had with Ruby Woo is that I find I need to reapply it constantly or it will disappear. This made it through a couple of glasses of wine and a snack last night without looking too much the worse for wear, although it’s yet to be tested for longer periods of time (I’m wearing it right now, though, so will report back!).
(I promise I’m not that shiny in real life, it’s the flash bouncing off my forehead!)
Overall, I love this, and think I’m going to have to name it the Holy Grail of Red Lipstick. In fact, yes, I am. Move over, Ruby Woo, we have a new favourite!
This is £13.50 at M.A.C.: click here to buy it.
MAC Ruby Woo: the perfect red lipstick!
Because I can’t seem to walk past a MAC counter without buying a new lipstick, I picked up their Ruby Woo on impulse last month, having heard lots of people refer to it as the “perfect” red.
Well, all I can say is that the reports were right. I absolutely love this colour. I want to wear it forever. In fact, I’ve already made a start on that, and have been wearing it almost constantly since I bought it. If they ever stop making it, I’m going to cry. That’s how much I love it.
As you’d expect from the name, this is a bright, ruby red, and the kind of colour I always think of as “retro red” as it’s that deep, matt shade that women always seem to be wearing in old Hollywood movies. It’s a colour that proved very hard to photograph, so I’ve taken a few shots in different lighting. If you’re near a MAC counter, though, I recommend having a swatch of it: I think it would work with most complexions, and the application is velvety smooth.
The only issue with this product, as with all red lipsticks, is that you do have to take a lot of care when you’re applying it – it’s definitely not a “one swipe and you’re done” lipstick, and you won’t want to try applying it while you’re on the bus, say. A lip liner, brush and steady hand is my recommendation here. It’s also not the longest lasting colour, and food will cause it to fade from the centre of the lips, leaving you with what Mr Dollface refers to as a “lipstick moustache”, where the cupid’s bow is still red, but the centre of the lip isn’t. Meticulous blotting and re-applying will help with this, but I’ve gotten into the habit of popping it into my bag when I go out, in case touch-ups are required.
This is £12.50 at the MAC website.
I’d say this one is probably the closest match to the colour.
Um, I included this one purely because Rubin looked so cute. Doesn’t he look like a stuffed toy?
Dollface Reviews: MAC Pro Longwear Lipstain Marker in Purposefully Red
I almost always wear red lipstick. It’s a bit of a trademark of mine, and on days like today, when I wake up late and grumpy, still feeling the effects of jet lag and a summer cold, and I just can’t be bothered putting on a full face of makeup (or, er, washing my hair), I absolutely swear by a quick swipe of red lippy to create an instantly more polished look – even when “polished” is the last thing you feel.
Red lipstick is hard to maintain, though, which is why I’ve started to turn my attention more towards lip stains these days. Enter MAC’s Pro Longwear Lip Stain Marker, which I picked up on vacation, having read mixed reviews of it. As the name implies, this comes in the form of a marker pen:
I know some people dislike the “felt tip” nib, but I’m actually quite keen on it. Because this is a fairly bright colour it’s not one you can use without liner, but the tip of the pen is hard and fine enough to line the lips with before “colouring them in”.
The colour I chose was ‘Purposefully Red’, which is a fairly classic bright red. There are quite a few reds in this collection, though, and to be honest, I didn’t feel that there was a huge amount of difference between some of them – there were quite a few I’d probably have been equally happy with, and I was torn between this one and “A Classic”, the deciding factor being purely the fact that the MAC store I was in at the time only had this one in stock. I’ve made a mental note to try out some more of these when this one runs, out, though (which will probably be soon, at the rate I’ve been using it).
As for the application, at first I felt it was a little on the watery side, making it harder than usual to get even, but this tends to be the case with stains, and I got used to it very quickly, to the point where it now goes on very easily. It’s comfortable to wear, and not nearly as drying as lipstick (particularly longwear lipstick, which can really play havoc with your lips), and I love the way it looks when it’s just been applied. In terms of staying power, it doesn’t last quite as long as some other “long lasting” lipsticks I’ve tried: I get probably about 3 – 4 hours worth of “normal” wear out of it, which includes eating and drinking – it would last longer if you abstained from both, but there’s no fun in that, obviously.
I did find that it was less resistant to food and drink than I was expecting, too, so it’s not fantastic as a stain, but on the plus find, I don’t find it remotely drying, love the colours and can’t feel it on my lips at all, so it’s one I will probably be re-purchasing. It’s $16 from MAC.
Dollface Reviews: MAC Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk
It seems like a long time ago now, but a couple of weeks ago, I paid a visit to the MAC counter. I’d actually gone to have a bit of play with the Style Black collection, but they didn’t have much of it in stock and the store was absolutely slammed, so I somehow ended up walking away with this instead.
It’s MAC’s Iridescent Loose Powder, and it’s not a new product, but I love it, and have already had lots of use out of it. It comes in two different colours – I got the ‘Silver Dusk’ (as you can see above, it’s actually a pale beige colour, with silver particles in it) but I think the Golden Bronze version could be a good buy for summer, or if you have darker skin.
This is such a multi-purpose product: you can use it on its own, as a highlighter, or you can mix it with your foundation, eye-shadow etc, to give it a bit of shimmer. And, of course, you can use it anywhere you like, be it on your face, decolletage, arms, etc. I mostly use it on its own, either as an eyeshadow (no colour, but lots of shimmer!) or as a highlighter on my cheek and brow bones. The colour is fairly subtle when you first brush it on, but you can layer it up as much as you like. Because it IS so subtle, it was difficult to get a decent photo of it especially given that natural daylight is now more or less a thing of the past), but I gave it my best shot:
It’s £16.50, but apparently lasts for years. Get it at MAC.
Friday Face: Illamasqua and MAC
My new foundation FINALLY arrived this week, after a long delay thanks to the Royal Mail strike, so I am at least wearing some makeup today, unlike last Friday! I’m wearing:
The usual:
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer NARS Orgasm blush Anastasia Brow Gel
With:
Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation – shades RF105 and RF120 blended MAC Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk (reviews of both of these coming next week) Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara in black MyFace Cosmetics Eye Pencil in Black Clinique Long Last Glosswear in 07 – ‘Bonfire’
What makeup are you wearing today?
(Oh, and if you’re wondering why my URL is on the image, it’s because of this little incident, in which someone stole one of the photos from here and used it to try to sell false eyelashes on eBay. People!)
M·A·C ‘DSquared²’ Greasepaint Stick and Lipstick
As worn on the Dsquared2 runway for Fall 2009, these limited edition pieces from MAC will allow you to replicate the look for yourself, if you’re into that kind of thing.
The Greasepaint Stick is a version of the same product which is currently driving me crazy as I wait impatiently for it to arrive in the UK as part of the Style Black collection. As I’m sure you all know, it’s an eye crayon with a slight bit of sparkle to it, which provides thick coverage and lots of drama. The DSquared2 Greasepaint Sticks come in blue and purple and are $17.50.
The lipstick, meanwhile, also looks rather lovely – it has a wet look finish that’ll give your lips a “just licked” look, and comes in Blood Red and Nude Rose. Get it for $14.
