A MAC Red, Red, Red Collection Cardinal Concoction of Cosmetological Creativity (aka Face of the Day

Wearing a cardinal concoction of products from the new MAC Red, Red, Red Collection

Like the hulking, crazy-eyed dog next door that barks and pulls at its leash when it crosses your path, or the mean girl bully in second grade who corners you in the girl’s bathroom at recess, red eyeshadow can sense your fear…

Today I fully intended to put MAC’s Strike While Haute matte red eyeshadow from the Red Red Red collection to good use, but then I chickened out…

It’s just so dang red, homie!

Eventually, I think I’ll be able to psych myself up to try it. I just need a couple more days to build up the courage. I keep hearing that it can look amazing on lids when done right…

Of course, it’s that last part ? “when done right” ? that has me a little nervous, LOL!

Instead, for my makeup today, I ended up using some other pieces from MAC’s new crimson collection ? pearlescent pink champagne Lustre Eye Shadow in Give Me Fire (watch out for the fallout with this one ’cause it’s kinda fluffy) and reddish copper Red Alert (beautifully pigmented and looks great with warmer browns like MAC Texture). Then, I added a flashy pair of falsies with longer lashes at the outer corners for extra lift. Eyelure’s No. 121s.

For cheeks and lips, I went with soft pink tones ? soft rose Casual Color in Red Obsessed, which I stippled on the apples of my cheeks with a skunk brush, and grapefruit pink Lustre Lipstick in See Sheer, topped with Cremesheen Glass in Meteoric. Both are also from the Red Red Red collection, which is available now in-stores and online (through January 15).

MAC Red Red Red

Eye Shadow swatches from the left: Give Me FIre, Strike While Haute and Red Alert ($16 US, $19 CAD each)

Lipstick swatches from the left: See Sheer, Toxic Tale, Lady Bug and 5-Alarm ($16 US, $19 CAD each)

Cremesheen Swatches from the left: Nectarsweet, Meteoric and Night is Young; Dazzleglass Swatch in Love Alert ($20 US, $32 CAD each)

Casual Color swatches from the left: Secret Admirer, Out for Fun and Red Obsessed ($22 US, $26 CAD each)

LIPSTICK

Lustre Lipstick in See Sheer, a grapefruit pinkSatin Lipstick in Toxic Tale, a bright coralLustre Lipstick in Lady Bug, a yellow tomatoLustre Lipstick in 5-Alarm, a soft orangey red$16 US, $19 CAD each

CREMESHEEN GLASS

Nectarsweet, a soft pinkish peachMeteoric, a mid-tone vibrant coralNight is Young, a bright red cream$20 US, $23 CAD each

DAZZLEGLASS

Love Alert, a raspberry red with red pearl$20 US, $23 CAD

CASUAL COLOR

Secret Admirer, a coral pinkOut for Fun, a cool coralRed Obsessed, a soft rose$22 US, $26 CAD each

EYE SHADOW

Lustre Eye Shadow in Give Me Fire, a soft pink champagne with pearlMatte Eye Shadow in Strike While Haute, a true redVeluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Red Alert, a mid-tone copper$16 US, $19 CAD each

BEAUTY POWDER

Hot Sensation, a sheer pale peach highlighter$26 US, $31 CAD

NAIL LACQUER

Cream Nail Lacquer in Impassioned, a bright warm pinkFrost Nail Lacquer in Red, Red, Red, a creamy orangey redFrost Nail Lacquer in Rouge Combustion, a pinkish red with sparkle$10 US, $12 CAD each

What do you think of the Red, Red, Red Collection so far, and what you do think about red eyeshadow in general? Would you ever go there (or have you gone there before)?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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Dolce & Gabbana The Illuminator in Eva From the Holiday 2014 Collection

Wearing Dolce & Gabbana’s The Illuminator in Eva on my upper cheekbones, and MAC Satin Lipstick in Toxic Tale from the MAC Red, Red, Red Collection on my lips

To think that once upon a time, many, many moons ago, gorgeously glowing skin was just something that happened sometimes on one of Mother Nature’s whims.

“Ooh! My cheeks are a little oilier than usual today? Woot! That means my skin will glow like Sheila’s, the cave-girl who lives down the way.”

Well, OK, that’s probably not exactly how it went down back in prehistoric days…but throw a girl a bone here please! I had awful insomnia last night (stayed up too late watching TV), so it’s the best I can do under the circumstances.

I did have a point though…

Now that we’re modern women living in modern times, we have access to a much wider range of illuminators than ever before, from frosty highlighters that leave your cheekbones lookin’ like Rihanna’s in a video (shine bright like a diamond!), to shimmers so soft that you can barely see their candlelit glow on your skin, and everything in between.

Dolce & Gabbana’s new six-piece holiday 2014 collection has a very interesting illuminator named Eva ($51, called The Illuminator in Eva; there’s also a bronzer in the collection called Desert), a creamy beige face powder blended with tiny flecks of gold glitter. It has a soft, sheen-like finish that reminds me of the Hourglass Ambient Powders, only the sparkly flecks seem finer…

They create a slightly different effect that’s flat-out gorgeous.

Available now in a limited edition holiday version with a pretty design on the pan (but also available in the permanent line) online and at Dolce & Gabbana counters.

Three of six pieces in the Dolce & Gabbana holiday 2014 makeup collection

The Illuminator in Eva

Perfect Mono Eyeshadow in Pure Gold ($36)

Nail Lacquer in Lover ($25)

The Illuminator in Eva, Perfect Mono Eyeshadow in Pure Gold and Nail Lacquer in Lover

Mighty lovely… I don’t know why, but I always crave Dolce & Gabbana more this time of year.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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The Clinique Nutcracker Suite Act I Three-Piece Holiday Collection Is Totally En Pointe

Even though the pink and glitter in The Nutcracker Suite, Clinique’s new ballet-inspired holiday collection, are totally en pointe, they will not help you pirouette your way to ballet greatness.

Wearing the Eye and Cheek Compact, Chubby Stick Baby Tint and Blended Face Powder from the Clinique Nutcracker Act I, part of The Nutcracker Suite holiday collection

But I can see why you might think they should…

After all, it does make a certain kind of sense to think that since your makeup looks like a ballerina’s from The Nutcracker, you should probably be able to dance like one, too, and then you bust out some plies on your creaky knees and scowl at your ballet teacher when she says something snarky about your butt sticking out too far!

Er, well…maybe that’s just me and my childhood dance trauma.

The Clinique Nutcracker Act 1, part one of two sub-collections in the Clinique holiday collection

Clinique worked with the American Ballet Theater to choreograph the collection’s color palette, mining the ballet company’s Nutcracker costume archives for inspiration.

The five-piece Nutcracker Suite collection is divided into two parts ? Act I and Act II ? with lots of dainty pinks and plums and a sprinkling of silver glitter finer than the finest snowflakes.

The products I’m looking at today are from Act I, which was inspired by the Waltz of the Snowflakes sequence in The Nutcracker.

Two words: pink and glitter.

The Nutcracker Act I Compact ($36)

Truth be told, I was afraid there was going to be entirely too much pink up in the mix with these three pieces ? and I’m a girl who loves pink! ? but there’s a lot of it here.

In The Nutcracker Suite Act I compact ($36), for instance, there’s a shimmery pink eyeshadow with silver glitter and a rosy pink blush with a satin finish.

Then there’s the creamy light pink Chubby Stick Baby Tint Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Budding Blossom ($17).

And then there’s the Blended Face Powder in Snowflake Dreams ($24), a bluish pink highlighter/body powder with large flecks of silver glitter.

Yo, it’s a LOT of pink.

The Snowflake Dreams Blended Face Powder, $24

But beside the other colors in The Nutcracker Suite Act I compact, I think the preponderance of pink makes sense, where it acts as a supporting background color, kind of like the dancers in the chorus, for the shimmery, silvery taupe eyeshadow (like a less frosty version of MAC Satin Taupe), the glittery grayish black eyeshadow (super pretty when it’s blended on top of a creamy black kohl base) and the frosty whitish beige eyeshadow.

Altogether, they aren’t your typical red/gold/black holiday steeze, and I like ‘em for that.

The Budding Blossom Chubby Stick Baby Tint Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm ($17)

With glittery eyeshadows like these, you run the risk of some fallout, but Clinique dialed the glitter down a few notches here, and it prevents any full-scale glitter bombs. I notice very little fallout from any of the shadows in the compact.

Swatches from the left of the beige, pink, taupe and black eyeshadows in the Act I compact; the pink blush from the Act I compact; and the Snowflake Dreams Face Powder and Budding Blossom Chubby Stick Baby Tint

The only time I’ve felt a little iffy about the glitter sitch in Act I has been while using the Blended Face Powder.

That piece is CRAZY glittery.

Like, if you aren’t careful when you apply it and wear it during the daytime outside, people might assume that you were out all night clubbing and just haven’t had time to go home and wash your face yet.

So yeah…use a light touch with the Blended Face Powder.

I’m also wearing Eyelure Texure 117 false lashes

I also think the glitter in the collection is offset by the smooth, satin pink blush (not patchy at all) and the sheer, moisturizing, light pink lip balm (lasts a couple of hours), both which should see a lot of use through winter and into the spring.

If you’d like to take a twirl with The Nutcracker Suite, you can find the entire collection pirouetting now on Clinique counters and online.

Gurl! It’s that time of year when I can’t go into a Trader Joe’s without leaving with at least a little something tasty and holiday-themed.

You have GOT to try these holiday teas if you haven’t already. They’re so tasty! Plus, the only way I seem to be able to finish everything I need to finish during the day now is if I’m caffeinated up to here.

LOL! It’s true though…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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A Pair of Kinky Boots That Should Fit Most Everyone: The MAC Kinky Boots Collection

Wearing both the Kinky Boots Lipstick and Lipglass

We interrupt your Thanksgiving food coma to bring you this important shoe-related announcement…

One does not need to own a pair of kinky boots to appreciate the MAC Kinky Boots collection.

But please don’t let that stop you from shoe shopping.

Kick up your heels and dance to the tune of this limited edition lipstick and gloss, which were inspired by Kinky Boots, the Broadway musical (fun fact: MAC Viva Glam alumna Cyndi Lauper wrote the music and lyrics for the show!).

MAC Kinky Boots Lipglass and Lipstick

Vibrant, opaque red Kinky Boots Matte Lipstick ($16 US/$19 CDN) and sheer glittery red Kinky Boots Lipglass ($15 US/$18 CDN) are giving me a holiday vibe.

Neither one is very cool-toned or warm, so I think they’ll suit just about everyone. The matte Lipstick feels gloriously smooth, and it doesn’t apply patchy (yay!), while the Lipglass feels a tad gritty…

Kinky Boots Lipglass

MAC Kinky Boots Lipstick and Lipglass, available now online

I vote for wearing either one (or both) to your office Christmas party, but be prepared to say potentially awkward things like, “I’m wearing kinky boots!” to your coworkers or boss.

Kinky Boots Lipstick (left) and Lipglass (right)

Kinky Boots Lipstick

Kinky Boots Lipglass

Slip into these Kinky Boots right now! They’re available at maccosmetics.com and the New York Times Square MAC store location through January 15, 2015.

We now return you to your previously scheduled eating…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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Tonight, I’m Livin’ in a Fantasy (My Own Little Nasty World), With the New MAC Nasty Gal Collection Lipsticks

MAC Nasty Gal Matte Lipsticks from the left: Runner, Stunner and Gunner ($16 US each, $19 CAD)

“Psst! Look at that girl.”

“Which girl…?”

“That one!”

“Which one? That one right there?”

“Yeah, that one you’re rudely pointing at in broad daylight right there, LOL! The one wearing the dark matte lipstick.”

“Yeah, I see her… She’s nasty.”

From the left: Runner, Stunner and Gunner

“What!? What are you talking about, ‘she’s nasty’? That’s a terrible thing to say!”

“No, doofus. Not like that. I mean she is literally a nasty gal.”

“You lost me…”

“I mean she’s wearing one of the three lipsticks in the new MAC Nasty Gal collection.”

Another fab collab, this one between MAC and Nasty Gal owner/founder Sophia Amoruso, the four-piece MAC Nasty Gal collection is coming to select MAC stores and the MAC website December 4 (through January 1, 2015) with three lipsticks in Stunner (a matte red), Runner (a matte burgundy) and Gunner (a deep matte purple) for $16 US/$19 CAD, as well as a true red Studio Nail Lacquer with a creme finish called Flaming Rose ($12 US/$14 CAD; not shown in this post).

Swatches from the left: Stunner, Runner and Gunner

“Oh…”

“Yeah, being a nasty gal is good now if you like your lipsticks dark, matte and severe.”

“OK.”

“I think it’s supposed to be (air quotes) ‘edgy,’ or something.”

MAC Nasty Gal Matte Lipstick in Gunner

“Oh…then I want to be a nasty girl.”

“Um, hello, Vanity 6! It’s ‘nasty gal,’ not ‘nasty girl.’ Sometimes you’re so hella ’80s…”

“Haha, she’s got jokes. But no, really, do you think I could pull that off?”

“Yeah, I think you could if you had absolutely no traces of a bad dry lip sitch, because those lipsticks are dark, capital D-A-R-K, and they don’t leave any room for imperfections. They’re totally unforgiving, especially the burgundy shade (Runner) and the dark purple (Gunner). My flakes were front and center when I tried ‘em, but the red shade (Stunner) was better.”

Runner, and flakes like WHOA!

Stunner

“Ooh! OK…I’m gonna get nasty with the red then.”

“Yeah, get nasty with the red.”

“Nasty!”

“Stop, ya perv.”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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