MAC Parlor Smoke Eye Shadow Quad Swatches, Review and FOTD - Fall Colour

Two quads were released with the MAC Fall Colour Collection - Angel Flame and Parlor Smoke. While both were beautiful, and different enough from each other to warrant buying both, I only purchased Parlor Smoke. There is something about purple that always calls to me. It just makes such a perfect and different smokey eye that I can't resist!

Parlor Smoke Eye Shadow Quad contains the shades Parlor Smoke (Mauve Grey - Frost), Cross Cultural (Neutral Brown - Matte), Indigo Noir (Navy - Matte), and Steel (Almost Black - Veluxe Pearl).

I was able to see the collection early at Nordstrom and play with the testers as they were making them. I instantly fell in love with the colors of Parlor Smoke as I was testing them on my fingers. When I got the quad home, though, and swatched on the arm for pictures and review, I got a little nervous. It doesn't swatch well. Matte shades can be hard to work with, and I had a hard time getting color on my arm.

Luckily, the shades translate well onto the eye and look gorgeous together (the brown threw you off too, right?!). I thought they were easy to blend and create a look on the eye, and ultimately am happy with my purchase!

This is a FOTD I did yesterday using the products I purchased from the MAC Fall Colour Collection. I didn't buy a whole lot from the collection because the lip products didn't really appeal to me, and the MSF's seemed like more of a highlighter than anything... I don't use a highlighter enough to warrant buying any more of those, no matter how "cult" they are.

I was really pleased with the end look, and was happy to incorporate all four colors in the quad into my eye look.

I began with a dab of Urban Decay Primer Potion smoothed onto each lid. On top of that, I applied a sheer layer of Ash Violet Fluidline. I applied Parlor Smoke (top left) on the lids and added Cross Cultural (top right) to the crease. I deepened the outer lid and outer crease area with Steel (bottom right). I liked my upper lid with Ash Violet Fluidline and quickly smudged over it with Indigo Noir (bottom left). I also used Ash Violet Fluidline to line the outer waterline and then took Dior Waterproof Liner in Trinidad Black to deepen all the way to the inner corners of the waterline. I completed the look using MAC Opulash Optimum Black Mascara.

On my face I used :
~ MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer NW25
~ Lancome Dual Finish Powder Matte Bisque II
~ Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Skin Tint SPF 20 - 1 Cream
~ Dior DiorShow Brow Styler
~ MAC Brow Set - Clear
~ MAC Solar Riche Bronzing Powder
~ MAC Naked Bliss Mattene

MAC Parlor Smoke Eye Shadow Quad retails for $38.00 and has released with the MAC Fall Colour Collection. As of this post it is currently still available on MACCosmetics.com. You can also call your local MAC store or counter to check on availability. This item is Limited Edition.

Click here to view the MAC Fall Colour Collection Official Press Release.

Color Club BACKSTAGE PASS Collection Product Information & Photos

COLOR CLUB BACKSTAGE PASS COLLECTION
Get Your Rock Glam On this October with a new Rockin’ Glitter Collection from Color Club

September 2011 - New York, New York - Color Club, the veteran nail polish brand, announced today the debut of Backstage Pass, a new rockin’ glitter nail polish collection. The aptly named collection features six nail polishes -- from Wish Upon a Rock-star to Platinum Record -- that are sure to “rock your world.” Whether you’re a rocker – or just aspire to look like one – this new vegan, Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP and paraben-free collection from Color Club is your ultimate backstage pass and sure to be a hit!

The Backstage Pass Collection includes:
Take the Stage: Gold Glitter with Silver Flakes
Wish Upon a Rock-Star: Multi-colored Glitter with Purple
Backstage Pass: Silver & Purple Hex Glitter
Platinum Record: Silver Glitter
It's a Hit!: Purple Big Glitter
Fame & Fortune: Red Base with Silver Flakes

All Color Club products are made in the USA and are not tested on animals. Products are available at shopcolorclub.com.

About Color Club
A favorite of celebrity manicurists and nail color fans worldwide, Color Club is renowned for its high performance rich shades and exceptionally safe products. From the brightest neons, to glitter and French, all nail colors are vegan, Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP and paraben-free - and made in New York, NY with the best raw materials.

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MAC Ash Violet Fluidline Swatches and Review - Fall Colour

Out of the huge release that was the MAC Fall Colour Collection we only saw 2 fluidlines - Ash Violet and Blacktrack (which is perm).

The Fall Colour Collection was split into three parts and was modeled by Cindy Sherman. Ash Violet is a part of the Midnight Blue category and is the product that I'll be featuring in this post.

(L-R: swatched with a liner brush, finger swatch)

Ash Violet (blackened purple) is a really pretty deep purple shade with shimmer. Regardless of the shimmer I did use this easily on my waterline with no issue throughout most the day (the end of the evening saw a bit of flaking on my cheeks). On early swatches, and even when I initially swatched this I was worried it would be hard to apply or sheer, but it was actually nicely pigmented as a liner and worked extremely well as a base (FOTD to come!).

MAC Fluidline retails for $15.00. Ash Violet is released with the MAC Fall Colour Collection and is currently still available on MACCosmetics.com. You can also call your local MAC store or counter to check on availability. This item is Limited Edition.

Click here to view the MAC Fall Colour Collection Official Press Release.

MAC PFW Daily Face Charts: Wednesday, September 28th - Damir Doma and Gareth Pugh

F A C E
Complete Comfort Crème — massaged into skin to hydrate and prepare
Select Moisturecover — applied only where needed for a natural finish
Pearl Cream Colour Base — buffed over cheekbones with fingertips and 224 Tapered Blending Brush
M·A·C Pro Shine Mixing Medium — applied over Pearl Cream Colour Base for a dewy effect
Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder — applied only where needed through the centre of the face
E Y E
M·A·C Pro Shine Mixing Medium — blended over eyelids
Lashes are curled
L I P
Lip Conditioner SPF 15 — conditions and perfects lip with a natural finish

F A C E
Mineralize Charged Water Cleanser (available Spring 2012) — applied to cleanse, refresh, and invigorate skin
Studio Moisture Fix SPF 15 — hydrates and prepares skin
Face & Body Foundation or Studio Sculpt Foundation — blended over skin to even skintone, avoiding the under eye area
Pros-Aide adhesive is used to flatten and secure brows to skin
E Y E
Clear piece of plastic is added to the brow using double-sided tape, positioned to appear as floating eye liner
L I P
Lip Conditioner SPF 15 — applied over lips to hydrate and perfect

Dior OR ETOILE 217, VERSAILLES 527, NOCTURNE 961, BELLE DE NUIT 841 Rouge Dior Lipstick Swatches and Review - Les Rouges Or Holiday 2011

Out of all Holiday collections, Dior never disappoints. For 2011 they are launching Les Rouges Or, which will include 4 lipsticks, 4 nail polishes and a 5-Couleur that will have gold lovers salivating.

Today, I have all four lipsticks to show you! There is a color for everyone to love in shades Or Etoile 217, Versailles 527, Belle de Nuit 841, and Nocturne 961.

(Clockwise starting from top - Versailles, Belle de Nuit, Or Etoile, Nocturne)

(L-R: Or Etoile, Belle de Nuit, Versailles, Nocturne)

All of the lipstick shades are smooth to apply and super hydrating. They're all infused with gold so they give the appearance of plumping. Because of this gold all of the shades run on the warm side and can appear rather frosty. In all of the swatch photos I applied the lipstick heavily to show the most color. They all can be worn sheer, or layered for pigment, though some are more pigmented than others. These wear well, but because of the glossiness and sheerness they only last a few hours on me.

Or Etoile

Or Etoile is a glitzy, very sheer frosty gold lipstick that is best for layering.

Belle de Nuit

Belle de Nuit is the most pigmented of the four shades. It's a very warm, golden red, and likely one of my favorite lipstick colors of all time, just sayin'.

Versailles

Versailles is the frostiest looking of the four shades and is a laid-back golden mauve.

Nocturne

Nocturne is a swanky, bright berry shade.

Dior Les Rouges Or Haute Couleur Rouge Dior Lipsticks retail for $32.00 each. These lipsticks will be limited edition and available in October 2011. I imagine we'll see it at Dior.com first and then at Dior retailers nationwide.

Check out the Dior Les Rouges Or Official Press Release for more information.

Dior Les Rouges Or - Holiday Look 2011 Product Information and Photos

The story of Dior and gold is a long one, with its origins in the very sound of the name "Dior". This facet did not escape Jean Cocteau who said, "Dior, this airy genius of our times whose magical name includes that of God (Dieu) and Gold (or)." Rigour combined with excess: it was a prophetic name. From his first couture collections at the end of the 1940's, Christian Dior toyed with gold as the ultimate symbol of true luxury and dreams, as seen in his 1947 "Champagne gold" silk Aladdin gown, in the 1949 "Pactole" gown and so on.

Gold was synonymous with refinement, also appearing as a delicate highlighting touch on perfume bottles and the first lipsticks. Thus, the fascination with gold has continued over the decades. In whichever way it is used, gold is always symbolic of a doorway into a dream. And today the House of Dior is inviting us to a new enchanted experience with a flamboyant collection created by Tyen, where the colour gold provides the setting for Dior's emblematic Rouge Dior lipcolors and Vernis nail vanishes. Gold reveals the potency of their shades, and like gold powder thrown into crystal fusion to colour it red, gold equals refinement, it glimmers with luxury.

Les Rouges Or Collection
The new lipsticks scintillate, setting the lips aglow. Across the spectrum from red to pink to pure gold, the most beautiful lipstick shades have been infused with the golden powder. This ultra-fine golden powder does not shimmer like mother-of-pearl but melts like a pigment, revealing all the potency and splendour of the colour. On the lips, the finish is sheer, vivacious and captivating, with the ever present comfort and plumping hydration of Rouge Dior Lipsticks, available in four limited edition shades.
Shades: Or Etoile #217, Versailles #527, Belle de Nuit #841, Nocturne #961
MSRP: $32.00

The Or Vernis Collection
Glowing in a haze of new light, nails are transformed into precious accessories. Injected with a golden powder as delicate as that of a goldsmith, Dior Vernis cult shades gain shine, intensity and depth. The jewel-like nail varnishes are available in four shades including the limited edition Gold Varnish, the perfect gold shade.
Shades: Or Divin #221, Exquis #611, Merveille #651, Apparat #871
MSRP: $22.00

The 5-Couleurs Gold Infused Palette in Couture Gold
The legendary 5-Couleurs palette is now available in gold harmony. The finished look is silky, highly luminous and completely luxurious.
MSRP: $59.00

On-Counter: Winter 2011
Availability: Dior.com
Contact: 212-931-2235

MAC Solar Riche Bronzing Powder Swatches and Review - Fall Colour

Solar Riche isn't exactly NEW to MAC (it was just recently released with Surf, Baby and has been around the block a few times!). But it IS new to me! Solar Riche is released quite a bit with random collections, but I never seemed to pick it up. I've been wanting to, and I finally broke down during the MAC Fall Colour Collection of September 2011.

(L-R: Swatched heavily, blended)

Solar Riche (mid-tone deep orange brown) comes across rather dark inside the compact, but applies to the face rather lightly. You don't need a strong hand, but you don't need to use a very light hand either. This is a really great product if you're new to bronzers AND if you LOVE bronzers... of which I am both ;) I had to swatch several times to do the left side heavy swatch.

MAC Solar Riche Bronzing Powder retails for $23.00 and is released with the MAC Fall Colour Collection. It is currently still available on MACCosmetics.com, you can also call your local MAC store or counter to check on availability. This item is Limited Edition.

Click here to view the MAC Fall Colour Collection Official Press Release.

MAC To The Future, Soft Sell Pro Longwear Lipcreme Swatches and Review - Styledriven

Released in September 2011, and as part of the Styledriven Collection, MAC presents it's newest lipstick, the Pro Longwear Lipcreme. Today, I'm really excited to share two shades, Soft Sell and To The Future!, with you and talk a little bit about the formula.

(L-R: Soft Sell, To The Future)

To The Future!

To The Future! (dirty neutral pink with pearl) - it more of a peachy-pink shade, and the swatch on the website is 100% not accurate. This would be such a hot lip to pair with your smokey eye.

Soft Sell

Soft Sell (light yellow pink) - Also looks nothing like the swatch on the website. This shade is a deep pinked berry and slightly frosty. It almost seems like the description for this shade and for To The Future should switch.

The Pro Longwear Lipcremes glide on rather smoothly, but as they dry on your lips they feel immensely sticky. Like you rubbed a glue stick on your lips. This can be remedied by putting a gloss over top. It is in my opinion, after trying out the Pro Longwear Lip Pencil, Lipcreme, and Lipglass, that they are best when used all together. Separate they are all semi-sticky and the pencil and lipglass and not too well coating, but together they give off a vibrant and beautiful look. With my next order I'm going to get a set to do a red lip, since I have the most trouble keeping red on for an evening. These do last a long time, as stated, so if I can get the red to last, we'll have a winner!

These did remind me of Mattenes (though now swatched it's not as close as it was in my head lol I thought I'd share anyway!), but they do last a bit longer and of course Mattenes don't have that sticky feeling. Here are some comparison swatches:

(L-R: Naked Bliss Mattene, Soft Sell, To The Future, Delectable Mattene)

This is a lip I put together using the trio of Soft Sell Pro Longwear Lipcreme, Staunchly Stylish Pro Longwear Lip Pencil, and Dark As Night Pro Longwear Lipglass.

MAC Prolongwear Lipcremes retail for $17.00. They are part of the permanent line at all MAC locations as well as at MACcosmetics.com.

Please check the MAC Styledriven Official Press Release for more information.