Karen

MAC Face Brush Review – 182 Buffer Brush

February 27th, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

Do you love MAC brushes as much as I do?

Product: MAC 182 Buffer Brush
Use: For application of loose powder, pressed powder and pigment
Price: $45.00
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

I know, I know — $45 for one stinkin’ brush? For $45 dollars at the MAC counter you can get 3 eye shadows, or 3 Lipglasses or even 15 pencil sharpeners! If you wear powder every day, then consider investing in this brush. Save your pennies, wait until you get a gift card, or even ask a friend who is a MAC artist buy one for you and then pay her/him back, because this brush will become a staple in your collection.

I was lucky enough to get the 182 Buffer Brush as a Christmas gift from my beautiful and talented sister-in-law, who is a MAC makeup artist. The brush has a short, fat handle and a full dome made out of goat hair bristles.

And who knew that goat hair could feel so soft? The 182 bristles feel silky and dense, and when you apply product the brush feels like velvet on your skin. You can use this brush to apply loose powder, pressed powder and pigments, and I’ve found it to be pretty much a fool-proof brush. Even if I mistakenly overload it with powder, as long as I dilute the powder (by either tapping the brush or blowing off the excess) the 182 gives smooth, even application.

I use the 182 Buffer Brush with MAC Select Sheer Loose Powder in NC 30, MAC Couture Sheer Mystery Pressed Powder in Dark and MAC Blot Pressed Powder in Medium Dark.

If I use Select Sheer Loose Powder, I open up the powder jar, tap some powder onto the lid, gently dip the 182 brush into the powder on the lid, and either tap brush handle on the side of the powder jar or blow on the brush to dilute excess powder.

If I use it with Couture Sheer Mystery Pressed Powder or Blot Pressed Powder, I gently swirl the 182 in the compact, and then tap the handle or blow off the excess powder.

I like powder to look light and sheer, so I use a light touch as I apply the powdered 182 brush to my face in a circular, buffing motion.

If it weren’t for the steep price I’d give this brush an A. Plus, if you keep your brushes in a brush roll, you may have to store the 182 in a separate cosmetic case when you travel because of the short handle.

MAC Eye Makeup Review: Club Eye Shadow

February 26th, 2007 by Karen 1 Comment

Product: MAC Club Eye Shadow
Use: Eye shadow and liner
Price: $14.00 for a pan
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Oh, boy! I could write odes, sonnets and volumes upon volumes on the wonders of Club, one of my holy grail MAC eye shadows, but I’ll spare ya and get down to business.

Club eye shadow came into my MAC collection as one of the shadows in the Holiday 2006 Smoked Eyes Palette. At first glance, it’s kind of dirty looking and scary. It reminded me of oily puddles in the middle of the road on a rainy day — black, gray, green and blue at the same time. I didn’t think I’d be able to wear it at all.

Once I got it on my eyes, though? Wow. Club shows up on my lids as a brown with flashes of green and blue. Pretty, multi-dimensional and versatile.

I wear it toned down during the day by using it in the crease with MAC’s 224 Blending Brush, or on the lid with MAC’s 252 Large Shader Brush. For nights out, I get a sultrier look by wetting the 252 brush and packing the color down on the lid or using it as a liner with a wet 266 Small Angle Brush, and I’ll often pair it with MAC Ricepaper, Vex, Malt and Soba eye shadows.

Club is a must for any MAC addict who loves smokey eyes!

P.S. This was one of the very first posts ever on Makeup and Beauty Blog. It’s from back in Feb. of 2007, so it’s quite old, but I still like Club just as much now (Feb. 2014) as I did back then.

MAC Green Gel Cleanser

February 26th, 2007 by Karen Leave a Comment

Product: MAC Green Gel Cleanser
Use: Facial cleanser
Price: $21.00 for 5 oz.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B (Update as of 3/1/07: I’m changing this rating to a “C” because I accidentally got some cleanser in my eyes, and it hurt like hell! Not ideal for sensitive eyes.)

This morning I tried one of the samples I received from the Barbie Loves MAC seminar last week, MAC’s Green Gel Cleanser.

The website describes it as a foaming, soap-free, hydrating cleanser with extracts of cucumber and algae.

This cleanser smells good! — light and fresh like cut grass in the summer. The texture is nice too. It’s thin without being too sticky.

I did feel like I had to use a lot of it to get a foamy consistency. And after I dried my face, my skin felt a little tight, but that could be also due to the fact that it’s been very cold and windy, so my skin is drier than usual. I think my oily skin would like this cleanser during the warmer summer months though.

Green Gel Cleanser reminds me of Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel, so if you are a fan of that cleanser, you might like this too.

A Makeup Tip From the Barbie Loves MAC Seminar — Choosing the Right MAC Concealer

February 22nd, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

One tip I learned from attending a recent Barbie Loves MAC seminar:

When choosing a concealer, pick one with pink or peach tones, even if your skin is yellow or neutral toned. The MAC instructor at the seminar informed my class that 99% of the population should wear a NW color for their under-eye concealer. She said that even if you normally wear NC foundation, you should choose a NW concealer because layering yellow-toned concealers over dark circles can create a grayish color.

MAC’s system of labeling is different than most makeup lines. They base their system on the color wheel, so what you may normally think of as cool tones (pinks) and warm tones (yellows) are labeled differently in their foundation, concealer and powder lines.

MAC foundations, concealers and powders with the NC label stand for neutral cool and are for girls — or boys — with yellow undertones in their skin. Products labeled NW are neutral warm for those with pink tones.

I have some serious dark circles so I never leave the house without concealer on. I like to rotate between several brands including MAC’s Select Cover-Up concealer. It’s a liquid concealer that comes in a nice tube. Because I have oily skin, I don’t like cream or stick concealers – they feel heavy and tend to just slide off. I mix Select Cover-Up with MAC’s Fast Response Eye Cream before applying it underneath and in the inner corners of my eyes with the 217 Blending Brush. This Friday (my day off, woo-hoo!) I’m going to stop by the counter and pick up a NW concealer color. I’ll report afterwards if it makes my dreaded under-eye circles less grey.

A Cheaper Alternative to ProActiv Solution

February 21st, 2007 by Karen 2 Comments

Before I was a freelance writer, I worked as a legal secretary for five years. While not the most stimulating job in the world, it paid well. For beauty product junkies, more disposable money often equals expensive beauty habits. I went to spas to get facials, used only high-end brands like Dermalogica and was a total drugstore snob.

But in my late 20s I started breaking out like crazy, and nothing, not even Retin A or Differin, seemed stop the zits. I bought ProActiv out of desperation and lucky for me, it actually worked.

When I quit my job last year to write full time, I had to find ways to save money. Spending $50 on ProActiv was no longer an option, so I looked for similar, cheaper products with the active ingredients in ProActiv’s cleanser, toner and repairing lotion.

After experimenting with different products for a few months, I found what worked best for me: washing with a gentle cleanser, using a toner with glycolic acid, waiting for 10-15 minutes and then following up with a benzoyl peroxide pad. I like to call this process a Poor Woman’s ProActiv. Using drugstore products can deliver similar ProActiv results and save you up to 30 dollars!

The products I use are:

1. Clean and Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. I never liked the harshness of ProActive’s benzoyl peroxide cleanser, so I use this gentle wash. It removes makeup and cleans without leaving my skin feeling tight.

2. Neutrogena’s Pore Refining Toner. The first ingredient is alcohol, so it may not be suitable for really sensitive faces. My skin is pretty oily so I can tolerate it. After I apply the toner with a cotton ball I wait for 10-15 minutes to let my skin dry.

3. Stridex Power Pads. These 2.5% benzoyl peroxide pads are big, so I cut them in half and use one half in the morning and the other at night. This saves you even more money!

I can’t guarantee that what worked for me will work for you, so you may have to try different combinations to find your skin’s own version of Poor Woman’s Proactiv. Purchase your products from stores with a good return policy and keep your receipts in case they don’t work for you. And lastly, be patient. It may take a while before you find the right combination.