Makeup and Beauty Blog: Monday Poll, Vol. 344

Thought it'd be fun to start doing Karen's Monday Polls! This week's Monday Poll:

1. Do you like being the centre of attention? In general, no. But it depends on why I'm being the centre of attention. If it's for a good thing (like I executed a great make-up look on myself or someone else and am getting praise for it), then I don't mind it. But if it's for a bad thing (like my lipstick is bleeding and someone is pointing it out), then no. In meetings, I don't mind it if I'm giving a presentation and I'm well-prepared. But I mind if I'm put on the spot and don't have a good answer.


2. The recipe for a perfect Sunday autumn afternoon includes... A good novel, a good meal (Sundays are omelette days for me, no matter what meal it is, preferably with some old cheddar and prosciutto and a dash of oregano, sometimes with some salsa, and buttered ciabatta toast on the side), a good cup of coffee, a nice candle (I'm thoroughly enjoying the Pumpkin Pecan Waffles one from Bath & Body Works right now), and The Sims 3. 


3. Under my bed, you'll find... Nothing! I have one of those bed frames that goes all the way to the floor, so there's no gap.


4. I could drink __________ by the pitcher. Simply Limeade.


5. Do you sleep with a nightlight now (or have you ever)? Not for a long time. When I was a kid, it was essential because I needed to see if there were clowns or dolls hiding underneath my bed or behind my dresser or whatever (not knowing what I would do if I actually found something that horrifying in my room was besides the point). Then I got used to having a nightlight and it came in handy when I needed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. But I stopped having one at some point (not sure when, possibly when I moved out with my ex) and now I'm just used to not having one. And I actually find it distracting when there's any light on when I'm trying to sleep now. I have to set my digital clock/iPod dock to the dimmest setting, and even then, I have to face away from it to fall asleep.

MAC Heirloom Mix: Pressed Pigment in Regal Affair, Noble Descent, Nostalgic, Modern Majesty, Victorian Plum, Enchantment, Prim and Proper, and Noblesse Oblige

This past Thursday, MAC launched their annual holiday colour collection called Heirloom Mix. It is inspired by "royally rich colour that exudes an aristocratic allure. The modern woman mixes up an irreverent take on tradition, as the classic collectible is cast in contemporary, glittering light. This dark collection of hues emanates a rebellious spirit of anti-antique, setting nostalgic aside in favour of an avant-garde attitude that is anything but precious. A regal, romantic, and daring affair, this holiday is all about colour that leaves a legacy." This collection sees the launch of 30 products, 23 of which are new and limited edition, one of which is a re-promote, and six of which are permanent. Heirloom Mix includes the release of eight shades of Pressed Pigment. They come in special edition glossy black round cases collaged with silver sparkles, and matching secondary cardstock packaging. Each Pressed Pigment contains a total of 1.3 grams of product, and retails for $25.

Clockwise from left: Regal Affair, Noble Descent, Nostalgic, and Modern Majesty
Regal Affair, Noble Descent, Nostalgic, and Modern Majesty

Regal Affair is a pale warm white with pearlized sparkle. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft but somewhat gritty texture, so it can go on patchy when used dry. It will look smoother and more opaque when used wet. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is similar to Blonde Streak, slightly warmer than Angelic, and less yellow than Flicker.

Noble Descent is a light cool-toned pink with pearlized sparkle. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It will look smoother and more opaque when used wet. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is slightly less cool-toned than Sweet Acting, darker and more sparkly than Pink Freeze Eyeshadow, and cooler than Sweet Lust Eyeshadow.

Nostalgic is a light-medium warm-toned pinked peach with pearlized sparkle. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It will look smoother and more opaque when used wet. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more peach than Light Touch, more pink than Day Gleam, and more sparkly than All That Glitters.

Modern Majesty is a medium-dark plum-brown with green-teal pearl. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It looks similar used wet or dry. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more plum and has more of a green pearl than Deeply Dashing, warmer and more plum than Club Eyeshadow, and less of a green pearl than Blue Brown Pigment.

Clockwise from left: Victorian Plum, Enchantment, Prim and Proper, and Noblesse Oblige
Victorian Plum, Enchantment, Prim and Proper, and Noblesse Oblige

Victorian Plum is a medium-dark brightened cool-toned royal purple with violet pearlized sparkle. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It looks similar used wet or dry. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent range.

Enchantment is a medium-dark violet with blue-purple pearlized sparkle. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It looks similar used wet or dry. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent range.

Prim and Proper is a medium-dark cool-toned gunmetal grey with silver pearlized sparkle. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It looks similar used wet or dry. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter than Jet Couture, more blackened than Knight Divine Eyeshadow, and lighter and much more sparkly than Black Tied.

Noblesse Oblige is a medium warm-toned gilded pewter with pearlized sparkle. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It looks similar used wet or dry. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less pink than Moth, darker and more grey than Retrospeck Eyeshadow, and warmer than Silver Ring.

I think a lot of people had written off the original Pressed Pigments as way too difficult to work with and having way too much fall-out to be worth using, despite how pretty and sparkly they look. But I am glad to report that these are very, very different from the original formula. Smoother, less gritty, much more opaque, way less fall-out; these definitely perform more like eyeshadows than pressed glitter. These are exactly what I wish the original Pressed Pigments would be like. These are much smaller (1.3 g vs. 3 g) and are the same price, but these are so much more worth it. Victorian Plum, Enchantment, and Prim and Proper are stand-out shades for me — these three in particular have such an amazing pearlized duochrome effect that just demands to be admired. These are actually my favourite products from the Heirloom Mix collection, and no one is more surprised by this than me.

MAC Heirloom Mix: Lipsticks

This past Thursday, MAC launched their annual holiday colour collection called Heirloom Mix. It is inspired by "royally rich colour that exudes an aristocratic allure. The modern woman mixes up an irreverent take on tradition, as the classic collectible is cast in contemporary, glittering light. This dark collection of hues emanates a rebellious spirit of anti-antique, setting nostalgic aside in favour of an avant-garde attitude that is anything but precious. A regal, romantic, and daring affair, this holiday is all about colour that leaves a legacy." This collection sees the launch of 30 products, 23 of which are new and limited edition, one of which is a re-promote, and six of which are permanent. Heirloom Mix includes the release of five lipsticks. They come in special edition glossy black tubes collaged with silver sparkles, and matching secondary cardstock packaging. Each lipstick contains a total of 3 grams of product, and retails for $21. Due to the special edition packaging, these are not applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.

Sparks of Romance, Salon Rouge, Tribalist, Rebel, and No Faux Pas
Sparks of Romance, Salon Rouge, Tribalist, Rebel, and No Faux Pas

Sparks of Romance is a medium vibrant true red with subtle golden shimmer in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It slightly warmer and more shimmery than Ruby Woo, warmer than MAC Red, and more matte than Viva Glam Rihanna.

Salon Rouge is a medium-dark brightened cool-toned red in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is cooler and less brown than Viva Glam I, lighter and more pink than Diva, and darker than MAC Red.

Tribalist is a dark muted cool-toned reddened plum in an Amplified finish. This is a re-promoted shade from 2009's Style Warrior collection, and is limited edition. It has a soft and creamy texture, but is prone to unevenness and bleeding due to slip. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more purple than Dark Side, more purple than Media, and more reddened than Smoked Purple. 

Rebel is a medium-dark cool-toned magenta-berry in a Satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more pink than Media, darker and more reddened than Flat Out Fabulous, and brighter and more pink than Hang-Up. 

No Faux Pas is a medium vibrant cool-toned reddened pink in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more reddened than Pink Pigeon, warmer and more reddened than Candy Yum-Yum, and lighter and more pink than All Fired Up.

Clearly, the bold lip trend is still going strong for holiday, and there's something for everyone (assuming you're looking for a bold lip colour). Sparks of Romance is probably the most unique colour of the five here. Never really seen anything like it, and there's no real dupe within MAC's permanent range, so it's one to check out if you're looking for a bright holiday red (the gold shimmer somehow makes it more festive rather than tacky — this is really what I wish Viva Glam Rihanna looked like). Salon Rouge is one of the most flattering reds I've ever come across: not so bright that it's a cherry red, not so dark that it's a burgundy, and not so cool-toned that it veers into berry. If you couldn't get your hands on Frank-N-Furter from the Rocky Horror collection, this is a good dupe.

Tribalist is actually a nice vampy shade, but the texture — which I find gives more slip than a true Amplified — makes it apply unevenly on the lips and as a result, it also fades unevenly, so it will emphasize lip texture. I would definitely recommend lining and filling in the lips with a lip pencil first (MAC's Vino or Nightmoth are good options). No Faux Pas is a true hot pink, if there ever was one. If Candy Yum-Yum and Pink Pigeon are too neon and too blue-toned for you, this is a fantastic option. There's just enough red in it to make it a great bright pink for the holiday season, too. And, of course, Rebel is classic, universally flattering, and one of MAC's best-selling shades, but it's also permanent, so unless you really love the special edition packaging, you can pay a couple bucks less and get it in regular MAC packaging (which means it's also applicable for the recycling program).

MAC Heirloom Mix: Mineralize Blush in Modest Blush and Sweet Sentiment

Today, MAC will launch their annual holiday colour collection called Heirloom Mix. It is inspired by "royally rich colour that exudes an aristocratic allure. The modern woman mixes up an irreverent take on tradition, as the classic collectible is cast in contemporary, glittering light. This dark collection of hues emanates a rebellious spirit of anti-antique, setting nostalgic aside in favour of an avant-garde attitude that is anything but precious. A regal, romantic, and daring affair, this holiday is all about colour that leaves a legacy." This collection sees the launch of 30 products, 23 of which are new and limited edition, one of which is a re-promote, and six of which are permanent. Heirloom Mix includes the release of two shades of Mineralize Blush. They come in special edition glossy black compacts collaged with silver sparkles, and matching secondary cardstock packaging. Each Mineralize Blush contains a total of 3.5 grams of product, and retails for $35.

Modest Blush and Sweet Sentiment
Modest Blush and Sweet Sentiment

Modest Blush is a light-medium muted warm-toned peachy pink in a matte-satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more pink than Warm Soul, more muted and more peach than Dainty, darker and more pink than New Romance, lighter and more pink than Melba, darker than Rosy Outlook Pro Longwear Blush, and warmer than Stay Pretty Pro Longwear Blush.

Sweet Sentiment is a medium-dark muted cool-toned raspberry pink with soft silver shimmer in a satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and less shimmery than Gentle, lighter and more pink than Love Thing, cooler than Dollymix, cooler and brighter than Plum Foolery, lighter and more muted than Breezy, cooler and more muted than Whole Lotta Love Pro Longwear Blush.

I'm really glad they decided to release Mineralize Blushes for this year's holiday collection (the last time we saw limited edition shades of Mineralize Blush was from the A Fantasy of Flowers collection back in February!), and with the smoothest, most finely-milled textures I've ever felt before in this formula. I've always loved Mineralize Blushes for the way they look on the skin, as if it were apart of it rather than sitting on top of it. I've mentioned this before, but because Mineralize Blushes are baked, they have a very lightweight, silky texture than many of MAC's regular powder blushes, which can be denser and heavier. You can add layer upon layer of these and they will always keep that "skin-like" finish. Both Modest Blush and Sweet Sentiment are considerably less shimmery or metallic than many Mineralize Blush shades, and I actually found both to lean more on the satin side so skin looks clean, soft, and smooth with a subtle, diffused luminosity rather than outright glow or shine. Bonus: Neither shade emphasizes skin texture, so they work well on all skin types for all ages. Modest Blush should work beautifully on fair to medium-dark skintones as a more natural, everyday shade, and Sweet Sentiment should work on fair to dark skintones as a nice pop of colour that's not too in-your-face. I advise a light hand with Sweet Sentiment as it can be quite bright, but it buffs out really effortlessly (another reason to love Mineralize Blush — they blend out flawlessly and never go on patchy). I actually find both shades to work well all year round, too, not just for the holiday season.

Sunday Video Love: Don't Mess With Me

I've been following Brody Dalle's career for over a decade now — The Distillers' Sing Sing Death House and Coral Fang were two of my most played records in high school, and I remember meeting them at the Edge 102.1 studios back in the early 2000s (I actually recently found a photo of me with Brody from that meet-up; I was 16 and wearing absolutely no make-up and one of those metal ball chain choker necklaces that was so popular at the time, so obviously this photo will never see the light of day). When The Distillers broke up, I was devastated. But a few years later, we saw the emergence of Spinnerette, which was a little more dance-y and insanely catchy, and their self-titled album was one of my most-played records in 2009 (I still play "Ghetto Love" and "All Babes Are Wolves" on the regular, actually). Then we never heard from them again. Finally, this year, Brody Dalle released a solo album. It took me a little while to get on board with it because I didn't find it to be as instantly memorable as her previous work. But the more I listen to it, the more I like it, and I realize that it's quintessentially Brody Dalle: 100% bad-ass and punk-rock through and through.

Friday Five: Cards Against Humanity

This week's Friday Five:

1. How many of those frequent buyer stamp-cards are you carrying around, and which promises the best reward upon completion? I'm not actually carrying any right now. I find that most places stopped doing those. I had one for bubble tea at Green Grotto and another for ramen at Ajisen, but I never go to either of those enough to complete a full card before they expire.


2. How many of those magnetic-stripped discount cards are you carrying around, and which offers the best rewards? I used to have tons, but now I only carry five in total: Sephora's VIB Rouge, Shoppers Drug Mart's Optimum, Hudson's Bay's Rewards, Indigo's Plum Rewards, and Cineplex's Scene. Though I don't use it that often anymore, I actually think the Shoppers Drug Mart Optimum program offers the best rewards because if you shop during their 20x points events, they add up really fast and you can redeem the points on up to $170 worth of products (and also because SDM offers everything from like, tampons to cough medicine to luxury cosmetics, so there's also more variety of things to redeem on). This reminds me that I should really get one for Petro-Canada or Esso, though. 'Cause I always need to fill up on gas, and I might as well get points for it.


3. How many other people's business cards do you carry around, and which do you refer to most? I only carry my own business cards with me on a regular basis, which I give out to clients who want me to do their make-up for events. I usually don't keep other business cards because I'll put their contact information in my phone. 


4. How far away from you is the nearest deck of playing cards? About a metre.


5. How many identification cards with your photo do you carry around? Just my driver's license. 

MAC Rocky Horror Picture Show: Lipstick in Strange Journey, Oblivion, Frank-N-Furter, and Sin

Two weeks ago, MAC launched a new collection in collaboration with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, "the cult classic musical tribute to horror and sci-fi movies," in celebration of its 40th anniversary, "featuring an outrageous collection of hues and products specially designed to recreate the looks of your favourite characters from the film." This collection sees the launch of 21 products, six of which are new and limited edition, six of which are re-promotes, and nine of which are permanent (two are PRO products). It will be available at MAC Stores only. Rocky Horror Picture Show includes the release of four shades of lipstick. They come in special edition glossy black tubes with the Rocky Horror Picture Show logo, and matching secondary cardstock packaging (the inside of which features a black and white graphic collage of the movie's characters). Each lipstick contains a total of 3 grams of product, and retails for $21. Due to the special edition packaging, these are not applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.

Strange Journey, Oblivion, Frank-N-Furter, and Sin
Strange Journey, Oblivion, Frank-N-Furter, and Sin

Strange Journey is a medium vibrant warm orange-red in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is redder and more muted than Lady Danger, darker and more red than So Chaud, and brighter than Chili.

Oblivion is a medium vibrant slightly cool-toned cherry red in an Amplified finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is warmer and less pink than MAC Red, slightly lighter and warmer than Ruby Woo, and similar to Everyday Diva Mineralize Rich Lipstick.

Frank-N-Furter is a medium-dark cool-toned crimson in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is cooler than Viva Glam I, darker and more muted than Russian Red, and lighter and brighter than Diva.

Sin is a dark cool-toned burgundy wine red in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and cooler than Diva, more red than Media, and darker and warmer than Dark Side.

Well, you can't have a Rocky Horror collection and not have red lipstick, am I right? I mean, those red lips are iconic. It's in all the movie posters and merchandise, and it's actually the first thing you see in the film. So we really couldn't expect anything else for lip shades in this collection. But the four reds in this launch are very different from each other, and actually encompass all the red lip shades we see in the film (from Janet to Columbia to Magenta to Dr. Frank-N-Furter). From bright to dark, warm to cool, there's a red for everyone. What they all have in common? They're all bold and they all make a statement. Which was the point, I'm sure.

MAC Rocky Horror Picture Show: Riff-Raff Eyeshadow Palette

Two weeks ago, MAC launched a new collection in collaboration with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, "the cult classic musical tribute to horror and sci-fi movies," in celebration of its 40th anniversary, "featuring an outrageous collection of hues and products specially designed to recreate the looks of your favourite characters from the film." This collection sees the launch of 21 products, six of which are new and limited edition, six of which are re-promotes, and nine of which are permanent (two are PRO products). Rocky Horror Picture Show includes the release of one new and limited edition eyeshadow palette, which includes six shades of powder eyeshadow. Each palette comes in special edition glossy black packaging with the Rocky Horror Picture Show logo on the lid, and matching secondary cardstock packaging (the inside of which features a black and white graphic collage of the movie's characters). It contains a total of 7.2 grams of product, and retails for $53.

From top (left to right): Oh, Rocky!, Crystal, Blackberry, Graphic Style, Heavy, Black and Pendulous, and Carbon
Oh, Rocky!, Crystal, Blackberry, Graphic Style, Heavy, Black and Pendulous, and Carbon

Oh, Rocky! is a light neutral white-beige with a soft shimmer-sheen in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is warmer than Shroom, more muted than Dazzlelight, and less yellow than Ricepaper.

Crystal is a light-medium cool-toned lavender with pink duochrome in a Frost finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more pinked and more shimmery than Digit, lighter and more pink than Beautiful Iris, and less silver and less glittery than Idol Eyes. 

Blackberry is a medium-dark reddened plum-brown in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more reddened than Haux, lighter and more plum than Embark, and warmer and more reddened than Quarry. 

Graphic Style is a medium-dark cool-toned gunmetal grey in a Veluxe Pearl finish. It is a re-promoted shade from last year's Antonio Lopez collection, and is limited edition. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker than Silver Ring, lighter than Knight Divine, and more frosted than Scene. 

Heavy, Black and Pendulous is a medium-dark muted grey-toned blue in a Frost finish. It is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more grey than Freshwater, more muted and more grey than Deep Truth, and lighter and more grey than Blue Flame Mineralize Eyeshadow. 

Carbon is a muted soft black in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a drier, stiffer texture, and can go on patchy and unevenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered easily, but can be difficult to blend out well. It is less blue-toned than Nehru, less sparkly than Black Tied, and less pigmented than Typographic.

This palette perfectly captures Dr. Frank-N-Furter's various eye looks in the actual movie (in case you wanted to re-create one for Halloween or whatever other occasion calls for "costume make-up"), but is perfectly wearable for those of us not wanting to look like a transvestite. I love that they included Blackberry, which is one of my favourite permanent shades to work with (and one that I wear with great frequency). It adds a nice warmth to an otherwise very cool-toned palette. I'm kind of bummed that we see the return of Carbon again here; black is such an essential shade in Dr. Frank-N-Furter's eye make-up that I wish they'd re-formulate to make it a true pitch black rather than a soft black that has such a poor texture. Carbon aside, it's actually a really nice palette with soft, smooth textures that blend out beautifully, and I can see it being a go-to palette for many to create a smoky eye (Rocky Horror-inspired or not). That having been said, three of the six shades in this palette are permanent, so you'll have to see if the other three shades are worth getting.

MAC Rocky Horror Picture Show: Crazed Imagination Powder Blush

Two weeks ago, MAC launched a new collection in collaboration with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, "the cult classic musical tribute to horror and sci-fi movies," in celebration of its 40th anniversary, "featuring an outrageous collection of hues and products specially designed to recreate the looks of your favourite characters from the film." This collection sees the launch of 21 products, six of which are new and limited edition, six of which are re-promotes, and nine of which are permanent (two are PRO products). Rocky Horror Picture Show includes the release of one new and limited edition powder blush. Each blush comes in special edition glossy black packaging with the Rocky Horror Picture Show logo on the lid, and matching secondary cardstock packaging (the inside of which features a black and white graphic collage of the movie's characters). It contains a total of 6 grams of product, and retails for $28.50.

Crazed Imagination
Crazed Imagination

Crazed Imagination is a medium-dark warm plum-brown with soft bronze shimmer in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a somewhat drier, stiffer texture, but goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more brown than Plum Foolery, more pink than Sweet as Cocoa, darker and less shimmery than Love Joy Mineralize Blush, and more brown and less shimmery than Love Thing Mineralize Blush.

This collection isn't going to be for everyone, and it's not meant to be: it was inspired by Rocky Horror for fans of Rocky Horror who want to celebrate and re-create the looks from the film. It's meant to be a more modern, more wearable take of the original make-up looks, and I think it was well-done in that sense. If you missed out on Animal Instincts from the A Novel Romance collection in August, this blush is a really good dupe for it. The texture on this one is definitely drier and stiffer, but it doesn't seem to affect how smoothly it goes on the skin, because it applies evenly and actually blends out really easily. On fair to medium skintones, you can easily over-apply this shade and look like you have two big bruises on your face, but it can blend out to look soft and even glowy because of the shimmery finish. I usually love these shades on darker skintones, actually, because it gives such a beautiful, natural flush. However, let's all remember that this collection was inspired by the make-up from the original movie and the main character is a drag queen. And I don't think "natural" was what they were going for. So, by all means, pack it on — Dr. Frank-N-Furter would!

Sunday Video Love: Happy Little Pill

I am obsessed with Troye Sivan's EP. For those who aren't familiar with him, he's most known for being a YouTuber, but he is also an actor (he played young Wolverine in X-Men Origins: Wolverine), and now singer-songwriter (he signed with Universal last year). I'm going to be honest, I didn't really know what to expect from him, musically. He's a cute kid, talented and entertaining, but a lot of actors/YouTubers that decide to go into music usually fail and/or do it terribly (whether it's cheesy or predictable or just badly written) because they do it for the money and attention, and not because they want to be taken seriously as an artist. But having listened to Sivan's EP on repeat for the past two weeks, I can say that it's not anything I would have expected, in the best way possible; think Lorde but somehow dancier and more haunted at the same time... and sang by a 19-year-old gay South African-Australian boy who apparently has some really dark, cynical thoughts. Basically: Slayed.

MAC The Matte Lip: Pro Longwear Blush in Make You Mine, Fleeting Romance, and I'm a Lover

Today, MAC launched a new collection in stores called The Matte Lip. This collection sees the launch of 17 products, seven of which are new and limited edition, three of which are new and will become permanent, two of which are re-promotes and will become permanent, and five of which are permanent. The Matte Lip includes the release of three new and permanent shades of Pro Longwear Blush, which are available in both potted and pan refill forms. Each Pro Longwear Blush comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 6 grams of product, and retails for $31. The Pro Longwear Blush pan refills do not come with plastic packaging and retail for $23 each.

Make You Mine, Fleeting Romance, and I'm a Lover
Make You Mine, Fleeting Romance, and I'm a Lover

Make You Mine is a medium-dark warm rosy copper-bronze with subtle golden shimmer-sheen in a satin finish. This is a new and permanent shade. It has a soft, silky, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is cooler and less shimmery than Ambering Rose, darker and more pink than Peachtwist, and brighter and more copper than Love Joy Mineralize Blush.

Fleeting Romance is a medium-dark brightened warm pink-coral with subtle golden shimmer-sheen in a satin finish. This is a new and permanent shade. It has a soft, silky, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more orange than Fleur Power, darker and more orange than Peachykeen, and lighter and more pink than Pinch Me.

I'm a Lover is a light-medium cool-toned cotton candy pink with subtle silver shimmer-sheen in a satin finish. This is a new and permanent shade. It has a soft, silky, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is brighter than Dame, lighter and warmer than Peony Petal, and darker than Well Dressed.

It seems like MAC has re-formulated the Pro Longwear Blush, because the texture on these is positively dreamy: so soft, so silky, so smooth. Like a velvety, almost creamy powder formula. Fantastic pigmentation and colour pay-off, too. Beautifully buildable, beautifully blendable. Each of these also has a subtle shimmer-sheen to them so that they look like they have a soft focus effect on the skin. Not shimmery enough to emphasize skin texture, but not so matte that it looks powdery or flat. They also wear for eight hours (or more) without fading, so the formula delivers as promised. The best part? They'll be added to the permanent range! The regular potted version will be available at all locations, and the pan refill version will be available at MAC Stores only.

MAC The Matte Lip: Lipstick in Styled in Sepia, Pander Me, Nouvelle Vogue, La Vie en Rouge, Damn Glamorous, Fashion Revival, Living Legend, and Heroine

MAC will launch a new collection called The Matte Lip in stores tomorrow (it is available online now). This collection will see the launch of 17 products, seven of which are new and limited edition, three of which are new and will become permanent, two of which are re-promotes and will become permanent, and five of which are permanent. The Matte Lip sees the release of seven new and limited edition shades of lipstick. Each lipstick comes in regular black packaging, contains a total of 3 grams of product, and retails for $19. These will be applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.

Styled in Sepia, Pander Me, Nouvelle Vogue, and La Vie en Rouge
Styled in Sepia, Pander Me, Nouvelle Vogue, and La Vie en Rouge

Styled in Sepia is a medium-dark warm taupe brown in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There's nothing really similar to this in MAC's permanent range; it is cooler and more brown than Spirit, and much lighter and less yellow-toned than Photo.

Pander Me is a medium peachy mocha brown in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more orange than Spirit, similar but more matte than Mocha, and less pink than Taupe.

Nouvelle Vogue is a medium brightened cool-toned pink in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is warmer and more muted than Pink Nouveau, darker and brighter than Pink Plaid, and darker and cooler than Please Me.

La Vie en Rouge is a medium-dark vibrant warm coral-red in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly darker and more orange than Relentlessly Red, more pink than Lady Danger, and darker and more pink than Dangerous.

Damn Glamorous, Fashion Revival, Living Legend, and Heroine
Damn Glamorous, Fashion Revival, Living Legend, and Heroine

Damn Glamorous is a medium-dark vibrant cool pinked red in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is less pink than All Fired Up, similar though more matte than MAC Red, and creamier and more pink than Ruby Woo.

Fashion Revival is a dark magenta-raspberry in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar though slightly less purple than Rebel, darker and more berry-toned than Flat Out Fabulous, and lighter and more pink than Media.

Living Legend is a deep dark cool-toned berry-plum in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker than Media, warmer than Cyber, and darker and more plum than Sin. 

Heroine is a medium-dark cool-toned magenta-tinted purple in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is similar though more matte than Violetta, darker and more purple than Flat Out Fabulous, and darker and brighter than Up the Amp.

You asked for more mattes, you got it. With the huge success of last fall's Retro Matte collection (in which four of the shades became permanent), MAC is back with seven new matte shades (not Retro Matte, which is significantly drier). No word on whether these new shades will become permanent, so if you have your eye on them, pick them up as soon as possible (because you know they're going to sell out fast). These are similar to many shades that MAC has released before (and some in the permanent range as well), so do check your stash to see if you have any dupes. On that note, these particular shades are plays on some of MAC's bestsellers, so if there are shades that you have from MAC that you wish were matte (say, Rebel, Media, MAC Red, Pink Nouveau, Mocha, etc.), then these may be the solution. MAC has really expanded their matte range in the past year or so, having more than doubled their previous range (especially with adding PRO shades to all locations, and also taking into account Retro Mattes), so it's clear that mattes are more popular than ever before — and the trend is here to stay.

MAC Brooke Shields: Lipstick in Excite and Gospel

Last Thursday, MAC launched a collection in collaboration with iconic actress and model Brooke Shields. This collection sees the launch of 14 products, nine of which are new and limited edition, three of which are re-promotes, and two of which are permanent. Brooke Shields sees the release of two new and limited edition shades of lipstick. Each lipstick comes in special edition light grey square metallic tubes with bright orange accents, featuring Brooke's signature and MAC's logo in an orange square on the lid, and matching secondary cardstock packaging. Each lipstick contains a total of 3 grams of product, and retails for $26. Due to the special edition packaging, these are not applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.

Excite and Gospel
Excite and Gospel

Excite is a medium-dark brightened warm reddened orange in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly more muted and more reddened than Korean Candy Sheen Supreme, more muted and more orange than Lady Danger, and more muted and more red than So Chaud.

Gospel is a medium-dark muted reddened plum in a Lustre finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker than On Hold, lighter and warmer than Party Line, and warmer and more muted than All Out Gorgeous Mineralize Rich.

Two surprisingly wearable, ultra-flattering shades with gorgeous luminous finishes. I actually find these shades to be a refreshing change, given all the matte vampy lips and '90s-inspired cinnamon-pink lips (à la Kylie Jenner) that are all the rage right now (I love both trends, but a girl needs options, you know?). These aren't going to appeal to everyone given the time of year, but note that all the shades in this collection were chosen by Brooke Shields herself, who was inspired by her own favourite looks for day and night rather than trend or season. While both shades are inherently bright, the shiny finishes and semi-opaque colour pay-off make them a lot more wearable across skintones, and I have found that both look extremely flattering on everyone from fair to deep dark complexions.

MAC Brooke Shields: Gravitas Eyeshadow Palette

Last Thursday, MAC launched a collection in collaboration with iconic actress and model Brooke Shields. This collection sees the launch of 14 products, nine of which are new and limited edition, three of which are re-promotes, and two of which are permanent. Brooke Shields sees the release of one new and limited edition 15-pan eyeshadow palette. Each palette comes in special edition light grey packaging with bright orange accents, featuring Brooke's signature and MAC's logo in an orange square on the lid, and matching secondary cardstock packaging. Each palette contains a total of 19.5 grams of product, and retails for $102.

Pretty, Soft Brown, Expensive Pink, Clove, and Satin Taupe

Pretty is a light warm-toned beige with a soft sheen in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less peach than Orb, more peach than Shroom, and more muted than Dazzlelight.

Soft Brown is a medium warm peachy brown in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter than Texture, lighter and more reddened than Saddle, and darker than Bamboo.

Expensive Pink is a light-medium peachy pink with a golden sheen in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more pink than Naked Lunch, darker and more pink than All That Glitters, and more pink than Melon Pigment.

Clove is a medium-dark warm golden brown in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more golden than Saddle, darker than Cork, and darker and warmer than Soba.

Satin Taupe is a light-medium warm taupe-brown in a Frost finish. This is supposed to be a permanent shade, but it is significantly different from the original. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and warmer than the original Satin Taupe, more taupe than Sable, and less gold than Patina.

Canter, Luscious, Antiqued, Psyche, and Carbon

Canter is a light brightened neutral gold in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and brighter than Ricepaper, more muted than Nylon, and more golden than Dazzlelight.

Luscious is a medium marigold-bronze in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and less orange than Amber Lights, darker and more orange than Goldmine, and similar though less metallic than Brownluxe #3.

Antiqued is a medium-dark warm reddened copper brown in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It more copper than Twinks, more muted and more brown than Coppering, and darker and more reddened than Bronze.

Psyche is a medium-dark muted golden olive-brown in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more brown than Sumptuous Olive, warmer and more golden than Greensmoke, and darker and more brown than Golden Olive Pigment.

Carbon is a muted soft black in a Matte finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a drier, stiffer texture, and can go on patchy and unevenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered easily, but can be difficult to blend out well. It is less blue-toned than Nehru, less sparkly than Black Tied, and less pigmented than Typographic.

Shroom, Persuade, Plummed, Lofty, and Pepper

Shroom is a light neutral beige with a soft shimmer-sheen in a Satin finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more muted than Mylar, less yellow-toned than Brule, and less peach than Orb.

Persuade is a medium-dark cool-toned grey-brown in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is less grey than Coquette, lighter than Concrete, and more brown than Copperplate.

Plummed is a medium-dark warm plum-berry in a Veluxe Pearl finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more plum than Cranberry, brighter and more reddened than Star Violet, and more reddened than Plum Dressing.

Lofty is a medium-dark cool-toned taupe-brown in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter than Brun, warmer than Charcoal Brown, and cooler than Espresso.

Pepper is a blackened charcoal in a Velvet finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is warmer than Typographic, lighter than Carbon, and darker than Print.

This is a truly well-curated palette filled with gorgeous neutrals from light to dark with a couple pops of colour thrown in, so the looks you can create from it are pretty endless. Aside from Carbon, all the shadows have smooth, finely-milled textures that execute and blend out beautifully. It is the first 15-pan palette that MAC has released in a limited edition capacity, and at $102, it is significantly pricier than anything MAC has ever released in a collaboration collection. That having been said, it is well worth the price, assuming you don't have many of the permanent shades in the palette. To build your own 15-pan palette at MAC would cost $192, so Gravitas is a great value. Still, it surprised me to see how fast this palette sold out; it was sold out online within the first hour of launch and sold out from most stores and counters within the first day. Many will balk at the price given the many palettes available from other brands now, but it's a stunning palette to have if you're willing to shell out for it (and if you can get your hands on it!).