Top 5...... Eyeshadow (companies)

With the plethora of eyeshadows out there and "must have" palettes, I feel overwhelmed as to where I should invest my hard earned money. I am sure I am not alone feeling this way, so I have thought long and hard about which companies make the best powdered eyeshadows.  Using criteria of pigment, textures, variety of colours, how long they last, and blending ability, here are my top 5 (in no particular order and keep in mind I haven't tried all eyeshadows out there)

MAC

They still remain the most popular and understandably so. They have so many colours and with all the different textures - matte2, frost, matte, satin, lustre, veluxe, veluxe pearl, velvet, not to mention the LE collections like Starflash, it remains a favourite of makeup artists. MAC knows what they are doing and whilst not every texture is fabulous...uh hmmmm Lustre I am talking to you, their Veluxe Pearls, Frost, and Matte 2 are fantastic. Most are a dream to blend, the pigmentation is fab and they last and last.

Urban Decay 

With their cheeky names and their success of the Naked Palette, this little company has come a long way. Their deluxe eyeshadows are gorge. The colours are well pigmented and they feel luxurious. Blending is never tricky and their variety of colours never disappoint. Not only are the aforementioned reasons enough, but their new packaging for palettes is a great idea and just plain smart.

Lancome

Yes, I am partial to these guys as I wrote about them in another blog post. The bias has merit. The range and amount of textures and hues are amazing. They last super long and they are fabulously pigmented. Their mattes are one of the best out there and never feel chalky.

Make Up For Ever

I don't hear much in the blogosphere regarding these guys and honestly I am a little perplexed. They have unique shades that have incredible pigmentation. Use them wet, use them dry.....just use them. You won't be sorry.

 

NYX

I remember when we received the trio palettes and couldn't believe the consistency and colour pay off of these. Amazing. This is one drugstore company that does colour well. They have an incredible range of brights and more subtle colours. If you want a trendy colour, these guys are definitely worth a look.

Honorable mentions:

L'Oreal- their line of eyeshadow has improved. The HIP range was a great start but too few colours and those were really saturated and intense. However, within the last year they launched the Infallible eyeshadows. These are lovely and velvety smooth, but again the colour range is limited.



Unfortunately you notice I don't have many drugstore/highstreet companies as I find this is where the mass makeup names need to desperately improve. I have never tried but have heard that UK brands like Sleek, MUA and a few others are definitely worth checking out.

Let me know about your favourite eyeshadow companies.
cheers,
xo Megs

Review: MAC Style Seeker Collection

Being a hardcore makeup junkie, I had to check out the newest offering at MAC - Style Seeker. Honestly, the colours are perfect for Autumn i.e., warm reds, bronzes, golds, browns, and oranges. They evoke the changing of the leaves, as well as spiciness and richness . The visual also denoted such images as girls who are world travelers and eclectically dressed in beautiful ornamentation and ethnic prints. Gorgeous.

The colours are vivid and the textures are typical MAC - Matte, Veluxe Pearl, Frost, Satin, etc. You will notice some core colours within this collection, do not waste your money on those, you can always purchase them at a later date. Concentrate more on the unique offerings such as Marche aux Puces or On the Hunt. Sure, you can find similar colours within the core, but these have something a little extra.

Meanwhile, the Mattene Lipsticks are soft and creamy. This isn't a new product from MAC and they are always LE. This time isn't any different. Just be careful of the lighter colours as they pick up any kind of flakiness on the lips. The standouts here are Eden Rouge and Camden Chic.

As for the Lipglass, Fluidline and the Powder Blush, each offer a little twist for colours. Restless is a gorgeous burnt reddy bronze and my favourite out of the bunch. The Fluidlines remain one of the best cream liners. My favourite here is Dark Diversion. Now, the cheeks do not want to be left out. Hidden Treasure is just that. It looks like you have been outdoors and great for one of fall's trends - the flush.  Unfortunately, I can't really say much of the nail lacquers. My feeling is there are better polishes out there for less.

Eyeshadow Duos: $33 cdn

Culturalized: Brule (soft creamy beige) and Retrospeck (mid tone neutral gold)
Marche aux Puces: Chessa (mid tone golden orange) and Indie Spirit (chestnut brown)
On the Hunt: Star Myth (bronzed violet) and Raving Mad (bronzed red)
Whims & Fancy:  Performance Art (platinum silver) and Shadowy Lady (blackened plum)

Mattene Lipstick: $18 cdn

Fun Finds - light pink nude
Camden Chic - rich brick red
Delectable - orange beige
Fashion Nomad - bright red orange
Eden Rouge - bright blue red


Fluidline: $18 cdn

Dark Diversion - blackened plum

Rich Ground - reddened coco with frost

Local Wares - dirty olive with multi dimensional pearl

Lipglass: $18 cdn

C-thru -peachy beige with shimmer

Eclectic Edge -mid tone clean true orange

Ready to Roam - mid tone true blue red

Restless - dark burnt bronze

Powder Blush: $24

Hidden Treasure - rich burnt red

Supercontinental - bright cute coral

Worldly Wealth - shimmery peachy bronze

Nail Lacquer: $19

Styleseeker - duo chrome orange red

Mean & Green -  purple with teal multi changing pearl

Gadabout Girl - blackened plum

I took home a few little bits and baubles- Marche aux Puces, Restless, Dark Diversion, and Camden Chic.

top-bottom: Camden Chic, Restless, Marche aux Puces, Dark Diversion

Me wearing Restless and Marche aux Puces.





The Painted Lip - Review of MAC Style Seeker Collection

The Who's Who of Beauty

As someone who uses and "collects" makeup, I have a habit of being a tad biased when it comes to some companies. I have always noticed, whether it was the packaging, texture or ingredients, obvious similarities between high-end and low-end cosmetics. This can be explained by who owns them. Now, most people know L'Oreal owns Lancome, Maybelline, Vichy and La Roche Posay and Estee Lauder owns Clinique and MAC, but there were some other brands that many do not know about. There are four major players on the beauty scene and these include Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) and Shiseido.

I have compiled lists of some of the companies and their brands:

Estee Lauder

• Aramis
• Clinique
• Smashbox
• MAC
• Prescriptives
• Bobbi Brown
• Origins
• Tommy Hilfiger
• La Mer
• Aveda
• Jo Malone
• Bumble and Bumble
• Michael Kors
• Darphin
• Tom Ford
• Coach
• Ojon

L'Oreal

• L'Oreal Paris
• Garnier
• Maybelline New York
• Essie
• Giorgio Armani
• Keratase
• Redken
• Matrix
• Shu Uemura
• Ralph Lauren
• Lancome
• Helena Rubinstein
• Biotherm
• Cacharel
• Viktor and Rolf
• Diesel
• The Body Shop
• YSL Beaute
• Vichey
• La Roche Posay
• Kiehl's
• Roger & Gallet
• Skinceuticals
• Stella McCartney

LVMH

• Benefit
• Acqua di Parma
• Guerlain
• Givenchy
• Marc Jacobs
• Christian Dior
• Kenzo
• Fresh
• Make Up For Ever
• Sephora's namesake line
• Fendi

Shiseido

• Ayura
• Cle de Peau
• Decleor
• Iso Hair
• Joico
• NARS Cosmetics
• Jean Paul Gaultier
• Issey Miyake
• Narciso Rodriguez
• John Varvatos

Bourjois/Wertheimer

• Bourjois
• Chanel

Clarins

• Kibio
• Thierry Mugler
• Azzaro
• Stock holder in L'Occitane

Revlon

• Revlon
• Almay

Coty

• Rimmel London
• Lancaster

Elizabeth Arden

• Prevage
• Fragrances such as Britany Spears

Surprising eh? So when we look at a Lancome mascara, just know that the L'Oreal mascaras have the same research/technology and ingredients behind it. Or when we look at the baked blushes at Bourjois and compare them to Chanel, they are going to be relatively similar, at a fraction of the cost.

Cheers,
xo Megs

A/W 2012/13 Trends - Emerald 'Eye'-sle



To be green with envy is a feeling we keep to ourselves, however on the runways of Jason Wu and Roberto Cavalli, the makeup was gorgeous and worth expressing. To me, it evokes the image of the iridescent shell of the scarab.


Backstage at Jason Wu
Source : louloumagazine.com

Many of my friends are scared to try green. I am unsure if it is colour itself or its application. Either way, makeup is fun and should never be terrifying. Hopefully, I can take away the green eyeshadow anxiety by showing how easy it can be worn.



Roberto Cavalli A/W 2012
Source: glamour.com


Both of the trends use a metallic green, whilst Cavalli uses more of a forest green, Jason Wu has more of an emerald or teal tone to it.  To make the green stand out the key is to use a base (cream or powder) in either black or green. Here are some gorgeous greens that you won't mind making others covet ;)

• Bourjois Eyeshadow - Noir Emeraude
• MAC Eyeshadow - Humid
• Too Face Eyeshadow - Neptune
• Cargo Eyeshadow Palette - Tennessee
• MAC Metal X Cream Shadow - Verdigris
• Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil - I Have a Green

Cheers
xo Megs

A/W 2012/13 Trends - Brown Smokey Eye

The black smokey eye is pretty much a staple for Autumn and Winter, but this year black kohl takes a backseat and brown becomes the center of a attention. Seen at Burberry, Blumarine, and Givenchy.




As per usual, Pat McGrath (love her) was ubiquitous during the A/W 2012 collections. At Givenchy, her take on the brown smokey eye was delicious and rich.  To achieve this eye look I recommend using bronze and chocolate colours such as:

• Bobbie Brown  Cream Shadow - Beach Bronze
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow- Smog
• MAC Eye Pencil - Coffee
• Bourjois Metallic Eyeliner - 52 Brun Inoxydable
• MAC Eyeshadow - Handwritten
• MAC Eyeshadow - Brun



Backstage at Burberry A/W 2012/13

Image from vogue.com.au

At Burberry, head Makeup Artist, Wendy Rowe created a beautiful country-meets-city chic. It is an an elegant wearable look for day or night. It definitely aligns with the Burberry aesthetic.  To re-create this smokey look, use colours that are taupe and more cooler medium browns, such as:

• Maybelline Color Tattoo - Tough as Taupe
• MAC Eyeshadow - Concrete
• MAC Eyeshadow - Copperplate
• MAC Eyeliner - Coffee

I will be posting pictures and filming videos regarding how to make these runway trends work for real life.





Using Tough as Taupe, MAC - Concrete,Stubborn Brown, Brun



Can't wait to try them both.

xo Megs





Loving Now: Opulash Optimum Black

Let me preface this by writing that I am not a MAC snob, I am an equal opportunity makeup junkie. So when I talk about MAC, I am coming from a honest place. MAC  is known for many things - Viva Glam, lipsticks, eye shadows, etc. However, for me, MAC mascaras have been meh. They are either too flaky, too wet, or smudge like I slept in my makeup. Until now........








MAC Opulash Optimum Black

For those girls/guys who have oily lids, Opulash Optimum Black contains kaolin clay, which is known to absorb oil. It keeps my curl, lengthens, adds volume and is the blackest black. Taking it off is a breeze and it is the only one I have tried that I haven't thrown out after 6 weeks due to it drying out.



The down and dirty:

• Brush- teddy bear
• Formula - slightly wet/dry
• Effect - volumes, lengthens and curls
• Price - $19 cdn.

Available at MAC stores

Makeup Products/Companies that Deserve More Lovin'

When reading blogs and looking on YouTube, there are some products that are reviewed and hyped up over and over again. Yes, I am talking to you Naked Palette, Revlon Lip Butters, and Maybelline Tattoo cream shadows..... and yes, I succumbed to some of the much deserved hype. But what about the other little products that just want to be liked?

I decided to look to my own ridiculous amount of makeup and pump up some underrated products:

Clarins



Clarins Rouge Prodige

First of all, Clarins is more known for their skin care. However, their makeup line is beautiful. I have had the pleasure of using many of their products and they have some of the best foundations out there. However, I want to talk about their lipstick -the Rouge Prodige lipsticks to be exact. They are hydrating, well pigmented and on trend. Worth looking into.


Shiseido




Shiseido blush

Shiseido.... Again, known more their skin line then anything else, but this Japanese company does know how to work it. Dick Page, has done an amazing job with their makeup range. I particularly love their Luminizing Satin Face Colour blushes.Awesome lasting power, blending ability and pigmentation.


Lancome



Lancome Colour Design

This is a brand known for its rose and luxury skin care. While, I have underwhelming opinions regarding some of their products, I adore their Colour Design eyeshadow. There are some amazing, unique colours and finishes - matte, lustre, shimmer, metallic, and intense.  The pigmentation, blend-ability, and lasting power are incredible.


Fairy Drops Scandal Queen Mascara





Fairy Drops Scandal Queen

Now this might not be for everyone as its formulation is wetter than most and pricier than some. However, this little gem of a mascara made my already-lengthy eyelashes long, thick, dark and curled. I never had raccoon eyes by the end of the day nor was it hard to remove. Love the brush.



SkinCeuticals



SkinCeuticals SPF 50

Their Physical Fusion UV defense SPF 50 sunscreen is amazing. It is a physical sunscreen that has a slight tint to it. It doesn't make your skin oily and you don't get that grey-zombie looking face. Bonus!

Bourjois

Bourjois 3D Effects Lip Gloss

We all know about their blushes and their baked eye shadows, but their 3D effects lip gloss is just as good if not better than the other two products. There are great neutral shades, without the stick factor. They hydrate and make my lips look incredibly shiny.  Plus they smell like Swedish berries.








More to come :)

xo Megs

A/W 2012/13 Trends - Deep Hued Lips

The Autumn/Winter collections this year were not just about the garments. Whilst at most shows, the makeup was graphic and bold, others had the simplicity of a poignant, groomed brow with little else.

This will be the first in a series of looking at the Autumn/Winter makeup trends. I have to say, that researching the upcoming collections made me giddy and I can't wait to try them out.

The Deep Hued Lip

The first of  the series will look at the slightly Gothic, edgy, and mysterious deep hued/ berry stained lip. The keys to pulling this off is finding the right shade for you and pinch of colour on the cheek that's within the same colour family.




Camilla Belle at the Met Gala 2012



Viktor and Rolf A/W '12 backstage makeup

Here are some of my picks:

MAC Sheen Supreme- Good to be Bad- sheer, creamy deep plum
Chanel - Rouge Noir - deep, blackened purple.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick- Violet Frenzy - sheer deep violet
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - Blackest Cherry- rich deep red
Laura Mercier - Black Orchid - sheer plum
Cover Girl Lip Perfection- Euphoria- rich dark plum
Clinique Almost Lipstick- Black Honey - sheer deep reddish brown



L-R  Laura Mericier Black Orchid, MAC Sheen Supreme Good to be Bad, Chanel Rouge Noir

The red lipstick

It is just a colour of lipstick........ or is it?

Okay, I have found that some people are "red lipstick" personalities and can pull off a red lip like no body's business. Look at Gwen Stefani, she is a fierce red lip girl. And Paloma Picasso is a striking beauty that makes the red lip her own.  Me, well I have toyed with  the red lip for years. Always thinking it was the shade,i.e., not blue based enough, too blue-based, etc. . Let's face it, wearing the iconic red lip is bold and takes confidence. It also draws attention to your mouth and directly what you have to say, thus ultimately you.

For women, makeup is very powerful. One swipe of a colour can transform and allow us to see ourselves differently. Red lips add instant glamour that every woman wants. Even the economy can sometimes be explained as a"lipstick economy",where women still want luxury, i.e., lipstick, even when times are financially tough.

Wearing the red lip also has a primitive and a more deep rooted meaning. Anthropologists, look at the red lip as sensual and a mating signal for the opposite sex. I think we can fully appreciate what the "red lip" is suppose to emulate

With all of that said, I have compiled some beautiful reds - some bold and some that are for us girls not wanting to retouch our lips all the time:

Chanel- Paris 22- blue-based cherry red
MAC - Russian Red- blue-based deep red
MAC Viva Glam Cindy- sheer pinky-red
L'oreal Colour Riche - British Red - classic warm red
Burberry- No.09 - pinky-red
Revlon Lip Butter- Candy apple -sheer warm red
Rimmel Kate Moss 01- coral red.




L- R Burberry No.9, Chanel Paris, MAC Viva Glam Cindi, MAC Russian Red

I know there are more out there. Let me know if you have a beautiful red to share.