The decadent haul you see above is a present from my darling friend Nics, who knows how much I love to give and receive beauty products in the mail, and this time she really blew my mind! The package included flawless products like the inky-matte Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel in Blacktrack, which is deep, darkest black; once applied, it sets for the day without flaking or smudging. It is a yardstick by which other liners are compared in the beauty industry since it is a staple product across the globe, thanks to their dynamic colour selection and the great performance of this liner, which for as long as I can remember, has been one of the best available.
The Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara in Black is a clever bit of packaging that allows you to use either the pink or the glittery purple wand option, for subtle daytime definition or an all-out full-glam application that is thick and dramatic, your choice depending on which colour cap you unscrew. The different apertures allow more or less product to remain on the generously-sized brush bristles, but I will be using mostly the pink option since I prefer more subtle and precise application. I've been annoyed by many mascara formulas that I've tested but find this version to be long-wearing and non-irritating to my eyes.
Next up, a few lines to rave about this Macnificent Me! Eyeshadow X9 palette which contains every desirable, wearable eyeshadow colour I want in one small but efficient palette. Shades include: Macnificent Me!, Quiet Type, Dance in the Dark, Fabulous DNA, Pleasing to the Eye, Sable, Frankly Frosty, In My Element and Cool Complement. When I first glanced at the colours chosen, I thought they were nice and fine and maybe a little boring, but once I started using them I realized they have created a standout winner in my opinion. This is because the transitional eyeshadows in this palette are the best I've ever used, with 3 of the matte shades now acting as my everyday shadow base, blending and transitioning shadows and I'm not sure how I ever got along without them, they are that good. The other shades are perfect to define, highlight and line my eyes, so basically M.A.C. has created my ideal eyeshadow palette but I didn't even know it when I first looked at it! The soft, almost creamy texture of these shadows make them a joy to apply and blend, plus the incredible performance of these shadows have kept M.A.C. at the top of the beauty world for years.
I saved the best for last with this cohort of gorgeous lip products that are my favourite cosmetics of all right now. I'll admit to a heartfelt nostalgia for the original M.A.C. lipstick bullet with the mild vanilla scent that I associate with the brand. Some of you may know that I am currently obsessed with the almost-concealer-nude lips that are popular again, which match perfectly with dramatic eye looks for evening or just on their own with a bit of mascara and blush for a super-fast everyday no-makeup look, since they won't bleed or wear off as noticeably as darker shades which require mindful maintenance.
I was almost delirious with happiness as I opened the lipstick package to reveal the most perfect shade, M.A.C. Satin Lipstick in Fleshpot. Oh-em-gee, I've been carrying on about light nude lips for weeks if not months now, so leave it to MAC Cosmetics to remind errybody why they run this game. The light, flesh tone and creamy, no-sparkle, highly-pigmented formula will win you over in a single swipe. Using a liberal amount of dark brown/burgundy lipliner in successive layers, darker women will rock this lipcolour, which on fairer skin is perfect on its own. M.A.C. lipsticks are also a reminder of when I first fell in love with makeup artistry, when M.A.C. cosmetics were new and rare in the beauty world. I'm back in love with M.A.C. lippies and it feels like coming home.
Always on the cutting edge of new products and formulas, M.A.C. often seems to produce the best iteration of whatever is hot right now on the beauty scene. Case in point are these creamy, fool-proof PatentPolish Lip Pencils, which I received in shades Make Me Proud (a neutral rose nude, the darker of the two pictured above) and It's Really Me (a perfect greigey-nude that I wear daily). I wasn't sure about these chunky lip crayons at first glance, but again, one swipe and I was in love. The texture is like the best lip balm ever, with enough opaque colour to not require anything but a light hand with a darker liner, it has a hint of shine without any glitter. This lip product glides on and feels so hydrating and creamy that I reapply it several times per day just to comfort my lips. Absolutely this is my favourite cosmetic product in my entire collection at the moment, who would have guessed?
Lastly is this M.A.C. Vamplify Lipgloss in shade Anything But Demure, and I am serious when I say that this lipgloss is among the best you can buy. From texture to wear, this is the perfect gloss for all my favourite nude lip looks. Not overly sticky and longer-wearing than I expected, it's a far cry from the original Lipglass that I used to own years ago. The luxurious feel of this product extends from the newfangled applicator tip to the well-pigmented formula that seems to last much longer than other glosses, available in a decent range of fashion-forward, universally flattering shades.
M.A.C.'s beauty game is clearly stronger than ever, well-deserving of their loyal customer base, trusted by MUAs since forever with good reason. Go get you some!
No comments:
Post a Comment