MAC Archies girls haul, swatches, photos and FOTD

 Hello all, I could not resist this collection because I was pretty well obsessed with Archie comics when I was a kid. Part of me thought maybe I should pass since I'm a grown up now but then I saw the color story and everything that is in Betty's collection just called my name.

So here we go, $240 CAD later...

 

 I got flatter me pearl matte, veronica's blush pearlmatte, cream soda blush, lord it up pearlglide eyeliner, summer sweetheart lipglass, betty bright lipstick and caramel sundae eyeshadow quad.

This is mainly just a photo swatch post, but I am going to be doing a comparison post soon.
I know there are many swatches floating around out there already, but in case you want to see how they look on super pale skin NC10/NC15 then this is for you. My camera likes to pick up odd cool/warm tones so they are not the most accurate of swatches but I tried to capture how the products look on me.

Betty bright lipstick:

 

Swatches betty bright lipstick (top) and  summer sweetheart lipglass (bottom) :

 

 wearing Betty Bright lipstick :

Wearing summer sweetheart lipglass:

 

 lord it up pearlglide swatch :

Caramel sundae quad swatches :

 Veronicas blush pearlmatte swatch  (this one is not nearly matte!) :

 Flatter me pearlmatte swatch :

cream soda blush swatch  (this was sooo pigmented I was shocked!) :

  

 My 'Betty' FOTD (breakdown below) :

Eyes:
- MAC bare study paint pot
-caramel sundae quad

- lord it up pearlglide

- prestige my biggest lashes mascara
- MAC brow pencil lingering
- MAC prep & prime highlighter radiant rose

Face:
- Revlon Colorstay foundation normal/dry 110 ivory

- MAC careblend powder light  

Cheeks :

- Cream soda blush (on apples)

- flatter me pearlmatte (lightly over top cream soda blush)

 Lips: 

- summer sweetheart lipglass

What did you think of the Archie's girls collection? Did you want/get anything from it?

My 12 favorite beauty products of 2012

Happy 2013 everyone!
Shockingly, I have found a bunch of HG or 'holy grail' products this year! It makes me happy to find amazing things that suit me, but at the same time it takes the fun away from hunting for something new.

Everything in this post are products I use daily or a few times per week.
You might recognize some of these items from my summer favorites post.
Sorry, I didn't take individual pictures of everything, I wanted to get this posted before 2014 ;) So; here are my top 12 beauty buys from 2012.

 

12. Clinique take the day off cleansing balm  $34 CAD

This was a recent discovery and I am so impressed with it. I've wasted so much money trying to find a 'gentle' cleanser that completely removes makeup.  I can't use foaming cleansers or wipes anymore, they make my face red and irritated. This balm easily takes off every single trace of makeup, even waterproof mascara - and it rinses off completely. No oily residue at all! I love this stuff so much.

11. Essence volumizing lash powder $3.99 CAD

I was skeptical, but this stuff works so well. I found that using wet mascara with it is best. Covergirl lash blast (orange tube) worked magically with it. It gave me fake looking lashes. The fibers won't irritate sensitive eyes, just be careful when applying and you will get amazing lashes.

10. ELF liquid eyeliner $1.50 CAD

I grabbed this back in the summer when I ran out of MAC penultimate liner (which dried out within 3 months of use :( And I don't think I will look back. I can get a thin dark line in one swipe, and it stays put all day. So cheap too!

9. Maybelline color tattoo cream shadow bad to the bronze $8.99 CAD

I use this all the time. It's one of my go-to shadows because it is so quick and easy to get a gorgeous taupe shimmery eye. Just apply to lids, add a few coats of mascara and then put on some more for a little more color intensity.

8. Wet n Wild color icon palette vanity $6.99 CAD

I think this is what I would consider my HG eyeshadow palette. I recently purchased a back up. It's so pigmented and gorgeous. The colors blend like a dream. I was using MAC blanc type as an all over base shadow before, but when I started using the matte beige in this quad I realized that it was even better than MAC! I will never be without this palette.

7. NARS larger than life lipgloss Tiber $30 CAD

I love NARS larger than life glosses. I think they are the best out there. They are shiny, long lasting and hydrating. No stickiness at all. Tiber is my favorite color, a nice neutral beige. I am going to buy more.

6. MAC lipstick blankety $18 CAD

This is my HG lipstick. It is the perfect mix of pink and beige and I can wear it with anything. It tones down the redness in my lips but it doesn't make me look like a corpse.

5. MAC paint pot constructivist $20 CAD

I love this as an all over lid color or as a liner. It's a nice rich brown with reddish pearl. It makes my green eyes pop. Genius color. Another item I will never be without.

4.  MAC eyebrow pencil lingering $18 CAD

This has become my HG brow product. I have tried lots. This is IT. The color is perfect, it looks totally natural, it defines and helps shape and fill in brows where needed. Most importantly, it stays on all day and it keeps brows in place. I couldn't ask for more. I have heard that maybelline has a dupe of this product so I will be checking that out too.

3. MAC mineralize skin finish light year (limited edition)  $34 CAD

I'm sorry I had to put an LE product in here, but this has become my everyday blush. I mix all the colors together and it gives me a luminous pink/beige/peach glow that I haven't got from anything else. It's exactly what I want in a blush. A little glow without looking overdone. All pale girls need this in their stash!

2. MAC play it proper beauty powder $34 CAD

This is my HG highlight product. It is a light pearly pink and it gives my cheekbones an amazing glow. I've hit pan and already have a backup because I use it pretty well every day. 

I highly recommend light pink highlighters for pale skin, I think they are the most flattering.

1. Make up forever face and body foundation $44 CAD

My number one favorite? MUFE face and body foundation. I love it. I haven't found any other foundation that gives such a youthful look to skin as this. It's dewy but it is so light feeling, and it lasts all day. I tried shade #20 and it was very dark on me, I ended up going for #38 porcelain ivory and it is a pretty decent match. It's expensive, and hard to get here but I will keep using it until I find something similar.

I hope you liked my top 12! What were your favorites of 2012? There were so many great things this year it was hard to pick!

NOTD: snow falling on sparkling asphalt

 One of the most beautiful things about winter is the way the snow sparkles through the sun, and the black pavement shimmers so bright.

I tried to capture snow falling onto sparkling asphalt in my mani for the holiday nail art challenge on nail polish Canada.

 To get this effect I layered a lot of polishes! Then I added on some 3-D nail stickers, to make it look more like snow.

Polishes used left to right: MAC everything that glitters, SH silver lining, Nails inc sprinkles sugar house lane, covergirl snowflake, random white from Halloween, SH hidden treasure.

What do you think? If you like it, please find and vote for me here tomorrow.

NOTD: MAC vintage vamp nail lacquer

I've been looking high and low for a deep blood red jelly polish... I thought vintage vamp was it but it's just not dark enough for my liking. It's pretty sheer and the color in the bottle seems deeper than what you get on your nails.

Still, it's a truly gorgeous vampy red jelly.

I am wearing 3 coats of vintage vamp, and it still looks slightly streaky. That is one thing I didn't like about this color - It's very translucent and hard to get an even application.


It gives a really shiny finish like jellies usually do, love that.


Although expensive, I really like MAC nail lacquers. With a top coat I can usually get 1 week of wear without chipping, which is great for me.

I think this color is super for fall/winter.

Have you tried MAC lacquers? did you like them?

Any suggestions for a deep blood red jelly polish?

MAC studio fix boldblack lash mascara review

I love trying MAC mascaras since mascara is one beauty item that only lasts 3-6 months and instead of throwing it away you can back to MAC it. It's just great!

My latest mascara purchase from MAC was studio fix in boldblack - since I like intense black lashes :)


This is what MAC has to say about studio fix bold black :
'Innovative, mousse-like formula gives superior definition, volume and lift by filling in sparse lashes for a dramatic effect now in carbon black.'

I do agree that it does give good volume and some definition. The formula is quite wet and can be a little messy, it clumps really easily.

The brush is made of hard plastic with little teeth that grab lashes well.

studio fix lash wand:

I didn't like this wand too much, it wasn't flexible at all and it was rough on my lash line when trying to get the mascara into the lash roots.

It really gave a lot of volume and I loved the black intensity. Unfortunately, it did flake as you can see in the picture below.

Wearing 2 coats of studio fix boldblack:

You can see the little flakes under my eyes. Not cool.
With 2 coats it was very hard to get the mascara not to clump. I think it's because the formula is so wet that it makes it difficult not to get too much product on the wand. Wiping the wand with a paper towel before applying would be best I think.

Overall, I didn't really like this mascara as much as others from MAC. It held curl alright, added a little length and a lot of volume. But it flaked through the day, and it ended up irritating my eyes just like zoom lash did.

If you like volume I think you would like this, but I wouldn't recommend it because it does have the tendency to clump and flake. A better option for volume and length would be MAC's false lashes mascara which doesn't clump or flake. Oops I still have to review that one!

Repurchase? No

Price: $19 CAD

Rating: 2.5/5

My summer beauty favorites!

 I thought I'd do a little post on all my favorite makeup I've been using this summer. All products in this post I use daily or at least once per week. I'll list everything and why I'm loving it :

 Left to right:

• NARS larger than life lipgloss in Tiber ~ perfect nude color, awesome formula not too sticky and actually moisturizing!
• MAC prep + prime BB beauty balm spf 35PA+++ ~ Amazing product! I am using the Asian version currently, it's almost the same as the U.S. just has different sunscreen actives. I was using products with SPF 15 but realized I need more SPF than that (my skin was getting irritated by the sun). So this beauty balm (not to be confused with BB cream!) is sheer and non greasy, providing a perfect base for makeup with SPF 35. On good skin days I use it by itself, just evens everything out and gives a slight glow.
• Biotherm multi-proctection SPF 30 eye contour cream ~ Awesome eye cream with SPF. It's fast absorbing and moisturizing, perfect under makeup.
• Burberry Brit EDP ~ I got this by accident, and I'm glad I did because I love it! I picked this up in a sleep deprived haze - thought it was Burberry the Beat (which I also adore!) and once I tried it I thought I may as well keep it. It's grown on me.. it smells warm, clean, sweet and summery. 
• Cover Girl lash blast mascara waterproof ~ I only use this when I need to since it's hard to remove, but it stays all day and is truly water resistant!
• Cover Girl liquiline blast brown blaze ~ The most perfect brown liner I've ever used! I'm not exaggerating. The color is gorgeous and doesn't have shimmer so it's great for the waterline. I like this for the summer because it isn't harsh like black can be.
• MAC penultimate eyeliner rapid black ~ I've been searching for a liner like this forever. I can actually make a tiny, small line with this! I love using it on the top lash line to add just a little bit of fullness to my lashes without having to make a thick line.

 

• Wet n Wild vanity palette  ~ Love this! I like to use the matte colors for a subtle look somedays, and for a more smoky eye I put the shimmery brown over MAC constructivist paint pot and it looks amazing... try it!
• MAC MSF semi precious crystal pink ~ I'm really sad this is limited edition because it's the perfect summer blush and highlighter in one. I use this a lot, the middle gives a light bronze/pink blush and the outside gives a shimmery beige highlight. It's perfect.
• MAC constructivist paint pot ~ Gorgeous deep brown with reddish undertones. I use this one a lot too. I like to layer shimmery taupes and browns over it for a smoky eye.
• Maybelline 24 hr eye tattoo in bad to the bronze ~ Another amazing color. It's the one thing I must say you need for summer. Some days when I want a minimal look thats fast and easy I just use this all over the lid with some mascara and I'm good to go. It's the perfect champagne taupe color, not too dark or too light. The best thing is that it stays all day and doesn't crease or travel.
• MAC lipstick blankety ~ This has become my favorite lipstick ever. It goes with everything, It also makes lips look plump.
• Urban Decay naked palette ~ (Forgot to take a pic!) This is my go-to palette most days. I love it.

One of my favorite summer polishes is Illamasqua Milf. I love it! Sorry for the blurry pic, was holding my baby and trying to aim the camera with the same arm.

 

Here is my summer FOTD, very basic and neutral. I'm spending a lot of time outside so I look really tan..wow.
My FOTD:
face:
- MAC prep + prime beauty balm
- Revlon Colorstay in buff (a whole shade darker than the usual ivory! )
- MAC MSF crystal pink
eyes:
- Urban Decay naked palette: naked (lid), buck (crease & lower lash line), sin (blended above crease), virgin (to highlight).
- Armani eyes to kill mascara (review coming soon!)
- Annabelle brow pencil taupe
lips:
NARS larger than life l/g Tiber

Well I hope you are all having a great summer. My family and I are enjoying it, looking forward to holidays in a few weeks as well.
Let me know what your favorite summer beauty products are! Especailly any skin care and foundations, always up for trying new things :)

MAC foundation reviews, photos and swatches

I have recently been trying some new MAC foundations and I have tried some others in the past. I figure I may as well review them all in one big post.

The foundations I will review are studio fix fluid, studio fix powder plus foundation, studio sculpt, pro longwear, mineralize satinfinish and mineralize foundation (compact).

My skin type: very dry, sensitive, acne prone. My skin coloring in MAC: NC10 - if they still made it. NC15 works for me most times but can be a bit too yellow.

Here are some foundation swatches all are still wet and freshly applied.
Left to right: studio fix fluid NC15, studio fix fluid NW15, mineralized foundation NC15, pro longwear NC15, mineralize satinfinish NC15


Here are the same swatches after they dried on my skin. You can see that some have oxidized and become slightly darker.
Left to right studio fix fluid NC15, studio fix fluid NW15, mineralized foundation NC15, pro longwear NC15, mineralize satinfinish NC15

For reference this is my face without any makeup on. I was and still am battling acne flare ups on my chin, due to pregnancy.

The Reviews :

- Studio fix fluid Spf 15 -

coverage: medium to full
finish: natural matte
wear: all day, stays on very well
packaging: Screw top bottle
pros: Studio fix is one of my favorite foundations. It provides excellent coverage especially on break outs and conceals redness. It stays put and doesn't rub off until I take it off. Includes broad spectrum sun protection from UVA and UVB rays.
cons: Can clog pores, must be removed thoroughly. Can look cakey if too much is applied, almost mask like. Foundation pump is sold separately for some reason, this bothers me.
Overall: Best for oily/combination skin that needs coverage. It can be a little drying. Be careful if you are acne prone because this foundation can cause breakouts.
Repurchase? yes
price: $32 CAD
rating: 4.5/5

Wearing Studio fix fluid in NW15 (NC15 matches me way better!) :

- pro longwear spf 10 -

coverage: medium to full
finish: natural satin-like
wear: all day, stays on very well
packaging: pump bottle
pros: Natural looking flawless finish with great coverage. It's very fluid like but can be built up easily. photographs very well. Wears well, lasts all day.
cons: I found this oxidizes slightly, as most long wearing foundations do. The color turned a tad orange, but nothing too extreme. SPF is very low, not sure if it would protect skin or not. Too drying for dry skin.
Overall: Best for normal/oily/combination skin that needs long wearing coverage.
Repurchase? yes
price: $36.50 CAD
rating: 4.5/5

Wearing pro longwear foundation NC15:

- Mineralize foundation Spf 15 (compact) -

coverage: light/medium
finish: natural satiny
wear: 6-8 hours
packaging: compact
pros: Great for drier skin because it is slightly moisturizing. Sets to a nice smooth finish that looks very natural. You can build coverage to hide minor imperfections and redness. Includes sun protection with spf 15. Compact is great to carry around for touch ups.
cons: Quite expensive. Needs to be set with a powder if you want it to last all day. It wears off easily. Won't cover major skin problems, additional concealer is most likely needed.
Overall: Best for dry/normal/combination skin that doesn't need a lot of coverage.
Repurchase? yes
price: $40 CAD
rating: 4/5

Wearing mineralize foundation NC15 (layered heavily) :

- mineralize satinfinish spf 15 -

coverage: sheer/light
finish: dewy
wear: 4-6 hours
packaging: pump bottle
pros: This is a very light weight foundation. It has mica in it that casts a nice glow onto the skin. Includes several antioxidants in the formula as well as Spf 15. Great for aging skin. This is also a great foundation to mix with others for more glow.
cons: Lasting power is horrible. Must be set with powder. Does not cover blemishes or redness completely, additional concealer is likely required unless you are lucky enough to have perfect skin. Can look streaky, but better when set with powder.
Overall: Best for dry/normal skin that needs little to no coverage. Adds luminescence to dull and aging skin. Note the coloring in this particular foundation runs light. NC15 is more like NC10, it matches my skin perfectly.
Repurchase? yes
price: $36.50 CAD
rating: 3.5/5

Wearing mineralize satinfinish NC15 (layered 2-3 times) :

- Studio Sculpt SPF 15 -

coverage: medium to full
finish: satin
wear: approx 8 hours
packaging: squeeze tube
pros: After layering and blending you can achieve perfect looking skin that still maintains a natural finish. Includes spf 15.
cons: Hard to blend in without streaking. Heavy in silicone that can clog pores. Can accentuate any dryness and flakes on skin.
Overall: Best for normal/oily/combination skin. I wouldn't recommend this if you are in a rush because you need time to blend it in well so it doesn't streak. This stuff clogged my pores really bad and I had to return it.
Repurchase? no
price: $36.50 CAD
rating: 3/5

- Studio fix powder plus foundation -

coverage: medium to full
finish: satin matte
wear: all day, stays on very well
packaging: compact
pros: Amazing coverage. This powder is capable of giving you doll-like velvet skin. It covers everything and stays on all day until you take it off. It's so easy to use, a few swipes and your out the door. Does not oxidize.
cons: Can look a bit cakey especially on dry skin. No sun protection.
Overall: Best for normal/oily/combination skin that needs lots of coverage. Be careful if you are acne prone, this is another foundation that causes breakouts in some people.
I broke out horribly every time I used this so I had to return it. It is an excellent foundation though.
Repurchase? no
price: $32 CAD
rating: 4.5/5


My top pick:

After trying all these MAC foundations I've found my own perfect foundation 'elixir'. I mix 1 part mineralize satinfinish with two parts studio fix fluid (both in NC15) and it's the best for my dry sensitive skin. The studio fix gives good coverage while the satinfinish adds a nice healthy glow.

I hope this has been helpful to some. Always remember that before buying you can ask for a sample of foundation at the MAC counter.

Have you had any luck with MAC foundations?
I'm very interested in trying out face and body foundation, if you've tried it let me know what you think!

Maybelline superstay 14 HR lipstick in beige forgood photos and swatches

Well now, I think I have a new favorite lipstick! This color is fabulous. The formula is decent. The price is right!

These new Maybelline superstay lipsticks don't hold up for 14 hrs unless you don't eat or drink anything while wearing them. Otherwise, on me they last about 4-6 hours which is pretty good for a drugstore lipstick.
Beige forgood - is pretty well my new favorite go-to nude. It's the perfect mix of beige brown and pink. It's natural, subtle and looks great with pale skin. It does carry a slight hint of grey, just a warning it could look corpse like on some complexions.

So many nude colors turn awful shades of orange, bright pink or mud on me. This one is perfection.

Beige forgood swatch:

Wearing beige forgood:

Of course hardly anything is perfect, but this is close. My only dislike is the fragrance. It is really different from anything I've smelled in a lipstick before. It's sweet yet strong and chemically, not pleasant. But the good thing is that it fades after a while.

The finish is really nice, not totally matte, more like a MAC satin finish.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that this color is similar to Guerlain divinora deep and matte #480, discontinued and rare shade - and yes one of Angelina Jolie's favorite lipsticks. Beige forgood is possibly a smidge cooler but really, it's similar! The Guerlain is absolutely more matte in finis.

Comparison pic (Guerlain was taken without flash)

Edited to add:
Other lipsticks beige forgood is similar to is MAC our pick and fondle. I think fondle is more brown, but beige forgood and our pick are super close.

Comparison:

If you are looking for a new nude lipstick I highly reccomend checking this color out! It's quite inexpensive too at $9 CAD.