MAC Casual Color Haul (Swatches)

I recently bought two of the lip and cheek pots from the "Casual Color" collection from MAC: "Out for Fun" which is a gorgeous coral color, and "Weekend Getaway", a blue mid toned pink. I personally just love these pots as a lipcolor, and not so much as a cheek color, only because I hate the dewy texture of it, BUT I do think it's great to have in your makeup bag and to be able to use it as a cheek color when you are in a rush, or have some place to go after work and need a "2 in 1".

 Wearing "Out for Fun"

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[Storage Solution]- 60 Tube Lipstick Organizer

So part of my storage series, is of course storing and organizing my all-time favorite....lipsticks! Check out the video above to see it in action. If you have been a long time reader of my blog from way back in the day, you'll remember I used to store my lipsticks using a few acrylic lipstick holders and a clear storage case with clear dividers: CLICK HERE and HERE to see my older posts on these lipstick holders.

I eventually ran out of space and invested in a 60 tube lipstick holder with a tester row from www.azardisplays.com (which I will be using to hold my most frequently used lipsticks so it's easy to reach for). This particular lipstick holder is $12.50 on the actual site, it's also available on eBay, but there are a few sellers that are charging double with shipping (almost $40!), and I only paid like $24.80 total including tax and shipping buying it straight from the site. I love that it stores all my lipsticks, and I even had room to store my NYX Round Lipsticks, as well as other lippies from Avon, Revlon, etc.

It fits many brands, even fat lipstick tubes like my Avon one fit perfectly. It even held my lipglosses nicely. You can even store MAC lipsticks that are still IN the box (such as backups you bought) in this holder and it still fits!

It is not completely flat at the bottom, so if you are looking for something completely flat, then I suggest getting lipstick holders that are similar to my older lippie storages, the tiered acrylic holders, because the tester row is designed to hang off of a bathroom counter, table, or a vanity. You can still place them on a table top if you can't hang them off the edge of something, it will just be slanted but it's still sturdy, so if you don't mind that it slants on a flat surface, it works just as a great.

Because these have a deeper well than my old one, I am able to store them upside down without them wobbling around (since MAC lipsticks have a rounded top they move around when stored upside down), and it allows me to easily see the lipstick shades. It even fits my MAC backups that are still in boxes!

Old lipstick storage box:

 Previous lipstick holder (which held 24 lipsticks):

Holds lipglosses nicely too!

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MAC Wonder Woman Collection & Swatches

Whew! Today was tiring! I attended the MAC Wonder Woman preview party today, the models had hot costumes, and as usual at these events, the store was packed with people pushing you left and right, so I didn't get a chance to swatch any eyeshadow palettes. They also didn't have the other MSF available, boo. :( I have to breeze through this post since I am running on a few hours of sleep, so anything I miss I will post tomorrow, but thought id post some swatches and pics.

The lipglasses are HUGE (but I am loving the super size)! And I mean huge in comparison to their regular lipglasses (posted a side by side pic below). I love the big fat doefoot wand, you can apply it in just one swipe! I am loving Athena's Kiss and Emancipation, it's a bit brighter and pinker than Maqnetique, and Emancipation is a pretty light peach color with sparkle, great for everyday looks. Pulling out the doefoot however can be messy (especially "Athena's Kiss" since it's a darker color), it tends to pull out a lot of product when you attempt to pull the wand out so just be cautious.

The eyeshadows and the smaller section of the blush duos (to me) had horrible color payoff. It took many (and I mean MANY) swipes to even get it to show up on my skin, and I am pretty fair! The pigments were too chalky for my taste, and I would never use the reflects glitters. The mascaras were neat, they seemed to stay on long as it took forever to wash off my hand, but like I said in my previous post, you can easily find colored mascaras pretty much anywhere. I skipped on Marquise d' because it was too sheer, and I am not a fan of bronzy lipsticks. Russian Red is permanent so you can definitely just get that one (and it would be way cheaper!). I skipped Wonder Woman l/g because I have "Cult of Cherry" l/g and I rarely use it as it is. The MSF has only one interesting aspect, and that was the orange side of it, but it's nothing we haven't seen before, not to mention the entire thing is really huge.

What's worth looking at? Definitely the lipglasses. They are amazing and I think they are all so pretty. The lipsticks are nice too, but the only winner to me is Spitfire. Everything else, can pretty much be skipped in my opinion.

Line wasn't too bad, it went thru relatively quickly and they did manage to pass out some yummy red velvet cupcakes! I ended up nabbing 2 lippies and 2 lipglosses: Spitfire, Russian Red, Emancipation, and Athena's Kiss.

Some lipstick comparisons from past collections:

 [click to enlarge] 

 

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Borghese Body Scrubs & Lipgloss

I had the opportunity to try out a few Borghese products, their B Gloss lipgloss in "Red Lustro" (shimmer), ($18.50, .21oz.) and two of their body scrubs;  Salt Scrub, ($38, 16 oz.) and a their Cura-C scrub, ($49, 15.75 oz).  I REALLY love their lipglosses, they are very pigmented and they come in 12 shades. They also lasted a pretty long time on my lips. However, they are a bit sticky, not an annoying sticky (at least not to me), but you can tell they are a tad bit thicker than say a MAC lipgloss; but because of this, I believe it helps it last longer on your lips. I just recommend not wearing it on a windy day to avoid your hair sticking to your lips, LOL! I plan on getting a couple more shades of their gloss.

• Long-wearing formula.
• Vitamins A and E deliver moisture.
• Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil and Aloe Vera soothe lips.

 

I loved the shade I received- "Red Lustro", it's such a pretty shimmery red- perfect for the holidays! It's much darker than these pictures depict, (for comparison purposes think MAC Cult of Cherry lipglass which is LE (limited edition) and no longer available; so if you are looking for a good dupe, Borghese's "Red Lustro" fits the bill!). "Cult of Cherry" is a bit more on the cool side, a brighter pink, whereas "Red Lustro" is a nice deep red, but they both have shimmer. Borghese lipglosses also have a little bit more product (.21 oz. versus .17 oz MAC). Just look at these comparison pics!

And here it is on the lips by itself, it's really pigmented eh? And look at my lashes from my last post using the Clinique Primer and Shiseido Mascara, that's without using an eyelash curler!

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I love the Christmas season, but the one thing I hate is how drying it is on my skin. Scrubs come to the rescue because they slough off dry/dead skin leaving your skin soft and smooth right after. What sets the Borghese scrubs apart from other drugstore brands, is how moisturizing it is even after you rinse it off. Each scrub comes in huge airtight glass jars (which you could also reuse for something else even after it's all gone such as bubble bath balls), and they contain A LOT of product to last you awhile. The consistency is nice and thick, like those lotion souffles, and has visible scrubbing beads. The Cura-C Scrub is great for those with dry skin or to focus on the driest parts of your body.

From their website:

(Salt Scrub) This creamy salt scrub exfoliates and moisturizes with botanical extracts and minerals from Tuscany while helping to purify and brighten skin. The mixture of gentle exfoliation with natural oils leaves skin feeling smooth, soft and supple.

What it does

Olive and Grape Seed Oils - Leave skin conditioned and revitalized. Avocado, Mango and Shea Butters - Moisturize and soothe skin. Sea Salt and Pumice - Sloughs off flaky skin, revealing a healthy glow.

How to Use

Generously apply to wet skin. Lightly massage using circular motions and shower off. Great pre-self tanning treatment.

Cura-C Scrub

A luxurious water-free body scrub formulated to eliminate dull surface cells while delivering Vitamin C to your skin, leaving it revitalized and moisturized. Formulated with Vitamin C, A and E plus CoQ10 and Beta-Carotene for anti-oxidant and nourishing benefits plus Shea Butter, Squalane, Sunflower Oil and Carrot Oil to soften and smooth skin.

What it does

Gently hydrates and exfoliates to maintain skin’s balance. Vitamin C - to replenish and correct damaged skin Shea Butter - to revitalize and nourish the skin Multi Vitamin CoQ10 Complex - to provide anti-oxidant protection from free radicals

How to Use

Apply a thin layer to wet or dry skin and massage gently in a circular motion, concentrating on the driest areas. Rinse with warm water.

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