Swatches: MAC Overrich Pigments

And as if one collection is not enough, here's another one. MAC Overrich pigments also released yesterday along with the Cult of Cherry collection.

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Vintage Gold Tarnished green with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)
Blonde’s Gold Light tan with gold and white pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)Copperbeam Rusted brown with red pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)
Mauvement Cool taupe with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (Reintroduction, LE)

*** Sorry, Antique Gold is Antique Green

Heritage Rouge Deep burgundy with red and brown pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)
Museum Bronze Rich taupe with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)
Mega-rich Frosty burnt orange with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
Antique Green Turquoise green with green pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)


Luckily, most of these pigments will be permanent at PRO stores. So, if you have a PRO store near you, there's no need to rush into buying them, you have some leeway to save up for these piggies.

Overrich pigments, I think, is the better collection between the two releases. The pigment colors available has something for everyone. If you missed out on the Femme-Fi eyeshadow from the Neo-Sci Fi collection, Blonde's Gold is a pretty close dupe to it. Mega-rich is also very pretty which is a perfect color for fall. I also like Antique Green because it's a nice turquiose color without it being too loud on the eyes and will probably look good in a smokey look. These pigments are just really, very pretty in person. The pictures really doesn't do justice to how strikingly beautiful most of them are.


But what do you think?

Swatches: MAC Cult of Cherry Collection

MAC Cult of Cherry released yesterday, August 21, at your local MAC freestanding store and counters.

Here are the swatches along with the color story for the MAC Cult of Cherry Collection.



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LIPSTICK
Lightly Ripe Sheer mid-tone pink (Lustre)
Russian Red Intense bluish red (Matte)
So Scarlet Grape burgundy (Amplified Creme)
Crème Cerise Sheer yellow taupe (Lustre)
“O” Intense purplish red with metallic gold shimmer (Frost)

MATTENE LIPSTICK
Chock-ful Blackened brown
Kirsch Blackened cranberry
Rapturous Deep berry red
Bing Blackened eggplant

LIPGLASS
Cherry Blossom Sheep light pink with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)
Cult of Cherry Red with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)
Jampacked Sheer grape with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)
Liqueur Neutral brownish mauve with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)
Rich & Ripe Mid-tone pinkish red with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)


EYESHADOW QUADS

Spiced chocolate Eye Shadow Quad
Nanogold Sheer yellow pink with pink pearlized pigments (Satin) (repromote - N Collection)
Brash Frosty reddish copper (Veluxe Pearl)
Spiced Chocolate Deep reddish brown (Matte)
Sweet Chestnut Frosted cranberry (Frost)


Shadowy Lady Eye Shadow Quad
Lightfall Light pink (Satin)
Smudged Violet Frosty blackened lavender with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)
Deep Truth Very dark blue (Frost) (permanent)
Shadowy Lady Darkly veiled plum (Matte)


Tempting Eye Shadow Quad
Next to Nothing Sheer yellow beige with pink pearlized pigments (Frost)
Sharp Frosty bright yellow green (Satin)
Dark Edge Chocolate brown (Satin)
Tempting Rich cocoa (permanent)

POWDER BLUSH
Plum du Bois Frosted deep pink bronze with gold pearlized pigments (Frost)
Blooming Frosted deep peach

Product information courtesy of temptalia.com

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I haven't picked anything up from this collection although I'm eyeing on two lipsticks (Creme Cerise and "O") and a lipglass (Cult of Cherry). Other than that, I think I'm willing to skip on the quads (even though I've been waiting for MAC to come out with quads since I knew about the Smoke Signals collection that I missed). They just didn't strike my liking.

I'm not sure if was the display that I swatched, but most of them came out very sheer or chalky. However, I am quite tempted to get the Tempting Quad at least but I'm not too sure how often I'm going to use bright yellow green eyeshadow, and I'm afriad that Dark Edge might be too close of a color compared to Brun eyeshadow, which I already have.

As much as I wanted to haul more lipstick, I don't think the super dark lipstick will work on me. As RenRen have mentioned it on her haul video for this collection, it's probably more approriate if you're doing runway or fashion makeup. I would have a hard time pulling this off just for everyday use, or I'm probably just not use to it. But the Mattene lipsticks were very rich and creamy, and if you're digging this season's colors then they're worth checking out!

When it came to the blush, I had to dig through the pan just to get some swatches on my finger. Blooming is a pretty sheer and neither of the blush apply like butter on your cheeks. You probably will need to build up on the color a lot just for the blush to show.

Overall, I think most of the colors in this release are dupeable. Unless you're a hardcore MAC addict collector, then you can probably skip most of the items in here. The quads do have nice combinations for fall, if you don't own any of the colors yet. If you were to buy these eyeshadows (or dupes) seperately, the quads in this collection are still slightly cheaper ($36) considering refill palettes are going for $11 now, and if you want a quad then add $3.50 to the calculation.

Now that you've seen the swatches... feelings toward this collection? Did anything tickle your cherry enough to make you run out and buy it now? Which one do you think would be the most likely to sell out in your MAC counters?

MAC Cult of Cherry and Overrich Pigments Release Today!

MAC is releasing their Fall collection (yet another one), Cult of Cherry, today at your MAC freestanding stores and counters.

The new Cult of Cherry collection comprises of mostly deep, dark colors which is seemingly the trend this fall. The quads are put together to make a killer combination for a dark and sultry look. However, these quads has at least one eyeshadow with either a repromote or a permanent color, and some are possibly dupable, so some people might be hesitant to reach out for one (we'll see when we get the swatches). The Tempting Quad seems to be the popular quad out of the three probably because of Sharp, a bright yellow-green eyeshadow which might be screaming neon in the pan but looks gorgeous when paired with the right eyeshadows. The lipsticks are definitely a lot more goth like for this fall season, and bein able to pull it off might take some time getting used to, but these colors are definitely lusciously rich in color.

Swatches will be available tonight! since I have to work to support my habit :)

CULT OF CHERRY

Photo Credit: Temptalia.com

Cherry on top. Pity poor Eve, there’s a new forbidden fruit. With a smoldering eye and a plush, purple-red mouth, she’s a living, sensual pleasure. The Cult of Cherry is luscious, dramatic, undeniable eroticized. Ripened lips, Spiced Hot Chocolate eyes, or Illegal Purple nails, combine to seduce with a sweet-and-shock, way-to go dark. Separates the bitter from the sweet. This drama just gets more delicious.

LIPSTICK

Crème Cerise Sheer yellow taupe (Lustre)

Lightly Ripe Sheer mid-tone pink (Lustre)

So Scarlet Grape burgundy (Amplified Creme)

“O” Intense purplish red with metallic gold shimmer (Frost)

Russian Red Intense bluish red (Matte)

MATTENE LIPSTICK

Kirsch Blackened cranberry

Bing Blackened eggplant

Chock-ful Blackened brown

Rapturous Deep berry red

LIPGLASS

Liqueur Neutral brownish mauve with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)

Cherry Blossom Sheep light pink with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)

Rich & Ripe Mid-tone pinkish red with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)

Jampacked Sheer grape with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)

Cult of Cherry Red with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)

QUADS

Shadowy Lady Eye Shadow Quad

Lightfall Light pink (Satin)

Smudged Violet Frosty blackened lavender with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)

Deep Truth Very dark blue (Frost) (permanent)

Shadowy Lady Darkly veiled plum (Matte)

Spiced chocolate Eye Shadow Quad

Nanogold Sheer yellow pink with pink pearlized pigments (Satin) (repromote - N Collection)

Brash Frosty reddish copper (Veluxe Pearl)

Spiced Chocolate Deep reddish brown (Matte)

Sweet Chestnut Frosted cranberry (Frost)

Tempting Eye Shadow Quad

Next to Nothing Sheer yellow beige with pink pearlized pigments (Frost)

Sharp Frosty bright yellow green (Satin)

Dark Edge Chocolate brown (Satin)

Tempting Rich cocoa (permanent)

ZOOM LASH
Zoomblack Rich black

POWDER BLUSH

Plum du Bois Frosted deep pink bronze with gold pearlized pigments (Frost)

Blooming Frosted deep peach

NAIL LAQUER

Illegal Purple Creamy blackened eggplant (Cream)

Silverstruck Frosted greyed taupe with multidimensional pearlized pigments (Frost)

OVERRICH PIGMENTS

PIGMENTS
Mauvement Cool taupe with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (Reintroduction, LE)
Mega-rich Frosty burnt orange with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (LE)
Museum Bronze Rich taupe with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)
Antique Green Turquoise green with green pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)
Vintage Gold Tarnished green with gold pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)
Copperbeam Rusted brown with red pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)
Heritage Rouge Deep burgundy with red and brown pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)
Blonde’s Gold Light tan with gold and white pearlized pigments (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)


Product information courtesy of Temptalia.com

Are the quads and lippies tempting enough for you? Any new piggies? What will you be picking up today?

DIY: Facial Scrubs

Here are some of my favorite homemade facial scrubs. Facial scrubs are probably the only skincare product that I've been refusing to buy even if they're drugstore brand. I just don't believe in buying scrubs for your face that contains ingredients in which half of them you can't pronounce, and that you can also easily make with ingredients found in your kitchen cupboard. With everything that's going on my face already, whether it be cleansers, moisturizers, or even makeup, I just want something more natural when I'm sloughing off dead skins. When you think about it, do you really need all the preservatives that goes into scrubs to rid of dead skin?

Here are a couple of suggestions for facial scrubs that I normally use. I'm sure none of this new to some of you since these scrubs have been around for a long period of time.

For the following concoctions, I basically use the same rations for each mixture: mix 1/2 part sugar and 2 parts honey and/ or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) together (shoot, why not mix all three together as well). I usually just 'eyeball' the ingredients just to make sure I don't have too much sugar in the mix because doing so can make the scrub too rough on my face. I just make sure that there's enough sugar to scrub the dead skin cells off without butchering my face with it. Remember, be gentle with your skins!

Please, please, please, don't use the following ingredients if you're allergic to it. Although these products are natural and has its benefits, if you're just simply allergic to it, it really won't do you any good. So please before you put this on your face make sure you're not allergic to any of the ingredients.


Prior to using the scrubs, I clean my face and remove any traces of makeup first, and then apply the scrub on my clean and bare face.

SUGAR AND HONEY SCRUB

I love this scrub. Sometimes it doubles as a mask for me. After I apply the honey and sugar on my face, I just keep it on for a few minutes before completely washing it off. This scrub might get a bit sticky and hard to apply, to prevent tugging on your skin too hard, wet your fingers with water as you spread the mixture to your face evenly. This should help make the application process easier and a gentler especially when you're scrubbing. Make sure you get all the honey and sugar out of your face and hairline especially if you're doing this before bed. You don't want ants and roaches lingering in your room because of this.

SOME BENEFITS OF HONEY:

helps absorb and retain moisture

contains antioxidant and anti-microbial properties

absorbs impurities in the pores (helps with mild acne)

Source (1, 2, 3)

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (EVOO) AND SUGAR

For the EVOO scrub, the EVOO will be a bit slimy when you're putting it on and washing it off. So again just pointing out the obvious, make sure you completely wash off your face. What I like about this scrub, my skin just feel so smooth and moisturized after use. It's also not as sticky to apply compared to the honey scrub.


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I used to use St. Ives Apricot Scrub, but I found it a bit too rough on my skin. It was good in the beginning but later on down the line it made my face dry and I started breaking out from it.

Ever since then, I used the natural approach with either using honey or EVOO and sugar. For people who have acne problems, I definitely suggest to try out the honey and sugar scrub. I only exfoliate my skin once a week at night since you really don't want to overdo this one and strip your skin with natural oils.

Product Review: Crown Brush Face Brushes Part 1

I've decided to review the Crown Brush Face brushes in video format thinking it'll be a lot faster and easier, but the editing took longer than I imagined.

So since I was babbling and talking slowly on the video, the video ended up becoming pretty lengthy so I had to really cut some parts out hence why there isn't a smooth transition in between the video. And pardon the my appearance for looking like a hot mess. I did this right after I got off work so I was pretty pooped by then (and you can tell as you keep watching the video as my enthusiasm kinda dies down lol). But yea, any tips from anyone about video editing will be very much appreciated :).

Part 2 is still in the works of editing. I swear, again, props to ya'll who do this video editing business almost everyday. Anyway, the second half will feature the brushes with the metallic pink handles which came in a set. These brushes I believe are not available on the website and was only available for purchase during the tradeshow in Vegas. But I'll still have a review on those as well, so stay tuned for the second part for more details.

For a product review of the Crown Brush eye brushes, click here.


Here's a recap of the brushes mentioned in the video in case you missed it:

(Studio Professional) C313 Duel Length Powder (USD $5.39)

(Luna Series) BK3 Chisel Blush (USD $8.05)

(Luna Series) BK6 Flat Bronzer (USD $8.47)

(Backstage Series) S300 Unique Pointed Dome (USD $7.25)

ESTIMATED TOTAL: $29.16

You can purchase these brushes at http://www.crownbrush.biz/.

Overall: I love Crown Brushes! These brushes are pretty good in quality for the prices you're paying for. It's perfect for the people who are starting out with makeup or for people who are on a budget and wants a good quality brushes. The brushes are really affordable that you'll be able to build your own set without breaking the bank. The company offers a variety of brushes in different shapes, sizes, and color that you're bound to find a brush(or brushes) that will suit your needs.