Fast and Easy Shadow: MAC's Shadestick

Yes, I am definitely a sucker for products that work and work fast. I have limited time and I don't want to make things too complicated. So, I was pretty excited when I recently tried out MAC's Shadesticks.

These are incredibly easy to use. They are automatic pencils basically, and they have the consistency of lipstick. Simply swipe over your lid, blend with your finger and that's it! They blend easily with each other or with regular powder shadows. They last all day and have no creasing or loss of pigment. My favorite shade so far is Penny from the Sugarsweet collection, which is a pink-coppery color that is somewhat neutral and easy to wear every day. I've blended it easily with pink or with taupe eye shadows.

I'm hoping they continue to release new shades. I'm going to be collecting them!

Mac's Shadestick
Mac's Sugarsweet Shadestick

Shine Relief: Mac's Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone

While the rest of the country is enjoying fantastic, amazing spring weather, here in So Cal things haven't been quite so nice. We hit the triple digits this week, and with the AC in my hospital on the fritz (I'm basically living there this month, hence, the lack of posts), you can bet that my area was absurdly hot. It was hot and sticky and there was no relief in site. By noon each day I was a shiny mess and no amount of blotting paper (I love those Clean & Clear ones) or powder would help.

So, I dug through my box of recently received items (yes, a perk of the blog, I have way too much stuff around here, but not helpful when you move into a new place and have boxes and boxes of stuff you need to try out and write about...). Anyways, I'm getting off track. I looked through my box of tricks and found this recently released product from Mac. I also have the powder from this collection around here somewhere, but I seem to have misplaced it in my move across town. Hopefully I'll find it soon and report back. In the meantime, I'm loving this primer!

It's a milky white liquid that you apply under foundation. Be careful to apply it after your moisturizer is dry, otherwise they seem to kind of glom together, which makes it difficult to properly blend your foundation resulting in a not so great look. So, a light layer of this on the t-zone once your moisturizer is completely absorbed. It does dry pretty fast, about 60-90 seconds. You can't see or feel the product on your face, and if applied after your moisturizer is absorbed you'll be able to blend your foundation as usual.

The reason to do this? Matte skin. While I wasn't perfectly matte during this heat, this product did definitely keep me matte for most of the day, and I was only slightly shiny at the end of the day. Considering the crazy heat and how shiny everyone else was, this product was a huge success!

Mac's Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone

Lipstick Queen Big Bang Gloss

I've of course heard the story of Poppy King, the gal from Down Under that couldn't get enough of lipstick yet could never find a good one, and so created her own brand just barely out of high school. That original line (Poppy) because a cult favorite and while no longer around, it is still talked about on sites like Makeup Alley. These days she still has another small company that makes lipsticks, this time called Lipstick Queen.


I tried out Space, which reminded me quite a bit in the tube of my beloved Bobbi Brown Black Pearl. However, I did find that the color from Lipstick Queen was much more wearable and flattering. It gave me the hint of taupe that I wanted, without washing me out or being too obvious.

Overall this is a great gloss! Nice shine, it feels hydrating and it lasts for hours. Even through my morning coffee. Not to mention that the tube is really fairly large, you get a lot of lipgloss for your money!

Lipstick Queen Big Bang

LORAC's Couture Shine: Liquid Lipstick for the Gloss Girl

As much as I might love trying out and writing about new lipsticks, at heart I am a gloss girl. If you put 15 different lippies in front of me, about 90% of the time I will just reach for the gloss, ignoring the lipstick. Which is usually pretty sheer, which is a look I do like, but sometimes the pale girl in me needs a bit more color.

Enter this new gloss from LORAC. Described by LORAC as a "Sheer to Pigmented Finish", the color I tried is definitely pigmented, and when I apply it the color is definitely pigmented, though still has a bit of translucency, which makes it blend better with my skin, somehow looking just amazing!


The color I have is called Elite, which is pretty much perfect for me. I have my eye on Haute and Glam, both of which also have a bit of shimmer.

The formula feels hydrating and it lasts for a few hours, despite drinking coffee and talking. I also love that the formula includes "a natural anti-oxidant Oriza Sativa Bran Extract". Anytime you can fight aging, I'm happy!

LORAC's Couture Shine