BB Cream Trend

MAC has decided to join the Asia love craze for BB Cream with release of Mac Prep + Prime Beauty Balm UVA/UVB SPF 35 PA+++ at selected Duty Free and Travel Stores this May retailing at $30USD.   I'll let you know if it's similar to BB Creams if I find it at DFS. For those who will be traveling anytime soon and love BB Creams, you may want to check this out.

Mac Prep + Prime Beauty Balm UVA/UVB SPF 35 PA+++ is described as "a multi-function product that works as colour perfector, face primer, UV protector and hydrator for all skin types".  For those who are not sure what BB Creams do, they are basically all-in-one products that act as moisturizer, foundation, and concealer.  The consistency is thicker than foundation and coverage is medium to heavy.

Personally I would love to find a BB Cream that actually works on my sensitive skin.  I've tried Misha but it broke me out so badly I'm scared to go near a BB Cream again.  Hopefully MAC's is better.

Are you a BB Cream lover? If so, what's your favorite brand?

MAC To The Beach Collection Release 5/27!

MAC To The Beach Collection has officially launched at all counters today 5/27. Some  Nordstrom started selling yesterday and Macy's/MAC free standing stores today.  If you are still unsure what to get, I have recommendations below and swatches of the entire collection here. Happy hauling!

Several of you have asked what I would recommend from the collection so here are my thoughts:

Lipsticks 

•  If you are a coral fan, you'll most likely love Thrills b/c it has a metallic/frost finish with bronzy pearl.  I think this is a unique color that's much frostier compared to Fresh Salmon or Made With Love.

• Those who like pale pink lips will find Lazy Day a good fit. If you are in a money crunch, you can wait to pick up Angel from the permanent line b/c it is very very similar to Lazy Day.  The only difference is the finish where Angel is a frost and Lazy Day is a Lustre.   

• Beachbound in my opinion is a bit more difficult to pull off b/c it's sheer and doesn't apply evenly on the lips as the other 3 lipsticks.   

• Funbathing is a pretty plum with gold shimmer. This color I find unique along with Thrills and will be picking it up since I have nothing like it in my collection.

Eyeshadows  

• Sweet & Punchy is a pretty color to grab if you don't already have Rated R or Sharp.  Neutral gals may have to think twice since it is a bright color so check it out in person to make sure you like it.  

• The same goes for Firecracker b/c it's a bright coral red that might be difficult to pull off if you're not used to these colors.  It is similar to Hot Hot Hot from Spring Colour Forecast Collection.

• Sand and Sun is a nice color but is already SOLD OUT on the US website. It is similar to Tet-E-Tint from the permanent collection so check that out. I don't think it's a must have.

• Humid & Shimmermoss are both nice colors but part of the permanent collection so there is no rush to grab them now.  For those who depot the shadows anyway, you might as well buy them in pro pan to save some money.

Lipglasses

• Splashing is the most pigmented out of the 3. It's a rather pretty pink that's not as lilac as English Accents from Liberty of London.  I'm contemplating on grabbing this since I don't have one similar in my collection. HOWEVER, my biggest problem with MAC's lipglasses are the stickiness and the funky smell after a couple of uses. I'm not sure if it's just me but they have this awful plastic smell after a month or so. I will probably end up passing on this as well.

• Flurry of Fun is really gorgeous when swatch on the hand. On my lips, it's a bit harder to pull off because of the teal shimmer.  It's best layered on top of a lipstick. You'll have to check this out in person to decide if you like it. It's either an "I can care less for it" or "I love it" type of product.

• Easy Lounger is SOLD OUT online to everyone's surprise. It's a nice light shimmery rose color that adds dimensions on top of a lipstick. I wouldn't stress over this one b/c MAC has released very similar colors before. In fact, they probably have something similar in the permanent collection.

Lip Pencils/Eye Kohls

• I like neither one of them because they are harder than the usual MAC lip pencils. Maybe it was the testers at Nordies but these poke hard on the hand when I did my swatches. Unless you often wear bright orange or pale pink, I'd say skip. MAC has a wide range of colors in their perm collection.
• Rosemary and Thyme is part of the perm collection so no rush to get it unless you really love the design.   Float on By is nice but I find Undercurrent so much prettier with the added green dimension. I personally skipped both.

 Blushes/Bronzers

• Hipness is nice but if you already have Ripe Peach and Instant Chic, I personally see no reason to pick this up.  If you have nothing from the same color family, then pick this or Marine Life up. It is a pretty color.
• Getaway Bronze/Weekend/Beach Bronze/Golden/Refine Golden - pick  one. There is really no need IMHO to pick up more than one of these because they are all similar with slight variations. If you like cream bronzers, go for Weekend if you're medium/dark skin tone and Beach Bronze for light/medium skin tone.  If you prefer powder bronzer, pick up Getaway Bronze/Golden for darker skin tones and Refine Golden for lighter.  If you use bronzer every day, buy the Bronzers instead of the blush since you'll get more product.

Nail polish/Bronze Body Oil 

• The nail polish colors are pretty but nothing special in my opinion.  Buff will most likely be sold out next since it's a strange avocado-ish color.  You can probably find a dupe for Scorcher from the OPI line.
• The Body Oil is probably one of the worst products I've encountered from MAC. I really didn't like it at all.  It was oily and sticky on my arm and didn't spread all that well.  I find this as a "I love it" or "I hate it" type of product. If you're really curious, check it out in person to see if you like it. Not a must have in my opinion.

Marine Life/Luster Drops 

• Marine Life is pretty and yes it's SOLD OUT everywhere even before this collection launches. There is a lot of hype b/c of the pretty seahorse design BUT this is a versatile product.  When I played with this, the overspray will disappear so expect that if you'll be using this.  To create several different combo of blush colors, you can either use more of the light pink or more of the coral.  I could re-create Hipness using this so I see no reason to pick up both.  I have this pre-ordered at Nordies last week so it is on my list of things to get.  If you really don't want to mess up the overspray, use the MAC 130 brush to dab around the compact since the head is small enough.
• I like Pink Rebel b/c it reminds me of a less metallic version of Benefit's High Beam and it's more pink.  I think this will look very pretty as a highlight along the cheekbone or down the bridge of the nose for light/medium skin.  Sun Rush might be a bit orange on some people so it might be better for darker skin tone. Both are lovely but I think I will pick up Pink Rebel instead of High Beam.

Poke!

I signed up for a Facebook account last month and quickly found out in order to have naturalNchicmakeup, I have to pay for advertisement.  Smart move by Facebook to make money off people.  In any case, I'd love to know if any of you are on FB and would be interested in building a "natural N chicmakeup" community.  I was thinking this would be a place where we can share the latest makeup tips, snap pictures of new products and do quick posts, FOTD, EOTD, or sale notices to share with fellow beauty bloggers without having to do an entire post in blogger.  I'd love to be friends with all my readers and followers. Let me know what you think!

Find me here!

MAC To the Beach Collection Swatches and Review

I thought I was going to miss the chance to see the collection launch on 5/27 but luckily, I got my grubby little hands on MAC to The Beach today. The packaging emphasizes on things related to the beach...seahorses, starfish, coral reefs, etc.  I personally love the print on the blushes and pencils but not so much of the green/lime and orange packaging. Anyhow, this is a ridiculously huge collection so I literally had no room on my hand/arm to swatch so this will be a long post with lots of images. Now onwards to the swatches and review!


                   Image courtesy of MAC

UPDATE: For those of you who are interested in seeing this collection in person, check with your local Nordstrom counters.  My dear husband was kind enough to drive me to Nordies in the pouring rain so I can get the swatches up to share with you ladies.  With that being said, if you are absolutely certain you want Marine Life, call your counters ASAP to reserve one.  Several MAs have told me it will most likely be sold out by the time the collection officially hits on 5/27.

Clarins Instant Sun Light Click & Gloss SPF 6: Swatches and Review

If you're not a fan of sticky or super glittery glosses, Clarins offers a great alternative with the Instant Sun Light Click and Gloss SPF 6.  These are part of Clarins' 2010 Summer Makeup Collection retailing at $18USD for 1.6ML/0.04oz.  The 3 shades offered are 01 Vanilla, 02 Coral, and 03 Cinnamon.

All MAC Out?

How is everyone's week so far? I hope you're enjoying the beautiful month of May. I have been insanely busy at work and haven't had time to blog as often as before.  While taking a short break from work (yes, it is midnight and I'm still working), I was perusing Specktra to see the latest swatches for MAC To the Beach Collection.  Surprisingly this has already been launched in the UK online before US! I'm jealous of you ladies who get to see them early.

 

MAC Superglass Collection Swatches and Review

MAC launched a new set of lip products called Superglass on May 6, 2010.  These are similar to Dazzleglasses but the glitter pieces are much bigger in snowflake form.  The packaging is also in the form of a hexagonal tube instead of the usual circular top.  There are 9 Limited Edition shades released retailing at $18 USD for 4.5g / 0.15 us oz.  Based on the volume, these are cheaper than Dazzleglasses (1.92 g / 0.06 us oz) and Cremesheen Glass (2.4ml / 0.08 us oz) both also sold at the same price.  Now let's get on with the swatches and review!

                                                   Image courtesy of Specktra

Travel Haul

So I will be traveling overseas to Asia in two weeks for a business trip and figure it'd be the best time to do a beauty haul! My favorite place for the goodies is Duty Free Store Galleria at the airport where I can save the awful 9.25% sales tax.  I plan to pick up a couple of Chanel lipstick/glossimers, Laura Mercier, and possibly Guerlain/Dior products.

Do you lovely ladies have recommendations of other good makeup/brands I should check out while in HKG/China?

Clarins Instant Smooth Compact Highlighter Swatches and Review

For ladies who love to contour and highlight with sheer yet shimmery products, Clarins Summer Collection offers the Instant Smooth Compact Highlighter.  This product promises to provide a flawless, sun-kissed and radiant complexion. The silky, non-oily cream texture smooths and evens the skin, helping diminish the appearance of fine lines and imperfections.  The two shades offered are:

 

      01 – Natural: A luminous, golden peach to boost radiance and enhance the complexion  

      02 – Bronze: A vibrant, golden caramel to warm the complexion or enhance a natural tan 

Clarins Eye Quartet & Liner Palette Swatches and Review

Whenever spring/summer rolls around, cosmetics companies like to release collections that help us look like suntan goddesses without really having to bake in the sun for hours.  I'm excited to share with you Clarins New Instant Sun Light Summer Make-Up Collection.

Clarins was founded by Jacques Courtin-Clarins who opened his first beauty institute on the rue Tronchet in Paris in 1954.  The company is known for making high quality beauty products made exclusively from plant extracts. It became the leading skin care leader in France in 1980.  Clarins launched the first makeup line in 1991 and perfume widely loved and known by many, Angel by Thierry Mugler in 1992.   Today, Clarins New Instant Sun Light Summer Make-Up Collection consists of Eye Quartet & Liner Palette, Instant Sun Light click & Gloss SPF 6, Instant Smooth Compact Highlighter, Delectable Self-Tanning Mousse SPF 15, Waterproof Eye Pencil, and Fix' Makeup.  In the next 5 days, I will review several of these products for you focusing especially on the Limited Edition items.