MAC Cosmetics VIVA GLAM raises $2.5M for AIDS

World AIDS Day was today. I know I'm a a little late in posting this but I wanted to share with you the latest great thing that MAC Cosmetics is doing to support such a greatly important cause:

Johannesburg, South Africa – November 24, 2008. A new grant program from the M·A·C AIDS Fund has granted $2.5 million to fighting HIV and AIDS in South Africa. The grant will go to UNICEF South Africa and (NOAH) Nurturing Orphans of AIDS for Humanity to help in testing and treating pregnant women and strengthen the community infrastructure to care for children orphaned by AIDS. The children of South Africa have been hard hit by the AIDS epidemic, where 280,000 children are living with the disease and 1.4 million have lost one or both parents.

The $2.5 million was raised $14 at a time across 16 countries when M·A·C Cosmetics customers purchased VIVA GLAM lipsticks and lipglasses. The entire sale price of the products is directed to the MAC AIDS Fund.

“It is our responsibility as a global company to invest in integrated and sustainable HIV/AIDS initiatives and programs,” said Nancy Mahon, Senior Vice President of M·A·C Cosmetics and Executive Director of the M·A·C AIDS Fund. “This collaboration will have a significant impact on addressing the alarming and rising rates of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, working in partnership with two important local grassroots organizations that are on the frontlines and have a deep and vast understanding of the issue.”

The new M·A·C AIDS Fund grant will provide $2 million to UNICEF to provide HIV testing and treatment to pregnant women and children in Kwazulu Natal, North West and Limpopo which together account for 50 percent of the 5.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the country. In addition to expanding programs for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, this grant will allow the provincial governments to incorporate HIV testing into existing immunization programs. This will provide a critical opportunity to identify HIV-positive children and bring them into care and treatment. The program will also provide treatment to 36,000 pregnant HIV positive
women to prevent the transmission of HIV to their babies and ongoing antiretroviral medication to over 5,000 women and children.

“The power of one VIVA GLAM lipstick or Lipglass never ceases to amaze me,” said M·A·C Cosmetics Global President and M·A·C AIDS Fund Chairman John Demsey. “In this case, the proceeds from hundreds of thousands of VIVA GLAM sales will support two innovative and groundbreaking HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa. The two organizations we are supporting through this global partnership really understand the needs of their country, uniquely positioning them to create and implement comprehensive programs to address the AIDS crisis in South Africa. VIVA GLAM customers should be proud to know that they are directly contributing to the global fight against HIV/AIDS.”

The M·A·C AIDS Fund began supporting HIV/AIDS programs in Africa in 2000, and has granted more than $10 million in South Africa alone. In South Africa VIVA GLAM can be purchased at one of 13 M·A·C Cosmetics stores with five locations in Johannesburg, one in Pretoria, four in Cape Town, two in Durban and one in Port Elizabeth.

The following 16 M·A·C markets are participating in this initiative: Austria, Belgium, Dubai, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

ABOUT THE M·A·C AIDS FUND

The M·A·C AIDS Fund, the heart and soul of M·A·C Cosmetics, was established in 1994 to support men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally. MAF is a pioneer in HIV/AIDS funding, providing financial support to organizations working in under served regions and with under served populations. As the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical funder in the arena, MAF is committed to addressing the link between poverty and HIV/AIDS by supporting diverse organizations around the world that provide a wide range of services to people living with HIV/AIDS. To date, MAF has raised $130 million USD exclusively through the sale of M·A·C’s VIVA GLAM lipstick and Lipglass, donating 100 percent of the sale price to fight HIV/AIDS. For more information, visit www.macaidsfund.org.

So get out there and VIVA GLAM it up this holiday season, and know your $$ are doing great good!

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder Foundation

I have found my perfect foundation powder! After endless trial and error of many brands and formulas, this is the one that has proven to be the best...so far. Being a beauty junkie, I of course will continue to try others, since that is what I do. But for now this is my go-to foundation powder everyday of the week. I initially tried it in their limited edition duos, paired with a shimmery highlighter but I found I was mostly just using the matte side. So I was thrilled to discover that MAC sells them on their own!

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish/Natural has very light coverage and yet it is build-able for those days when you need some extra help. I apply it with my kabuki brush, after I have put on concealer (YSL's Touche Eclat mostly...still obsessed with that as well!). It blends in so nicely and the shade light/medium matches my skin quite well. I don't feel like I get shiny later in the day and yet it doesn't make me look like I have a thick layer of powder on my face. I love that it is in a small compact (and not loose... don't think I can go back to loose mineral powders now) but I do wish the compact included a mirror and a sponge for quicker mid-day touch ups. I guess you really can't have everything.

Powder Lovely!

MAC Holiday 2008

The other day I got sucked into another pre-order at Nordstrom for a couple limited edition items from MAC's Holiday collections:

From the Passions of Red, I got an Eye Shadow pallet in Cool, of course, since that is what I always pick. But I really love the colors, especially the purples. I like mixing the matte colors with the shimmery ones, for a multi-dimensional look. The case is actually in pink, unlike the other ones which are red. It is so gaudy, but very glamorous and fun.


From the Adoring Carmine collection, I got the Basic Brushes set. I didn't like the bag they came it at first, but the mix of ruby satin and red patent leather, but it grew on me. It is quite cute, although it doesn't hold a lot of products. The brushes are all great. I actually got the set just for the eyeshadow brush (239SE). I like the smaller size and I literally use it everyday. I figured it would be wise to have another one around.

Any of the pallets or sets would make great gifts for Christmas, so check them out before they sell out, cuz they always do!

Gift Lovely!

MAC's Emmauel Ungaro Collection

MAC's latest collaboration with the well-know design house Ungaro is simply beautiful It is artistic and yet very neutral. I especially love the pink beauty powder. Check out your local MAC store or counter too see it all for yourself. Descriptions are below.
LIPSTICK
PURE ROSE PASTEL PINK WITH WHITE PEARL
FRECKLETONE NEUTRAL YELLOW-TONED BEIGE
$14.00

LIPGLASS
PASTEL EMOTION PASTEL PINK WITH WHITE PEARL
$14.00

SEE-THRU LIP COLOUR
NOT SO SHY! JEWEL-TONE BERRY STAIN
$14.00

EYE SHADOW
SOFT FLOWER CLEAN, MID-TONE CORAL
LILAC TOUCH DIRTY MID-TONE VIOLET
MINERAL DEEP COOL BROWN
PHLOOF! FROSTED OFF-WHITE (NOT SHOWN)
$14.50

CREAM COLOUR BASE
CRUSHED BOUGAINVILLEA JEWEL-TONE BERRY STAIN
FRESH MORNING SOFT MUTED PASTEL PINK $16.50

BEAUTY POWDER
FLOWER MIST DEW CLEAN BRIGHTENING PINK $22.00

TECHNAKOHL LINER
AUTO-DE-BLU - AMETHYST $14.50

ZOOM LASH
LOFTY BROWN - ULTRA-RICH BLACKENED COCOA BROWN $12.00

BROW SET
MINK - DIRTY BROWN $13.50

Makeup Lovely!

MAC Electroflash Mineral Eyeshadow Duo

I know, I know... I am soooo behind the times that I am writing about this now, but I still have to tell you know much I love my new Electroflash mineral eyeshadow from MAC. I got the one pictured called pink split, a fun goldish pink on one side and a swirl of blue, bronze and pink on the other, which turns to a really nice neutral taupe. I really just picked it up at a MAC store in the mall like last week, so if you're lucky you can probably still find it. It looks to be available online.

I guess the best part about my shopping experience was my second purchase: a bottle of Fix+. This stuff is amazing! I asked the MA how to use the shadows wet and she pulled out a bottle of this stuff, water with minerals in it. I'm not sure why, but when you use it instead of water, your shadow goes n smooth and stays on all day! I love the texture and color you get when you apply these mineral shadows wet. It is so dramatic, yet still very pretty. You can also use the spray to set your makeup.

Mineralize Lovely!

Back to an Old Standby: Phloof! by MAC

I finally broke down a bought another Phloof! eyeshadow by MAC. I hate that I can't live without it, but it is seriously the most perfect eyeshadow. It is so pretty, alone or by itself. I can wear it with anything, keep it simple or use it as a base for a dramatic look with greys and smokey blacks. The description on the website is "frosted off-white" but I thing is a bit pinker than their other frosty whites. So it looks best with cool tones, especially blues and greys. Try it, I swear, you'll be addicted as bad as I am.

Lid Lovely!

MAC New View Mineralize Skinfinish Duo

I finally got around to a MAC counter this weekend (I know, took me long enough!!!) and I picked up one of the many MAC products I've been dying for: a Mineralize Skinfinish Duo in Light Medium/Natural And Shimmer from the New View collection. As I had suspected, I love it! It is the perfect summer foundation powder for me. I dust on the matte side (the larger of the two) all over my face after using a little concealer under my eyes and on "spots" and then dust on the shimmer side to highlight the tops of my cheekbones. The effect is quite ethereal, if I don't say so myself. So, congrats MAC, you've done it again.

Dust Lovely!

Check Out What's in My Bag!

My girl Sarah over at Cupcakes Taste Nice had a great idea for a way to keep her blog going while she is on vacay. She is asking her reader to post pictures of their makeup bags and what in them. I thought, how fun, especially since I just bought a new camera! Thanks to Lilan from The Daily Cookie for recommending her digi, I now am the proud owner of a Canon Power Shot SD750. So far I love it, espeically the HUGE 3" display screen.

Anyways back to my purse! I am currently still looking for the perfect makeup bag, so I literally just have all my products thrown in the bottom of my purse. Terrible I know! So I did the whole contents of my beloved black Francesco Biasa (in no particular order):-Micheal by Micheal Kors sunnies, the only big sunglasses that sit on my nose and not my cheeks
-Hobo wallet, I just love the opalescent color
-Advil, tampon, allergy meds, gum, ya know basics
-Nvey Eco Organic Erase Concealer in Neutral, a great pan concealer for when serious coverage is needed
-Cargo Wet/Dry Powder Foundation in 20
-Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer in 2, just picked it up, will review soon!
-Bvlgari Au The Blanc Refreshing Towel, they were handing them out at Sephora, thought I'd keep it in my bag for a smelly day... hope it smells good!
-MAC Tendertones Lip Balm in E-Z Baby, an almost colorless shine and tons of moisture gloss
-Philosophy Lip Gelato Soul Mates Grapefruit, a super shiny gloss that tastes delish
-Philosophy Kiss Me Red Lip Balm, a touch of color but mostly moisture as well
-Rosebud Salve, a classic balm even the boys can enjoy without feeling girly
(Gosh, can you tell I love/need/have to have lip stuff with me at all times?!?)
-Fresh Firebird Mascara, a free sample I just got today. Can't wait to try it out! Not available yet in stores.

What's in Your Bag? Dig Lovely!

Get The Look: Keri Hilson

Want to look like a hot young singer/songwriter?! Well, MAC's Sr. Artist Romero Jennings did the makeup for new music sensation Keri Hilson for her appearances on BET’s 106th & Park and MTV TRL and I can tell you all the products he used!I didn't know who she was right off the bat either, but don't worry, I am sure you know who she is. She was the girl who sang in Timbaland’s super catchy, great but over-played “The Way I Are." She’s made a name for herself as a songwriter, writing for artists including Justin Timberlake, The Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears and Usher. Now she’s out promoting the video for her first single, “Energy.” ans her first solo album will drop in September. Sounds like one talented beauty! BET’s 106th & Park aired Monday afternoon. Her appearance on MTV TRL aires on Wednesday. Here is the list of products Sr. Artist Romero Jennings used on her:

• Prep + Prime Skin
• Moisture Blend Foundation NC42, NC43 and NW45 Matte Bronzing Powder
• Blush in Sunbasque and Frankly Scarlet
• Eye shadow: Saddle, Blacktied, Cream de Violet, Blacktrack Fluidline Gel Liner
• Spice and Plum Lip Liner
• Prep + Prime Lash Primer, Plushlash Mascara in Plushblack and Fascinating pencil
• Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Medium and Dark for contouring

From the new collection ELECTROFLASH:

• Mineralized Eye Shadow Duo in Love Connection and Two to Glow
• Lipstick in Mellow Mood
• Lipglass in Major Minor

"Get the Look" straight from the master himself with his methods:

• Pump up lashes top and bottom with 2 coats of prep and prime mascara
• Then add one heavy winter coat of Plushlash mascara in Plushblack.
• I then add the #7 lashes which I cut into fine pieces and place on the top lashes!
• The skin was primed with Prep + Prime Skin and polished with a sheer coat of Moistureblend Foundation that is highlighted with Moisturelush Eye Cream and contoured Matte Bronzer!
• Shadows were pumped up with Creme de Violet used as a liner/shadow under eye while Saddle and Black Tied shadows frames the eye!

Be Lovely!

Get Mineralized with MAC

I went a little gaga over MAC's mineralized eyeshadows and skinfinishes last fall, but the range of colors was limited and only available for a short time. Well, I have good news for all you ladies who fet the same: they are back this summer and better than before!!! All are avaiable now online and in MAC stores in the USA.

Check out the collections for yourself at maccosmetics.com:

Electroflash: Nine new mineralized eyeshadow duos!....AND 4 new lipglasses and lipsticks! I can't get enough of these shadows. They apply so smoothly and give just the right amount of pigment. Yet because of the veining, you get somethign different everytime.







New View: Five new mineralized skinfinishes, baked to be delicious. I love these to create a glowing summer look... even in the winter! Whenever I wear the one I got last fall, I always get tons of compliments about my glowing skin. Time for another one to add to the collection!






Sonic Chic: Nine mineralized blushes, beatifully sheer yet chic. I love MAC blushes already, so I am egar to try these mineral ones. They sound light and yet very buildable for varying looks.








Mineralize Lovely!

MAC Tendertones Lip Balm: A New Favorite Gloss!

I mentioned a bit ago I ordered some things during MAC's friends and family sale. Well, lucky me I grabbed up a winner! I am absolutely in love with my new Tendertones Lip Balm in Sweet Tooth. It looks lovely and lighty shiny pink on, actually keeps my lips moisturized, and even has sunscreen in it! I also enjoy the yummy flavor. It's supposed to be a strawberry-kiwi flavor but I think it's more like watermelon. The glass pot it comes in is a bit heavy, but I think it is such a nice looking pot, I'll let it slide. Try one out yourself before they all sell out, 'cause they will!

Gloss Lovely!

Friends and Family Discount at MAC!

I got the email yesterday, but wasn't able to share the news with you all until now (Thank god they extended it through Tuesday July 17th at 11:59 PST): Get 15% off at MAC.com AND free shipping!!! Not bad huh? Just use the code MACFF08 at checkout.

I have been staying away from MAC for awhile, trying to broaden my horizons, but now seemed like a good time to jump back in! Here is what I ordered (only two things... this girl is on a budget!):

Tendertones Lip Balm SPF 12 in Sweet Tooth, a sheer coral with a white pearl. It sound perfectly pretty for the summer months and I need a go-to lip balm/gloss with some sun protection! The pot its in is also very cute.


Eye Kohl in Haycinth, a golorious-morning blue (their description, not mine, but it sold me!). I love soft eyeliners and I need a fun bright color for a change. I've heard good thing but never tried MAC eyeliners, so we shall see.

Shop Lovely!

Get Dazzled By MAC

MAC has come out with yet another fabulous lip gloss. This one is called Dazzleglass and it looks to be full of sparkle, shine and full on dazzling powers. It contains large particle pearls to reflect and refract the light like your lips were covered in quartz and opal crystal. Funtabulous, no?! In fact that is even then name of one of the colors, along with other cheeky names like Get Rick Quick and Glamour O.D. I can't wait to run over to Nordies and try one out myself!

Dazzle Lovely!

Disappointing Lashes

I've been waiting patiently for my MAC package to arrive so I could get my Fafi beauty powder (I'll review that later!) and a new mascara. I've been trading off between Cover Girl's Lash Blast, which I love all but the stupid fat iorange container, and MAC's Zoomlash, which over time I have grown to dislike. It's very thick, which creates vampy dark lashes, but can sometimes be too much. I usually have to comb out the clumps, a extra step that can get annoying. Maybe it is just getting old...

So I decided to try another MAC mascara, Plushlash. The name sounded cool (i want my lashes plush, not just lush!) and I've read that other people have enjoyed it. Well, I'm not excited about it at all! It's very thin and not that dark! I've never had to put on two coats with either the Zoomlash or Lash Blast but with Plushlash I had to. For $11 it was worth a try out, but I don't think I'll be buying that one again.

Lash Lovely!

Trying out MAC's Paint Pots

Along with my Light Flush Mineralize Skinfinish, I picked up a Paint Pot in Bare Study with my online order at maccosmetics.com (join their email list and you'll get free shipping codes all the time). I was doubtful because I have tried other creamy eye products with less than stellar results. They tend to crease like crazy on my eyelids and make any product applied on top cake too much. But many trusted MAC lovers swear by paint pots as both a base for eyeshadow and even as a substitute for gel eyeliner.

The paint pot preformed up to its reputation. Bare Study is a similar frosty pinkish color to my favorite MAC eyeshadow, Phloof!, so when I wear them together, it makes for one bright, frosty look! My eyeshadow seems to last longer when applied over the paint pot but I'm not sure it is worth the application process every day. I tried with a brush, but it seems to be easier to use my finger tip. A little goes along way, otherwise it gets cakey and un-smooth. I think I might be up to trying some other shades, especially a matte one, which might have a different consistency. Let me know what you think about paint pots.

Paint Lovely!

My First MAC Mineralized Skinfinish

I finally got my MAC package in the mail yesterday and I am in LOVE with the Mineralized Skinfinish in Light Flush from the N Collection (the one pictured is Warmth, a golden bronze with light yellow gold veining, but Light Flush is a soft pastel pink with deep bronze veining). It is incredibly divine and absolutely stunning.

Ok, I'm using a bit of hyperbole here, but it’s just so PRETTY! I have friends who love their mineralized skinfinishes, but I never understood what the big deal was... now I do. I put it over my favorite powder blush, MAC Springsheen, and it just makes me feel like I'm glowing, without looking cheesy or overly made up. This is definitely going to be a regular addition to my makeup routine.

Glow Lovely!

New Years Fun With Blue

So here is the look I did for New Years:

I used:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

MAC Holiday 2005 eyeshadow palette in Cool Eyes (a light shimmer blue all over, and a navy in the crease)

Upper lash line: Urban Decay Liquid Eyeliner in Radium

Lower lash line: Sephora brand cream eyeshadow pen in Pink, and a bit of MAC e/s in Phloof!

MAC Zoomlash Mascara

Pretty fun, yeah? I thought so... but definitely not an everyday look.

Blue Lovely!

How To: Winged Eyeliner

I am loving the revival of old Hollywood glamour among celebrities right now. With or without the red lipstick, the intense liquid eyeliner that wings out at the edge is hot! It might look a bit tricky to pull off, and it will certainly take you some time to perfect, but you too can get these sultry eyes. Just follow my lead:

Products: I think the best way to achieve this look is to use a gel pot eyeliner, such as MAC Fluidline in Blacktracks (have I mentioned before it's my fav?!) with a great eyeliner brush. The best out there for precision and control is Bobbi Brown's Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush. If painting the line on seems too hard, you can try a tradition liquid eyeliner, like Two Faced's Liquif-Eye . The key to a finding a good liquid eyeliner is making sure the tip is short. The longer it is, the harder it is to control. Another option are liquid liner pens, which might be easier for you. Dior's Liquid Eyeliner is great one. If anything liquid just scares you to death, go for an regular eyeliner that is waterproof and smudge proof. Since you are applying so much product, when you are done you want it to dry and stay put. I recommend Chanel's Stylo Yeux Waterproof.

Prep: After you apply your foundation, prep your eyelid with a neutral powder shadow, matte or shimmery depending on what kind of look you are going for. This will help the eyeliner to go on smoothly and stay put.

Method: You'll need to be as close to your mirror as possible. I prefer to stand right up next to my full length mirror so that both my hands are free and unobstructed. Starting with the inner corner of your eye, barely touch the liner to your lash line and slowly drag toward the outer corner. The key is to make your line as close to the lashes as humanly possible--its easy to fatter the line up later, but not easy to thin it out. As you reach the outside corner, flick your wrist slightly toward your temple to create a bit of a "wing". This should all be done with a half open eye, so you can tell the angle you want for the wing when your eyes are open. Go back and gently fill in the line to the thickness you want, with the widest part on the outside of your eye. Any mistakes you make can be easily fixed with a q-tip with a tiny bit of moisturizer and then reapply your eye shadow base.

Finish: Top off the look with a few coats of seriously volumizing black mascara. Whether you go for the daring red lip or the elegant neutral lip, keep the cheek color subtle. There is certainly such a thing as too much when it comes to glamour!

Line Lovely!

Baked On Beauty

Right now I am obsessed with anything baked. No, not potato chips... makeup of course! Baked powders are absolutely the best. The pressed powder color is blended and then baked for an excessive amount of time (like 24 hours!) in terra cotta pans. The result is super pigmenty yet smooth color for your face and eyes, without the usual "binders" in regular powders that dull the intensity of the shade.

Laura Geller has a great array of baked products, including different face powders and eye shadows. I think I'll pick up her Baked to Perfection Kit ($60), available only at Sephora, which comes with three face powders (an all over face brightener and two blushes), a eye shadow duo, a mascara, and her excellent Spackle. Spackle is a great light weight makeup primer that has non-toxic silicone to fills in fine lines and leaves the skin nourished and glowing.

MAC Cosmectics' Mineralize eye shadow duos are also baked, to achieve intense, pure frosted color. I picked up Engaging the other day, a dark bronze and dusty pink duo with red veining. The pictures online don't do these products justice, check them out in person. I might have to pick up Family Silver as well, a light and dark grey silver with gold veining. Gorgeous!

Laura Mercier's excellent Mosaic Shimmer Blocs are also baked and have light-reflecting ingredients to gives you a subtle bronze glow wherever you want. The compacts contains four shades that can be blended together to achieve an all over face powder, or worn individually as eye shadows.

All these baked products give you an exceptional amount of color and shimmer, but the best part about the eye shadows is they can all be applied wet and/or used as an eyeliner for a more dramatic effect. Keep your eye out for other baked products and let me know what you find!

Bake Lovely!

Breakin My Own Rules

I am so bad at this saving stuff. I just have to go to Nordstrom today and buy the MAC Royal Assets Metallic Eyes Palette ($36). After checking out Temptalia's tutorial on a gorgeous golden-red holiday eye, I have to give in to my desires and buy the palette. The package design alone (set right) is gorgeous, but the colors will be so much fun to play with this fall and winter. I'll probably the Uppity Fluidline I've been drooling over. I'll deal with the consequences later, with beautiful eye makeup!

Color Lovely!

UPDATE: I did go buy the Metallic Palette (they were all out, but the lovely salesperson at Nordies's order it for me online and it's being shipping to my house for free! yeay Nordstrom!). I also got the Fluidline in Uppity and the Mineralize shadow Duo in Engaging (a bronze and a pink baked shimmery shadow). I tried out the look Temptalia did on her eyes, but I used the bronze from the duo instead of red, for a more subtle, golden eye. I thought it was beautiful! Unfortuately I didn't go do anything too exciting, so no one really saw it on me! I'll just have to do it again, next time I have a big night out!