MAC In Extreme Dimension Mascara

MAC’s latest lash offering, In Extreme Dimension Mascara ($20) coats your lashes with a new whipped formula from root to tip. The plastic-bristled brush lengthens, defines, and helps hold curl. The desired result is lashes that are fully defined, soft (not brittle) due to conditioners in the new formula, and free of clumps. MAC also updated the packaging on this product; it’s the first mascara to get a new, logo-branded look.

The mascara launches Dec. 19 online, Dec. 26 in North American stores & counters, and January 2013 internationally.

Mascara Tip: Double Down

Want superhuge lashes that look fake, but are really your own? The secret isn’t discovering the holy grail of mascara; it’s using two mascaras. Pick any two mascaras you like. Curl your lashes (a must for doe eyes), and swipe on a coat or two, depending on the amount of boldness and volume you want, of your first mascara. Wait about 10-20 seconds, and, while the first formula is still slightly tacky, swipe on your other mascara. If you’re using a waterproof or long-wearing mascara, use it now, so it will seal in the non-waterproof coat you applied before. (If you use it as your base layer, it can make your lashes brittle, and your makeup will be really hard to remove at night). Once your mascara sets, you’re good to go. I don’t know why or how this works, but it always does, without fail. Something about combining two different formulas when they’re still slightly wet gives you ultra-large, look-at-me lashes.

And that’s the secret to huge, false-looking lashes that are all natural.

Image via Corbis

Fall 2012’s Best Beauty Buys

This season has brought a ton of new beauty products to the market. With all the new innovations and cutting-edge concepts, it’s hard to decide which products to buy. So, I’ve narrowed down the sea of cosmetics to a few new picks that worked really well for me. I think these are the best of the best, and you just might, too.

1. Best Eyeshadow: Bobbi Brown Powder Pearl Eye Trio ($46)
These three metallic loose powder shadows each come packaged in a lipstick-tube-like vial. Untwist the cap and you’ll find a convenient domed sponge applicator at the end of the wand. Swipe this across your lids, and you’re glowing in approximately 4 seconds. Easy glamour. Set includes Black Pearl, Pink Pearl, and Moonlight shades to get you ready for day or night.

2. Best Lipstick: Too Faced La Crème ($21)
Fall is the time of year to ease into a more substantial lipcolor, and slightly shift away from the gloss you’ve probably been wearing all summer. For the lipstick-phobic, this formula is perfect because it delivers sheer color that still feels cushy and comfortable on lips. They’re separated into four shade categories: Pinks, Nudes, Reds, and Spices. Read more about this ‘stick here. https://sugarsocial.wordpress.com/2012/08/24/too-faced-la-creme-color-drenched-lip-cream/

3. Best Fall Nail Shades:
Jane by Rescue Beauty Lounge ($18): Quite possibly the most perfect greige.
Toni by Zoya ($8): Get in on the Bordeaux/oxblood trend with this creamy shade.
Siberian Nights by OPI ($8): A dark, stormy purple that looks like the night sky on your hands.

4. Best Brow Filler: Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow ($15)
Natural-looking, waterproof, durable, long-wearing, easy to apply, comes in 7 shades. Can’t stay enough good things about this new arch definer. Read more about it here.

5. Best Lip Relief: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF15 in Berry ($22.50)
It’s pricey, but so worth it. This little stick glides effortlessly over dry, chapped lips, coating them in a cushiony veil of hydrating comfort. The new Berry hue leaves behind a lovely autumnal stain so you get a bit of color, too.

6. Best Palette: NARS Andy Warhol Debbie Harry Eye and Cheek Palette ($65)
Nestled inside this slim palette are electro-pop shades inspired by Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Andy Warhol. Includes four eyeshadows (Sparkling Turquoise, Twinkling Purple, Starry Black, White Shimmer) and two blushes (Shimmering Pink Champagne and Brilliant Cream). I love the idea of a fun, modern take on an ’80s-inspired eye for nights on the town.

7. Best Cheek Color: Tarte Maracuja Cheek Tint ($25)
This gel blush has a nice texture, great staying power, and the maracuja in it helps reduce redness and inflammation in your skin. This keeper comes in four perfectly-flushed shades.

8. Best Mascara: MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash ($20)
This is like the original Haute & Naughty formula, but super inky for thick, full, dark-as-night lashes. There are two wands tucked inside of this tube. Unscrew the top cap to use the skinny wand that provides a natural effect; twist off the glittery cap for a lush brush that creates dramatic lashes. Layer the two for a really knockout flutter.

YSL Fall ’12: Contemporary Amazon

I kind of love the theme for Yves Saint Laurent’s fall 2012 beauty collection. Contemporary Amazon is conjuring up images of lions, lush jungles, and classic khaki safari wear. I mean, what’s not to love? The color palette is so autumnal, and the inspiration behind the collection is fierce. Here is a look at what you can expect from this collection.

Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow ($55) in No. 10 (left) and No. 11 (right). These shadows were designed to intensify when used wet. Dip a brush into water and then dab it onto the surface of any of these shadows to enhance the pigment in the powder. Color goes on more dramatic, more saturated. The No. 10 leans toward khakis and greens, while No. 11 takes on greys and navys. Both are equally beautiful and make for an on-trend autumn eye.

Dare to Glow Illuminator ($28) is a hybrid between an illuminator and an enhancer, and delivers just the right amount of glow to cheekbones, browbones, and anywhere else you want a little extra sheen on your complexion. Dab it on the high points of your face, or mix a small dollop into your tinted moisturizer/foundation for allover radiance. In Tempting Gold (pictured), Fatal Red (pale midtone mauve), and Naughty Pink (sheer, cool pearlized pink).

Rouge Pur Couture – The Mats ($32): YSL takes iconic shades of haute couture and translates them to bold, striking lipcolors. These matte lipsticks are statement-making, yet can be blotted for subtlety. Lasts up to 6 hours. Available in Orange Imagine (yellow-based orange-red), Rouge Rock (pink-toned red), & Grenat Satisfaction (deep, burgundy-infused mauve).

Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara ($30) in Graphite Green

La Lacque Couture Nail Lacquer ($25) in Rouge Expressioniste (left) and Khaki Arty

The collection is available now at YSL counters, select specialty stores (like Sephora), and Nordstrom.

Images via YSL & Nordstrom.

MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash Mascara

MAC’s iconic Haute & Naughty mascara let you customize your look with a revolutionary wand-inside-wand concept. In the stacked, color-coded cap were 2 wands–one thick and dense, one thinner, longer, with the bristles more widely-spaced–and you untwisted the cap according to the look you wanted. The thicker wand gave you lush, noticeable lashes, while the smaller wand provided a more natural look. One product allowed you to amp up the drama for nights on the town, or dial it down on casual days.

Now MAC one-ups themselves with the new Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash ($20), revamped with an intensely pigmented formula. The concept is the same (2 color-coded wands and a stacked cap), and the formula’s consistency remains untouched: velvety and slightly thick for volume, with an added dose of conditioning so your lashes stay soft and supple — no spider lashes here. What they did do was make the shade even inkier, for an ultra-dark black finish that’s strikingly glamorous.

The mascara is an addition to MAC’s permanent collection. Available now at Nordstrom. It’s expected to launch on MAC’s website on August 16, and in stores August 22.Images via MAC

The Biggest Lashes Ever

I go off on a new mascara kick every few months, and then after a week, the tubes always fall by the wayside because they just don’t live up to the hype. The really good mascaras are rare gems. When you find them, it’s like discovering buried treasure and you cling to them with fierce dedication (I’m not the only one who does this, right?) Case in point: I found Armani Eyes to Kill mascara 3 years ago, and I still swear it’s the best. But now it’s got a new companion on my best-of list: 2 products that pack a one-two punch for gorgeous, over-the-top lashes.

If you don’t like the look of false lashes, or prefer natural-looking lashes, this look is not for you. If you want big, bold lashes, this is right up your alley.

Read on for the recipe for dramatic, showstopping lashes.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend finally started to feel like summer. Although it was low-key, it was filled with lots of sunshine, time spent outdoors…and a cool, sweet treat.

The weekend started with cocktails infused with fresh pineapple…yum! My cousin Mia & I loved these.

Picked up this amazing silk cheetah-print scarf at H&M…for $9. The woman in the store next to me was going nuts, saying it looked like the Hermes scarf her sister just bought for $450. I just bought it because it’s got a cheetah on it. (It also has a pink and leopard print mixed in…major score.)

Planted these dahlias, sweet Williams, and geraniums in the garden…

…and this hydrangea bush, too. Hoping they bloom soon.

Tried out a new mascara, Benefit’s They’re Real!…but I didn’t like it. (Everybody raves about it, but it didn’t hold a curl for me at all, and gave me smudgy spider lashes.)

And this is how we ended the weekend, watching Mad Men (and maybe Keeping Up With the Kardashians).

What’s In My Makeup Bag

I have 3 makeup kits: a train case that has all my products that I often use when I do makeup for other people, a bigger personal case that contains the items I don’t use every day (like my smoky eyeshadows and the like), and a small bag of everyday essentials. By far, the items I turn to literally every single day are stashed in the smallest case. Here is what’s inside that case. I would recommend these products without hesitation; they’re the ones I rely on day in and day out.

1. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pale Pink ($24): This cream blush lasts all day, and is the prettiest pink shade I’ve found. It glides on whisper-soft for a gentle blush, and layers beautifully for a more pronounced flush. Note: this is the old packaging of this product; check out the new packaging, available now.

2. Shiseido Eyelash Curler ($19): Since the She Uemura curler is only sold online now, I use this–and it’s just as good. Curls expertly, with all-day hold.

3. MAC Strobe Cream ($15-$30): I mix a few drops of this into my tinted moisturizer for extra glow.

4. MAC Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden ($23): This shimmery bronzer gives my fair skin just enough bronzey glow that’s believable, not fake. Note: This packaging is from the 2010 “To The Beach” collection, and is no longer available. Refined Golden is part of MAC’s permanent collection, so the bronzer itself is still available.

Keep reading for more products!

Too Faced Summer ’12: Summer Royalty

Too Faced’s Summer Royalty collection beckons warm weather, long days, and tropical islands. Summer Royalty contains cool blue colors as inviting as a swimming pool on a hot day, and lots of bronzy treats to make your skin look (safely) tanned.

*Items marked LE are limited edition.

Summer Eye Summertime Sexy Eyeshadow Palette ($36, LE): This little palette, with its bright blue pool ripples on it, is deceptively small; inside it holds 9 shadows. You get 3 big (.07oz.) shadows: Sugar Sand, a shimmery light sand; Peach Fuzz, a shimmery nude; and Sunbeam, a shimmery pale lemon-yellow. 3 small (.03oz.) shadows are tucked in there, too: Toasted Coconut, shimmery medium-brown; Cocoa Beach, shimmery copper-brown; Chocolate Sun; deep, rich brown; Mermaid, intense deep green; Coral Crush; shimmery light coral; and Plumeria, a shimmery cool medium pink. Included are 3 cards that show you how to create “Day,” “Fashion,” and “Classic” looks. Here are the shadows close up:

Primed & Poreless Pure ($30, above left): This oil-free, colorless face primer was formulated for sensitive skin. It reduces the appearances of pores, fine lines, and discoloration, and helps makeup adhere to skin, prolonging its wear. A great base for your makeup.

Royal Oil Coconut Oil Body Bronzer with Mangosteen Extract ($35, above right): Not only will it leave your skin a toasty golden shade with a hint of shimmer, but it hydrates, too, with coconut oil and mangosteen extract.

Click through to see more!

MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara

To complement MAC’s multiple upcoming summer collections, the brand plans to add a do-it-all mascara to their lineup of usual suspects. MAC says that Extended Play Lash mascara ($) curls, defines, and lifts lashes for an elevated natural look. The skinny brush supposedly imparts major, pumped-up volume; but in my experience, brushes similar in design to this don’t (the really fat brushes are the best volumizers). The real selling point here is the endurance of this longwear formula; it’s supposed to last 16 hours without smudging, smearing, or quitting.

Personally, I’m not a fan of long-wear mascaras; I feel like most iterations can be really hard on your lashes, and the payoff just isn’t worth it for me (my mascara generally doesn’t smudge unless I rub my eyes). Coupled with the fact that I’m not crazy about MAC mascaras in general, I probably won’t be trying this one. Will you?

It’s available in one shade — Endlessly Black — and hits counters & stores May 24 in North America, and in late May internationally.Images via MAC