MAC Style Warriors

Last week I went to a MAC store and attended the Style Warriors Event which was by invitation only. They had yummy canapes, wonderful green tea and mint mojitos and of course new makeup for us to oogle over. I promised myself I wasn't going to go nuts and buy everything in site just because it was available to me. I bought the colors that I myself will use and that I think my brides are going to love and also what I would use for photo shoots. They had bronzers and shadows and liquid face highlighter and so on. Sometimes ladies the permanent colors are just repackaged so I made sure that I bought some different things. The most impressive and eye catching items for me were the Lustre Drops. The minute I saw them in preview pictures and I was itching to get my hands on those. I'm going to have fun with them this summer.

MAC In High Def collection

MACaholics, have you peeped the new MAC In High Def collection? It landed on counters today.

Several standout repromoted items grace the release (the Mineralize Skinfinish Naturals, the Face and Body Foundations, and the 188 and 187 brushes), along with four new lipstick colors.

Today’s giveaway features a couple items from the new collection.

And because I’m in an extra good mood (tomorrow’s Friday!), I’m also throwing in some vintage MAC tidbits for the cheeks, lips and nails from the Dame Edna and Grand Duos collections.

Ready, set, MAC ATTACK!

The prize

One lucky lady will take home $104 in face, nail and lip goodies from MAC Cosmetics:

• Face and Body Foundation in N2 from the MAC in High Def collection ($32)
• Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Deep Dark from the MAC in High Def collection ($25)
• Mineralize Blush in Love Rock from the Grand Duos collection ($22)
• Nail Lacquer in Asiatique from the Dame Edna collection ($11)
• Lipglass in Hot Frost from the Dame Edna collection ($14)

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N2

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Deep Dark

MAC Mineralize Blush in Love Rock

MAC Dame Edna Lipglass in Hot Frost

MAC Nail Lacquer in Asiatique

MAC's Face and Body Foundation

I've been using MAC's Face and Body Foundation or about two years now and it is one of my main go to foundations for summer. I typically prefer medium coverage in a foundation but, in hot and humid climates I prefer a lighter, more natural coverage and an oil-free, water based foundation. This particular product is great because it has buildable coverage for the face and body, meaning if you apply your foundation and find its too sheer just apply more on top until you get the coverage you desire and it still won't look heavy. Also, you can use a darker shade of foundation on your legs and body and rub it in and you get instant color. The Face and Body foundation is very easy to blend and its long-lasting. The consistency is almost water like when squeezed out from its nozzle tip but it quickly disappears into your skin once blended (see pic 2).

I use this foundation on brides quite often because it applies easily and can be manipulated depending on the type of applicator you use, whether it be a sponge wedge, a 187 or 190 brush or even your fingers. I love applying this with a drop or two of MAC's Strobe Liquid or Benefits High Beam, both of which add an angelic, sheer highlight to the face and shoulders, and collar bones, without looking powdery. You can even pour this liquid into an airbrush gun and it works perfectly. Although this foundation is very sheer looking it delivers professional results and it photographs beautifully.

This foundation is available in a wide range of colors and comes in a large 120ml bottle. Its only sold at MAC Stores and available on the MAC Pro website. Next time you are in a MAC store make sure to ask for a sample. As a side note, I have never experienced an acne breakout while using this foundation.

Moisturizer Comparison: Hawaiian Tropic vs Jergens – Glow Naturally

Spring brings the rains, the sounds of birds, gardening, and the smell of …. self-tanner? Most of us feel like we look slimmer and healthier with some tan, but aren’t willing to take the health risks of a natural tan. The goal is the look of a natural tan, which has not always been so easy to obtain. Self-tanners of years past left us blotchy, unnaturally colored, and with orange palms.

Jergens was the first on the market to introduce a gradual self-tanner, which you apply daily as a moisturizer, and gradually develop a natural-looking tan. Because of the series of applications, the chance of uneven coloring is slim, and the user can stop reduce frequency when the desired color is achieved. But is being the first the same as being the best?

All self-tanners work on the same concept. The key ingredient is dihydroxyacetone(DHA). DHA is a colorless sugar that interacts with the dead cells located in the stratum corneum of the epidermis. As the sugar interacts with the dead skin cells, a color change occurs. The longer you can keep your dead skin cells, the longer you can keep your tan – thus you should exfoliate before using a self-tanner product. All products instruct the customer to apply daily, and wait “several days” for the tan to develop. As long as moisturizer is applied evenly, any small differences will even out over the course of the repeated application, and the color result will be even.

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer and Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow Daily Moisturizer are similar to each other and other self-tanners in many respects, but there are two key differences: scent and color.

Scent

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer is a good product, but it has one big problem: the smell. All self-tanner products have some (similar) odor due to the DHA ingredients used. The odor can be masked with other scents, as is typical for moisturizers, but when the pleasant scent dissipates, the DHA scent remains. In fact, this scent was bad enough that even I, who am unfortunately as pale as death, did not find it to be worth the trade-off. Even I, the uber-frugal, threw away the remainder of the tube of lotion.

The other manufacturers needed some time to catch up, but in my opinion the best alternative to Jergens is Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow Daily Moisturizer. While it still has some of the unavoidable DHA order, the scent is not unpleasant. Or at least, it is relatively more pleasant than competing products. Scent is a personal opinion, but most people on http://makeupalley.com have compared it to green tea. Some even felt that it had no scent.

Color

Although it is the worse choice for scent, Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer does provide more color with the same amount of application. This may the reason it has stronger scent. Most people do not feel this is a good trade-off, and simply use the “medium” tint of the Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow Daily Moisturizer lotion instead of “light”. Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow Daily Moisturizer comes in light or medium only. Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer provides darker color and offers more choices. Natural Glow Daily Moisturize comes in fair, medium, and medium-tan (dark), and also offers additional products (not reviewed)

Product Line-up

Neither product is appropriate for using on your face, for most people, because it is designed as body lotion and too thick and clogs pores on the face. For the face Jergens makes a separate product, which I have not yet reviewed. Jergens makes Jergens Natural Glow Face Daily Moisturizer, which I have not reviewed. A third option in the Natural Glow line-up is the Jergens Natural Glow Face Daily Moisturizer with SPF 20.

Hawaiian Tropic does not make a self-tanner product designed for the face. There are no other products in the Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow Daily Moisturizer line-up.

Recommendation

I use and recommend the Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow Daily Moisturizer. The color of Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow Daily Moisturizer is sufficient for me, and the scent of Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer is a deal-breaker.

Moisturizer

The first day of summer technically hits on June 21, but you probably want to start changing your daily makeup routine right around, um… NOW. As the weather heats up, scale back on using heavy foundations, which can melt under the sweltering sun. (How messy would that be?) Instead, swipe on an ultra-light tinted moisturizer that will soak into skin and simultaneously even out your tone for a natural, I-don’t-even-have-to-try-to-look-this-good look.

Here’s two to try:

Josie Maran Tinted Moisturizer, $38
This tinted moisturizer “with a conscience” contains organic ingredients, no parabens, and no artificial fragrances – just like the rest of Josie’s line. It also includes an added SPF 30 to ward off UVA and UVB rays, so you don’t have to take that extra sunscreen step every morning.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer, $24.50
Swap your morning moisturizer for this tinted version with SPF 15. Made with apricot kernel extract, chamomile, and royal jelly, it absorbs quickly but leaves skin soothed, nourished, and unbelievably soft. Just find your nearest Kiehl’s counter and pick your shade: light, medium, or dark.

Lavera cream

At Lavera, save 23% off select products with the code 23YEARS! You can see the specific products included in the sale here.

There are a few very good deals in there. I noticed a foundation that is already 70% off, plus another 23% off the clearance price. There are also some face creams (carrot cream and night cream), both 45/50% off already and eligible for the additional 23%. Definitely worth taking a look through to see if there is anything in there that you need!