Whack MAC!...

I found myself at my sons barber shop on Friday and in comes the man with the “black bag”..  Now some of you know about the barber shop hustle, ya know the dudes who come to the shop with a duffel bag filled with goodies?  One never knows what’s in the bag until they open the bag… the bags are usually filled with all sorts of goodies at a dirt cheap price…  I have purchased sterling silver, clothes, toiletries, and most recently I purchased 3 MAC eye shadows.  When dude offered to give sell me 3 for $20.00 I had to jump on it…  now before I purchased them I asked dude if this was the “real deal”, I told him that I didn’t want some MAC from Korea that he purchased in bulk from EBay…  dude thought my comment was funny…  I soon found out why he thought my comment was funny!  lol

 I was happy with my purchases, so I take them home and I immediately open them so I could swatch the colors on the back of my hand…   there were no noticeable differences with the shadows in regards to pigment or texture…  but what stuck out was the compact or the pan/pot whateva,  that the colors were housed in...  Now I own a lot of MAC shadows, most of them are in palettes but I have several in individual pots, pans or whatever the hell they are called.   I haven’t purchased any MAC shadows in a long time so I assumed that these new pots were simply MAC’s new way of packing the shadows…  so I open them up and suddenly the pot opens from the bottom and low and behold there’s a cheesy little applicator sponge in the bottom of the pot…  OK, that was first sign that something was OFF…    MAC and an applicator sponge don’t go together!  I immediately get up and grab my other shadows and none of the pots were like the pots that I purchased...   Then I attempted to open the top of the pot that houses the shadow and I nearly broke a fingernail trying to pry the damn thing open…  I final got it open and I tested the colors on the back of my hand and I must say that overall I was satisfied with the shadows…  

 At First Sight They ALL Look The Same, RIGHT?

So I go about my business and the next day I used the silver to create a Smokey eye… and I was pleased with the outcome.   So no big deal, I just figured that MAC had to make some changes to the packaging…   Boy was I wrong…  Monday I ended up in a MAC store to purchase some paint pots and lip liners and I just happened to ask the consultant about the shadows, and he gave me the break down on the pseudo MAC products that find their way into neighborhood barber shops, and hair and nail salons… apparently this is a huge problem for MAC consultants and MAC is all too aware of the street hustle… needless to say I won’t be purchasing anymore MAC from the street corner, cuz it's nothing but some fake me out eyeshadow made to look like MAC that is most likely purchased in bulk from Ebay!  

Moral of the story:  you get what you pay for!  

 Notice The Difference Now?  The ones on the left are the REAL DEAL...  The ones on the right are the imposters!

Buyers beware… you have been informed.

Favorite Things….

Hola Makeup Mavens!   It’s been sometime since I’ve shared anything on this blog, and I have missed you guys.   I don’t know how regular bloggers who have families, jobs, kids, and a life maintain their blogs… it’s a lot of work.   

Any who, with summer approaching and my little one leaving for the summer I am hoping that I can post more entries and maybe even submit a few tutorials…  But today it’s about my current favorite things…

Camomile Gentle Eye Make-Up-Remover from the Body Shop:

I lucked up on this eye makeup remover while I was traveling, I forgot to bring my makeup remover and I was in the airport and a woman from The Body Shop approached me with a 50% off coupon, and that was all I needed to enter the store.   Truth be told I could have used Vaseline to remove my eye makeup but I was immediately drawn to this product because it was oil free….  This stuff is fantastic!  It doesn’t sting, a little goes a very long way, and it removes my eye makeup in one brisk swipe.   It’s most definitely worth the price of purchase, so check it out.

This is what The Body Shop has to say about Camomile Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover:

Camomile Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover

What it is:
A gentle cleanser that effectively removes eye makeup.

What it is formulated to do:
Gently cleanse and dissolve eye makeup with this bestselling lotion. Its water-like consistency does not leave behind an oily residue, yet it soothes and conditions the skin around the delicate eye area, as well as the eyelashes.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

What else you need to know:

According to The Body Shop, ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks used chamomile thousands of years ago and it was often regarded by the Anglo-Saxons as a sacred herb. Current research confirms chamomile's value as a mild, calming herb. 

E.L.F. is a very hit or miss line for me… there are a few things that I adore and there are several things that I can do without!  Lol  E.L.F. is a true testament to “getting what you pay for”  and “quality over quantity”  I won’t spend a great deal of time bashing E.L.F.  So let’s get into the few things that I adore…  

E.L.F. Daily Brush Cleaner:

I ADORE this cleaner… Let me say that again…  I ADORE THIS PRODUCT!  It’s perfect for cleaning your brushes between uses.  It’s affordable and at $3.00 a bottle I tend to buy 2 at a time.  Now let me be clear this is a great product for daily cleaning, however it is not meant to be used as a deep cleaner…  if you purchase this product you will still need to deep clean you brushes on a weekly basis.   NOTE:  E.L.F. products are available online and at most Target stores.

Here’s how E.L.F. pimps this fabulous product:

Daily Brush Cleaner

An anti-bacterial daily brush cleanser for quick cleaning in-between makeup applications. Disinfects brushes to provide a fresh and clean application every time. Helps to keep your brushes lasting longer for extended use.

Directions

An anti-bacterial daily brush cleanser for quick cleaning in-between makeup applications. Disinfects brushes to provide a fresh and clean application every time. Helps to keep your brushes lasting longer for extended use.

 Studio Line Eyeshadow “C” Brush

This is my go to brush for all things “SMOKEY EYE”…  it’s a great brush for beginners who are attempting to create a great Smokey eye…  now I don’t use it when I’m using multiple colors to create a Smokey eye, but if I’m going for a traditional Smokey with no bells and whistles I grab this brush…  Now, there is a downside to this beauty…  it’s synthetic, and I prefer natural bristle brushes, with that being said if you are striving to create a better Smokey eye this is the brush for you, and trust me for $3.00 you can’t go wrong with this brush.

Here are the details from E.L.F.:

e.l.f. Studio Eyeshadow "C" Brush

This new anti-bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!

·         Creates the perfect Smokey eye

·         The medium size brush gives more control for more specific blending needs

·         Use with any powder eyeshadow product for color blending

·         Vegan Friendly

Dr. Bonners Peppermint Liquid Soap

This soap can be used for a million different things…   I use it for my son to bath in, and I recently started to use it to clean my brushes…   this soap is excellent for your brushes, because the soap has an oil base it not only cleans the brushes but it also conditions the brushes making them very soft.  Plus, it saves me a fortune in Olive Oil!  So if you clean your brushes with a liquid soap and olive oil this is a great substitute and it’s CHEAP.  I purchase my soap at my local co-op however as with most things you can purchase it online too.

Here’s a little more info about this multipurpose treasure:

Peppermint Liquid Soap

DESCRIPTION:

Our most popular fragrance. The peppermint essential oil tingles the body and clears the mind. Because therapeutically peppermint oil is a mild stimulant it increases vitality and clarity. All oils and essential oils are certified organic to the National Organic Standards Program. Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

INGREDIENTS:

 
Water, Organic Coconut Oil*, Potassium Hydroxide**, Organic Olive Oil*, Mentha Arvensis*, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Peppermint Oil*, Citric Acid, Tocopherol

Lastly I am a certified makeup brush hoarder!   I admit this and I’m proud of it… in my opinion the art of applying makeup is best displayed with the right brush…  I have experimented with just about every known brush there is, and I have come to the conclusion that one must invest in quality brushes…   I am obsessed with MAC brushes but my pockets prefer Sigma brushes…  I have a serious collection that includes several favorites from MAC, Sigma and a few places that aren’t worth mentioning.   Because I treasure my brushes I feel the need to store them in a convenient and accessible way… this brings me to my ‘vases’…

I found these at Marshalls and for $6.00 a piece I walked away with 3 of them… each vase housing brushes for every area of my face (eyes, foundation/concealer, and powder).    I add sand to the bottom of the vases and that allows the brushes to stand up…  lastly to protect the brushes from the elements you can’t beat coastal scents ‘brush guards’…  the guards serve several  purposes, they aid in drying the brushes after cleaning, they help to maintain the shape of the brushes, and as mentioned that help to protect the brushes from the elements.   

So there you go, a few of my favorite things…