MAC Marketing is Weird, Sometimes

Question:

If you saw the following photo in a retailer’s catalog or on their site without context, what would you imagine they were selling you?

MAC Marketing is Weird

Tartan plaid, maybe? Shirtless, kilt-and-boot-wearing long-haired men? Going barefoot in a dress with a portrait neckline?

I really wasn’t sure to think. After I looked at it for a few minutes, I decided that sometimes images used to sell fragrance are weird like this sometimes. Let’s set up a weird photoshoot with a couple mdels, dress them weird/fancy/whatever, instruct the models to put on a smoldering gaze and toss their hair around carelessly. Somehow, that is supposed to translate into, “This is the imagery this scent inspires!” Tartan Mystique, let’s call it.

Maybe it’s just trying to say, “This scent is so awesome that this is what you’ll feel like while wearing it. Off with you! Get your dress, your tartan, your random rocks and a watercolor backdrop!”

Weird.

As it turns out, however, this is not trying to sell you fragrance.

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September 2014 Favorites

September 2014 Favorites

September 2014 Favorites
1. MAC Lipstick – Brave $16 / 2. Sonia Kashuk Brush Cleaner $8 /
3. Clinique Almost Lipstick – Black Honey, $16 / 4. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, $14 /
5. Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick – Divine Wine, $6

I didn’t think much of it during the month, but looking back – my September 2014 Favorites were pretty lippy!

Details after the jump.

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My Lipstick Looked…Different

Last year, I went to a MAC counter with a friend to find a lipstick to wear to my wedding. It was winter, I was pale, and I was seeking a My-Lips-But-Better shade that was slightly more pink than my natural lipcolor. I wound up choosing Brave, a satin finish; I loved how it looked with Soar pencil underneath. It was subtle and made me look like me (though I enjoy reds, I feel most comfortable in MLBBs and neutral pinks), which was important considering the occasion.

MAC Brave LipstickMAC Brave Lipstick

Fast forward to late spring! I had started my sunless tanning routine with Million Dollar Tan’s excellent Cabana Tan lotion line. I was tan and golden, and felt good about not harming my skin in the process. I started refining what my day-of makeup was going to be – applying, tweaking, etc. – most times sans lip because, come on. I knew what the lip looked like.

One time I decided to finish it properly, lip and all. I was so excited to be done, thinking, “Oh yes, I nailed this!”

Except I wasn’t as enamored of the lip as I remember being. What?! I remember being so enamored of the shade when I bought it. Was it the cruel salesfloor lighting within Macy’s? No, I had photos of it. In natural light, even. It looked so cool, almost making my lips look ashy…what the hell happened? Lipsticks don’t just change color!

It had only been about a month since I started sunless tanning, but I had reached where I wanted to be – it was enough to change the effect of the lipstick drastically against my skin. Thankfully, the arrival of my Glambot order saved the day; armed with MAC Cosmo, I was able to blend the two lipsticks on my lip (over the Soar lip pencil) to achieve what I wanted on my newly-tan skin.

Because of that, I put Brave away and hadn’t reached for it in a while. Recently having returned to my palest shade (props to Million Dollar Tan – it really lasted!), I reached for it this week and found that it looks good again.

In short, if you tend to be a bit of a chameleon depending on the season, don’t be surprised (or upset!) if certain shades (of lipstick or blush, especially) don’t flatter as much as they did at another time. Certainly don’t do anything rash like throw a product away over it. With lipstick, try mixing it with another lipcolor (or even just topping it with a gloss to alter it a bit). If that doesn’t work,  give it time, wait for the next season, and try again; your skintone has a huge impact on these things.

I’m thrilled to have this particular lipstick back in my rotation. Foundation/concealer being the exception, have you ever found this to be the case with a product in your collection (flattering when purchased, not so much in a different season)?