Tomorrow, I board a plane to the other side of the country for a business trip. Being as that I have not been on a plane for something like eight years and I’ve never traveled for business, I’m left a bit reeling. The trip is short, so everything’s coming as a carry-on.
And having a carry-on means analyzing what liquids you need and stuffing the most important ones into a TSA approved quart bag to follow their 3-1-1 rule.
Lipstick addicts, brace yourself. MAC Cosmetics started a rewards program, MAC Select Loyalty.
Being in the US, MAC isn’t available at Sephora or Ulta so until now you couldn’t reap BI or UltaMate rewards from your purchases of Ruby Woo or Candy Yum Yum. That was kind of sad, because the only customer loyalty options you had when it came to purchasing MAC was maybe Macy’s Plenti or Nordstrom’s offerings. And believe me, MAC customers are loyal.
MAC Select features three tiers of perks, all of which include membership exclusives, an expanded Back-to-MAC program, a Back-to-MAC tracker, free samples, and varying degrees of free shipping. The tiers are as follows:
Makeup Geek Face Brush BundleI’m a firm believer that good tools, used properly, will take you far. I also believe in investing in quality products in general. The brushes created by Marlena and her team receive consistently great reviews, so my interest has been piqued for a while; I’ve had the Makeup Geek Face Brush Bundle on my wish list for many months but had some other priorities so I hadn’t pulled the trigger.
My husband doesn’t tend to get me makeup-related gifts, so imagine my surprise and delight when I unwrapped the Makeup Geek Face Brush Bundle. SHEER. FREAKING. JOY.
Inside, there was a note from her team reminding me to wash the brushes, and a handwritten one thanking us for the purchase and sending holiday wishes. So, naturally, I washed them and dried them upside-down. It was excruciating (because I was dying to use them), but I got through it.
Rose Quartz is pretty, but aside from a pale blush, eyeshadow, I can’t see it in makeup. Sephora always does a collection of silly things that more often than not end up in their Sale section until, heavens, the following holiday season.
In fact, I’m trying to figure out this year’s collection…
Rose Quartz: Pantone Color of the Year 2016Rose Quartz (via the Wayback Machine) lipstick is not reviewed favorably, with many buyers reporting sheer application, lack of pigmentation, and an inconsistent formula. I’m not seeing any reliable looks with it on its own; it needs to be married to a liner or other lipcolor to be remotely useful. Shame, considering it’s supposed to be a, “high coverage, pigment-loaded,” shade. At $18, nope.
I’ve expressed my boredom with the litany of Vice Palettes from Urban Decay, but I’m actually excited about their newest one, UD XX Vice Ltd Reloaded.
UD XX Vice Ltd Reloaded celebrates Urban Decay’s twenty (…what?!) years in the industry, and features a mix of vintage (read: discontinued shades that people pine for), bestselling, and new shadows. Check it out:
Of course, stock photos never do products justice. Regrettably, I don’t have one (and probably won’t be able to get my mitts on it) – but there are some sneak peaks from people who have already secured one or gotten a PR kit.
The $56 Ulta-exclusive UD XX Vice Ltd Reloaded features three new shades, five vintage shades (Gash!), five previous Vice-exclusives, and seven bestsellers (like Smog, Midnight Cowboy, Twice Baked).
The full complement of shades, according to Ulta’s site:
I’m approaching my annual favorites post a little differently than I did last year. Instead of breaking it down by section, I’m just going to slap all my 2015 Favorites together. I liked plenty of things, but these are what I liked most.
Naked2 Basics, $29 – has been my lifesaver. Even when I first swatched it and decided I required it, I didn’t imagine I’d come to use it as much or as often as I did and do. Personally, I think it is superior to its predecessor…but I don’t own its predecessor, so I haven’t run it through the gauntlet, yet.
e.l.f. Studio Blush in Tickled Pink, $3 – is a very subtle, pleasant peachy-pink hue. I wear it the most of all the blush I own; it’s hard to overdo, and isn’t too much for work.
MAC Creme in Your Coffee, $17 – Such a nice MLBB, it stays and wears away well. Reapplies easily, and has that lovely signature MAC lipstick scent. I will repurchase a billion of these.