WINTER ANGEL make up look / VICTORIA'S SECRET INSPIRED / NEW YEAR'S EVE

Mac Let's Skate Paintpot + Mac Reflects Pearl 

Hello girls, I think I'm still in time to share another glitter look before New Year's Eve night!!

This look is very quick and easy to achieve, and will also be very pretty for younger girls :-)

My base was L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation in DW3 Gold Linen applied with my Real Technique stippling brush.

On my eyelid I first applied Mac Let's Skate paintpot as a base. It's a beautiful sheer baby pink infused with pearly and gold microglitter *_* <3

I blended it in my crease and in the outer corner of my eye using Catrice Starlight Expresso (350) eyeshadow, a delicate matte taupe shade, which I also applied along my lower lashline.
Contouring your eyes with a matte taupe/brown shade will naturally give them more depth and dimension.

And here comes the fun part!! I took Mac Reflects Pearl glitter, a magical silvery/pearly white glitter, and I patted it on the inner 2/thirds of my eyelid and on the inner corner of my eyes.
I can't even describe. Even if you don't purchase it, this is one of those products that you have to try at least once in your life :-)

*Mac website and glitter packagings state "Glitter is not eye safe and is not recommended for use on this area of the face", because some glitter particles might fall into the eyes and hurt them.
So if you apply glitter on your eyes, please just be careful :-)

For my cheeks I used L'Oreal Studio Secrets Sculpting Blush Duo in number 70 Light Skin.
One half is a sheer strongly blue toned pink blush, the other half is a matte bronzer.
This is probably the most natural shade of bronzer I can think of, and it could easily be my favourite if only its pigmentation wasn't so poor :-(
Its intensity is still buildable, but it's still not what I would expect from a product from one of my top favourite brands L'Oreal.

Finish off with your favourite pink gloss and your Winter Angel look will be complete!!

I hope you liked this look, and also check out my other glitter looks! Smokey and dramatic Mac Reflects Antique Gold - New Year's Eve, and a neon bright Turquoise Stardust make up look

Once again, Happy New Year lovelies, and thank you for being here :-* <3

Love
MJ

Mac Let's Skate Paintpot + Mac Reflects Pearl

MAC REFLECTS ANTIQUE GOLD - NEW YEAR'S EVE make up look

Mac Reflects Antique Gold

I'm excited to share this look created around 2 of my favourite and most unique Mac products, Reflects Antique Gold glitter and Genuine Treasure paintpot.

Mac Reflects Antique Gold glitter and Mac Genuine Treasure paintpot

Reflects Antique Gold is an antique - meaning darkened/brassy - gold glitter and is a permanent Pro product.
If you have Mac pigment Christmas sets in your collection, go have a look. You might find a small vial of Reflects Antique Gold in one of them :-)

*Mac website and glitter packagings state "Glitter is not eye safe and is not recommended for use on this area of the face", because some glitter particles might fall into the eyes and hurt them.

So if you apply glitter on your eyes, please just be careful :-)

Genuine Treasure is the paintpot version of Reflects Antique Gold. It is exactly the same shade.
Disgracefully, Genuine Treasure is a limited edition product and is currently not on sale :(
So far it has only been released once, as part of the Posh Paradise collection in 2011.
It was so popular and sold out so fast that I'm sure it will be re-released soon. I'm actually surprised they haven't done it yet! :-/

As an alternative base to Genuine Treasure I suggest Mac Antique Diamond paintpot, which is a permanent product.
Antique Diamond is more of a platinum gold, and compared to Genuine Treasure is lighter and more greeny/grey, but will still complement Reflects Antique Gold beautifully.

If you don't have any of these don't panic, just use whatever neutral base you have, and the glitter on top will still do most of the job ;-)

I finished off my eyes by blending a matte brown shade in my crease and in my lower lashline.
I actually used Bahama Mama from The Balm, the bronzer I used on my face too, but an eyeshadow will be exactly the same.
You can go blending the brown as wide as you like in both directions, depending on how dramatic you want the final result to be.
It goes without saying that I went very high above my crease and very low under my lower lashline, I mean, I would blend my eyeshadow down to my chin if only I could.

And many generous coats of black mascara are a must!! I used Dior Diorshow Blackout on top of Helena Rubinstein Spider Eyes mascara base!!

Now let's break down the rest of the look:

I believe that bronzy looks are enhanced by a tanned skin, so I previously self-tanned my face with my only facial self-tanner, Dior Bronze Auto-Bronzant in Natural Glow.
It's the first I tried years ago, and I've always been so happy with it that I honestly never looked for alternatives.

On my face I used L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation in W3/D3 Gold Linen, applied with my Real Techniques stippling brush, and Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC30.
I concealed and brightened my undereye area with Clinique Line Smoothing concealer in 02 Light.

I intensified my tan and contoured my cheekbones with Bahama Mama from The Balm, a fantastic matte non-orange powder bronzer with the most buttery texture and a very subtle and flattering satiny sheen to it.

I applied Sleek Makeup blush in Pixie Pink, a Barbie pink, on the apples of my cheeks with my Real Techniques Contour Brush, a oval shaped brush with dense medium length bristles to have more control on where I was placing the colour.
I then blended it with iconic blush Nars Orgasm, which enhanced the pink with a peachy golden sheen.

On my lips I went for a soft-but-not-too-much neutral nude.
I first erased most natural pigmentation and neutralized them with some concealer.
I slightly overdrew them with Catrice Precision Lip Liner in 010 Choc'aholic, a pale beige shade, and then filled them in with 01 Nude Beige, a pinky beige, the ultimate luxury-made-lipstick from the Rouge Volupté series by YSL Yves Saint Laurent.

What will be your New Year's Eve make up look ladies??
Please tag me in your pictures on Instagram @mjintheskywithglitter, or leave the link to your blogpost in a comment .

If you want to see it, this is another look I created with glitter, breathtaking Mac Reflects Turquatic 
TURQUOISE STARDUST make up look

Thank you so much for reading and making my blog happen, HAPPY NEW YEAR with love and health and happiness for you and your family!!

Love <3
MJ

HARLOT OCC LIP TAR

Harlot OCC Lip Tar

It was only a matter of time before I wrote a post about my first Lip Tar, the uber-famous liquid lipstick by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - haha don't you just love their name! ^_^

Lip Tars come in a tube and are out-of-this-world intense and pigmented.
And no matter how many times you have heard how pigmented they are, and how much you therefore expect it, the first time you try them for yourself you will still be amazed!! :-O
The smallest dot is enough to paint your entire lips. Seriously, if you put more than this on your hand or on the brush you will waste it!

So, when it came to picking my first Lip Tar, I wanted to go big and I picked one of their most BANG!!! shades :-D
It's called Harlot and it's the brightest neon coral-y red a human can ever create, isn't it stunning????

Harlot OCC Lip Tar

At a first glance, I thought I had already found in my collection some dupes for Harlot in Heartbreaker by Sleek Makeup and in Coral Blush 158 by Barry M.
These 3 do look pretty much identical in the tube, but as soon as you swatch them side by side it's clear to see they are by no means dupes.

Compared to Harlot, Heartbreaker (which is already a very very close dupe to Mac Impassioned, you can read my post here Mac dupes - Red, bright and dark lipsticks from Sleek) is more pink and more matte, while Coral Blush is a lot more sheer, and has some fuchsia to it.



Sleek Heartbreaker - OCC Lip Tar Harlot - Barry M 158 Coral Blush

But what I came up with is that when I wear Harlot I will then take either Heartbreaker or Barry M 158 with me in my handbag.
I find such a pigmented liquid in a tube a little impractical for touch ups - if you need them at all with this product, but you know, just in case.
Regular lipsticks in a bullet are much easier to use, so having one of those 2 with me when I'm wearing Harlot will do the touch up job if needed, without risking to bleed neon coral from all over my face when it's not Halloween!!

I hope you found this post interesting!
Do you have any Lip Tars?? If so, what shades??
Also let me know if you too wrote a blog post about them!!

And if you like this kind of bright shades see me wear an orange lipstick in New trend: how to make orange lipstick work for pale blondes / Iggy Azalea inspired make up :-)

Have a beautiful day :-*

Love
MJ

THE LIPSTICK TAG

I saw this tag on lovely BeautyAddict29's blog BeautyAddict29 and I really enjoyed reading her post, so I decided to do it too! :-)

So here are the 10 questions!

1. How many lipsticks do you own?
I never counted them and I never will, just in case the final result prompted me to question my mental wellness :-O
It is for sure a 3 digit number hahaha :-D

2. What is your most worn lipstick?
Impressive from Mac, from their Sheen Supreme range.
It is a creamy mauvy nude with medium opacity, and I consider it as the shade that best complements and enhances my lips while still looking very natural.

3. What is your first ever lipstick?
A sheer pink from L'Oreal :-)

4. What is your favourite brand of lipstick?
I have to go for Mac.
I believe this is the brand that offers the most extensive range of lipsticks, with so many different shades - some of them like Impassioned, Russian Red, Ruby Woo, Saint Germain, being so unique that they are literally iconic - in so many different finishes that it deserves the top spot.

5. What is your favourite finish?
On a daily basis I wear creamy finishes - I usually wear more make up on my eyes than my lips, so I prefer a creamy and more natural lipstick finish, regardless of the shade.
For more dramatic looks I will use a matte finish.

6. What lip product you last bought?
Last weekend I bought a bunch of lipsticks from Kiko - Velvet Mat Lipsticks and Smart lipsticks, I had been eyeing them for a while and I found them on sale (Kiko always has some products or lines going on sale from time to time) so I got them!

7. What lipstick do you use to rock a red lip?
Russian Red from Mac.
If it's daytime, sometimes I will choose Ruby Woo, which is a little brighter.
In case you weren't already familiar with them, I have an entire post with swatches comparing Russian Red and Ruby Woo :-) MAC RUSSIAN RED vs RUBY WOO

8. How many products you currently have in your bag, including lip balms and lipsticks.
I usually change the products I keep in my handbag, depending on what I'm wearing for the day.
But I always keep a lip balm in each bag, I need to have a lip balm with me at all times wherever I am!
Other than that, I usually have 1 or 2 lipglosses, or a lipstick and a lipgloss.
Sometimes I forget about them, and instead of changing them I keep adding more, until I will pull like 7 or 8 different lip products out of my bag, hahaha does it happen to you too girls??

9. How do you store your lipsticks?
Some are divided by brand and some are divided by shade.
They are stored in mini drawer-boxes and in plastic containers I got in Tokyo from Muji and from very popular Daiso store in Harajuku :-))

10. What lip product are you lusting after?
I would love to try Nars with their Velvet Matte Lip Pencils.
But I have already recently splurged on Nars for their Orgasm Illuminator AND Orgasm Multiple, so I will be still leaving their Lip Pencils in stand-by for now :-)

Please let me know if you have done this tag too in a blog post or a YouTube video, or answer as many questions as you like here in a comment, I will be very happy to read your answers or see your video!

Thank you for taking the time to go through all my answers, I hope you are all having a lovely day

x :-)
MJ

UNE SKIN GLOW FOUNDATION

UNE Skin Glow Foundation

I know this picture will look a little random in a make up blog, but the reason why it's here is because when I posted it on Instagram it earned me a lot of compliments on how my skin looked!

And since I too love the foundation I am wearing, I'm more than happy to share the name of this magic potion: it's Skin Glow Foundation by UNE Natural Beauty (http://www.unebeauty.com/en/products/make-up/face/skin-glow-foundation.html)

UNE is a French brand whose products are made almost entirely from natural ingredients, which is already really nice to begin with.
And this is the glowiest foundation I have ever tried, I mean just how it like it!!
Yes my picture is filtered through Instagram, but this didn't really alter the real overall look of my skin - see how only my face is shiny while my shoulders and chest are not.

I discovered Skin Glow Foundation - and UNE as a brand - by chance when I received a sample, and when I first tried it I couldn't believe my eyes!! *_*
I immediately took a good ol' #selfie and sent it out to all of my make up loving girlfriends like "LOOK AT THIS!!!" :-D

I found the texture a little unusual: it's liquidy but thick, and it goes on sort of matte first while leaving this incredible glow.
It has a strong almond fragrance. I see the website says it is lotus flower, but to me it smells just like almond milk :-)

I know some girls prefer a more velvety/matte finish to their foundation, but Skin Glow will give you the skin of vacation, the skin of summer, of a tropical island, of a sandy beach - and for me no other look can top that!! <3

Please girls let me know if you tried this foundation or other UNE products, I would love to hear some suggestions!

Have a beautiful day,
love xxx

NIGHT DRIVE IN MOSCOW make up look

Night Drive In Moscow

This look was inspired by the song Night Drive In Moscow by 5 Reasons feat. Patrick Baker [Satin Jackets Remix] (https://soundcloud.com/shinydiscoclub/night-drive-in-moscow-satin-jackets). I love this song, I can listen to it in a loop for hours!

For the base I used L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation in W3/D3 Gold Linen, applied with my Real Techniques stippling brush, and Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC30 where needed.
I brightened up my inner eye and undereye area with Diorskin Sculpt concealer, and I highlighted my cheekbones with Nars Orgasm Illuminator.

On my eyes I went for the flattest pitchest blackest smokey look ever possible with Blackout eyeshadow (matte carbon black) from the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette and Blackmania eye pencil from Essence into my upper and lower lashline and on my waterline.

Then I applied a thick coat of Helena Rubinstein Spider Eyes mascara base + Dior Diorshow Black Out mascara.

For bronzer I used Nars Laguna from my Nars Blush/Bronzer Trio, one of the most luxurious and pricey pieces of my makeup collection!!
And then I let my gorgeous brand new Nars Orgasm Multiple paint my cheeks with its beautiful goddess-like rosy glow.

I overdrew my lips slightly with Lost in the Rose Wood lip pencil from Catrice, and I filled them in with Choco Cream (715) lipstick from Maybelline, a creamy beige nude.

The stunning hairband I am wearing is from Accessorize.
It's called Autumn Leaf Metal Bando and is a chain of gold leaves with an elastic band in the back, something like flower child meets beauty queen. I love it!! *_*

I hope you guys liked this look! Please leave me a comment if you did!

And this is another look I created with a hairband Halloween Queen :-)

Thank you so much for reading and for your lovely comments <3

Love

MJ



MAC ALL FIRED UP LIPSTICK

Mac All Fired Up lipstick

I'm in love!!!
See how gorgeous this lipstick is!!!!
It is Mac All Fired Up rom the mega successful Retro Matte collection, a beautiful and unique matte strawberry shade.
Flat Out Fabulous had been my love at first sight from this collection, but now I'm really into this one too! Compared to Flat Out Fabulous, it has a lot more red in it, while still having a cool undertone.
Here I'm wearing it with Mac Beet lip pencil.

Unfortunately I don't own it yet, because it was sold out :(
It was the makeup artist in a Mac store yesterday that while we were chatting just offered to try it on me. So glad he did, now I can't wait for this lipstick to be restocked!!!

The other products I am wearing in this look are:

L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation in W3/D3 Gold Linen, applied with my Real Techniques stippling brush.

Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC30 on my face where I needed some extra coverage.

Inglot AMC (Advanced Makeup Components) Cream Concealer in number 64, the lightest shade, in the undereye area. Inglot is such a great brand, I feel it is very underrated.

To blend it seamlessy into the foundation, I then applied all over my cheeks my favourite liquid hightlighter, Inglot AMC Face and Body Illuminator in number 63.
It is a rosy golden shade that dreams are made of. It blends so perfectly into the skin, and just leaves the most effortless glow. I love it so much.

On my eyes I applied Mac Frozen Violet paintpot as a base, using my Mac 217 brush.
This is beauty in a paintpot. It is a glittery grey-ish frozen violet (it's name couldn't be more accurate!) that's incredibly flattering to every eye colour. My all time favourite paintpot.

Then I applied a wash of Kiko Colour Sphere Eyeshadow number 33 all over my lid and below my lower lashline.
It is a burnt plum shade infused with silver microglitter which I used to achieve an overall deeper plummy look.

To bring it back to violet, I applied the darkest shade of Maybelline Diamond Glow quad in 11 Purple Drama (medium violet with silver microglitter) along my upper and lower lashline with a pencil brush.

In my waterline I tried for the first time my Kiko Twinkle Eye Pencil in 06 Hypnotic Starry Black, a dark glittery grey. So beautiful and so pigmented and creamy and longlasting, I was like - WOW!!

For mascara base I also tried for the first time Kiko False Lashes Concentrate - Building Base Mascara.
I was looking for an inexpensive alternative to my beloved Helena Rubinstein Spider Eyes mascara base, but compared to that, the Kiko formula is thinner, so I still like the Helena Rubinstein one better.

On top of it, Dior Diorshow Black Out mascara.

For contouring, I used the darker shade of Moonlight (Summer Eclipse by Physicians Formula). It has a very subtle sheen to it - as opposed to being flat out matte, which is generally the best choice for contouring -, and I really like how it looks on my face.

I finished off my look with a touch of Flormar Lights of Flowers blush code LF12.
It is a very unique deep berry shade that might appear intimidating to some. But when I just applied it lightly on the apples of my cheeks it gave me a such a pretty rosy glow, as if I had been running in the snow or something. Really really pretty.
It can also be built up on darker complexions.

Then I went to Mac, and came out with All Fired Up + Beet on.

THEN I went to Sephora, and tried Nars Multiple in Orgasm by applying it on the top of my cheeks.

So in this picture, on top of everything I have listed to far, I am also wearing the Nars Multiple.
It is a little pricey, but I have to admit it looked like nothing else I had tried before, so I decided to buy it.
I just didn't realise that what I had grabbed was the Nars Orgasm Illuminator instead - which is their liquid highlighter in a tube, while the Multiple is a stick.

I first thought I would return the Illuminator in exchange for the Multiple...but then, once a Nars Illuminator is yours - no matter its circumstances - how can you part yourself from it??? Seriously!!!
So yeah, I will eventually go back to Sephora and just get the Nars Multiple too, hahaha SOOO bad!!! :-D

See me wear Flat Out Fabulous lipstick from the same Retro Matte collection in Mac Flat Out Fabulous :-)

Have a great weekend and thank you so much for reading,

Love
MJ :-*

MAC DUPES - RED, BRIGHT AND DARK LIPSTICKS FROM SLEEK MAKEUP

How cool is it that I have found dupes for some of the most beautiful and most popular Mac lipsticks, all from Sleek Makeup??

Sleek immediately became one of my favourite brands when I first discovered it a few years ago thanks to Sam and Nic Chapman, the Pixiwoo sisters :-)

Their quality/price ratio is extraordinary.

I ADORE their iDivine eyeshadow palettes, their blushes, their Pout Polishes AND their lipsticks!

See why :-)

Left: MAC IMPASSIONED - Right: SLEEK HEARTBREAKER

Mac Impassioned - Sleek Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker is more matte, but the similarity in colour and pigmentation is sensational, especially being this such a unique shade.
(see me wear Impassioned in Mac Impassioned lipstick)

Left: MAC RUBY WOO - Right: SLEEK STILETTO

Mac Ruby Woo - Sleek Stiletto
Stiletto is neither as bright nor as matte, but to be fair, what can be as bright and as matte as THE MOST bright and matte red of all times Ruby Woo??
Other than that, I find Stiletto to be a great dupe!
(see me wear RubyWoo in Mac Russian Red vs RubyWoo)

Left: MAC DIVA - Right: SLEEK CRANBERRY

Mac Diva - Sleek Cranberry
These two are really close to being identical. Again, the Sleek one is just slightly less matte and less pigmented, but Mac matte lipsticks are the top of their range, so the fact that Sleek as such an inexpensive drugstore brand can get so close to being identical to them is amazing.

Left: MAC DEEPLY ADORED - Right: SLEEK CHERRY

Mac Deeply Adored (limited edition from the Marilyn Monroe collection) - Sleek Cherry
I can't see any differences here. Colour, finish and pigmentation, they all look the same to me.

And last but not least, probably the current most fashionable and buzzed about lipstick from Mac:

Left: MAC FLAT OUT FABULOUS - Right: SLEEK MYSTIC

Mac Flat Out Fabulous - Sleek Mystic

Mystic is clearly more purple than Flat Out Fabulous, which in the side-by-side comparison comes up as more pink.

I guess one of the two shades is more of a true magenta than the other, but I can't decide which one it is haha :-D

Anyway, I have many magenta lipsticks and this one by Sleek is really the one that comes closest to Flat Out Fabulous.

(see me wear Flat Out Fabulous in Mac Flat Out Fabulous lipstick)

 

And here are some more posts with dupes for Mac lipsticks :)

Mac dupes - Nude lipsticks

Mac Kelly Osbourne collection + lipstick dupes!!

June favourites + Mac dupe!

July favourites + Mac dupe!

My Mac neon orange look + dupes

 

I would love to know how you like these dupes, and if you have found other alternatives in your collection, please leave me a comment!!

Love,

MJ

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MAC DUPES - NUDE LIPSTICKS

I love reading posts about dupes, so I thought it was about time I'd write one myself!

Now, my theory is that nothing can ever look the same unless it's the same exact product.
Shade, finish, pigmentation, longevity - so many variables make a make up product that it's pretty unlikely to find identical dupes.
Which is why I have multiple drawers full of cosmetics that only at a first, superficial glance might appear SIMILAR to one another. But they're oh so different, and we can create oh so many different looks with each one of them!! ;-)

That said, at half the price than the "original" - if not less -, some products are really more than worthy alternatives!!

So here are some dupes of nude Mac lipsticks I have in my make up collection - they are all European brands so my apologies in advance to anyone who can't get hold of them :(

Left: Mac Blankety - Right: Rimmel Airy Fairy

Mac Blankety - Rimmel 070 Airy Fairy
Airy Fairy is a little more pink and has more of a sheen to it. Pigmentation is very similar.

L: Mac Bare Again - R: Kiko Desert Rose

Mac Bare Again Sheen Supreme - Kiko 403 Desert Rose Crystal Sheer lipstick
Desert Rose is a little darker and more sheer.

L: Mac Peach Blossom - R: Catrice The Nuder The Better

Mac Peach Blossom (limited edition) - Catrice Ultimate Colour 190 The Nuder The Better
The Nuder The Better is more opaque, but the shade is very comparable.

L: Mac Syrup - R: Kiko Inspiration Rosewood

Mac Syrup - Kiko 01 Inspiration Rosewood Virtual Dream Lipstick (limited edition, latest collection Digital Emotion now in store!)
Inspiration Rosewood is more opaque.
(see me wear Syrup in My New Year's Eve make up)

L: Mac Feed The Senses - R: Catrice Gentle Nude Is Back 

Mac Feed The Senses (limited edition) - Catrice Ultimate Shine 190 Gentle Nude Is Back
Gentle Nude Is Back is a little brighter and has more of a sheen to it.
(see me wear Feed The Senses in Mac Feed The Senses)

Ladies I hope this was helpful!! Please let me know if you have more dupes for these!!
I hope you're having a great day,
love ^_^ :-*

IN THE SKY WITH GLITTER / VICTORIA'S SECRET INSPIRED make up look

I wasn't going to write a post about this look because I thought the make up showed up too undefined in the picture, but since on Instagram it received so many Likes - even one from James Molloy (@molloysie), Director of Artistry for Mac Cosmetics in Asia, one of my idols! - I decided to do it anyway!

I find it's reminiscent of Victoria's Secret signature make up look, and they are actually having their highly anticipated annual Fashion Show today!!

I hadn't self tanned my face in a few days and my skin was at its palest (actually meaning natural hahaha :-D), so I had to make some adjustments to my usual make up routine because I am not used to working on my face when it's so light.

I still used my one and only foundation L'Oreal Lumi Magique in the same colour W3/D3 Gold Linen with my Real Techniques stippling brush, but I didn't use my Mac concealer in NC30 because it would have been too dark.
This time I used Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer in 02 Light, which I usually apply only to my undereye area, both under my eyes and on blemishes.

On my eyes I pulled all stops and went for full on gold with my Gold Trinity of Eyeshadows!!
L'Oreal Color Infallible 002 Hourglass Beige (called 888 Iced Latte in the US), the most beautiful champagne shade, to highlight my inner corner and my brow bone
L'Oreal Color Infallible 027 Goldmine, the most blinding true gold, on the centre of my eyelids and on the centre of my lower lash line
L'Oreal Color Infallible 024 Divine Bronze, the most divine bronze indeed, on the outer corner - top and bottom - and to define my crease.

On my waterline I applied Mac Chromagraphic Pencil in NW25/NC30.

Then I lined my eyes with my super thin and precise Japanese eyeliner Le Rose de Versailles from Creer Beaute. I draw a catline on the upper lash line, and I dotted it softly on the lower lash line.

For mascara I used another Japanese product, Lash Expander Edge Meister from Majolica Majorca, the drugstore section of Shiseido, available only in Asian countries.
It's very black and shiny, and it containes small fibres that do expand your lashes, I really like it!! How can you not love such a pretty packaging too!! <3

I didn't use blush or bronzer - no point in bronzing up such a pale skin finish -, and I only contoured my cheekbones with Mac Harmony blush.
Mac called it "blush" but it's a matte taupe ideal for contouring, I doubt anybody use it as traditional blush :-)

Then I went back to L'Oreal Hourglass Beige eyeshadow and used it as highlighter on the top of my cheekbones, down my nose and on my Cupid's bow.
It's my second favourite powder highlighter after Mac Soft and Gentle, with the bonus that it's perfect for travelling because it's so small and compact and it can't break. It's very inexpensive too!

On my lips I used NYX Summer Love lipstick, a GORGEOUS pinky nude. Just SO GORGEOUS.

I finished off the look with Barry M Glossy Tube lipgloss in shade number 4, another beautiful nude pink.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read, and if you would like to see another Victoria's Secret inspired look go to Winter Angel make up look :-*

Love
MJ

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR make up look

I got inspired for this look at around midnight ^_^

For my base I used my magical trio L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation in W3/D3 Gold Linen (applied with my magical Real Techniques stippling brush) + Mac Pro Longwear Concealer in NC30 on my face + Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer in 02 Light under my eyes.

For my eyes I used my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette.
I applied Blackout (matte black) all over my eyelid up to my crease, and on my lower lashline.
Then I blended it with Busted (sligtly purply brown with a burgundy and golden sheen) in the crease, and with Pistol (a frosty grey brown) below my lower lashline.

I lined my waterline with Essence I Love Rock gloss eye pencil, and I finished off my eyes with Helena Rubinstein Spider Eyes mascara base + Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Black mascara.

I contoured my face and my cheekbones with Mac Harmony blush (matte taupe) and I blended into it just a touch of Mac Star Wonder Mineralize Skinfinish (mauvy pink with golden shimmer) on my cheekbones.
I instinctively reached for Star Wonder as a blush because its shade of pink is the same I wanted to use on my lips, and its golden shimmer would go perfectly with the gold undertone of the eyeshadows I had on.

Not that I think that the make up shades we use for a look have to "match" or be immediately connected to each other. I find contrasting shades a lot more interesting.
Just in this case I thought this whole eyes-cheeks-lips combination would bring the entire look together beautifully.

On my lips I used Lala lipstick by NYX (again, a mauvy pink). I just dabbed it on lightly because I wanted it to enhance my natural lip colour, not to let the lips be completely overshadowed by such strong eyes while still looking naturally rosy.

We need to come up with more looks for other times of the day and night, it sounds like it would be fun!!! :-D

Thanks for sharing here with me a part of your own hour, whichever it might be :-)

Love
MJ

NEON GLAM make up look

PRODUCTS USED

L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation in W3/D3 Gold Linen applied with my Real Techniques stippling brush

Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC30 on my face where I needed extra coverage

Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer in 02 Light on my undereye area

Dior Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen in 001 to brighten up even more the inner corner of my eyes and my inner undereye area.
It is basically the same product as YSL Touche Eclat, only I find it a little more pigmented. I still wouldn’t use it as a concealer on its own

Mac For Effect paintpot, a beautiful BEAUTIFUL glittery dark grey. In the pot the microglitters look mostly green and fuchsia, once applied on the eye it looks more like a tradional white/silvery glitter

Kiko Colour Sphere Eyeshadow 42, a satin black, pigmented enough to make my eyes as black as I wanted them to be, while still letting all the glitter from Mac For Effect Paintpot glisten through

Kiko Eyeshadow 121, a light cold taupe as a transition colour to blend the black into my skin

Pupa True Kohl eyepencil 01 (black)

Helena Rubinstein Spider Eyes mascara base

Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Black mascara

Collection (formerly Collection 2000) Eyebrow Definer in 3 Blonde, a very ashy almost olive-y shade, I love it! This is my favourite eyebrow pencil both because of its colour - I HATE red toned eyebrow pencils -, and because it is creamy and pigmented and has a very nice and smooth application, but at the same time it is very longlasting

Kiko Eyebrow Designer brow gel, a clear brow gel

Catrice Precision Lip Liner in 040 Berry & Sally, a shade in between berry and burgundy

YSL Rouge Volupté lipstick in 22, a very creamy and luxurious burgundy shade

Kiko 01 Mat Tan, a dark matte bronzer

Mac Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish, my favourite powder highlighter

And in this look there’s a special guest that can’t not be mentioned: my beautiful H&M necklace!

It is a wide triangular dark silver chain covered in big blue gemstones and smaller crystal, silver and black beads.

I bought it last February. I usually have love at first sight with everything I buy, but with this necklace it was even more than love at first sight. It was more a case of this-will-be-one-of-the-most-beautiful-things-I-will-ever-own at first sight! :-D

 This is the picture I took with Instagram right after buying it :-D

This same necklace was later made with pearls on a golden chain, and turquoises also on a gold chain. I got the one with turquoises :-)

Thank you for taking the time to read :-)

Love
MJ :-*

MAC RUSSIAN RED vs RUBY WOO

With the recent Retro Matte collection and with Rihanna even creating her own version - Riri Woo - for her Riri Loves Mac collection which has just taken the make up world by storm, Mac Ruby Woo lipstick has become the talk of the town.

So I thought this would be the perfect timing to write a comparison post between Ruby Woo and Russian Red, Mac's most popular red lipstick. Probably THE most popular red lipstick ever.

Russian Red is the lipstick that Madonna wore throughout her Blonde Ambition tour in 1990, basically enough for me to want to sleep with it under my pillow!! :-D

Left: RUSSIAN RED, Right: RUBY WOO - natural light

Both lipsticks are a cool-toned red. Russian Red is a little darker, Ruby Woo is a little brighter.

Also, both have a matte finish. Russian Red is a slightly creamier matte, while Ruby Woo is in the Retro Matte formula, the most matte and pigmented and long-lasting formula you can ever think of.

My favourite red is and will always be Russian Red :-) Ruby Woo is a very close second though :-)
On a general basis, I will pick up Russian Red for a night out, while I will go for Ruby Woo if it's daytime, and I always pair both of them with Mac Cherry lip pencil.

These are two looks I created with the two lipsticks.
Russian Red for a dramatic, theatrical look, and Ruby Woo for one of those days when you wake up at 8 in the morning already feeling like a diva hahahaha :-D :-D

Russian Red and I

Russian Red and I

Ruby Woo and I

In both looks my base is my favourite foundation L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) in DW3 Gold Linen, applied with my Real Techniques stippling brush.

So which lipstick is your favourite??

I hope you are having a great day!

Love <3
MJ

HALLOWEEN QUEEN make up look

This is what I came up with today during a pretty bad thunderstorm, which inspired me a vampy witchy look ;-)

My base is L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation in DW3 Gold Linen applied with my Real Techniques stippling brush + Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC30 + Clinique Line Smoothing concealer in 02 Light on my undereye area.

My Kim Kardashian-style cheekbone contouring is courtesy of beautiful The Balm Bahama Mama bronzer ;-)

On my eyes I am wearing Kiko Eyeshadow 175 - a dark ashy brown shade  -, Pupa True Kohl eyepencil 01 - black - and Helena Rubinstein Spider Eyes mascara base + Essence Multi Action mascara.
A basic smokey eye always leaves every possible door open for everything else that's about to happen on your face.

On my lips I am wearing Mac Currant lip pencil, a dark burgundy colour, and Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss Flash in 992 Black Lame.
I was immediately fascinated by this Dior gloss because of how dark - basically black - it looked in the tube.
In fact, it is a blackened burgundy with the infallible Dior mirror shine, full of multicoloured microglitter - fuchsia, yellow, blue, green!! They are clearly visible in the picture, love it!!

I just have to say that the consistency of this lipgloss is not the easiest to work with. It tends to apply a little uneven and has to be worked on a little, meaning it's not for a quick touch up on the run. Once it's on, it's as stunning as it can get.

On my head I put on a beaded necklace by Accessorize from a few years ago. It was long and I doubled it up so that it would fit my head. Like it??? :-D
If you like hairbands you might also like this other look Night Drive In Moscow make up look :-)

Kisses xx

Love
MJ

Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss Flash 992 Black Lame

THE MAGENTA SERIES: MAC VIOLETTA LIPSTICK

Mac Violetta lipstick

I'm so excited to write about Violetta!
And with this name, doesn't it feel like you are talking about a real person??? :-)

Violetta was my first Mac lipstick! <3
I got it when it was released exactly 3 years ago - end of September/October 2010 - with the legendary Venomous Villains collection.
Seriously, that collection gave me nightmares. I couldn't sleep at night, panicking wondering if it would sell out before I could get my hands on it. I went to unmentionable extreme lenghts in order to get all the products I wanted, and still for some of them there was nothing do to - SOLD. OUT.

Oh I have to say this, I remember this phone call when I was at my local Mac store - the owner was obviously so exasperated by customers begging him for products from the Venomous Villains that I heard him say on the phone "No. No. All sold out. It's finished. NO! There's nothing left to do! It's never going to come back!"
Hahahaha pure madness!!! :-D :-D Who else remembers this collection???

Violetta was a pro product at the time, but it has since become permanent.
It is a bright magenta infused wuth fuchsia and blue microglitter, which give a purple sheen to it, best appreciated with flash light.
It has an Amplified finish.

Mac Violetta lipstick - Natural light. With flash. Natural light

On my face I kept everything else as bare as it could be without becoming washed out by such a bright lipstick, and I put my hair up in a ponytail.
It was all about Violetta!!!

I felt that my natural complexion was a little too pale to wear Violetta (or most other make up products hahaha) at its best, so I had previously topped up my self-tan.

My base was L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation in DW3 Gold Linen, applied with my Real Techniques stippling brush + Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC30, and Clinique Line Smoothing concealer in 02 Light under my eyes.

On my eyes I applied Kiko Eyeshadow 175, a very dark greyish brown with no red in it not to clash with the purple lips and to keep the entire look on the cool tone.
I smoked it out with Kiko Eyeshadow 121, a delicate taupe shade.

I lined my waterline with Pupa True Kohl eyepencil 01 (black), and I applied my Helena Rubinstein Spider Eyes mascara base + Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Black mascara.

Then I used beautiful Benefit Hoola bronzer to contour softly my cheekbones, my temples and my jawline - very important especially when the hair is up, to prevent the face from looking out of place on top of the neck haha!!

To finish off the look, I highlighted the top of my cheekbones with divine Mac Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish, my favourite highlighter.

And after taking this picture, I was finally ready to start my car and go!! :-D

Now if you want to see the ultimate magenta lipstick you NEED to see Mac Flat Out Fabulous :-*

And if this is not purple enough for you, dare to see Mac Heroine lipstick if you haven't yet ;-)

Thank you for taking the time to visit me, I'll talk to you soon :-)

Love
MJ

THE 90s - SUPERMODELS AND MADONNA INSPIRED make up look

Yesterday I saw on James Molloy's - Director of Artistry for Mac Cosmetics in Asia - Instagram page @molloysie - a picture of Madonna from 1992 shot by Steven Meisel.

Madonna is my favourite singer, and her look in the early 90s is my favourite of hers.

I guess the Nineties in general are my favourite makeup era of all times. Back then I remember looking at pitctures of supermodels like Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell on the Gianni Versace catwalk, and thinking those girls in those dresses were the most beatiful thing that could possibly exist.

So yeah, as soon as I saw James's picture I had to grab colours and brushes straight away!

The products I used were very basic.

L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation in DW3 Gold Linen, applied with my Real Techniques stippling brush, and Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC30.

Matte dark brown eyeshadow in the crease and matte medium brown eyeshadow on the lid.
A thin line of black liquid eyeliner just to make sure no flesh colour would show through my lashes.

To get big, thick and long lashes without using fake eyelashes I applied Helena Rubinstein Spider Eyes mascara base and Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Black mascara.

On the lips only a matte lip pencil. Spice by Estee Lauder, a dark browny pink, was exactly the shade I had in my mind that I wanted to use on my lips. I applied the pencil a little darker on the lip outline to stay true to the era :-)

Then bronzer. A LOT of dark matte bronzer. I used Kiko 01 Mat Tan from an old limited edition summer collection.
I made the contouring under my cheekbones very strong, and I even put bronzer all over my ears and a good inch into my hairline to make sure that nothing of my original pink skin would show through!!! :-D

I also tried a softer version of the look, to make it more modern. I simply wiped away some of the paint I had on!
So the eyes became of a softer brown, the lips turned into a natural nude and the contouring became less dramatic.
I didn't touch my ears though, I left them all bronzed up hahaha!! :-D

If you would like to see more celebrity inspired looks I created, please go to

Iggy Azalea inspired

Beyoncé - Why Don't You Love Me music video inspired

In The Sky With Glitter - Victoria's Secret inspired

I would love to know what you think, thank you for taking the time to come over to see me <3

Love

MJ

FANTASY GEISHA make up look

I got the inspiration for this look while listening to "Princess of China" by Coldplay and Rihanna, one of my favourite songs <3

I used L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation in W3/D3 Gold Linen which is my everyday foundation, mixed with L'Oreal True Match foundation in N1 Soft Ivory to make it lighter.
I applied it with my Real Techniques stippling brush for a flawless and perfectly blended finish.

Clinique Line Smoothing concealer in 02 Light, both on my face and under my eyes.

Under the inner part of my eyebrows I dusted Washed Ashore (matte apricot colour) from the Sleek Makeup Monaco palette mixed with Sleek Makeup Aruba blush (matte neon orange).
This helped give my eyes dimension while using an unusual colour that would fit this look.

I lined my upper lashline with Le Rose de Versailles eyeliner from Creer Beaute, a Japanese brand.
I love this eyeliner for its exceptionally thin and precise brush, perfect to line the inner corner of the eye.

Under my eyes I created a very thick line using the matte black eyeshadow from the Sleek Makeup Original palette, and I lined my waterline with Pupa True Kohl eyepencil in 01 (black).

Around the outer part of my eyes I dusted Washed Ashore mixed with Magenta Madness (matte magenta) again from the Sleek Makeup Monaco Palette, and I brought it down outwards and towards my cheekbones.

I finished off the eyes with Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Black mascara.

On the apples of my cheeks I applied Sleek Makeup Santorini blush (matte neon fuchsia/magenta).

On my lips, I first of all applied the concealer all over to blank them out. Then I created that peculiar square shape using Maybelline Superstay Lip Liner in 46 Red and NYC Expert Last Lip Colour lipstick in 432 Red Rapture.

I wasn't too sure about the finished look at first, but it has grown on me and now I love it :)
I hope you will like it too, thank you for coming to see me <3 :-*

Love
MJ

MAC FLAT OUT FABULOUS LIPSTICK

Mac Flat Out Fabulous lipstick

Mac Flat Out Fabulous lipstick

I was super excited to be invited to the launch of the new Mac Retro Matte collection!
It is made of 8 lipsticks - 7 new shades plus the iconic Ruby Woo - and 8 lip pencils in matching colours.
All 8 shades are amazing - just the orangy red I know wouldn't look good on me, but it's still a gorgeous colour!

The one I picked to try on was Flat Out Fabulous, which is really a Flat. Out. Fabulous bright magenta colour.
I LOVE magenta. I think it's an unexpected shade :)

The Mac makeup artist first contoured my lips and filled them in with Magenta lip liner (even if it's not part of the collection), and then applied the lipstick.
The texture is on the dry side, but the pigmentation and longevity are out of this world. Once you put it on, it stays for EVER.

These are a few pictures I took that night. After about 6 hours, in the pictures below see how the lipstick is still intact on me without any retouching! Unbelievable, right???
I can't wait to go back and get more shades from this collection!!!!

See me wear All Fired Up lipstick from the same collection in Mac All Fired Up, and if you want to see what dupe I found for Flat Out Fabulous go to Mac Dupes - Red, bright and dark lipsticks by Sleek.html :-)

If you like these magenta shades, there's an older Mac lipstick that used to be a Pro product - which means only available in Mac Pro stores - but is now part of the permanent collection: beautiful Violetta, my first Mac lipstick!!
If you want to see it go to Mac Violetta lipstick ^_^

And if all of these lipstick are not purple enough for you, dare to try Mac Heroine lipstick haha, that has just taken the world by storm ;-)

Love <3
MJ

Mac Flat Out Fabulous lipstick

Mac Flat Out Fabulous lipstick