Mac Motif

Lately – who am I kidding, for the last several years – I have been craving simplicity when I wear makeup. Full faces are very rare. Most of the time, I’m doing 1-2 shade eye looks that I can do with next-to-no effort. I’ve been keeping the eyes light and neutral – I want to look awake and well-groomed, not made-up.

And, wow – I’ve been sleeping on Mac Motif.

Perusing and Purging

I recently did a purge of makeup that is well past its acceptable use date. As I went through ancient pieces, I came cross my old pan of Mac Motif in my Z-Palette (note: I wouldn’t buy a Z-Palette today; I’d buy this double-sided magnetic palette from Adept Cosmetics instead. I just don’t need to replace it). This pan was ancient; I got it back when I had that whole Glambot fiasco! That was SO long ago! (Don’t worry; I have not used it in ages.)

Missing Mac Motif

I did swatch it, though – and I had completely forgotten how gorgeous it is! Mac Motif is described as a champagne gold that reflects pink. I tend to avoid champagne shadows at this point because they often come across too frosty for my taste. Motif has a sheen, but isn’t frosty at all. The reflect is subtle, not loud, but enough to be interesting and fun for me to see without being distracting or compromising my professional image.

So, I took advantage of a Mac sale to get a new refill pan ($11 retail; prefer a shadow compact?). I’ve used it every time I’ve had to be on camera. I throw Painterly on underneath it, throw it on, make my crease evident again, line with a dark brown eyeliner because I’ve reached that point where black is often too much.

I look awake without looking harsh; mission accomplished.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve been collecting for a long time, look back through your stash!

You might rediscover something you either loved in the past or had but didn’t use much! While it might mean you want to buy a fresh version of it, that’s a wiser spending choice than getting lost in the latest 7235239523 hot new whatever, whoever is shilling.

April 2019 Favorites

April 2019 FavoritesApril 2019 Favorites
MAC Paint Pot in Painterly
, $22 / L’Oreal Blow Dry It Thermal Smoother Cream, $6 /
Clarins Glow Booster, $32 / Benefit Gimme Brow+, $24

I’m so, so happy that it is consistently not-cold. My windows have been open. I have been outside. I’m eschewing jackets. It is wonderful! April was a fairly minimal beauty month for me, but details on my April 2019 Favorites are after the jump.

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MAC Lover Loyalty Program

MAC Lover

Back in 2016, I shared MAC’s then-new loyalty program, MAC Select. I went to their site to order a birthday gift last week and found that I was unable to access the MAC Select detail. Upon login, I was informed that I was enrolled into MAC Lover – their new-new loyalty program.

Well, I missed that memo. I blame my extended no/low-buy.

The 411 on MAC Lover

Really, MAC Lover seems to be mighty similar to MAC Select. The new program has some cutesier marketing, but there are a ton of similarities. Let’s jump into the tiers:

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Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 8 – MAC 217 Discontinued

MAC 217

Within the last three months, MAC discontinued the classic construction of their perennially popular 217 brush in favor of a synthetic bristle version, the 217S. The change came not only for the cult favorite 217 but for the entire MAC brush line. The 224, for instance, is now the 224S.

For some, this is extremely exciting; synthetic bristles make the brush accessible to vegans and those with animal cruelty-related concerns.

The Disappointment

For many others, however, the new brush is not achieving the same rave reviews as the original. With 2.5/5 reviews at most retailers who carry MAC, the performance of the new, synthetic version doesn’t quite live up to consumers’ expectations. After all, if you take two brushes that are cut identically but one is natural hair and one is Taklon, the way they pick up and distribute color is going to be vastly different. The way they feel on your skin will differ, too.

The Perplexing

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Roller Eyeliner

When I wear ‘proper’ eyeliner (not shadow-as-eyeliner), I use one of two formats: gel liner (my favorite) or a mechanical twist-up (the only one I’ve had luck with). There’s been a lot done with eyeliner in the past two decades but when I saw these new-fangled roller eyeliner releases, I got EXCITED.

Roller Eyeliner – What Is It?

The three roller eyeliner products on the market appear to use the same idea. A wand that has a small, foam disc on the end that rests in an ink-like liquid liner when the tube is closed. The disc is thin and has a small radius to facilitate easy application.

It isn’t the first time, after all, that I have been excited about the intersection of beauty and technology or beauty and engineering. What’s more amazing is that all three I’ve found consistently receive 4/5 star ratings on their respective sites.

Could it be that it isn’t just a gimmick!?

Roller Eyeliner - NUDESTIX Rock n' Roller

Nudestix

First, I saw NUDESTIX Rock n’ Roller Easy Eyeliner Ink. Samantha Ravndahl mentioned them in some format of hers and I was blown away. Then I saw them in an Instagram ad and…I was blown away again. I was so excited, in fact, that I made a point of showing this brilliant take on an eyeliner applicator with my could-not-be-more-disinterested-in-makeup husband. Even he thought it was neat; it reminded him of something used in metal fabrication.

There are three colors: ever practical black, Bronze Patina, and my favorite – Golden Rosé. I keep catching myself telling myself, “That’s totally wearable enough for work.” Honestly even writing that out gave me a twinge of temptation. And then I remind myself that not only does it run $24… I’m on a No Buy

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January 2018 Favorites

January 2018 FavoritesJanuary 2018 Favorites
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly, $22 / Jergens In Shower Sunless Tanning Lotion, $7 /
Tresemme Heat Protectant, $4 / MiroPure Straightening Brush, $40

Unsurprisingly, when I wrote the title of this post, I wrote 2017 instead of 2018. My January 2018 Favorites are short and sweet.

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