Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween (belated) everyone! I have pushed off putting this online with the issues Blogger is having. I am having to enter a verification before posting, saving, or anything as for some reason they think I am a spammer. I would not even know what to do to spam! Ha! So, I have been boycotting posting anything. I tried back in August to get this cleared up and again and again. Their site says it takes 24 hours...but it's been over 24 days!!!
Aargh!
Breathe...
Okay, so posting photos from Halloween's crazy make up face. My precious inspiration can be seen above. I honestly did not know what I would be doing for my makeup until that morning when I was putting her wings on her. Beyond something with glitter, I was clueless. I was pretty happy with my "wings" as I got to use a few of my pigments that I "had to have" but never knew where I'd honestly wear them. First I lined the shape with a teal liner, then I used Rollickin' paint pot to fill in the entire shape. I layered Blue pigment and Bright Fuchsia for the design and added the silver and teal glitter liners for sparkle and also 3D Silver and Hottest Pink glitter pigments for even more. I wore Snow Orchid Pro lipstick with Hottest Pink glitter over it. I got compliments from the neighbors and maybe have a few new clients! :)
Happy Halloween again. :)

MAC Metal Urge

Another new collection for the anniversary of Metal-X. Sigh... I have heard rumblings that the formula for the Metal-X shadows has been improved. I hope so as I bought NONE when they came out last year. Metal-X does seem to have a small following, but I am sadly not one. So, famous last words that I won't get any of these. The list of products is below. I have most of the liquidlast colors, so doubt I'll get the ones I don't have as I prefer the fluidline. I have two of the piggie, but will be excited to see Spiritualize. Sounds pretty. I have some Reflects, but have yet to master getting them on without turning myself in to a glitter monster (not a bad thing at times). Anyone have a tip for getting them on just your eyes and keeping them on? I have tried Fix+ with limited success. I may get Blackened Red (passed over it when I was at PRO) and Bronze. They would probably be the best for me. Though I seem to never say no to pinks and purples - look gorgeous on these hazel peepers.

Brushed Metal-X

• Material Gold Pale peach/beige with gold pearl
• Pink Platinum Light blue/pink with silver pearl
• Metalblu Navy blue with silver pearl
• Verdigris Dirty deep green with silver pearl
• Forged Rose Reddish copper with gold pearl
• Gilded Ash Dark charcoal grey with pearl
• Gold Spice Metallic coppery gold

Pigment

• Gold Mode Tan gold
• Spiritualize Yellow green with silver and gold pearl
• Cocomotion Dirty gold with an olive undertone and gold sparkle

Reflects Glitter

• Reflects Very Pink Sparkling fuchsia pink
• Reflects Purple Duo Sparkling rich purple
• Reflects Blackened Red Sparkling burgundy
• Reflects Bronze Sparkling rich gold

Liquidlast Liner

• Classic Cream White gold
• Visionaire Clean baby pink
• Inky Navy blue with low level pearl
• Inkspill Deep green with green pearl
• Powerplum Deep plum with red pearl
• Dress Khaki Khaki green with yellow pearl
• Molten Sol Rich gold with intense metallic pearl

Plus three brushes.

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Darn alarm clock

So, hubby went for his daily walk before dawn and forgot to turn off his alarm. Now the baby and I are both up uber early. Ugh! What a way to start a Friday. Guess I'll post about our garden.
J was born a century or two late, I think. He loves gardening! Funny thing is that he won't eat most of what he grows. Says his mom terrorized him with hidden veggies as a child. Guess I won't be doing that to our kids. T is not much of a veggie eater - think he likes the attention of not eating them. E, on the other hand, loves all types, especially chomping on anything that I just picked, like the zucchini in the photo. We grew corn, beans, zucchini, squash, lettuce, peppers, eggplant, and tons of tomatoes.
I got about 8 quarts of corn for the freezer and so far have made about a gallon of marinara sauce. It's really good - I used a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.

Origins Skin Care

I rarely see anyone do a review of Origins Skin Care products. I am not sure why, because I love this brand and have been a user for years. I sometimes try new things - hello, Garnier Nutritioniste - but I always come back. Last week I went in for a complimentary facial and restocked some of my favorites and got some new things. I love their Checks & Balances face wash as I like my face washes to foam up. Not sure why, but I love the frothy wash. I don't like washes that are more like a gooey cream that don't lather. So, this time I got their new A Perfect World cleanser. It smells divine and I find myself sniffing all during washing my face. I also picked up the pricy Mega-mushroom serum. I had used it before and it got rid of my red cheeks, plus it is filled with good stuff for my (ugh) aging skin. I look young - thanks for the great genes mom! - and I want to keep it that way. I was realizing I'll be in my 50s when the kids graduate high school. Hello, old mom! I also grabbed up their Youthtopia eye cream and the awesome Never A Dull Moment polisher - it smells like heaven! I forgot to grab their facial sun block and will do that when I go to the next MAC launch on the 25th. If you need new skin care, do check them out. I think they are some of the best smelling products out there and do wonders on my skin. My skin feels very clean, but not dry - which is where I find fault with other brands - either they clean my skin and leave it dry or my skin stays moist, but not clean.

Anyone out there like Origins?

<3 Mamade

Miss Calli

I have to share this adorable bundle of cuteness with everyone! This is Calli. We are guessing she is about 8-10 weeks old. My dad saw some horrible lady drop this precious little thing off on the side of the road and rescued her. My mom has been dropper feeding her and now she is eating out of a bowl. She's very playful and loves to snuggle with my mom. She is learning to like the big dogs and follows Autumn around when they are outside. Watch her follow T around the yard.

My fisherman

DH finally got to do some fishing! He is used to fly fishing for small mountain trout, so was beyond ecstatic to catch this "small" salmon. I learned how to fillet the salmon through YouTube. Ha! We had a great salmon dinner and enough for another night too!

Princess Party

Well, the Princess has turned ONE! The past year has just flown by. She had a great party this weekend with everything all pink and princess-y. She made a mess of her cake and loved every second of it. It was quite the change from her brother who got upset when his fingers touched the frosting. There was pink cake and frosting in her hair and up to her elbows. She became quite the ham and was smiling and squealing for everyone.

We had about 30 people over - family and friends. Princess is loving her new toys and books. And I cannot wait to get her in to her adorable new clothes. I think she'll get my love of clothes! She already LOVES digging around in my makeup.

Speaking of makeup, everyone started arriving before I could get ready, so I only got a swipe of Painterly on my lids, Plush Lash, and Dazzleglass. Talk about a basic FOTD! Ha! Oh, well. Family and friends love you even without your makeup on! :)

Future Posts

Hi all! I have been getting requests for doing a few posts, so here is my ever expanding list. Do you have any other suggestions?

• My total collection - photos and list
  
• *L*s first birthday party
• *T* and his digger toys
• More looks - I take photos and forget to blog :)
• Review of Kat Von D eyeshadows
• Review of Origins products
• Allure product win (yes!)
• Photos of the kids bath...once I get done painting it
  

I am open for any suggestions and questions. :) I love to get simply to know that I have readers out there! Sometimes I feel like I am shouting in to an echo chamber. Ha!

Hugs, Mamade

Cherry-licious haul

I am so happy...with a cherry on top!

Shadowy Lady quad

Cherry Blossom l/g

Jampacked l/g

Cult of Cherry l/g

Rich & Ripe l/g

Liqueur l/g

Lightly Ripe l/s

O l/s

So Scarlet l/s

Kirsh mattene

Bing mattene

plus...
Heritage Rouge pigment

Antiqued Green pigment

Blonde's Gold pigment

sample of Copperbeam pigment

Hepcat pan e/s (thanks, Laura)

Bitter pan e/s (instead of the Tempting quad)

Clear brow finisher - she says all the MAs use it instead of prep & prime lips to keep the reds from feathering. So far it is working. :)

I spoke to the manager (who did this look) and she said that I can come to the September job fair and sign on as a freelancer. I am SO EXCITED! I also signed up for the Pro class this coming October. I cannot wait to go...anyone up for me practicing on their face?

She used Sharp, Hepcat, and Shadowy Lady...plus Bing with Jampacked. Love it!

Ape Caves

Hi everyone. Part of this blog is supposed to be about the kids and I keep putting off posting photos and videos of them. But no longer! Here is a video of *L* checking out the fountain at Grammie and Papa house this past weekend. Can you believe this girl is almost a year old? Geesh the year has flown by. Her party is coming up and everything will be princess pink - pink cupcakes, pink meringues, pink punch... And I cannot wait to show you her poofy dress. It's precious!

So, we went to the Mount St. Helen's Ape Caves this past weekend. It was about 100 degrees outside and the cave is about 42! On our way there, we went to Chief Lelooska's museum. When I was a kid, our school would go up to watch the dancing and listen to the music. You can still see them preform so I hope to take the kids. Then up to the Ape Caves which is a lava tube made about 1900 years ago. How amazing is it that it was made not long after the time of Jesus! It was like we stepped in to a blast furnace when we exited in to the heat.

So, there you go. Finally a good post about the munchkins!

Hugs, Mamade

Cult of Cherry

MAC's newest campaigns, Cult of Cherry and Overrich are online! Only two more days until I get to check them out in person when I go in for my Cult of Cherry makeover. My list is long for what I want, but once I see them in person, that may all change. I want:

• Shadowy Lady quad
• O lipstick (a perm I don't have for some unknown reason, it's gorgeous)
• So Scarlet lipstick (gorgeous berry kind of red)
• Rich & Ripe lipglass (still on the fence about this one)
• Cult of Cherry lipglass
• Liquor lipglass
• Jampacked lipglass
• Kirsh mattene
• Bing mattene
• Antique Green pigment
• Heritage Rouge pigment
• Blonde's Gold pigment

It's a huge haul, but since the past few collections have underwhelmed me, I guess I am making up for it! I'll post some looks once I get them in my hot little hands. I may also pick up Bitter since I love the look above, but have no desire to buy the Tempting quad just for Sharp.

Hugs, Mamade

Thanks for reading...

Hello all. I am back to blogging and will try to be better at getting them done with more consistancy. While on vacation in So Cal, I learned that my friend M and her sister C read my blog (they are fellow MAC addicts). This past weekend, I found out that childhood friends, T and D, also read my blog. How exciting that I have 4 readers! Happy dance!!! Thank you all for reading. Please leave me comments and let me know what you'd like me to gab about. Makeup, kids, etc. You guy's really made my day to find out that I actually have readers out there! :)

Hugs, Mamade

Top Hat swatches

After a request...here is my swatch of Top Hat on my NW20 skin with Painterly paint pot underneath. It's definitely a blue-purple. The closest that I have is probably the Rad Purple from one of the Kat Von D palettes, so I don't have anything in my collection that's close to it. Yes!

http://picasaweb.google.com/mamadelovesmac/MACPhotos
Left to right:

1. Top Hat
2. Entremauve pigment
3. Cassette e/s (Heatherette)
4. Rad Purple e/s (Kat Von D palette)
5. Memorabilia e/s

Waterline trials

I am still on the hunt for my holy grail of liners that will last on my waterline. I know...you are thinking, good luck! Well, I went to Sephora last week and picked up a few things to try. I have seen reviews on both Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner in Midnight Black and Make Up For Ever Aqua Creamliner in 1 (Matte Black), so I grabbed both. The sales associate (is that what they like to be called there?) also suggested the Make Up For Ever Kohl Pencil in Black.

I went home and immediately put the Smashbox on one side and the MUFE on the other. I used the great angled liner brush that Sephora makes. Within a few hours, the Smashbox liner was almost completely gone. The MUFE was still there, mostly near the roots of my lashes, but when I was looking at myself, I still appeared to have black on my waterline. Score 1 for MUFE.

The next day, I tried it again, taking more time to apply them and being certain that both had a dark coating (2 coats at least). That day, I even took a nap with the kids and woke up to one side still looking like I had my waterline done. By days end, I had about the same results.

I had decent results with the liner pencil too, but being the dork I am, it's gone missing (guessing the baby tucked it somewhere). I'll find it and compare it to the creamliner. While the MUFE was not perfect, it does a better job. I think I will try again with a nice coating of MAC Carbon eyeshadow over the top to set them. My eyes are very teary and moist, so this has been a quest of mine for some time. I'll keep you updated.

Does anyone have a suggestion of a product for me to try? Let me know!

MAC Pro LA!!!

I finally got to the MAC Pro Store in LA. I have been to the Vegas and South Coast Plaza Pro stores, but never made it to the LA store even when I lived only an hour plus away. I had heard that they could be snobby or overly zealous at selling things, but found neither to be true. The MA who helped me was very quiet, actually. And the other MAs were all sweet - okay, probably helped to be in the store with an adorable baby in my arms. Ha!

So, on to the haul:
Iridescent Powder/Loose in Silver Dusk - gorgeous, leaves a nice shimmer on my cheekbones and other highlighted areas.
They had the new Mineralized Eye Shadows out, so I picked up Fresh Green Mix (wearing it today with tons of compliments), Hot Contrast, and Sea & Sky.
White Gold pigment - increadibly gorgeous and cannot wait to use it. MAC says: Shimmery white infused with golden yellow pearl (Pearl), I'd say the golden yellow pearl has a slight green tint - can't wait to use it with the new Female Richmetal Highlighter.
Cremestick Liner in Sublime Culture
Cremestick Pearl Liner in Mother Pearl
Three brushes: 189, 227, and 231.
Lip Erase in Pale
Lipmix in Violet and White Frost
New MSF Light/Medium and Shimmer.

I also picked up my Nordies Anniversary products:
Female Richmetal Highlighter and Tea Time pigment (see my previous post)

Today I went to my local store in the hopes of getting Tendertones in EZ Baby and they were out like everyone else. I also tried to get the greenish one and they were out of that. Sigh…knew I did not really need them. But in the process of chatting with one of my fav MAs, I got another haul: Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul (thought I’d want Gentle, but I think Warm Soul looked better on my skin). I also grabbed Myth l/s - not sure why I have never gotten this before as I love a nude lip. I also went crazy with the Shadesticks (rumor is that they are all going to be discontinued!) I got Sharkskin (lots of great reviews lately), Blurberry, Pink Couture, and Fresh Cement. Supposedly they are better with the Mineralized Eye Shadows that using Paint Pots. I'll test that out one day. :)

I also went in to Sephora in my quest for something that will stay at least part of the day in my waterline. After reading online reviews, I grabbed a few things to try:
MUFE Aqua Creamliner in 1 (black)
Smashbox Jet Set waterproof Eye Liner in Midnight Black
MUFE Khol Pencil (MA there recommended)
Sephora Angled liner brush
I also have never used MUFE e/s, so picked up Star Powder in 902 and 940 - they look like MAC's Reflects, but seem to not travel as much...I'll post a review.

So, what do you think of my hauls??? :)

California Dreamin'

I got it! I asked two of my friends (non-MAC friends) if they could get it for me. One sent her husband to the store and he was able to get it. HAPPY DANCE!!!

Electroflash News Flash, Part II

I went back to the store today to look at the samples again...and I was happy to see them, but rather miffed at one of the MAs. She told another MA where the samples were so I could look, all happy to help me, but later, got on a high horse about MAs not wanting to know what's coming ahead of time as it spoils the surprise. First, if all MAs felt this way, we'd never get any advanced product information or collection names. Second, we'd never see early images. Third, we'd never see stuff up on eBay for sale prior to releases. Obviously, not all MAs feel this way. She actually stood there and told me that I had only a minute to look at the products before she took them away. HELLO! Why in the Sam H-E-double matchsticks do you guys even have the samples out on the floor if you don't want customers to see them! If they are so "secret" why do you get to see them early and even if the MAs get to see them, why are they not kept in the back. These were in the front of the store, on the counter by the cash wrap, not behind it, but near it. If I was looking at the brushes, they were in front of me. Only reason I did not say something nasty is that it's the only stand alone in over 100 miles. If I was still in So Cal, I'd take my huge MAC purchasing ability to another store and let other MAC addicts know and possibly drop their sales.

I really wanted to look at these too as I will be out of town and wanted to be able to preorder at this store. Maybe now I won't purchase at the store and try to get to a stand alone in Cal that morning. I'll be in Glendale, so I can always stop by Pasadena at 10 am. I'll have to pay tax, but that's worth it to make the store miss my purchase. Aargh!

Okay, I am going to stop ranting for now and focus on the products. One pissy MA won't ruin my excitement over this collection. Much. :)

I am not yet adept at putting swatches on my blog as I always goof up the spacing. Sigh...I'll get it right soon. :) Until then, I will be putting large groups of images on my Google Album: http://picasaweb.google.com/mamadelovesmac/ElectroflashNewsFlashPartII

Play on Plums - pretty, but won't get.
Sea & Sky - can't decide on this yet. Love the blue, but not sure I'd really use it often, if ever. Though the light blue is unique for my collection.
Hot Contrast - I don't like the black as it's chalky, but the reddish color is very pretty. Only fear is that it will be like the red/purple combo of last year that I have not used once.
Love Connection - not very good color pay off and a lot of fall out.
Two to Glow - the store did not have this, but I don't wear many oranges.
Odd Couple - The purple is really pretty, but again, not sure I'll wear it and it's really close to Violet pig. The other color is not that great.
Polar Opposites - pretty, but don't need grays.
Fresh Green Mix - still getting this one. LOVE the colors.
Pink Split - still indecisive on this. Do I really need more pinks?

So, I think I'll be getting three: Fresh Green Mix, Sea & Sky, and Hot Contrast. Now if I can just be to a store that day!!!

Electroflash News Flash

I am so excited! I got to see the Electroflash Mineralized Eyeshadow Duos. I went to MAC to return my Deep Truth - after learning it was coming out in two months along with Shadowy Lady which I need - and I exchanged it for Plumage after hearing so many raves over it. But, I digress... The MA brought out the Duos for me to look at. I was quite excited as I will be in LA when they release and she said I can call next week to preorder them. Whoo-hoo! I drove home with the swatches on my hand so that I could photo them and compare my stash.

Fresh Green Mix Mélange/Mono - Golden olive with blue, gold and aqua veining/Lime mono: I had not seen a swatch of Fresh Green Mix and it is AWESOME! The mono is this great fresh green and I have nothing like it. The melange side is very close to Night Light pigment.

Odd Couple Mélange/Mono - Warm gold with lavender and bronze veining / Purple mono: The purple is gorgeous. It's like a darker version of Violet pigment. The gold color is more like a copper

Sea & Sky Mélange/Mono - Silvery pale blue with deep blue and silver veining / Bright blue mono: The blue is very similar to Deep Truth, but brighter. The pale blue is like nothing I have. It's probably comparable to maybe Fade e/s or Mutiny pig, but neither are quite right.

Pink Split Mélange/Mono - Dirty rose with bronze and pale blue veining / Pink with gold pearl mono: As much as I hate to admit it, I love this duo. I have WAY too many pinks, but I honestly could not find exact dups in my collection. Some were close, but not quite it. I'd say that the lighter pink is near either Sweet Lust or Little Madame. The swatch is not great as it was near my wrist and my jacket rubbed it.

The others all looked pretty, but for me, probably not purchases. Before I could swatch, the baby had enough and we headed home, swatched hand and all!

Here are the others:

Hot Contrast Mélange/Mono - Dirty red with silver and black veining / Black mono
Love Connection Mélange/Mono - Pale beige with gold and blue veining / Warm gold mono
Two to Glow Mélange/Mono - Dirty bronze with pink and orange veining / Orange mono
Play on Plums Mélange/Mono - Peachy gold with pink and bronze veining / Bronzed burgundy mono
Polar Opposites Mélange/Mono - Dirty purple with silver, indigo and pink veining / True silver mono

Even more new collections...

Wow, I was online checking this morning and now all these new collections are listed. Here is what I found:

7/18 - Colour Forms, Nordstrom Anniversary collection: most stores already have samples in for presales, so ask your counter. Since the PRO card discount does not apply, I am only getting two items, the Tea Time pigment and the Female Richmetal Highlighter - both are unique enough to pay full price. Plus, knowing new colors are coming out with Overrich, I would rather wait for those.

7/10 - Sonic Chic: These are mineralized blushes and a mini kabuki...I rarely wear blush, so not a collection for me, but from the buzz I am reading, lots of folks are very excited.

7/10 - New View: Mineralized Skin Finish duos that have a matte part and a shimmer part. With two MSF already, not sure I will get more, but if the shimmer is to die for...I'll grab the Light Medium. (Note to self: start using my existing MSF, Beauty Powders, and other similar items. You have a whole drawer full!)

7/10 - Electroflash: Mineralized Eyeshadow Duos, Lipsticks, Lipglass, and a brush. I have always bought the M E/S in the past, but always seem to ignore them on a daily basis (though today I am wearing one!) There are some great swatches of the duos and I think I'll limit myself to the Odd Couple as the purple looks promising. Of course, I like the Pink Split, but not sure I honestly NEED more pinks!

7/31 - LustreTwins: This is a new one. LusterTwins power activate... Ha! Sorry, my childhood is catching up with me! There are 9 Longwears and 3 Nail Lacquers, one is LE the others are new perms. I just returned all my Longwears with B2M, so know I won't be getting those. They never quite worked for me. I hope the Lacquers are pretty as I need something new.

7/31 - Starflash: Now this one I am excited about. There are 12, count them, 12 eyeshadows and 4 repromoted Kohl Power liners. I am hoping that these colors will be more unique than Cool Heat, which I could dup the entire collection. Minus of course Gulf Stream, though it was almost identical to Teal pigment, but being an e/s I had to get it. But,I digress. Talent Pool looks like it could be a dup for Fade, though it is described as blue/green. There are few swatches, but you can see images of all of the pots. It looks like a huge collection for me. Sigh...at least the previous ones will be small.
Dreammaker - Frosty yellow gold (Frost) (LE)
Grand Entrance - Frosty neutral pink beige (Frost) (LE)
Bold & Brazen - Frosty light copper (Frost) (LE)
Sunset B. - Frosty mid-tone pink (Frost) (LE)
Lotusland - Pinky lavender with gold pearl (Frost) (LE)
Talent Pool - Blue green with gold pearl (Frost) (LE)
Mink & Sable - Olive green (Frost) (LE)
Smoke & Diamonds - Frosty dirty taupe (Frost) (LE)
Go - Frosted bronze (Frost) (LE)
Glamour Check! - Reddish brown (Frost) (LE)
Top Hat - Dirty Indigo (Frost) (LE)
Star by Night - Mid-tone blue (Frost) (LE)

8/21 - Cult of Cherry: Here is another I am very excited about. Looks like the fall will be it for me. This one has three quads, all of which are gorgeous. There are so repromotes and perms...as usual, but some of these are ones that for some reason, I have never picked up. Nanogold is the only that I have. So, I'll be getting all three quads unless they are dupable. There are also lipsticks, lipglasses, mattenes, lacquer, blush, and mascara. One of the blushes looks quite pretty and so do the lipsticks. There are a few repromotes like Russian Red and O, but I don't have either. My wallet is quivering!

9/25 - Suite Array: another new one to me. Looks like 8 eyeshadow duos and 8 pearl glide liners. The liners are new from the name, so cannot wait to see what these are. And more duos for me to buy and then ignore! I don't think I have even once used the purple/red duo from 2007.

9/25 - Gold Fever: No swatches up yet, but the collection will include 2 Slimshines, 2 shadesticks, 2 Liquidlast Liners, 3 Fluidlines, 2 Pigments, 2 Glitters, 2 Brushes, 2 Lashes. I'd love new Liquidlast Liner colors and new pigments...HEAVEN! And what do you think? Will the colors be golden? :)

9/25 - MAC for Ungaro: I blogged on this earlier today. The colors are described as Monet's Water Lilies. 2 Lipsticks 1 lipglass 1 See Thru Lip Colour 3 Eye Shadows 1 Paint Pot 2 Cream Colour Bases 1 Beauty Powder 1 Brow Set. I'll post when I see the first swatches. I am excited about this collection. Maybe the Paint Pot will be the silver color I am dying for! The only downside I see, for me, is that it's only being released at department stores and MACs website. I am hoping this won't be a bust like the other "limited release" collections where they go within minutes and then are seen on eBay for exorbitant prices. That plus there is no PRO card discount.

Sep 08 - Overrich: This is probably my favorite upcoming collection just due to me loving pigments. There are 8 new pigments:
Blonde's Gold - Light tan with gold and white pearl (LE)
Antique Green - Turquoise green with gold pearl (LE)
Vintage Gold - Tarnished green with green pearl (LE)
Museum Bronze - Rich taupe with gold pearl (LE)
Mauvement - Cool taupe with gold pearl (LE) (Repromote from Rushmetal)
Mega-Rich - Frosty burnt orange with gold pearl (LE)
Copperbeam - Rusted brown with red pearl (LE)
Heritage Rouge - Deep burgundy with red and brown pearl (LE)
The colors look gorgeous, but a few I know I'll have to bring mine to compare. Only one is a repromote, so that's awesome.

10/2 - CremeSheen: 14 new lipsticks. Guess they are creamy and have a sheen. Ha!

Oct 08 - While I love the idea of a new traincase, since I have my stuff all in a DESK, it sounds a bit restricting!

Oct 08 - Mineralize Line: This is going to be a permanent line. This is a repromotion of Satinfinish, Loose, Skinfinish Natural, Blush, Eyeshadows and Brushes. Suposedly, they will release new items every 6 months. Oh, god! More collection releases? And I had heard that MAC is going to slow down on the LE items! Though, maybe they will be perms to slowly build a perm line. Now, the one thing I do not like about the mineralized e/s is the size. If anyone out there has ever hit metal with one, I'd love to know how long it took. :) I guess that since these lines are getting so popular, it makes sense that they would do this.

10/9 - MAC for Manish Arora: Who I asked? He's an Indian designer. The clothes are like futuristic gladiators and Geisha girls. Actually, pretty awesome, but I'd probably scare my kids. The makeup his runway shows have are awesome and done by MAC, of course. The collection will have: Eye Shadow Palette (6 shades), 2 Lipsticks, 2 Lipglass, 2 Blush. I hope the e/s are all new. Seeing his site, I am very interested in seeing this one. I just hope they do him more justice than I feel they did for Heatherette. While I loved most of the Heatherette collection, I was really hoping for something wild and bold. I thought the e/s trios were pretty, but just that, pretty. Not wild and bold.

10/15 - Sheer Minerals: Maybe more for the perm collection? Loose Foundation(repromote), 3 Sheen Powder, 3 Skinfinishes, 181 and 182 Brushes (Repromote).

Holiday 08 - Red She Said: It's the holiday collection and it looks gorgeous. The image is very glam. There are red bags and red handled brushes. I cannot wait to see if it ends up being prettier than the black holiday sets from 2 years ago.

WOW! Can you believe that I did this whole review while the kids slept? No wonder I got it all done in one sitting. :) I'll have updates as I hear more and see swatches. I am now going to go rest my fingers!

Mamade

Monet's Waterlilies

I am so excited. I just got word, via Temptalia (thanks!), about the rumored Ungaro collection. Now I must say, since I am not a designer kind of gal, I had no clue what to expect, but I am pretty interested now. It comes out when Cult of Cherry does, but it's polar opposites! Think, as a MAC key MA says, Monet's Waterlilies. Now, I have way, way, way too many pastels...but I may just have to get this collection as Monet is one of my favorite artists and especially his waterlilies, so anything that reflects that idea, I am all for. I have seen them twice at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris and they were so beautiful I got teary eyed (okay, not hard for me). Pinks, blues, and lilacs. Pinks are my weakness. I have two full palettes, plus others in smaller sets and plenty of pigments too. According to Temptalia, "the 14-item MAC Emanuel Ungaro lineup, which is slated to launch in October, includes lipsticks and lip glosses, eye shadows and liner, cream color bases, blush, mascara and a brow set". CCBs? Still don't get these. I was hoping for new Paint Pots. I dream of a silvery one.

Anyhow...I cannot wait to see what the collection looks like.

Nordies Exclusive Preview

Guess what I got to see at my local Nordies. The July Exclusives. Happy dance!

Of course, I forgot my camera that day! Aargh! I was mostly interested in the pigments and the richmetal highlighters. The MA gave me swatch sheets for the pigments and a few of the RHs.

Here's my take:
Pigments
Jardin Aires (no swatch) - a repromote. I do like this color as either a highlighter or a lid color for subtler looks.
Steel Blue (no swatch) - another repromote. Love this color especially applied wet or over Delft paint pot.

Glided Green - pretty, but nothing special.

Circa Plum - another pretty color, but doubt I will get this.






Tea Time - unique matte color with golden glitter. The color itself is not iridescent, so it will be good for neutral, subtler looks. My favorite by far.

Royal Flush - a pretty rusty red. Would be the only other one I may get, though I wonder if the red will annoy my eyes.



Richmetal Highlighters
All are very pretty, though I am interested to see how they wear. I avoided the whole Metal-X group due to creasing.

Female - this is the only one I am getting. The swatch does it no justice. The color is a very pale pink with gorgeous green iridescence. Totally will be the it of the collection.

Quick Flash - very pretty, rich gold. I may get this if the formula is worth not getting my discount.




Rose Bullion - Very pretty, I want to compare this to Rose CCB as it looks like it may be similar. I love the color, but hate my CCBs.

I did not have her make me a sheet with the others, but did play with them.

So, all in all, the colors were very pretty, but without being able to get my discount, I am limiting my purchase to the Tea Time pigment and the Female Richmetal Highlighter.

Nordies preview

After seeing the images on Temptalia, I am not sure if the ones in the store are the final versions or if the photos show the right items. The Color Form Powders that I saw were a circular pattern, not the blocked pattern shown. Also the Richmetal Highlighters were in CCB sized pots, not the square ones shown on Tempalia.

Richmetal Highlighters
Dark Influence - Frosty purple with pink pearlized pigments
Deep Deposit - Frosty deep blackened burgundy
Female - Frosty pale pink with green gold pearlized pigments
Positive Charge - Frosty copper with gold pearlized pigments
Quick Flash - Frosty warm gold
Rose Bullion - Frosty mid-tone pink with gold pearlized pigments

Pigments
Circa Plum Frosty mid-tone lavender
Gilded Green Frosty mid-tone green with gold pearlized pigments
Jardin Aires Tan with gold pearlized pigments
Royal Flush Frosty mid-tone red
Steel Blue Rich deep turquoise green blue shone with small pearlized pigments
Tea Time Bronzed brown with multi-dimensional pearlized pigments

MAC Cool Heat is cold

So, again, I am underwhelmed with the new MAC collection. I was really looking forward to these blue and green hues. I only got one, Gulf Stream, and the only reason I got it was that I had a B2M. I actually had enough for two B2M, but could not even pick out a second color. The Gulf Stream e/s is almost identical to Teal pig. Since I know I'll never get around to pressing my pigments, I thought the e/s was marginally worth it. Here's my thoughts looking at them on my pale skin.

Solar White = slightly lighter than White Wheat, WW had more pigmentation
Warming Trend = unique, but too warm for me, I prefer Patina
Warm Chill = no pigmentation, prefer Brill or Aquavert
Gulf Stream = looks like a e/s version of Teal pig, this is the one I got
Cool Heat = not too different from Parrot that it cannot be dupped
Climate Blue = almost a matte with pink glitter, would like if it was more irredescent, is pretty though and who knows...maybe I'll get it.
Blue Flame = Deep Truth is prettier, IMHO

I did not like the Slimshines mostly because I did not find any of them unique enough and I don't like the texture. Their coverage is not enough for my taste. I forgot my camera and figured I'd get weird looks if I wore it to Babies R Us, Lowe's, and to see DH. The MA had a gorgeous look of Gulf Stream with Cool Heat in the crease. I'll try it tomorrow and get a photo of it. I also got to check out her look book since they did not put any looks online. One look that sounded pretty was Greenstroke p/p with Warm Chill over it. I'll try that with Aquavert.

Very much looking forward to the July releases...I have more B2M to turn in!
Mamade

Visit to Grammy and a growing girl

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for mom. Her doctor is saying that her level of recovery is a miracle. We don't yet have a date for her to come home, but we are anticipating it soon. I know lots of you want to visit once she is up for vistors. She has really been appreciating all the phone calls from everyone. She'll still have physical therapy for probably a year or more as she learns to overcome the paralysis. You don't know how great it was watching her walk, with her walker of course, around her room, down the hall, and anywhere she needs to go. The therapists don't let her use her wheelchair very often now. From everything I have read, the more she pushes now, the better. It sounds like there is a "end date" at which time major recovery stops and then only minor recovery happens. But, as her doctor says, it's a miracle. When we were last up, she was still using the wheelchair and only walking during physical therapy. It was so wonderful to see her walk - it brought tears to my eyes! Thank you again to everyone praying for her. It's truly working.


The kids enjoyed seeing mom and dad as usual. The Blonde Boy is always spoiled by the nurses, therapists, and administrators at the care home. Oh to be a cute, blonde boy! He got ice cream, his first Twinkie, and M&M's while there. Ha! Nothing like a sugar high before having to sit in a car to get home!

Thank you all again for your prayers. Prayer truely does lead to miracles.

Other news is that our little Betty Boop is growing up. Her first tooth broke the surface last night. That explains the nipping I was getting! Got to grab the camera and get the last few toothless grin photos. She has also finally decided that moving around is fun. It looks like she'll be a tushy scooter as she gets very mad when she ends up on her belly. Very, very mad. She figured out the tushy scoot a few days ago and is perfecting it. It's slow going as compared to crawling, but it's cute. She's also learning about standing up at the coffee table. It makes an awesome drum for little hands.

The two also got to have their first bath together. Thankfully they are young enough to not get mad at me putting this photo of them online. It makes bathtime so much easier.

Holy hair-do, Batman!

I started this blog to be my journal...and obviously it has not worked. But, I will try, try again, and hopefully keep it going.

Okay, time for a cute baby photo! Disney.com is having a contest for the craziest baby bedhead and I had taken this photo a few weeks ago. We had a mini-heatwave a few weeks back and our little Betty Boop got all sweaty during her nap and woke up looking like this. Hope it makes you all smile. :)

I have decided that I need to start walking every day, again. I was talking with DH and realized that my 20 year reunion - eeh, gads - is next summer. I have not gone to any of my previous reunions, either due to living far away or non-interest, but now that I have moved back home and have reconnected with some of my old friends, I am looking forward to going next year. Though I will never get my old dancer's body back - like I have time to dance 3-4 hours a day - I'd like to show that I have at least aged gracefully. Plus, I can still pull off looking like I am 18 at times. >:) A few years ago, I was signing a petition for something or another and the lady running the thing told me that I had to be 18 to sign it. When I corrected her and said I was 30-something, she told me to go home and kiss my mom. LOL!

Speaking of my mom, some of you know that my mom has been in the hospital and now a care facility for physical therapy. Her doctor is beyond pleased with her improvement. She's getting movement back in her left leg and slight movement in her right. She can walk with a walker about 20 feet and has movement in her trunk area. So, improvement is coming...though slow, but that is expected. Dad is learning how to help out both with mom and at home. This week he got his first lesson in using the washing machine. Ha!

DH, the family, and I will be driving up to see them for the weekend. I'll hopefully blog again on Monday and update everyone.

Hugs,
Mamade

Naughty Nauticals

I love the new Mutiny pigment!!! I saw someones gorgeous eyes online and knew I had to try the eyes with my subs. I really love the new blue Mutiny and instead of Illegal Cargo, used Shale and instead of Submarine, used Freshwater. From my swatches yesterday, Illegal Cargo is almost identical to Shale and IMHO Freshwater is a prettier blue than Submarine.

Base: Painterly pp

Lid: Mutiny

Inner Crease: Shale

Outer Crease: Freshwater

Lower lashline: Freshwater with Mutiny over

Plush lash

Technakohl on waterline

My look was a tad fast as I did my eyes with a baby in my arms, but I really love the look and the images don't do it justice.

Black and white look

Here is last weeks challenge. Just a tad late! I did the look the first day, but totally forgot to post! That's what happens with kids! :)

Okay, so I used:

Blackground pp on lids

Dark Soul on top of that and under lower lashes

Frozen White pig b/w crease and brow

Graphblack technakohl

and Plush lash of course

I loved the look as it is more Kat Von D that I usually go. I think I will do it again, but with something other than the Frozen White. By mid-day the black was looking more like navy from the Frozen White. But that was a pretty color too, so I will def blend those two together in the future.

Now on to the next challenge!

Orange, Green, Purple Look

Here is the orange, purple, green look for this week. I figured I would try it muted so I grabbed my pigments - always my favs. I used Viz-a-Violet, Pastorale, and Melon pigments. The orange tone went on the inner 1/2, green on the outer 1/2 and the purple tone went in the crease. I matched up the colors under my lower lashes, going orange, green, then purple. The over all effect was pretty, but very muted. So I upped the amps. I pulled out darker pigments - Violet, Off the Radar, and Emerald Green. I put the colors over the lighter version and ended up with a pretty look, I think. Let me know what you all think!

Heatherette Launch Party - post launch

I went to my first launch party here in Oregon last night. It was crazy full, but a ton of fun. There was a male model who was all body painted and wearing only chaps (and a g-string). My hubby walked by outside and got to see full tushy cheeks - he wondered what kind of party I was at. And with the baby to boot! Though since he has been to a MAC launch before, was not too surprised. They were giving away a coloring kit - colored pencils and Heatherette coloring book - with purchase over $100. Thankfully, my fav MA was there so I got one since I had purchased most the week before. I got a few additional things. I got the 3D Glitter. Figure I'll only use it at Halloween, or for princess faces once the baby gets bigger. I also grabbed the Nighthawk/Front Row liner - I rarely use pencils, but the goldy-peach is to die for!

I also picked up N1 Face & Body and the Light Medium MSF. I was out with my mom the other day when the sun was out and realized that my NW20 was way dark for me now that I am in OR and getting none of that So Cal sun! Oh, and grabbed, finally, a Sea Me Shadestick - it's being disc, so I had to!

It was a great party!

Heatherette Look, Trio #2

I jumped right in to my Heatherette Trio #2 and used it today. The photo really does not do it justice. I was trying the using the mirror trick, but it looks less blended that it really turned out. I started with UDPP and Painterly PP, then washed the eye with Baby Petals. I applied VIP on the lid, then blended in Cassette to the outside, crease, and lower lash line. I really like the colors as they made my green eyes pop. The lipstick is a mix. I first put on Fleshpot, decided it was too light for today, and put on High Top from Fafi on top of it instead of taking it off. Oh what you do when you have a baby needing attention! :)

Other MAC related news, I was showing my haul to my mom and we were talking foundation and I told her about the MSF in light that I use and put it on her with a #182 brush. It looked so good and made her skin look so perfect. I think I may have finally convinced her to get some MAC! I am hoping she'll come with me next week to the launch party.

Heatherette Haul and my first BLOG!

So, I am finally making my first blog post! I am so excited and feel like am joining the new world. I am not sure what all my blog is going to contain, but I am sure it will be a combination MAC comments, kid updates, photos, and who knows what else.

Okay, so on to my Heatherette review. Overall, I hate say it, but I am major disappointed! I guess, knowing Heatherette, I was really expecting something fab and flashy. From what my new fav MA said, they (Richie and Traver) did not get what they wanted with the MAC collection, and I can see that. I am guessing that it's an EL thing.

I got there early and there was only ONE other person who got there before 10! Totally different from So Cal where there is a crowd.

On to the prods themselves. I did not think I'd be all over the e/s trios, but I really liked them and got both. Glad I did not get Cloudburst when it first came out otherwise that trio would have been hard to justify. I really like the green in the #2 - it's unique in my collection, like a greener Surreal. Love the compacts for them, too. I got the Alpha Girl beauty powder. Not sure how much I will use it, but the packaging was too cute. It's the girly-girl in me.

For the lips, I was a mix of happy and disappointed. I only got the Bonus Beat l/g, mostly because I love Fleshpot. If you have the original Fleshpot, I'd say this one is more opaque and slightly warmer. I love Fleshpot original, but sometimes it looks a tad ashy, even on this pale lady. So, I cannot wait to try this new version. There were two die hard Fleshpot lovers there and both liked it better, too. I also got the Lollipop Loving as it's such a unique color. The Melrose Mood was awful in my eyes (though slightly more like what I was hoping this collection would be, crazy bright). I liked the Hollywood Nights, but it's a dup for the Full Fushia from the Pro collection; I love the packaging, but not enough to get a color I rarely wear.

I also checked out Strobe and got the clear gloss, mostly to use over my dark matte colors. Today I am wearing Snow Orchid, a Pro l/s that looks like a combo between the new Hollywood Nights and Melrose Mood. I looked at the new blushes, but none were grab worthy for me. And I got a Chocolate Brown piggie to add to my piggie collection - it was a LE that the store got and their last one in the drawer.

Back to piggies, I was VERY disappointed in the piggies for Heatherette. I already have the two piggies and the Reflects Gold. I don't have the 3D silver, but how often would I actually use it? I had hoped they would get some rocking new piggies for this collection.

So, there is my long winded commentary. Heatherette is a good collection as far as a release, but not a good collection worthy of Heatherette.