MAC Instigator Swatch and Review

Looking for a nice vampy fall shade? May I suggest Instigator? Wait what? I can't believe it's September already!

Packaging

• It's your standard bullet case with a nice weight to it.
• .1 oz or 3 g

Product

• Anyways, I was saying Instigator is described as a deep blackened plum. I would say that's pretty spot on. 
• This shade is opaque, creamy, and have that nice vanilla scent. It's supposedly a matte finish but I find it to look a little more like a satin at first. 
• The formula has very good pigmentation and applies smoothly and fairly evenly. Didn't feel drying or moisturizing. 
• I didn't do a wear test but judging from the opacity and formula, I'm sure you can easily wear this shade for at least 4 hours. 

Final Thought

Overall, I really dig it. Love this color. The formula is good too.

Watchu think? Would you wear this color?

Rating: 9.5/10

Price: $17
Availability: MAC, Macy's, Nordstrom

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot Swatch and Review - Clearwater and Stormy Pink

I found these two MAC paint pot at the CCO and picked them up since I have a thing for cream eyeshadows and MAC paint pots are usually work pretty well for me from past experience.

Packaging

• Glass jar with a black cap. I like that the opening is quite wide, which allows you to use your finger to pick up the product with ease. 
• .17 oz or 5 g

Product

• Clearwater is a matte medium blue with greyish undertone. It's quite an unusual color for cream eyeshadows but it's muted enough that I can pull it off for a daytime makeup look. 
• Stormy Pink is medium taupe matte color with some purple undertone to it. It's another interesting shade that I find also unique. 
• Both had a nice creamy texture without feeling too slippery or dry and had good pigmentation. It sets fairly quickly yet still give you enough time to blend it out. 
• They wear up to 8 hours with no creasing and minimal fading. 

Final Thought

These two shades didn't disappoint and I can certainly see myself getting a lot of use with them. I love how easy they apply and blend, especially with your fingers. The crease-free formula is also great and works without the use of a primer as an overall eyeshadow wash or base. So glad these aren't limited edition!

Rating: 10/10

Price: $20.00

Availability: MAC Cosmetics 

My Latest and Bestest Haul This Year So Far

I stopped by Sephora the other day to take advantage of my VIB 15% off coupon. I was rather disappointed that they did not have the OCC Lip Tar Primary Colors set in store. So I figure I would order it online later. Well, come to find that the set already sold out! I guess I can't feel too bad, considering all the new stuff that I hauled here.

So I grabbed this Algenist Eye Gel ( $68) because I needed a treatment for my eyes. You know at my age, you have to be conscious about skincare and I believe taking good care of yourself and your skin really helps prevent premature aging. It's very thin, lightweight, and absorbs quickly. I like the pump dispenser and the fact that it doesn't smell funny. 

I picked up my birthday present. As you know, the perk of being a Sephora beauty insider is that you get a free gift on your birthday. This year they have a mini Make Up Forever liptick and mascara.

I redeemed 100 points for this Benefit Big Easy foundation. I swatched it in store and it reminds me of a BB cream/foundation hybrid. 

Also redeeming another 100 points for the Algenist Firming & Lifting cream. I figured since I'm trying out the eye gel, I figure why not also get the moisturizer.

Got this free cute makeup bag with some free goodie samples.

We stopped by Forever 21 and I was hoping to find their new makeup collection but didn't had that luck with that store. I scooped these two Confetti nail glitter for $3.80 each. 

I redeemed my $10 birthday coupon for these two nail polishes at Victoria's Secret. I circled the store a few times and didn't find anything I was interested in so in the end, I just decided to go with the nail polishes. These are regularly 2 for $15.00.

Yesterday, I was in Chicago visiting my sister and the new baby. It just hit me how long it has been since I drove down that road. I just found out that the toll fee increased. We only saw the baby for like 5 minutes and the nurses had to take her to another hospital to run some test and treat the baby for jaundice. Drove my family around running some errands and on our way back home, we stopped by the outlet mall and the CCO store. As you can see, I grabbed a few things.

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Clearwater and Stormy Pink. I don't know which collection they came from but I likey. $14 each.

I got two Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Paint in Neon Fuchsia and Steel. I don't have any color like these so I had to grab. These were $17.00 each. 

I scooped up the Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Rush in X-Pose Rose ($19.75). I thought the product was interesting so had to give it a try.

Lastly from the CCO, the Estee Lauder Pure Color Vivid Shine in Mirrored Orchid ($21). I know I have a lot of berry colored lipstick but something about this color and finish that just make me want to take it home plus I love the gorgeous packaging. 

Across from the CCO was the Bare Minerals outlet store and of course I stopped by too. There was some pretty good deals but I had my heart set on these Prime Time Primer Shadow sets. When I took them to the cash register, they told me the sets were only $9.50 each! I was excited! I have so many colors to play with.

And lastly, my daughter wanted to stop by Rue 21 and I spotted this ring and glitter polish that I thought was cute. Plus we got a 40% off coupon so the discount was pretty awesome. 

So that's it. Definitely went way over my budget but oh well! I used coupons and discount and it's my birthday month so it makes me happy to spend, lol. Hope you had a lovely weekend. 

What do you splurge on for your birthday? See anything you want me to review first?

MAC Heroine - Swatch and Review

I was stupid for letting this one go. Initially, it came out as a limited edition shade and I kept saying to myself that I don't need it but after it sold out and seeing all the gorgeous swatches and how bold and beautiful it looked on others, I was so envious!
Fortunately MAC (or it is fate?) brought it back and decided to make it permanent and I snatched it up as soon as it became available again.

Package

• the standard MAC black lipstick tube
• .1 oz or 3 g

Product

• Heroine is a medium magenta purple with a matte finish. I was actually surprised at how much brighter it was on my lips because it looked dark in the tube.
• In spite of being a matte finish, it is creamy enough to apply without tugging and actually feels comfortable. It's not very hydrating but it's not drying either. It packs a punch in pigmentation and can deliver full and even coverage.
• I found that the color also stains. It wears strong for a straight 5 hours and then slowly fade but the staining power last for few more hours. 
• It has the signature vanilla scent that all MAC lipstick has.

Final Thoughts

If you love bold purple, if you love matte, if you want a long-lasting color, if you love MAC...You already know you need this shade unless you already own it. Luckily, it has been added to the permanent line so there's no need to fear that it would disappear anytime soon but don't wait too long if you wanna be a cool kid. It's on trend with the vibrant orchid color of the year.

Rating: 9/10. 

Price: $15.00

Availability: MAC Cosmetics

Miscellaneous Hauls And Some Gifts

Hello lovelies,

These are some products I hauled a few days ago and was too lazy to post, lol. The sad thing is that after all the damages, there are some after Christmas sales that are still tempting me.

I took advantage of the Ulta 20% off coupon to snag a few things. luckily for me half of these were also on clearance:

• NYX HD Concealer. They were on BOGO and with my daughter using it, my last one ran out quickly. This is a repurchase. I've already reviewed this HERE. 
• Layla Ceramic Effect CE14
• Essie Parka Perfect
• Essie Using My Maiden Name
• Physicians Formula Eye Booster Eyeliners Ultra Black. One of my favorite black eyeliner.
• Elegant Touch Envy Wraps. I found these on clearance. I've never used nail wraps so I'm curious to try.

I picked up these Revlon Nail Appliques at CVS, they were almost $10.00 each. Normally, I don't pay much attention to these because they are pricey but I had some extra bucks coupons that I needed to use and couldn't find anything I wanted so with these being so pretty and BOGO 50%, I got a killer deal on them.

So I missed the boat on the MAC Heroine lipstick that came out a couple months ago. Didn't think I was going to need it but the more swatches I saw the more I wanted it BAD! Well, the good news is that it is no longer limited edition and with Radiant Orchid being the new color of the year for 2014, I guess MAC decided to bring it back make it part of the permanent line. Woo hoo! If you love purple lipsticks, you need this shade! 

I can't believe that my Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Eye Contour cream lasted me a whole year then again, it contains more products then most eye creams. It's still got some but I know I will run out soon and needed to restock on eye cream. When I saw the NUXE skincare on sale at Hautelook, I was curious to try and decided to pick up their eye cream. I liked the fact that it came with a pump and it was fairly priced. Along with that, I decided to get the Huile Prodigieuse. I thought this was going to come with a spray nozzle but it didn't. I was rather disappointed with that because it would have been easier to apply this oil on my skin with a spray since it's rather thin in consistency. It has a pleasant smell though I wouldn't rave about it. It smells woodsy, floral, and a bit sweet like honey.

I received this adorable star ornament from a dear friend. I took a picture of it hanging on one of the flowery light up branches that I keep at my vanity desk. With my 50mm lens and some editing magic, I must say it turned out pretty good!

Another friend gifted me a couple beauty products. She gave me the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner Set and they came with this very shiny aluminum tin container. I'm totally in love with the colors! I'm such a huge eyeliner junkie and the more the merrier so I was very happy when I saw these.

And lastly, the other gift I received is this Josie Maran BearNaked nail wipes. This container is so cute. I don't even want to use it. I'm fine with just acetone and cotton balls but I guess doesn't hurt to have something more portable for traveling. 

So that's it for this post. Got a couple new things but will do a separate posts for them.

What did you get for Christmas?

The Rest of My Cream Eyeshadow Swatches

Here are the last of my cream eyeshadow swatches...sorry I had this draft sitting there like 2 or 3 months I think, lol, by now I'm sure I've already acquired more cream eyeshadows. If you've missed the previous set of swatches here are some quick links to them.

Green Cream Eyeshadow Swatches
Blue Cream Eyeshadow Swatches
Grey/Silver Cream Eyeshadow Swatches
Neutral Cream Eyeshadow Swatches

Estee Lauder Double Wear Shadow Cream Lilac Petals - this one is a bit on the sheer but feels creamy and has a good lasting power. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Shadow Cream Deep Orchid - almost not as intense as it looks in the pot but works well as a base and doesn't crease or fade.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Fierce & Tangy - I guess my main complaint would be that these dry out faster than I can use them but when it's brand new the color is fairly easy to work with and long lasting without creasing. 

MAC Paint Pot Treasure Hunt (limited edition) - pale shimmery yellow gold. Nice and creamy, average color pay off, but long-wearing without creasing.