MAC Blushbaby Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Blushbaby Blush 

MAC Blushbaby Blush ($20) is described as a beige-pink powder blush in the MAC Sheertone family. I purchased Blushbaby after looking for a neutral blush that I can wear every day, and was recommended to try Blushbaby. Blushbaby is the second most reviewed MAC blush on Makeupalley, and it's one of MAC's top sellers.

Blushbaby is a no-fuss shade that pairs well with just about anything. And as much as I wanted to love Blushbaby, because so many seem to favor it - but the first handful of times wearing it, I wasn't impressed. I typically apply my blush right after my foundation, and I think because Blushbaby is super-finely milled and matte, it wasn't applying evenly, thus looking dull and muddy on my face. Now when I wear Blushbaby, I always make sure to apply a setting powder to my cheeks before application and apply the blush with a fluffy powder brush for a natural wash of color. I buff the color in a bit, and the results are so much better.

On my NC30 cheeks, it gives off a natural rosy-pink nude hue. Liked I hoped, It's a really great ever-day shade that gives my cheeks the right amount of color.

For those with naturally rosy cheeks, I can see this blush to possibly enhance ruddiness. Those with strong yellow undertones, it can pull slightly orange. It can also look "dirty" if too much is applied, and because it's sheer, you may feel the need to pack on the color. But be careful, and apply a little at a time because it builds quickly.

MAC Freckletone Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Freckletone Lipstick

MAC Freckletone Lipstick ($14.50) is a warm, sheer, nude peach with a shiny finish. It's a lustre formula, so if you're familiar with the MAC lustre family - it's smooth, creamy and feels great on the lips. I usually have to layer a lipgloss over most of my lipsticks because I love shine, but I don't need anything extra over Freckletone. The pigmentation is sheer, but buildable to medium coverage. It never quite reaches full coverage, but it can get two-thirds it's way there.

Freckletone was one of my first MAC lipstick purchases, and I've used it off and on for years. It's one of my favorites to wear when I'm tan (MAC NC30-NC40 range). It doesn't seem to look right on me when I'm lighter. When I'm around NC15-20, it looks a bit orange/brown on my lips. I think it's best geared toward medium to tan skin tones. I love pairing it with an equally warm lip liner, such as MAC Spice or Stripdown Lip Liner. It also looks great paired with warm-toned blush and earthy-toned eyeshadows.

MAC Freckletone on my lips

Small, but Awesome Swap Haul! MAC, Nars and Guerlain!

I was so excited to get these goodies in the mail today from a recent swap. So, I thought I'd do a quick post and show you what I got! There will be reviews & swatches to follow in the upcoming weeks.

 

Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic

Guerlain Meteorites in Beige Chic

MAC Deep Dark Mineralize Skinfinish

NARS Exhibit A Blush

NARS Mounia Blush

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & DESCRIPTIONS!

NOTD: MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer (Surf Baby Collection) w/ Leopard Print!

Three (3) Coats of MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer and One (1) Coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

MAC Hangin Loose Nail Lacquer

MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer is a neutral pink beige cream with very tiny white sparkles that seem to only be noticeable in bright lighting. This polish is from MAC's recent Surf, Baby! Collection and is still available on the MAC website (here). I'm not sure if I can justify paying $15 for a nail polish, so I'm really happy I got a chance to try this through a swap.

I really like the formula of this polish. It's not thick, not too thin, very creamy and dries fairly quick. It is a little on the sheer side and applies a little streaky with the first two coats, but I applied a heavier third coat and everything evened out very well. I actually love this polish and I think it's the perfect nude. I'll be wearing this much more often!

For the leopard print, I first applied dots of OPI You Don't Know Jacques Nail Polish (grayed brown) all over my nail (around 5-6 dots in total). Then, I took a toothpick and used a generic black nail polish and outlined the brown spots. I also made a few extra black dots. Then I used a silver glitter nail art pen and added small lines of glitter to each spot.

What's your favorite nude polish?

Swap Haul! Nars, MAC and Bobbi Brown.

Hey Everyone,

If you didn't know by now, I'm a complete swap-a-holic. I love swapping and browsing blog sales for great deals and hard to find items. It's a great way to try new products when you're on a budget. If you don't know what swapping is, click here to view Makeupalley's Swap FAQ page.

(Sorry, MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial is hiding behind the Nars Multiple)

NARS South Beach Multiple (Mini)

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Stone

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick

MAC Black Tied Eyeshadow

MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer

MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial

MAC Jardin Aires Pigment Vial

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS! 

MAC Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder Review!

MAC Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder

Formulated to provide a smooth, virtually invisible, fresh-looking finish, this soft, cream-like powder is carefully blended to provide the skin with extra care, nourishment and comfort. (MAC COSMETICS)

"Studio Careblend Pressed Powder provides sheer to medium coverage with perfect skin adhesion that helps to create a more flawless, refined look to skin. Studio Careblend Pressed Powder’s versatility allows users to apply it alone, over moisturized skin, atop foundation to set, or simply to touch up and perfect skin throughout the day." - Nick Gavrelis, Vice President, Global Product Development (read more here)

MAC Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder is available in eight (8) shades: Light (soft pale beige), Light Plus (pale golden beige), Medium (soft creamy beige), Medium Dark (caramel beige), Medium Plus (tan beige), Dark (deep caramel), Medium Deep (rich golden tan) and Dark Deep (rich golden bronze).

What really lured me into wanting Careblend is the claim that it doesn't look powdery and it isn't drying. Not to mention the amazing rating on Makeupalley (4.4/5 with an 86% re-purchase rate based on 79 reviews). I had a little bit of a tough time trying to pick a shade for my current NC30 skintone - I was debating with Light Plus (mainly because it has some good golden tones), Medium or Medium Dark. I figured that since they are sheer, there will be a little room for error, but my favorite MAC Sales Assoc. informed me that they do indeed pack pretty good pigment, so I played it safe and purchased Medium. I purchased this powder to solely use it as a setting powder. Other powders I'm currently using for a quick dusting across my face are Chanel Double Perfection Compact, MAC Studio Fix Powder or Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (I also love MAC Blot Powder, but I'm currently out of it).

MAC Studio Careblend Powder in Medium

Medium is a good match for my skin. It lacks yellow though if you're medium skinned and particular about having the right amount of golden in your foundation or powder. I compared it to my MAC Studio Fix Powder in C3 for reference. Of course, C3 has a stronger yellow tone as all "C" powders do in the SF Powder range.

The consistency of this powder to the touch, feels like your average powder. Studio Fix Powder actually feels softer to the touch. But, once smoothed on the skin, Careblend feels much smoother, whereas Studio Fix feels a bit dryer and powdery (ironic, huh?) The powder isn't completely sheer - it does have some pigment, so if you have relatively clear skin and need little coverage and oil control, this can be worn alone. I like using a large fluffy powder brush such as my Sigma F30 (FAV) and swirling the product all over my face to set my foundation. If I want a little extra coverage, I'll use a more dense brush such as my Sephora Pro Platinum Bronzer Brush or a standard Kabuki. The finish with this powder indeed is not powdery at all. It gives a velvety satin finish that even reminds me a bit of my beloved Chanel Double Perfection Powder.

Here's a little comparison. You can see a big difference in the finish of Studio Fix and Studio Careblend. Studio Fix is much more dull and powdery, whereas Studio Careblend has a bit of luminosity.

Left to Right: MAC Studio Fix Powder in C3, MAC Studio Careblend Powder in Medium and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium/Natural & Shimmer (the medium/natural side) Limited Edition

I don't need all that much oil control, just a little bit in my t-zone, and this keeps my skin from getting shiny throughout the day very well. Based on some reviews I've read, some don't recommend this powder for those with oily skin as it may not control oil well enough, but I've also read that some oily skin found it works great. The reviews are pretty mixed. I think it would work particularly well for those with dry skin as contains moisturizing oils (Safflower, Meadowfoam & Olive) as well as Shea Butter and it doesn't seem to accentuate dryness. I really love this powder and will continue using it for an all over setting powder. I still plan on purchasing MAC Blot Powder as well because I like to have a powder on hand that won't deposit any color (mainly to powder my under-eyes).

MAC Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder is $23 for .35 oz, $4 cheaper than MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish (plus Careblend has a mirrored compact & powder puff, the MSF has neither). It's slightly more expensive than MAC Blot which is $23 for .42 oz (.07 oz more product).

.35 oz really isn't a lot of product, and with the silkiness of this powder, you can probably easily go overboard with it without realizing. When I used my MAC Blot Powder daily, I would hit pan very quickly with it, so I'm going to make sure to use my Careblend sparingly.

What's your favorite setting powder?

MAC Cajun Magically Cool Liquid Powder Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Cajun Magically Cool Liquid Powder

Product Description: A silky, feather-light powder, formulated with 70% water, dusts on to the skin as a cooling mist to set and enhance the look of any foundation. Beyond sheer: light-reflecting and translucent. A virtually invisible way to add luminosity and a soft radiant glow to the skin.

Magically Cool Liquid Powders are available in three (3) shades: Truth & Light (Sheer shimmer that reflects silver and pink), Honey Rose (Sheer rosy beige with multi-dimensional shimmer) and Cajun (Sheer bronze shimmer that reflects gold).

I already own Honey Rose, which I purchased in early June, and it became one of my favorite/must-have products for the cheeks. So when recently I had the opportunity to get a hold of Cajun in a swap, I went for it.

Like mentioned, Cajun is a sheer, bronze shimmer that reflects gold. The description is very accurate, It looks a little dark and ruddy in the jar, but once swatched the golden hues really come out. It's a bit of an orangy bronze, somewhat similar to the color of Chanel Bronze Universel. There is a slight golden sheen, but it can only be really seen when the product is applied heavily.

READ MORE FOR A REVIEW, SWATCH AND TIPS ON APPLICATION..

MAC Dollymix Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Dollymix Blush

MAC Dollymix Blush is described on the MAC website as a pure candy pink. It's a bright hot pink in the pan, so it might be intimidating to some, but applied in a sheer layer, it can look very natural. It's a pigmented blush overall, so you have to apply Dollymix with a light hand.

I'm not a huge fan of shimmery blushes, but I don't find the shimmer in MAC's Sheertone Shimmer formula to be overpowering. The Sheertone Shimmer Blushes are very smooth, and apply evenly.

Dollymix is a "cult favorite" from MAC for a very good reason. It instantly livens up the face with a bright girly pink sheen that is flattering on all skin tones. It's especially nice on warm/tan skin tones because the pink itself isn't overly cool-toned. I love wearing it in the summertime when my skin is extra bronzed.

My Top 9 Favorite Warm-toned Blushes!

My Top 9 Favorite Warm-toned Blushes

Blush is one of my favorite things in the makeup world, and when it comes to purchasing a blush, I always seem to be drawn to warm colors. Your coloring plays the main role in what colors will flatter your cheeks the most - and because of my warm, medium-tan coloring, hazel eyes and golden brown hair, nothing quite flatters me like a warm, spicy bronze blush.

I've accumulated quite a few, swapped away several of them and held only onto my favorites. It's a bit of a coincidence the majority of the blushes in my collection are MAC, but I really love MAC blushes and wish I could own them all!

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite warm blushes!

Blushes are in the same order as above photo. Clockwise from bottom right: Pleasureful Blushcreme, Coppertone, Eversun, Margin, Sunbasque and Gingerly.

Nars Lovejoy, MAC So Ceylon Mineralize Skinfinish and Make Up Forever HD Blush #10.

MAC MARGIN is a peachy red-pink with very fine multi-colored shimmer and frost. It's pratically identical to Sunbasque, but has a bit of a pink tone, which Sunbasque is absent of. Although it has a frost finish, I don't find it to be too frosty - somewhat similar to an MSF, maybe even a little more subtle.

MAC SUNBASQUE is a peachy-red with loads of multi-colored fine shimmer. This was one of my first MAC blush purchases a few years back after finding out it was one of Jessica Burciaga's favorites! It's one of my all time favorites. 

MAC GINGERLY is a velvety matte (it's actually a Sheertone, and it does have a couple of extra fine sparkles - but they are basically non-existent) brick red with a slight orange/rosy tone. It's really similar to Coppertone, but Coppertone has a stronger red tone and no pink tones. 

MAC COPPERTONE is a matte, brick red with a bit of an orange/peach tone. It was one of my first MAC blushes, if not my first MAC blush and I love it! 

MAC EVERSUN (limited edition) is a golden bronze with red undertones and slight shimmer. Originally I thought Eversun would be a great bronzer by the looks of it in the pan, but it's a bit tricky - because once it hits my cheeks, the red tones really come out. The shimmer is very subtle and hardly noticeable once applied. 

MAC PLEASUREFUL BLUSHCREME (discontinued) is a slightly reddened pink-peach that gives a very natural, dewy flush of color to the cheeks. 

MAC SO CEYLON MINERALIZE SKINFINISH is a pinked copper-bronze with deep golden veining. It contains very fine pink/multi-colored shimmer and looks a bit frosty on the cheeks. 

NARS LOVEJOY is a rosy-bronze with lots of fine, golden shimmer. Although it looks ultra shimmery in the pan, it's not as intense on the cheeks. 

MAKE UP FOREVER HD #10 is an intense, warm red. When blended out, it creates a beautiful copper color that looks amazing on the cheeks.

Heavy swatches on NC30 skin [click to view larger]

What are some of your favorites?

MAC Honey Rose Magically Cool Liquid Powder Review, Photos, Swatches and FOTD!

MAC Honey Rose Magically Cool Liquid Powder

Product Description: A silky, feather-light powder, formulated with 70% water, dusts on to the skin as a cooling mist to set and enhance the look of any foundation. Beyond sheer: light-reflecting and translucent. A virtually invisible way to add luminosity and a soft radiant glow to the skin.

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powders are available in three (3) shades: Truth & Light (Sheer shimmer that reflects silver and pink), Honey Rose (Sheer rosy beige with multi-dimensional shimmer) and Cajun (Sheer bronze shimmer that reflects gold).

While I was at MAC, I swatched all three shades, but the most appealing shade to me was Honey Rose. Truth & Light appeared very sheer - almost invisible, with a slight white cast and slight shimmer. Cajun appeared to be a very pretty golden brown - somewhat similar to my Chanel Bronze Universel, but I wasn't sure of how well it would blend as an all over bronzer. Once it hits the skin, it dries almost instantly. I'm not sure if it was the bright fluorescent lighting, but Honey Rose looked gorgeous. It's a champagne pink with a frosty - almost golden sheen. It reminds me a little bit of Urban Decay Sin Eyeshadow. I thought it would a perfect highlight for my skin tone. 

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose

MAC In Synch Lip Liner Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC In Synch Lip Liner

MAC In Synch Lip Liner is described on the MAC website as a bright, yellow pink. In Synch was first launched in MAC's 'Too Fabulous Collection' and then re-launched in the recent 'Quite Cute Collection'. 

The color is indeed a yellow toned, bright peach-pink. When swatching the lip liner in the store, I automatically thought it would be a fabulous liner to pair with many of my favorite coral-pink and peach-pink lipsticks. MAC Shygirl, perhaps? 

Upon bringing my nifty new purchase home, I realized the color is much lighter than I thought it was. Darn that tricky department store lighting! I thought it would be something like Illamasqua Obey in Lip Liner, but there are absolutely no coral tones present in In Synch. In fact, the color is actually lighter than my lips.

MAC Salsarose & Frankly Scarlet - Loving these bright blushes for the Summer!

MAC Salsarose and Frankly Scarlet Blushes

When summer hits, it's usually the time where we all try to look a little more natural and wear less makeup to avoid any creasing, "melting", or fading the sun and heat may cause.

During the summer, I don't wear as much eye makeup and I try wearing a lighter foundation with minimal powder and of course a bronzer all over. Since I'm taking the focus off of my eyes, it's a fun season to experiment with bright blushes and lipsticks.

When wearing a bright blush or lipstick, you always want to keep the eyes very soft, so it doesn't overpower the look. You can either go neutral, wear a soft wash of taupe, champagne or gold all over your lid, or use a shade that almost matches your skin or keep it bare with a couple of coats of mascara.

Left: MAC Salsarose (satin) & Right: MAC Frankly Scarlet (matte).

Bright blushes might look a little intimidating to those who aren't very comfortable with color, but you can really use any blush and make it look natural by using the smallest amount. Two of my favorite bright blushes are MAC Frankly Scarlet and MAC Salsarose. Both are extremely similar raspberry shades, with Frankly Scarlet being slightly more red, and Salsarose being slighlty more pink. Swatched heavy, you can see the difference, but swatched lightly you can barely tell them apart. The lovely thing about shades like this, is when applied lightly to the face, the color is very reminiscent of the actual reddish hue your face will naturally turn when you blush.

MAC Show-off and Girl Boy Brow Set Review, Photos, Swatches and Comparisons!

MAC Show-off and Girl Boy Brow Set

MAC Brow Set ($15) is a brush-on gel that brushes the brow hairs in place and deposits a sheer tint to the brows. Think of it as mascara for your eyebrows! It doesn't stiffen the brows, and it doesn't flake. It can also be used on the sideburns and facial hair. 

MAC Brow Set is available in four (4) shades: Clear, Girl Boy (Fawn blonde), Beguile (Full-bodied taupe) and Show Off (Rich brown). 

MAC Girl Boy Brow Set (left) and Beguile Brow Set (right)

MAC Brown Down & Brun Eyeshadow Review, Swatches and Comparisons!

Have you ever hated a certain eyeshadow color, and then later on, you end up loving it? In the beginning of my blog, you may of noticed I used just about every color but brown. Now, brown seems to be all I wear every day and I can't get enough of it!

I have several brown shadows, but every time I see a nice matte, super pigmented brown, my heart starts beating a little faster and I have to get my hands on it like a bad addiction. Yep. I'm never satisfied with the browns I have. I feel like there is always another undertone, another finish, better pigmentation.

This brings me to my lastest brown addition to my brown shadow family. MAC Brown Down and Brun.

Brown Down is a teddy bear brown with a veluxe finish.

Brun is a blackish-brown with a satin finish.

MAC Eyeshadows. Left: Brun (Satin) Right: Brown Down (Veluxe)

MAC Eyeshadows. Left: Brown Down (Veluxe) Right: Brun (Satin)

I love that Brown Down isn't really anything like I have already. It's a soft, pigmented, earthy red-brown. Because of the red tone, it's an excellent color for my hazel eyes. Basically any red toned color will make green eyes really stand out. I'm sure I'll be using it often in my crease and smudged on my lower lashline.

As for Brun, it's a wonderful blackened brown with no red or yellow undertones. It makes for a great smokey eye or for a brow filler for brunettes. Many have trouble finding that right shade of brown to match their brows, that isn't too golden, red or gray and this is perfect!

Here are some comparisons to some of the browns I own:

(CLICK FOR FULL SIZE) Left to Right: Nars Mekong, Nars Coconut Grove, Nars Bali, MAC Espresso, MAC Brun, MAC Brown Down, MAC Tempting, Urban Decay Twice Baked, NYX Dark Brown.

 Sadly, I lost two of my favorite brown shadows.. MAC Cork and Nars Galapagos. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I have a bad habit of never closing my makeup bag or handbag, and I lose makeup once in a while. I'll have to purchase back ups sometime in the near future.

How to De-pot your MAC Eyeshadows + ELF Elements $1 Palette! (Pic heavy post)

De-potting an eyeshadow is basically, removing the eyeshadow pan from the pot. There are many reasons why de-potting your eyeshadow, but it depends on your preference, lifestyle, etc. For those of you that have limited space for storage, have lots & lots of shadows - & tend to neglect several of your shadows, or travel often, de-potting your shadows may be something that will benefit you. I personally, never liked the idea of de-potting my shadows and I always wanted to keep them in their little black pots. I'm not sure why, but I liked the idea of owning several shades and I didn't want to depot them all at one point and later on, wish I didn't. Now, I notice that having so many shadows is a complete nuisance when I'm trying to find a certain shade and I have to fumble through my drawers. What I've also noticed is, when I use a palette, I tend to use more shades.. and my MAC shadows have become neglected with the exception of a few.

The benefits of having your shadows in a palette is: 

• All of your shades are always handy, and you'll never have to dig for a certain shade
• Going with the previous bullet point, you won't lose eye shadows (believe it or not, I have a bad habit of never closing my makeup bags, and I've lost eye shadows, lipsticks, you name it)
• It is very handy for traveling - You can keep a small palette in your handbag for shadows you wear every day
• When a bunch of shades are in front of you, you'll see better what you have. Therefore, you'll tend to use more shades.
• A palette takes up much less space than a bunch of pots would - for both storage and travel.
• Depending on how many MAC eye shadows you have, for every 6 pots, you can "Back to MAC" them for a free lipstick or lip gloss (at counters) or eyeshadow (at MAC stores). 

There are several brands to choose from, but I'm not 100% sure which palettes will fit MAC shadows. MUFE sells palettes and there are some on http://www.camerareadycosmetics.com, but like I said, I'm not sure if any of those fit MAC shadows. Your best best are MAC palettes, as they are fairly inexpensive and are specifically for MAC shadows. There is also the ELF palette, for only a $1, which isn't bad, and the Z-palette, which I find a bit expensive - but, since there are no slots, you aren't only limited to MAC shadows.. you can use any shadows, blushes, etc. If you know of other palettes, please let me know in my comments below!

Once, you have your palette to fill, you'll need a few tools for de-potting.

• A knife that comes to a point (a butter knife doesn't work well) - or you can use a letter opener. In addition, I use a pair of tweezers.
• A flat iron
• Wax paper (optional)
• Rubbing Alcohol or Goo Gone (Goo Gone works better) and a Q-tip
• Magnets

MAC Coppertone Blush Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Coppertone Blush

MAC Coppertone Blush is described as a peach-brown with a matte finish. It's a blush that you really don't hear much about, and I'm not sure why, because it's such a gem! 

Coppertone and Me go way back - in fact, it's the first MAC Blush I ever purchased. I remember walking into Macy's and swinging by the MAC counter when I was around 17 or 18 years old. I was pretty obsessed with self-tanning at the time, and was looking for a shade that would compliment my faux bronzed skin. Coppertone immediately caught my eye and I knew it'd be a perfect match for me. I wore it daily for quite some time (it's probably my most used MAC blush) and years later, I'm still loving it.

On my cheeks, it's such a natural slightly rosy, deep peach. It gives my face such a natural sunkissed color.

MAC Pale Lip Erase Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC Pale Lip Erase

MAC Lip Erase is a flesh-toned balm that visually neutralizes and erases natural colour from the lip. Shine- and texture-free. Available in a choice of two shades for use on light to medium skin tones.

MAC Lip Erase is available in two (2) shades: Pale (for lighter skin tones) and Dim (for medium skintones).

What is the purpose of this product? Like mentioned, this product is meant to cancel out the natural hue of your lips. Why? Well, if you have little to no color in your lips, you may not find this product at all necessary. But, if you have rosy, pigmented lips, you may find this product helpful. Your natural lip color has a big impact of how certain lipsticks and lipglosses will look on you. It's only usually when lip colors are very opaque, that your natural lip color may not have an affect on how the color will look. On the other hand, with sheer lip colors, your natural lip color has a very big impact on how the lip color will look.

MAC Pale Lip Erase swatched on my hand

MAC Melba Blush Review!

MAC Melba Blush

MAC Melba Blush is described as a soft, coral peach with a matte finish. If you've tried traditional peach blushes (such as MAC Peaches, Illamasqua Lover, Nars Gina, etc) and found them to be too vibrant/orange, you might enjoy Melba, as although there is a slight orange tone, there is a good balance of red tones in the peach, so it doesn't lean as orange. It's more of a rosy-peach.

I purchased this blush after countless recommendations as this being a great blush for my medium skin tone. I agree, it's a really great peach blush for anyone, but I've noticed that those with light-medium to medium coloring (MAC NC25 to NC40) seem to really enjoy Melba as an every-day shade.

It's very pigmented, so it's easy to go overboard. Applying Melba with a duo-fiber brush, such as the MAC #187 yields a light application. It looks best when built with very sheer layers.

*Will be updated later with swatches.. check back soon!

Such a simple shade, yet I can understand why it's so popular. It's just a great brainless shade that doesn't require much thought for it to work. 

If you're a peach blush fiend and don't own Melba yet, make sure to swatch it the next time you swing by your local MAC counter. :)

MAC (LE) Cut-a-Caper Lipstick! Swatches & Lots of Comparisons!

MAC Cut-a-Caper Lipstick

MAC Cut-a-Caper Lipstick is a semi-opaque, medium coral-pink with a lustre finish. It's a limited edition shade that launched in the MAC 2010 Tartan Tale Collection.

The color is quite pigmented and can be built easily with additional coats. It is vibrant, but not nearly as vibrant as it looks in the tube. Because it's not completely opaque, it's a shade that's easy to wear.

Here is MAC Cut a Caper on my lips (my lips are lined with MAC Subculture Lip Pencil)

Here is a comparison of Cut-a-Caper next to MAC Jazzed and Everhip (both limited edition shades). Sadly, I don't own MAC Ravishing, but it's another lipstick that is often compared to these.

Left Photo: MAC Cut a Caper & MAC Jazzed, Right Photo: MAC Cut a Caper and MAC Everhip

Swatches from left to right: MAC Cut a Caper, MAC Everhip and MAC Jazzed.

All three lipsticks are very similar. They share the same vibrancy and depth. Cut-a-Caper has the strongest pink tone of the three. Jazzed has the most orange/coral tone. Everhip is the "in-between". It's stronger in pink than Jazzed, and more orange/coral than Cut-a-Caper.

Other Comparisons: (I forgot to add Illamasqua Obey in the bunch - which definitely belongs in the category)

Swatches from left to right: NYX Round Lipstick in Pumpkin Pie, MAC Cut-a-Caper (LE), MAC Everhip (LE), MAC Jazzed (LE), YSL Rouge Volupte 26 Tender Peach, Wet n Wild Mega Matte 903C Just Peachy, MAC Shygirl. Glosses: Revlon Super Lusturous Nude Lustre, Revlon Super Lusturous Life's a Peach (DC), NYX Smokey Look, OCC Divine & OCC Cha Cha.