MAC Punk Couture Collection 2013 - Haul, Swatches & Looks

Hello beauties,

I know, it might seem a little crazy to be purchasing and blogging about two MAC collections back to back, but I had to be fair. I couldn't just but and write about one and not the other! It only seems logical. I know, I am enabling my addiction by making excuses for myself. But yay excuses and yay makeup! Might as well enjoy it while I can ;).

























MAC also released this collection on December 26th along with their 'Magnetic Nudes' Collection (to see my Haul and looks from that collection, click here) and their limited edition 'Huggable' lipsticks. Whew! What a busy week! Although I have been on this Nude makeup phase lately, I was sooooooooo excited for this black matte lipstick! BLACK.MATTE.LIPSTICK. Let that soak in there for a second... Now you see?! How amazing does that sound!? Omgoodness! This is such a fun collection that invites everyone to play with bright colours and their dark sides! Imagine the fun and the possibilties to be had with this collection! I get excited about it all over again!

Let's talk about what I got from this collection:

'Studded Kiss' Matte Lipstick - This lipstick is described as 'Dark Oxblood Red with a Retro Matte finish'. I would describe it as a medium deep burgendy red with warm brown undertones and a matte finish. It's almost exact dupe for their 'Diva' lipstick, and since I don't have 'Diva' I picked this one up. Because it's a Matte lipstick, it had opaque colour coverage and lasted on me for 7 hours with staining and almost no feathering. Love this dark vampy lipstick!! (*Colour swatch credit to lesleyrocksface )

'Punk Couture' Matte Lipstick - This lipstick colour is described as a 'Deep Blackened Grape with a Retro Matte finish'. Although they are all described as a 'Retro Matte Finish' it only says 'Matte' on the boxes and it doesn't feel as dry as the 'Retro Matte' finsih does. That being said, I feel this colour is a creamy medium- dark cool toned purple with a matte finish. Love this cool toned purple, MAC doesn't have a colour similar to this one in their permanent line, so I had to pick it up. This colour lasted 6 and half hours with staining and some patchy-ness in the last 20 minutes. It's so fun and such a different colour than anything I've seen lately!

'Hautecore' Matte Lipstick - This is the one to talk about! This lipstick colour is described as 'A True Matte Black with a Matte finish'. It is a true, deep, cool toned black, with mostly opaque colour coverage and just a smidgen of shine. It might be a good idea to use MAC 'Blacktrack' Fluidline as a base under this lipstick to have full colour coverage. I cannot tell you how BADA$$ I feel whenever I wear this lipstick! It so edgy and perfect for a Punk inspired collection!

Here are some more photos and swatches of the Lipsticks:

From Left to Right: 'Hautecore', 'Punk Couture' & 'Studded Kiss'

Left to Right: 'Punk Couture', 'Hautecore' & 'Studded Kiss'

'Magenta Madness' Pigment - Neon pigments are so much fun! This colour is described as 'A Neon Magenta Pink'. Pigments, like this one are so finely milled and deposit a lot of colour. Not to be used on the eye unless mixed with a certified medium, and is best if not applied with a damp brush or onto a damp surface. I love the brightness of this pigment! I can see it being a lot of fun mixed in with certain glosses and lip products, so many possibilities with these babies!

'Neo Orange' Pigment - This colour is described as 'A Neon Orange', it is true to description but i would add that it does have a slight red/pink tint. So bright! I've seen this used as a blush and it was lovely! Again, so many possibilities with pigments do so many different functions dependant on the mixing medium. So much fun!

'True Chartreuse' Pigment - This colour is described as 'A bright Chartreuse', a true green with some yellow tones and a bright finish. This is the least bright out of the three pigments of this collection, but can still appear brighter when mixed with the right medium. This was a fun one to play with! I liked to apply with or on top of a white base to bring out the true green and brightness of this colour!

Pigments Left to Right: 'True Chartreuse', 'Magenta Madness' & 'Neo Orange'

Here are some swatch comparisons for MAC's 'Punk Couture' lipstick:

Left to Right: MAC 'Punk Couture', MAC 'Heroine', MAC 'Heavenly Hybrid' & MAC 'RiRi Boy'

Well there you have it, lots of funky and punky creations to be made with this collection! For my two looks, I wanted to showcase the fun to be had with both the pigments and the lipsticks (and of course no punk look would be complete without some out-there liner!).

For my first look I wanted to find a way to use the pigments in a way that wouldnt necessarily be conventional or ordinary. I decided to use the 'True Chartreuse' pigment under my brow with some fierce liner. Heres how I did it: For my face I prepped and primed my face with Urban Decay's 'B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray' and Benefit Cosmetic's 'The Porefessional'. Once my primers and my face was set I applied MAC Minerlize Moisture Foundation with a damp Beauty Blender to the outer perimeter of my face and then applied MAC Pro Longwear Foundation all over - but mostly concentrating on my T-zone and cheeks. I let that sit before applying MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder all over with a fluffy face brush and then used MAC 'Nude On Board' Bronzing Powder with an Angle brush for my contour. I filled my brows with MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in 'Quite Natural' and corrected with MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. For my out-there liner, I used Jesse's Girl Liquid Eyeliner Pen (To see my review on this eyeliner, click here). So the focus of my look - the brow highlight! What I did was I applied MAC Chromographic Pencil in 'Pure White' first, all along my brow. Then with some MAC Fix+ Spray, I mixed that with some of the 'True Chartreuse' pigment and applied that along the white line with an eyeliner brush (MAC 109SE). The white base really brought out the brightness of the pigment. No lashes, just some Clinique 'High Impact' Mascara, and more MAC Prolongwear Concealer for my under eye circles. I used some of my MAC' Hibiscus Kiss' Bronzer/Blush Duo compact for my blush and MAC 'Adored' Mineralize Skinfinsh as my highlighter from their 'Tropical Taboo' Collection (To see my Haul from this collection, click here). To finish off the look, I wanted to do a Nude lip to keep all the focus on the eyes and liner. So I used MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in 'Etcetera' and filled in my lips with MAC 'VIVA Glam II' Lipstick (My favourite VIVA Glam!!).

For my second look I wanted all the focus on the lips this time and I knew that using 'Hautecore' would get all the attention without having to ask for it. I prepped my face with my Urban Decay B6 Prep Spray and used MAC 'Skin Base' Primer. I also used some of MAC CC Primers 'Adjust' (to correct the blue under my eyes and shadows around my face) and 'Neutralize' (to correct the red around my mouth and nose). Once that was set, I applied my liquid foundations just the same as I did on my first look and set it with the MAC Mineralize Skinfinsh Natural. MAC 'Nude on Board' Bronzing Powder for my Contour. Brows filled and corrected/highlighted the same as in look 1. For the Ombre liner, I used MAC Chromographic Pencil in 'Pure White' and lined my inner lid all the way to about 3/4 of my lid. Next I took my Cargo 'Black" eyeliner pencil and blended that in to make grey. I made sure to darken the gray closer to my outer lid and not blend as much closer to my inner lid to give it that gradient look. For the darkest part of the liner, my wing, I used my Jesse's Girl Liquid Eyeliner Pen. Some more Pro Longwear Concealer under my eyes and some Clinique 'High Impact' Mascara on my top and bottom lashes. MAC 'Ripe For Love' Blush from their 'Temperature Rising' Collection (To see my haul from this collection, click here) and MAC 'Adored' Mineralize Skinfinsh as my highlighter. For my dark lip, I used my Cargo 'Black' Eyeliner Pencil to line my lips and then filled them with MAC 'Hautecore' Matte Lipstick. This is one of my favourite looks to date. Super fun liner that you can do with any colour, and a black lip is so daring! LOVE it!!

What do you think folks? Do you love look 1 or 2 better? Don't forget to let me know what you loved about this collection and what pieces you got in the comments box below! Do you love the black lipstick as much as I do? Or is it too much? What ways do you use the pigments? I want to know everything, and you can show me your 'Punk Couture' looks by tagging me on Instagram with #makeupmasochist!

For more MAC collection Hauls, swatches and looks, be sure to subscribe to my blog by entering your email into the box at the top of this page. You can also follow my blog on Bloglovin' (MakeupMasochist) and on Instagram (@fernonje). Thanks for the support dolls!

Black is so badass...

xoxo
Ashley

Nails of the Week - First Manicure of 2014!

Happy Friday-eve Lovies!

What better way to get through the 'mid-week blues' than a fun, fresh manicure? This is long overdue, my digits needed the TLC. I love having a fresh manicure to start the year, sounds so girly but I can't help it! I am the biggest girly girl, and proud of it!

Now my little nailistas - I decided to change the shape of my nails as well. Figured that there wouldn't be a better time to change things up a bit than in the New Year! I decided I wanted to try a more natural, oval nail shape. You have to let me know what you think of this new nail shape in the comments box below - let me know if its a keeper or if I should go back to my more squared nail shape.

I wanted to do a nice wintery-white manicure. I am inspired by the colour white and the snow and all the beautiful colours that reflects off of freshly fallen snow and snowflakes. That's my inspiration for this weeks manicure. I feel like this would be how the 'Ice Queen' would have her nails done. She too was inspiration for this nailart, but in a more likeable and cozy version, hehe!





Let's get started:

First I always make sure to scrub and wash my hands and nailbeds after grooming them and before applying my nail polish. I manicured my cuticles and filed my nails to the desired shape, then washed and exfoliated my hands. Once my hands were dried, I applied Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) on the skin around the nail bed to keep polish where it's supposed to be and makes cleaning easy later.

The colours I am using today are: Nail's Inc Pearly White Laquer (not sure of the shade colour or name, I got this as a gift in a 'Nail's Inc.' set.), Julep "Joelle" Nail Polish (glitter coat) and some nail jewel decals that I got at my local Beauty Supply. Of course if you want to recreate this nailart, you can use any combination of colours or colour substitutions.

I apply my first coat of the Pearl White colour:

Then a second coat...

And a third...

In between and after each coat, I let the polish throughly dry. Once my base colour was completely dry, I then applied 1 coat of the glitter coat. I let all the polish dry for about a good ten minutes to make sure everything was set and perfect before applying the jewel decals.

I didn't particularly put the jewels in any type of pattern, I just chose 2 nails on each hand and put 1 jewel on each. I used 'Nail's Inc' Nail glue to glue on the jewels and placed them carefully with a tweezer on the nail bed.

Once the jewel decals were securely on, I applied a final layer of top coat to seal everything in and give it a good shine.

And Voila!

I love, love, LOVE this manicure!! Quite a way to start off this year of beauty ahead! I couldn't be happier with how it turned out, it was exactly what I wanted it to be! What do you think of this manicure? Is it 'Winter Wonderland' enough for you!? Hey we have 6 more weeks of winter - if you can't beat em, join em! Make sure you let me know what you think of this manicure and what you would do (or not do) differently for your Wintery Manicure!

For more nail art ideas and inpiration, please subscribe to my blog by entering your email into the box at the top right corner of this page. I would love to see your manicures for 2014, tag me on Instagram with #Makeupmasochist and don't forget to follow (@fernonje). You can also follow my blog on Bloglovin', click on the icon on the top right of my blog or search my blog on the app or website and follow!

To a beauty filled year ahead!

xoxo
Ashley

MAC Magnetic Nudes Collection - Haul, Swatches & Looks

Hello Beauties,

Well December was a heck of a busy month for us all - holidays, parties and MAC released two different collections on the same day as well as limited edition 'Huggable' lip colours. Whew! No wonder so many of us are opting for vacation, or at least on a very strict budget now in the new year.

This post is to talk about one of the collections that MAC released right after Christmas - no literally right after, on the 26th of December - their 'Magnetic Nudes' Limited Edition Collection. I was so excited about this collection, not only because I have been on this Nude makeup kick lately, but also because the powder products are 'Extra Dimension' formula. If you know about this formula from past collections, than you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you have not heard of their Extra Dimension formula, basically it's a liquid to powder hybrid formula and the colours are prismatic and layered so there's depth and dimension in the shade. So you can just imagine the colour payoff and effect it gives when applied.




This is a beautiful collection of soft metallics and neutral shades that are perfect to wear during the rest of the winter season but are still super on trend with how hot Nudes are right now. It was perfect timing to launch this soft, beautiful collection at the same time they launched a hard, punky one - Punk Couture (to see my MAC Punk Couture Haul, Swatches and Look, click here). MAC just aims to please by launching two extremely opposite collections, hey I'm not complaining ;).

Here's what I got from this Collection:

'Autoerotique' Extra Dimension Blush - This is described as a 'Dirty Coral Rose' colour, which it indeed is a medium to medium deep, coral pink. It has a soft satin finish as expected from their Extra Dimension formula, it's very buttery and had great colour payoff. Super pigmented, a little goes a long way. I love the warm undertones, and the muddy pink is perfect for the Winter season and into early Spring. The softness of this formula makes it super easy to apply and blend, surprisingly long wearing as well. I thought it wouldn't last as long on my face but wore well for 8 hours, with some patching in the last half hour. The more I stare at this blush, the more I fall in love with it! It has such a subtle shimmer to it, its so pretty and gives a great effect and dimension to the colour. I usually obsess over blushes and this will be no exception!

Silver Dawn' Extra Dimension Eye Shadow - Talk about Extra Dimension! This colour was the most interesting for me out of the whole collection. This is described as a 'Dirty Grey Mauve' but I would say that its a meduim deep, neutral to cool taupe with subtle shimmer and a metallic finish. I love this dark taupe-y colour, its a great alternative to black for a smokey eye (as demenstrated in one of the looks below). I love that because it looks more brown when paired with certain colours and more grey with others. Makes it a very verstile colour, one that I want to keep in my kit. I might buy backups of the shadows because of how beautiful they are and how well they work with all colours!

'A Natural Flirt' Extra Dimension Eye Shadow - This was the first item in the collection that I knew I had to have from the first time I saw it online. This is described as a 'Iridescent Light Pink', it is a pale warm pinky peach colour with a gold frost and metallic finish. Really pretty pink colour, great for highlighting and brightening. Love that this a more pink version of 'Naked' Pigment, both work amazingly well as a cheek highlight as well. I love this colour, perfect for Bridal makeup and perfect to polish off any nude makeup look! I'm 100% going back for another one of these babies, I've used it everyday since I brought it home. By this rate I'll need backups of my backups for this one!

'Close Contact' Amplified Creme Lipstick - Although I loved all the lipstick colours that they released in this collection, this was the only one that looked good and I could pull off. I can't resist a good peachy-beige nude! I almost always buy 'the nude colour' in every collection MAC releases. This is described as a 'Creamy Peach' colour. It's a medium light beige peach with opaque colour coverage and a creamy finish. This is a deeper than 'Myth' or 'Creme d' Nude'. I love this colour, nudes are so perfect to wear with any colour combination, any occasion, any time! This colour wears well for 4 hours (5 and a half with lipliner) and the creamy consistancy kept my lips soft and the colour soft. Nothing like a good nude lip, I'm obsessed!!

'Chilled' Fluidline Eye Liner - Love the shimmer and glitter in this one, it definitely caught my eye quick! This is described as a ' Frosted White Gold', it looks more pale pinky-peach with gold shimmer and pearl in the pot, but when applied appears more white-gold. This colour just screams 'Winter Wonderland' but not in a frigid cold kind of way - but more in a 'lets get cozy' kind of way. So pretty to wear on its own, great for under the bottom lashline, layered over other colours - there are so many possibilities!

'Our Secret' Fluidline Eye Liner - This is the Fluidline that I was first interested in, its so soft and pretty! This is described as a 'Metallic Brown with a Red Pearl'. Its a soft, medium warm brown with a very subtle red pearl finish. Super pretty for a non sparkle brown liner option, I ABSOLUTELY love it on people with brown eyes, it just intensifies the warm tones in their eyes. Its so pretty and neutral to wear as everyday liner. I'm all about the brown liner lately, this has been the eye liner I have been reaching for most.

'It's Physical' Fluidline Eye Liner - Now you might understand why I had a hard time choosing between the Fluidline's - here's another beautiful brown liner that makes me crazy because it's so pretty! This is described as a 'Brown with a Purple Pearl' colour. It has a deep brown base with large purple shimmer and a pearl finish. How pretty, right? So pretty! I love that this one has a little more presence than 'Our Secret', its the purple shimmer. Great to compliment brown and green eyes, perfect to wear on its own or with other neutrals or purples. I have a strange feeling that I will end up back at my MAC store buying all three Fluidlines! (Swatches from top to bottom in photo: It's Physical, Our Secret and Chilled.)

As much as I wanted to buy everything, there's no way I could - especially right after Christmas. I love, love LOVE this collection! Its so pretty, perfect shades to make everyone happy and the Extra Dimension formula just puts it over the edge! I feel like this collection is so underrated and it's my mission to let everyone know how beautiful it all actually is! If I do end up buying more of this collection (I might go back for an Extra Dimension Skinfinsh and I had my eye on a gloss too), I will make sure to add them to the post. So crazy in love with everything I got and have been wearing it non stop! Can't stop! Won't Stop!











Here are some lipstick swatch comparisons for 'Close Contact':

(Top - Bottom: MAC 'Fresh Brew', MAC 'Pure Decoration', MAC 'Altered Beige', MAC 'Close Contact')

For my first look, I decided to keep things really nice and simple. Benefit Porefessional Primer and MAC 'Painterly' Pro Longwear Paint Pot on my eyes as a primer. MAC Mineralize and Pro Longwear liqiud foundations with a little bit of MAC Studio Sculpt foundation where I needed it. MAC Mineralize Skinfinsh Natural powder to set. MAC 'Nude on Board' Bronzer for my contour. MAC 'Quite Natural' Pro Longwear Paint Pot for my brows with MAC Pro Longwear concealer to correct them. For my eyes I used MAC 'Saffron' (LE) eyeshadow on my crease and outer lid. Urban Decay 'Dark Horse' Eyeshadow from Naked 1 Palette on the inner 'V' and blended a bit into the crease. MAC 'A Natural Flirt' Extra Dimension Eyeshadow all over the lid and MAC 'Vanilla' Pigment on the inner corner and on my brow bone. Jessie's Girl Liquid Eyeliner and Clinque High Impact Mascara. My cheeks are MAC 'Hibiscus Kiss' (LE) Bronzer / Blush combo for my blush and MAC 'Adored' (LE) Mineralize Skinfinish as my highlight. On my lips I have MAC 'Boldly Bare' Lip Pencil blended with MAC 'Close Contact' lipstick.

My Second Look, My foundation, bronzer and brow products are all the same and applied the same as my first look. For my eyes I used MAC 'Silver Dawn' Extra Dimension Eye Shadow all over my lid and under my lower lash line. I then applied Urban Decay's 'Buck' Eyeshadow on my crease and under my lower lash line, and blended that into where I have 'Silver Dawn' colour with MAC 'Saffron' (LE) Eyeshadow. MAC 'A Natural Flirt' on my inner corner and brow bone. On my cheeks I have MAC 'Autoerotique' Extra Dimension Blush and 'A Natural Flirt' Extra Dimension Eye Shadow as my highlight. On my lips, I have the same combo of MAC 'Boldy Bare' Lip Pencil with 'Close Contact' Liptick.

Let me know what look you liked better and if you would try to recreate these looks in the comments box below this post! What did you think of the collection and what did you get? I would love to know your thoughts and how you much you are loving what you got, in the comments box below! Are you as gaga over these nudes as I am? I cannot get off this kick, and I'm LOVING it!

For more posts on future MAC collections, swatches and makeup looks, be sure to subscribe to my blog by leaving your email in the box at the top of this page. I will be posting what I got from their other collection 'Punk Couture', so make sure you check back soon for that one. Black Matte Lipstick? Um a Hells YES!

If you lovelies recreate my look, don't forget to tag me on Instagram with #makeupmasochist so I can see all of your creations, and don't forget to follow (@fernonje). You can also follow my blog on Bloglovin', just click on the icon above or search my blog on the app and follow!

For more information on the products mentioned and to purchase, please visit the links below:

www.maccosmetics.com
www.sephora.com
www.urbandecaycosmetics.com
www.benefitcosmtics.com

Feeling Nude-y, in my own naughty way!

xoxo
Ashley