The MAC Mommy

Well, I've admitted it before but I suppose there is no harm in admitting it again -- I'm a cosmetics freak. I have all of my little products that span different brands that I'm attached to. Generally I'm open to trying new products, though I always go back to the same foundation, blush/bronzer, and mascara. There is one product that I don't budge on, though, that is always the same -- and that is my eyeshadow. Trust me people, I have tried and tried to find another product that is this good, but I always fail. And for me, eyeshadow is a must -- meaning I must wear it, it must be highly pigmented, and it must just generally ROCK.

Of course, if you enjoy cosmetics as I do, you already know what brand I am talking about. Is there any other? That's right, MAC eyeshadows are the only thing that this Chick will wear. They are so highly pigmented that they actually look like the color they are in the pan. When I was teaching at the all-girls school my girls would come in every day asking what colors I had on.

Anyway, yesterday I visited a MAC Pro store close to my house and bought myself a palette to hold 15 of my eyeshadows. The problem is that I have purchased most of my eyeshadows in the little pots (the first picture above left), and I wanted them to be in the palette so that they would all be in one place. After a little searching I found this video on You Tube that teaches you how to safely de-pot your eyeshadows so that you can add them to the palette. It takes a little work, but I managed to get three of them done in about 15 minutes, though I still have more to do. Anyway, the method is good, so if you are looking to do the same thing, this video should help you.

If you are interested, you can buy the refill pans for the palette for $10.50 each though you can only buy them in a MAC Pro Store, but you can buy the eyeshadow pots online in any color for $14.50 each.  It's pricey, I know, but like I said they are the best I've found.  I started with one or two and just purchased a new one each time I went to the mall until I had a collection built up.  It didn't seem as bad doing it that way!

For your benefit...

We are finally home from DC. It was a blast but so tiring at the same time (so much shopping, so little time) mainly because Little AG and I had a lot of downtime while hubby was in meetings and it was just the two of us, sans car or other form of transportation. As far as the sporadic posting, -- lets suffice it to say that our nights were exceedingly late, and as lovely as the Holiday Inn Georgetown was, they only had WIRED high-speed internet, which hubby and I had to fight over share.

Anyway, I managed to make it to my favorite store ever, Sephora, while I was schlepping Little AG around M Street, looking to spend the giftcard that I won in a contest on Chic Critique. Of course, Sephora can be overwhelming -- there is such a fine line between products that I could use every day and products that would just be "fun" to have but aren't a necessity (like that leg bronzing stick....). While I was in there, I was approached by a Will Farrell look alike who offered to apply some makeup on me (a long night coupled with an early morning with a toddler who wasn't sleeping in her own bed had allowed me to feel justified in taking to the streets with a clean and moisturized yet cosmetic-free face) because I think I broke some sort of unspoken rule of entering Sephora fresh-faced and frighteningly makeup free. When he was finished I wandered over to the Benefit display section and noticed this new cheek and lip stain called Posietint -- a pink version of the already-popular yet way-too-red-for-me Benetint.

I was able to try the Posietint on over my freshly applied foundation (thanks Will!) and I fell in love with it. It is a perfect, easily blended and natural solution that gives cheeks that slightly flushed look. It's better for those of us with fairer skin since when I wear the reddish Benetint it looks like I'm trying out for a spot at the Moulin Rouge... It is also just as effective on your lips, and, as it is a stain, it will also make a great lipstick base and will make for a long wearing effect under your lipstick. You can buy Posietint on the Benefit Cosmetics website for $28.