Eye Shadow -MAC - Paint Pot in Coral Crepe
piratecaptain 5/10/2010 7:15:00 AM
So much more versatile and flattering than one would think!!! I LOVE this new paint pot! I feel like the color is a lot more glowing peach than it is coral or orange, and when I put it on I was surprised at how little I needed to do to get it to look natural and pretty. Usually with bright colors (especially anything pink, orange, or reddish) I have to be really careful about how and where I apply, what other colors I use for balance and shading, etc so that the makeup still looks "pretty" and not just fun. I found that all this paint pot really needs is a nice black liner on the top lash, some mascara, nice blush (MAC Instant Chic or Nars Orgasm) and lipstick (looks awesome with Made to Order). Which may sound like a lot to some, but what I am saying is that the eyes themselves can stay fresh and pretty and coral/peachy without a lot of need for sculpting and shading and crease colors and highlights etc. Who knew that this color could end up being so fresh and easy? PS- it makes Hot Hot Hot look the way it does in the pan, which is nothing short of a miracle, and it works great with Rubenesque if you want to dilute it at all, or want to use another color on the inner lid. They are very similar colors in the sense that Rubenesque is gold with coral glow, and Coral Crepe is coral with a golden glow. Definitely siblings. Also, the color seems to get more "normal" (goldy peachy) as the day wears on. What was bright coral in the morning was a lovely gilded peach/tan by the end of the day. Not complaining though because it still looked great. If you miss this color (since it is LE) you can mix Flammable paint with Rubenesque and get a very similar color.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -MAC - Brown Bag
piratecaptain 5/10/2010 7:06:00 AM
Gorgeous caramel color, fabulous coverage, and very unique. However, if you are a pale-ish person, this color may not look so hot on your hands. I didn't even know that my fingers were such a pink color until I put this color next to them, and all of a sudden they looked like little plump sausages. Ha, too bad for me because the color itself is beautiful, and I am truly jealous of those of you who get to wear it. NW20 ladies, (or those with pink fingers) beware, this color may not be your best day.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Up The Amp
piratecaptain 5/6/2010
BEST COLOR EVER!!!!! Looks so freaking good on. it is so flattering, bright (but not over the top somehow), wearable for day or night. I cant believe I didn't already own this, I am so excited about it! I can't believe it exists: a bright gorgeous magenta that looks somehow neutral, but it's true.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - straw harvest
piratecaptain 5/5/2010 11:57:00 PM
EXACTLY THE SAME AS EVENING AURA!!!!!!!! Which is silly, since I never even wear Evening Aura, and now I have 2 (because I'm not so sure that the MAC return policy in New Zealand is as lenient as it is in the US). Anyway, the color is gorgeous, so I should be wearing it, no matter what it's called. Glowing peachy gold with pinkish reflects. Just beware that if you have Evening Aura, that this is the exact same eyeshadow.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Fresco Rose [DISCONTINUED]
piratecaptain 5/5/2010 11:36:00 PM
Why isn't this review board with the other Paint Pots? Anyway, This color is way better than I thought it would be. It is a lovely medium to light pink that somehow manages to have both a blue undertone AND a goldy glow. I know that sounds weird, but it's true, and I think this is what makes it so very wearable for so many people. I am dark brunette, hazel eyes, nw20 with freckles, and generally look horrid in pinks. But somehow this works. Even alone the color is great, and under eyeshadows like red violet, it is awesome. And I suspect that it also does wonders under neutrals. he one drawback is that it makes my lids VERY crepey and wrinkled (and I'm only 35!), but I have that problem with the other frosty paint pots as well.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Red Violet
piratecaptain 5/5/2010 11:16:00 PM
Gorgeous magenta!!! I have been searching for an eyeshadow this color for a long time (I know, why didn't I go to the pro store earlier), and was elated to finally find this one. the color payoff when dry (no base) is pretty bad, but when finessed this can be a fantastic eyeshadow. I put it on today over fresco rose paint pot, and applied it wet with mixing medium, and it is BRIGHT and fabulous. I have also been messing with layering other frosts and pearls on to it since it is matte: Shale over red violet = plum with pink shimmer. Satellite dreams over top = magenta plum with blue reflects. Parfait amour over top = bright purple with pink reflects. All in all a great color, but you will be disappointed if you try to apply it dry right out of the pan.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Hot Hot Hot
piratecaptain 5/5/2010 11:08:00 PM
This eyeshadow is a lovely reddish coral with shimmery gold reflects...sometimes. It shows up very differently depending on how you apply it: 1. dry brush w/o a base: satiny soft matte watermelon coral (not great color payoff) 2. dry bush w/ base: shimmery reddish pink coral w/ pink reflects 3. water-wet brush w/o base: goldy coral with LOTS of gold reflects (looks like a cross between coppering and bold & brazen) 4. Mixing medium-wet brush (this is the BEST way to get the best, most red, color payoff) with or without base: BRIGHT reddish coral with gold and pink shimmer. Also, this method (without a base) is the longest lasting, almost to the point of being a stain. In a good way. When I bought this and got it home, I was initially very disappointed in the color payoff, but as I worked with it I found that I actually respect it's versatility. I can use it in a lot of different ways since it reacts so differently to varying stimuli. Also, I thought momentarily that it may be too similar to coppering, but while it IS similar in color, it is very different in texture. Coppering is very frosty metallic, and hot hot hot is more quietly shimmering, and never frosty (unless you apply straw harvest over it, and then it looks EXACTLY like bold and brazen). The MAC artist who was working the day that I bought this (and trust me, I never would have been interested in this color otherwise) was wearing Hot Hot Hot on the lids w/ a touch of Straw Harvest, brown liner on her waterline, and Woodwinked on and below the lower lash line. She had the same pale skin + hazel eyes + brown hair that I do and she looked great, so I thought I'd try the exact same look. When I first put the shadow on I thought "there is no way that this is going to be at all flattering on me, no matter what I do"....but as I put together the rest of the look (plus a fine line of black liquid liner on the top), I realized that it looks great! And I am not usually an in-your-face color kind of woman. I even got a compliment from my next door neighbor, who has only ever seen me in "normal" makeup. All in all, it is a pretty unique shadow, but it takes some finessing.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Vegas Volt
piratecaptain 5/5/2010 8:23:00 AM
When done right, this lipstick is gorgeous. For me, this is not the kind of lipstick I just can toss in my bag and slap on while I am on the go. It requires a mirror (something I usually don't bother with once I leave the house), a bit of lip liner (chicory or spice) (mouth off is almost exactly the same color, and almost too light), and possibly a nudey pinky gloss (soft & slow looks awesome with it) to tone it down. But it is SO worth the effort. It is SO pigmented and bright that it literally glows. And it lasts an incredibly long time, which for me is a miracle because usually I have eaten off all my lipstick within 30 minutes of applying. Be Warned: This color definitely is not for everyone. This is a VERY BRIGHT peachy orange, and it has a lot of opaque white in it, so the people that say that this looks like Miami Grandma lipstick are not that far off base. It's how you decide to harness the power of this lipstick that makes all the difference. When I swatched this and Morange next to each other they were very similar in color, but their textures and reflective properties were very different. Morange is a very shiny, slick, dense primary orange that looks really moist....and Vegas Volt is just wham-bam screaming opaque bright peach, with less shine and depth, but also just as beautiful. All in all I think Vegas Volt is probably more wearable for the masses than Morange is, but neither of them is for the faint of heart. This is some serious orange business.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -L'Oreal - HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner
piratecaptain 4/25/2010 6:09:00 PM
Super pigmented, easy to apply, and under normal conditions has good staying power. I actually like the brush for all the reasons everyone else is hating on it: it's stiffness makes it really easy to dab the color on exactly where you want it, and then oh-so-lightly drag the brush to smooth it out. If you want a thicker line or nice cat eye, this makes it so much easier than trying to build up with a thinner, softer proper slanted liner brush. That said, if you want a more natural line, use a different brush. As for the staying power, the liner doesn't flake off(like tarte liquid liner), but I discovered recently that it cannot survive extremely sweaty situations....so watch out if you work out or do some serious dancing while wearing it...you will look like a wild panda. And not in a good way. EDIT: I DID A TEST RECENTLY TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS ONE CULPRIT IN MY MAKEUP ROUTINE THAT WAS CAUSING THE FALLOUT UNDER MY EYES. THIS IS THE OFFENDER. I wasn't noticing that the liner itself was fading, but what was happening was that it was sort of powdering down lightly throughout the day. So even though the line was as thick and dark as ever on my upper lid, there was still a dark shadow down below my eye. I am switching back to Tarte, because even though it can sometimes flake off, that is easier to correct in the middle of the day than trying to remove dark shadows on top of concealer/foundation/powder, and then have to reapply all that other makeup.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Dame's Desire
piratecaptain 4/24/2010 4:51:00 AM
This color works way better than I thought it would. I have a lot of issues with purples, everybody thinks they are automatically supposed to look great on people with hazel eyes, and that is not always true. I have many mac purples (satellite dreams, beautiful iris, parfait amour, flirty number, shale, etc) but this one is my new favorite. It is the more mature version of stars n rockets (less violent duochrome, more satiny finish and consistent color), more befitting for laid back (daily) wear. looks great as a "neutral" with black eyeliner and good mascara. I am loving this. I recommend. EDIT: While all those things I said before are still true, this color does definitely fade, even when applied over a base. I am sure that is more the case on me than most people (as everything fades to 50% of it's former glory on me within a few hours), but I still think that this eyeshadow in general is going to be a fader. So I would recommend applying this wet with mixing medium to get the best vibrancy from the start. PS- If applied over Red Violet it is beautiful, and lasts much longer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Star Violet (Veluxe pearl)
piratecaptain 11/10/2009 9:04:00 PM
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! star violet is a gorgeous bronzey rosey berry (i dont see the violet anywhere in this, especially on me), it is very pigmented and very frosty. considering how miserable i looked in nocturnelle, sketch, and trax, i was not holding my breath for this shadow to work on me. But to my glorious surprise this color looks GREAT with my NW20 freckled skin, brown hair and hazel eyes! HOORAY! Im sure there are people out there who cannot wear this shade, but I am just elated that i can. It looks great with evening aura, patina, orb, even beautiful iris (because of its reddish reflects). Hell I'm thinking it probably looks great with almost any other mac color.... (Im running through them in my head and I havent hit one yet that wouldnt work....maybe wondergrass or kelly green could be the exceptions :) LOVE!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Clinique - All About Eyes Concealer
piratecaptain 11/10/2009 12:41:00 AM
Im just going to copy and paste someone elses review here: "Yuck, its like sticky spackle that does nothing but highlight my dry flakey areas and settle directly into my crinkles. No thank you"! exactly. just seriously horrible texture, will definitely make anyone look older.... just what you want in a concealer, right? ha.
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Concealers -Tarte - The Eraser
piratecaptain 11/10/2009 12:31:00 AM
AAAK! SO YELLOW! i bought the "fair" color, and it is so far from fair! it is more like like a "medium" with a LOT of yellowy orange, waaaaay too yellow for me, even in the middle of summer in LA, when i actually develop a goldish hue. i would DEFINITELY not buy this product without trying it first. for the record: I am currently a MAC nw20 (nc25-30 in summer) with freckles.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Smut Eyeshadow
piratecaptain 11/9/2009 11:39:00 PM
ahhh, another eyeshadow that seemed like it was potentially a great color for everyone....only for me to find out that somehow it looked horrible on me. why cant MAC not make a single deep dark brown??? mac is always going for these theoretically magical "complex" deep colors, but they all end up being sheer dirty dingy dark greys....smut, beauty marked, nocturnelle, etc. This color turned out especially "meh" on me, with a weird greenish cast (nothing like a muddy grey green to really bring out the pink in ones eyes). I guess I'll just stick to mulch for my brown with a heaping of black liner to deepen it, and if i want an e/s that's really deep dark and rich, I'll have to go over to the teals like plumage, the deep blues like contrast, or to the purples like mystical mist. or, oh wait, here's an idea, maybe I could just stop relying on MAC for EVERYTHING, and branch out in search of my deep dark rich brown.... PS- NW20, brunette, hazel.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Stars N Rockets
piratecaptain 11/9/2009 11:23:00 PM
i do not understand the people that review this shadow as having great color payoff!!!! where? how??? i have tried layer upon layer of shadow, wet, dry, over primer, over paint pots, like 8 different colors of paints!!! and all i can get (over anything but really dark paints) is a realllly vague pretty flourescent magenta sheen, which is...well, nice, but NOT the color i was seeing in the pan. if you apply it over a black or dark blue base you CAN get the shadow to show up as a very pretty bright violet blue reflect, but there is no hot pink in sight when you do it this way, and where is the fun in that??? if all i wanted was a blue reflect i could use any number of other mac shadows or pigments (like frozen white pigment or white frost e/s). or HEY, i could just buy pink pearl pigment on ebay and get everything i wanted this e/s to be. i wanted a BOTH the bright hot pink eyeshadow AND the bright blue reflects. i wanted what what was in the pan, and for the life of me, could not get it. PS- NW20, brunette, hazel.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No