Mac Me Over Haul Reviews + Swatches

I wasn't planning on purchasing anything but the 226 brush from this collection. Until I spoke with a friend of mine who works for MAC who convinced me (like I need a lot of convincing), that this is one of the best and biggest collection that MAC will have this year.

I live an hour away from the MAC Store. I know, i know...it sucks. So being I'm insane at times, I decided to drive down last night and stay at the bf's house to make sure that I'll be on time for the launch the next day.

On time? I was way early. I was there at 9.45am, and the store doesn't open until 10am. I sat across the store...they must have thought I was crazy to be THAT early...but hey, I admit, I am makeup crazy.

Empty MAC Store

So here are the items that I purchased:

Stila Holiday Collection 2011 - Dream in Full Color Palette Review and Swatches

Stila Holiday Collection 

Dream in Full Color Palette

Stila Holiday Collection 2011 - Daydream Palette Swatches

Hi Everyone!

A few weeks ago, I received an exclusive 2-day shopping invite from Stila for their 2011 Holiday Collection. I placed an order right away, and received my order just a few days ago.

I will be doing swatches for everything, but I decided to start with the day dream palette.

Enjoy!

Stila Holiday 2011 Collection

My Top 10 picks from Napoleon Perdis

Quick background on Mr. NP:

Napoleon Perdis created a line of cosmetic products which he sold through his own concept store in the trendy Sydney suburb of Paddington in 1995 and later through major department stores. When the company celebrated 10 years in the industry (in 2005) his name was firmly established; by 2007 the "empire" operated 59 concept stores across Australia and New Zealand and sold its cosmetics from a total of 800 locations.


He worked as a make-up artist for brides on weekends and in 1992 opened his own make-up studio in a small shop in Ultimo, New South Wales. In 1993, he won a make-up competition at a beauty expo with a look that was inspired by Cher. He won a trip to Los Angeles, where he met Cher's make-up artist and agreed to become the Australian distributor for his 'Taut' make-up products. Napoleon sold the make-up to brides and through his Ultimo studio and hair salons. He sold the business when he launched his own make-up products under the successive names, The Look, then The Look by Napoleon, followed with Napoleon and finally to its current Napoleon Perdis name from 1994.


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Perdis


As promised, here are my top 10 picks from the master himself, Napoleon Perdis.


1. Marshmallow Foam Cleanser 

Described as gentle enough for all skin types, this foaming makeup remover will lift off every look pronto! A blast of this skin - friendly foam will soothe and remove all traces of makeup and impurities without stripping the skin’s delicate acid mantle. Thanks to Marshmallow Extract and Allantoin, your skin is left feeling comfortably clean and soft. Hard working humectants hydrate even the weariest of complexions. Self activating – no water necessary – rinse or tissue off. Just press, pump, and you're ready to go!


How I use it:
Skin Prep – Generally, I’ll do a first pass with makeup remover wipes to do a quick cleanse, then follow up with the NP Marshmallow Cleanser to make sure my subjects skin is fresh and clean. 

Cleaning – At wrap, most models would want their makeup removed. This cleanser works phenomenally. I go through the usual cleaning regimen, cleaning them as thoroughly as possible, and leave this as the pièce de résistance. I keep this cleanser chilled and use it as my finale. It refreshes their skin and removes any unseen makeup residue (And trust me, you think you’ve got it all off? NOPE! Not until you use this cleanser!)

Make Up For Ever Pro Road Show BABY!

It has been a while since I traveled by myself. When I learned about that the Make Up For Ever PRO Road show will be held in San Francisco, I didn't think of it much since knew in the back of my head that I really didn't have the guts to travel alone. But really, how can I resist? 9 Complimentary Education Sessions with top Make up Artists and Industry Experts, backstage card discount on most their products and to top it off, 50% off on their most iconic products. I JUST HAD TO GO.

Getting there was no problem. Thanks to my brother who paid for my first class upgrade. Other than shorter lines for baggage checkin and security, the only main difference between coach and first class was: free alcohol. 3 Vodka Sprites later, I was feeling a bit more...normal.


Anyway, back to the road show. I was too excited and wanted to make sure I had a good seat so I was at the hotel by 9am, even if doors didn't open until 10am and classes didn't start until 10.30am. I was one of the first people there, which was a good thing since the line got crazy long at around 9.45am.

Here's a quick round-up of events:

Day 1:
HD for All by David Hernandez
HD Rules:
1. No Glitter
2. No Shimmer
3. Have different brushes for HD. (The teeny-tiny glitter in your brush will get transfered to your model and will be seen in HD)
4. When applying red lipstick, it should be 6x softer.
5. Don't use blues and greens too much. If you need to, be gentle.
6. Place lipgloss lightly and strategically.

Napoleon Perdis on QVC!

Napoleon Perdis is making his QVC DEBUT next Thursday night, August 25th at 10pm pst! The makeup genius will be hosting a one-hour show on INSTANT GLAMIFICATION. Napoleon will be revealing his backstage tricks and easy application tips to bring out the celebrity in you. 

There will be lots of QVC-exclusive product offers for major makeup savings, so call in and buy! 

Spread the word!! Tell your family and friends, attend the QVC event on our Facebook page and invite friends and -- most importantly -- watch on Thursday night! OR you can watch it LIVE online at QVC.com! (see below) 

I'll be posting about my top 5 (maybe 10) Napoleon Perdis Products soon! 

Happy Shopping!

xoxo,

Michelle

How to depot your Urban Decay Book of Shadows without ruining the original packaging!

Depotting Urban Decay's Book of Shadows is a lot easier than depotting their 15th Anniversary Palette. There are a lot of tutorials out there that teach you how to depot, but you'll end up ruining the beautiful packaging. Not a fan of that idea, I paid a good price for these, and would rather keep the cute packaging (if only for bragging rights).

For this you will need the following:
1. Urban Decay Book of Shadows (I have BOS I and III)