MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection

The hype around MAC's latest summer collection has been unavoidable and it's easy to see why.  The entire collection consists of nude colors with limited edition packaging that is beyond gorgeous; metallic teal textured with 3D water droplets. 

It was released online May 15th and in stores one week ago today (May 22nd).  I arrived at my local MAC store at 11:00 am the day of it's release and items were already sold out! The sales associate mentioned that people were lined up at the door to get in when they opened at 9am (you crazy makeup junkies!)  

There are two parts of the Alluring Aquatic collection; "color" and "face", also released were two unique split fibre makeup brushes (a 233 eye shadow brush, a 127 face brush) and a medium size makeup bag.

"Sirens of the deep inspire an aquascape of shades, as waves of tarnished olive, seafoam and darkened plum surrender to water’s enticing spirit. Sultry eyes take on a subtle radiance, while luminous Extra Dimension Blush washes over cheeks, creating a goddess glow. Under the sea, nails glisten in aquatic chrome and metallic Nail Lacquer, as Lipstick, Lipglass and Lip Pencil dive deep into colour. Limited-edition teal packaging, dramatically accented with sheer water droplets."

Left to right: Mystical, Water Deities, Black Line

Mystical: "Midtone creamy rose"

Mystical is the perfect my lips but better color; soft and subtle.  It's a cremesheen formula which is my favorite for during the day, and perfect for when all you want to wear is a couple coats of mascara and a lippie.

Water Deities: "Light bronzey pink"
If you're familiar with MAC Nymphette this gloss is somewhat similar.  A gorgeous peachy rose gold but with more bronze and silver tones in it versus Nymphette's gold tones.  I've been loving this color gloss this season.  It also reminds me of NARS Orgasm lipgloss (I have a post in the works comparing Orgasm and Nymphette!)

Black Line: "Black with gold pearl"
Black Line is a "Pearl Glide Intense" eyeliner, and my first ever MAC liner!  The texture is unbelievably soft. It's described on the website as a "black with gold pearl" but in my opinion it is an dark forest green liner with gold flecks.  It's beautiful.  It reminds me of my old favorite Arbonne eyeliner in "Olive" but the texture is a lot smoother, thus easier to work with.  I like using dark green toned liners apposed to blacks because I find them less harsh and that it compliment on my blue eyes.  

"Bronzing Powders and Extra Dimension Bronzer in gentle, pearlized shades set skin aglow for summer. Limited-edition compacts in aquatic teal are dramatically accented with crystal clear droplets. Anticipate waves of adoration when carrying the coordinated chic, teal clutch, with a texturized water droplet finish and translucent sides in aqua."

Left to right: Mystical, Water Deities, Black Line, Refined Golden

Refined Golden: "Finely spun golden with soft pearl"

This was actually the first MAC product I ever bought.  I went through two because I used to use it every day but when I ran out around Christmas last year I never repurchased it for a third time (I replaced it with NARS Laguna instead)  So when I saw it repackaged in the teal packaging I couldn't help but buy it one last time.  Its a dark warm brown with tiny gold flecks throughout it.  In the summer months I love a bronzer with shimmer in it because I think a little sparkle looks gorgeous with a tan.

233 Split Fibre Eyeshadow Brush: "Small, paddle-shaped flat brush ideal for applying and laying down product on the eyelid.  Features a split of natural and synthetic fibres that deliver two unique results"

The final item I picked up from the collection is something I'm really excited about.  This brush is a flat eyeshadow brush with natural hairs on one side, and synthetic on the other.  I was talking to the sales associate and she said she uses the synthetic side for cream products (like a paint pot or eyeshadow primer) and then flips it over and uses the softer natural side for blending everything out.

Did you pick up anything from the Alluring Aquatic collection or pass this time around?

xoxo

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Color Your Smile Lipgloss Bouquet {Review}

Recently Jaclyn Hill teamed up with cosmetic company Whitening Lightening to create the "perfect rose gloss" which she appropriately named Rose Hill. When she announced that it was available online, I had another fan girl moment (much like when I ordered her Sigma brush kit) where I paused the video, and instantly placed an order.

You can order Jaclyn's gloss on it's own, or order a bundle for a discounted price.  I chose the "lip gloss bouquet" which features Rose Hill along with three other of Jaclyn's favorite lipglosses from the Color Your Smile line.  It was only $11 more to get the four gloss bundle than it would be for me to order just Rose Hill and Nude (another gloss I was interested in).    

Left to right: Pink Tiara, Nude, Coral Craze, Rose Hill

Jaclyn Hill Lip Gloss Bouquet:
Rose Hill: "Jaclyn’s perfect rose gloss"
This is definitely one of my favorites in the bouquet.  It's the perfect balance between warm pink and red.  I like to wear it when I'm out and about because it gives a nice flush of color without being too much of a bold red for day time.    

Pink Tiara: "a sophisticated and sultry baby pink"
Pink Tiara is the only gloss in the collection I'm a little unsure about.  It's a very pale, blue based pink which I usually steer far away from.  This being said, since it's a gloss it seems to be more wearable than an opaque lipstick.  Karen, from KPsays, describes it as a "pepto bismol pink" which is a spot on color description, but hopefully I will find a way to make it work this summer!

Coral Craze: "a sun-drenched peachy nude"
I'm so excited to wear this over my favorite "Coral Bliss" lipstick from MAC.  It's one of those beautiful peachy pink corals that is perfect for this time of year.  I find with my warm complexion that corals suit me better than most pinks.  This gloss was a definite win.

Nude: "a timeless and flawless nude that is a must in every collection."

I've wanted to order this color for a long time so I was excited that it was included in this package.  This nude gloss is talked about so much on YouTube and I now know why.  It's so versatile and wears well on its own, or over almost any lipstick. I also like to wear this layered with Rose Hill for more of a muted rosey lip.

Claims:

"Our fresh and fun lighted lip gloss has created quite the buzz. COLOR YOUR SMILE Gloss is a highly-pigmented velvety smooth formulation that contains collagen peptides to boost moisture and fullness for the perfect pout. Infused with anti-aging ingredients, this innovation is a luxurious lip product that will make its way into your everyday makeup routine."

Formula/ Pigmentation:

The formula of these glosses is so creamy.  It's comfortable and moisturizing which makes them easy to wear for long periods of time. The pigmentation of these glosses is unreal too.  Each swatch below was completely opaque after just two swipes of the applicator.

Left to right: Rose Hill, Pink Tiara, Coral Craze, Nude

Lasting Power:

The longevity of these glosses is another thing I was really impressed with.  I find they last on my lips for around 2 hours before I need to retouch them.

Scent:

They have a weird "unscented" scent.  They definitely don't smell good, but they don't exactly smell bad... if you know what I mean.

Packaging:

You either love it, or you hate it.  I personally think it's a bit gimmicky. Each gloss has an LED light that turns on every time open it, and a mirror on the side of the square tube.  I will admit, the mirror is handy but I find the light makes it hard to see how much product you're applying.  They say  "our LED light and mirror make it the perfect purse companion for touch ups on an evening out."  However, on the average afternoon out, I really don't have a need for an light up LED lipgloss.  

Price/Availability:     

Online each gloss retails for $24.00, or you can purchase bundles.  Mine was the Jaclyn Hill lipgloss bouquet which cost $59 for four glosses.  But there are a few other bundles also available on the website.  Whitening Lightening constantly has coupon codes offering site wide discounts on their products, so make sure if you place an order you don't pay full price!  If you follow them on Instagram they are always sharing their latest coupon codes that give you discounts ranging from 10-25% off so make sure you take advantage of them!

Likes:

• Creamy comfortable formula
• Excellent pigmentation
• Cute mirror
• Staying power

Dislikes:

• I really wish the LED light had the option to turn off 
• Despite my 25% off discount code, these glosses turned out to be more expensive than I expected.  Shipping to Canada was $9.50, and then I also had to pay custom charges when I received my package (another $15.75) 

Overall: ★★★★

What I love most about all of these glosses is the quality of the formula.  Between the texture, pigmentation, and longevity you seriously can't go wrong.  However, the light does bug me (I think it's a little tacky) and when I had to pay an additional $15 when I received my package you could say I was a little less than excited.  This is why I probably won't be purchase anything from the Whitening Lightening site in the near future, but overall I am very happy with my lip gloss bouquet.

Have you tried the Color Your Smile lip glosses or any other Whitening Lightening products? 

I'd love to hear what you think!

xoxo

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{Top 5} Favorite YouTube Beauty Gurus

I don't normally post on Sundays but I wanted to introduce a "Top 5" series every second Sunday.  Something short and sweet where I share with you my current favorite bloggers, vloggers, Instagram accounts, etc.

I wanted to start with YouTube because these are the five women that inspired me to start blogging myself (and one day maybe even vlogging)  I watch almost every single one of their videos and even get excited when they upload new ones.  Some of them I'm sure you're familiar with (I've definitely talked about Jaclyn Hill a time or two on my blog) however if you're unfamiliar with any of these girls I highly recommend you check them out; hopefully you'll love them as much as I do!

Jaclyn Hill

What I love about Jaclyn is that she tailors her channel to what she thinks will work for everyone.  She posts beautiful and achievable tutorials, and has such a fun loving personality on camera.  Plus, she recently hit her 1 million subscriber milestone on YouTube!!!

Makeup By Alli

Alli was the first YouTube channel I really got into.  I stumbled across her one night and I think I watched every single one of her videos! She's absolutely beautiful, and I have the biggest hair envy every time I watch her.   What I love about her channel is that she posts such a variety of different videos.  I never get bored, I look forward to Makeup By Alli uploads the most!  

Coffee Break with Dani

Isn't she adorable? I find that Dani is so humble, which I love and respect.  She's always talking about how she's a stay at home mommy and has the cutest son you've ever seen ("Tater says hi!") I also relate to her small shopping problem that she totally admits to (she blames the "coffee break research" I blame the blog!)



Leighann Says

I think Leighann is so funny.  She does what she loves and you can tell that she's just being herself.  I also love her little Texas twang (I've always wished I had one)





itsbl0ndie

Last but not least Casey Holmes! She has the most beautiful hair ever (there's that hair envy again) and I love the way she edits her videos.  They're all unique, but she has a definite style (if that makes any sense at all)

I hope you liked this series and I hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Happy Sunday!

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