i HATE MAC!!!!! ~ i think hell just froze over....

As you know i purchased a whole lot of makeup recently @ the MAC Pro store in Sydney to add to my kit. Among those purchases was a bottle of MAC Pro Airbrush foundation. I bought ONE bottle (for my own personal use to try out before i stocked my kit with it) and I cannot BELIEVE how inferior this product is in comparison to the Temptu range.....

Sure, the MAC airbrush makeup comes in a bigger package $60 for 50ml as opposed to Temptu $40 for 30ml, but the longevity, colour and finish, pale in comparison.

One of the big issues for me was the dry time. I have a set routine of how i get ready for work every morning.

1> blow dry hair
2> apply primer, then foundation
3> dry foundation with air from airbrush gun
4> powder
5> straighten hair
6>apply rest of makeup

When i use the temptu formula it is already dry by the time i apply the powder.... the MAC formula however is still not dry and the bristles of my brush are covered with the foundation.

Below is a pic of how it looks after applying powder..... (pls excuse the brows, have not been able to get an appointment @ the salon)



as i have limited time in the morning, i have no time to take it all off and start again so i add a little more powder using a puff, hoping that it will some how miraculously solve my problem.. but to no avail. i spend the whole day trying to hide my face at work... a bit hard when you are a receptionist!

during the day i notice that the foundation is worseing in wear throught the day. when i touch my face the foundation just slips right off (unlike the temptu formula which stays put ALL DAY!)

when i got home i was so apalled that i had to take a picture and show you what had happened!!!


HOW DISGUSTING IS THIS???? it's like my pores became giant and swallowed big pools of my foundation....and the worst thing is, is that my temptu foundation ran out yesterday and all i have left is this $h*tty mess of a product.

MAC- you have let me down TWICE now..... the more i buy from there the less i love them... the only thing that i am still in love with are the eyeshadows, and the pro longwear makeup... :(

I only wish there were more reviews of this out there, so i could've saved myself some money... now i have to wait a whole nother fortnight before i can order some temptu... so heart broken..

Hopefully i've saved someone from making the same mistake~!!

MAC Brow Set "Clear"

So as you can see from my previous Sydney shopping trip i bought the MAC brow set in clear as i am wanting to concentrate on grooming the brows for photoshoots and also for myself when i wear makeup for work etc.

I was so excited to try this cos some of my MUA friends have been RAVING about it and MAC in general (lately i have been becoming more and more disappointed in MAC).

I tried it on Monday just past, and i am so disappointed with how this product DOESN'T work... it doesn't "set" my brows or hold anything... it looked terrible. i would've gotten better results from a tub of vaseline for $3 instead of spending $28 on this....

So children, don't invest in this product... i would recommend using vaseline, or "the makeup store" brow primer or even just a cheap clear mascara.... don't waste approx 1 hours worth of wages on this crap just cos it's "MAC"....

The Makeup Store Nail Polish "Madeleine"

So here is what The Makeup Store's holographic nail polish in "Madeleine" looks like....

It is VERY similar to China Glaze Collection "FYI" but with a little more pink than brown.

It retails for $25.00 AUD ($22.50 if you are a VIP member) so in comparison to what i can get China Glaze for ($9.95 @ the beauty supply) it's a bit pricey... :S

In comparison to the China Glaze it also has it's fair share of pros and cons.

PROS:

• it has a nice wide brush
• the formula glides on with ease!
• when layering coats it doesn't get splotchy like CG does, eg the first coat seems to come off whenever i apply CG second coat -this one doesn't do that.
• excellent finish, the holographic effect is just as awesome as CG, if not better. i find that CG sometimes goes dull when i put a top coat on.
• i love the packaging!!!

CONS

• the cost... $22.50 compared to CG for $9.95....
• i actually had to put 3 coats to get a nice finish, as opposed to CG which only needs 2
• the smell is VERY strong!!! i got a massive headache after doing my nails.

All in all i am quite impressed with this nail polish, it definitely surprised me as i wasn't expecting to like it so much.

if you can afford to spend the money, or you don't have access to China Glaze in your area i would totally recommend it!

and now for some nail art......
(using Konad stamp system m70)

Konad Nail Art Stamper

What you need is an image plate and the above stamper to do the nail art.

The plate below can make a LOT of different designs once you master it.


I have used this stamper for a while now and have come across a couple of pros and cons.

PROS:

• Awesome nail art @ basically no cost, just time!
• The images dry almost instantly so you don't have to wait a LONG time to put on the top coat.
• No Limits... you r only limited by your imagination as to what you can create.
• It's FUN! :D

CONS:

• It can get messy,,,..... like anything practice makes perfect! The small designs are EASY to master but the full plate designs don't always work out. PLUS if you stuff it up you have to take off you colour plus the art and start again which REALLY annoys me!
• I have quite wide nails and the full designs don't fit my thumb... see pic below! It makes it look quite amateur... which kinda defeats the purpose of the Konad Nail system
• You need to make sure that you choose a pigmented nail polish in order for the design to work. If it's too thin it won't print.
• You also need to clean the plate in between stamps otherwise the old nail polish clogs the print and nothing will come out on the stamp/or it will be an incomplete stamp

I still think this is a WORTHY investment and quite fun to do. Once you master it I think it'll be worth it... hopefully i'll get there one day! :D

2ND attempt @ Nail Art

The BEST quick dry top coat EVER!

So i went to my local beauty supply and was hunting for a new quick dry top coat as i had run out of the China Glaze one which i had won in a competition and no shops around here stock it!
(of course, we never get anything here in Canberra!)

I asked the lady at the counter to help me find one and she directed me to this bottle:



At first i was REALLY skeptical (sceptical??? i dunno how to spell it) as i had never even heard of this brand and the packaging wasn't very exciting.... plus the price tag was a bit off putting ($12 when OPI and Zoya were only $10 and they are both leading brands!), but the woman seemed so honest in her opinion that i had to give her the benefit of the doubt and try it.

When i got home and applied it for the first time i was in shock! It LITERALLY dried my nails almost instantly. I was able to do my nails before bed and wake up the next morning with NO SMUDGES, NO LINES (caused by my hair while i toss and turn at night) and PERFECT SHINY NAILS! I am totally sold on this and i don't think i will ever go back to any other brand. And the bonus is it's not thick and gluggy and it goes on very easily!

It is made by Pro Linc Cosmetics Inc in USA and is toluene and formaldehyde free as well!

You MUST try this!