MAC Pressed Pigments Review

Hello Angels!

Back with a review of some MAC pressed pigments I picked up to complete my collection of what I found most interesting from that collection.  While I was at it I also decided to try (for the first time!) their Strobe Liquid, famed by many makeup artists and beauty bloggers as a go-to for creating an ethereal glow on any skin tone.  So it came home with me (see separate review post!).

All told I own 7 of the 20 pigments.  The complete collection can be viewed here
Here is my haul (plus strobe liquid):

I've swatched them on my NW45 skin.
From left to right, we have:
Moth (silver based light purple), Sweet Acting (silver based frosty pink), Angelic (silver based frosty off-white), Day Gleam (pearly NC30 shade), Deeply Dashing (pearly NW55 shade), Lime Ice (glittery seafoam green) and lastly Black Grape (deep aubergine with multi-pearl).  No primer, one good firm swipe across the pan.  

What do you think?  Ok well for starters let's address the name: Pigments  When we were discussing this with our local fave MAC artist she explained that the goal of these was to provide something like their glitter pigments that is a little bit easier to use.  If you've every tried using any loose pigments or glitters then you understand what difficulty she's talking about.  Imagine dropping black MAC pigment... anywhere....  Disaster.  With these they stay put in the pan.  

What about the color payoff?  Well I'd say there's a loss of color on a darker skin tone such as mine, and the silver undertone can start to take over.  I purchased Moth when these first came out and really liked that I could use it as a lightly colored, sparkly overlay for my purple eyeshadow looks, and decided to go back for the others to use for the same purpose.  So for me, the fact that their color isn't high impact isn't a deal breaker.  What is high-impact is the SPARKLE!  And I'm not talking crazy looking arts and crafts glitter chunks.  The ultra fine sparkle from these babies on the lids is, as my boyfriend put it, "mesmerizing" for a fun date night makeup look.  

Here is an example I put together to illustrate:  

That said, the colors are subtle enough to wear during the day as well.  They're all pigmented enough to wear alone when applied correctly, and would look very nice with an "unmade-up" makeup look (especially the Day Gleam and Deeply Dashing pigments).  

How to apply, you ask?  I would use any stiff and short-bristled eyeshadow brush (my fave for these is the MAC 215 but the 213 and 239 work as well.  You just don't want the bristles so long that they flick sparkle all over your face as you apply.  Moisten the brush with a little MAC Fix+ solution misted over it to really pack the shadow on to deepen the color if desired.  I also recommend using Shadow Shields, to avoid excessive fallout (although with a moistened brush and careful application it's not too much of a problem).

The only heartbreaker here?  I couldn't get my hands on the most popular pressed pigment: Damson.  Described as a "deep brown with gold pearl" online, the pot I swatched in the store made me gasp it was so pretty on my brown skin.  But they're alllll sold out.  I may check Ebay, and pay above retail, it was that pretty.  

Well that's all for now.  Hope you liked the swatches and got some useful tips!  Please leave your comments and questions below and as always... Happy Haulin'!

My Philip Lim for Target Review and Haul!

Hi Angels!

Back with an update on my complete Philip Lim Haul from the Limsanity that swept Target stores across the nation.  I was lucky in that I live in a less... ahem...  fashion preoccupied part of the country so there was no standing in line at 7 a.m. for me.  Nope, no throwing elbows or fighting crowds.  In fact, I forgot all about it in an effort to abide by my "No shop September" pledge as pennance for all my shopaholic sins this past summer (a mess!).  Well I made the mistake of checking my Instagram feed right before church and saw adorable reminders popping up as to why I absolutely needed to check out the collection!  So after church I hopped in my car and (tires screeching) headed over to the nearest Target, fully expecting to find hoards of women tugging at opposite ends of the same handbag and... Nope.  Nothing.  I found a peaceful, organized, and.... FULLY stocked 3.1 Phillip Lim section with a good amount of handbags available.  My Target didn't stock every single item in the collection, sadly, but they had a pretty decent selection.

So I did what any good sister/daughter/fashionista would do-- I got on the horn and took orders from my sisters and mom.  By the time they were done and I picked up everything that I was too chicken to leave behind (lest I regret it later-- I mean at less than $55 a bag, you really can't "overbuy") this is what my cart looked like.  

Mind you, the picking and discussion took at least 45 minutes.  And people who were walking by (and, shockingly ignoring the collection altogether) looked at me like I had two heads.  But in the name of affordable limited edition fashion I carried on.  

I will start by saying that most of the clothes were not my cup of tea.  For one, I didn't like that the embellishments on some of the dresses looked cheap and lackluster even for the low price:

I'm sure plenty of people disagree but those were a pass for me.  I liked the "Boom" sweatshirt, thought it was really cute:

But then I asked myself how often I would really wear it and questioned how that vibrant red in the print would look after a few passes through the wash.  Realizing that this piece would quickly become wear-only-at-home-clothes for me, at $29.99 I decided to pass (After seeing Jessics Alba wearing it my resolve was tested but... I stil don't own it.)

I considered this sweater:

But then I decided it looked "itchy" and very likely to pill (which is the bane of my existence!) so... Pass for me.   

This trench coat actually piqued my interest-- and the quality for the price is quite good.  I just already have something similar from GAP that I barely wear as it is so I passed, but this coat, which is still available online, I think is a grab for anyone who doesn't have a trench coat.

Ok so by now you're probably like "Well what did you get already???"  

Here's what I got:

The tiger t-shirt (which I only later realized was a piece from the men's collection but whatever it's still really cool):

This animal print dress, which I love because of the ruched fabric (always a friend to my figure), and the mustard and cobalt color combination (I love cobalt for fall!) and the asymmetric hemline.  This dress will accessorize up or down easily for work, play, or date night.  I can even see rocking it very casually with a classic pair of white Converse and a denim jacket.  A versatile piece for $29.99:

And... that was it for me with the clothes.  Still got that sweatshirt in my crazy head...  LOL give me strength.  

On to the accessories.  This is where I went HAM and am still deciding on what's a keeper and what's a return.  Although as a side note I could turn a pretty nice profit on what I don't want from what I'm seeing in the resale market for these on Ebay and Instagram.  But I'm not  into that-- I'd rather give someone else a chance to have a piece and return to the store. Total sap I know.  

Here's my collection all together:

A. Mess.  Don't judge me.  As my fellow pretty prescribers and I have determined, this extremely affordable collection has just done a favor for all of the much more expensive pieces in my collection.  It bought them a nice little vacation in their dust bags because these puppies will be my go-to bags for fall.  Something very comforting about being caught in the rain with bag that didn't cost $1800 and isn't made of leather.  So... Apologies in advance for the Lim overload you may be sensing when you see my future daily outfit posts (follow @drpurple81 to see!)

An overall review of the bags is, for a price range of $34.99 to $54.99 there's really not much to complain about.  They have a luxurious feel and look a lot like leather, and inside they have lots of organizing cimpartments and places for your multiple gadgets and lipstick.  All have either a zipper or magnetic closure which is a pet peeve of mine when I think of the beloved Louis Vuitton Neverfull.  Talk about an invitation to reach in and grab my wallet in a crowd!  But I digress....     

I didn't find any dried globs of glue or frayed trims on any of these bags.  Sure, you may find a loose stitch here and there to snip.  I'm just making this point because I've heard a lot of harsh critiques on the quality of these bags and I'm wondering what it is people are expecting for the price.  A miracle?  As an owner of many much more expensive bags I will tell you firsthand that no bag below a $900 price point is 100% exempt from this loose stitch flaw.  None.  

My absolute faves of the accessories collection include this scarf:

Fabulous because of the print and because it's HUGE but lightweight which makes it super duper versatile. 

Next fave is this adorable mini version of the Pashli (a gorgeous and popular $900 bag in the designer's non-Target collection) and it's a cross-body!!!!!  Ok well for me that's exciting.  I love having the hands free option.

My pic:

Stock pic:

Next fave is this medium satchel, because it's roomy but not huge, and looks way more expensive than it is.  In fact I'm substituting this bag for my Marc Jacobs Blake bag to give it a rest since they don't make it the same way anymore-- no more genuine brass details in newer versions :(.

My pic:

Stock pic-- it's also a cross body!!!!  And by now you know how happy that makes me:

And I adore this large tote in black and grey/taupe:

My pic:

Stock pic:

It is "tough" looking as my sister described it.  Looks more expensive than it is for sure and I like the extra hardware on the side where the bag expands.  For most handbags this is a snap button-- I love that they placed a zipper here instead. It will be my go-to Fall work bag and it transitions well enough to night but...  If you're like me, and you know you're going out after work a lot (and let's face it, a giant tote isn't cute at the bar) you will keep your phone, keys, I.D. and lipstick in a clutch that fits inside your large work tote.  I'm loving GAP leather clutches for this exact purpose.  And this bag is roomy enough for that, a cardigan, small umbrella and all your other workday essentials.  

So that wraps it up for my 3.1 Philip Lim for Target Haul and review.  

Hope you enjoyed this tour and I would love to hear your thoughts on this collection, or any past Target designer collaborations.  Anyone else looking forward to next Spring--  Peter Pilotto!  

Til next time Angels... Happy Shopping!

Fall trends and falling prices at Kohl's!!

Hello Angels,

In a never ending effort to bring you all the latest and greatest of fashion and makeup (and leave some money in your pockets for things like food and shelter!) we present to you...  Fall faves at falling prices at a Kohl's near you!

I had the  chance to hit up my local Kohl's here in Augusta, GA and spent some time scouting out the gems in this store (almost all at 20-30% off) that I feel represent the "must have" trends for fall fashion.   

First up we have:

Military inspired utility jackets.  Now I know a lot of brands are putting out their own versions of these at varying price points but I thought this one was neat because of the lace detail on the shoulders and the rockin price of $33.99, which is 40% off regular.  

Close up of shoulders:  

Cute right?  I just love when details "girlify" something as unfeminine as a utility jacket in drab olive.

Next up... Embellished errrrythang!  

You may have noticed that embellished sweaters shirts, tees and tanks are all over the place.  Kohl's had these Elle shirts (a nod to the much much more expensive version sold by J. Crew) on sale for  50% off at $24.99.  My head is just spinning thinking of the million and one ways I can rock these shirts from casual with skinny jeans to the office with a pencil skirt.  Yep, a must.  

Another adorable top by Jennifer Lopez, but this one isn't on sale (yet lol) and rings in at $50.  But the quality is quite good with sewn on embellishments of decent weight and beautiful sparkle so even at full price it's a "do", and still runs less expensive than many other versions I've seen.  I love that the bottom isn't clingy like so many sweatshirts, and it's a little on the longer side so this is going to be a curve-flattering piece for sure, dressed up or down!

Next stop, Cobalt blue!!  I'm not personally a big color blocker but when I do, cobalt is one of my go-to's.  Such a rich and vibrant hue that wears so nicely in the cold weather.  Apt 9 has several pieces in this hue that are on point.

This ponte blazer is on sale for $39.99

And this dress, also $39.99

And check this out, combining two awesome trends, PEPLUM and cobalt, and on sale for 30% off regular price 

Next up is the leopard trend.  This fall I'm loving all things in leopard print. Shoes, bags, scarves, anything, you name it if you make it in leopard print this fall I'm interested!  I saw this adorable infinity scarf, also Apt 9, in a nice lightweight but not cheap fabric for only $15.99.

Next stop on the fall trends train is: black and white.  I'm enjoying this particularly classic color combination with a lot of different colored accents to bring a pop of fun to my outfits.  I also love that you can combine black-and-white together in   pretty much any pattern and it makes for an eye-catching yet classic piece, and is almost always appropriate for the workplace.  Here were my top picks of this trend at Kohl's:

Apt 9, $39.99

Dana Buchman cheetah print open front sweater and snakeskin print blouse (both full price)

Nice right??? 

Ok next trend spotted was leather trim.  I'm interested in adding leather in lots of new ways to my fall wardrobe:  shorts, skirts, pants and shirts.  Looks like designers agree and I'm noticing leather trim showing up in unexpected and cool places, like on that peplum cobalt top you just saw and these other pieces:  

Apt 9 for $39.99 

And this Dana Buchman dress (full price): 

What's great is that for all you animal lovers out there, most of these pieces appearing this fall are faux, so you can enjoy guilt-free!

Speaking of faux, another piece I wanted to share with you was a Jennifer Lopez black and white fur vest.  This piece is just fabulous.  Pictures don't quite do it justice.  Although it is faux the feel of this vest is quite luxurious, not scratchy and cheap like a lot of faux pieces out there.  Regular price is a hefty $175.00 but... This little number is on sale for $122.50.  

So here we are at the last fall fave trend I found at Kohl's...  Printed denim.  This trend hails back to the '80s for me (I'm dating myself!), when acid wash and flower print jeans ran rampant.  This newer version of the trend is different.  More understated, faded prints and smaller patterns are the norm here.  Which makes it very easy to mix patterns and have fun with color.  I saw these two pieces from the Lauren Conrad collection:

 Heart print skinny jeans: 

Here's a close up of the print:

Floral print denim shirt 

Well that wraps up my little trip to Kohls. And I left with my wallet a little bit lighter than it was when I walked in.  

I hope this helps you decide what goodies you want to add to your fall wardrobe and maybe even points you in the right direction of where to get them!! 

Happy shopping!!!

Keisha Cole collaboration with Steve Madden!

Back one last time with another shoe line announcement!  Keisha Cole is teaming up with Steve Madden to create a line of shoes with some KICK!  Check out these pics below!  

These puppies are due out in the Fall 2013 and again, we will be watching....

New Shoe Line! Emily B. from Love and Hip Hop

Hi Angels,

Even if you're not a fan of the hip hop romance drama reality series, you just may become a fan of these shoes!  Coming to a store near you this fall.  We'll be watching.... ;)