MAC BLACKTRACK FLUIDLINE : BEAUTY REVIEW

I have been a MAC Blacktrack loyalist for years now. I cant even imagine the  years before I knew what gel eyeliner was . It has become a part of my signature look and a Beauty item which is always in stock in my make up storage, if ever I run out of it . I had earlier done a detailed Post on 'How to apply Gel Eye Liner(Read about it Here),' I realized that I had not done a detailed Beauty Review of the product in question. Since I always get requested as to how my eye liner is always smudge proof and such long lasting, I thought, why not do the long delayed post. Recently a famous celebrity make up artist, who also has her own Youtube channel, misspelt this iconic product in her video. For those of you confused, its called BLACKTRACK and not Blacktrax !

To begin with, Blacktrack is the Black gel eye liner from the Fluidline range of MAC. I have owned and used Fluidline, in a few shades, but for me, Blacktrack is the biggest winner. If you have never used gel liners, then its a waxy eye liner,which needs to be used with a fine liner brush, or an angled brush. It comes in a glass pot with a plastic lid. Make sure that the lid is tightly closed when you are not using it, as it prevents the product from drying out. Blacktrack retails at $17 without taxes. Its worth every penny that you will spend on it.

MAC describes it as,"Solid Flat Black." Its a Matte black eye liner . Every stroke of a fine liner brush with this product, always yields an intense black line every time. Black liquid eyeliners can sometimes dry to a shiny finish, which looks pretty tacky. While every make up brand has its version of gel eyeliners, MAC Blacktrack is one of the smoothest and silkiest in the market. Its won numerous Beauty Awards over the years, and has been on the list of favorites of far too many people Its not patchy and does not flake off. There's a reason why its called Best of the Best Eye Liner .

Its Smudgeproof. I have used this eye liner and worked out in a gym. Been to a sea beach and spent the day frolicking in the waves. But this eye liner does not smudge. Its Long Wearing.When you are putting this eye liner on, its not runny like a liquid eye liner and dries fast. I remember hating putting on liquid eye liner only having it transfer to my eye lids, as it used to take so long to dry.

When you want to remove Blacktrack from your eyelids, I suggest you use a gentle eye make up remover on a cotton pad. Use gentle circular motions to remove the product. Then wash your face with your face wash of choice.

The Cons about this product, is that it has a tendency to dry out. Be very careful when you are using it , to prevent it from drying out.

If you feel you have some leftover Blacktack which is on the drier side, let me share a Beauty Hack. Remove the lid, and microwave it for 10 secs. Use a toothpick to mix in the product and close the lid again. Adjust the timings according to the capacity of your microwave.

If you want to learn How to Use MAC Blacktrack Fluidline , then read about it Here. The post includes details on which Brushes to use, how to apply and master the application process.

SHOP IT :

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MAC MEHR LIPSTICK: REVIEW

I am usually not the person who jumps at every new Beauty Trend.But every now and then, there shall be a trend which shall tug at your heartstrings. And You give in. I know 2015 was all bout Kylie lips when it came to lip trends, but what tugged at my heartstrings was clearly MAC MEHR lipstick. Beauty Gurus and Beauty Editors across North America and Europe could not stop raving about this lipstick. I had seen swatches of it in some videos and read about in so many articles, that i would have probably recognised someone wearing it, even in a crowded space. As luck would have it, every time I went to a MAC Pro store or a MAC counter, it was sold out. The urge to own it, became even more stronger. I had almost given up the thought of having it, when I finally got it. The lady at the MAC counter in Nordstrom informed me that they had received a shipment of 25 tubes of the lipstick ,and 15 were already sold.

MAC is known for its collections which are created by its global artists. Not always are they part of the regular collection. MAC MEHR is one such color. It was originally launched in 2011 as a part of the Bollywood Collection designed by MAC Global Artist Mickey Contractor. For those of you, who don't know him, Mickey Contractor is one of the most famous Make Up Artists of Bollywood. He has been a part of MAC ever since MAC launched in India. I love Bollywood and when I came to know this fact, my excitement just heightened a bit.

MAC MEHR retails at $17 without taxes in North America. As its a part of the regular collection, it comes in the customary black bullet with silver detailing. MEHR is a MATTE finish lipstick. But its not Retro Matte like Ruby Woo. Despite being Matte, Mehr, is not drying on the lips and does not drag on the lips . Neither does it flake off, if you are wearing for long. It makes my lips look plump and flawless. The color pay off is brilliant and I loved how creamy it was, despite its finish.

Coming to the color, MAC decribes it as Dirty Blue Pink. Yes, my love story with blue toned lipsticks continue. If I had to describe the color in my own words, I feel its a beautiful shade of brownish mauvy pink. Its a statement pink lip, and not in the terms of Barbie Pink, I tell you.
Its a cool toned pink which pairs very well with warm undertones like mine. I am a C2 in MAC Face and Body or a NC 20. When you wear it, you are bound to be asked, what do you have on your lips. Happened to me every timeThe staying power of the color is pretty good . I have been currently ODing on it. So I have put it to test under extreme weather, read single digit F temps, in the Midwest. The color has performed well every time. Its such a grougeous shade of pink, which you can easily take from day to night. It pairs very well with MAC Lip Pencil in SOAR.

I am aware that some Beauty Gurus have called Rimmel Kate Moss 104 as being a drug store dupe of MAC Mehr. I own both the lipsticks, so I wanted to pint out that they are in fact not dupes. Rimmel Kate Moss is more neon pinkish and Mehr is more mauvy.

If I ever wanted to venture down the road of Kylie's lip trend, this would be what I would be sporting. I am definitely going to repurchase it when it runs out. A new must have in my beauty stash for sure. 

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FAVORITE NUDE LIPSTICKS : HIGH END AND DRUGSTORE

I have been planning this post ever since I had written about my FAVORITE RED LIPSTICKS. But the delay was totally unintentional. Better late than never. By Nude Lips, I do not mean the Skin Colored Concealer Lips. MAC Myth does not work for me, for example. Such shades wash me out and make me look sick. By nudes, I tend to lean towards Pinky Nudes, as I find them more wearable. Brown Nudes and me are not the best of friends, though I have a sudden urge to try out MAC Honeylove. I have tried to include both High End and drugstore favorites in this list, so that its affordable for everyone on every budget.Also this list features Lipsticks in some different finishes, as not everyone is comfortable with every finish.  I shall start with my favorite(the almost stubby ended MAC lipstick in the first picture and go around clockwise)

MAC CREME CUP : 
As I have a warm undertone and am reasonably pale, I prefer cool toned lipsticks. I feel they compliment me better. Just a personal observation. MAC Creme Cup is described by MAC as being Light Blue Pink. Yes, my love for Blue toned lipsticks continue. Its a Cremesheen Finish which makes it ideal for drier Winter weather. This is a lipstick which I have purchased at least five times. Yes, the stubby ended lipstick that you see in the picture is the fifth tube in the same color. Its very hydrating. I love the color pay off. As its Creme Sheen, the staying power is compromised, but I don't mind touching up. It looks great both for day wear as well as paired with a heavy smokey eye for night.

Wearing CREME CUP 

L'OREAL JULIANNE'S NUDE : 

This was a part of the L'oreal Privee Collection of Nudes. By far this was the best Nude of the collection. It was a beautiful blend of Peach and Pinky nudes. This had a good color payoff and is deal for the Summer months. Being a drug store lipstick, its quite hydrating but does need touch ups after a few hours. Its a Satin finish and does not draw on the lips, when used for long. I have had two tubes of these, as the first one got tossed in the wash by mistake. Every lipstick has a story of its own. 

Wearing JULIANNE'S NUDE

REVLON SUPER LUSTROUS LIPSTICK IN KISSABLE PINK
This is a very creamy formula and almost reminds me of a tinted lip balm. It could also be a borderline Pink rather than being a Pinky Nude. Some people call it a Your Lips But Better shade. The color pay off is lighter than it looks in the tube and the staying power is poor. But its one of those pinky nudes which could be your every day pink when you are rushing out of the house and need a quick dash of color. Least favorite of the list.

SMASHBOX BE LEGENADRY LIPSTICK IN PRIMROSE
This was a part of the Holiday Collection by Smashbox in 2014 and came in a set of three mini lipsticks, along with a Berry and Red. But this color is a part of the regular line up of the Be Legendary Lipsticks by Smashbox and is available in full size all year round. This is described by Smashbox as a Mauve Pink. When you use this lipstick, you realise that its lighter on your lips than what it seems on the bullet. Slightly darker than Creme Cup but not as glossy. It has a slight purple undertone I feel. It pairs very well with my warm undertones,as its another Blue toned pink. Very pigmented and has good staying power. I am going to be purchasing it in full size as soon as my Mini runs out.

Wearing SMASHBOX PRIMROSE

 REVLON MATTE IN SKY PINK
I always prefer Matte lipsticks as I feel they look better on me. But its difficult to get a good drug store matte. Revlon Mattes have a good color pay off but they suffer in staying power. So you might need to reapply after a few hours. Its a nice Icy Pink Matte. And looks great with a tan. This could wash out some people. Of all the Nude formulas in this list, the Revlons rank the lowest in terms of preference.

 L'OREAL DOUTZEN'S NUDE

This is another Nude from the L'oreal Privee collection which was launched a few years back. But these Nudes are available at most beauty stores, like Ulta all year round. This is a Frosty Icy Pink. Its much lighter than Julianne's Nude. Its almost semi sheer so I used a few coats of it, to get a nice color. This might wash out some people. It does have that '80s feel to it with the frost and the particular shade of pink but its not dated at all. While Julianne's Nude is a universally flattering shade, this shade might not be for everyone. I think its an ideal Winter Pinky Nude.

Wearing DOUTZEN'S NUDE

RIMMEL LONDON LASTING FINISH MATTES BY KATE MOSS IN 104
This color is a true matte and is a great drug store one at that. I cant think of anything bad to say about this lipstick. Its a great Pinky Nude with a good color payoff. Its matte but its not chalky or draw on at your lips. The staying power of this lipstick is quite good. I have three shades from this collection of 5 shades and all of them are great. Its another Mauvy Pink. Recently I wore it to Sephora while shopping for a new foundation, and everyone at the store kept asking me, what I had on my lips.

Wearing RIMMEL KATE MOSS MATTE IN 104

WET 'N ' WILD 903 C 
(Second solo picture)
This is the best drug store deal you will ever get in a Nude Lipstick. Almost a couple of dollars, but the color pay off is just tremendous. Its a peachy nude and has great staying power. But for the price it comes in, its very drying and chalky. It drags on your lips when you put it on. I usually prime my lips with lip balm before I use this lipstick. Its a great product for the price it comes in and is a must have for anyone who wants to venture along the valley of Nude Lipsticks.

Hoping you have liked my list of favorites. Do let me know your favorites, through the comments.

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MAC LIPSTICKS HAUL : BEAUTY

Yes, a MAC Haul has just happened. And from the expressions on my face, surely are that of  a Kid in a  Candy Store. Hauls are always exciting,but they become more exciting when they are sudden and totally unplanned. I had to repair a pair of Raybans so needed to head to the nearest Sunglass Hut. Seems like the closest one was housed in a neighboring Macy's. And that Macy's had a MAC Counter which stays open, till 10 pm. Town Center, Leawood.

Before I go into the Haul, I want to rant a bit. I have always appreciated the attitude and helpfulness of MAC associates, be it at the Pro-Stores or at the Counters. But on this instant I was pleasantly surprised. The lady probably was having a bad day, if I want to giver her a benefit of doubt. She seemed reluctant to show me the lipsticks I was talking about. Half the things, she said, she could not find the testers of. And then came the final blow. I had heard of the new Foundation launched by MAC but had not tried it. So asked her for a Color Match and a sample. She seemed to repeat everything I said, as if she was having trouble understanding me. And trust me, I have never faced that problem ever. My accent is very neutral and I have been a television reporter for years,where million have understood what I have been talking about. She merely asked me what shade I was in Face and Body Foundation. I mentioned C2. So she just picked a sample of NC20 from the new foundation, without even matching it to me. Maybe she is talented enough to gauge the color of my skin and my undertone, but I have seen anyone not actually doing a color match. The reason why you trust professional brands over drugstore brands, is that you get personal consultations. And I have shopped several times at this particular counter and some lovely ladies have helped me a lot. So I was more shocked at this kind of a behavior. Hope its not repeated next time.

So lets get ahead with all that I tried on and all that I picked up from MAC. I am a C2 in MAC Face and Body Foundation, with a warm undertone. I have tried to include selfies which I took while trying out the colors, which might help you gauge how the colors look on a tone and undertone like mine.

REBEL: 

My first choice had to be REBEL. I have been lusting for this color since the Spring of 2012. But I have shopped galore at MAC, but somehow Rebel always missed my shopping cart. i and first tried out Rebel at the MAC PRO STORE in Country Club Plaza. The ladies there had told me that it had to be signature color. But somehow I kept putting it off, feeling it was just a Fall color. Yes, its one of those classic Fall colors ,but you can surely use it all round the year. A classic and a keeper for sure.

Rebel is one of those classic MAC shades which look good on everyone. Its insanely pigmented and a single layer will take you through the night. I usually pair with my NighMoth Lipliner. Its creamy in consistency and does not drag on the lips. Its one of the classic berry shades for me, and is very opaque.

Color Description: Pink Plum
Finish: Satin

SPEED DIAL: 

I wanted to try out a new pink, and had a long list on hand. But it seemed I knew more of MAC shades of Pink than the lady at the counter.

The first PINK  I tried out was SPEED DIAL.

Color description: Blue based pink with a golden sheen
Finish: Cremesheen

I like Cremesheen finishes as they are very motoring. But for me, the color pay off wasn't that great. It seemed pretty sheer on my lips. Its a nice Summer shade which could be perfect for day wear. personally I was looking for a pink with slightly more color payoff. It looked like your lips-but-better kind of colors for me.

LITTLE BUDDHA:

Little Buddha is one of the newest colors to be launched and among the ones I tried. It tended to lean more on the peachy side and I had my eyes set on a another peachy shade. I wanted almost a true pink to add to my collection. It had a great color payoff and maybe I will pick it up on my next visit. Its a part of the 15 new shades launched in the asian inspired collection.

Color description: peachy Pink
Finish: Cremesheen Pearl

PLUMFUL:

I had been wanting to try out SYRUP  and PLUMFUL for a long time. But the lady at the counter, with her unwillingness to show me colors and options, could not find SYRUP in the testers. So she handed me a bullet of PLUMFUL. It was nice and creamy but again didn't woo me that much. Maybe I needed to check out SYRUP for myself. Both these colors are said to be pretty similar so i wanted to try out both back to back, told decide which one to but. So as the other one was not around, i decided in skipping picking them

FLAMINGO:

FLAMINGO is another shade of which the lady at the counter could not find the tester bullet. By this time, she had already tested y patience a lot. This particular shade used to be a Limted Edition shade but has now been made a part of the permanent collection. Beauty Bloggers around the world are running to get themsleves one, and I knew I had to jump the bandwagon. Yes, this was the peachy shade I had my eyes on. I took a leap of faith and pick dup the bullet, without trying it on. Its my first Lustre finish lipstick and from my first impression, its pretty sheer.

Color Description: Light Milky bright Coral
Finish: Lustre

STAR MAGNOLIA:

Finally the Pick which came home with me was STAR MAGNOLIA.  Honestly speaking I had never heard of this Pink from anyone and just randomly picked it up from the rack. It was a blue tined pink and somehow I have a thing for blue toned lip colors.It had just the right color payoff and was a nice bubble gum pink. I am surely going to be wearing  lot of it, in the last few days of Summer.

Next on my list are surely SYRUP, SNOB, MEHR and another round of PATISSERIE and CREME CUP.

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MASTERING GEL LINER : STEP BY STEP GUIDE : BEAUTY

If you are like, then you are an eye-liner junkie. I can leave the house in PJs,but I will not leave the house without my eye liner and  mascara. Its a signature part of my look,and I can never do away with it. And my choice of Eye Liner, is clearly the GEL EYE LINERS. Liquid eyeliners are too harsh for me, and pencil eye liners often smudge. I need something which I can put on my eyes, and forget for the rest of the day. I know it might sound a bit intimidating to quite a few whenever they hear of Gel Liners.So many of my friends have told me so many times,as to how do I do my eyes so perfectly every time. Well, the answer is gel eye liner. Recently, I was having a similar conversation with my old school buddy Payel,who wanted details of my eye liner and how I use it. So I thought of penning down this post for her and so many others, who are yet to cross the bridge to Gel Liners. 

I was introduced to Gel Liners when they were first launched in India by MAC Cosmetics. At that time, Kolkata, my hometown, did not even have a MAC Counter or Pro-store of its own. We had to make a trip to Mumbai to pick up all that we loved. And since then MAC FLUIDLINE in BLACKTRACK became a staple of my Make up collection. 

FLUID LINE is MAC's range of Gel Liners and comes in a variety of colors. Currently I have them in BLACK TRACK(Black) and WAVELENGTH(Blue). They usually last for a long time for me, but if you are not careful when you use this product, it might dry out on you. So make sure that you have the lid tightly closed when you are not using the product. 

I have also used Gel Liners from other brands like BOBBI BROWN to WET'N'WILD, but nothing comes close to FLUID LINE. I have put FLUID LINE to a lot of tests over the years and every time, it has come out with flying colors. It has survived the humidity of Kolkattan(Indian) Summers and waves of the Caribbeans Sea(in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Virgin Islands). This color will not fade on you, or will not smudge on you, till you remove it with an eye make up remover. It dries to a matte color and doesn't have that disgusting shinny look which some liquid eye liners might have. 

STEP BY STEP GUIDE HOW TO USE GEL EYE LINER: 

First you need to pick up a Gel Eye Liner of your choice. Then you need to select the BRUSH of your choice.

There are three options when it comes to brushes:
 FINE LINER BRUSH
BENT FINE LINER BRUSH
ANGLED FINE LINER BRUSH 

If you are staring out, you might want to start with an angled brush. Once you feel comfortable of your strokes, then venture off to a fine liner brush. I personally prefer the MAC 266 Angled Liner Brush for starters as its just the right size. The Real  Techniques Angled Liner Brush, which you can see in my picture below, is slightly bigger and broader. The Fine Liner Brush from Real Techniques is pretty good and so is the BENT FINE LINER BRUSH from SONIA KASHUK. I have listed the links of all the products the end of the post, if you wanted to pick up any for yourself.

Dip the brush in the product and pick up product with it. Scrape off the excess on the sides of the container.

If you do not feel confident of drawing a straight line on your eye lids, then with your other hand, gently pull the eye lid towards the side. This will help you to draw a straight line following the curve of the eye. Start from the base of the lashes and then thicken as you go up.

Then open the eye  and adjust the line you have just drawn. It should be thinner on the inner corner and thicken as you go towards the outer corner to give it that almond like shape.

Here, I am holding forth the Fine Liner Brush and angled Brush from Real Techniques. Its one of the best drug store brush brands available.

If you are using the ANGLED LINER BRUSH, then pick up product in the same way and scrape off excess along the sides of the container.

Here is the trick.

While doing the upper eyes, make sure that higher part of the angle is at the inner corner and then use the brush to follow the shape of the eye.

For the lower eyes, or water line, just turn the brush around. Use the lower end of angle, of the brush, to the inner corner and use it to follow the shape of the eye.

For doing the LOWER EYES, with a FINE LINER BRUSH, begin at the outer corner and then go inwards.

Adjust the thickness on both eyes . Make sure there is no  gap between the eye liner you have drawn and the lash line. That bit of skin show is a almost a make up sacrilege. Spend that extra minute to see and inspect properly what you have drawn on both eyes and fill in any gaps.

If you want to do a CAT EYE FLICK then do not do the lower line or water line, but extend the upper line in the form of an imaginary line extending from the eyes to reach the eye brows. Make it as small or big as you feel comfortable.

So go ahead, pick up your gel liner and get practicing. Once you start getting comfortable with this product, you will never get back to any other form of eye liners.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS POST: 

  

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BRONZE EYE MAKE UP: PLAYING WITH METALLICS AND NUDES

I had always considered myself to be more of a Silver person in my growing up years. i gravitated towards Silver jewelry and so on and so forth. But as I aged, I felt I had not been kind to Golds or Bronze tones. While my jewelry tastes still remained the same more or less, I decided to branch out in terms of Make -Up.

The NAKED 1 palette form URBAN DECAy was pretty helpful in this endeavor. So I began playing more and more with combination of Bronzes and Golds and the experimentations carried on. It was then that I discovered how well a Bronzy Smokey Eye is.

It cam be toned down with a Nude Lip. Or dressed up for the Night with a  Bold Lip. The same eye color combo can look so different and yet always so put together. It became such a favorite that I kept going back to it, every now and then.

The key to any eye make up is a great EyeShadow base. I love EYE SHADOW PRIMER by URBAN DECAY .A good drug store alternative is the L'OREAL DE-CREASE. 

 I started off playing with HALF BAKED eyeshadow from NAKED 1 palette from URBAN DECAY in the inner corner and half of the eye lid. Its a brilliant Golden Bronzey Shade. Very metallic. Yet very Chic I paired that with DARK HORSE  or HUSTLE from the same platte in the outer corner. Buffed the Crease with my favorite NAKED eye shadow from the same palette.

Then I ventured off to include something which had been lying in my Make -Up drawer for quite some time. I had picked up some Maybelline Eyeshadow Trios some time back. But somehow never used them much. There's one particular Trio called GOLDEN TREASURE . I am smitten by it. Being a drug store eye shadow, its nowhere Chalky. Great Pigmentation and when paired with a good eye shadow base, lasts for hours, even if you're out dancing. Why had I not explored it, when I had first picked it up?! I used it on the inner half of the eyelid and used the similar colors on the outer corner and the crease as above.

Finished of the eyes with some BLACKTRACK FLUIDLINE gel liner from MAC Cosmetics and loads of black water proof Mascara. You can never have too much of Mascara.

For my face, I followed by FOUNDATION,CONCEALER,POWDER ROUTINE. In keeping with the Bronzy glow theme, I used COPPERTONE blush from MAC Cosmetics.

The beauty of this look, is that you can tweak it to suit the occasion. You can use it with a Black Eyeshadow like CARBON from MAC  in the outer corner to make it more vampy. You can use the Bronzey shade all over the lids and skip eyeliner and just use loads of Black Mascara and finish off with some Red Lips. It would look subtle for an at home party. So go ahead start your play with Broney colors on your eyes and don't forget to let me know how your paired it.

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