MAC's Wonder Woman collection is in stores now. I only picked up one item, the Mighty Aphrodite blush that was recommended to me by Jill. It's a dual-blush, with a large shimmery peach bit and dusty bright shimmery rose bit.
The official description is Warm peach coral with gold pearl/Bright coral pink with gold pearl (satin/frost).
Let's take a look at the packaging which is, well pretty spectacular.
This collection has bright, cartoony packaging which doesn't appeal to me particularly but is certainly fun and very American!
I like the reflection on the surface of the blush - it's like Wonder Woman's golden lariat.
The peachy portion is about twice the size of the coral portion. Both are shimmery with gold pearliness but the peachy portion has more shimmer.
Mighty Aphrodite swatched on NC15 skin, coral on the left, peach on the right.
It's difficult to use just the coral shade since it's so small, but you could use a small brush, with a lighter amount on the brush. I've been wearing it blended, by swirling the brush and twisting it in the palette so that I get an even amount of each colour. It's a sheer, shimmery blush so it's not intimidating to wear at all. It's meant to go on almost like a bronzer, which makes it a good blush for fair skin and a pretty pop of highlighter colour for darker skin. It's definitely a blush you can build up or wear softly, like I am below.
Mighty Aphrodite on me, NC15 skin.
Not to mention that the Wonder Woman blushes are twice the size of a regular blush. They're $29 CDN/$24 US while regular MAC blushes/Mineralize MAC blushes/MAC Beauty Power blushes are about $24 CDN. How's that for value?
My favorite celebrity tattoo is Amber Rose's upper bicep tattoo. It's creative and symbolizes her public persona. While some may look at it as cheesy, or typical because it's roses, I find it quite unique. The colors and design are something to be marveled... My favorite tattoo trend is words tatted on the upper back. What better way to make a statement, or draw attention to something, than by tatting it on the top of your back? Alot of celebrities have tattoos like this, but my favorite upper back tattoo is 50 Cent's "South Side" one. It's original, unique and awesome to look at. He has chosen not to remove this signature tattoo. Lloyd Banks' "Rotten Apple" tattoo, which was inspired by his mentor 50's, is another feast for the eyes. Banks had his tattoo done at Miami Ink where Kat Von D, who is also featured below, used to work. Personally, I would not get an upper back tattoo because I think it's more adorning on men. However, a girl must admit that they're eye-catching.
Allen Iverson:
Lebron James:
Kenyon Martin:
DeShawn Stevenson:
50 Cent:
A larger look:
LLoyd Banks:
A larger look:
Flo Rida:
Nick Cannon's "Mariah" tattoo:
David Beckham:
A random Manchester United fan:
Girlicious singer Natalie Mejia's "For Eva Young" tattoo:
I'm a sucker for the 1960s - the music, the culture, the movies, the makeup, the fashion and the hair. Are you kidding? The Mary Quant bob, the British Invasion, Mods, Twiggy, David Bailey, James Bond, Michael Caine, scooters, the Beatles, liquid eyeliner - come on! What's not to be obsessed with? We see it every year in the fashion trends, a designer always does mod-styling or mod-clothes and the bob haircut is never not in style.
Vidal Sassoon is known for dark, shiny, straight, sleek hair cut in geometric shapes. In 1963, he created an updated bob cut which changed the face of modern hair.
My hairstylist Matthew, who cuts hair at Parlour Salon in Toronto, was trained at Vidal Sassoon so I knew immediately when I sat down in his chair for the first time I wanted a Vidal Sassoon-style bob. I've had a slight variation on that first cut for the last year and a half. I love it.
Here's Vidal Sassoon's Spring 2011 collection. Ever-classic!
Vidal Sassoon cutting the hair of designer Mary Quant.
Adele came onto the scene around the same time as Duffy and Amy Winehouse and I don't know if I had overdosed on 60s-style-soul-singers or what, but although I acknowledged that she was an unbelievable singer and songwriter, her music just didn't click with me. Her new album is currently #1 in 17 countries and when I saw this video a month or two ago, I was completely hooked.
I played this video over and over again, and most plays, I wept, but I still kept watching it. She has the ability to write a song that resonates with people, I hear it over and over again. 'Someone Like You' is heartbreakingly powerful and you feel her pain in every word.
Yes, I've drunk the Adele Kool Aid finally.
Perhaps another thing that I've responded to this time around with Adele is her styling. She has a 50s-60s-style polish about her clothing, makeup and hair. She looks gorgeous.
When I discovered that Nic from PixiWoo had done a tutorial inspired by Adele's look, I decided to do my own version. The key to the look is to look polished, healthy and retro but with a modern softness.
What do you think?
Here is the PixiWoo video I used as reference - I did almost exactly what Nic does but used some different products. By the way, if you haven't checked out the sisters behind PixiWoo, you must! They're absolutely amazing.
Here's the Adele-inspired video Nic did.
And here's another shot of me with my Adele-inspired look.
Basically the only difference between mine and Nic's version of this look is some of the products and that I went with cool tones on my cheeks and lips while she went more tan, which is closer to how Adele's look is. I simply don't have a bronzer or peachy lip products that would work for this, so I went with pink. I think it works just fine with my skin tone and hair colour. I am on the hunt for a good peachy lipstick though...
So what I did was moisturizer (Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Moisturizer), a bit of primer on my T-Zone and then buffed on Bare Escentuals Mineral Makeup in Fairly Light. For this look you want a base with coverage. Not what they would have worn back in the 50s and 60s, but something that's not overly shiny. You want natural but covered. Use concealer (I used MAC Studio Fix in NW20 mixed with MAC Select Moisturecover in NW20) under your eyes and on any areas you need a bit more coverage.
Eyes first.
Blend a creamy highlighter along your brow bone (I used Benefit Moonbeam), on the inner eye and blended softly across your eyelid. Right away, use a bit of MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork (I had a sample I'd gotten to try) and smudge it across the lid, softly. You want the lighter cream shade below and Groundworked to blend a little. Use a broad, flat brush like the one pictured below.
MAC Groundwork
Then blend a combination of the orange (Rich & Earthy) and gold (Skintone 2) shades from MAC's Notoriety palette (from 2009's MAC Make Up Art Cosmetics Collection - Richard Phillips) across the eyelid, focusing on the outer corner. (Nic uses MAC's Woodwinked.) You are looking for a soft, shimmery, warm effect. Use a broad, full brush like the one pictured below.
MAC Notoriety Quad
Next, use MAC's Patina in the crease, blending it above slightly. You want a touch more definition but still very natural and shimmery. You can use the same full, fluffy brush just clean it off a little first.
MAC Patina
And finally, that cat-eye eyeliner flick! I used my MAC Blacktrack and an angle brush, as always.
MAC Blacktrack
Start from the inside of your eye and draw a line along your lashline, extending it beyond the edge of your eye and flicking it upwards. Draw the line again, making it thicker. If you wish to, you can draw two lines, one above the other, just join the corners and make it thicker in the middle. Go over it again with new product if you need to intensify the colour. Make sure it looks as perfect as possible and use Q-tips to help you tidy the line up if you need to.
*Don't curl your eyelashes before drawing your eyeliner line.
Finally, run your brush along your upper waterline, below the top lashes all along your eyelid. It's like lining the upper waterline. This intensifies the look and if you've got tangly eyelashes like me, this helps to cover any skin in between the eyeliner line and your waterline.
Curl upper eyelashes and coat with two or three coats of mascara. I used Benefit's Big Lash. You'll want to use mascara on your lower lashes as well. Nic uses a Clinique Lower Lash Mascara in her video - ooooh! I've never heard of this but I want it! A mascara for lower lashes will have a smaller, denser brush than a regular mascara. I have upper eye-length lower lashes so I can get away with using a regular mascara on them, as long as I'm gentle.
I filled in my eyebrows with MAC Sketch and a short-bristled angle brush. You want to have full, well-groomed brows for this look.
MAC Sketch (the hard, shiny part at the top is from when I've used it wet)
For my cheeks I used two pinky versions of what Nic used, simply because I don't have bronze-peach colours in my makeup case.
Use MAC Strada blush to softly sculpt your cheeks. Using a fluffy, angled blush brush, sweep it just below your cheekbones.
MAC Strada
On top of that, use MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul on the apples of your cheeks with a fluffy blush brush. Sweep it up to your temples. You want to look glowy and healthy.
MAC Mineralize Warm Soul
Lips! The idea is a subtle, glossy but sculpted lip. Use a neutral or pale pink lip liner (I used Smashbox in Smashing Muse and MAC in In Synch) and apply to your entire lip. Top it with a pale pink lipstick like MAC Plink! and then top that with a glossy pale pink gloss like MAC Baby Sparks.
L-R: MAC In Synch, Smashbox Smashing Muse, MAC Plink!, MAC Baby Sparks
If you wanted to, you could use false eyelashes with this look for a more dramatic, glamourous effect. Obviously, more for night than for day.
And there you have it, a gorgeous, polished, modern retro look. Check out Pixi Woo and Adele!
