MAC, the 188 Brush, and Karlie Kloss.

MAC and pretty shoes! A perfect combination. First off there's a sneak peek of MAC's collaboration with Liberty of London, some fab new sparkly lipgloss, and a review of the MAC 188 brush. And then some lovely new campaign pics, and random things I want, because that's just what I do.

The MAC Give Me Liberty of London collection drops March 11, and besides being filled with blushes and nail polishes that I want, the packaging is SO CUTE. I'm going to be completely honest and say that I'd buy it just for the packaging. There. Yes, I am that shallow. Just look at that first pic. It's quirky British floral awesomeness. This collection also has two decent sized makeup bags in Liberty of London prints for $25 and under. Um, HELLO EMPTY WALLET. And then there's the Liberty of London collection for Target...oh dear...this is going to be a problem.


MAC Lip Gelees in Lush & Bright, Preppy, Shift to Pink, and Resort Life, $14 at maccosmetics.com. The MAC in Lillyland (aka Lily Pullitzer) collection just dropped, and while most of it doesn't catch my eye, I'm head over heels in love with these lip gelees. You get about 9x as much product as you do with a Dazzleglass, and they're supposed to be just as sparkly. Lush & Bright is an orangey-coral with pink and gold shimmer, Preppy is a fuschia pink with a pearl base and lots of fuschia shimmer, Shift to Pink is a lilac-pink with pink pearl and pink/lilac shimmer, and Resort Life is a gilded beige with silver shimmer. I'm loving all of these, and can def see myself caving on at least one of them.


MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush, $34 at maccosmetics.com. I got this brush about a month and a half ago, and I totally forgot to review it. Failface. I think I overlooked it because it fits so perfectly into my makeup routine that I practically forget it's there. It's that good. First, the specs. It's a blend of goat hairs and synthetic hairs, and the white hairs are longer than the black hairs (the white hairs deposit product, the black hairs blend product). The brush itself is really small. It's about six inches long, and the width of the brush at the end of the black bristles is about that of a quarter. I knew it was small, and I still did a double take in the store. It's larger cousin is the 187 brush ($42), but I think the size of the 188 makes it great for getting around all the contours on your face. Now, the 188 is supposed to be able to deposit powder, cream, and liquid products (blush, foundation, bronzer, contour, you name it), buff everything flawlessly into the skin, and give an airbrushed finish. It sounds like overhyped marketing. It's not.


I was skeptical at first, but this brush is a serious powerhouse. I use it for all my face products. It applies my tinted moisturizer so, so smoothly, is the perfect size to fit under my cheekbone for a natural looking contour, blends blush and highlighter seamlessly, and buffs my concealer into my skin. It's really easy to use, too. For tinted moisturizer or liquid foundation I squeeze the amount I'm going to use onto the back of my hand. Next you determine your forehead-cheek ratio. If your forehead is large or blemish-covered, I'd use about a 1/3 on my forehead, and 1/3 on each cheek. If your forehead is relatively clear, I'd used 1/8 there and 3/8 on each cheek (OMG I can still do math). To apply, pick up the amount of product you're going to use on the end of the brush, and draw it in straight liners across or up and down the area you want to cover. Then move the brush in a tight, circular motion to blend the product across your skin. For blush, bronzer, and highlighter, stipple (tap) the end of the brush into the product two or three times, and apply in tight circles on the area you want to cover. I'd start with less product at first so that you can build it up in layers--it looks much more natural. I clean it with Cetaphil everyday, and I've experienced little to no shedding with my 188. So yes, it is expensive, and it looks dinky. But it's worth it, hands down.

Ash Lovely Suede Wedge Sandals with Studs in Topo and Black, $230 at shopbop.com: I want these shoes. I know what everyone's thinking, but no, to be honest, I'm not over studs or graphic wedges or bondage/S&M-inspired straps at all. I love the way the suede and the strap wrap around the heel of the shoe, and I love the kicky cutout at the bottom of the wedge--it lightens everything up perfectly. I just can't decide if I like the mauvey-grey or the black better. Theoretically, of course, because I can't afford these. But you should see my imaginary dream closet. It's pretty BAMF.


I thought I'd follow up yesterday's nice, but boring Burberry campaign with these new Dior and Hermes campaigns, both starring the lovely Karlie Kloss. Who happens to be an entire year younger than me and yet infinitely more accomplished. Ack. Anyways, I'm loving both of these. She's giving me a serious Lauren Bacall, femme fatale vibe in the Dior campaign, and I die for that strong brow. The Hermes campaign is a totally different side of her, but it's equally gorgeous. The Alexander Wang-esque braid with the Hermes scarf woven in is genius, and who doesn't want to fall asleep on a beach on a pile of Hermes pillows? Answer: a crazy person. Le sigh.


Image Sources:
MAC Give Me Liberty pics: temptalia.com, MAC Lip Gelee: temptalia.com, MAC 188 brush photos: nordstrom.com, temptalia.com, Ash wedges: shopbop.com, Dior ad: nymag.com, Hermes ad: modelinia.com.