MAC hits and misses

As you guys know, I have been obsessed with MAC's lipsticks and lip pencils for quite some time, causing me to collect a few. I've talked about the MAC Cosmetics store and my visits there with rave reviews. The employees are always so helpful finding shades that are good for my skin tone, recommending good products, as well as providing their honest opinions on products that aren't their faves. After I fell in love with their lipsticks and lip pencils, I was interested in trying to find a few other products from them, in hopes I might love them just as much. A few months ago, I went in looking for a bronzer, blush, and highlighting powder that would suit my skin tone, and work well for the fall season, since my sunkissed glow has officially disappeared. Since I've tried a few more products from them, I thought this would be a great opportunity to share some "hits" (great products) and "misses" (almost there, but not quite) from MAC. Since you guys have already read about my love for their lipsticks and pencils way too many times, consider them in the "hits" category, and I'll skip over those, and talk about some of their products that I haven't talked about with you guys much before. Here is a video where I talk about the hits and misses as well.

The hits

Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden // (Top left) With these chillier months, I tend to get really white really fast. I start to miss my shimmering, sunkissed summer skin, so leaving the house without bronzer is a no-no. I like to place my bronzer in the contouring areas (under jawline, hollows of cheekbones, sides of nose, hairline and sides of forehead). I still haven't mastered learning to contour, so I use this powder to add structure to my face as contouring would, as well as a glow in areas that tend to be sunkissed in the summer, like my hairline and nose. I love the shimmer that this powder has to it. For swatches, check out the video I'm posting on youtube about this post tonight!

Mineralize Blush in Dainty // (Top middle) Since I am quite fair naturally, a light pink or peachy blush suits my skintone best. When one of the MAC store employees put this on my cheeks, I was sold. It's such a pretty pink, and gives my skin tone the perfect glow. I love that this powder has some shimmer to it as well. The packaging is magnetic and kind of a pain to open, but I get over it once I put this on every morning.

Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle // (Top right)For a long period of time, I was using a light shimmering eyeshadow on my highlight areas because I didn't own a highlighter. It was a pain in the butt, hard to apply and blend, and wasted eyeshadow that I was really fond of. I finally decided to get an actual highlighter, and I couldn't be happier. The shade Soft and Gentle is absolutely beautiful. The glow it has is amazing, and very little goes a very long way. One finger swatch is very pigmented, but it blends out so easily. I apply this on my highlight areas (upper cheekbones, center of my nose, cupid's bow, and under my bottom lip). I went home about a month ago, and my mom asked me what I was wearing, she said I was glowing, guess what is was? 

129 Brush // (Far right) All my life I've owned standard makeup brushes, nothing fancy. I own 4 brushes, an angle brush, an eyeshadow blush, a buffing brush, and a powder brush. Since I use my bronzing powder in my contour areas, I wanted a brush that would help me apply this best. When I went to MAC in search of a brush, I told them I didn't want to spend a lot, and that I was looking for a brush I could use to contour, highlight, and apply blush. The brush he recommended was $52, and I wasn't willing to spend that. The 129 brush that I purchased was $35, and I've never owned a brush I've loved so much in my life. All my brushes are itchy, synthetic hairs. MAC brushes are all real hair, so they are extremely soft, and they last a very long time. I love this brush because it is tapered at the end, so I can use the thin end to get in smaller areas like the center of my nose and hollows of my cheeks, but I can use the bigger, flat side to apply blush.

Mineralize Concealer in NW 15 // (Bottom left) Finding a concealer that doesn't crease and doesn't dry your undereyes is a true feat. I love this concealer for remedying both of these things. It is hydrating, and the consistency is so nice and blendable. The only thing I don't like about this is the packing, it comes like a nail polish would, and I find it a tad unsanitary to be applying directly and then placing right back into the tube.

Paint Pot in Groundwork // (Bottom center) I can't rave enough about these paint pots. They come in a fancy glass container, with a screwable lid (when these containers are empty, you can take 6 in for a free lipstick). It is a creamy consistency that you apply directly to your eyelid. You can use this as a primer in a neutral color if you need something to ensure your eyeshadow stays longer. Or, you can use this in place of an eyeshadow, as I do. They are very pigmented, but very blendable. The consistency feels amazing, and it stays on all day long. You need a small amount, this glass pot will last a long time. Online advice says to store the pot upside down to make it keep longer.

Fluidline in Blacktrack // (Bottom right) In place of liquid eyeliner, I now use MAC Fluidline. It is a gel eyeliner that you dip your angle brush into, and apply to your lashline. While a precise brush is necessary for a product like this, the consistency of the gel is so nice, and it wears so well.

The misses

In Extreme Dimension Lash Mascara // (Left) Luckily, I got this mascara in a value pack with the fluidline mentioned above (the fluidline was worth the price of both). I absolutely fell in love with the packing of this mascara. The lid is so easy to grip and open, the packaging is cute, the mascara wand is sturdy and applies perfectly, but the formula itself is what turned me off. By the end of my work shift, I had mascara under my eyes, on my eyelids, everywhere! And when you serve people as your job, that's not super attractive. I loved everything about except the mascara itself, I was super disappointed to find such a flaw. I wish it stayed on my actual eyelashes longer, then I'd love it!

Eye Kohl in Smolder // (Middle) I had the same problem with this eye pencil as I did with the mascara. I loved the consistency and the way it applied, and it works great if you're going for a smokey eye or smudged liner, which I have done before. However, as a regular lashline eyeliner, it moves all over the place, where it shouldn't! At the end of my shift, I had excessive amounts of eyeliner in the creases of my eyelids...but hey, I'm sure somebody out there is into the zombie-look, right?!

Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage // (Right) From the get-go, I fell in love with the consistency of this primer. I hate primers that feel silicone based, and this primer feels more like a lotion or moisturizer, which feels fantastic when you apply it. However, at the end of the day, I didn't feel like it made my makeup stay on much better than it does when I just moisturize pre-makeup routine (especially not $31 worth of better, thank goodness I got the sample size for free first). I feel like I'm crazy though, because the ratings on this primer are just prime...;) 

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! I would love to hear if you'd like to see a hits and misses post again, since it's something I'd never done before.  P.S. Use coupon code MAC at checkout online to get free 2-day shipping on your $45+ MAC order!

What are your favorite beauty brands? What are their "hits" and "misses"? Do you have any awesome beauty "hits" you'd be willing to share with me?