Smoke Signals

Smoke Signals is another MAC collection for August 2007. The palette looks fine, if a little on the boring side which is deceiving because once you see the swatches you will see that they are actually quite pretty and not what one expected.

The colours are described as follows (as seen in the pictures going clockwise):

Rondelle - Light silver with white pearl (frost)

Waft - Deep blue grey with purple undertones (matte)

Carbon - Intense black (Matte) (permanent)

Gentle Fume - Mid tone grey with silver pearl but looks plum (velvet)

All credit goes to Down A Rabbit Hole for her beautiful swatches.

Blue Storm

Down A Rabbit Hole has made some lovely swatches of the new MAC collection Blue Storm.

The eyeshadows are described below but as you know, a picture is much more useful. Blue storm looks too similar to Flashtrack or Deep Truth so I will be passing. I think Thunder looks interesting only because it is similar to a Dior eyeshadow that I really love. Cloudburt also looks interesting but I don't use those types of colours too often. I really like the swatch of the kohl but the smudged swatch looks a bit like caron or blue brown pigment so I will have to see this in person.

Blue storm - Royal blue with blue and silver pearl (frost) (LE) (see above for pictures)

Thunder - Rich purple with slight blue pearl (frost) (LE)

Stormwatch - Deep forest green with blue undertones(matte) (LE)

Cloudburst - Black with blue and green pearl (velvet) (LE)

Cumulus - Cream grey with silver pearl and blue undertones (frost) (LE)

Mystery Kohl: Blue with green, black and teal pearl (LE)

All credit goes to Down A Rabbit Hole for these lovely swatches. Check out her eye of the day (EOTD) which she created using products from Blue Storm. This girl has got talent and this picture makes me want to by the Mystery Kohl.

Nail It!!

OK, I admit it, nail polish is usually my last priority, cosmetics wise. I always forget to put it on or take it off and always find a way to mess up my polish while waiting for it to dry. I hate when polish looks streaky so I usually stick with light neutral polish on my fingertips. That being said, Lancome's new Le Magnetique Star Design Nail Lacquer is mesmerizingly beautiful. Currently, it is only available in one limited edition colour: Bordeaux Esmee, a beautiful shimmery eggplant.


Attached to the bottom of the nail polish bottle, you will find an inconspicuous magnet. After applying the second coat of polish, place your finger close to the magnet (without touching or it will streak/smudge) in order to create a special design. The special design is brought out due to the magnetic properties and pigments which comprise this special formula. These pictures belong to Tobywoo from makeupalley.com. She demonstrates the awesome design the magnetic strip creates on the nail. All credit goes to her for these awesome pictures which definitely create some serious lemmings.

Various people have reported that this product can be difficult to find as it is still fairly new and a lot of sales assistants will not know what you are talking about when you ask for Le Magnetique Star Design Nail Lacquer. You can buy it online on Lancome's website.

Price: $17.00. OK, this is quite expensive for a nail polish as professional salon brands such as OPI retail for approximately $8.00. Keep in mind for comparisons sake that Chanel's nail polish retails for $19.00. I think for women who are really into nail polish, than this is a truly unique product that is worth the extra price. If you are just interested in the colour than I would suggest checking out a brand such as OPI which has a great colour selection and high quality polishs (seriously, they last for weeks without chipping) for a fraction of the price.

Bold Costume Jewelry

Costume jewelry is a great alternative to expensive gems and precious stones. Bold costume jewelry is popping up in high fashion and can be seen decorating hair clips, earrings, necklaces and purses.

What to look for? Large chuncky pieces in strong geometric shapes such as squares, rectangles, circles and ovals.

Pictured above right are a pair of blue royal teardrop earrings which are a fantastic example of costume jewelry designed by Kenneth Jay Lane. These are made of Amethyst Austrian crystal and a good duplicate of the earrings seen on Christian Dior's Coture Fall 2007 collection (see above left). Amazingly, these earrings are only US$125 on Max & Chloe's website.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: We Test 5 Mascaras

Mascara. There are so many different kinds and brands. Some add drama, some add length, some add definition while keeping lashes soft. Whatever your preference, there is a mascara out there for everyone. I'm going to review five mascaras from low-end to high-end. Mascara is one of the things which you can generally buy low-end for to save some money.

1. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara. I don't know why this stuff is often said to be a staple in Makeup Artist's kits when it is an awful awful product. This makes lashes short, clumpy, goopy, heavy and stumpy. It smudges really badly so if you want stumpy 80's looking lashes then this is for you. It's just awful so I'm not going to write anymore. Maybelline has some decent mascaras but this isn't one of them.

My rating: 1/10

Price: $4.50, so it is quite affordable but please, save yourself the money and buy yourself a sandwich or a bubble tea or something. You will enjoy it much more.

2. Covergirl Lash Exact. I quite like this mascara. It separates lashes and makes them look longer. You don't need a lash comb because it doesn't clump which makes this a nice low-maintenance mascara. It doesn't offer much volumizing but I like it for the added length to my lashes. I can also use this mascara everyday as it doesn't dry my lashes out. The brush in Lash Exact is rubber to prevent clumps. Great mascara and excellent value. Drugstores often have it on sale so keep an eye out.

My rating: 9/10

Price: $7.00

3. L'Oreal Double Extend Mascara. I used to quite like this mascara. It doesn't flake or smudge. The white primer is quite handy and allows this mascara to be quite versitle. If you don't use the primer, then lashes are more natural looking. Applying the white primer and then the mascara delivers thick and lush lashes which are defined and lengthened. I stopped using this mascara to explore other mascaras but I definetly think it is worth returning to and a good drugstore product. The one problem with it is the tube tends to dry out after 6 months but that isn't necessarily a bad thing as you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months. I live on the wild side though and change it when it smells off or drys out though. When I was looking to repurchase this, Revlon's Lash Fantasy version (with a primer and mascara) was on sale so I bought this instead thinking they were similar but L'Oreals version is a much more superior product as Revlon's Lash Fantasy started to dry my lashes out and left them sparse and clumps would come out to the point that I had to stop wearing mascara for a few months and apply lash conditioner growth serum to help my lashes grow back.

My rating: 8/10

Price: $10.00

4. Estee Lauder MagnaScopic Mascara. I find this mascara is great for dramatic lush lashes thanks to its thick brush but it tends to clump so you need to use a lash brush. It adds volume and definition so if you want thick fat black lashes this is a mascara to achieve this look. It's not the best mascara for the office as it tends to give you racoon eyes by the end of the day but I like to use this mascara when I am going out at night because it gives me the false-lash effect. It is a bit expensive but I got it as a gift with purchase so I didn't actually have to purchase the full size. I like the fat lashes but after a few months the product tends to clump so keep that in mind.

My rating: 6.5/10

Price: $21.00

5. YSL Faux Cils: Aaaah, mon cherie. This is an excellent product. It gets great reviews on the makeupalley.com. I would never have tried it if it weren't for my lovely mother-in-law who bought it for my birthday. I am afraid she has gotten me hooked. First of all the packaging is divine, it smells like an expensive french perfume shop and it performs excellently. I wish it wasn't so darn expensive but this is an excellent product. It gives you beautiful full defined lush lashes. This definetly gives a false lash effect (hence the name in French). This mascara can be built up without clumping. It doesn't provide a thick black base like Estee Lauders but it is still a superior product. Faux Cils gives an almost instant false lash effect but defines and separates instantly so you don't need a lash comb.

My rating: 9/10 (took a point off for the price)

Price: $26.50

Best mascara overall? Well, if your pocket-book can take it then I would recommend Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils. Wait until payday, request it as a gift if your friend asks what to buy you for your birthday, or buy it as a splurge after a promotion etc.

If you can't afford the hefty price tag then I would recommend Covergirl Lash Exact. I just wish it would provide thicker lashes so next time I am going to try Covergirl Volume Exact.

And please ladies, NEVER share your mascara and NEVER try on mascara testers from the drugstore/department store. This is how people get eye infections.