Swatch Comparison: Ever Bilena Off Beat Pink Vs. MAC Pink Noveau

Here's Ever Bilena's Matte Lipstick in Off Beat Pink and MAC's Satin Lipstick in Pink Nouveau on the tube compared side by side.

From the tube, MAC Pink Nouveau looks more true pink while Off Beat Pink is more of a muted rose. When swatched, here's how they look:  

 

 

 

LEFT: Ever Bilena Matte Lipstick in Off Beat Pink, RIGHT: MAC Pink Nouveau

 

MAC Pink Nouveau seems darker because it has better pigmentation than Off Beat Pink. I needed to swipe Off Beat Pink a little bit more just to get a close to the color intensity of Pink Nouveau. Comparing the two, both look very close being in the same cool pink category. Major difference is in the obvious purple undertone of Pink Nouveau - Off Beat Pink shows no purple undertone at all.

What do i like better? In terms of color, Off Beat pink is definitely the winner. Having a skintone with olive undertones, purple and i don't go very well together. In terms of quality though, no question, MAC is the runaway winner. 

My final thoughts,

If you are looking for a close dupe of MAC Pink Nouveau, you may want to try out Off Beat Pink. It's not an exact dupe of MAC PN, but it's pretty close. You will find a more detailed review of Ever Bilena Off Beat Pink here and a detailed review of MAC Pink Nouveau here.

Review: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus

What the Label Says

A luxurios domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect low coverage. Use to set or fix foundation, or as a touch-up throughout the day.

Net Weight:

10 grams

Price:

P 1,680.00 / $27

Coverage: 

Sheer-Medium
Goes on sheer when applied using a brush but offers more coverage when applied with a sponge. 

Finish: 

Satin, almost matte. Leaves skin looking flawless and smooth yet natural looking.

This one is one of my 2011 favorites. This works great as a powder over bare skin with concealer or to set foundation. The shade Medium Plus is a dead match with my NC35 skin tone (with olive undertones). The price is a bit steep for a finishing powder, so I leave it up to you to decide whether this is a must buy or not. It's a great product and i really love it and it's been a staple in my daily makeup kit, but I am not over the moon ecstatic about it as I am with most MAC makeup. What i really really love about this powder though is how it instantly evens out my skin tone and makes it look almost flawless yet still look very natural looking - as if you do not have makeup on.

The Good
- great as a finishing powder to set foundation. 
- excellent over bb cream or tinted moisturuzer. gives a flawless yet natural looking skin. 
- evens out skintone
- lightweight
- does not cake
- product lasts a long time (been using this for 2 months and i am not seeing any dents in the dome yet)
- no breakouts (at least for me)
- great for touchups


The Bad
- EXPENSIVE(!)
- does nothing to control oiliness (i have combination skin)
- i hate that the packaging has no mirror


Overall Thoughts
This product will be great for people already blessed with good skin or for those with very minimal blemishes. Just a dab of concealer, bb cream or tinted moisturizer, then set with this, and you're good to go. You'll look flawless without looking fake at all. It feels so light it's as if you do not have any makeup on. It's the best natural looking powder i have ever tried. Here's me with no makeup,  concealer or foundation on, just my Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer and set with MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural. 

What will set most people off though is the price. P 1,680 for 10grams of product is a very steep price for a finishing/face powder. If price is a major concern for you, then you can skip this product. I'm sure you'll find other alternatives (maybe not as good, but probably close) to this. But if price is not an issue for you, then go ahead and try this out. 

You will like this if: 

- you are not price conscious

- you already have good skin and do not need a heavy coverage foundation

- you do not like wearing "heavy" makeup on your face

You will not like this if: 

- you are price conscious

- you want a heavy coverage foundation

- you have oily skin. this will not control the oilies at all

Do you have this? What are your thoughts? 

Review: MAC Satin Blush in Fleur Power

I was sorting through my traincase last night when I found this blush. Funny, i do not even recall having purchased this. It looks pretty on the pan, but since I've always been partial towards the sheertone shimmer finish of MAC blushes (this is satin), this did not capture much of my attention.

MAC describes this as soft bright pinkish coral. I will say this is more of a warm pink with a slight hint of coral on my NC35 skin tone. Here is what it looks like when swatched :

Looks pretty right? This is the kind of blush that gives you that natural looking flushed look. This blush is so versatile this would look good on almost all skintones. 


PROS
- highly pigmented so make sure to apply with a light hand
- staying power is very good
- powder is finely milled and applies smoothly
- this blush gives a natural looking flushed look


CONS
- a bit too powdery


FINAL THOUGHTS
Though a pretty color, this is not one of my favorite MAC blushes. As I've mentioned, i tend to be partial towards sheertone shimmer finishes because i love the glow it gives. This being satin, thus almost matte, it lacks that oomph i need in a blush. This is great for a natural everyday look though for office, school, or during casual days. Will i repurchase? Probably no. It will take forever before i hit the pan. 


Do you have Fleur Power? What do you think? 


♥ blushbaby

Review: MAC Pink Nouveau (Satin)

Ahhhh... the infamous MAC Pink Nouveau. This is one of MAC's crazily-popular lipstick shades. A favorite among local & foreign celebrities - Lady Gaga even confessed she was once obsessed with this shade. 

I love pink lipstick. It's a color that can instantly brighten up a face and make you look younger. Being NC35 with warm olive undertones though, not all pink lipstick suits my skin tone. I bought Pink Nouveau knowing there was a 60% chance of the color not looking good on me. But, it was 20% off at La Petite Confiserie and it's so difficult to pass up a MAC item on sale (only P700) so i had to grab it immediately. MAC lipsticks are pricey. They go for P1,000 a tube at MAC stores and P800-P900 on Ebay. My personal makeup philosophy for lipsticks is to spend less. There are a lot of pretty colors that costs much cheaper - like NYX for example. This is why i am such a hoarder for NYX lippies - they're super cheap! To date I only have a very humble collection of 5 MAC lipsticks (Lustering, Cosmo, Chatterbox, Crosswires, & Impassioned). I'd be happy to get a few more this Christmas! tehee... =)

Now back to Lady Gaga, I mean, Pink Nouveau. This is how Pink Nouveau looks like when swatched:

MAC describes this is as bright pink. I would say this is a true barbie blue based pink lipstick with slight purple undertones. On me, the purple undertone is much more obvious. On my fair skinned friend (NC20) though, the purple undertone is barely noticeable. This would appear bright pink on pigmented lips (like mine), and probably more muted on less pigmented lips.  This is a satin finish so it's like matte with a teeny tiny bit of sheen. A bit drying to the lips. Satin is not one of my favorite finishes from MAC as i prefer Lustre, Cremesheen & Amplified Creme.

PROS

- it's MAC! 

- great pigmentation

- staying power is very good 

- a nice, very wearable pink shade 

CONS

- pricey for a lipstick

- this formula tends to be drying on the lips

- tends to highlight the cracks on your lips so make sure to moisturize lips first

- will not suit all skintones

FINAL THOUGHTS

I've worn this thrice already but I am still undecided whether i like the color on me or not. I haven't noticed any weird stares though so the color isn't probably very shocking (like Milani's Rose Hip) or weird looking. My major setback for Pink Nouveau though is that this looks more lilac on me than pink. Purple and me don't go very well.

If you love MAC and pink lipstick, then this is a must have color to keep on your traincase. Otherwise, there are much cheaper alternatives for this color. Try googling MAC Pink Nouveau dupes and you'd get a lot of results.  

This is how Pink Nouveau looks on me. What do you think?

Pink Nouveau is one of those lipsticks that gives you fuller-looking, Angeline Jolie puckers.

Do you have Pink Nouveau? Do you like it or hate it? 

♥ blushbaby

MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Sunbasque

What the Label Says

Color for the cheeks and face.

Shade: Sunbasque (Peach with Pearl- Sheertone Shimmer)
in 6g/0.21oz

Price:

$19.50 in MAC

Bought this on Ebay for P1,100.00

Swatches

The Good

- no weird smell

- texture is velvety smooth

- this did not broke me out

- staying power is average 

- very good color payoff

 - this is described as peach with pearl but the best way to describe how it shows up on my face is orangey-bronzey-peach

- my favorite finish in MAC Powder blushes is sheertone shimmer because it gives a glowy lit from within look, and this blush does just that

- IMHO, this shade will flatter warm, medium-toned skin
-  this will give your cheeks a natural bronze-ish, orangey-ish (pardon the english) color to your cheeks. perfect for summer!

-  this will also look good with fair skinned ladies but should be applied with a light hand

The Bad

Nothing!

This color is such a keeper! Sunbasque is my official summer blush.

Tip

Make sure to use a light hand when applying this (especially if your Fair-Medium skinned)

I use a stippling brush when applying and slowly build the color until you achieve the color you want. here's me wearing Sunbasque (I'm NC35 for reference):

Final Verdict

A+

**

MAC Brow Set in Beguille

What the Label Says

A brush-on gel that strokes brows into shape. Adds shine and style. No flaking or stiffening. Tinted or clear. Also grooms lashes, sideburns and facial hair.

Shades:

Clear, Girl Boy (Fawn Blonde, Beguille (Full-bodied Taupe), Show Off (Rich Brown)

Weight:

8 g / 0.28 oz

Price:

$15.00 in MAC

Bought this for P950.00 at La Petite Confiserie

Swatches

MY BARE EYEBROWS
I have very sparse eyebrows so i have to do a whole lot of filling in to make them look thicker and more defined. 

MY EYEBROWS AFTER APPLIED WITH IN2IT EYEBROW POWDER (THE LIGHTEST SHADE) AND SET WITH
MAC BROW SET IN BEGUILLE &  

MY EYEBROWS AFTER APPLIED WITH IN2IT EYEBROW POWDER (THE LIGHTEST SHADE) AND SET WITH 

MAC BROW SET IN BEGUILLE

***

For the longest time, i have always used my trusted In2It Eyebrow Powder to groom my eyebrows. They worked fine, but they did not do a very good job of making my eyebrows stay in place and with my oily skin plus sweat, i notice that the powder tends to fade by the end of the day. Sometimes, i even end up with very unnatural and harsh looking brows. 

This was recommended to me by a friend who has this in Girl Boy. So how did this fair? Read on. 

   

The Good

- Gives you natural looking thicker and fuller brows

- keeps my eyebrows in place all day

- doesn't flake

- lightens my eyebrow so they don't look too harsh and unnatural. if you have very black eyebrows, this would help lighten it up and give you a more softened look or to match your dyed/lightened hair.

- has micro shimmers but is barely noticeable unless you look really closely to the eyebrows

- dries within minutes  

The Bad

- the spoolie tends to pick up a lot of product when you pull it out, so make sure to remove any excess before applying on your brows. i made this mistake once and my brows made me look like a witch!

- the smell is terrible. i swear it stinks. i have very sensitive nose so the smell is magnified like 10X! i don't know how to describe the scent, it smells "chemicalish", if their's such a word. i got a headache the first time i used this because of the smell. i have gotten quite used to with the smell now so it's not really that terrible anymore. but i still find myself holding my breathe sometimes when i'm applying this.

 My Tips

- take care not to use too much product on your brows (the spoolie picks a lot)

- what i do first is i shape my eyebrows by tracing the edges with In2It Eyebrow Powder (the middle shade). this would serve as my drawing guide.

- i then fill in my brows with In2It Eyebrow Powder (the lightest shade) to lightly fill in my brows 

- then i apply MAC Brow Set to set my brows in place and to fill in whatever patches not covered by In2It

- i personally do not use the spoolie that it comes with to apply the product. i find that using a brush comb instead makes it easier for me to apply the product and groom and shape my brows. 

Final Verdict

A+

*

MAC Sheertone Blush in Pinch O' Peach

What the Label Says

Color for the cheeks and face.

Shade: Pinch O' Peach (Warm Peach - Sheertone)
in 6g/0.21oz

Price:

$19.50 in MAC

Bought this on Ebay for P1,100.00

***

This is not one of my favorite MAC blushes. The color is nice on the pan but sadly it does not flatter my skin-tone. It's too sheer for my liking and hardly shows up on my NC35 skin.

On the pan, it looks more pink than peach. I don't know why MAC describes this as Warm Peach. This blush would probably look better on fairer skin tones.  

Swatches

The Good

- no weird smell

- texture is smooth 

- this did not broke me out

- staying power is REALLY good (second to NARS)

The Bad

- too sheer for my liking

- color does not show up on my NC35 skin tone

Final Verdict

B-

Quality wise, this blush is really good (as most MAC blushes are).

I'm giving this a B- because the shade is not really for me. 

**

MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush Dollymix

With Flash

No Flash

What the Label Says

Color for the cheeks and face.

Shade: Dollymix (Pure candy pink - Sheertone Shimmer)
in 6g/0.21oz

Price:

$19.50 in MAC

Bought this on Ebay for P1,100.00

***

MAC Blushes are my personal favorites, so pardon the bias. hehe. 

The Good

- no weird smell

- texture is smooth

- this did not broke me out

- staying power is REALLY good (second to NARS) 

- highly pigmented (despite this being sheer)

- as MAC describes it, this is a really nice Candy Pink shade

- i love how the tiny silvery shimmer puts an instant glow to my face

- the color may look scary in the pan but it's a really nice pink shade when applied with a light hand (I use a stippling brush for most MAC blushes)

Dollymix, No Flash

Dollymix, With Flash

The Bad

NOTHING! 

 I absoulutely love MAC blushes and Dollymix is one of my faves!

Final Verdict

A+

**