No cosmetics brand inspires such fierce loyalty as MAC

TotalBeauty.com,

TotalBeauty.com
The Best and Worst MAC Cosmetics Products

Your shopping guide to this cult-fave makeup brand

The Best and Worst MAC Cosmetics Products

Before you buy your next eyeshadow or makeup brush — check out these unbiased reader reviews. They reveal that of all (and there are thousands) of the MAC products available, the brushes top every makeup-lovers list. But not all MAC products are perfect — so be sure to steer clear of the ones on our readers’ do-not-buy lists.

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The Worst: No. 4: MAC Green Gel Cleanser, $19.50

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 6.0*

The Worst: No. 4: MAC Green Gel Cleanser, $19.50

What you said: “It doesn’t [have a] rich lather and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling fresh. I guess it’s ok for…”

No. 3: MAC Prep + Prime Eye, $16

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 5.7*

No. 3: MAC Prep + Prime Eye, $16

What you said: “I figured since MAC has such great eyeshadows, they’d obviously have a great primer for them… WRONG!…”

The Best: No. 15: MAC Eye Shadow, $14.50

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.4*

The Best: No. 15: MAC Eye Shadow, $14.50

What you said: “THE best eyeshadow I have ever used. I will never switch to another brand when it comes to…”

Want to see the rest of the list? Click here!

Josie Maran Cosmetics

Former Maybelline model Josie Maran wanted to create an eco-friendly cosmetics line with glamour and sophistication. Josie Maran Cosmetics are formulated from organic ingredients. Even the packaging (pink-gold metal) is recyclable.

Josie Maran Lipstick

I tried Josie Maran Lipstick and Concealer.

The lipstick went on slick, even wet, spread beyond the lips, and dried down to a lip stain finish, complete with a tingling sensation. I used Mysterious, described as a sheer wine, but it is deeper and more matte than shown on Josie Maran Cosmetics’ website. On one hand, Mysterious seemed to shrink the size of my lips; on the other, it was so dark, it looked goth.

The stick concealer is dryer than other stick concealers I’ve tried. I used Butter, which is indeed yellow, for light skin tones. This spring, Josie Maran has added two additional shades of concealer: Creme for very fair skin tones and Espresso for for rich/deep skin tones.

You may shop Josie Maran Cosmetics online at josiemarancosmetics.com, Vert, or Sephora.com.

Is there a beauty junkie who doesn’t like Sephora?

TotalBeauty.com
The 22 Best Sephora Buys

Consider this the ultimate buying guide to your favorite beauty store

The 22 Best Sephora Buys

Sephora really is the beauty junkies’ paradise. There are so many products to play with, you could spend days sampling and still not try everything. But, since most of us don’t have days, or even hours, to spend in the store, we rounded up these TotalBeauty.com reader reviews and ratings for you. Now you’ll know exactly which products at Sephora are worth your precious time and money.

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No. 22: Beautyblender Sponge, $18.50

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.1*

No. 22: Beautyblender Sponge, $18.50

Why it’s great: “This is such a wonderful tool. The broad base of the sponge is…”

No. 21: CARGO Bronzer, $25

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.1*

No. 21: CARGO Bronzer, $25

Why it’s great: “CARGO’s bronzer is a great find and beauty bag staple. CARGO didn’t leave us pale…”

No. 20: Nars Blush, $25

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 4.6*

No. 20: Nars Blush, $25

Why it’s great: “I have the award winning shade, orgasm. I was a little apprehensive…”

Want to see what’s #1? Click here!

Shop these products through Sephora.com!

A special introductory offer for our readers

More Than a Pretty Face blog is pleased to offer our readers 40% off Daniel Chinchilla Cosmetics. This is a special introductory offer for Daniel Chinchilla Cosmetics, which launched just this month.

Daniel Chinchilla Cosmetics features 3 types of foundation in 16 different shades, cover-up trios in 5 different shades, and bronzers in two different shades. There’s something for every skin tone and type!

To take advantage of this 40% off introductory offer, shop Daniel Chinchilla Cosmetics and enter the coupon code PRETTYFACE at checkout. This introductory offer is good from Tuesday, March 17 (that’s tomorrow!) through Tuesday, March 31.

Thanks to Jenn and Daniel Chinchilla Cosmetics for arranging this promotion!

A new way to rock the smoky eye

I wrote on Twitter that I couldn’t rock martini olive eyeshadow. Mostly, I had been applying martini olive eyeshadow in the crease.

Today, I tried a different variant for the smoky eye, based on golden olive shades:

* I used Shu Uemura M Olive 499 eyeshadow (which appears to have been discontinued), a golden olive, in the crease. Eyeshadow in Chameleon, a matte brown with olive and gold undertones, from Zuzu Luxe would have worked well, too.

* For the lid, I used Zuzu Luxe eyeshadow in Absinthe, which is a lighter shade of golden olive than the Shu Uemura M Olive 499.

* I used martini olive green eyeshadow as an accent in the outer corner of my eye.

* For the eyeliner, I used my favorite black brown eyeshadow (this time, Sonia Kashuk single in Night). To create a smudgier look, I used a small chiseled eyeshadow brush: only instead of tracing along the lashline, I applied the eyeshadow with tiny strokes upward.

* For a softer look on the lower lashline, I dotted the dark brown eyeshadow from the CARGO Essential Eyeshadow Palette in Cool/Neutral with a pointed end eyeliner brush between my lower lashes, and then smudged to blend.

The look suited my brown eyes with green flecks.

Where to shop:

You may shop Shu Uemura from its website, boutiques, and specialty stores. Zuze Luxe is sold at some Whole Foods Markets; also Google Zuzu Luxe to find other vendors. Sonia Kashuk is sold through Target stores. You may shop CARGO at Sephora stores and Sephora.com.

LORAC Oil-Free Neutralizer

LORAC Oil-Free Neutralizer

I’m prone to windburn, and I got a nasty case of it walking between the meeting place and the Metro stop on a particularly cold, blustery day last week. That’s when LORAC Oil-Free Neutralizer was a godsend. I applied this yellow-green lotion to my face, let it dry, and then applied my regular foundation over that. Redness covered!

Read what others think.

You may find LORAC Oil-Free Neutralizer at LORAC, Beauty.com, Sephora.com, and Ulta.

Completely removing makeup before bedtime is absolutely essential!

TotalBeauty.com
Top 14 Makeup Removers

See which products easily stripped off eye makeup (and everything else)

Top 14 Makeup Removers

We makeup junkies need a good product to take it all off at the end of the day — no clogged pores or stained pillowcases for us! The makeup removers on this list left TotalBeauty.com readers with clean skin and without oily residue or dryness.

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No. 14: MAC Wipes, $25

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.9*

No. 14: MAC Wipes, $25

Why they’re great: “These wipes are perfect for those of us who are too tired/lazy/intoxicated to wash our faces before bed, but who don’t like the idea of clogged pores and dirty pillow cases either…”

No. 13: Estee Lauder Take it Away LongWear Makeup Remover Towelettes, $17.50

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9*

No. 13: Estee Lauder Take it Away LongWear Makeup Remover Towelettes, $17.50

Why they’re great: “They clean my face entirely, leaving not a trace of dirt or makeup. They are extremely portable and come in handy on any trip…”

No. 12: Lancome Effacil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, $21.95

TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9*

No. 12: Lancome Effacil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, $21.95

Why it’s great: “It is so gentle and does not burn or sting your eyes. It has absolutely no oily residue…”

Want to see what’s #1? Click here!

Introducing Daniel Chinchilla Cosmetics

Daniel Chinchilla Cosmetics is a new line of cosmetics: it’s so new, in fact, that online shopping won’t go live until Sunday, March 8, 2009!

Daniel Chinchilla Cosmetics debuts with 3 different formulas of foundation (liquid, creme-to-powder, and dual wet/dry powder), each of which comes in 16 shades: in short, there’s something for any skin type and skin tone. It will also feature bronzer in two different shades and cover-up trio in five different shades.


Flawless Finish Liquid Foundation from Daniel Chinchilla Cosmetics

Daniel Chinchilla is a fashion, beauty, and editorial make-up artist. He was recently featured on Get Your Face On, TLC’s reality TV series starring Napoleon Pardis. By listening to his clients, Daniel learned that many of them still found it difficult to find makeup shades that suited their skin tone. Daniel sought to address their needs by starting his own cosmetics line.

Best Mineral Makeup

My article on Mineral Madness elicited unusual response from readers of this blog (see More Mineral Madness).  Nonetheless, it appears that, from my stats, people are interested in finding the best mineral makeup:

These reviews tell which foundations and powders are best in their class

Readers' Choice: Top 18 Mineral Makeup Products
From powders to liquids, these mineral makeup formulas were voted most impressive (and least irritating) by TotalBeauty.com users. Find the perfect match for your skin — and your budget.
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.2*

No. 18: Joppa Minerals Morning Dew Foundation, $16
Why it’s great: “It doesn’t make me itch and it stays in place all day long…”
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.2*

No. 17: Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation, $18
Why it’s great: “It is easy to apply, it blends in with my skin, it stays all day, and it looks natural…”
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.2*

No. 16: Arbonne About Face Mineral Powder Foundation, $34
Why it’s great: “I have some issues with acne scars and this covers [them] right up. There’s a good selection of colors as well so you’re sure to find your color…”

You’ll be surprised!