MAC x Gareth Pugh And Some Thoughts

With its innumerable releases and collaborations, MAC has become a brand I often pass by at department stores without even a glance. It seems like collection after collection are mere repromotes and with that amount of output, what can quality do but become (mostly) subpar? One of its upcoming collaborations is with Miss Piggy, I'm guessing in conjunction with the premiere of The Muppets movie. With only a pink shadow, a black liner, and a set of false lashes to show for it, as British Beauty Blogger aptly puts, it's very much "a half-hearted collaboration."

It is frustrating to me as a consumer. MAC makes good quality makeup for its relatively low price, and it's one of the few companies that doles out an impressive range of shades that could potentially suit every customer. I, like most people, found my love of makeup through MAC, and used to visit my local store once a week and get excited for sneak peaks of "what's next." Now it seems like the constant updating I would need to do to keep up with this one brand, coupled with sold out collections way before launch date, is just not worth the time anymore.

Enter this genuinely awesome teaser of the upcoming MAC x Gareth Pugh collaboration. Of course my excitement is predicated upon the packaging alone - I hate the lipglass formula, but I might just throw in the towel and get the two lipglosses just for the structural beauty. Also "sheer light lavender gray with violet pearl" is totally up my alley. I might have to endure the colossal stickiness if it's as pretty as it sounds. The nail polishes paired with the images are stirring up enough intrigue for me to consider all three. And the pigment pots are perhaps the best part of the collection - they look like the better packaging option functionality-wise compared to the regular pigments.

I'm excited that I'm excited for a MAC collection, and I'm most probably going to stay up to order this come November 23. That said, I wish all MAC collections could be this way. With half the volume and double the quality, I bet they'll have less products left over from afterthought collections and no way to get rid of them.

Monday Purples

So, we've established that beauty blogging is hella fun - but sometimes it's really fun. Like when you find a shade of lavender and lilac lipstick and gloss that somehow manages to suit you perfectly.

I told my boyfriend I wish my lips were that shade originally, and he said, "but aren't they?"

That said, I put my hour of watching AMC's The Walking Dead to good use - finally utilizing the Halloween Sally Hansen nail strips I was harping about some time ago. There's definitely a learning curve to these things, but I managed to finish both hands using only one packet (the box comes with two) so a lucky friend of mine will be getting some green fingers tomorrow. 

Is it okay if I want to end this post here? I just really liked the lip color. And my hair. My hair was being so nice the whole time during the shoot. I guess we'll do this. Do you like the lavender/lilac lips? Wanna guess the shade?

Fun With Makeup: Oscar de la Renta S/S '12

I was reading through the Beauty Blitz blog a few days ago and was struck by the image below of a model backstage at the Oscar de la Renta Spring/Summer 2012 show. I've been wanting to do a post about the exaggerated crease look coming out of the 2012 Spring runways for the longest time now, so I decided it's time for us to have a slice of that fun on Messy Wands!

Photo from Beautyblitz.com. Read their Oscar de la Renta S/S '12 coverage here

Now, it's probably needless to point out that I'm not even an iota of Gucci Westman, but a girl's gotta have her own fun, aye? I do hope you enjoy my rendition of this runway look!

I started with the eyebrows. I elongated mine and drew it thicker than what I was used to. Next, I primed my lids and placed Chanel Beige Lamé all over the eyelid to even the color out, then I patted Le Métier de Beauté Rose Champagne on top for the glow. 

I took a pointed crease brush (Chanel #3 to be exact) and ran Chanel Safari eyeshadow along the brow bone above my usual crease, then layered Le Métier de Beauté Spicy over it. I used a (as yet unnamed -  will feature soon) Le Métier de Beauté brown shade for definition at the inner and outer edges. I used a flesh toned eyeliner (Chanel Le Crayon Khol in Clair) along the inner corner and lower lash line. Finally, I tightlined my eyes with Le Métier de Beauté Tamarack Dualistic Eye Pencil and gave my lashes a light coat of Benefit They're Real mascara.

For the lips, I lightly lined the top lip line with a pink liner (Le Métier de Beauté Rouge) and patted a matte peach lipstick onto the lip (Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipstick in Darling Beige). I took a stiff eyeliner brush and dipped it into Lumière Sculpteé de Chanel, using it to define and highlight the lips.

I applied Chanel Joues Contraste Tempting Beige heavily on my cheeks to emulate the beautiful peach flush, and swept more of Lumière Sculpteé de Chanel above the cheekbones, under the brows, and on the tip of the nose.

Skin is courtesy of Chantecaille Future Skin in Camomile. 

I believe this runway look is wearable even on a daily basis, though I don't know about its practicality - I don't envision myself choosing to do this at 8a.m. when I can use the extra twenty minutes for sleep instead. My greatest takeaway from doing this look is an awareness about blush placement. Instead of starting from the apples of my cheeks, I placed it a little further in and shaded in a triangular shape instead of pulling it into the hairline as usual. The effect I got was startling - I call it the very image of health! 

What do you think about the look? Love it or hate it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, I'm aware I have not reviewed most of the products I used (oops). If you're interested in any in particular, let me know and I'll try my best to do it soon.

Essie Winter 2011 Collection: Cocktail Bling

Here are the six shades of creamy Essie hues for your fingers come snow time. 

L-R: Brooch the Subject, Bangle Jangle, Cocktail Bling, School of Hard Rocks, Bobbing for Baubles, Size Matters

Some nail wheel swatches. I would do it on my fingers, but I didn't want to ruin the manicure I got during the event. Size Matters is a dark red cream, Bobbing for Baubles is a rich deep navy, School of Hard Rocks is a muted forest green, Cocktail Bling is a creamy gray with blue undertones, Bangle Jangle a lilac, and Brooch the Subject a mannequin nude. A note: during the event, a couple other bloggers got Brooch the Subject manicures and it ended up looking different on both of them.

As far as I could tell from swatching on nail wheels (can I please just thank the genius who created these? They make life so much easier), all six of them feature the stellar Essie formula. Most of them were opaque on one application - but if you know me by now, you'll know I'm a loyal two-coater regardless. 

I chose Cocktail Bling because I thought it looked the most interesting out of the bunch. In the bottle and nail wheel swatch, Cocktail Bling comes across as a straightforward light gray but when placed on the nails it takes on a baby blue + gray tone. Some days I think it leans gray and others I'm convinced it leans blue. Either way, it's so pretty almost every girl who had more than five minutes of conversation with me this week complimented me on my nail color. I suspect Cocktail Bling might take after Brooch the Subject and look different on different fingers, but I won't know till more swatches hit the Web. 

Cocktail Bling lasted on my fingers for seven days with the most minimal of tip wears. On the eighth day, a small portion of polish chipped off my pinky, but the rest are still very much intact.

Essie Winter 2011 Collection will be available in stores and salons this month, no word on the exact date. Based on my experience with just about every Essie seasonal collection, I'd keep an eye out for the Essie stand in your local pharmacy/salon. Without fail, they disappear at an alarming rate.

The products in this post was given to Messy Wands by the company during the event. 

Sephora Friends & Family Event

A lot of birds have been flitting from tree to tree, chirping about the Sephora event of the year. Apparently the Friends and Family sale (20 percent off ALL items) is this Thursday! I've been at a loss browsing through the website searching for items I absolutely want or want to try. I can't believe it either, but I'm drawing a total blank. The only thing I'm semi-contemplating is Illamasqua's pigments. But I'm not absolutely convinced I want to try them yet.

So, I turn to you, dear readers. I would love to know what's been lurking in the corners of your mind, whispering, "Buy me! Buy me!" What brand(s) or product(s) has been giving you the tingles? I invite you to share your lists. I would love to be inspired!

Update 19 Oct: BOO! According to @BloominBeauty5 the F&F sale will only apply to literal friends and family of Sephora employees. This one on Thursday will not apply to us, VIB or not. She does add that Sephora is planning a F&F sale for everyone, but they have yet to set a date and determine the exact promotion.

Update 20 Oct: I apologize for the flurry of misinformation going on about this! I just found out from Twitter that the F&F sale is indeed a go. Instead of mailing out the promo codes, you can receive yours by entering your email here. The code can only be used once and on online purchases only. It will expire on November 2.

Update 21 Oct: This is rapidly turning into a "Breaking News" section. I wish there were an easier way to do this (actually there is, I distribute up-to-date information much more readily on Twitter). Apparently, this F&F sale wasn't intended for anyone other than friends and family of Sephora employees. You can read about the, um, "controversy" in full on Best Things in Beauty, who got the scoop  from Sephora Customer Service. At any rate, I received my promo code using the link above and my order went through. I feel I should let you know that one of the Illamasqua blushes I was interested in went out of stock as I was editing my cart. If you still want to take advantage of the sale (remember, it lasts till November 2), I would suggest an order sooner rather than later to avoid certain heartbreak.

Shu Uemura Holiday 2011 Available Now

For those interested, Shu Uemura Wong Kar Wai for Holiday has finally hit their US online store. Unfortunately, the eye and cheek palettes will not be available to us State side.

I know I said earlier that I have to get something from the collection, but after my initial flurry of excitement dissipated, I realized the only things I really liked in the collection were the false lashes (which I could never find an occasion to wear) and the nail polish sets, which at $32 for two 5ml bottles, were priced even higher than Chanel's.

That said, in my Googling adventures I stumbled upon this wonderful Shu Uemura brush review and comparison post on Ars Aromatica. The crystal clear photography and exhaustive review contributes to a temporary shut down of common sense in my brain, long enough for me to add a brush or three into my cart. I mean brushes (not just brushes, Shu Uemura brushes) are essentials, right? Like. I'm gonna use them for the next ten years?

Meeting Essie Weingarten

I've been very blessed in my beauty blogging adventures. I love hearing the agony/glee of friends and readers who tell me now they have to have a blush, a lipstick, a Le Metier palette; Messy Wands was nominated for an award by Lucky Magazine (still can't believe it) during the Fashion and Beauty Bloggers conference (FABB) last September; but most of all, I just love doing it - the writing, photographing, planning, thinking what to feature next... This blog has taken over half my life, and I wish it would take up more.

But really, never have I imagined to get an e-mail from Glamour inviting me to a bloggers' breakfast where I get to meet Essie Weingarten. I mean, Essie Weingarten in the flesh?! You have no idea how many times I reread the e-mail, pinching myself, Googling it to see if it was some sort of a scam (of course it wasn't. but still!). Disbelief aside, I wasn't about to let that opportunity slide. Class be damned (well no, like the proper student I am I asked for my professors' permission), I woke up at 3.30a.m. and got on a 6a.m. plane for a one day trip to New York City. 

The event was held at the tenoverten (112 Reade St) salon, a calm oasis amidst the rampant construction happening around it. I went in and was greeted by breakfast and handshakes and the sight of other bloggers (I was too overwhelmed to mingle. sigh) and this amazing wall of Essie polishes.

Then, a manicure using my choice of the Essie Winter 2011 Collection colors! Halfway into my manicure, I noticed Essie walking into the spa. She went from blogger to blogger (there were about ten of us there) and spoke to each and every one of us. I couldn't move from my spot, but couldn't help craning my neck to hear her speak. Essie was an animated speaker, and I wanted to catch every anecdote. 

What I loved most about meeting her was finding out how approachable she was in person. There was respect and certainly a sort of reverence when we were speaking to her, but it was also like a few girls sitting around a nail salon, just chatting away. 

From the way she talked about her products, to refusing to answer when asked which of her colors was her favorite (though she conceded that Ballet Slippers had a special place in her heart), her passion for polish shines through every story she tells. I'm a stranger to the interviewing (or effortless casual talk) game, but I did ask her if she still had every Essie color ever created. She said they have a library of every color they've made, but for the some lost in a fire in 1991. Oh what I would give to visit that nail bank.

I'm glad I got to meet Essie. This is a woman who's been doing her job for decades and still loves every minute of it. She told us she wanted to thank bloggers for doing what we do, but I wanted to thank her for the inspiration. As a graduating senior trying to plot my future within the coming months, fearful of making a misstep, ending up at a job I might loathe, I can't express just how happy meeting her makes me.

Me and Essie Weingarten

That's me with two hours of sleep after a harried trip from Boston. I wouldn't have published it if I didn't have Essie pointing at my manicure, which makes this photo absolute gold.

Like the timid mouse I am, I waited till all the other bloggers left to ask Essie for a golden nugget or two, and here is what she has to say to us newcomers: Stay true to yourself, be authentic and follow your own voice. With that you'll succeed.

I have photos and swatches of Essie's Winter 2011 Collection coming up next. Many thanks to Glamour Magazine and Essie for this opportunity.