(Semi) Healthy "Taco Bell" Bean and Cheese Burrito Recipe

Hi Shine and Sparkle Readers!

Happy New Year!  I know we are all starting to think about being healthier at the beginning of the new year so I thought I would share a recipe that I have been loving lately.  I admit that I am totally guilty of loving simple bean and cheese burritos from Taco Bell.  Even though their beans are powdered and everything about them is probably bad for you.  So I have created this recipe that seriously tastes like a Taco Bell Bean and Cheese Burrito (TBB&CB).  Am I weird for wanting to replicate fast food at home? Let me know in the comments *wink*.

I wanted to create a recipe that was healthier but ACTUALLY tasted like a  TBB&CB for my lovely readers.  Something that would actually more healthily satisfy that craving.  Not something in a cardboard tortilla with steamed beans, a bunch of veggies, and tasting NOTHING like the original.

I also love this because it is very easy to make lots of them, wrap them in tin foil, then stick them in the freezer. So easy to grab one to take to work or have dinner in 2 minutes.  So just in case you were thinking about giving up on that New Years Resolution and cruising through the Taco Bell drive-thru, give this a try!

Squiggles thinks burritos should be made with hay, pellets, and carrots?! I disagree.  Like all my images, (such as Squiggle's hat) I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit.

Taco Bell Bean and Cheese Burritos:
(makes 10 burritos!)

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of re-fried beans (I have found that non-fat or full fat kinds that include some kind of chili work best to replicate Taco Bell flavors.  My Favorites are Trader Joes Refried Black Beans with Jalepeno Peppers or  Rosarita No-Fat Refried Beans Green Chili & Lime) 
• 1 white onion (diced)
• Red Hot Sauce (I find Cholula hot sauce lends itself to the Taco Bell Taste)
• 10 Flour Tortillas (I know, whole wheat, brown rice, etc. tortillas are healthier.  But this part really makes it feel like Taco Bell, so I splurge on this part.  I find that Trader Joes classic burrito sized flour tortillas taste remarkably Taco Bell tortillas.  I have also had good success with Mission's Fat Free Flour tortillas. )
• 1 pack Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (you can go lite cheese to be healthier too.  I find using less sharp cheddar is more successful for me than not tasting pounds of lite cheese...)
• 3/4 cup of water

Steps:

1.  Heat beans, water, and a dash or two of hot sauce (to taste) on the stove.  The water helps the beans have a slightly thinner consistency (like the TBB&CB).  Once boiling, turn the heat OFF then add the diced onion and remove from heat.  This will take the sharpness out but still leave the raw feel and taste that happens in the TBB&CB.
2. Microwave each tortilla in the microwave for 10-15 seconds between 2 damp paper towels.  Do this one at a time so that each tortilla is flexible to the max!  You could heat them on the stove, but lets be real, super soft steamed tortilla is the TBB&CB way.
3. Put tortilla on appropriately sized tin foil so it is easy to wrap after assembly (if freezing).
4. Assemble the inside of the burrito cheese first, bean/onion mix on top of cheese (to melt cheese) then a nice layer of hot sauce to your liking.
5. Fold in ends or tortilla, then roll.  Someone else already has cornered the market on "How to Roll a Burrito" so I will not re-invent the wheel.  Then wrap up that TBB&CB in foil.
6. Repeat and freeze burritos in a freezer zip-lock bag and keep one for munching immediately!)

Reheating Tip:  Nuke a the frozen burrito (take it out of the foil first if you don't want to have a lightning storm in your microwave) for approximately 2 minutes (1 minute a side) wrapped in a damp paper towel.  I promise it tastes even more authentically like Taco Bell after that (how scary right?).

Health Disclaimer: 
A) Obviously you can add more onion, salsa, meat, veggies, cardboard-like health tortillas, eliminate the cheese, or grow your own beans and make re-fried beans from scratch.  But this is the best way to create something that feels like cheating on my diet but actually isn't too bad.  I mean, this recipe simply cannot be worse than powdered re-fried beans and chemical rich tortillas in the original TBB&CB.
 B) I'm not a nutritionist. if you have special dietary needs or restrictions, I do not guarantee that this is appropriate for you.  Use your common sense. Common sense is your friend.
 

Shine & Sparkle

Charity of The Year 2013!

Happy Holidays S+SR Readers!

Like last year, I'm dedicating my last December post to making the world a better place.  One thing that helps to do that are really great and innovative charities.  Last year I featured Project Peanut Butter.  This year I want to feature Free Rice!

Website is owned by Free Rice.  Hopefully they don't mind me promoting them.

Free rice is great because you don't need to actually donate your own money.  You simply have to donate your time and brain power.  You also get to learn a thing or two!

You simply pick a trivia category, then start answering the multiple choice questions.  For every right answer, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program!  How cool is that?!

Here are some of the free educational subjects you can learn through Free Rice:

Ugh, SAT prep....I hated that. I might have hated it less if I had done it through Free Rice!

This is me earning 30 grains of rice by still having s-k-i-l-l-s  at SAT questions.  Whooo!

Look how smart you can be if you played Free Rice every day!

So if you are feeling like upping your IQ while making the world a better place this holiday season, throw on your favorite music and spend some time playing on Free Rice.

Note for donation "Cheaters":  If you want to rack up grains of rice quickly play the "English Vocabulary" subject or Basic Math.  Easy peasy grains of rice....until the levels gets hard.  There are 60 levels of vocab so be ready!  You can definitely get a couple hundred grains no problem.  If you really want to cheat at higher levels, you can look things up on google...but your wouldn't do that...would you? *wink*

Check out Free Rice and I promise it will make you Shine and Sparkle on the inside!  If you play the vocab, let me know the highest level you get to in the comments below!  We can have a rice-off!  


Shine & Sparkle!

Make-Up 101: How To Wear a Dark Lipstick

Hi Shine and Sparkle Readers!

Holiday posting madness! Tons of posting is my December holiday gift to all my readers.  I even have one more post heading your way next week. 

This image belongs to M.A.C cosmetics.  They are way better photographers of their products than I am.  Like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit.

One of the biggest fall trends are deep plum/violet lip colors. This trend is exemplified by M.A.C's "Talk That Talk" Retro Matte lipstick* from the RiRi Hearts M.A.C collection (can you tell that I'm obsessed with her look above?)  You can see me rave about M.A.C Lip products in this report.  Based on your skin tone, you might have to play around to figure out how to best wear this trend.  Let me know in the comments if you are interested in tips for finding your perfect dark lipstick shade!

The big question is how to wear them without a) looking like you just sunk your teeth into the jugular of a small mammal with color all over your teeth; b) not look like you were making-out like at teenager with your lipstick all over your face; c) not look like you are promoting bringing early 2000's goth back or that you are part of a vampire worshiping club.

Well, Shine and Sparklers, good news!  Here are 3 tips to address a, b, and c above! Hooray!

1)  Revised "finger in the mouth trick".  Yes, that sounds....interesting, but this really works.  This tip has been passed down from mother to daughter since....lipstick.  Put your index finger (or middle and index finger if you have a big mouth) and gently press your lips around your finger.  Remove and the lipstick closest to your teeth is gone.  This is not a very glamorous way of doing it and you have to some how remove the lipstick from your fingers.  I prefer to use a Q-Tip.  Put one end of Q-tip in mouth, then pull through your lips.  Not at much lipstick is gone as your finger, so use the other side of the swab to remove more using the initial removal as a guide.  Perfect and clean.  My favorite.

2) Prime/lipstick/line+ fill.  This works great for me.  A great lip primer like M.A.C's prep and prime lip primer helps any lipstick stay on your lips for much longer.  I think it is much more moisturizing than using the lip pencil first.  It also means long wear no matter what the lipstick's original formula is.  Then apply your lipstick.  I know you want to line first, but lining after applying the lipstick lets you create the perfect shape.  Concentrate on the perimeter of your lips, the corners, then feather into the middle.  You will be surprised that this is just as effective as the traditional method.

3) Keep rest of make-up light and natural.  For day time you can do your normal day foundation and brow routine but stick with a very neutral (or no) eyeshadow, minimal application of a muted eyeliner (off black or brown),  Generous mascara is great to add a bit of balance the dark lips and I'd use a bronzer with a slight shimmer as my blush to give a healthy glow without competing with the star of the show, the lips! 

Bonus Tip: Want to get that "Talk That Talk" lip look without the $50 for just the lipstick?  Pair M.A.C's "Media" ($15) satin lipstick with M.A.C's "Nightmoth" Lip Liner ($15) and for $20 less than the RiRi, you get a M.A.C. lipstick and a liner and the exact same look!  I actually prefer to get the color this way because the "Media" is much more versatile because there is a bit more red in it so you can play with lip liners and glosses to get a more dark wine color and more iterations.  I also think that the "Satin" lipstick finishes are much more moisturizing and more comfortable to wear than the "Retro Matte" formulas. For more details check out my post on M.A.C Lip Products 101!

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Benefit's Love Me B.Right Gift Set Review

Hi Shine and Sparkle Report's Faithful Readers!

With the holidays approaching, beauty gift sets are abundant.  I thought I would make haste with this review, just in case you were considering buying it! I will let Squiggles introduce this product review of Benefit's "Love Me B.Right" Gift Set*:

I was so excited to try Benefit's skin care line because I have liked quite a few of their other products (let me know if you want to know about those in the comments).


As you can see, while $48 seems like a high price tag.  However, all these products together retail for over $90! Full size eye cream and "facial emulsion" aka face lotion alone are $60, so it's $12 cheaper plus you get 2 deluxe sized samples of the other two products.  Sounds like a good deal, but wait until you read the review.


In a Nutshell: I was disappointed and do not recommend anything other than the "POREfessional" primer if your skin is at all sensitive.


The Full Report:

The Products

The POREfessional Face Primer ($30 for the full size of 0.75fl oz, deluxe sample in gift set)--
Let's start with the good.  The POREfessional face primer was by far my favorite product.  It applies lightly with that super-smooth silicone feel.  It doesn't irritate my skin or break me out.  It has a slight tint to it and is not oily at all.  It truly filled in my pores and makes any liquid or powder foundation look flawless and long lasting.  While I wish this had been full sized, the deluxe sample will last quite a while.  When I run out of primer, this will become the only face primer in my collection.  I have (and have also tried) samples of Pixi-Pore Reducing Primer, Bare Minerals Face Primer, Hourglass Mineral Veil (suuuper pricey!), and Mirabella face primers.  All of these pale in comparison to POREfesisonal.
Ms. Sparkles says "Splurge for this one!"  There is no comparison and the 0.75fl oz goes a long way.  Only a tinnnny bit of primer is needed since it spreads so easily.

It's Potent! Eye cream ($30 for full size of 0.5 oz-full size in gift set)--
Let's start with what this isn't:  Anti-aging.  That being said, this eye cream is marketed mainly at people in their mid twenties to mid thirties who are trying to prevent aging in the future, so it is mainly to moisturize and reduce dark circles.  However, it has NO SPF, meaning it doesn't prevent damage from the sun which is the biggest contributor to the future aging of skin.

 Also, while it does smell great, fragrance can be irritating on the eyes for us sensitive skin folks.  All the products are "allergy tested" but not free of fragrance or harsh irritants.  Thus, when they say "use gently under the eye" they really mean waaay under the eye.  On the lid or at all close to my eye led to itchy and very unhappy eyes.  Boo.  I found this works best for me FAR away from my actual eye area and just treating super dry spots of my skin (weirdly, that is usually my eyebrows.)  I might end up using it for moisturizing really dry areas on my hands and feet to get through it.  Online someone suggested using it as a face primer, I might consider trying that.
Ms. Sparkles Says: Skip this one if you have even slightly sensitive skin and want to use as advertised.

Triple Performing Facial Emulsion ($30 for full size of 1.7fl oz-full size in gift set)--
Also smells great but again, "allergy tested" apparently means that it irritates my sensitive skin.  The bottle is ADORABLE and has a pump (which is very hygienic).  However, the pump dispenses probably only 1/5th to 1/6th the product needed to cover your face.  Thus, to do your whole face is 5-6 pumps.  That being said, I'm going to go through it very slowly because I have to mix just 1-2 pumps with my normal Olay Sensitive Skin daily moisturizer (which I talk about in my "Dealing with Oily Skin" post) to use it at all on my face.  Perhaps I will be using it up as a neck and shoulder cream.  That skin is less sensitive and needs love and sunscreen too!
Ms. Sparkles Says: Skip this one if you have sensitive skin and want to use as advertised.

Total Moisture Facial Cream ($40 for full size of 1.7oz-deluxe size in gift set)--
Blah blah, smells good, irritates my skin. This is supposed to be an intensive total moisturizing cream that you use on very dry skin.  I tried it both at night and during the day (with the emulsion on top for SPF protection).  Both applications left my skin feeling irritated and uncomfortable.  Luckily this was a small jar because I don't quite know how I'm going to use this.  Other than maybe one really awesome foot moisturizing application.  Boo.

The Packaging:

Oh so cute and mostly high-end feeling.  Thick glass is great but the pump on the facial emulsion is a bit flimsy.  Also, the "cork" looking tops are not actually cork, but matte cork print on substantial and nice quality plastic.  The gift box stickers with product information easily remove and is the perfect size to hold a small box of tissues.  Great for decorating your vanity!

The Take Home:  

MAJOR skin irritation issues, but did not break me out.  Would NOT re-purchase anything but the primer.  I know that these great rave reviews on the internet but I have no idea how anyone with even mildly sensitive skin doesn't have bad reactions to it.

While I don't mind that Benefit's other products are not formulated to be particularly gentle to increase effectiveness, I think neglecting sensitivities in skin care is a pretty big oversight on their part.  If your skin care and foundation products are gentle, less gentle make up products typically go over much better.  I want to love these as much as other internet reviewers do, I just can't.


Shine & Sparkle!



*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Korean Beauty Product Haul (not bought on the internet!) and Review

This just in Shine and Sparkles Readers,

I have the best Dad ever!  World traveler that he is, my Dad was in Korea last month (just a wee bit jelly). Naturally, when he asked if there were any souvenirs I wanted, beauty products were #1!  Korea is known for being one of the world leaders in innovate skin care and make up.  I was so excited to make my Dad a shopping list by going on the internet and doing a little research.  I'm sure you are imagining a pretty interesting scenario.  Enter my Dad, wandering around Korea alone.  Facing not only a language barrier but quizzical looks as a male asking about make-up at beauty counters.

But never fear!  My Dad's friend's wife and her other female friend acted as amazing guides to collect items off of my Korean beauty product list.  If I ever get to make a pilgrimage there, you bet there will be a blog post all about it!

Needless to say, thank you sooooo much to the 3 awesome and wonderful people who went out of their way to bring me this haul.  Way cooler than buying online.  Take that Amazon!

So excited by this Korean Beauty Product Haul.  I took pictures for you readers right away at my parents house!  See the receipts all in Korean? *sqee*

Close Up #1

Close Up #2

Some of the things on my list were sold out, though I think I go more than enough stuff to keep me entertained for months.  My dad also got me some sea cucumber soap from Malaysia (the 3 large colored things in Close Up #1).  I also apparently got a ton of samples!  In this report, I will not be reviewing the samples, but if there is something I did not review that you want to know about, let me know in the comments and I will gladly oblige.  I will mention really quick that the "Black pearl O2 Bubble Mask"* was super crazy.  It goes on like a gel, then puffs up into a foam all over your face.  While it didn't do all that much for my skin, the novelty of it was very niffty.

If you are really inspired to buy any of these products (and you don't live in Korea or have an amazing world-traveling Dad.)  You can probably purchase online from http://en.koreadepart.com/.

 The Saem Snail Three Musketeers Hand Creams:

By far the cutest packaging I received in this haul and the most unique.  Why? Because they are made with SNAIL GOO...ehem...I mean Snail Essence.  Before you go ewwww and race to that little "x" that closes your browser window, let me explain.  Snail slime...er...essence is rich in proteins of high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid and antioxidants.  Hyaluronic acid is a humectant which means that it attracts water, making it an excellent moisturizer.  The proteins and antioxidants are supposed to reduce signs of aging by stimulating the formation of collagen, elastin, and minimizing damage from free-radicals. Oooooh ahhhh. 

I can definitely say that while sounding pretty gross, these are AMAZING products.  The fragrance is strong but very pleasant.  As the little names on the snails suggest, the blue is Lilly scented, yellow is freesia, and the pink is cherry blossom.  They are extremely moisturizing.  I love using them on my hands, focusing on my cuticles and nails.  I use it before painting my nails and let it soak in. My nails have been so much stronger and splitting less. Hooray. The only con is that they are kind of bulk for taking around with you.  Also, untwisting a snail shell is not conducive to moisturizing your hands on the go.  That being said, they look adorable on a vanity table and are great for at-home use.

Ac Care Bee's Sheet Mask: 

I was very excited to try Korean sheet masks.  We just don't have things like this in the United States yet.  They are pretty much like thick, smooth baby wipes that are soaked in liquid that is good for your skin.  The mask has cut outs for your eyes nose and mouth.  The pros are that you don't have to rinse it off like a traditional mask.  They are also very easy, open packet and go.  Cons are that the cut outs don't account for various face shapes so I ended up having to take the extra cut out parts and place them around my (apparently) large nose.  The AC Care Bee's mask is meant for sensitive skin.  I really liked it.  My skin felt very moisturized and my skin had a nice brightness and glow to it.  It also reduced the appearance of pores.  I'm a fan.  I got a sample sheet mask with rice proteins (large white packet in close up #2) and another one (large red packet in close up #1).  I thought the rice one was ok but I did not see great results.  I did not like the red one as much.  It did reduce pores, but had stronger chemicals (and chemical smell) and felt slightly irritating on my skin.

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask (Original):

I have not had a chance to try this yet.  I'm still working my way through my Body Shop: Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask .  I am hoping that this will be very similar to that.  Able to dry out any acne and pull impurities from my skin.  From the little test patch on my hand, I know that it has a pleasant smell and seems like it will fit the bill of a very detoxifying mask.  I found the quantity of product a bit small for the price compared to the body shop clay mask, however Jeju Volcanic clay is probably harder to get/rarer than "ionic clay" (whatever that is...)

Innisfree No sebum mineral powder:

In terms of function, it is probably one of the best oil controlling powders I have ever used.  It is also probably the finest milled mineral powder I have used.  I'm obsessed with it.  Even though it is a white powder, it goes on translucent and keeps your face matte for hours and hours.  I'm a little sad that it doesn't contain a whole lot of powder but it will last a good amount of time if you just concentrate it in your t-zone.  If you want a fragrance free powder this isn't for you.  But I think there is something really luxurious about putting this powder on a big soft fluffy brush and having the perfume of it fill the air (don't worry, the smell dissipates quickly, so you will not be smelling it on your face all day).  You can also use the little sponge that is included to get a more concentrated application in your t-zone for even more intense oil control.  I will be ordering more of this online when it runs out.

CLIO Water-proof Turnliner Twisturn in Black:

Last but not least, a black eye liner.  While this seems like it would be a basic product that doesn't need to come across the sea from a foreign land....it does.  The perfect liquid eyeliner varies by eye shape and need.  For instance, I love M.A.C's Liquid Last eyeliner.  It's a bit pricey but nothing works better for my lower lash line.  It doesn't smudge at all and even eye make-up remover fails to get rid of it.  Pure olive or coconut oil is the only thing I have found that removes that stuff quickly and painlessly.  Even though it works great for the part of my eye that smudges the most and is not oily, it is a pain in the butt if it is all over my upper lash line (which can get oily and is a rather large area to cover with hard to remove stuff.)  Which is where CLIO Water-proof Turn Liner comes in.  It has a long, fine tipped brush that fills with a somewhat runny liner fluid when you twist the end of it.  Something about the shape and stiffness of the brush gives excellent control for perfect lines and the formula glides on quickly and easily.  It is a great brush for Asian eyes that sometimes need a longer brush and to cover more space due to mono lids/hooded eyes/in-the-way-lashes resulting from almond shaped eyes.  Most of all, it doesn't budge at all with oil but removes easily with make up remover.  So, pair M.A.C's liquid last on the bottom with CLIO on the top, and I have the perfect eyeliner that can stand up to 12+ hours of wear without a worry in the world (other than a 2 step process to remove it later).  Yeah, it's that cool a combo.

So there you have it mini (or not so mini) report on my Korean beauty products brought to you by plane from Ms. Sparkle's Dad & Co.    Hope you enjoyed.  If you have any Korean beauty favorites let me know, I'd love to try them!

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Make Up 101: Introduction in tho the Cult of M.A.C (Part 2-Lip Sticks)

Hi Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

The M.A.C* attack of November continues as I launch straight into my make-up 101 on M.A.C lip Sticks!  My last post on M.A.C Face Products gave an overall look at why people (myself included) love M.A.C and the current products I own and enjoy. In this post I'm talking about the product that M.A.C is probably best known for--Lipstick!  Due to the complexity of this topic, I'm not getting into Lip liners, long wear lipsticks, or Lip glosses.  We'd be here for hours! For now, you'll have to accept this post is just about those iconic black bullet shaped lipsticks (and some other lip products are mentioned in there as well).  I hope this helps you out!

Photo byNanankkii.  I will gladly remove if asked!  She's a great blogger, check her out!

M.A.C Lipstick Finishes:
In order to talk about the famous and most sought after lipsticks, you have to talk about the different formulas (aka "Finishes"). Compared to other brands of lipstick, they are all very long wearing, comfortable, pigmented, and everything you would want out of a lipstick.

Matte: As the title would say, Matte has no shimmer.  Its mostly pigment so it lasts a long time and has a rich color.  It is also probably the most drying.  
Satin: It has a slight shimmer and is slightly more moisturizing.  However, your color pay off is quite good.
Amplified: While very close to the Matte lipsticks in terms of color pay off, the Amplified finsihes are much less drying.
Amplified Creme: High color pay off but quite moisturizing and has a glossier finish. They do not wear as long and you have to be careful about the color bleeding a bit.  However, they are very comfortable to wear!
Cremesheen: Creamy, glossy finish, and a shorter wear time.  That being said, it is very popular because it comes in so many shades and is very mosisturizing (creme=moisture!)
Lustre: A glossier and more sheer formula.  If you like more of a subtle lip look, head towards the Lustre.  They also tend to have a bit of subtle shimmer.     
Frost: High sparkle alert!  Want more dazzle?  This one is for you 
Glaze: The sheerest of M.A.C lipstick formulas.
 

Color Reviews:
As you read the reviews below you can see that I don't have a million M.A.C lipsticks (yet!).  While this might happen over time, I have really invested in the basics: 1) dark vampy color; 2) my lips but better; 3) classic red; 4) nude.
If you just are starting out I think these are great place to start!

Media-Satin
How much do I love Media** for the fall? Let me count the ways.
1) It is a deep red wine color that can really add edgy-ness to your look.
2) It is part of their permanent collection so never fear, it will always be around!
3) Paired with M.A.C's "Nightmoth" lip pencil (also permanent collection), you can get the same color as Rhianna's photo from her "RiRi Loves MAC" collection (featuring her "Talk That Talk" lipstick) for waaaay less that it is currently going for on Ebay.  And yes, totally sold out limited edition. *le-sigh*.  Nightmoth is a really dark almost brown color.  With Media, they become that sexy Rhianna color below! Hooray!

Media is a gorgeous rich color but can be intimidating for beginners.  To wear it (and other really dark/bold lipsticks, more advanced make-up techniques (such as use of lip liners, primers, and concealer around the edges) is really useful to make this color not feather around the edges and really make this look good.  Let me know in the comments if you want a post with details on wearing bold lipsticks!

Viva Glam V-Lustre
Vival Glam lipsticks are awesome because every cent of the selling price of of "Viva Glam"products are donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund to support men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS.  Very cool right?  So is the pink packaging!  I love "Viva Glam V" because it is a "my lips but better" color.  It enhances my natural lip tones and adds a very subtle sparkle.  It is one of those lipsticks you don't need a mirror to use.  It is fairly moisturizing and is really just a beautiful hassle free lip color.  I think it is a great starter color to get you used to wearing lipstick and looking gorgeous in seconds!

Prepare for Pleasure- Cremesheen
This is a limited "Divine Night" holiday collection lipstick.  But any red you love in the cremesheen finish is a total must have!  I'm a huge sucker for the black with gold packaging.  So pretty!  This color specifically is a true holiday and cheerful red.  It is is not cool undertoned or overly warm/orangey.  It is pretty much the most classic of bright reds that I can think of.  If you ask your local M.A.C representative, I'm sure they can find you a similar color from their permanent collection.  But if you can get your hands on this bright red, it will be a staple in your collection forever!

 
Velvet Teddy-Matte
The perfect nude for your skin tone.  It's hard to find so I suggest going into your local M.A.C store.  You want it to play down your lips but have enough color that you don't look like you are a sick zombie.  The perfect nude (in my opinion) is matte because you are trying to down play your lips.  Nude lips let you play up your blush and eyeshadow without looking like a clown.  If you love smokey eyes, you should get familiar with your perfect nude lip color as well.  If you want to make extra sure you don't over do the nude lip, a complementary matte lipgloss will add some shine to make them pop a little.  I really like M.A.C's "Underage" lipglass on top of "Velvet Teddy".

MAC Prep and Prime-Lip Primer:
Bonus review! While I will probably have a full post on wearing bold/bright/dark lipsticks, this review will also help you with that!   The prep and prime glides on to clean lips and provides a bit of moisture.  Then you apply your lipstick and then perfect your lines with a lip pencil.  That bold lipstick is going nowhere until you start eating or drinking.  And even then, if you do that carefully, touch ups will be very minimal.  This stuff really works to help fill in and make your lips perfect before applying any lipstick.  It totally works with your non-M.A.C lipsticks too!  I have tried a lip primer product from E.L.F before and it simply was no comparison to this.  The E.L.F one actually made my lipstick slip more! 






Pricing: As far as pricing goes, your typical lipstick is going to run you $15 USD.  This includes all of the standard finishes.  If you are buying from a special or limited collection, you are looking at about $16.50 USD.  $15 USD also buys you a standard lip pencil or lip glass.  The prep and prime is totally worth the $16 USD.  So as far as quality vs. price goes, I think it is excellent!  While it's twice or more what a drugstore product costs, the jump in consistently great quality is pretty significant.  While there are good drug store lipsticks, it is harder to find.  Pick up a M.A.C lipstick and you will be completely satisfied.  In contrast, Chanel and other designer brands have $50 lipsticks. I have no idea what those could do that M.A.C lipsticks couldn't. I can't say that I have bought any because I simply would rather have three M.A.C lipsticks than one designer.  

I hope you liked this M.A.C Lipstick post and please think about subscribing to my blog!  Thank you so much for reading!


 

Shine & Sparkle!
 
*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.
**Unless otherwise stated, photos of M.A.C products are copyright of M.A.C cosmetics.  I will gladly take them down is asked or someone throws a hissy-fit.

Make Up 101: Introduction in tho the Cult of M.A.C (Part 1-Face Products)

M.A.C. Attack!  Hi Shine and Sparkle Readers, it's M.A.C. November!

All of the images on this post belong to M.A.C cosmetics.  They are way better photographers of their products than I am.  Like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit.

Yes, this long post is just about M.A.C. face products*.  "Part 2-Lip Products" will be your second Shine and Sparkle Report later this month.

So call me late to the party, but I have finally come to understand the phenomenon which is known as "M.A.C. obsession".  Long renown for amazing lip sticks, full coverage foundations, and super pigmented and bendable eye shadows, M.A.C is a staple of make-up culture.  While their products are not as high priced as Chanel or Givenchy, their products are pretty pricey for those who frequent the drugstore shelves. I have recently done a lot of shopping at M.A.C.  Do I need more beauty products?  Absolutely not.  But as work rears its stressful head, M.A.C. has been the focus of my retail therapy (it ends up being the same as a few therapy sessions or a few months of yoga classes right?).

What makes M.A.C. such a cult?  Maybe it's because of it's long standing history of great products and awesome customer service.  While I have found this to be true,  I have to say it's also a result of good pricing for good results and GENIUS marketing.  Sleek, clean, and professional grade packaging for their core collections.  Absolutely stunning limited edition collections which feature new colors, creative packaging, and a wide range of themes and celebrity endorsements that keep people wanting more.  A great example is recent Rhianna's latest "RiRi" collection featuring rose gold packaging and bold pallets that sold out in minutes and crashed their website.  If you were lucky enough to get some of this coveted (in obviously purposeful short supply) collection you can mark up that $15 lipstick for $50+ on eBay.  Was I lucky enough to get any RiRi items?  Sadly no *cries*.  The whole M.A.C culture is completely ridiculous in a lot of ways, but I'm going to admit...it's addictive.  In fact, I'm currently so obsessed I'm going to break my one-image rule.  *Shock and awe!*
 
Maybe you are not quite as interested in spending hours at the M.A.C. store as I am and want some guidance on their products.  Maybe you have beauty voyeuristic tendencies and just want to know what I liked enough to buy.  Maybe you a looking for details and pros/cons before you think of investing in some M.A.C items.  Maybe you are just reading because you love me (thanks!)  No matter what your motivations, here is my recent purchases and reviews!  Quick Note: You'll notice that I kinda ding M.A.C a lot for not having really skin-loving ingredients.  This is because they tend to go for "great makeup" rather than "good for your skin".  I tend to use their products on date nights, special occasions, and events.  For daily trips to the office?  I'd go with something else for the health of your skin.

Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 ($27 for 1fl oz):  

My color is "NC (neutral cool) 25".  The M.A.C. sales girl matched me on the first try!  Being of Chinese decent, my skin has a gold undertone which is often hard to match.  This looks amazing and natural. 

• Pros: It is as M.A.C. claims: "A modern foundation that combines a natural matte finish and medium, buildable coverage with broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 protection. Applies, builds and blends easily and evenly. Comfortable and long-wearing, helps minimize the appearance of pores and imperfections, giving skin a smoother, more flawless look and finish."  I really do not think I could be any more concise than this description.  I love that this line has a HUGE range of colors. 
• Cons:  Unfortunately there a few things that are not the best about this foundation.  Number one has to be the packaging.  Open that black top and it's a big opening.  No pump.  This means you have to worry about bacteria getting into the whole product and causing break outs.  Mini-Tip: Tap out product onto your hand or a clean nonabsorbent surface (plate, ziplock baggies etc.)  Then apply with a clean brush, clean fingers, clean sponge--basically try not to touch the bottle opening to things that are not clean. Also, this opening is not large enough so that the product comes out easily.  Risk of too much product coming out is high, and tapping all the product to the top with the (cap still on) before hand is a must.  I'd say store it upside-down, but the curved lid makes that suggestion really obnoxious as well.  The only other con I have is that it is not really "healthy" for your skin.  There are no skin care ingredients, it contains talc, and parabens.  Just make sure your really thoroughly remove it and stick to a good skin care routine.  Hopefully, you wont have any problems.  
• Overall:  I would highly recommend.  Preforms like a $50+ Foundation for sure!

Mineralize Skinfinish ($30 for 10g):

I got the color "Soft and Gentle". Looks great all over my Studio Fix Fluid.  I was worried that the pinkish tint and slight shimmer would not look natural at all.  Lies.  It looked AMAZING!

• Pros: Works great to set your make up and the minerals really help absorb excess shine.  It also just give such a flawless finish that it looks like your foundation covered skin is 100% your natural skin.  Many powders advertise that your will look flawless and natural.  This one truly delivers.  There is also a great amount of product in this compact.  Even with daily use, this will last a good long time.  

• Cons: This particular color looks best on medium skin tones as an all over setting powder.  I think it might not look as natural on light skin.  I don't think it would do much for dark skin either.  It would be great as a highlighter or eyeshadow on light skin, but might look strange on very dark skin.  There is also a "Mineralize Skinfinish Natural" line that has less adventurous setting colors and an equally pretty, light coverage, mattifying effects.  I plan to check those out next.  This is a mineral powder so somewhat healthier for your skin in general, not great on the skin-care side.
• Overall:  M.A.C. skinfinsh products are a "must have" product. 

Bronzing Powder ($25 for 10g):

Also a generously sized product, I got this one for contouring/bronzing so I went with the "Matte Bronze" color.

• Pros: This is finely milled and has good pigmentation without being so pigmented that you have to worry that you are going to end up looking like a clown.  For bronzing, you can be somewhat casual about your application and it will still add a beautiful healthy color to your face.  For contouring it is very buildable and bendable, allowing you to create fabulous effects.  As any good bronzing powder, it does not make you look orange or unnatural at all! Hooray!
• Cons:  This really doesn't work at all on dark skin tones.  It actually is very subtle on my medium skin tone.  It probably packs the most punch on  lighter skin tones.  Also, like the Studio Fix Fluid, it really has no redeemable skin care value.  Talc, parabens, all that jazz.  M.A.C. is all about gorgeous make-up, they don't really cater much to the "healthy skin" crowd.
• Overall: While I really like this bronzing powder, I think for light skin tones it's a must.  For Medium it's a take or leave it (I probably will not repurchase).  And if you have dark skin, forget this product, you will be disappointed. 

Mineralize Blush ($25 for 3.5 g):

Photo by BeautyByT.  I will gladly remove if asked!  She's a great blogger, check her out!

I got the color "Warm Soul".  This is the only product that I think the M.A.C picture just doesn't reflect the actual color very well.  So I borrowed a better picture from a fellow blogger.  BeautyByT reviewed this blush as well and had a great image!

• Pros: This has beautiful uses on all skin tones.  When you get to very tan to very dark, I'd say this could be a really pretty highlighter.  As a blush this shows up different on every person. The sales girl with light skin had is show up more rose gold on her skin.  It takes on a dusty peach on me.  I love it as an every day blush, with or without highlighting/contouring.  It has a slight glow but does not look unnatural.  No huge chunks of glitter.
• Cons: If you bought this because you wanted real shine or heavy glow to your cheeks this is not for you.  Despite its glitzy appearance, it is a poor choice for your unicorn costume.  Also, I feel that the M.A.C blushes are a bit over priced.  $25 gets you 10g of bronzing powder and skin finish.  While you need less blush (at least I hope you aren't putting it all over your face) I still feel a bit sad its the same price as large powder products.
• Overall: This is a beautiful blush with a subtle glow for any occasion.  This is great if you have a variety of other more classic blush colors from other places in your collection and want the perfect color that stands out from the plethora of pinks and berry tones out there.  I mean really people, how many shades of pink can there be?  This one actually stands out.

  




Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.