Wishful Thinking

By Melanie Parker

When the MAC Bloggers’ Obsession Collection launched this month, I was excited. It is always good when a company embraces the opinions of those who truly love products, colors, and are tuned into what is missing from the market place. We've already seen great things when bloggers partner with nail polish manufacturers like Zoya, Rescue Beauty Lounge, and Barielle.

None of the Lipglass shades grabbed me, but I had high hopes for a couple of the shadows. Jealousy Wakes is a fantastic green that I am going to covet and use sparingly. It’s like the biggest, clearest, sparkliest emerald that could possibly be captured in a pot. Kudos to Christine Mielke of Temptalia for developing a true green shadow that isn’t too gold or too blue. It should work well on all skin types. It is the shadow that will eclipse Parrot for makeup collectors.

But I was even more excited about the possibilities of Hocus Pocus. Billed as a sooty charcoal gray, I had heard some buzz that it had a khaki cast and the sparkle in the early swatches gave me high hopes that Hocus Pocus was going to be Lancome’s Erika F. coming stateside after all of these years.

I am lucky to have a Lancome Erika F. shadow that little Miss Blogdorf brought me back from Paris. I wore it every day for a month straight, which is unheard of for me because I often like to keep it simple with a light vanilla shadow for work. But Erika F. has a smokey, sagey wisdom to it paired with the fun of a antique golden microglitter.

So, my hopes that the new MAC Hocus Pocus would wow me like Erika F. weren’t dashed when I opened the box. I thought it had potential. But when I put it on, and it is darker, grayer, and it loses its sparkle. It was wishful thinking on my part that the greatness of Erika F could be duplicated. I like the Lancome formula better, and the color is really something special. I'm going to have to continue to use it sparingly. Damn it!

That said, Hocus Pocus is probably a more wearable shadow because it doesn’t have as much shimmer and sparkle to it. It’s dark and smokey, and when used wet it makes a great liner. And no offense to Ms. F., but I like the bewitching name better. Thank you to Lianne Farbes of The Makeup Girl for providing us with the most versatile shadow in the MAC Bloggers' Obsession collection.

Disclaimer: These products were purchased by the reviewer online @ http://www.maccosmetics.com/whats_new/6311/index.tmpl
All Photos by Melanie Parker
The photos feature Lancome's Erika F eyeshadow and MAC Hocus Pocus only.
Lancome's Erika F is not available in the United States.  It can be found at Lancome Boutiques across Europe and Asia. Just look at the most used eye shadow in the tester unit.....that will be Erika F!!!!!!!!!!!

40 Days and 40 Nights of Fragrance Notes: Violet

And the sky was all violet...

by Patti F aka MUA's Cavewoman

As I write these perfume note reviews for Blogdorf's 40 Notes In 40 Days, one of the things I like to do is to choose one of the fragrances I own which contains that particular note. I wear it while I'm writing. So, with today's review about the violet, I went to my perfume tray to see what I would find. After a few minutes, I came to realize that I was having a very hard time choosing! Next to rose perfumes, violet is my second-favorite fragrance note. And my perfume collection definitely proves it. I pulled all of my violet fragrances and set them inside a box. I thought that might make it easier, if I saw them all gathered together. It didn't.

It began to be perfectly clear to me why I was having so much trouble just choosing one to wear as I write. Violet scents are utterly fascinating perfumes, so varied in style that none of the ones I had in the box seemed to be an overall representation of the entire group. So, what I did was to choose my favorite violet fragrance of all of them (that was hard to do!) and spray it on as I gathered my thoughts. I'll tell you in a bit which one it is.

My first real violet fragrance was a bottle of Borsari Violetta Di Parma, which I found in a pretty box on a markdown table at our local TJMaxx. I knew I had found something special, I knew it was legendary. I bought it ($10!) and brought it home, and then did some research. It seems that the most true violet notes come from Italy, and many of them were done by the Borsari house. I did not even know that real violet flowers even had a scent. The little wild violets that grow in my back yard might smell a bit greenish, but there's no floralcy to them at all. I can't say I loved the Violetta Di Parma. It was dry and dusty and thin. It's long gone from my collection, and in the hands of someone who appreciated it much more than I did.

I did not give up on Borsari, though, because what I was learning is that the violets of this particular part of Italy produce the violet scent which is treasured in perfumes. While browsing a European website that specializes in beautiful and rare mini perfume bottles, I spotted a gorgeous Borsari called Bouquet Di Violette. I ordered it, along with a few other pretty minis, and when it arrived, I opened it to try out the scent. Ahh! This was way more appealing to me than the first Borsari. Less green, more floral, a bit powdery, I was enchanted. I'd never smelled anything like this before. Of course now I wanted to explore and find more violet perfumes. I even found another Borsari (this time at Marshalls! Again on a markdown table!) -- Violetta Classica, which turned out to be a very musty earthy fragrance which I find almost too dirty to wear. MAC Asphalt Flower is another one of those dirty violet types, but I love that one, with its juxtaposition of feminine florals and a gritty downtown vibe. I tried a sample of Serge Lutens Bois De Violette, which to me was too much bois and not enough violette.

On a trip to New York City, visiting perfume counters with a group of friends, I discovered my treasure. Barney's has one of the best fragrance departments in the entire city. And off to one side, on a pretty tray, I found some Italian fragrances called I Profumi di Firenze. The representative for the company was there that day, Miryana, and she started to ask me what types of scents I like. She held up an almost-empty bottle of Violetta Di Bosco and told me that the reason it was almost empty was that all of the beauty floor sales associates would stop by and spray themselves with this scent. I held up my wrist so she could spray some on me. It was love at first sniff and it's been that way ever since. Violetta Di Bosco is a candy-sweet violet. It's the one I am wearing as I write. I Profumi di Firenze lists no other notes, but I detect a woodsy base.

In my search for other violet scents, I found many new loves and surprises. Violet scents can be incredibly green, and those I don't care much for at all. They smell like broken stems rather than flowers. In the green violet category, I would list L'Artisan Vert Violette, Fresh Violette, and Fragonard Apres-Tout. I have that last one, but I don't wear it very often. I tried vial samples of the other two and was not wowed. Violets blended with woodsy-incensey notes are ones that I love, and those include Nanette by Nanette Lepore, John Galliano, and the gorgeous but limited edition MAC Hue:Violetrix.

Violet scents that tend to be more powdery are FlowerbyKenzo and the stunning Balenciaga Paris, which has a rich base of patchouli, woods, and oakmoss.
I like floral blends with a dominant violet note, such as the original Caron Violette Precieuse. Perhaps the most rare of my violet scents is Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Eau Des Arts, in its silver metal spray cannister. I found this at a tiny cosmetic boutique in Cleveland, where the owner told me she was able to obtain a few CSP scents that were never intended to be sold in the United States. It is a blend of violets with jasmine, lily of the valley and heliotrope in a soft base of woods and spices.

But I continue to love the candy-type violets the most of all. Next to my beloved Violetta Di Bosco, I am crazy for Frederic Malle's Lipstick Rose. The perfumer, Ralf Schweiger, is given credit on the label of the bottle, as are all of the Malle scents. The initial aldehyde moves quickly into a sweet violet with rose, iris, coriander, and a vetiver and vanilla base. It's so addicting that when I purchased my first bottle of Lipstick Rose, it is all I wore until I finished the bottle.

When my two favorite perfume notes, rose and violet, are combined into one perfume, something magical happens. Paris by Yves Saint Laurent is the best example of this combination. Many of the scents I've listed here have rose notes combined with the violet. Within these scents, one plus one is bigger than two! There is something about the rose-violet blend that becomes its own entity. It's as if they belong together.

Do you love a violet fragrance? Which one is your favorite?

Disclaimer: In the photos, every bottle was purchased by the reviewer, with the exception of one which was a gift.

Reviewer: Patti F aka Cavewoman
Graphic Credit: Melanie Parker
Photo Credit: Patti F aka cavewoman

Title: Hole's Violet

Gaga 2: MAC Viva Glam's Lipstick and Lipglass

My mama told me when I was young
We are all born superstars
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir

"There's nothin' wrong with lovin' who you are"
She said, "'Cause He made you perfect, babe"
"So hold your head up, girl and you you'll go far,
Listen to me when I say" (Lyrics from Born This Way)


The latest addition to the Viva Glam lineup was launched yesterday. Lady Gaga has reprised her role as the Viva Glam spokeswoman. This time Viva Glam is all about the nude. This goes with her whole new album/Grammy's performance "rebirth" theme. There are no eggs or rubber pancake hats. This collection is about holy grail nude lippies. The amplified lipstick shade is a light warm beige. The lipglass is a gorgeous pinked beige with just a hint of shimmer.
Warm or pinked nudes are the only ones I can carry off!

Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipstick is priced at $14.50
Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipglass is priced at $14.50
The collection is available at your local MAC counter and www.maccosmetics.com
These shades will be available for a full 12 months. Each cent of these lippies goes to the amazing MAC Aids Fund.

Disclosure: A press sample was provided by MAC Cosmetics
Credit: MAC PR and Blogdorf Goodman

Darling Nicki

Happy Pink Friday Barbie & Ken Dolls!

M·A·C Cosmetics and Nicki Minaj created a limited edition lipstick that is called Pink Friday. Pink Friday is also the name of Nicki's first album that launches today!
I was going to use one of Nicki's lyrics for this post but...she is fairly naughty. Nicki is an impish "girly girl" with great skills and style.

Nicki Minaj is one of us.
A hardcore MAC fan who laments the demise of the discontinued and the great. Her passion was Pink Nouveau lipstick. I will have to dig through my archives and see if I can locate a tube. MAC Pink lippies have always been my weakness.
Pink Friday is slightly deceiving. In the tube it looks like a breathtakingly lovely, blue based pink.
On the lips it transforms to a Pepto Bismol shade.
This is a baby pink on acid.

I brought my tube into work for the girls to try. They love and adore Nicki Minaj. Our intern, Ebony, is going to a Pink Friday themed party. I thought the lippie would make her the belle of the ball. One swipe and she was making a face. Ebbie thought it was too intense. She actually handed the lippie back to me. I was crushed but I had to agree with her assessment.

My co-worker Gela tested it and thought Pink Friday "enhanced her lips and butt".
Gela is my jokester!

If you are gun shy on pinks...this is not your kind of lippie. It has a spotlight intensity. The satin formula is creamy but enhances any lip issues such as dryness or creases.

Before you think this is a thumbs down review...I am loving this lippie. Pink Friday is bright yet wearable on me. I am pale as snow and wear pink lippies on a regular basis.

The Pink Friday lippie is limited edition.
Nicki’s ultra exclusive shade will only be available for purchase four Fridays beginning Friday, November 26, 2010, while supplies last, ONLY at http://www.maccosmetics.com/
Available FRIDAYS November 26, December 3, December 10, and December 17, 2010

Disclosure: A press sample of the lippie was provided by MAC Cosmetics
Credits: MAC Cosmetics

Guided by Voices

MAC's Earthy Harmony Nail Lacquer

I have fallen for the mouse-like charms of Earthy Harmony from MAC cosmetics. This is a nail shade from the Nail Trend F/W 2010 collection. It is really not surprising considering I am a taupeaholic and great lover of the murky and twisted.

Earthy Harmony is a greyed taupe with some copper sass and flash. Very attractive in and out of the bottle. The shimmer cast is so subtle. I can hardly detect it in full sunlight. I have a two coat application. I am traditional that way. One coat was crazy and surprisingly efficient. Great pigment and depth. The bottle retails for $13.00($15.50 CDN) and is available at your local MAC counter. The nail polishes are pretty fabulous from this collection.

Concubine: Blackened red with red shimmer

Ming Blue: Cobalt Blue with teal and red shimmer

Rain of Flowers: Blackened Violet with violet shimmer

Imperial Flower: Bright reddish orange with gold and red shimmer

Jade Dragon: Emerald green with teal shimmer (Melanie: Have you seen this? Holy Emerald City!)

Have you seen this collection? Did you cave on any nail polishes? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: A press sample was provided by MAC cosmetics

First Date

This post is for Self Styled Siren.
I still believe in love.
My dear friend and co-worker Thais went on a lunch date this afternoon. She was kind enough to test drive the new MAC nail lacquer So Rich So Pretty. It is a perky pop of violet plum. It took only two applications to achieve the color pictured. Thais described it as "passionate" and plum pudding-like".

The date was a huge success. Love is in the air at the office.

The Alice+Olivia polish will be available for purchase at your local MAC counter on July 8th 2010.

Staceypants Beauty

MAC Cosmetics Alice+Olivia Collection

I knew this collection was going to be all kinds of great. Stacey Bendet, Alice+Olivia, is utterly charming on her twitter account. Recently, she has been touring the country in a Alice+Olivia tour bus. She visited the vintage clothing mecca, Mars & Venus in Nashville.

The collection is described as "frump fighting, pro-pixie, anti-seriousness collection of color". There are dazzleglass cremes glosses, pigments, and nail lacquers.
Each product is 100% lemming worthy. This could be "Madame B" greatness.

The Dazzleglass Cremes are sparklefested genius.

I.Want.Candy is a greenish yellow with multi-dimensional pearl. I need to experiment with this lippie. It scews slightly neon and the green cast can be tricky. This gloss is just so damn cool looking.

Sparklicious is a creamy silverish pale...pale...pale...pink.

The pink cast is just a speck. Very girly and pretty.

If It's Pink is a hot pink with some navy blue shimmer flecks. The Dazzleglass Cremes retail for $18.00($21.50 CDN)

Let me introduce you the first lemming of the 2010 year. This pigment will make you lose your mind.

Later is a sooty black with purple shimmer. This is Holy Mackerel good! The purple is more evident when applied wet. This morning I am wearing it as a liner.

If It Sparkles is a snow white with pink pearl. It is pink-opalish. Just more snow and shimmer fire.

Partylicious is a turquoise with silver pearl. I have not tested this shade yet. I need to compare it to all my teal/turquoise shades. This will take an afternoon! MAC's Director of Makeup Artistry, MUA God, and Goldfrapp fan, Gregory Arlt suggests sweeping this shade all over the lid with #252 brush. I will never be that brave.

These pigments retail for $19.50($23.50 CDN) and they are worth checking out!

The nail lacquers are fun and edgy. Morning After is a creamy turquoise. Blue nail polish fans(I am looking at you Patti aka Cavewoman!) will fall in love. This will be my Saturday manicure color.

So Rich So Pretty is a bright purple with pearl.
Military is a black matte with silver suede pearl. The nail lacquers retail for $12.00($14.50 CDN).

This collection will hit MAC counters July 8 2010. I suggest you run.

Follow Stacey on Twitter http://twitter.com/staceybendet

and check out her blog at

http://blog.aliceandolivia.com/. There are great pictures of the tour bus. So adorable!

Disclosure: A press sample was provided by MAC Cosmetics