Swatches: MAC Suite Array Eyeshadows Suite and Pearlglide Eyeliners

Release Date: September 25, 2008

Click on the images to enlarge..

I was actually kinda sad with the fact that I didn't get my swatches with Vanessa :(. We usually go together everytime MAC has a new released collection, but she had some business to take care of after work. So, I went right after work... by myself. It was definitely weird and not so much fun.

Anyway, I didn't get to swatch the Gold Fever collection because apparently my Nordies didn't have them out yet.

The new Suite Array collection didn't really grab my attention at all. The eyeshadow combination actually reminds me of NARS except when it comes to the quality of the MAC eyeshadows, they are more matte, chalky, and sheer. It's really hard to pick the color from the pan, and once it's applied it's more glittery than it is pigmented. I needed to really put some pressure onto my fingers for just the eyeshadow to show up. They just didn't strike me as worth it.

The Pearlglide eyeliners however have nice pigmentation. Although, they're creamy in a sense that it will budge if you try rubbing it off, yet it's hard to take off (if that made any sense) that soap and water won't just cut it. These eyeliners are almost like the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners in my opinion.

So what do you think for MAC's 293274x collection? Was it strikingly beautiful enough for you? Or is it a complete miss?

Swatches: MAC Cremesheen Lipsticks

Release Date: September 25, 2008

Here are some swatches for the new MAC Cremesheen lipstick. These lipsticks were said to be replacements for the amplified lipstick formula and is going to be part of the permanent line.

Click on the images to enlarge...

Contest: Top 15 Fall Makeup Look Entries

EDIT: PLEASE READ THE LATEST UPDATE HERE IN REGARDS TO VOTING.

Thank you so much for those who participated and turned in your look for my first contest! I didn't expect to receive so many e-mails from everyone. I received almost 50 different entries and it was a toughie picking which ones will make the cut. I had to cut it down to 15 to make things a little easier (especially for me).

How did I make my picks?

1. Whether or no the contestant followed contest instruction. Plain and simple. Gotta read the requirements, and some of you were too young to enter too (I was actually pretty lenient on this)!


2. Clarity of the pictures. Some pictures were just too dark for me to figure out what color it was, or it's either too blurry for me to see the look. It cannot be overly photoshopped either.


3. With the help of my bf (heehee), we picked the top 15 looks after going through all the entries togethe. (Yes, I made him discuss it with me why he liked it or not LOL).


4. I tried to have a good mixture of soft/neutral and bold looks.

NOTE:

I know I did mention to put what you used for your look, but I'm only going to post pictures for two pictures for each contestant. It was mainly for my curiousity to know what went into your look. I had to resize the images, but they're clickable to enlarge (if the picture comes out to be too big in a new window, Ctrl + - [minus sign], to zoom out)

For the top 15 people, feel free to do a post on your look on your pages. Let people know to vote for you! Remember only votes left on this post counts!

Voting Rules:

1. Cast your vote by leaving a comment on this post with just the contestant number and name of your favorite look. One vote per day per person. I will only count the votes left on this contest post and nowhere else. If you voted for two people in one day, I will not count it. One vote per day per person.
   
2. Voters with a blogger account with my link on their blog roll or have subscribed to my YouTube channel will be worth 2 points (In your comment, please include your YouTube channel if you don't have a blog. Only channels with at least 3 videos are worth 2 points.). Votes with only a valid e-mail is worth a point. Why? Only because it'll help me validate the identity of the person voting.
   
3. I've disabled Anonymous comments. So you either must have a valid e-mail or blog to cast your vote. It'll minimize numerous votes casted by one person or spamming my comment box.
   
4. Please keep it friendly! No need for hating or bashing.
   
5. Voting ends on my birthday, Thursday, October 2nd at 11:59 PST. Winner with the most points wins! I will try to announce the winner, the next day, if not some time over the weekend.
   

TOP 15 FALL MAKEUP LOOK ENTRIES
*In the order the entry was submitted.

#1: Diane Vang aka vangdiane (YT)






#2 Jennifer Sherrodd aka virusinsanity (YT)






#3: FuzKittie






#4: Aina aka Ainstein






#5: Amanda aka Kawaiikao






#6: Jennifer aka Vietnamese QT






#7: Jenny Lo






#8: Mirian aka Lady Mesmerize






#9: Jessica aka jesmakeup






#10: Indian Girl






#11: Whitney aka Whiterz (Vox)






#12: FlyMamaL






#13: Angie






#14: Nafisa






#15: Le Midget





The winner is now in your hands! Voters have the final say on who will win the contest!! So cast your votes on this post... NOW!

Remember ONLY blogs that left a comment that has my blog link or is a subscriber to my YouTube channel (so please indicate your Youtube channel in your comment if you have one) are the only votes that will count for TWO points! Everything else is worth ONE point.

And... ONE VOTE PER DAY PER PERSON. In case your eyes skimmed through that part in the beginning. I will not count duplicated votes or votes for two people at the same time.

You can track the score tally on the right sidebar. Vote for your favorite look!

Good luck to all of the contestants.


Related Links:
Contest Update: PRIZES!!!

Contest Update: PRIZES!!!

Sorry for the lack of post and response from me. I've been just kinda vegetating yesterday and today [and watching a whole season of another teledrama-- My Girl (Philippine version)] since I got sick because of an infection, but everything is all fine and dandy know with some antibiotics.

Don't forget to turn in your contest entries by this weekend! I'll have them posted up on Monday when voting will begin.

I've been getting questions whether it can be just the eyes and the lips. Since it's my first contest, I'm still going to accept entries with just the eyes or lips. It'll be a little bit harder for voters to visualize your whole look though. But I understand some would like to remain anonymous.

As promised, here's are some pictures of the prizes!!!!!

So these are all BRAND NEW, NEVER BEEN USED, items. Not even swatched or anything for the eyeshadows.

Just a little tidbit, all eyeshadows are unused after I pressed them myself (yes, I toiled for your prizes! lol). I was originally going to use it for myself, but I have another palette, and I still have a lot of the TKB trading pigments so I decided to just give this one away (since I'm not really planning on using it anytime soon) and I'll make a new batch again. Most of the eye shadows are from TKB trading except for three which are two MAC pigments (Your Ladyship and Emerald Green), and a Pure Luxe pigment sample (blue one in the middle) -- hence why you can see the bottom of the pan because I didn't have enough to mix. So my bad :).

I'm also going to try and make the palette magnetic ... see how much I love you guys???

So make sure to turn in your entries by Sunday, September 21 by 11:59 pm PST. I will only count what's turned in to me in my Inbox. So it should be in my Inbox by that time... anything time stamped after that will not be accepted.

Product Review: DentaBurst Freshening Teeth Cleaners

I've been meaning to do a review on these since I received them from Amber (orginal post). You can check out Ate RenRen's review on these previously on her blog.

What they say about it:
DENTABURST® is a great new way to primp your smile, anytime, anywhere!

DENTABURST® refreshes and energizes you with a burst of confidence whenever you need it.

DENTABURST® helps you remove plaque from the surfaces of your teeth, leaving them feeling smooth and clean.

Price: $2.99 (pack of 12)


Available at: Target, CVS, and RiteAid

Dentaburst Freshning Teeth Cleaners

Quality: 4 out 5
Price: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 5 out 5

Overall: 4.6 out of 5

What I like about it: Dentaburst are conveniently and individually packed so you can easily stash them in your purse or pocket. It's perfect for a night out especially when you're out going clubbing and having a ginormous purse is not an option. You can pretty much stash one packet somewhere because they're so thin and discreet. It's great for places where they check your purse, and you're not allowed to have gum with you (i.e. certain clubs). It's also great for traveling whether you'd be on a plane or a car especially on long road trips. I don't know if it's just me... but sometimes when I (did) chew gum during a long car ride, I get pretty nauseous. Dentaburst has become a great alternative for me.

Unlike gums and mints, this doesn't mask the whatever funky smell you're trying to get rid off (especially if you had some onions in your burger for lunch). It really freshens your breath. I'm sure you guys know that chewing gum and mints actually makes your breath worse. Sure it's minty fresh once you pop one in your mouth, but after awhile, your breath will still stink. Why? Because gums and mints has sugar in it. Being that I currently have braces, I'm suppose to avoid gums at all cost because it will breakdown the glue on my braces, and not to mention get it stuck somewhere and cause all sorts of grief. I don't like mints as well because like I mentioned, it leaves a yucky taste on my mouth after awhile probably because of the sugar. So I usually just brush my teeth after lunch. But DentaBurst really does come in handy when your in places that brushing your teeth might be a bit odd (especially in public bathrooms, umm gross?). It only gives me a fresh and minty feeling on my mouth minus the chewing and dissolving of mints in my mouth.

Don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't completely ditch the idea of brushing your teeth (because that will be dumb), but it's also perfect when you ended up sleeping over someone else's house (with whatever reason you ended up being there), and your toothbrush is not readily available. Open one of these and you're breath isn't kicking nasty.

What I dont like about it: Being said that I do have braces, it might not be a smart move to use it on your teeth. I tried it out, and the fibers of the scrubbing part of Dentaburst started getting caught on my braces. So I had to lose the idea of doing that. However, it's still great for the roof of your mouth and to clean your tongue.

Another minor rant about it is how it loosely fits on my fingers. As the boyfriend suggested, maybe they should have at least 3 (small, medium, large) different sizes available to cater to different finger sizes.

I also don't like the possible stares you might get if you do use this in public. I suggest doing it in the restroom or at least be discreet about it. People might start thinking your brushing your teeth with your finger and toothpaste (technically you are though).

Would I buy this again: Most definitely especially when I get my braces off. They're definitely the better alternative in freshening your breath and super handy dandy. They also don't take so much space and no jiggling noise of the sound of mints hitting the pan in your purse. I might not have bought this on my own, but after trying them out, I've been using them since. You'll definitely find this on my purse.

Show Me Your Fall Season Makeup Face CONTEST!

Ok, I just have to get this news out right now. Here's the deal, my birthday is coming up and I want to share the love with you guys by having a contest! This is pretty much also a way for me to say thank you to my readers and subscribers who's been dropping by. I've been planning on having one for a long time, but I haven't really gotten around it because of numerous things that has come up.

So the contest is easy squeezy. Most of you have been doing this for some time now. You'll pretty much show me (and everyone else) how your Fall makeup would look like. Use magazines or promotional media if you have to if you need to get insipired or just be plain creative and pretend you're doing your runway show or it could be whatever you're wearing now, it doesn't matter just as long as you showcase you best darn look.

How to Enter:

1. Turn in a face shot showing your complete look and a close-up of an open and closed eye picture (refer to my previous FOTDs if you don't know what I'm talking about) to show the detail on your eye makeup.

2. List what you used in your eyes, face, cheeks, and lips.

3. If you have a Blogger or YouTube account, make sure you include your link in your e-mail as well.

4. E-mail your entries at yummiebitez@gmail.com, with the subject line "Your Name - Makeup Contest". Please make sure you put it in this format, so just it'll be easier for me to sort through my e-mails.

5. Deadline to submit your entries is this Sunday, September 21 at 11:59 pm PST.

The contest is open to my U.S. and International readers (yayy!). Sorry, but this contest is only open for people age 18 years old and up. There will only be one winner and the winner will be NOT be randomly chosen. The person with the most votes wins the contest.

Voting Rules:

1. I will be posting all the entries on Monday, September 22 which marks the first official day for voting.

2. You can cast your vote by leaving a comment on the post with all the participating entries on your favorite look. One vote per day per person. I will only count the votes left on the contest post and nowhere else.

3. Voters with a blogger account with my link on their blog roll or have subscribed to my YouTube channel will be worth 2 points (In your comment, please include your YouTube channel if you don't have a blog).

4. Voting ends on my birthday, Thursday, October 2nd at 11:59 PST. I will try to announce the winner, the next day, if not some time over the weekend.


Winner gets...

1. Laniege Strawberry Yogurt Peel Gel ♥♥ (I will have a review on this soon).
2. Brushes from Crown Brush (includes contour brush, angled fluff, lash groomer, small chisel fluff, foundation brush, bent liner, and angled liner)
3. Pressed (MAC and TKB Trading) pigments in a palette (As seen on this post. Yes, all 15 of them. They're unused and unswatched).
4. Palgantong BB Cream SPF 15
5. And much more!


Yea, sorry this is a long, no picture post, but I will update again later with a picture of the prizes once I get home. I will get into more detail with the voting once I get the entries sorted out.

Soo....hurry!!! Don't forget entries are due no later than this Sunday, September 21 11:59 PST! Get those FOTDs ready and send them in! I can't wait to see them!

Weekend Recap: La Brea Tar Pits

Of all places right? Well, the BF has been really asking me to go with to the tar pits. Don't ask me why. It's been part of his "to do" list before he leaves Cali.

Although there were no dinosaur bones found in that specific location, I've learned a few interesting species aside from the saber-tooth CAT (not tiger) and woolly elephants that inhabited old Los Angeles million years ago. The trip was actually something different to do on a Saturday besides our regular trips to different malls :).

Some pictures inside the museum:

These are actually some of the bones of dire wolves' skulls. But they look like shoes on display :)

Behind that was once a woolly mammoth.

Outside the museum... where the smell of tar reeked.

Since he had dragged me to the museum, I got to drag him to The Grove which was the mall nearby. We just grabbed some Brazilian food for lunch at the Farmer's Market and walked around the outdoor mall. I didn't really find anything to my liking in any of the stores, but I manage to grab some Essie nail polishes on sale for half off!

And then we saw this...

LOL! I had to take a picture. This Pomeranian was a diva... seriously. It was attracting all sorts of attention from people because it had booties on! I mean I've seen booties on display at stores... but not really worn by a dog cuz I didn't think dogs would be comfortable wearing them. And it had a backpack on! LOL what the heck?


So that was a quick rundown of my weekend. And then yesterday, I finally had the chance to check out the little beauty boutique by my area that carries some Paul & Joe products that I've been on the hunt for. I couldn't find them anywhere else here in California... and I don't know why we're lacking. I wish they had more particularly at the store because I really wanted to check the whole line out. But I manage to pick up a few of them, and I think I'm really done with makeup purchases for now (I hope *crosses fingers*). I'll post my haul on that on another day, maybe along with a review.


How was everyone else's weekends?

FOTD and Product Review: NARS Duo Eye Shadow in Mediteranee

What they say about it: Same longwearing crease resistant formula as the NARS Single Eyeshadow, in a series of uniquely paired color combinations. Worn together or alone, all eyeshadows can be applied sheer or built up for a more dramatic effect. All powder eyeshadows can be used wet or dry.

Richly pigmented powders
Effortless blending; coordinated in fashionable pairs
Multifunction: use as eyeshadow, eyeliner or on eyebrows

Price: $32 USD

Available at: NARScosmetics.com, Sephora, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, and other leading department stores.


What I like about it: It's buttery soft! It glides like no other. It's highly pigmented that there's really no need to dig through the pan to get a good color payoff, and each duo are matched perfectly that it's a no brainer when it comes to eye color combinations. The eye shadows are also easily blendable, so layering is a cinch, yet the colors doesn't fade after blending.

Every time I've been at Sephora, I had my eye on this particular eyeshadow. I swatched it a million times (ok I'm exaggerating) while I thought about it long and hard if it was worth it or not only to ended up falling in love with the color even more. Yes it's orange, but it's not your kind of orange that is obnoxiously bright that you'll probably wear once in your life. Mediteranee is your wearable type of orange with gold specks, without the annoying chunks of glitter. It looks good in the pan just as much as its on your eyes. This color combo is also a nice addition to your fall makeup look.

*I forgot to watermark these pictures -____-*

What I don't like about it: Obviously, the price. The price is pretty steep for two colors of eye shadows, but it should be expected in a high-end makeup. But I thought about it this way, $32 divided by two is $16. So technically, you are only paying $2 more for each eye shadow than MAC potted eye shadows, but the quality you're getting with NARS is way better. However, compared to the color selections you get with MAC and NARS, MAC definitely has more colors of the rainbow available especially when they come out with limited edition colors.

Although the packaging is cute in appearance, the texture of the casing will attract powder in it that it can get it to look kinda dirty after awhile. It might be harder to clean it since it's foam-like material, so it probably won't hurt if they're kept in the box if you care for them that much.

Would I buy it again: You bet I will! Although I probably won't buy too many of it at the same time since it's not exactly inexpensive. But I wouldn't mind spending a few more bucks on colors that I think that I will be frequently using and reaching out for. You're not only paying for the brand, but the quality it comes with. I've already used my Mediteranee eye shadow twice, and I've already gotten compliments on how my eye make up looks like (coming from TWO Dior MUA :] from my recent trip to Nordies). Since these eye shadows are really super easy to blend, there's really no need to be in front of the mirror trying to blend the heck out of these eye shadows. I would recommend these eye shadows for the people who are ready to branch out to higher end makeup.

And here's a sample of my eye makeup using this duo eyeshadow: