MAC Announces 2008 Spring/Summer Trends

I'm not usually a big follower of clothing fashion, but I love reading about the new trends in makeup...especially when it's something out of the box, that's not your average everyday look. In this year's Spring & Summer Trends report, MAC is bringing together color and texture, combined through artistry and inspired by backstage (not my quote...it's what MAC sent me in the email, lol). They have a bunch more look predictions and tips on the site, but here'a few of the looks and tips that caught my eye. I don't see me wearing some of them just for poopies and giggles (sorry, this is a G-rated blog), but I thought they looked pretty cool!



While I don't see myself walking out of the house with a huge white spot under my eye, I thought the dewey affect that was created was rather neat!



I'm always a sucker for red, red lips! :D



I really don't know why I'm attracted to this look, but for some reason it draws me in like a moth to a flame.


My favorite of them all!! Just look at the picture! Enough said. This look just kicks ass (ok, it's a PG-blog)!! I'd soooo wear this out and about! The effect is effin' awesome!!


Not really sure what attracts me to this look either, but who wouldn't want a platinum eyelid?! :D


I love the subtle smokiness of this look. It adds mystery and intrigue as a touch of light brushes against the dark side! Mwuuuahahahahahahaaaa.



This look just brought me back to middle school with the chola look...but reversed. Love it! :D



I'm a sucker for iridescent lips that aren't your everyday color too. :P :)

Lauren's "Back In Black"...

After a short absence, youtube's very own Panacea81, a.k.a. Lauren comes back strong and beautiful as ever with a great tutorial on acheiving the exagerrated winged liner look made famous by Amy Winehouse! Hottie alert! Check it out!!

Grey, White, Yellow & Hunter Green Look

Check out this awesome look by SarahVictor on youtube! It's a super hot yellow and black smokey eye with a touch of grey and green! If you haven't checked out her videos, you need to! She has some great tips and some looks that you can add to your "I've gotta try this look!" list. The lovely Sarah also shows off her gorgeous hair in some hair styling tuts! Enjoy! :)

Light Teal Soft Smokey Eye

A youtuber request for GothidgeAngel18







PRODUCTS USED
--FACE--
Beauty From the Earth Foundation in Dark
Beauty From the Earth Mineral Veil
MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Nothern Light (blush)
MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Global Glow (contouring)

--EYES--
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Ricepaper Eyeshadow
MAC Teal Pigment
MAC Espresso Eyeshadow (also used it for brows)
MAC Stubborn Brown Powerpoint Eye Pencil
Diorshow Mascara in Black

--LIPS--
Stýli-Style Line & Seal Lipliner in Sand
MAC Plastique Lipstick
MAc Pretty Plush Plushglass

SONGS HEARD
"Linger" by The Cranberries
"Kiss Me" by Six Pence None The Richer
"Lovefool" by The Cardigans

What Would You Like To See More Of?

This is officially the first blog I've ever had or tried to update in my entire life and I'm really getting a kick out doing it! Yet, even with this feeling that I'm doing an okay job, I feel like there's more that I should be posting about. So with that being said, I figured I'd get suggestions and tips from all you lovely ladies and gentlemen out there that make your daily trek to my little ol' blog here. What would you like to see more of on Francine's Makeup Mania? Or what would you like to see posted more frequently? Any tips or suggestions? I managed to come up with a little survey to the right and you can click on as many answers as you like. Feel free to leave me some comments too! I'd love to hear what you all have to say!

In the meantime, check out MovingMakeup.com, ahd this handy dandy little article I came across on the net a while ago. It's a nifty little site that shows you where to apply contouring powder and highlighting powder as it pertains to your face shape! "Francine, OMG, that's like so totally cool!" I know, right?! (Sorry, my inner Californian was wanting to come out from hiding.) Anyway, I can't remember for sure where I spotted the link at, but it was more than likely something that I saw in a Specktra forum! Gotta love me some specktra!!

Feeling a Bit Ripped Off!

Brittany, a.k.a., DivineBlackness, You are an absolute God-send! I posted a new video tutorial showing her steps to get the most out of your Urban Decay Primer Potion! I couldn't believe the amount that came out of that little tube...especially that little bottom piece! It was unbelievable!

Hopefully, with getting the word out, Urban Decay will finally realize how pissed their customers are getting at their wasteful ways and finally change their packaging for this amazing product! Maybe when sales decrease because more and more people won't need to buy it as often, they'll rethink their strategies for trying to get money out of us UDPP lovers! Ha!

Do You Believe In Magic?

If not, you may want to think again. Having tiny to non-existent lashes can be a thing of the past. Pursebuzz did a video review of Magic Lash Eyelash Enhancer. Based off the results I'm seeing with her lashes, I may just have to give this stuff a try! Unfortunately, I'll have to wait patiently along with everyone else until January 3rd since Overall Beauty seems to be out of it until then. :(

If any of you have tried, or have even heard of this stuff, let me know what you think or have heard about it! :)

The Easiest Smokey Eye Tut Ever!!

PRODUCTS USED
--FACE--
Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup - Shade 18 (G)
Clinique Blended Face Powder - Trancparency 03
MAC Global Glow Mineralized skinfinish (contouring)
MAC Nothern Light Mineralized Skinfinish (blush)

--EYES--
UDPP
Urban Decay Chopper eyeshadow (applied to upper lid with Loew Cornell 3/8" Maxine's Mop Brush, and to lower lashline with MAC 219 brush)
MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow (applied with Face secrets Shadow blending brush)
MAC smolder Eye Kohl (smudged with MAC 219 brush)
Diorshow Mascara
MAC Espresso eyeshadow (to fill in brows, applied with MAC 266 brush)

--LIPS--
MAC Spice Lipliner
MAC Plastique Lipstick
MAC Sinnamon Lustreglass

MAC's Chrome Yellow & Electric Eel Tut!

Got a couple of youtubers wanting to see a look with Chrome Yellow and Electric Eel eyeshadows. I called in the help of Aquadisiac to make blending easier and here's the finished look as well as the video! Enjoy!

PRODUCTS USED
--FACE--
Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup - Shade 18 (G)
Clinique Blended Face Powder - Trancparency 03
MAC Global Glow Mineralized skinfinish (contouring)
MAC Nothern Light Mineralized Skinfinish (blush)

--EYES--
UDPP
MAC Chrome Yellow eyeshadow
MAC Electric Eel eyeshadow
MAC Aquadisiac eyeshadow
MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
MAC Espresso eyeshadow
Diorshow Mascara

--LIPS--
Stýli-Style Line & Seal lipliner in Nude
MAC Cosmo lipstick
MAC Optical 3Dglass

Yummy411 Talks Foundation

Curious about the differences between MAC's foundations and powders? Why do so many of the foundations seem to have similar descriptions, and yet there's like 9 million different foundations claiming to do different things?? Ask no more! Yummy411 shares her MAC Live Chat discussion about these questions with the rest of us!

Read her chat here.

Hairstylist Phobia??

If you're like me, you are petrified of going to see someone to do your hair. Up until November of 2006, only three people had ever cut my hair, and two of which only trimmed my ends. Those three people were my mom, a friend of mine in Hawaii, and myself. I was the only one who ever did the massive cutting. I have this phobia about going to see a stylist and having my hair butchered or mutilated into something I didn't want. When I was younger, my mom would go to a stylist and come home unhappy because her hair was styled and cut wrong. She soon began cutting her own hair and then putting me to work with trimming the areas she couldn't see as well (she has really short hair). Well, I learned this from my mom and soon began cutting (and dying) my own hair.
Then highlights became a big thing but I didn't want to do highlights on myself. One, because I didn't know how, and two, because, well, I didn't know how. Anyhoo, while living in Tennessee, I went with a friend to her hair appointment and fell in love with the stylist. She is the only person other than myself, my friend, and my mom, to run a pair of scissors and some dye through my hair. Unfortunately, because my husband is in the military, I've had a relapse in my phobia and I am now back to cutting and dying my own hair, unless I happen to be out in Tennessee for a visit.
Now that I've written a novel, let me get on with why I originally posted this. If you have a hairtsylist phobia like I do, Pursebuzz has put up a two-part video with great tips on finding the right stylist for you! Have a look see at her helpful advice and be sure to remember those tips the next time you're out and about looking for a stlist!

A Soft Winter Look!

Or you could consider it for Spring since it's kind of pastel-ly. :D Anyhoo, did a video tut using a couple of colors from Urban Decay's Urban Ammo Eye Palette. Hope you guys like it!

And just for the heck of it...

A New Video Brought to you by www.beautyfromtheearth.com!!

I want to give a special thank you to Crystal from www.beautyfromtheearth.com. She sent me a lot of lovely eyeshadows and some foundation samples to try out. To show my gratitude for her generosity, I made a video showcasing a couple of the eyeshadows (multipurpose minerals) and I will do a couple more videos using some of the other eyeshadows as well. But until then, have a look-see at my newest video---Green, Blue & Purple---featuring multipurpose minerals from www.beautyfromtheearth.com!



I was really impressed with the coverage of the foundation she sent me. I'll be honest...at first I was a bit skeptical cause it looked rather yellow for me. But after buffing it on and putting on the finishing veil, it was practically perfect! Fine lines were almost non-existent (as opposed to becoming more porminent) and the coverage was really even!! It didn't really feel as if I was wearing makeup either! Double bonus!!

The multipurpose minerals (which I interchange with eyeshadows) are B-E-A-Utiful!! Because they go on slightly sheer (and I do mean "slightly"), you can still wear a fun and funky look without attracting too much attention. Apply them with a mixing medium (which you can learn to make at home thanks to EnKoreMakeup), and TADOW!! Instant vibrance!! So you get the best of both worlds! If you love mineral makeup, be sure to check out her site!

New Videos Are Here!! YAY!

I recently uploaded a couple of new videos to youtube. One is a Gold & Black Smokey look, which would be very suitable for a night out on the town. The other one is a Red & Gold look that I think suits the holidays quite well! It's very Christmas-sy. :) They are both youtuber requests. Stop by my channel and have a look-see! Leave me some love and spread the word!

Here's the Gold & Black Smokey eye:





And here's the Red & Gold look:

A Healthy Way To Curl Your Hair!

Ever wanted curly hair, but hate doing the damage that's caused by using hot rollers or curling irons? Well, problem solved! Iris, a.k.a. Ilovegerardo, has solved all your curling damaging troubles! She's put up a great video showing you how you can acheive and fabulous head of curly hair using only bobby pins, a bandana, and some pomade!

MAC's Holiday Eye Brush Set

With the holiday season in full gear and gaining full speed before December when all engines will hit light speed, I thought it'd be a good time to do a quick review of the MAC Holiday Eye Brush Set from the Heirlooms Collection - especially since I get a lot of questions about eye brushes. I'm only reviewing the eye brushes since they are the ones I use the most (I've only recently started using my 190 brush again).

Personally I don't really like getting the holiday brush sets mainly because of the length of the handles and because the handles are made of plastic. I find that the shortened length does not give you as much control of the brush as the regular length brushes do. Becuase of this lack of control, you lose control of where the color gets placed. Also, I feel that because the handles are made of plastic, this gives the brushes a lighter feel, with there being less weight in your hand to balance the brush with, which once again leads to control. BUT if it's the first time you're using brushes, these two disadvantages could lead to an advantage for you in the future. You could buy these brushes and get used to the way they handle, and you could become familiar with how they work and also get used to how to control the brushes with the length and weight. With this in mind, say later on down the road, you decide you want to upgrade to the full-size brushes. In my opinion, you'd already be better at using the full-size brushes. Why? Because it should (in my world anyways) be easier for you to control the full-size brushes compared to the travel-size brushes. But that's just my mentality.

If you want to try the Holiday brush sets to see how you like the brushes, and to get familiar with what each of the brushes do, the holiday brush sets would be an affordable and convenient way to go. If you already have the regular brushes, the Holiday Brush set is also a convenient and easy way to carry brushes with you when you want to touch up your makeup throughout the day. Rather than carrying your full-size brushes, and risk damaging/breaking them, you can carry these handy-dandy little travel size ones with you.

Now, here's my break-down of what the eye brushes are and how I would/do use them (I don't have all of them). Something to keep in mind: Even though it seems like a lot of brushes have the same uses (lining/applying/blending), each of them creates a different effect. The same description plus the product does not always equal the same look.

	209SE - Eyeliner Brush A lot of people who have liquid eyeliners, or the fluidline eyeliners, prefer to use this brush to apply the liner with rather than the brush that comes on the cap with the product. It's relatively the same idea as what's on the cap, but some people prefer the longer bristles on this brush (which also seem stiffer, yet soft) than what comes on the cap of the product.
	212SE - Flat Definer Brush One of the main things to use this brush for is lining your eyes. A lot of people like to use MAC 266 brush when lining their eyes with powders or creams (think fluidline), however there are a lot of other people that don't like the look gained with using the 266, or can't get as close to the lashline while using the 209, so instead, they use a flat brush like the 212.
	217SE - Blending Brush This brush is, well, it is what it's called - a blending brush! This is a great brush to use for softening harsh lines and blending between colors, and shading. Even though there are other brushes that would be better suited, this is also a great brush to use for defining your crease and for adding depth to it as well. I wouldn't use this brush for applying eyeshadows, however.
	252SE - Large Shader Brush This was the first brush I purchased from MAC and has proven its worth. The 252 is a great brush to use for packing on that eyeshadow and getting a lot of color payback! It also comes in pretty handy when applying cream products like the paints or fluidlines all over your lid. The only reason this brush has fallen from the #1 spot is because it's little sister, the 242 (which is the same brush, just smaller, which makes it more functional) took over as #1.
	275SE - Medium Angle Shading Brush The medium angle brush is another great brush for blending. Because of its angular shape, it's useful for getting into corners for blending! If you're wanting to go for a more sheer look, this is the brush you'll want to use to apply your eyeshadow with.

If you're tight on cash, I have a couple of recommendations for you.

1. You may want to check out www.crownbrush.com - especially the badger series. Crown Industries Inc. is a brush wholesaler BUT they do conduct business for personal needs. The badger series brushes are MAC quality without the MAC price. Brushes range anywhere from $1.49 to $15.95 USD. They accept all major credit cards as well as checks. Just email them at crownbrushes@hotmail.com, request to be sent a catalog, and you can look over the entire array of brushes that they sell (or you can simply view their catalog online). They also have a discount policy based upon the total amount that you purchase. The only drawback is that because they are a wholesaler company, they have an order minimum of $25.00.


2. You may also want to check out your local craft store for good quality paint brushes. That's right. I said paint brushes! EnKoreMakeup has made a video comparing paint brushes to MAC brushes and also gives recommendations for what sort of paint brushes to look for. If you click on his name above, it will take you to his youtube channel, but if you click here, it will take you directly to the video I'm talking about.

I hope this helps you all in your debates of holiday brush sets or not! And as always with the holiday season, be safe and happy shopping!! :)

Silver, Grey, and Black Smokey Eye

So after I posted my purple smokey eye look, I got a lot of requests for a smokey look using silvers, greys, and blacks. Well, by popular demand, I've posted the video up on youtube and if you wanna take a peak at it, click here, and don't forget to leave me some love!!

Halloween's Around the corner....

Need some inspiration for some Halloween looks? Check out these two videos by AskMeMakeup a.k.a. Amy B.

1920's Flapper Girl



Bright Pink Barbie

Eat a snack, blow your nose, and get a makeup organizer!!

Tired of having your makeup clunk around in drawer, making it hard to find your eyeshadows (and harder to keep them organized). Well, clunk no more!! Check out this video from EnKoreMakeup as he shows you how to make a cheap and easy organizer for your potted eyeshadows and cream colour bases!

Save Money with False Lashes!

Do you wear false lashes? Do you spend a lot of money wearing flase lashes?? Wish you could save money and still have the look of long beautiful lashes to compliment your great makeup job? Well, check out this video by EnKoreMakeup. Here he shows you how to save your money by cleaning and reshaping those used lashes to use them more than once! Check it out!!