MAC-aholism

Hi, I'm Jane and I would like to invite you to join me in MAC world coming to Kingston, Jamaica soon!!! Here's why...

There are certain things you shouldn't scrimp on when it comes to makeup. Now my philosophy is is that if I'm gonna have it for less than a year then there is no reason to pay the higher price when I can pay a lower price for acceptable quality.

And I live by this daily. However, there are exceptions to every rule. In this case, for makeup, I will always have to consider that I am a Jamaican and  a woman of colour. Why does this matter you may say. Well, simply put, as Jamaicans, and women of colour our skin ( a melting pot of different races) is rarer and more varied than women of other ethnicities around the world- this makes it hard to duplicate. Another factor is our climate. Heat makes things melt, or in the case of powder, absorb moisture and clump together resulting in that cake-y appearance that makes us all cringe. (Cringe already! yes, it's supposed to bother you).

So, we have to be careful when choosing makeup that is supposed to mimic our skin or cover our blemishes. Specifically, foundation (or base as anyone before the eighties call it) and concealer. Firstly, most companies make make-up that caters to a largely caucasian consumer base. Now, before we go off on racist rants, I will take a page out of Iman's book and say graciously that this is because most Caucasian women are sorely dissatisfied with their skin and are always seeking to improve it; whereas women of colour generally age slower and have less issues with skin. However, this is now a dated view. More than ever, women of colour have been having issues with discolouration or uneven skin tone, acne and scarring. Considering the pollution and the vast amounts of unhealthy (*ahem yummy fast food) food we are consuming because we are on the go, and the stress and lack of sleep, it is fair to say that everyone, no matter where you are will have an issue with their skin at some point.

It is for this reason that women have been flocking to cosmetic counters and drugstores aka pharmacies for the promise of 'dewy' skin with an all-over even skin tone or matte, velevety complexions. Unfortunately, Jamaica's make-up market has yet to explode. It is slowly getting there but we ain't quite there yet. I am yet to find a match for my skin tone in any of our stores here as many stores carry limited qualities and do not restock goods with enough regularity, and those that do, carry a small selection and very often fail to set out testers. With our no return, no exchange, no refund policy (very customer-oriented aren't we?) women are usually hesitant to buy a foundation they can't be sure will match them. See the problem now?

Well.....dry your mascara-coated eyes ladies! MAC (makeup Artistry Cosmetics) yes THE MAC is coming to Jamaica! Why does this make me so giddy and excited? (if you were following me on twitter when I found out from Monique / Irie Diva you would have seen real excitement) MAC has numerous shades for us. In fact, when I got the opportunity to travel this month I popped by a MAC counter and found my current shade AND decided to wait to buy it here when the store opens just so I could show MAC my full appreciation that they have finally answered my feverish pleas to come to my beautiful island and sell to us. ( I didn't walk away from the concealer though).

The MAC store will be opening in Sovereign Centre some time in December (I'm assuming in time for Christmas) and I expect that the standard will be the same as their numerous stores and counters across the United States and Europe. In other words, testers!!! I am looking forward to running through the doors with a friend or two and a list in hand to defend myself against shopper's remorse. 

Mac PRO Senior Artist Gisele Cavillo - Photo credit - http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/mobile/lifestyle/Cocktails-with---Gisel-Calvillo_12584205

I am also pondering a giveaway for the blog to say "thanks for reading!" to one of my makeup newbies or pros out there. Leave a comment if you want a MAC giveaway in the comment box below and stay tuned for a review of my current MAC items and my MAC wish list. 

Till later!

Jane

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Hot Weather Makeup

You spend time and care putting on your makeup so you want it to last right? Here are a few of my tried and true make-up tips that help makeup to last in the hot weather of a Jamaican sun.

• Less is more : Dilute your foundation by mixing two parts foundation with your moisturizer ( a colourless serum would be best). Apply with your fingers and blend in, then go over with a brush or a very slightly damp clean sponge. The brush or sponge will take off and blend in any excess product, while mixing it with your moisturizer will allow you to apply a thinner layer that will last longer in the heat.
• Set it and Forget it: Translucent powder will be your best friend in the heat. Do not however apply this with a sponge or pad of any kind as that will most definitely cause caking. Get a very dense brush and sweep over your face after your foundation has completely dried. Here's the trick though - apply the translucent powder only where your face sweats. For most people this is the top of your nose, your temples and/or eyebrows and along your hairline.
• Powder products are your best friend: Powder blush, and eyeshadow always last longer- I'm sure you've heard this many times. But what they don't tell you is that a thin layer of a cream product underneath a powder product will last all day. Simply put, apply a cream blush and blend it out then follow with a light layer of powder blush. This combination has always served me well, as my blush is usually the first thing to fade. For eyeshadows - the NYX eyeshadow pencils (the big fat jumbo ones) or any other similar products or bases worn underneath an eyeshadow helps to make the eyeshadow stay put all day
• Ink over Wax: Eyeliner in the pencil form contains wax, which melts in the heat. If you don't want your eyeliner to migrate down the side of your face then switch it out to liquid liner. In fact, many liquid liners come in a 'pen' form and are water-proof which contributes to longer wear.If you only have pencil eyeliner then sharpen the pencil and use a thin line (if you're going for a heavily lined look then draw lines on top of each other rather than going back and forth). Then on a liner brush, use an eyeshadow of the same shade as the eyeliner and pat on over it.
• Flake free: For mascara, waterproof formulas last the longest BUT what helps your mascara to last longer is if you do a thinner layer. This will encourage it to flake less and irritate your eyes. What I like to do is use my waterproof eyeliner pen and run along the topside of my top lashes to darken then follow with the mascara wand. Now, usually,mascara is applied to the underneath of top lashes and the top side of bottom lashes. If I want it to last in the heat though, I ignore my bottom lashes and focus on the topside of my top lashes. Tightlining your eyes is also a great idea
• A Swing and a Miss: I have no idea what makes lip products last longer - unless we're talking about smudge-proof lip liner or a lip stain. I can do a post on how to make your own lipstain, separate and apart from that, someone will have to educate me on this. Leave a comment if you have a trick to keep lipsticks and lipgloss on your lips in the heat.

As always, you can contact me via email, or leave me a comment here.

Till later,
Jane

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