NOTD: MAC Hangin' Loose (Surf Baby Collection) w/ Leopard Print!

Three (3) Coats of MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer and One (1) Coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

MAC Hangin' Loose is a neutral pink beige cream with very tiny white sparkles that seem to only be noticeable in bright lighting. This polish is from MAC's recent Surf, Baby! Collection and is still available on the MAC website (here). I'm not sure if I can justify paying $15 for a nail polish, so I'm really happy I got a chance to try this through a swap.

I really like the formula of this polish. It's not thick, not too thin, very creamy and dries fairly quick. It is a little on the sheer side and applies a little streaky with the first two coats, but I applied a heavier third coat and everything evened out very well. I actually love this polish and I think it's the perfect nude. I'll be wearing this much more often!

For the leopard print, I first applied dots of OPI You Don't Know Jacques Nail Polish (grayed brown) all over my nail (around 5-6 dots in total). Then, I took a toothpick and used a generic black nail polish and outlined the brown spots. I also made a few extra black dots. Then I used a silver glitter nail art pen and added small lines of glitter to each spot.

What's your favorite nude polish?

Swap Haul! Nars, MAC and Bobbi Brown.

Hey Everyone,

If you didn't know by now, I'm a complete swap-a-holic. I love swapping and browsing blog sales for great deals and hard to find items. It's a great way to try new products when you're on a budget. If you don't know what swapping is, click here to view Makeupalley's Swap FAQ page.

(Sorry, MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial is hiding behind the Nars Multiple)

NARS South Beach Multiple (Mini)

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Stone

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick

MAC Black Tied Eyeshadow

MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer

MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial

MAC Jardin Aires Pigment Vial

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS! 

MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer

Hangin' Loose is warm, peach/pink nude nail polish from MAC's recent Surf Baby Collection (it's actually still available on the MAC website). I haven't had the chance to swatch it yet, but it looks exactly like the type of shade I've been looking for. I'm really excited to try it out.

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick

Viva Glam Gaga 2 is a creamy and opaque, light neutral beige. I wasn't really excited about either of the Viva Glam Gaga shades - the first one was too cool toned for my skin tone and the second looked too pale for my skin tone. Although I am all-for nude lips, the whole nude lip doesn't suit me that well. I mainly got it because I came across a recent FOTD (can't remember which blogger) who was wearing Viva Glam Gaga 2, and it looked amazing on her. I haven't tried it yet, but hopefully I can make it work.

MAC Black Tied Eyeshadow

Black Tied is a black eyeshadow with silver shimmer. Surprised I didn't own this? After my recent MAC Carbon incident, I doomed MAC Carbon to hell (harsh, huh?). I believe it was my fourth Carbon I owned that shattered before I even formed a dip or hit pan. I have a ruined carpet and ruined purses to show for it. So, I decided to try my luck with Black Tied. 

Left: MAC Jardin Aires Pigment Vial, Right: MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial

Jardin Aires is a peachy tan/champagne shimmer. Most pigments irritate my eyes, so I'm really hoping this one won't. I think it's a really pretty all over lid color or highlight shade. If it does in fact irritate my eyes, it's a pretty versitile color that I can use on my cheeks or mixed in with lotions and self tanners for an extra glow.

Hottest Pink Glitter is a fine neon pink glitter with purple reflects. Need I say more? Besides it being pretty to look at, I thought it would be awesome mixed in with some of my lip glosses.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero

Bolero is a muted, vibrant pinked cantaloupe with a matte finish. I've been lusting this pencil after seeing Temptalia's review (HERE) in April (despite her lips being dry in her photos, the shade is gorgeous). It reminds me a lot of what I'd get from mixing OCC Lip Tars in Divine and Cha Cha together.

NARS South Beach Multiple (Mini)

South Beach is a shimmery bronze apricot cream multi-purpose cream stick. I've never tried any of the multiples despite the rave reviews, so I can't wait to try this one out and see if it lives up to the hype.

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Stone

Stone is a dusty brown cream eye shadow. I've been recently exploring the world of cream shadows, and this color was really appealing to me. If it works out well, I think it'd be a great neutral shade for a soft, daytime look.

I'll be posting individual reviews with swatches for these products soon. Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts?

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Review: MAC Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder!

Formulated to provide a smooth, virtually invisible, fresh-looking finish, this soft, cream-like powder is carefully blended to provide the skin with extra care, nourishment and comfort. (MAC COSMETICS)

"Studio Careblend Pressed Powder provides sheer to medium coverage with perfect skin adhesion that helps to create a more flawless, refined look to skin. Studio Careblend Pressed Powder’s versatility allows users to apply it alone, over moisturized skin, atop foundation to set, or simply to touch up and perfect skin throughout the day." - Nick Gavrelis, Vice President, Global Product Development (read more here)

MAC Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder is available in eight (8) shades: Light (soft pale beige), Light Plus (pale golden beige), Medium (soft creamy beige), Medium Dark (caramel beige), Medium Plus (tan beige), Dark (deep caramel), Medium Deep (rich golden tan) and Dark Deep (rich golden bronze).

What really lured me into wanting Careblend is the claim that it doesn't look powdery and it isn't drying. Not to mention the amazing rating on Makeupalley (4.4/5 with an 86% re-purchase rate based on 79 reviews). I had a little bit of a tough time trying to pick a shade for my current NC30 skintone - I was debating with Light Plus (mainly because it has some good golden tones), Medium or Medium Dark. I figured that since they are sheer, there will be a little room for error, but my favorite MAC Sales Assoc. informed me that they do indeed pack pretty good pigment, so I played it safe and purchased Medium. I purchased this powder to solely use it as a setting powder. Other powders I'm currently using for a quick dusting across my face are Chanel Double Perfection Compact, MAC Studio Fix Powder or Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (I also love MAC Blot Powder, but I'm currently out of it).

MAC Studio Careblend Powder in Medium

Medium is a good match for my skin. It lacks yellow though if you're medium skinned and particular about having the right amount of golden in your foundation or powder. I compared it to my MAC Studio Fix Powder in C3 for reference. Of course, C3 has a stronger yellow tone as all "C" powders do in the SF Powder range.

The consistency of this powder to the touch, feels like your average powder. Studio Fix Powder actually feels softer to the touch. But, once smoothed on the skin, Careblend feels much smoother, whereas Studio Fix feels a bit dryer and powdery (ironic, huh?) The powder isn't completely sheer - it does have some pigment, so if you have relatively clear skin and need little coverage and oil control, this can be worn alone. I like using a large fluffy powder brush such as my Sigma F30 (FAV) and swirling the product all over my face to set my foundation. If I want a little extra coverage, I'll use a more dense brush such as my Sephora Pro Platinum Bronzer Brush or a standard Kabuki. The finish with this powder indeed is not powdery at all. It gives a velvety satin finish that even reminds me a bit of my beloved Chanel Double Perfection Powder.

Here's a little comparison. You can see a big difference in the finish of Studio Fix and Studio Careblend. Studio Fix is much more dull and powdery, whereas Studio Careblend has a bit of luminosity.

Left to Right: MAC Studio Fix Powder in C3, MAC Studio Careblend Powder in Medium and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium/Natural & Shimmer (the medium/natural side) Limited Edition

I don't need all that much oil control, just a little bit in my t-zone, and this keeps my skin from getting shiny throughout the day very well. Based on some reviews I've read, some don't recommend this powder for those with oily skin as it may not control oil well enough, but I've also read that some oily skin found it works great. The reviews are pretty mixed. I think it would work particularly well for those with dry skin as contains moisturizing oils (Safflower, Meadowfoam & Olive) as well as Shea Butter and it doesn't seem to accentuate dryness. I really love this powder and will continue using it for an all over setting powder. I still plan on purchasing MAC Blot Powder as well because I like to have a powder on hand that won't deposit any color (mainly to powder my under-eyes).

MAC Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder is $23 for .35 oz, $4 cheaper than MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish (plus Careblend has a mirrored compact & powder puff, the MSF has neither). It's slightly more expensive than MAC Blot which is $23 for .42 oz (.07 oz more product).

.35 oz really isn't a lot of product, and with the silkiness of this powder, you can probably easily go overboard with it without realizing. When I used my MAC Blot Powder daily, I would hit pan very quickly with it, so I'm going to make sure to use my Careblend sparingly.

What's your favorite setting powder?

Review: MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Cajun!

Product Description: A silky, feather-light powder, formulated with 70% water, dusts on to the skin as a cooling mist to set and enhance the look of any foundation. Beyond sheer: light-reflecting and translucent. A virtually invisible way to add luminosity and a soft radiant glow to the skin.

Magically Cool Liquid Powders are available in three (3) shades: Truth & Light (Sheer shimmer that reflects silver and pink), Honey Rose (Sheer rosy beige with multi-dimensional shimmer) and Cajun (Sheer bronze shimmer that reflects gold).

I already own Honey Rose, which I purchased in early June (Review here) and it became one of my favorite/must-have products for the cheeks. So when recently I had the opportunity to get a hold of Cajun in a swap, I went for it.

Like mentioned, Cajun is a sheer, bronze shimmer that reflects gold. The description is very accurate, It looks a little dark and ruddy in the jar, but once swatched the golden hues really come out. It's a bit of an orangy bronze, somewhat similar to the color of Chanel Bronze Universel. There is a slight golden sheen, but it can only be really seen when the product is applied heavily.

READ MORE FOR A REVIEW, SWATCH AND TIPS ON APPLICATION..

To be honest, Cajun was really difficult to swatch. It just wouldn't cooperate. When I tried swatching it on my hand with a Q-tip or sponge, it would catch any tiny spot of moisture on my hand and cake up. I had to wash it off my hand and try again at least 10 times. So, pictured above was the best I could do. I swatched it next to Honey Rose, which I don't have that problem with.

Sigma F50 Brush

Like Honey Rose, my favorite way to apply Cajun is with a duo-fiber brush. Preferably, my Sigma F50 Duo Fiber Brush because it is the most dense/stiff duo fiber I own. It seems to work really well for both of my magically cool liquid powders. Because Cajun contains actual pigmented color (rather than a shimmery sheen like the other two powders) it can be a little difficult to work with. The way I found it works best is by tapping the tiniest bit into the lid of the jar, then swirl the duo-fiber in the product and tap off any excess. Then, lightly swirl it on your cheeks, or all over your face to warm up your complexion. Do not try building your color all at once, because once a lot of product is applied, it transitions to a powder almost instantly and won't move around much to blend. Apply a little and then build from there. Because applying only a little product at once is crucial, I don't really feel the cooling sensation like I do with Honey Rose (because with Honey Rose, I'm able to use much more product). The result is really beautiful and natural.

Despite Cajun is a bit of a high maintenance product, I do like it and I'm glad I have it in my collection. I definitely can see though how it can be a little irritating, and probably the reason the person I got this from wanted to swap it away in the first place. haha!

Here I am with Cajun and Honey Rose on my cheeks.

The product is expensive at $29.50 for 0.84 oz of product, so I would definitely recommend asking for a small sample before purchasing to see how you like it!

My Top 9 Favorite Warm-toned Blushes!

Assorted MAC Blushes

All Blushes in the same order as above photo. Clockwise from bottom right: Pleasureful Blushcreme, Coppertone, Eversun, Margin, Sunbasque, Gingerly.

Assorted Blushes

When it comes to blushes - warm colors always draw me in the most. I suppose it's because of my warm NC30-NC40 skintone that nothing quite flatters me like a warm, spicy bronze. I've accumulated quite a few, swapped away several of them and held onto my favorites. It's a bit of a coincidence the majority of the blushes in my collection are MAC - but I really love MAC blushes and wish I can own them all!

My favorite way to wear these blushes is with browns, bronzes and gold on the eyes and coral on the lips.

Perhaps a little something like this? Alright, maybe a little dramatic, but the look is gorgeous!

[Source: http://www.eaumg.net/tag/sexy-makeup]

• MAC MARGIN is a peachy red-pink with very fine multi-colored shimmer and frost. It's pratically identical to Sunbasque, but has a bit of a pink tone, which Sunbasque is absent of. Although it has a frost finish, I don't find it to be too frosty - somewhat similar to an MSF, maybe even a little more subtle.
• MAC SUNBASQUE is a peachy-red with loads of multi-colored fine shimmer. This was one of my first MAC blush purchases a few years back after finding out it was one of Jessica Burciaga's favorites! It's one of my all time favorites.
• MAC GINGERLY is a velvety matte (it's actually a Sheertone, and it does have a couple of extra fine sparkles - but they are basically non-existent) brick red with a slight orange/rosy tone. It's really similar to Coppertone, but Coppertone has a stronger red tone and no pink tones.
• MAC COPPERTONE is a matte, brick red with a bit of an orange/peach tone. It was one of my first MAC blushes, if not my first MAC blush and I love it!
• MAC EVERSUN (limited edition) is a golden bronze with red undertones and slight shimmer. Originally I thought Eversun would be a great bronzer by the looks of it in the pan, but it's a bit tricky - because once it hits my cheeks, the red tones really come out. The shimmer is very subtle and hardly noticeable once applied.
• MAC PLEASUREFUL BLUSHCREME (discontinued) is a slightly reddened pink-peach that gives a very natural, dewy flush of color to the cheeks.
• MAC SO CEYLON MINERALIZE SKINFINISH is a pinked copper-bronze with deep golden veining. It contains very fine pink/multi-colored shimmer and looks a bit frosty on the cheeks.
• NARS LOVEJOY is a rosy-bronze with lots of fine, golden shimmer. Although it looks ultra shimmery in the pan, it's not as intense on the cheeks.
• MAKE UP FOREVER HD #10 is an intense, warm red. When blended out, it creates a beautiful copper color that looks amazing on the cheeks.
  

Heavy swatches on NC30 skin [click to view larger]

What are some of your favorites?

Review: MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose + FOTD!

Product Description: A silky, feather-light powder, formulated with 70% water, dusts on to the skin as a cooling mist to set and enhance the look of any foundation. Beyond sheer: light-reflecting and translucent. A virtually invisible way to add luminosity and a soft radiant glow to the skin.

Magically Cool Liquid Powders are available in three (3) shades: Truth & Light (Sheer shimmer that reflects silver and pink), Honey Rose (Sheer rosy beige with multi-dimensional shimmer) and Cajun (Sheer bronze shimmer that reflects gold).

While I was at MAC, I swatched all three shades, but the most appealing shade to me was Honey Rose. Truth & Light appeared very sheer - almost invisible, with a slight white cast and slight shimmer. Cajun appeared to be a very pretty golden brown - somewhat similar to my Chanel Bronze Universel, but I wasn't sure of how well it would blend as an all over bronzer. Once it hits the skin, it dries almost instantly. I'm not sure if it was the bright fluorescent lighting, but Honey Rose looked gorgeous. It's a champagne pink with a frosty - almost golden sheen. It reminds me a little bit of Urban Decay Sin Eyeshadow. I thought it would a perfect highlight for my skin tone. 

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose

Swatch of MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose

Swatch of MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose

I've never felt a product like these powders. Once applied to the skin, the powder feels wet and it dries to a powder almost instantly. Because it dries quickly, I can see how some find it hard to blend. I find that it works best with a duo fibre brush, such as the MAC 131 with a light touch. (I'm thinking a fan brush may work as well, tapped off to remove excess product before applying.) I like to stipple it on the heights of my cheekbones and then swirl to blend - slightly bringing it down on my cheeks. It works the best while my foundation is still a little damp on my skin. Also, it's a good idea to start out with a little product and then build it if you'd like more. You don't really feel the "wetness" when used very sparingly. Once it dries, it's not going anywhere. I find that this product lasts much longer than a powder highlighter. So far, I'm really liking it!

Also, these are now permanent products at MAC and cost $29.50 for 0.84 oz of product. It may seem a little steep, but there's a good amount of product and I'm sure it will last me forever.

 Here's my FOTD. I really liked the combination of the two foundations I used - Chanel Vitalumiere and Neutrogena Healthy Skin. It really gave me a perfect, porcelain effect. I'm debating now whether or not to purchase Vitalumiere.. I think I probably will pretty soon.

Face: DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew (as a base/primer)

Hard Candy Glamouflage Concealer in Light

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in #20

Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation #40 mixed with Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation in Classic Ivory (I used just a little bit of the Neutrogena to lighten up the Chanel Foundation because I'm a little pale right now)

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose (applied with my Coastal Scents Tapered Duo Fiber Brush to my cheeks, bridge of my nose, middle of forehead & inner corners of my eyes. I applied it the heaviest on my cheeks and it wasn't at all over-powering)

MAC Dollymix Blush

Brows: MAC Espresso Eyeshadow

MAC Girl/Boy Brow Set

Eyes: Urban Decay Naked Palette (I applied Naked through my crease and blended it upward and outward and then Buck through the crease to deepen the color. Then, I applied Half Baked all over my lid, stopping at the crease. I then applied Darkhorse through the outer V of my crease, again to deepen the color and add a little dimension to my eyes. Lastly I lined my lower lashline with Naked)

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara

Generic False Lashes snipped in half

Lips: MAC In Synch Lip Liner

MAC Prr Lip glass

Review: MAC In Synch Lip Liner!

MAC In Synch Lip Liner Pencil

MAC In Synch Lip Liner Pencil

In Synch is described on the MAC website as a bright, yellow pink. In Synch was first launched in MAC's Too Fabulous Collection and then re-launched in the recent Quite Cute Collection. The color is indeed a yellow toned, bright peach-pink. When swatching the lip liner in the store, I automatically thought it would be a fabulous liner to pair with many of my favorite coral-pink and peach-pink lipsticks. MAC Shygirl, perhaps?

Upon bringing my nifty new purchase home, I realized the color is much lighter than I thought it was. Darn that tricky department store lighting! I thought it would be something like Illamasqua Obey in Lip Liner form (here), but there are absolutely no coral tones present in In Synch. In fact, the color is actually lighter than my lips.

Speaking for myself, I don't have a very distinct lip outline, so lip liner is a necessity for me. I typically like using liners that are a bit warmer than my natural lip color, or a color very similar (mocha, caramel pinks & nudes, etc.) Considering this shade is actually lighter than my lips, it's not going to provide me with that slightly darker border for my lip that I like, but it does work well in a couple of other ways. It's a pretty good color for those who wear very nude lip colors. If you like Creme d' Nude, Myth or any similar shades, this may be a good choice for you for a subtle liner. It can also be applied slightly outside your natural lip line to give the effect of fuller lips. The lip liner itself, is a beautiful color and the way I like to wear it, is all over my lips, with a nude, pink or peach lip gloss over it. For my skin tone, it makes a great pinky-nude lip. When using this lip liner, I do suggest applying a coat of lip balm prior (or on top) as the texture is a bit dry.

Lined and filled my lips in with MAC In Synch and applied a thin coat of MAC Prr Lip glass on top!

Makeupalley rating of 3.7/5 based on 20 reviews, with a 60% re-purchase rate. (view here)

What mainly brought down the rating of this product mainly, is the formulation. A small handful of the reviewers complained that In Synch isn't as creamy as other MAC lip liners and is drying on the lips. One of my favorite bloggers (Karen) just posted a review for this product as well and mentioned it's a bit drying, but it hasn't stopped her from wearing it continuously this past month. (Click here to read her review)

Comparisons: MAC In Synch Lip Liner, MAC Myth Lipstick, Illamasqua Obey Lipstick & MAC Myth mixed over Illamasqua Obey. None of the shades are dupes for In Synch, but from the comparisons, you can get an idea of the depth of color. It is almost as light as Myth and just as vibrant as Obey.

Do you own this lip liner? What do you think of it?

Bright blushes for the summer!

Left: MAC Salsarose (satin) & Right: MAC Frankly Scarlet (matte).

Left: MAC Salsarose (satin) & Right: MAC Frankly Scarlet (matte).

When summer hits, it's usually the time where we all try to look a little more natural and wear less makeup to avoid any creasing, "melting", or fading the sun and heat may cause.

During the summer, I don't wear as much eye makeup and I try wearing a lighter foundation with minimal powder and of course a bronzer all over. Since I'm taking the focus off of my eyes, it's a fun season to experiment with bright blushes and lipsticks.

When wearing a bright blush or lipstick, you always want to keep the eyes very soft, so it doesn't overpower the look. You can either go neutral, wear a soft wash of taupe, champagne or gold all over your lid, or use a shade that almost matches your skin or keep it bare with a couple of coats of mascara.

Bright blushes might look a little intimidating to those who aren't very comfortable with color, but you can really use any blush and make it look natural by using the smallest amount. Two of my favorite bright blushes are MAC Frankly Scarlet and MAC Salsarose. Both are extremely similar raspberry shades, with Frankly Scarlet being slightly more red, and Salsarose being slighlty more pink. Swatched heavy, you can see the difference, but swatched lightly you can barely tell them apart. The lovely thing about shades like this, is when applied lightly to the face, the color is very reminiscent of the actual reddish hue your face will naturally turn when you blush.

Finger swatches in the same order as above.

Hand Swatches. Top: Frankly Scarlet & Bottom: Salsarose

Wearing MAC Salsarose & a bright lipstick (OCC Divine & ChaCha Liptars mixed)

Frankly Scarlet is a permanent MAC shade, whereas Salsarose is a PRO shade and can only be purchased at a MAC Pro store or ordered by phone at 1-800-866-6464 (for US orders). (See more information about PRO products here) MAC Dollymix is another favorite of mine, but I actually lost mine, and I'm going to have to purchase another one pretty soon.

Some other brights that are on my wish list are: MAC Devil (Pro), MAC Full Fuchsia (Pro), Nars Rhubarb (Pro), Nars Exhibit A, Nars Taj Mahal, NYX Hot Pink & NYX Red Cheeks.

What are some of your favorite brights? I'll be posting favorite bright lipsticks soon as well..

Review: MAC Brow Set + Comparisons!

MAC Brow Set. Left: Show-off, Right: Girl Boy

Left: Girl Boy, Right: Show-off

Product Description: A brush-on gel that strokes brows into shape. Adds shine and style. No flaking or stiffening. Tinted or clear. Also grooms lashes, sideburns and facial hair. 

Available in four (4) shades: Clear, Girl Boy (Fawn blonde), Beguile (Full-bodied taupe) and Show Off (Rich brown). 

8g/0.28 oz - $15.00

Left: Show-off, Right: Girl Boy

MAC Brow Set is an absolute "Holy Grail" product for me, and it's a product you don't really hear much about. I'm not sure where I originally heard about it, but I know it was a product I stumbled upon on accident. I'm pretty sure I received it in a swap, with no real aspiration to have it. It ended up being a product that's a part of my daily "routine" for well over a year now and I don't ever like to go without it!

I've never really been a brow gel type gal. Although brow gel should of been a necessity for me as I have long, coarse brows that are quite unruly - unless they are freshly trimmed. I never really liked the way brow gels made my brows look. Most of the time they made my brows literally look like I have gel in them.. yuck! Clear mascara doubles as a brow gel, but I liked to particularly avoid it all together. What actually worked the best for me was good old fashioned hairspray.

Yep! Just spritz a little hair spray on a clean spoolie and comb it through your brows. Those babies aren't going anywhere all day. You just have to be careful not to apply too much or you'll feel the stiffness every time you move your brows. haha!

Now, although my brows are coarse, they have no shape. Therefore, I have to resort to filling them in every day. Of course, I always try to find a brow filler that matches my brow color to the "T", but because my brows are so dark, when I fill them in, they sometimes look a little too dark, too harsh. And, depending what product I use, the "filler" is sometimes detectable. What I love about Brow Set is, because it's tinted, it will lightly coat your brow hairs with the tint, and it instantly blends everything together. Your brow hairs and your filler, that is! I like using Show-off when my hair is dark brown and Girl Boy when my hair is any lighter. Girl Boy looks a little scary in the tube, but you can control how much you want applied. My natural hair is dark brown, but it fades naturally to a medium brown with coppery-auburn tones. When it usually reaches that point, I dye my hair dark. But, while my hair is light and my brows are dark, Girl Boy Brow Set lightens my brows to match my hair color better - no bleach necessary. It also is great for when my hair is highlighted.

These tinted Brow Gels are great for those of you who change your hair color often and your brows don't always match, you have gray/white hairs in your brows that need covering up, if your brows are light and need darkening, if you don't want to bleach your brows, etc.

The formula is also fantastic. It has a distinct scent.. flowers for sure, but can't put my finger on which in particular. Also, it doesn't make my brows look "gelled" and it keeps my brows in place very well. Also, I've had my tube of Girl Boy for at least a year and it's still running strong.

Like mentioned, Brow Set is available in 4 different shades (one being clear) to match light, medium and dark hair. I wish there were a couple of more "in between" shades, but the colors are versatile. I'd also like to purchase Beguile sometime in the future.

Swatches of Show-off (top) and Girl Boy (bottom).

Both Brow Sets applied to my brows after they've been filled in with MAC Espresso eyeshadow.

There are also similar products out there.. not mentioning brown mascaras.

Left to Right: ELF Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Dark, ELF Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Medium and Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette.

I think the ELF Treat & Tames are awesome, and I use them just as often as I use my MAC Brow Set. Plus, they are only $3 each and most of the time ELF has 50% off sales. The difference is that MAC Brow Set is much more pigmented and it holds the brows in place better. Still, great product and will re-purchase again. (View past review here)

Now, the Revlon Brow Fantasy. Eeeeeh. Not a big fan. The pencil works fine, but the tinted brow gel is useless for being tinted. It's so sheer that it does absolutely nothing.. it may as well be clear. 

Here are swatches of all products mentioned..

Top to Bottom: MAC Show-off Brow Set, MAC Girl Boy Brow Set, ELF Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Dark, ELF Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Medium & Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette.

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think about them? Let me know in the comments below!