{BEAUTY NEWS} | M•A•C Viva Glam Ariana Grande II

My M·A·C senses reached peak tingle yesterday when Ariana Grande released images for her second Viva Glam collection! And believe me, it is a GOOD one! Ariana has a killer, unique voice that sounds pretty amazing whether she’s singing a pop tune or belting out an emotional ballad. She also has strong opinions on many issues and uses her celebrity voice to speak out on behalf of minorities which makes her even more likeable and 100% perfect as the face of Viva Glam.

Viva Glam is a concept very close to my heart. It was launched by MAC in 1994 and directs 100% of the selling price to the MAC AIDS Fund which supports organizations fighting to combat HIV/AIDS as well as those that work to improve the lives of those who live with the epidemic. Over the past 20 years, they have raised over $400 million and are the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical HIV/AIDS funder. I try to make sure that I purchase both Viva Glam collections every year. Celebrities like Rihanna (my fav!),  Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Lisa Marie Presley and Sir Elton John have lent their faces to Viva Glam campaigns in the past.

The new, sugary sweet, campaign appears to be based on doll-like elements. The tagline is, "Be a doll, and go glam!" and campaign images seem to have Ari crammed into a tiny dollhouse. Her signature pony is adorned with a gigantic bow and she’s wearing a baby-pink dress and hot pink Mary Janes with frilly socks.

Ariana’s Viva Glam 2 duo is made up of a deep mauve matte lipstick and shimmery pale pinky lavender gloss. The Lipstick looks to be a bright orchid shade with blue tones and the Lipglass looks pretty and frosted. I absolutely love how different this lipstick is to Ariana’s previous Viva Glam one. M·A·C girls can rock them both and the 2 lipsticks definitely accentuate the different facets of Ariana.

The collection launches September 8^th in the U.S and will stay on shelves for 6 months. I don’t have any dates for South Africa yet but as soon as I do I will put them up!

I urge you to buy Viva Glam. Not only is the product fantastic but you’re also contributing to the empowerment and improvement of the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS.

Until next time

Love and sugary pale pink sparkles

Zaakira xox

{BEAUTY NEWS} | Ariana Grande for M•A•C Viva Glam

This week M·A·C Cosmetics announced their new spokesperson for Viva Glam. It’s Ariana Grande! I personally think it is a great choice! I’ve been a fan of Ariana since her red velvet cupcake hair and Victorious days and she’s grown up to be quite lovely.  Ariana has a killer, unique voice that sounds pretty amazing whether she’s singing a pop tune or belting out an emotional ballad. She also has strong opinions on many issues and uses her celebrity voice to speak out on behalf of minorities which makes her even more likeable. She isn’t without some controversy though but I think that this just makes her the perfect M·A·C girl!

Viva Glam is a concept very close to my heart. It was launched by MAC in 1994 and directs 100% of the selling price to the MAC AIDS Fund which supports organizations fighting to combat HIV/AIDS as well as those that work to improve the lives of those who live with the epidemic. Over the past 20 years, they have raised over $300 million and are the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical HIV/AIDS funder. Celebrities like Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Lisa Marie Presley and Sir Elton John have lent their faces to Viva Glam campaigns in the past and this year is Ari’s turn.

Ariana’s Viva Glam duo has a deep plum lipstick and a frosty, glitter pink gloss (frosted donut ;) perhaps?) which are said to represent the “good and bad girls in all of us”. For me it is the perfect combination because while I love being sweet and girly I also think that sometimes you need to rock a dark purple lip and the attitude to match!

The collection launches in January 2016 in the US. In South Africa, it will be available in store and online on 4 February 2016!

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

M•A•C x Giambattista Valli

“Fashion designer Giambattista Valli brings his effortless elegance and luxurious celebration of the female form to a stunning collection of timeless lipsticks.”

Every fashion lover has heard of Roman designer Giambattista Valli. Inspired by the city of Rome, the movies of Antonioni and the celebrated Yves St Laurent, he shows haute couture four times a year at Paris Fashion Week. 

His ultra-feminine collections adorned with flowers and constructed with metres and metres of tulle fill the dreams of fashion girls everywhere.  I know that there is very little I wouldn’t do for a Giambattista Valli piece!

M·A·C Cosmetics has made it a little easier to own a little something by Giambattista Valli. The makeup company and design house have collaborated on a beautifully packaged, very limited collection of lipsticks. 

There are four colours, ranging from a soft pretty pink to a sultry, dark cherry shade. All the lipsticks have a classic matte finish and are highly pigmented. There is also a clear gloss with a subtle pearly shimmer which you can wear on it’s on for a delightful, light glow or use to compliment your lipstick.

Here’s what you will find in the collection:

LIPSTICKS (ZAR230)

BIANCA -  pale white-pink (matte)

TATS - bright hot pink (matte)

MARGHERITA - yellow bright peach (matte)

CHARLOTTE - rich yellow-red (matte)

EUGENIE - dark cherry with blue undertone (matte)

CRYSTAL GLAZE GLOSS (ZAR230)

LENA - clear with subtle multicoloured pearl

I have the lipstick in Tats and I am in love!

You can find the collection online at maccosmetics.co.za or at selected M·A·C counters. Do note, however, that this collection is limited edition and highly sought after so get your hands on it as soon as possible!

Which is your favourite?

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

M•A•C Viva Glam Rihanna II

Rihanna’s second Viva Glam collection with M·A·C has hit our shelves this week. Viva Glam is a concept very close to my heart. It was launched by MAC in 1994 and directs 100% of the selling price to the MAC AIDS Fund which supports organizations fighting to combat HIV/AIDS as well as those that work to improve the lives of those who live with the epidemic. Over the past 20 years, they have raised over $300 million and are the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical HIV/AIDS funder.

I am truly in love with this collection. While Rihanna’s previous Viva Glam collection provides the perfect frosted red, she had a little more fun with this one, creating a metallic almost gunmetal lipstick and a frosted mauve lipglass with iridescent pigments. Both are extremely edgy and so very Rihanna. I think the girl at the M·A·C counter put it perfectly in saying that she has a “girl crush” on the collection. I think I do too! You can wear them together or on their own and the gloss goes beautifully over lipsticks like Cyber and Rebel, creating a soft but futuristic effect. They both glide on effortlessly and are pretty long lasting although naturally the lipstick lasts longer than the lipglass.

The packaging remains the same. The lipstick is encased in a velvety, deep red tube and when you remove the lid Rihanna’s signature appears. The lipglass is in a clear tube with Rihanna’s signature on it covered by a lid in the same colour as the lipstick tube.

The lipstick retails for ZAR195 and the lipglass for ZAR185. I will reiterate that 100% of the selling price (not just the profit) goes to the M·A·C AIDS Fund. Here are some facts about the fund and what your money could be funding.

You can purchase Rihanna’s Viva Glam collection at any MAC store or online at www.maccosmetics.co.za

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

Lorde for M.A.C | A First Look

Woooohoo! The first images for Lorde’s collaboration with MAC are out! It will be a 2 piece collection consisting of a purple/plum lipstick called Pure Heroine and a black Penultimate Eye Liner called Rapidblack.

Like the 17 year old New Zealander, the collection is simple yet dark and vampy. I’ve admired Lorde since she broke out into the music scene. With stars like Miley Cyrus being very “it” at the time, I really admired how Lorde stayed grounded, made it all about the music and, well, kept her clothes on. She’s won many accolades since then and has featured on the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Lorde has said about M.A.C, "I have loved M•A•C Cosmetics since I was a little kid. I remember saving up to buy my very first M•A•C lipstick [Snob] at 14, and it was used by about 20 of my friends! M•A•C has a very clear aesthetic, that has always felt fashion forward to me. So I was really excited to work with them on these products, which I use pretty much every day and night. I hope you will too." 

A simple cat-eye is a classic look and you can go a little thicker for an edgier look. Deep, purple lips are huge this Winter and they aren’t going away anytime soon so this lipstick is going to sell like hotcakes. If Rihanna’s M.A.C collab is anything to go by, the lipstick will be sold out after only a few hours of hitting the shelves!

The Lorde for M.A.C Collection hits shelves in the U.S on June 5 this year and will be sold until July 3. I’m not sure when it will hit South Africa but I am to believe it will be sometime in the late Winter. I’ll be there on launch day waiting to get my hands on both the lipstick and the eyeliner.

See you in line!

Until next time

Love and sparkles

Zaakira xox

M.A.C Lipsticks | The Formulas

If you know me, you know that I am totally obsessed with MAC lipsticks. The quality and range of colours cannot be beaten and the names are just so cute. I often got confused by the different formulas and finishes but MAC’s incredibly talented senior makeup artist Michelle-Lee Collins was super kind to compose a handy guide to share with you that indicates what you’re getting with each formula.

MAC LIPSTICK FORMULAS
(words by Michelle-Lee Collins)

MAC LIPSTICKS ARE INFUSED WITH CRYSTALLINE A VERSION OF VANILLA FOR A UNIQUE AROMA AND FLAVOUR 

HIGH COVERAGE:

RETRO MATTE - HIGHLY PIGMENTED, MATTE FINISH WITH MINIMAL TO NO SHINE AND WAS INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MAC MATTE LIPSTICK. (Low-No Shine)
Examples: Candy Yum Yum, Ruby Woo

MATTE - PROVIDES MAXIMUM COLOUR PAYOFF COMBINED WITH A NO SHINE TEXTURE. CONTAINS VITAMIN E AND CASTOR OIL TO SOFTEN AND SOOTH. (Low-No Shine)
Examples: Russian Red, Punk Couture, Lady Danger

MEDIUM/HIGH COVERAGE:

SATIN - OFFERS HIGH COLOUR PAYOFF COMBINED WITH MINIMAL SHINE
Examples: Rebel, Snob 

PROLONGWEAR LIP CREAM - PROVIDES A FULL COVERAGE COLOUR AND A SUBTLE SHINE IN A LONG WEARING FORMULA. THIS FORMULA IS CREAMY AND FLEXIBLE AND MOVES WITH YOUR LIPS FOR EXTRA COMFORT. CONTAINS POMEGRANATE EXTRACT WHICH HELPS KEEP LIPS HYDRATED. THIS COLOUR DRIES DOWN TO A NATURAL LOOKING MOIST FINISH WITH SUPERIOR WEAR. THIS TEXTURE IS AVAILABLE IN PEARL AND CREAM. (Low Shine)
Examples: Chatterbox, Overtime 

AMPLIFIED CRÈME - DELIVERS MAXIMUM COLOUR, MAXIMUM MOISTURE, MAXIMUM COVERAGE AND A CREAMY FINISH. THIS INNOVATIVE FORMULA FEATURES A SPECIAL COMBINATION OF CONDITIONING EXTRACTS TO HELP LIPS LOOK AND FEEL SOFTER, SMOOTHER AND MOISTURISED. THE COLOUR PAYOFF IS HIGH IMPACT AND SUPER RICH WITH A VIRTUALLY WEIGHTLESS CREAMY FEEL. (Medium Shine)
Examples: Girl About Town, St. Germain, Viva Glam Gaga II  

CREMESHEEN - THIS FORMULA PROVIDES IMMEDIATE MOISTURE TO THE LIPS AND DELIVERS MEDIUM-FULL, BUILDABLE COVERAGE AND A HIGH SHINE FINISH. THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS A FILM FORMER THAT HELPS COLOUR ADHERE TO THE LIPS WHILE PROVIDING INTENSE EMOLLIENCY THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE HIGH SHINE FINISH. CREMESHEEN CONTAINS A MOISTURE COMPLEX TO ALLOW LIPS TO LOOK AND FEEL THEIR BEST. (Medium-High Shine)
Examples: Saigon Summer, Crème Cup, Shy Girl 

MINERALIZE RICH - INSTANTLY NOURISHES WITH THE NEW MINERAL MOISTURE COMPLEX. THIS LUXURIOUSLY LIGHTWEIGHT FORMULA OFFERS MEDIUM BUILDABLE COVERAGE, WITH MEDIUM SHINE. LIPS ARE MOISTURISED INSTANTLY AND OVER TIME. LIP LINES ARE SMOOTHED FOLLOWING APPLICATION AND APPEAR SMOOTHER OVER TIME, DELIVERING COLOUR CLARITY AND REDUCING LIP FLAKING. (Medium-High Shine)
Examples: All Out Gorgeous, Posh Tone 

MEDIUM COVERAGE:

FROST - THIS FORMULA CONTAINS PEARLISED PIGMENTS THAT ADD SHINE AND DIMENSION TO THE LIPS. (Low Shine)
Examples: Viva Glam Rihanna, Crème De La Femme 

MEDIUM/LOW COVERAGE:

LUSTRE - PROVIDES LIGHTWEIGHT, SHEER TO MEDIUM COLOUR PAYOFF AND A SEMI GLOSS FINISH. CONTAINS CASTOR SEED OIL TO HELP SOFTEN AND SMOOTH. (Medium-High Shine)
Examples: Viva Glam Gaga I, Lovelorn 

SHEEN SUPREME - THIS IS A RICH CREAMY LIPSTICK THAT PROVIDES MEDIUM-BUIDABLE COVERAGE WITH THE SHINE FINISH OF A GLOSS. THIS MOISTURE RICH FORMULA GLIDES SMOOTHLY ONTO LIPS IN EITHER A PEARL OR CREAM FINISH. THIS LIPSTICK IS GEL BASED, ALLOWING THE COLOUR TO MELT INTO THE LIPS; GIVING THE PRODUCT A LIGHTWEIGHT TEXTURE AND CUSHIONY FEEL. CONTAINS SHEA BUTTER TO PROVIDE INSTANT AND LASTING MOISTURE TO THE LIPS. (High Shine)
Examples: Good To Be Bad, Impressive 

LOW/SHEER COVERAGE:

GLAZE - THIS FORMULA PROVIDES MINIMAL COLOUR PAYOFF COMBINED WITH A FROSTED TEXTURE. THIS IS GREAT FORMULA FOR A SLIGHT LIFT IN YOUR LIP COLOUR. (Medium-High Shine)
Examples: Hue, Lollipop Loving, Pervette

Lipstick Warfare | MAC Candy Yum Yum vs. Topshop Bombshell

I had been after a bright pink lipstick for a while and I was lucky enough to score the last tube of Candy Yum Yum at the MAC counter in Canal Walk when I was in Cape Town. A few weeks later I saw Bombshell at the Topshop sale and thought why not? Both are quite similar in colour (Barbie pink is what I call them, really not for the faint hearted) so I’ve decided to do a little comparing. I will be likening the two lipsticks in a few categories and you can decide which one is more suited to you.

Packaging

Candy Yum Yum – The classic MAC packaging. Sleek, sturdy and classy. I’ve dropped my MAC lipsticks possibly hundreds of times and from many heights and none have broken or come loose.

Bombshell – I’m really not pleased with the packaging here. The lid is very fragile and has already cracked a little. It also doesn’t close all that well and I’m terrified it might open and tint everything in my handbag Barbie pink.

Scent

Both lipsticks have a pleasant, subtle vanilla scent and no taste once they are on my lips.

Texture

Bombshell is a lot creamier than Candy Yum Yum. Although Candy Yum Yum wasn’t drying (which is lovely for a matte lipstick), Bombshell felt a little more moisturizing. They’re both comfortable to wear.

Colour Intensity and Longevity

Judging purely on the colour, I’d say both are pretty similar. Both are a blue-based, powerful neon pink.

Candy Yum Yum – One swipe gives you the intense pink you see in the tube. Also after eating a yoghurt and a cup of tea, it was still quite intense. It’s difficult to remove and I’m pretty sure it lasts at least 6 hours. (Tip: I use Lush Bubblegum lip scrub to remove MAC matte lipsticks.)

Bombshell – I needed 2 swipes to get the desired pink. I needed to reapply at least twice in the same time-frame as Candy Yum Yum and although it was easier to remove than its rival lipstick, it was still quite difficult to remove.

I’ve included a photo where I just wiped the swatches on my arm with a tissue. Candy Yum Yum left a dark stain while Bombshell is mostly gone.

Price and Availability

Candy Yum Yum – Retails for ZAR185 at MAC counters nationwide. The availability is quite inconsistent though as it is a cult colour and sells out quite quickly. Hopefully with it being included in the new retro-matte collection from MAC it might be more obtainable. (P.S go check out the new MAC standalone store in Sandton City, it is fab!)

Bombshell –Originally retails for ZAR139 (I got it on sale for ZAR69) at Topshop. I don’t know if they currently have it as I tried calling a few times this morning to no answer. (Frustrating!)

So there you have it… I’m not going to conclude with which I think is superior, I’ve given you the facts I’ve gathered and left the deciding to you.

Until next time

Love and sparkles (and Barbie pink kisses)

Zaakira xox