The Beauty Bug’s must-haves from the collection include The Redhead Mineralize Skinfinish, originally from the Blonde Brunette Redhead Collection,  Fresh Air Lipglass, the perfect pop of color for a natural face, A Perfect Day Lipstick, a light neutral pink that’s just so wearable, and Twilight Falls Mineral Eyeshadow, a cool brown with bronze veining that looks best when applied wet.

Redhead Mineralize Skinfinish

Hot Spell (top), The Wee Coquette,  Naked Space, Fresh Air (bottom)

Sweet Sunrise (left), A Perfect Day (right)

Summer Haze Mineralize Eyeshadow (left), In the Sun Mineralize Eyeshadow (right)

Daylight Mineralize Eyeshadow (left), Cloudy Afternoon Mineralize Eyeshadow (right)

Early Morning Mineralize Blush (left), Fresh Honey Mineralize Blush (right)

Disclosure: Press samples were provided to The Beauty Bug.

MAC Naturally is available now at MAC stores and counters until February 9th. 

Upon doing a little reading up on Daphne Guinness, The Beauty Bug scratched Her head and thought, maybe Lady Gaga isn’t all that innovative, creative, and cutting edge after all. Those adjectives, rather,  belong to Daphne Guinness, the socialite, designer, and muse whose been said to be an inspiration to Miss LG. Perhaps that’s why she’s behind MAC’s newest collection, which hits counters on December 26th. The collection is marked my cool wintry hues including deep, rich rose hues, sultry eggplants tones, and a silvery/gray Longwear Lipcreme.

The famous patron of couture once said, “I’ll eat when I’m dead,” when offered lunch at a photo shoot. The envy of many woman, Daphne’s  represents couture on the highest level. Her wardrobes includes 2,500 couture garments in total, and 450 pairs of shoes, 70 hats,  and 200 handbags. The Beauty Bug has closet envy.

Sequins, glitter and Johnny Weir – what more does your holiday need? Collections include Glitter and Ice – a winter wonderland of marbleized eye shadows, Paint Pots, glosses and nail lacquers, Ice Parades – ice shadow quads complete with shakable snow globe compacts and other giftable makeup kits, DazzleSphere – lip glass stuff ornaments, and Viva Glam.

The MAC Holiday Collection will be available at MAC counters beginning October 27th. 

Collection: Love Lace

On-counter Date: Now-February 2010

How You’ll Recognize it at the Counter: Look for the photo of the lace-clad model who appears to be channeling Lady Gaga.

What it is: A dramatic collection that’s lacking…well, drama. The equivalent to last year’s Chill collection, this post-Christmas  collection is a bit lackluster.  With shadows to create frosty grey and blackened blue smoky eyes, the Love Lace collection doesn’t live up to its name, or its in-store marketing materials (which are stunning). MAC, are you listening? Why didn’t you carry over the lace pattern on to the product themselves?

Skip or Stash: Skip

Stand-out Product (s): None

Collection: Warm &  Cozy

On-Counter Date: Now-February 2010

How You’ll Recognize it at the Counter: You’ll be attracted to the warm cashmere sweater that the model is wearing, and then make it your mission to add a similar comfy piece to your wardrobe.

What it is: First it was the N Collection, and now it’s Warm and Cozy. MAC can continue to produce these neutral, warm collections with look-good-on-everyone essentials, and product junkies (including The Beauty Bug) will continue to flock.  There’s just something about them that makes you want to just scoop every piece up and display them in your house as part of your holiday decorations. The colors are familiar and comforting, everyone has a cozy sweater that would match perfectly with one of the shadows, and who doesn’t love that classic brown smoky eye?

Skip or Stash: Stash

Stand-out Product(s): By Candlelight Mineralize Skin Finish – adds a soft glow to all skin tones, Feeling Dreamy Lipglass -a pale neutral pink gloss that’s the perfect everyday lip gloss, Tinted Lip Conditioner SPF 15 in Feelin’ Good – a creamy pink lip conditioner with a hint of color,  Nurture Shadestick – a great natural base that ensures your shadow sticks

Collection: In LilyLand

On-Counter Date: January 7th-February 2010

How You’ll Recognize it at the Counter: The pop-art explosion will make you feel like you’ve suddenly been transported to in South Florida, surrounded by flowers and prints. If you look real hard, you may even find everyone’s favorite neighbor,  Magda.

What it is: A buoyant, cheerful collection honoring socialite and fashion designer, Lily Pulitzer. Regarded as the “Paris Hilton of Palm Beach”, the products reflect Lily’s love for florals and the resort life of a Floridian. The collections brings pops of bright colors and bold palettes – just the pick-me-ups needed in the dead of winter.

Skip or Stash: Stash

Stand-out Product(s): Pearlmatte Face Powder – this look-but-don’t use product is just gorgeous.  So pretty you may just want to leave it untouched. Or better yet, buy two.

Collection: All Ages, All Races, All Sexes

On-Counter date: January 7th-March 2010

How You’ll Recognize it at the Counter: The stills look like a scene out of Michael Jackson’s Black and White video.

What it is: This collection exemplifies MAC’s core doctrine – the world is one big universal multi-color story. The anchors of All Ages, All Races, All Sexes are the Penultimate Brow Marker, a one shade suits all marker used to achieve the perfect arch, and the Impeccable Brow Pencil, a firm tip high-precision tool to lengthen and shape brows.  Rounding out the collection are of course lipsticks, lipglasses, eye shadows and nail lacquers. And just like the collections preaches…there is something for everyone.

Skip or Stash: Stash

Stand-out Product(s): Penultimate Brow Marker – it’s just as easy as the Penultimate Eye Liner, Liqueur Lipglass – yes it’s a re-promote (was first released with Cult of Cherry), but everyone needs a rich brownish red color like this in their inventory

Collection: In the Studio

On-Counter Date: Now

How You’ll Recognize it at the Counter: Look for the new bristles and test them on your lashes before you buy.

What it is: A new thermoplastic synthetic rubber mascara designed to de-clump and separate lashes.

Skip or Stash: Stash (if you’re looking for lengthening mascara)

Stand-out Product(s): Studio Fix Mascara – lengthens well, reasonably priced, doesn’t clump, and withstands multiple coats without getting heavy or flaky.

Disclosure: Select press samples from each collection were provided from MAC.

From MAC’s Colour Craft collection, Crazy Haute is the pink lip gloss for the girls that don’t wear pink.  It’s not a dainty pink . It’s not a baby pink, or a pale pink, or a soft pink.  It’s a cool, medium,  pink-with-a-punch gloss. With just a hint of shimmer and hues of magenta, peppermint pink and violet/lavender pink – it’s a glamorous, alluring, smoky pink.

Crazy Haute is undoubtedly…hot.

Crazy Haute is available on at MAC counters eveywhere, and on their website for $18.00.

Spring and Summer MAC collections came out with a bold bang (and a roar).  They include the fearless, wild and expressive Style Warrior collection, and the dainty, fresh A Rose Romance Collection. Here’s what you need from both collections:

Lustre Drops – Want to boast that envious summer glow? This little bottle will be your right hand product this season.  A water-based bronzer, it applies sheerly and smoothly leaving skin with a natural luminosity. Mix it in with your foundation, apply over it, or wear it alone. The beautiful pearlized shimmer is available in three tones – Pink Rebel, Bronze Hero and Sun Rush. Pale complexions need not worry – these bronzers will work for you too. Opt for Pink Rebel or Sun Rush.

Just a Pinch Gel Blush – Making its product debut, Just a Pinch Gel Blush is the sleeper hit of the Rose Romance Collection. The flirty pink shade livens up cheeks with a coquettish glow that you can’t achieve with powder.  Cheeks bloom when the gel is applied to the apples.  Apply with your fingers or dab with a makeup sponge. Apply to lips too for that bitten look. Two products for the price of one.

Get them while you can! Both products are available at your local MAC store and at www.maccosmetics.com. Get Lustre Drops for $18.50 and Just a Pink Gel Blush for $19.50.

The Beauty Bug never needs a reason to don fabulous lashes, and bat til Her heart’s content. Recall New Year’s Eve .

On Valentine’s Day this brunette Beauty Bug fluttered Her #6 MAC eyelashes, and sported eyeshadow best-suited for a redhead, combined with an old MAC favorite.  Part of MAC’s Brunette, Blonde and Redhead collection, The Beauty Bug is wearing French Cuff eyeshadow on Her lid, and Antiqued shadow in the crease.

Brunette, Blonde and Redhead is still on MAC counters, and available on maccosmetics.com.

Despite the 8″ of snow on the ground, The Beauty Bug managed to make it to Her local MAC counter to get a pair of lashes from their new Lash & Dash Collection applied. Forgetting all the lessons She learned in prom 101, The Beauty Bug mindlessly left Her apartment wearing a turtleneck sweater which proved to be more than a bit challenging when She got ready later that night.

Choosing the most dramatic lashes from Lash & Dash that resembled feathers, they were just the right combination of special and wow.  While they were a bit heavy at first and felt like mini eye visors, The  Beauty Bug soon got used to them, and they ironically felt, light as a feather.

Happy New Year! Here’s to lashes, lip gloss and liner!

When The Beauty Bug visited Her local MAC store and spoke to the makeup artist about the quad, the artist was most excited about Nanogold, a discontinued iridescent sheer yellow pink frost that applies with a gorgeous sheen. It can be used both as an all-over lid color and a highlighter on the brow bone. Other colors in the quad include Brash, a frosty reddish copper; Spiced Chocolate, a dirty deep reddish brown matte; and Sweet Chestnut, a rich cranberry frost.  Part of the Cult of Cherry Collection, the quad is very glamodrama, yet still very everyday. See The Beauty Bug’s photos below for an easy fall eye. Apply Beige-ing shadestick all over the lid, followed by Nanogold. Work Sweet Chestnut and Brash into the lid and blend. Apply while burning an Autumn Leaves Yankee Candle.

MAC’s Spiced Chocolate Quad is available for $36 at MAC stores and counters, and online at maccosmetics.com.

The Beauty bug swears, this site is not turning into a mascara blog! However, since it’s been a hot topic lately, She figured, why stop now? If you’re looking for a new mascara, but still aren’t sold on the recent vibrating trend, pick up Sephora’s Lash Stash. At $25, it’s reasonably priced and allows you to try deluxe sample sizes of some of the top-selling mascaras. The kit includes:

• Benefit A Little Bit BADGal Lash
• Blinc Kiss Me Mascara
• LORAC Publicity Stunt Lashes
• Smashbox Bionic Mascara
• Stila Multi-Effect Mascara
• Sephora Brand Lash Plumper
• Two Faced Lash Injection

The best thing about these mini mascaras? The size of the brush head on these samples is the same size as the brush head on a full sized tube. Too many times The Beauty Bug has been given mascara samples where the brush head was resized to fit in the small sample tube, making the sample worthless.

In other mascara news, MAC is set to release Dazzle Lash, which is said to “create voluptuous curve” and reach “entrancing new lengths”. The Beauty Bug hasn’t been able to sneak a peak at the brush yet, but early rumblings say that the innerspring head is innovative and grabs and texturizes individual lashes. Details and an on-counter date are not confirmed yet.