Caitlyn Jenner has just been announced as the face of a new campaign with probably one of our most beloved beauty brands.
Yep, the Kardashian starlet has partnered up with none other than MAC Cosmetics to be the face of a signature lipstick shade aptly entitled Finally Free.
Oh and it's all for a good cause.
"100% of the selling price goes to the MAC AIDS Fund Transgender Initiative, to further its work in support of transgender communities," said a press release for the lipstick.
While the shade is yet to be revealed, MAC said that this is a product that: "champions all ages, all races and all sexes."
And it seems that no one is more excited about the launch than Caitlyn herself, who posted a campaign image to her Instagram yesterday.
A photo posted by Caitlyn Jenner (@caitlynjenner) on
"MAC was the first to come to me, and a company, I realised, that would really make a big commitment," said the 66-year-old.
"I knew the VIVA GLAM campaigns; I saw that the proceeds were going, in some cases, mainly to AIDS and HIV causes, and I was wondering if they were interesting in doing something specifically geared towards trans issues because we need funding.
"MAC is a global company. It’s in places around the world where not just trans issues, but women’s issues, are a major subject that you have to talk about."
Ariana Grande's Viva Glam collection for MAC has had beauty fanatics in a flutter since it was first teased last year, and it's finally about to go on sale here.
The 22-year-old singer took over from Miley Cyrus this year as the new face of MAC's charity cosmetics collection, launching two new products.
Ariana's Viva Glam Lipstick is an intensely dark matte purple, while her Viva Glam LipGlass is a light shimmering pink. According to MAC, the collection is a nod to every girl's "good" and "bad" side.
Both lippies have just today gone on sale in the UK, but they're not available for purchase in Ireland just yet. Don't worry though, you won't have long to wait.
Here's what we know so far…
When you can buy them
The Ariana Grande Viva Glam collection will go on sale in Irish stores on February 4, with an RRP of €20 for the Viva Glam Lipstick and €19 for the Viva Glam LipGlass.
Where you can buy them
Ariana's collection will be available for Irish beauty queens exclusively at MAC counters in Brown Thomas and BT2 stores, or online at brownthomas.com
Where your hard-earned cash is going
Like Miley's campaign last year, all the proceeds (after VAT) from Ariana's products will go towards helping adults and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Girls, if you are not sure if the new MAC foundation you got for Christmas is counterfeit or not, best to leave it aside.
Concerns are mounting after harmful ingredients have been found in a number of faked make-up cosmetics intended for the Irish market.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) have issued a statement that they have identified "harmful substances" present in a number of counterfeit products which take the names of well known cosmetics brands such as MAC, Benefit and Urban Decay.
Some of the harmful ingredients found in these products include arsenic and lead.
The HPRA are urging consumers to be careful when buying counterfeit products from markets, shops and websites leading up to Christmas.
And according to the cosmetics compliance manager with the HPRA, Aoife Farrell, using these products regularly can have lasting, damaging consequences.
"Long periods of exposure to substances such as arsenic and lead can have potentially harmful effects on the body such as damage to numerous organs and systems, such as the kidneys, as well as the central nervous system."
"Symptoms can include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, headaches and vomiting."
"Even those products that may not contain banned substances are often manufactured in unhygienic conditions using poor quality raw materials. These products may lead to skin irritation or possibly eye infections."
So this Christmas, if you can't afford the real deal, better to go for some more affordable drugstore brands instead.
We are girls and we love make-up. SHOCKER. And we will therefore take any opportunity to discuss make-up in detail because make up what makes us happy.
Whether you are all about the packaging or swear by your go-to foundation, we all have our favourite brands for many, usually very specific, reasons.
But how did MAC become MAC? And what benefit is there to be had from Benefit? Oh and just WHO is the Essie behind Essie?
Do we have you wondering? Well wonder no more.
NYX
NYX Round Case Lipstick in Electra, €xx
The glorious Nyx was named after the Greek goddess of the night. Nyx (the goddess that is) symbolises beauty and power (of course).
Touché, Nyx.
Essie
Essie Nail Polish in Play Date, €9.99, Boots
The Essie behind Essie is none other than the company’s founder, Essie Weingarten. Having set up her company in 1981, Essie is a pretty impressive business woman.
Essie cosmetics was sold to L'Oréal ensuring business success for the foreseeable future.
You go girl.
Maybelline New York
Maybelline Fit Me Foundation, €11.99, Boots
In 1915, Mabel Williams mixed coal and Vaseline together and applied her concoction to her lashes and brows, making them look fuller and darker.
Yep, you guessed it! She was one of the first people to create mascara as we know it.
Inspired by her creation, her brother set up Maybell Laboratories and eventually changed the name to Maybelline.
MAC
MAC Studio Finish Concealer Due, €31.50
MAC was founded in Canada in the eighties and was originally intended to be marketed solely towards make up professionals.
As a result, MAC simply stands for Makeup Art Cosmetics
Lancôme
Lancôme Soothing Moisturising Cream, €52.50
This cosmetics brand was named after… a castle?
The founder of the company named his new venture after a French castle called the Château de Lancosme that he had visited on his holiers.
Yellow flowers that were seen growing in the castles gardens served as the inspiration for the brands' iconic flower emblem.
Shiseido
Shiseido Perfect Mascara Full Definition, €27, Boots
Shiseido is one of the longest running cosmetics brands in the world having been founded in 1872.
The name comes from a Chinese book entitled I Ching (that’s the Book of Changes to you and me). This ancient and historic manual is one of the oldest of the Chinese classics.
The word shiseido itself comes from a passage in the text that means: "Praise the virtues of the great Earth, which nurtures new life and brings forth new values."
Benefit
Benefit Benetint Lip and Cheek Colour, €34.50
Benefit cosmetics started out as a beauty boutique called The Face Place which was opened by the Ford sisters in the seventies.
As the store originally focused solely on make up products that would tackle common problems and blemishes, it would make sense that the brand eventually became Benefit.
Party season is nearly upon us, and with that comes a lot of make-up and outfit choices.
So, to get you started, we’ve rounded up the best lipsticks to nail the perfect party pout. Choose wisely ladies, because this will be your colour for the whole festive season:
If you want the perfect nude shade for Christmas, then opt for this fab NYX matte lipstick. No matter what make-up look you choose, this shade will match perfectly.
Bronze lippy is beautiful for this time of year and this NYX shade is right on the mark. Team it with minimal make-up and let your lips be the main star.
So we know there are only two weeks left of autumn and therefore two weeks until the official start of winter (NOOO!), but there is still plenty of time to incorporate the autumnal colour palette into your make up regime.
Sumptuous burnt oranges, leafy greens and deep, mahogany browns were all big beauty trends on this year's A/W catwalks.
You know what we’re talking about.
Here’s how you can embrace autumn on your face:
1. Autumn Flame
The trend: Burnt, smoky oranges are the perfect autumnal colours as seen here on the A/W 2015 catwalk for Hervé Léger . Don't be afraid to embrace these sultry tones across the face.
Make it work for you: Use a pigmented, bright orange across the eyelid (smoke out with a soft brown if it is too intense). Then take a soft coral toned blush across the cheeks and finish with a peachy hue on the lips for a look that ignites your features.
2. Autumn Forest
The trend: Forget the traditional smoky eye using black and grey tones and opt instead for warm brown hues.
Make it work for you: Use a beige eye shadow for the inner crease before using a deep mahogany shade across the entire outer eye area. Smoke this colour right out to the crease and underneath the lash line. Use a gold or honey shadow to bring the autumnal shade right up to the lash line. Keep the rest of the face matte and nude; finish with a brown eyeliner or mascara.
3. Autumn Leaves
The trend: Green might not be the first colour you think of when doing your eyeshadow but deep greens are really gorgeous in combination especially with sallow skin. Just as browns enhance a green eye, greens do the same for brown eyes.
Make it work for you: Use a soft brown tone on the lids and inner eye area before smoking out with a deep, forest green shade. Use a green liner to define the eyes and finish with a brown mascara.
Get the Looks
Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Eyeshadow in Rouge Gorge, €34.49. available in Brown Thomas MAC Lipstick in CB96, €19, available in Brown Thomas and MAC, Henry Street
Bobbi Brown Intense Pigment Liner in Forest, €33.50, available in Brown Thomas No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder, €11, available in Boots
Benefit they're real! Mascara in Beyond Brown, €26, available in Brown Thomas L'Oréal Paris Infallible Mega Gloss in Never Let Me Go, €7.79, available in Boots
Catrice Cosmetics Chocolate Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, €5.49, available in Penneys, Dunnes Stores and McCabes Pharmacies
Hurrah! It's finally that time of year again. We are happy bunnies here in SHEmazing! HQ as MAC has just released its new Christmas collection.
Full of shimmering shades and deep, smokey hues, MAC's Magic of the Night collection is something you don't want to miss.
Magic of the Night includes bold lip and shadow tones, as well as new colour-drenched pigments, so it will be easy to make an impact on nights out.
Metallic nails are going to be HUGE for Christmas but if you really want to get your glow on, MAC's Mineralise Skinfinish will make you shine from morning to night.
Blue is also going to be major for this party season, and MAC has introduced cobalt, teal and royal blue finishes into its eyeshadows. If you really want to have some fun though, the new eyeliner – which comes in petrol blue and black – is perfect for making an impact.
Along with the new shades of eyeshadows and lipsticks, MAC has also welcomed striking blue packaging for the Christmas collection, just so your make-up bag can look as good as you.
And if you're struggling to find the perfect gift? MAC is bringing back its coveted mini-kits for Christmas, which we all know is the perfect present. You can choose from a lip pencil collection, a pigment collection or a lip gloss collection that all come in this season's most enviable colours.
Sorted for Christmas now? So are we. All Christmas collections are available in Brown Thomas or online tomorrow.
Primers do for your skin what lingerie does for your body – they flatter, conceal, smooth out and hold things in place. Everything you put on top of them looks immediately better.
So, whether you want to hide your pores, smooth out fine-lines or mattify your skin, these primers will create the perfect base for whatever else you wish to wear:
Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
This primer has a very large and loyal fan base as it's great for giving skin a soft photo-finish and silky texture.
Benefit The Porefessional
Porefessional is devoted to minimising your pores and uses an oil-free formula for longer-lasting results.
Clinique Superprimer Colour Corrects
Clinique has a range of trouble-shooting primers that target different skin types. This colour-correcting formula one has a subtle bronze tint that will brighten up even the dullest face.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Now, we know this is only for your eye area but it's a brilliant formula that will help keep you eye make-up in place all day.
MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance
This beauty creates an even skin tone and the ideal base for make-up. It noticeably reduces any oiliness on your skin and you can choose the base colour to suit your skin tone.
We all know Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a bit of Mariah Carey.
Every corner you turn, All I Want For Christmas Is You blares from the rooftops, and there really is no escape.
But now, it seems Mariah isn't only going to be on our radios as MAC have revealed they are collaborating with the pop princess.
The MAC x Mariah Carey Beauty Icon full collection won't be released until 2016, but to whet our appetites, a frosty pink lipstick will be hitting stores this December.
MAC, who themselves describe the lipstick as a frosted champagne shimmer, said: "One swipe makes lips as fierce and timeless as the icon herself."
The rest of the collection is under wraps but we're excited to see what more is to come.
"It's a major lip moment!" said Mariah in her Instagram announcement.
Miley Cyrus appearance in a new MAC ad campaign caused quite a bit of commotion of late.
The new MAC Viva Glam ad shows a rhinestone and sequin swimsuit clad Miley posing in front of a mirror sporting some bright red lippy. Unlike her Instagram snaps, Miley is otherwise covered up aside from baring an awful lot of leg.
However, the British Advertising Standards Authority was called in because of complaints that Miley’s ads were “overtly sexual” and “unsuitable for display as posters in public areas where children could see them,” reports the Guardian.
MAC were quick to defend the ads, which were shot for their AIDs charity Viva Glam campaign. They described Miley’s pose as “confident” with a “defiant stare” which was supposed to attract viewers to her eyes. Not the rest of her body.
Some complaints took issue with the fact that Miley's crotch was visible in the reflections of mirrors where the posters hang.
The ASA did not agree completely with MAC’s take on the photos but said:
“While we considered that the images in all three posters were sexually suggestive, we concluded however, that they were not overtly sexual and unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.
The ASA had said that the ads should not appear within 100 metres of schools. This was something which MAC had made clear themselves when they booked the campaign with billboard and poster media owners.
Hurrah! The long-awaited MAC Autumn collections have officially hit shelves.
First up is their new glimmering foundation which any make-up lover is going to adore.
Studio Waterweight Foundation, which is exclusive to Brown Thomas, is the latest product in MAC's studio line up.
The innovative foundation delivers colour in a brand-new elastic gel serum formula – unlike any other foundation on the market.
It boasts of an ultra-thin fluid application, yet it is true to colour and builds to a medium coverage – perfect if you want to change your make-up from day to night!
The stay-true colour softly blurs away any of your imperfections such as pores, blemishes and fine lines. Score!
What's more is that is has a built-in moisture fusion complex that provides immediate AND all-day hydration. So no more dry or flaky skin come lunch time!
This foundation is brilliant if you want your skin feeling soft, quenched, silky and supple to the touch!
What more could a girl ask for?!
Also hitting MAC this week is their all-new Haute Dogs collection.
This collection is inspired by canines – featuring luscious hues of buttery fur tones, golden powders, subdued polishes and regal berry lips – this set is sure to knock any pooch off his perch!
Our favourite pieces of all is their new nail lacquers which take pride in being the perfect shades for Autumn too. We're definitely going to grab the hushed grey while it lasts!
