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Cool Heat
It's summer, kids... the recent weather here leaves no question of that! I have been sweating sticky glistening and warm since the middle of last week. It brings to mind the desert, and that's not a really huge exaggeration, because when I walk outside I'm slammed hard by a wall of heat. The other thing that comes to mind is a jungle, since here in the Southern US, it is HUMID, but the desert is prettier imagery for me (and doesn't make me think of big spiders and poo-throwing monkeys).
I've always loved the colors of the desert - the lovely rusts and oranges and browns. I'm an earthy kinda gal that way. But other desert-inspired items focus on the lovely blue skies (and water when you can find it) and the deep dark reds of the sunsets and cliffs. Those, to me, are striking color combinations.
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And I'm not the only one who finds those shades inspiring. Jewelry plays up the tension between the hot fire of red and coral and the cool soothing calm of blue and turquoise, too.
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The heat right now makes me miss the very, very warm but oh-so-beautiful trip I took to Oaxaca, Mexico a few years ago for my honeymoon. It was so damn lovely, but so damn hot! The colors I saw in Oaxaca were incredible - both landscape and cityscape were striking, the buildings were painted amazing shades that cheered me right up, and the fabrics and crafts were so lively and full of color. One of the color-combinations that stands out the most, though, was the cool blue of the pool surrounded by the red pops of color from the flowers in the surrounding gardens. Gorgeous!
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So, all of these inspirations collide for me right now and I'm yearning for a way to express them in a minimal-effort-so-as-not-to-get-hotter way. And I've found it!
Keep reading for more info - hint: it involves MAC Cosmetics!
Some looks are too hot for summer to handle but not Cool Heat. Sweltering corals, chill-out blues, complemented by Turquatic and its warm new sister shade, Turquatic Heat, create this season's coolest - and steamiest - beauty paradox.
Welcome, Cool Heat . MAC's latest collection is so cool it's hot, and I'm pretty excited about it.
Let's take a look:
The eyes have it:
I'm feeling these shadows, ya'll. If the finishes on Warming Trend and Solar White
are what I think they are, I may need to add to my collection of
neutrals. And as long as there are no straight-up dupes on the greens
and blues, they're going into the bag, too! I don't need them, no,
because I have shades like these already, but this collection is so
timely, so on-trend that I'm just really loving them despite it all!
Climate Blue | Blue Flame | Cool Heat
Gulf Stream| Warm Chill | Warming Trend | Solar White
Climate Blue | Mid-tone violet blue with pink pearl | Velvet
Blue Flame | Dirty metallic navy blue | Veluxe Pearl
Cool Heat | Frosty teal with multidimensional pearl | Frost
Gulf Stream| Frosty mid-tone blue-green with green pearl | Frost
Warm Chill |Frosty seafoam green with gold pearl | Frost
Warming Trend| Frosty light taupe | Veluxe Pearl
Solar White | Frosty muted white gold | Frost
(swatches are courtesy of Ernine1881)
Read my lips:
If you've been paying attention, I love Slimshines! They're so sleek, so lightweight, so sheer, so soft on the lips. They're my favorite new lipstick invention, and I'm excited to see new colors! The shades in this collection will pair so perfectly with the eyeshadows- and don't worry, with the sheer quality of the Slimshines, you won't be too clownish. It's going to be summer perfection! I'm probably going to need Tropic Glow, Swelter, and By Degrees...
PS: Gentle Simmer will be added to the permanent collection, so if you're waffling on it buy one of the other Limited Editions first!
Swelter | Sheer clean red | Frost
High 90's | Clean pink orange | Frost
Tropic Glow | Blue pink with silver pearl | Frost
Gentle Simmer | light clean yellow pink with white pearl | Frost
By Degrees | neutral brown pink | Frost
(swatches are courtesy of Ernine1881)
Smells like Summer:
I admit it: I'm not a huge Turquatic fan. It's a lovely fragrance, especially nice for summer, but it's just not "me" (though I love to smell it on other folks). It's being repromoted with the Cool Heat collection and we're being introduced to her sister: Turquatic Heat! Maybe she's the black sheep of the family, what with her more sultry side, but I like black sheep! I can't wait to smell Turquatic Heat...
Turquatic | A splash of clear, sparkling mineral water brought to a chill through
an infusion of fresh lotus leaves and Corsican cedrat, then finished
with a warm blend of anemone, orris and blue cedar. | $22.50 USD
Turquatic Heat |The first splash aqua-vescent, as sun-touched cedrat, mineral water and
lotus flower explode on the skin. Heat and passion follow as opulent
orris, jasmine and tiare soul fuse to create a blend that’s modern,
feminine, and ultra-sexy. The scent that lingers on the skin: an earthy
afterglow of cedarwood teased by a heartfelt blend of white patchouli,
amber and vanilla infusion. | $22.50 USD
Credits:
All product images courtesy of Specktra.net.
All product swatches are courtesy of Ernine1881 by way of Specktra.net.
Visit Specktra to see more swatches and comparison shots of these shades with other similar colors.