I've been a big fan of Cara of the blog, Maskcara, for years. If you read my Roundup posts of favorite links you've likely seen countless tutorials and tips of hers. She's my all-time favorite beauty blogger and is constantly blowing me away with her perfect low-key-yet-completely-gorgeous approach to makeup.
Needless to say, when she launched her own product line, Maskcara Beauty, I was really excited to try it. It was one of those things that was always in the back of my mind, but that I hadn't actually pulled the trigger on yet. So, when my sister, Angie, told me she was going to be repping the line as a Maskcara Artist, I jumped to be one of the first to give it a try.
There's a lot to talk about when it comes to the line and the products, so I thought for this post I'd just tell you about my absolute favorite things.
1. The Packaging
Oh, you don't judge a book by the cover? I do. Design is important to me. It makes me happy and adds true value to my life. And when it comes to the Maskcara packaging, it really doesn't get much more beautiful than this. I mean, first of all, that marble palette had me at hello. There are currently four other design options for the palette, which are equally pretty, but I thought this one went beautifully with the makeup colors inside.
Plus, don't you just love the branding on these tins? Each shade has its own design and they all look like they're a part of the world's prettiest Tumblr account. They also happen to be magnetic, so they can pop easily in and out of the palette.
2. The Convenience
The zipper on my favorite makeup bag busted at the seams recently because I was carting around way too many products. It's very much a First World problem, but the struggle with trying to keep your makeup routine and the products required streamlined and simple is very real. This particular HAC (highlight and contour) palette is designed to function as your highlight (or base), concealer, illuminator, contour, cheek color, and can even multitask as your eye and lip colors. There are so many other customizable palette options as well: eye color, lip and cheek color, powder sets, etc, all available in the size of your choice. Or you can choose to mix and match and literally have all your makeup in one chic clutch.
I've also added the Maskcara brush collection to the top of my wishlist. I love the look and feel of them, but I'm most impressed that each brush is double-ended, so they serve multiple purposes, thus further help in streamlining your routine. If you're looking for just one brush to really revolutionize your process, I would recommend the 30 Second HAC Brush. It's the perfect multi-purpose tool and, I don't know about you, but I didn't have anything like this in my standard brush collection.
3. The Colors
This one is major for me. I know every skin type and color has its own struggles, but let me give you the perspective from a very, very fair-skinned maiden. My skin is nearly as light as it gets (that's my "summer tan" you're looking at here) and it is neutral in tone. My skin acts as a blank canvas in that it will take on even the slightest bit of color in a very intense way. If a foundation has a hint of pink, I am instantly lobster-faced. If it has any notes of beige, it appears too dark and orange, giving me the dreaded makeup line. And if it doesn't have either tint, it can appear lifeless, like a ghost. In all my years of makeup wearing, I've never really found the right color.
When it comes to highlighting and contouring, that has been even harder. Bronzers, even light ones, are always too dark and too orange for me. The last highlighter I bought was in the lightest tone the line carried and it still had more pigment than my skin tone, so I ended up using it as touch-up/concealer until it was gone and haven't had any luck with highlighting since.
So I was excited, to say the least, about trying the Maskcara "Lightest" palette. In my opinion, it goes a step farther than most brand's "fair" or "light" compacts in that these are colors that will enhance my skin without adding unwanted, artificial-looking tones. The highlight, or what I think of as the base color, Moonlit, is truly light and truly neutral. In other words, just what I've been trying to find. The contour, Walnut, is close enough to my skin tone and cool/neutral enough that I didn't feel like I had the orangey, " heavy makeup" look I usually find with bronzer. The true hero in my book, however, is the illuminator in Pearl. The Honey and Rose Gold illuminators for darker skin look so gorgeous, but I was personally thrilled to see an illuminator that would actually be lighter than my skin and would really be able to create the pops of pale shimmer I've been coveting. It really made a difference in making my browbone and cheekbones appear to have more definition.
I can't really speak about all of the color palettes available for different skin tones, but I can say that my sisters are both more in the medium-olive range and found that the colors worked equally well for them.
I think it's pretty clear that I'm awkward when it comes to having my picture taken, especially in this format, so that should tell you how excited I am about this line. I wanted you all to see it, and one lucky reader will even win a chance to try some for themselves! Head over to my Instagram account and tag your makeup-loving friends in this post to be entered! The contest will close Sunday, August 20th, at 11:59 pm EST, and the winner will be randomly selected and announced on the post on Monday.
If you'd like to shop my sister's personal site in the meantime, check out Maskcarabeauty.com/angietemke. Good luck, beauties!