Face Of The Day: A Very Merry MAC Makeover

What’s that faint ringing sound you hear? The approaching onslaught of tinny renditions of Jingle Bells being piped through every Hong Kong mall sound system for the next few weeks, that’s what!

Scrooge sentiments aside, C-Day is well and truly on its way – and with it, party season too. One of the most common questions I get asked as a beauty blogger in Hong Kong is where people can go to get a makeover session pre-party; it’s actually a service that quite a lot of the make-up counters here offer and just don’t advertise properly… but my default answer is always MAC! They have such a huge cosmetics range that covers pretty much every colour or product you desire, so can really give you the full works in any number of styles – and with over 20 locations throughout Hong Kong, there should be a venue that’s convenient for you.

Having been a devoted fan of MAC Cosmetics for many years now, I was invited to hand the reins over to the experts with my own 60-minute MAC make-up session – perfectly timed to showcase some of the newest products from their just-launched Holiday 2015 Magic Of The Night Collection. (Hint that will surprise absolutely no one: there might be a bit of glitter involved!)

There’s no doubting the thoroughness of a MAC makeover; it includes everything from an initial application of hydrating serum to a final dusting of finishing powder. At the time of my makeover, I was actually suffering from a blotchy post-facial breakout; the fact that you can’t tell that from photos is proof of the magic that my MAC make-up artist worked – and all without it feeling heavy or caked on either.

The key to that is a good base, with my MUA using the MAC Lightful C range followed by the ultra-light Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation However, the real hero product was definitely MAC’s Studio Pro Conceal & Correct Palette, which includes six shades of concealer to truly match your skin tone and hide those blemishes seamlessly.

Since I wear neutral make-up on a near-daily basis, we decided to do something a bit more colourful with my eyes, based around MAC’s Ascent Of Glamour Colourdrenched Pigment from the Magic Of The Night Collection – a super sparkly purple, need I say more?

This was layered with MAC’s Ready To Party Extra Dimension Eyeshadow, a shimmery pink for… yes, extra dimension… and finished with a thin and longer-than-usual feline flick of liner.

To refrain from going full drag queen, we downplayed the other elements of the look with fairly natural pinks – MAC’s Stay Pretty Longwear Blush (which I already reviewed here) and Please Me Lipstick (also from the Magic Of The Night Collection).

Finish things off with a light dusting of MAC’s Skinfinishes in Lightscapade as a highlighter and Medium Dark for shading and hey presto, I was fully baked and ready to roll! Because my MUA didn’t pile on the pigment, this was a look that I think still worked for daytime – proof that purple doesn’t have to always equal partytime… although hey, this FOTD would definitely look great for partytime too!

As mentioned, the great thing about MAC is that they have so many colours and products to choose from – so whether you’re in the mood for understated au naturel elegance or dazzling disco queen, it’s all easily achievable. So that’s my MAC #FOTD – what colours will you pick for yours?

MAC Cosmetics makeover sessions costs $380 for 60 minutes or $700 for 90 minute.

I had my MAC makeover at their Kwun Tong store (Shop C8A, apm Mall, Millennium City 5, 418 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, 3148 1193);
see all MAC Cosmetics locations in Hong Kong here.

Note: I was invited to trial this makeover session