Today M.A.C. Cosmetics launched a limited edition collection of Lipglasses & eye shadows called, “Bloggers’ Obsessions.” The line was created with the creative input of some well-known beauty bloggers. M.A.C. contacted a select group of long-time beauty bloggers and invited them to send the company their ideas for new colors of lipglass and shadows. The sky was the limit. M.A.C. reviewed the submissions and nine lucky bloggers were invited to the M.A.C. lab in Canada to help bring their color “obsessions” to life! Must have been fun! Can you imagine?

Lucky for the rest of us, these 5  lipglasses and 4 eye shadows are available for purchase online starting today (go here). All items retail for US$14.50. The Bloggers’ Obsessions collection will NOT be available in stores in the U.S. so don’t look for it at your local M.A.C. If you too become obsessed with any of the colors, you’ll have to pull out your credit card and grab your fav (or favs) online before they all disappear in six weeks.

Here are the colors:

1

The “Jealousy Wakes” shadow is my favorite. Simply gorgeous.

Jealousy Wakes

TCS Tip: Do a Google image search for the colors (and/or go to the websites of the bloggers involved) to get a better idea of the “true color” of the products.  I’ve noticed that some of the photos provided do not do justice to some of these lovely colors when viewed online. The bloggers names are listed on the MAC website; they all have their colors in hand and most have uploaded color swatches on their websites.

Do you remember, Missha, the Korean cosmetics store that had about four locations in NYC a few years ago?

Don’t remember? Probably because the NYC stores were only around for about two years before becoming another casualty of the recession. All the NYC Misshas closed up shop around 2008, but you can still purchase the products on their website.

If you do remember, you probably know about all the great little bargains and “out-of-the-box” cosmetics that they offered. Stuff that is commonplace in Korea, but not as popular here. Things such as Sheet Masks, BB Cream and the many effective Oriental herb serums for specific skin problems — oily skin, big pores, etc, etc.

I was a big fan of Missha and was sad to see it go. I used to spend $40 in there and walk out with a big bag of products, tons of free samples and even free gifts. (I still use my red Missha travel blanket when I’m traveling.)

Well, I said all that to say….there is a new shop in town. It’s called The Face Shop.

The Face Shop is located at 35 West 32nd Street, NYC. It shares space with a Korean bookstore and is not the biggest storefront, but it has all the things that made Missha fans happy: Sheet Masks, BB Cream, cheap cosmetics and tons of skincare product lines, including all those serums we love!

Prices for the skincare product lines are a little higher than Missha, but still much cheaper than most department store lines. And certain items like the sheet masks, makeup and beauty tools are very inexpensive.

Some of the sheet masks available

I can’t vouch for any of the products yet, but I keep hearing good things about their version of Biore strips. They apparently sell a nose blackhead mask that the chicas are loving. You slather it on, it hardens and then you peel it off along with all your blackheads. I hear the stuff is powerful; our American strips apparently don’t compare to this stuff. (Inquire about it in the store. I will post an update after I try it. If you try it before I do, please comment here about it.)

Thus far, I’ve only purchased three sheet masks. And I’ve only tried the Pearl one “for clearer skin.” The cotton sheet masks are loaded with a combination of ingredients in liquid form to treat specific skin issues (blemished skin, dryness, wrinkles, dullness, etc.). After washing your face and applying toner, you lay the wet mask over your face and relax for about 15-20 minutes. In that time, the pseudo home facial, treats skin issues as the ingredients are absorbed by your skin.

Two masks per week are recommended for best results. The masks are one-use only, but at $1.99-$2.99 a pop, they are probably the cheapest “exotic” facial you will find in NYC. One thing I noticed, The Face Shop’s masks are more saturated with product than Missha’s masks, which would dry out sometimes before my 15-minute treatment was even up.  My Pearl mask was practically dripping when I opened the package and even after 20 minutes on my face was still very, very wet. (Hmmm, I wonder if kept in a sealed ziplock bag, you could get more than one treatment out of that sucka?)

Sometimes you have to look crazy, before you look beautiful!

Try some of the masks and see what you think. If anything, they make you relax for 20 minutes. And as a bonus, the masks certainly must scare off young children. You’ll look like Hannibal Lecter, so yeah, you’ll get 20 minutes of peace away from the kiddos!

Next time you are in the Koreatown area, check out The Face Shop. Lots of good products to be discovered, I’m sure! I can’t wait to go back myself and pick up that blackhead mask!

Piperlime.com‘s Lime Tag Sale is going on NOW. Shop for shoes, apparel and accessories — marked down up to 50% off retail – all from the comfort of your home (or office cubicle, I won’t tell). Many great deals to be had…designer labels include Tibi, Trina Turk, Sam Edelman, Marc Jacobs, L.A.M.B. and tons more. And as always, Piperlime offers free shipping and returns. Hassle-free online shopping, don’t you just love it?