BTS — BE-hind Story

Namjoon used to go on V Live to do an album review livestream every comeback, and he'd use the opportunity to talk about some behind-the-scenes episodes of the album-making process as well. They've decided to do this as a group activity for BE and I love how they go from chaotic to sentimental to being outright savage. 

Q. What have you been doing lately?

Jimin: "I've been colouring."

Yoongi: "I've been playing guitar."

Jin: "I think I just slept when I had time off. I literally just slept."

Tae: "I enjoyed music."

Jungkook: "I've been studying about beef."

Q. What gives you comfort these days?

Jimin: "I came to Seoul without anything, without any friends… I didn't bring anything but my body… I came to Seoul like that and made lots of friends, but I realize every year that the members are the only ones who'll always be there for me. The other relationships just go away and then come back again… Even a while ago, I thought to myself, 'You guys are my only true friends.'"

Jungkook: "We're like your home."

Q. Any comforting messages to the members?

Yoongi, to RM: "When are you gonna stop eating chicken breast?"

Jimin: "You're supposed to comfort him!"

Yoongi: "I am comforting him. When's your cheat day? I was gonna order food for you that day!"

Tae: "Hyung, you lost a lot of weight!"

Jimin: "Ahh, see, that's comforting!"

Hobi: "... But your face is swollen today."

I love this family so much.

BANGTAN BOMB: BE Album Review, Pt. 2 (3x3 Unit ver.)

Hobi: "I'll give it a 5, of course, since it's our album."

Jungkook: "I'm going to give more than 5."

Jin: "J-Hope, there are dozens of stickers and you're only giving it 5? I'm disappointed."

Hobi: "Is that so?"

Jin, continually adding stickers to his album: "Let's just put 5."

Hobi: "Yeah, that's good enough."

Jungkook, not paying attention to anyone: "Look how pretty!"

Hobi: "How many stars did you put?"

Jungkook, counting: "I put 8."

Hobi, looking over at Jin's album: "Jin, you put so many."

Jin: "I put 19!"

Namjoon: "How could we possibly rate our precious album that is the result of many people's efforts? *pause* But I'm rating it right now."

Jimin: "I put 19 stars. It's out of 5, so I gave it a perfect score. I honestly don't know why. I gave it 14 extra points."

[Many minutes go by]

Namjoon: "Taehyung-ssi!"

Tae, still putting stickers on his album: "Yes?"

Namjoon: "Will you be done before this year ends?"

Tae, still focusing on the stickers: "*sigh* I told you, it takes time for me to finish things…"

BANGTAN BOMB: Suga's BE Album Unboxing and Review

I AM DYING AT HIM PUTTING HIS HAND BEHIND EACH ITEM TO "FOCUS" IT EVEN THOUGH IT'S ALREADY FOCUSED. 😂😂😂

(It's been five years since he did his last album unboxing; I'm surprised he didn't toss out the other members' photo cards like he used to. 😂)

MAC Throwbacks: Eyeshadow in Goldbit, Kid, Tete-A-Tint, and Uninterrupted

A couple weeks ago, MAC launched their Throwbacks collection, which consists of four eyeshadows and seven lipsticks that were previously discontinued and were fan-voted to be re-released from the MAC vault. All eleven products in this launch will be made permanent. The eyeshadows are housed in regular black compacts with clear lids. Each eyeshadow contains 1.5 grams of product, and retails for $22. These are applicable as a redeemable free product in the Back to MAC recycling program.
Clockwise from upper left: Goldbit, Kid, Tete-A-Tint, and Uninterrupted
Goldbit, Kid, Tete-A-Tint, and Uninterrupted

Goldbit is a light warm peachy beige with gold flecks in a Lustre finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more beige than Gleam, darker and more sparkly than Naked Lunch, and lighter than All That Glitters.

Kid is a medium warm beige-brown in a Veluxe finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker than Wedge, more beige than Soft Brown, and darker and warmer than Omega.

Tete-A-Tint is a medium warm peachy brown in a Matte finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more peach than Soft Brown, lighter than Texture, and darker and more matte than Arena.

Uninterrupted is a medium-dark warm burnt yellow brown in a Matte finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more yellow than Cork, more yellow than Saddle, and darker and more matte than Soba.

With the exception of Goldbit, which was originally launched in 2004, these eyeshadows were actually only discontinued fairly recently (after 2010), so many old-school MAC addicts will likely still have one or more of these in their stash. That having been said, these were all fan favourite shades that were really only discontinued because there were too many similar shades within MAC's permanent range. The exception to this is Uninterrupted, which was originally a Pro Longwear Eyeshadow and they discontinued the whole formula (this colour in particular was extremely sought-after when MAC discontinued it because there is nothing really similar to it in their permanent range). I didn't own the original Goldbit so I can't say how this iteration compares, but I will say that it does go on smoother, more pigmented, and with less fall out than a typical Lustre eyeshadow. As with the other three shades, I find that this year's versions are more richly pigmented and have a softer, more velvety feel, so they perform beautifully. All of these shades are staple, workhorse shades that can work on anybody, so they're actually all worth getting if you don't already have them (all four shades have been made available in PRO refill pans as well!).

MAC Throwbacks: Lipstick in Spanish Fly, Icon, Shrimpton, Bronx, Skew, Marrakesh, and Rocker

A couple weeks ago, MAC launched their Throwbacks collection, which consists of four eyeshadows and seven lipsticks that were previously discontinued and were fan-voted to be re-released from the MAC vault. All eleven products in this launch will be made permanent. The lipsticks are housed in regular black and silver tubes. Each lipstick contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $22. These are applicable as a redeemable free product in the Back to MAC recycling program.
Spanish Fly, Icon, Shrimpton, and Bronx
Spanish Fly, Icon, Shrimpton, and Bronx

Spanish Fly is a medium-dark warm reddish bronze with a teal-green pearl in a Frost finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent range.

Icon is a medium cool taupe-brown with a taupe sheen in a Frost finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low-medium pigmentation and sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent range.

Shrimpton is a light-medium warm peachy beige in a Satin finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more peach than Honeylove, lighter and more peach than Cherish, and more beige than Kinda Sexy.

Bronx is a medium-dark warm muted rosy brown in a Matte finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and warmer than Whirl, more rosy than Taupe and Persistence, and darker than Velvet Teddy.

Skew, Marrakesh, and Rocker
Skew, Marrakesh, and Rocker

Skew is a medium warm pink with a cool pink-violet pearl in a Frost finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has low-medium pigmentation and sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is warmer than Hot Gossip, cooler than Bombshell, and brighter and more pink than Fabby.

Marrakesh is a medium-dark warm muted rusted terracotta red in a Matte finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more brown than Chili, lighter and more orange than Studded Kiss, and more orange than Viva Glam I.

Rocker is a medium-deep cool wine red in a Matte finish. It was a discontinued shade, and is now permanent. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter than Diva, darker than D for Danger, and darker and cooler than Russian Red.

For the old-school MAC shoppers, this collection will definitely be a source of nostalgia. Most of these shades were discontinued in the early- to mid-2000s, and were actually bestsellers at the height of their popularity, so a lot of people who wore these during their initial run will get excited at seeing the comeback of their favourite lip shades from the '90s and early 2000s. For those who are new to MAC or have never heard of these shades before, you might find a new favourite among these throwbacks, especially given that these types of shades are popular again right now — further proof that trends are continually recycled and beloved. It's nice to see that MAC, who held a public poll for fans to vote on which colours to bring back, is really listening to their consumers and giving an ode to their OG fans.

MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette in Get It Glowin'

Last Thursday, MAC launched their new Hyper Real Glow Palette, a set of three highlighting shades available in two colour waves: "Finally, something worthy of the hype. Fall fast and hard for the highlighting palette perfection of Hyper Real Glow. Each palette packs three hues of highlight for supercharged, ecstatic-in-love-level radiance... With an irresistibly creamy powder formula, shades blend effortlessly to leave an ultra-reflective, yet flawlessly smooth sheen." There are three highlighting shades in square pans in each palette, and they are housed in a slim black mirrored cardboard case. each Hyper Real Glow Palette contains a total of 13.5 grams of product, and retails for $48.
In natural daylight: Get It Glowin', Gold Coasting, and Rosy Cheer
In direct sunlight: Get It Glowin', Gold Coasting, and Rosy Cheer

Get It Glowin' is a light warm champagne gold in a shimmery metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a smooth, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker than Double-Gleam, and lighter than Oh, Darling!.

Gold Coasting is a light warm peachy champagne in a shimmery metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a smooth, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more peach than Get It Glowin', and warmer than Soft and Gentle.

Rosy Cheer is a medium warm peachy bronze in a shimmery metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a smooth, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is slightly lighter and peachier than Global Glow, and lighter and more peach than Gold Deposit.

Finally, MAC has hopped on the highlighter palette train! MAC has never had any sort of highlighting kit in their permanent range, so it really was about time that they added these. For those who like to combine highlighting shades or simply want more variety in a single compact, the Hyper Real Glow Palettes will definitely appeal to you. Since the discontinuation of their Iridescent Powders a little over six years ago, MAC only had Mineralize Skinfinish or Extra Dimension Skinfinish in their permanent range — both of which are gorgeous formulas, but have that weightless, baked texture that is buildable in opacity. What MAC was missing in their highlighter range was that dense, creamy powder formula that is super-smooth, ultra-blendable, and gives off a beaming, metallic sheen — the texture and finish that has made Anastasia Beverly Hills' Glow Kits and Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfectors reign supreme in this category. Get It Glowin' is definitely geared towards medium to dark skintones, but Flash + Awe was designed for fair to medium skintones, so no one misses out.

MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette in Flash + Awe

Last Thursday, MAC launched their new Hyper Real Glow Palette, a set of three highlighting shades available in two colour waves: "Finally, something worthy of the hype. Fall fast and hard for the highlighting palette perfection of Hyper Real Glow. Each palette packs three hues of highlight for supercharged, ecstatic-in-love-level radiance... With an irresistibly creamy powder formula, shades blend effortlessly to leave an ultra-reflective, yet flawlessly smooth sheen." There are three highlighting shades in square pans in each palette, and they are housed in a slim black mirrored cardboard case. each Hyper Real Glow Palette contains a total of 13.5 grams of product, and retails for $48.
In natural daylight: Flash + Awe, Rosy Glow, and Light of the Party In direct sunlight: Flash + Awe, Rosy Glow, and Light of the Party

Flash + Awe is a pale cool-neutral silvered pinky beige in a shimmery metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a smooth, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent line-up.

Rosy Glow is a light neutral pinked beige in a shimmery metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a smooth, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and more pink than Flash + Awe, and lighter and more pink than Soft and Gentle.

Light of the Party is a light-medium warm peachy pink beige in a shimmery metallic finish. This is a permanent shade. It has a smooth, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is lighter and more peach than Beaming Blush, and more peach than Soft and Gentle.

Finally, MAC has hopped on the highlighter palette train! MAC has never had any sort of highlighting kit in their permanent range, so it really was about time that they added these. For those who like to combine highlighting shades or simply want more variety in a single compact, the Hyper Real Glow Palettes will definitely appeal to you. Since the discontinuation of their Iridescent Powders a little over six years ago, MAC only had Mineralize Skinfinish or Extra Dimension Skinfinish in their permanent range — both of which are gorgeous formulas, but have that weightless, baked texture that is buildable in opacity. What MAC was missing in their highlighter range was that dense, creamy powder formula that is super-smooth, ultra-blendable, and gives off a beaming, metallic sheen — the texture and finish that has made Anastasia Beverly Hills' Glow Kits and Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfectors reign supreme in this category. Flash + Awe is definitely geared towards fair to medium skintones, but Get It Glowin' was designed for medium to dark skintones, so no one misses out.

MAC Jeremy Scott: Acoustica Cheek x 3 Palette

Today, MAC will be launching their collaboration with Moschino creative director, Jeremy Scott. Known for his odes to pop culture in his designs with fashion house Moschino, his collection with MAC is inspired by '90s music nostalgia: "Hailed as one of fashion's last true rebels, Jeremy Scott creates decadent high fashion from American cultural obsessions. With a fanatical following of pop music's biggest icons, the irreverent designer provokes and pushes into fashion's outer limits. Scott's collection for MAC introduces manic colour for eyes, lips and cheeks specially packaged in cheeky tribute to the days of mixtapes, boomboxes, new music, and unhinged creative expression taking root on city streets." There are three products in this collection, all of which are new and limited edition. The Acoustica cheek palette houses three new and limited edition shades: one highlighter, one bronzer, and one blush. They are housed in a special edition metal compact disc mirrored case with "Cheeky Vol. 1 Mixtape" written on the lid. Each Acoustica Cheek x 3 Palette contains a total of 9.2 grams of product, and retails for $41.
Heaven in Your Smile, Acoustica, and Wall of Desire

Heaven in Your Smile is a light warm golden champagne beige with iridescent shimmer-sheen in a Frost finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a smooth, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker and warmer than Double-Gleam, more beige than Oh, Darling!, and more golden than Soft and Gentle.

Acoustica is a medium-dark warm golden tan in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is warmer than Matte Bronze, warmer and more golden than Blunt, and cooler and more golden than Give Me Sun!.

Wall of Desire is a medium warm peachy pink in a Satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, finely-milled texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is more peach than Desert Rose, darker and more pink than Melba, and more peach and more muted than Fleur Power.

This is just freaking adorable. It really does look exactly like a case for a blank CD. Again, I have to point out that this is a novelty item, so the design of the palette is just as important as the product carried within it. But I do think it was designed in a way that fit the shades practically while still maintaining the integrity of the theme. Unlike the eyeshadow palette, there are no wildcard colours here, so all three shades are widely flattering and pretty foolproof. It should work on all skintones from light to medium-dark, though it will likely show up ashy on dark to deep-dark skintones. As it is, all three shades are soft, smooth, and pigmented, and the palette contains a good amount of product for a reasonable price. So despite the eyeshadow palette being the star of this collection, I do think this will be the bestseller.