Truth to tell, that lipstick survey—the one that says lipstick is, well, over—has been bumming me out. I love the stuff. But this wasn’t always the case. When I was a little girl in the ‘80s watching my mother slather bright pinks across her cheeks and perky blues over her lids, I hassled her. “Moo-o-o-oom,” I’d whine, “I like your face the way it is.” But she didn’t leave the house without putting her face on first. I carried my staunch anti-makeup stance almost entirely through high school, only breaking down occasionally for a little goth-inspired black eyeliner and mascara. Makeup was part of “The Man.” It was the enemy, keeping women down and stuff, by convincing them they’d never be good or pretty enough without another bottle of goopy stuff.

Then I got married.

Everyone’s currently obsessing over Target’s Liberty of London collection, so it was awfully clever of MAC to launch their new Give Me Liberty of London makeup collection yesterday (a few days before Target’s March 14th launch—zing!). Inspired by London’s Carnaby Street, “the unstudied, Sienna Miller style of Spitalfields Market to the grit and glamour of Portobello Road,” and “the swinging London girl,” the collection features candy-colored eye shadows, white and cornflower blue Nail Lacquer (the latter of which is sold out already—what gives!?), all manner of spring pink lippies and gorgeous floral makeup bags plus a limited-edition scarf. Should go perfectly with all the gear we’ll rack up at Target. Check out more images from the collection (available here), after the jump.

Besides all the signature zigzag prints and tribal silhouettes, the real star of Missoni‘s Fall 2010 show was (for me anyway), the deep, dark eggplant-hued lips the models sported in what MAC makeup artist Lucia Peroni called “A little bit Scottish, a little Masai, a little punk.” Sounds good to me. I’m a little obsessed because I’ve always been drawn to lip shades in blackberries and deep plums—must be my junior high goth roots—but Lucia’s mix is ultra arresting and looks really unique. To get the look she used MAC Eye Pencil in Ebony, mixed Lipsticks in Cyber and Hang-Up and blended them into the lips with a brush, then applied Matte on top to get rid of any and all shine. How ‘bout that! Black eye liner to get your darkest plum! Love it. Will I be wearing this look to work Monday? Not bloody likely, but I may do some experimenting this weekend.

If you’re backstage beauty junkies like we are, you might wanna jump on this deal ASAP. MAC & Milk are definitely the cool kids during Fashion Week—Milk Studios founder/Creative Director Mazdack Rassi likens their space to MoMA as opposed to Bryant Park’s Met—and we love going behind the scenes to see what brilliant MAC makeup artists are slathering on all the gorgeous young things’ faces. While they tend to use products from the Pro line, which can be somewhat difficult for non-professionals to snag, this season they’ve developed a collection of backstage makeup kit staples available exclusively online. Some of the standouts that we’ll be ordering? Amelia and I are super obsessed with Strobe Cream, $29.50, a primer that makes even the dullest complexions look like they’re literally glowing, and you can’t go wrong with their Kohl Pencil in Smolder, $14.50, an intense, runway-worthy black, and Pro Lipstick in peachy nude Fleckletone, $14. Shop the entire collection here.

The beauty look at the Cushnie et Ochs fall 2010 fashion show in New York was all about edgy romance—an oxymoron, I know, but actually a fitting description. Nothing about the hair and makeup was perfect. In fact, it was downright disheveled. Yet the chunky tendrils and soft smoky eye still evoked a fairy quality. Find out how you can duplicate this easy and fun look that only requires your fingers as tools, after the jump.

In a world where Kindles and Nooks are taking over the antiquated habit of reading actual books, it’s nice to see that technology and the literary can play nice. [Twelve South]

MAC’s spring campaign for Viva Glam is hella tame considering it stars two professional wackadoodles, Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper. But you know what? The tame look suits them both. Sorta. [NYmag.com]

Just like fusion food, collaborations are (almost) always a good thing. Why not mix two brilliant things together to end up with an even more amazing product? The latest: Lilly Pulitzer has teamed up with MAC cosmetics to create a line of polishes, glosses, and shadows in typical bright, Hamptons-esque colors. Starting Jan. 7, you can pick up the cosmetics, which range from $12-32, at any MAC store. The makeup line is kind of a refreshing look in contrast to the dark vampy looks we’ve been seeing lately for fall/winter. And their timing really is perfect, given turquoise is the new Pantone color for 2010. [New York]

So, I’m late to this train, but apparently, every year, MAC Cosmetics asks their artists from around the world to submit their fantasy Halloween makeup looks that can be recreated for you and me. (Sort of a great way to put in minimal effort on the Halloween front—they paint your face and you throw on those randy cat ears you’ve still got kicking around from last year. An instant getup!) Check out a video on how they put together the makeup sheets, like the one above, into actual faces, on real-live people—after the jump!

The webs have been buzzing over MAC‘s much-anticipated new all-black collection, Style Black, for awhile now. We’re excited to report it finally launched today! We are not just talking about eyeliner here, we’re talking black lipstick, baby. Now, we’ve all decided that the latter is one helluva tricky trend, but today we’ve got options. The line includes three Glimmerglass glosses that make black lips a little more wearable: There’s Blackfire Sheer black with berry-ish pearl; Bling Black Sheer, which is translucent black with a gold glimmer; and, of course, Blackware Creamy, which is a true black for the truly brave. Either you like to roll goth-style or you don’t, but we definitely plan on snapping up a couple of the limited editions. Check out the whole collection here.

The beauty look of the models at the Baby Phat fashion show captured the Moroccan essence of the collection. True to Baby Phat form, the sex-factor was also a huge focus. But I wonder how the beauty team was able to get anything done because the teensy-tiny hair and makeup area was shear pandemonium. Well, maybe it was more like an ordered chaos with hair and makeup brushes going in every direction while flashbulbs went off every second. I had to sneak behind curtains and stand on a chair in four-inch heels to get my own shots. But I couldn’t slink my way into the crowd that mobbed Kim Kardashian when she appeared. Sadly, my photo of her isn’t fit to publish. Music by Jay-Z blasting from unseen speakers helped keep the mood festively frenzied. PS. Where the you-know-what was Kimora? Luckily, I was able to score some cool beauty secrets. Keep reading for how you can get a look that oozes opulence and sex appeal.

I’m pretty dang obsessed with Rad Hourani for making lots of hard-edged, androgynous black clothes that look good on girls and boys. Yesterday, the show did not disappoint, but what I’m really here to talk about is how pitch-perfect the makeup was. The obvious go-to would be lots of dark liner or purple-stained lips but MAC makeup artist Hung Vanngo had a fresh idea—to contrast the rock star zippers and gorgeous metallic accents with the dewiest, most luminescent skin I’ve ever seen up close. Hung told me he wanted the skin to look healthy and here is his secret weapon: MAC Strobe Cream. It’s loaded with green tea and other antioxidants to perk up dull skin and contains all kinds of iridescent particles that reflect the light in a way that’s glowy—as opposed to Paris Hilton glittery (yuck)—and blinds anyone gazing upon your beautiful mug to any and all imperfections. In short, it’s the easiest way to fake perfect skin ever. Just use it as a primer, dab a bit of concealer around your nose and any problem areas, and you’re done. That’s it. Now get outta here.

When it’s time to put together the look for a L.A.M.B. fashion show, the beauty team not only looks at the collection for inspiration but also its designer, Gwen Stefani. We were backstage at the show and learned quite a bit about how to create hair and makeup that can hold its own against the in-your-face, street-chic L.A.M.B. clothing. A girl can’t be noticed only for her outfit—her mug has to get the same attention, right? More, lots more, after the jump.

We were backstage at Vena Cava‘s spring 2010 show today and you can’t tell from this Teen Vogue video but the scene was downright exciting since the show kicked off MAC & Milk’s new partnership. (If you hadn’t heard, MAC, which used to sponsor makeup at the Bryant Park tents, decided to go rogue-ish and strike up a deal with Milk Studios—which is where anybody who’s anybody in NYC fashion shoots their magazine editorials and advertising campaigns.)

Yesterday eve we went backstage at Agent Provocateur‘s show—our favorite purveyors of classy yet kinky underthings and beyond—to see how the hair and makeup team were going to be able to make a strong statement against all that studded leather and French lace dusted with Swarovski crystals. The answer? They stayed true to the sex appeal that’s inherent in the label. MAC makeup artist Chantel Miller looked to recreate the kind of sultriness, with an expensive edge, you’d find in a ‘70s-era Playboy (which is certainly my personal favorite decade for the mag, but no one’s asking, so ...). Anyhoo. “Before I spoke to anyone regarding the makeup for the show, the word ‘sex’ came to mind,” Miller told us. Naturally. Pasquale (it’s just “Pasquale,” thanks), one of our favorite hairstylists, was there dousing girls’ hair in Davines hairspray and he totally concurred. We love the makeup Miller used: Hefty doses of Golden Lemon and Golden Olive Pigment (the turquoise effect was from the light) and a blend of Cherry liner, Crimson Lipmix and Burgundy Lipmix on the models’ kissers. But while we had her attention, our minds turned to more carnal—and realistic matters—so we also begged her to tell us what kind of makeup to wear when we’re pretty sure we’re gonna get laid and don’t want to look too shameful on the walk home. Her professional opinion, after the jump!

We couldn’t possibly be any more obsessed with Grammy-winning artist and new fashion It Girl, Janelle Monae. Seriously, this gorgeous chick not only literally rocks, she’s got a mean sense of style and can moonwalk like a champ. What’s not to love? We’re waiting with bated breath to meet her at the MAC store on Fashion’s Night Out, but in the meantime, we’re spying on her unusual beauty regimen. While we can agree that some of her favorite products, like MAC’s Studio Finish concealer and #35 lashes are indeed superb, we were surprised to learn that when it comes to her “off” days, she has a rather unique source for blush and lipstick: “... when I am with family or running errands, I use Whole Foods’ organic raspberries for blush and dark cherries for stained, moist lips. There’s nothing like having genuine natural colors on your face,” she told our friends over at the Beauty Counter.

Seriously!? I have never heard of that, have you? And ya know what, I am so totally intrigued that I need to run to the grocery store ASAP. [Beauty Counter]

When it comes to glitter makeup, I can take it or leave it, preferably back in grade school. But all these famous chicks keep wearing crazy eye makeup (Drew Barrymore and Lily Allen spring to mind), and when I recently ran into makeup artist Regina Harris at photographer Marilyn Minter’s studio, I became mega-inspired. Harris was there celebrating Minter’s MAC collaboration and did the makeup for this shot (above) of model Cintia Dicker sporting thick, textured sparkle with not just a hint of Minter’s signature mix of, as Harris puts it, “glamour and deconstruction.” Before we digressed into art speak, I asked Harris what was really on my mind: “How can a grown woman ever pull off glitter in real life?”

We had long wondered what kind of girl the personification of a Mac computer would go for—and now we know. A new commercial pits Mac (Justin Long) against PC (John Hodgman) as they try to win a woman’s attention. Since it’s a Mac commercial, Mac wins. Who is this mystery lady? Says she: “I’m a Megan.”