MAC Art of the Eye Collection
MAC Art of the Eye Collection is now available online, and I’m working on writing up reviews now, so in the meanwhile, here are swatches. I reviewed MAC Chromagraphic Pencils previously, so for those looking for pencil swatches, you can check out my prior review. As always, please hold any questions until I’ve had a chance to write the review 
MAC Brazenly Eyeshadow
MAC Nudes & Metallics Eyeshadows ($15.00 for 0.05 oz.) include eight shades in total, and these are three of them. I grouped these three together as they were all in the Metallics family. This post features: Brazenly (deep metallic purple), Crimson Tryst (deep metallic dirty berry), Deep Fixation (metallic brown). I do not have Love’s Lure (heavily metallic deep red) at this time.
Brazenly is described as a is a purple-berry with a frosted finish and red undertones. It had good color payoff, and the texture was blendable and applied smoothly. There was a smidgen of dryness to it that didn’t seem to impair the overall quality, though. Jasmine Master is purpler. OCC Overlook is lighter and less berry (purpler). Urban Decay Last Call is not as dark but similar. NARS Caravaggio #2 is more violet, less berry. Le Metier de Beaute Fig is not as red but is similar. Inglot #446 is purpler but similar in finish.
Crimson Tryst is described as a “deep metallic dirty berry.” It’s a deepened red with berry hues and a pearly sheen. The pigmentation was excellent, and the texture was soft and smooth. MAC Cranberry is darker, less red. Le Metier de Beaute Fire Lily is redder and warmer. NARS Douce France #3 is similar in color but is matte. Inglot #450 is very similar–even a bit more metallic.
Deep Fixation is described as a “metallic brown.” It is a darkened, coppery brown with a pearly sheen. It is incredibly pigmented with a rich, smooth texture. MAC Ever Elegant is darker, browner. Guerlain Les Fauves #1 is much browner. MAC Faux Gold isn’t as coppery, slightly browner. MAC Antiqued is much browner. theBalm Racy Kacy is very similar, perhaps not quite as warm-toned. NARS California is not quite as intense but is rather close in color.
All three shades had good color payoff, while Deep Fixation was particularly intense and opaque. There was a very slight dryness to Brazenly, and none of the three I tried felt as buttery as MAC’s best Veluxe Pearls (think Freshwater). Each applied well on the lid with true-to-pan intensity and was blendable. When I wore them together, they lasted for a full eight hours without fading or creasing; after nine hours, there was a hint of fading. I’m so sad that this collection is PRO only and not easily accessible, because it’s such a solid set of products. Some shades are more or less dupable, but they’re still shades that I could see a lot of people gravitating towards.
P.S. — The Nudes & Metallics Collection may be frustrating to find. When it launched in PRO stores on the 18th, every store I called was sold out of over half the collection already. The online launch date has been pushed to mid-June (no specific date was given). It is supposed to be for PRO only, which may mean that it is restricted to PROs only even online, but you should be able to call MAC PRO at 1-800-387-6707 and order (for anyone, PRO and non-PRO alike) per a LiveChat I did this morning.
 |
MAC Nudes & Metallics Eyeshadows Reviews, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)
A
|
|
The three eyeshadows I tried were nicely pigmented, easy to apply and blend out on the lid, and wore well. I only wish MAC made this a full-scale release. |
|
Product9.5/10 Pigmentation9.5/10 Texture9.5/10 Longevity9.5/10 Application5/5 |
|
| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
MAC Bare Minimum Eyeshadow
MAC Nudes & Metallics Eyeshadows ($15.00 for 0.05 oz.) include eight shades in total, and these are four of them. I grouped these four together as they were all in the Nudes family. This post features: Bare Minimum (sheer soft pinky nude with pearl), Body Conscious (*sheer warm mid-tone nude), Exposed (sheer neutral mid-tone nude), and Glimpse of Flesh (sheer warm pink nude).
Bare Minimum is described as a “sheer soft pinky nude with pearl [with a satin finish].” It’s a light-medium peach with a hint of pink and a satin shimmer. It has semi-sheer to semi-opaque color payoff that’s buildable to mostly opaque coverage. bareMInerals Peace is more beige. Tarte Giant Peach is lighter. theBalm Third Eye Blinded is very similar. Dolce & Gabbana Jewels is more frosted.
Body Conscious is described as a “sheer warm mid-tone nude.” It’s a medium orange-brown with a barely-there satin sheen. It had rich color payoff (as opposed to the sheer in the description), and the texture was soft and silky. MAC Indie Spirit is browner. MAC Soft Brown is darker, browner. MAC One to Watch is more golden. MAC Tete-a-tint is browner, less orange. MAC Star Myth has a much more frosted finish, but it had a similar orange/brown coloring.
Exposed is described as a “sheer neutral mid-tone nude.” It’s a medium-dark brown with warm, terracotta orange undertones and a satiny finish. It had incredibly rich, full color payoff (again, not sheer as described) with a soft, silky-smooth texture (that was a smidgen powdery but didn’t look that way applied). It was very easy to blend on the lid. Guerlain Turandot #2 is more plum/less brown. Guerlain Les Fauves #2 is warmer, redder. MAC Rusty is lighter (and a cream product). MAC Soft Brown is very similar, just softer. Inglot #357 is yellower and matte.
Glimpse of Flesh is described as a “sheer warm pink nude.” It is a light-medium beige-shimmered, rosy brown with a pearly sheen. It had good pigmentation (not sheer at all), and it was soft and smooth. Burberry Pale Nude is more beige, not quite as warm-toned. Too Faced Marzipan is lighter, more beige. MAC Soft Brown is darker, redder, and matte. L’Oreal Blinged & Brilliant is much, much frostier and more beige.
Go figure — MAC puts out eyeshadows that aren’t described as sheer that are sheer, and then they launch these four shades, which are described all as sheer, and they’re really not. They’re some of the best nude eyeshadows MAC has released in at least a year, maybe longer. Swatching and using these was a refreshing experience; I was impressed, and my hope was renewed. Of course, unlike a sheer eyeshadow that isn’t supposed to be sheer (so it never builds up in its intensity), a pigmented eyeshadow can be more readily sheered out or used sheerly simply by using less. The texture of these four are all soft enough that they can be blended out for a softer application, but if you genuinely want barely-there eyeshadows, you might look elsewhere. (Can I just vent my frustration on this? These are amazing eyeshadows except they’re more pigmented than described!)
The texture of all four were consistently impressive; soft, smooth, and silky. They blended and applied evenly and easily, and when worn together, they worked in harmony. When I tested them for wear, all four lasted eight hours with very, very minimal fading that didn’t become noticeable until the ninth hour.
P.S. — The Nudes & Metallics Collection may be frustrating to find. When it launched in PRO stores on the 18th, every store I called was sold out of over half the collection already. The online launch date has been pushed to mid-June (no specific date was given). It is supposed to be for PRO only, which may mean that it is restricted to PROs only even online, but you should be able to call MAC PRO at 1-800-387-6707 and order (for anyone, PRO and non-PRO alike) per a LiveChat I did this morning.
 |
MAC Nudes & Metallics Eyeshadows Reviews, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)
A-
|
| These are really standout eyeshadows, relative to MAC's eyeshadow formula in general, but they're all described as sheer when they're all rather quite pigmented. So long as you'd much rather pigmented eyeshadows than the sheer, then consider these rated an A. | |
Product9.5/10 Pigmentation8/10 Texture9.5/10 Longevity9/10 Application5/5 |
|
| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
MAC Stylish Me Blush
MAC Stylish Me Blush ($21.00 for 0.21 oz.) is described as a “deep dirty mauve [with a satin finish].” It’s a muted, reddish-brown with a champagne shimmer-sheen and neutral-warm undertones. Burberry Russet is more matte but very similar in color. MAC Poised is lighter and browner, much less red. bareMinerals The Indecent Proposal is more plum. MAC Stratus is much darker and richer in color with a stronger plum coloring. MAC Darkly My Dear is a bit less brown/warm and matte. MAC Notable is more plum, less red/warm.
Stylish Me had great pigmentation that applied true-to-pan but can be layered, sheered out, or built-up, depending on your intensity preference. The texture was very soft and finely-milled, which made it easy to blend and apply on the skin. It wasn’t powdery, and it sat well on the skin. There’s a delicate shimmer in the finish that translates into a healthy glow as you work and blend the powder on the skin, and it doesn’t emphasize pores or the skin’s natural texture. It lasted eight hours well on me, and after nine, there was noticeable fading.
P.S. — The Nudes & Metallics Collection may be frustrating to find. When it launched in PRO stores on the 18th, every store I called was sold out of over half the collection already. The online launch date has been pushed to mid-June (no specific date was given). It is supposed to be for PRO only, which may mean that it is restricted to PROs only even online, but you should be able to call MAC PRO at 1-800-387-6707 and order (for anyone, PRO and non-PRO alike) per a LiveChat I did this morning.
 |
Stylish Me
A
|
| The best part of this shade is its finish; glowy, delicate, and natural and looks fantastic on the skin. It has good pigmentation and can be easily sheered our or built-up to match your preference. | |
Product10/10 Pigmentation10/10 Texture10/10 Longevity9/10 Application5/5 |
|
| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
MAC Barefaced Blush
MAC Barefaced Blush ($21.00 for 0.21 oz.) is described as a “mid-tone warm nude [with a satin finish].” It’s a medium, slightly subdued, warm brown with hints of orange/tan and a satiny sheen. NARS Silvana is warmer, lighter, yellower in tone. NARS Madly is very similar–a smidgen browner, at most. Burberry Earthy is more matte and browner. MAC Poised is rosier but if you have pink undertones, it may appear similarly on. MAC Equilibrium is browner.
It has a beautiful finish; the satin sheen gives it a glowing, pearly look that gives the skin a healthy glow without emphasizing pores. The color payoff is fantastic–true-to-pan and buildable–and should work well as a blush on fair to medium-dark complexions (it may get lost on deeper skin tones and work more as a highlighter). The texture is soft, smooth, and silky, and the powder blends out easily on the skin. It lasted almost eight hours well; there was a bit of fading along the edges but no patchiness.
P.S. — The Nudes & Metallics Collection may be frustrating to find. When it launched in PRO stores on the 18th, every store I called was sold out of over half the collection already. The online launch date has been pushed to mid-June (no specific date was given). It is supposed to be for PRO only, which may mean that it is restricted to PROs only even online, but you should be able to call MAC PRO at 1-800-387-6707 and order (for anyone, PRO and non-PRO alike) per a LiveChat I did this morning.
 |
Barefaced
A
|
| This is a great neutral blush, particularly for warmer complexions, that adds a little color but nothing too dramatic. The finish is incredibly flattering, and the texture and payoff are excellent as well. | |
Product9.5/10 Pigmentation10/10 Texture10/10 Longevity8/10 Application5/5 |
|
| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
MAC Temperature Rising Collection for Summer 2013
M•A•C captures the steamy nocturnal scene in a vivid summer colour collection. Powder Blush sets the tone, Eye Shadow Quads smoulder and Powerchrome Eye Pencil illuminates with molten metallic. Lipstick and Lipglass speak volumes as lacquered nails glisten in the night. Take back the night with M•A•C Bronzing Powder as Pro Longwear Bronzer stays stunning all evening long, Bronzing Oil’s botanical blend transforms skin with lush moisture and Strobe Liquid flashes its sexy afterglow in a new shade.
Availability: Online May 16th, 2013. North America: May 23rd, 2013 at all M·A·C locations. International ex. Asia: May 2013 at all M·A·C locations. Asia: June 2013 at all M·A·C locations.
