MAC Style Black Look: Dark Smoky Eyes

Just a quick Style Black I through together this morning before I took a shower. I’m not sold on mineralize eyeshadows whatsoever! I applied these mineralize eyeshadows wet using water-based mixing medium (for better adhesion and to minimize fall out). Admittedly, it’s all over a significantly dark base, so maybe that’s why they just don’t pop much. I did two different lips — the first is the lip I’d actually pair with it (based on my style and preferences); the second is with black lips as requested.

Two notes:  I’m wearing Korres’ Wild Rouse Foundation in this look.  (I think the shade may be a lil’ orange on me–not sure if going a shade lighter will help or not yet.)  One eye has a stronger distinction between crease and highlight (which, to be honest, looked fine in real life) that I would recommend blending out more in practice.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral beige base), Dark Soul pigment (dark black-gray), Gilt By Association mineralize eyeshadow (black-bronze), Young Punk mineralize eyeshadow (black-purple), Blue Flame eyeshadow (dark blue), Femme-fi eyeshadow (neutral highlighter), Black Greasepaint Stick (black with purple shimmer), Stila Purple Pumps Smudge Pot (purple shimmer), Plushlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Plum Foolery blush (pinky-purple)
• Lips: Brave New Bronze lipstick (pinky nude), Bling Black glimmerglass (dirty antique gold)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Gilt By Association = Tempting; Young Punk = Contrast; Blue Flame = Deep Truth; Femme-fi = Shroom; Black Greasepaint = Smolder; Brave New Bronze = Velvet Teddy; Bling Black = Reflects Antique Gold + Black Lip Mix + Clear gloss

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. With the 239, apply Dark Soul pigment with water-based mixing medium on the lower lid. On the inner lid, pack Gilt by Association eyeshadow on using the 239. Apply Young Punk eyeshadow to the middle and outer portions of the lid. Darken crease with Blue Flame eyeshadow using the 226. Sweep Femme-fi eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Black Greasepaint stick on lower lash line, and Stila Purple Pumps smudge pot on lower lash line with 209. Apply Plushlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Plum Foolery blush using the 129. Apply Brave New Bronze lipstick to lips, and then top with Bling Black glimmerglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

With Black Knight lipstick + Blackware Glimmerglass

MAC Style Black: Cream Colour Base & Greasepaint Stick Review, Swatches

MAC Style Black is a deep, dark collection with the rich tones of black as inspiration.  With it, two cream colour bases (kind of like a cream eyeshadow, but it’s really a multi-tasking product), Black and Bat Black; as well as a new product — the greasepaint stick in Black.

Cream Colour Base

• Black is a solid, creamy black with a slight sheen but no shimmer.
• Bat Black is a creamy burgundy-black with more burgundy than black and a glossy sheen.

Cream Colour Bases can be difficult to work with.  If you find that a lot of cream-based products crease extremely easily on you, these may require more work than you’d like to do to get these to work on you.  Be sure to read any safety precautions that may come with these, too, for areas that you shouldn’t use these products on.  I like lighter colored CCBs, because I like to use them on cheeks and lips more than I do on eyes.

Greasepaint Stick

• Black is actually a purple-black with just a little bit of shimmer when you look at it up-close, but the shimmer wasn’t noticeable when I applied it on my eyes.   I found that the greasepaint held up better on my waterline than my lower lash line, as it actually migrated and smudged a bit on the lower lash line but is still on my lash line about two and a half hours later.

• Product: 8/10
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 7/10
• Packaging: 7/10

Recommendation: If you like CCBs and need a dark base, try these two.  If you like intense black liners, you may consider the greasepaint stick, but it’s not entirely smudge proof.

Availability: MAC Cosmetics

See more photos and swatches…

MAC Bat Black CCB

MAC Black Greasepaint

Swatches: Bat Black CCB, Black CCB, Black Greasepaint

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