MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad ($40.00 for 0.21 oz.) includes these four shades: Arctic Grey (frosted mid-tone gray, Lustre), Courtly Grey (matte cool gray, Matte), Typographic (asphalt black, Matte2), and Rainy Season (light warm gray frost, Satin). This quad is, for as gray and smoky as it is, more neutral than it is cool or warm-toned. I think on cooler complexions, it will turn cooler-toned, but on my warmer complexion, it looked slightly warm-toned overall when applied to the lid. I wore all four shades together, and they lasted fairly well over an eight-hour period–I had some minor (but not as bad as expected) fall out from Arctic Grey but didn’t have any issues with the shades fading.
Arctic Grey is a frosted, beige-gray with more beige than gray. It is a more golden and shimmery version of Rainy Season really. It had decent pigmentation, but it has a Lustre finish, so it also has larger sparkles that were prone to becoming fall out during application as well as during wear. Giorgio Armani #1 Spring 2012 #4 is more metallic. Giorgio Armani #19 is lighter, more metallic. MAC Vex is grayer. See comparison swatches.
Courtly Grey is a medium, neutral gray with a matte finish. The texture is somewhat powdery, and the color payoff is so-so–it sheers out easily, so it needs to be patted and packed on for best results. You’ll want to avoid blending it too much, because then it looks really faded. NARS Delphes #2 is darker. MAC Gentle Fume is darker and has sparkle. MAC Fabulous Fit is slightly darker. MAC All Woman is somewhat darker. Giorgio Armani Moonlight White #3 is darker and more shimmery. Bobbi Brown Sterling is a bit lighter and shimmery. See comparison swatches.
I wore all four shades together, and they lasted fairly well over an eight-hour period--I had some minor (but not as bad as expected) fall out from Arctic Grey but didn't have any issues with the shades fading.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
8.5/10
Longevity
8.5/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
May 30th online at MAC, June 6th in-stores and other online retailers
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
May 30th online at MAC, June 6th in-stores and other online retailers
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
May 30th online at MAC, June 6th in-stores and other online retailers
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
May 30th online at MAC, June 6th in-stores and other online retailers
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Quad ($44.00 for 0.19 oz.) includes these shades: Performance Art (frosted gold mauve, Veluxe Pearl)), Temperature Rising (light warm tanned peach, Lustre), Swelter (mid-tone grey violet, Frost), and Beautymarked (charcoal black with red pearl, Velvet). Beautymarked is part of the permanent range. The quad will be available online on May 16th and in-stores May 23rd (of course, it usually is online earlier than the stated date). It is packaged in a matte bronze with a rubbery texture–if you’re familiar with NARS’ packaging, it’s very much like that, only bronze in color.
Temperature Rising is copper-shimmered peach with a soft, frosted sheen. It was very stiff to work with, and it really needed to be layered and packed on to get visible, even color both swatched and on the eye. Estee Lauder Pink Zinc is lighter (and a cream product). Chanel Complice is lighter. MAC Seaside is more coppery. Chanel Emerveille is a cream product and is less coppery. MAC Expensive Pink is pinker, darker.
Swelter is a muted, medium-dark purple with subtle red undertones and a satiny sheen. It had decent to good color payoff, but it was a little stiff to work with. When I jabbed at it with a stiffer brush, I was able to get better color payoff. MAC Smoky Mauve is more frosted. Jasmine Carpet is very similar. NARS 413 BLKR #1 is grayer, cooler-toned. MAC Circa Plum is extremely similar.
Beautymarked is a blackened brown with burgundy and copper micro-shimmer. It was dry, somewhat chalky, and generally stiff and difficult to blend. Applied, it looks mostly like a matte black, but if you mix it or blend it with Swelter, you can bring out more of the shimmer in Beautymarked. Giorgio Armani #2 is similar in concept but has a much more pronounced shimmer/sparkle. L’Oreal Smoldering Plum is purpler. MAC Young Punk has more purple shimmer.
The real miss here was Beautymarked, which had a rather undesirable texture that made it a problematic shade to use. It’s also the kind of shade that looks incredibly complex in the pan but when used, it can be difficult to pull out those nuances and see the complexities. Performance Art was the best eyeshadow in this quad, because it had good pigmentation and a softer, smoother texture and application. Temperature Rising needs to be packed on for a smooth, even application. I wish it performed better overall, because the color combination works well together and would flatter a variety of skin tones. The eyeshadows did wear for eight hours with no creasing and only very minor fading with minor fading occurring after nine hours.
I wish it performed better overall, because the color combination works well together and would flatter a variety of skin tones.
Product
8/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
8/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
MAC, May 16th online (approximately), May 23rd in-stores; $44.00
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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MAC Bare My Soul Eyeshadow Quad ($44.00 for 0.19 oz.) includes these shades: Romantico (light taupe bronze, Veluxe Pearl), Bare My Soul (frosted gold, Lustre), Friendly (deep bronze chocolate, Veluxe Pearl), and When in Rio (deep green with copper pearl, Frost). The quad will be available online on May 16th and in-stores May 23rd (of course, it usually is online earlier than the stated date). It is packaged in a matte bronze with a rubbery texture–if you’re familiar with NARS’ packaging, it’s very much like that, only bronze in color.
Friendly is a rich, chocolatly brown with subtly warm undertones and a frosted sheen. It had fantastic color payoff, and it applied incredibly smoothly, too. Inglot #421 is slightly more coppery. Laura Mercier Cedar is more matte. MAC Make Your Mark is not quite as intense. MAC Mulch is redder.
When in Rio is a deep, red-brown base with a greenish-teal sheen. It had good color payoff when layered, but it was a little on the drier side and slightly stiff when I tried blending it out on the lid. It’s workable, but it’s not as nice as Romantico or Friendly. Wet ‘n’ Wild Comfort Zone #8 has a much redder base. bareMinerals Mirage is browner. MAC Double Feature #5 #2 is similar in design but much redder in practice. Tarte Exquisite Emerlad is similar though not as intense. MAC Woodsmoke is bluer. Inglot #414 is greener. MAC Club would also be similar, though I think the duochrome is not quite as obvious (and also Blue Brown pigment).
Initially, it reminded me of the Burmese Beauty quad from a few years ago, but they’re definitely not one-for-one. Burmese Beauty had a more golden, rather than copper-toned, shade, but it did have a similarly duochrome blue-brown shade (Burmese Beauty). The other two eyeshadows are not similar to the other two found in this quad.
I liked the quad overall, but at this price point, I really wish When in Rio was softer, more pigmented, and more blendable. In the world of MAC eyeshadow quads, this is certainly one of the better ones in the past few years. I wore all four eyeshadows together yesterday, and I didn’t have any issues with creasing or fading after nine hours of wear (no primer).
I liked the quad overall, but at this price point, I really wish When in Rio was softer, more pigmented, and more blendable. In the world of MAC eyeshadow quads, this is certainly one of the better ones in the past few years.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4.5/5
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MAC Rimal Dahabia Eyeshadow Quad ($40.00 for 0.21 oz.) contains these shades: Shroom (soft beige with shimmer), Soft Brown (soft golden peachy brown), Beautyburst (rich reddish brown), and Najm el Lail (blackened deep brown). Shroom and Soft Brown are permanent, while Beautyburst came out with Barbie Loves MAC in 2007.
Shroom is soft, light beige with a hint of warmth and a lightly frosted finish (though it’s officially a satin). It’s soft, smooth, and easy to blend out. It also has lovely color payoff. This used to be a go-to brow bone highlighter for me, because it wasn’t too stark or too cool/warm. Make Up For Ever #126 is darker, slightly shimmery. Urban Decay Anonymous is more matte and less beige. Cinderella A Wish is more matte. Giorgio Armani #1 Madreperla #1 is similar, but a touch more frosted. Urban Decay Skimp is a touch warmer and more shimmery. bareMinerals Serendipitous is very similar. MAC Brule is matte.
Soft Brown is a light-medium brown with warm, subtly red undertones and a matte finish. It is soft, silky-smooth, and nicely pigmented. It’s a great go-to neutral for outer lid and crease work on many skin tones, and then it can work as an all-over lid shade on darker complexions, too. MAC Exposed is darker and redder. MAC Body Conscious is more orange. MAC Glimpse of Flesh is shimmery and lighter. MAC Indie Spirit is a bit darker.
Beautyburst is a warm-toned, reddened, medium-dark brown with a matte finish (though it is listed as a satin). It had good color payoff, and the texture was soft and smooth. It blended nicely on the lid when I applied it. MAC Deep Fixation is more orange and more shimmery. Guerlain Les Fauves #2 is a touch lighter. MAC Brown Script is a bit darker and browner. theBalm Racy Kacy is warmer and shimmery.
Three of the four are good or better (and two of the three are great), while the one shade that dropped the ball was Najm el Lail. I’m not sure why MAC seems to have issues with making a soft, buttery black-brown eyeshadow–above, you’ll see I noted several limited edition black-brown shades (mostly found in quads) from MAC over the years and they all have the same issues (dry, stiff). Like the other quad, I’m testing the wear of these today and will update this post with that information later this afternoon. Based on the textures/payoffs/finishes, I’ve given it a longevity grade based off of years of testing MAC eyeshadows.
Just to do a little math, since the palette contains two permanent shades, here’s how the value works out to be: 1) pan eyeshadows cost $12 each (so $48 in eyeshadows), and the 2) the price of the quad is $9. So, if you purchase everything individually, you would be spending $57–compared to $40 to purchase a pre-made quad (in standard packaging), which means you pay $17 for choice. If you already have a palette to put them in, then you might consider the cost of choice $8. I find this is helpful to put it into perspective, though as a long-time MAC collector, I completely understand when you remember paying $34 for quads! On the other hand, at $40, I really think it should be fantastic–there are too many $30-50 palettes on the market that are standouts these days.
Three of the four shades are good or better, but Najm el Lail is a let-down! It was so stiff and dry, which made it hard to get good color payoff as well as made blending rather difficult.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
8.5/10
Application
4.5/5
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Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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MAC Masat al Lail Eyeshadow Quad ($40.00 for 0.21 oz.) contains these shades: Rondelle (platinum silver frost), Waft (deep navy with pearl), Gentle Fume (dirty concrete grey with silver pearl), and Carbon (intense black). Long-time MAC collectors may remember this composition, as it was originally launched in Smoke Signals (2007) as the Gentle Fume quad.
Rondelle is a gray-tinged white with a frosted finish. It had decent to good color payoff, but it was a little dusty, though I was able to get it to apply smoothly for the most part. Tarte Silver Burst is brighter, whiter. Guerlain Les Aquas #4 is more metallic. Bobbi Brown Iced Blue is cooler-toned.
Waft is a dark, bluish-gray with a subtle, frosted finish. The texture is rather dry, which is why this shade looks a bit patchy (and it does look dry, too) when swatched. It has so-so color payoff, but it was buildable and when used with a soft, fluffier brush, it did seem to apply better and more smoothly. theBalm Matt McDonald is very similar. MAC Warm Thunder is more metallic. Tarina Tarantino DIamond DUsk is more metallic, lighter. MAC Weathered is bluer.
Gentle Fume is a medium-dark matte gray base with silver sparkle. The silver sparkle doesn’t adhere or bind with the base color very well, so it flakes and disappears the moment you go to blend out the color. If you want any sparkle to survive, pat the color on, and then leave it alone. There will be fall out during the day, though. MAC Fabulous Fit doesn’t have the sparkle and is a touch lighter. MAC Silver Gull is much lighter. NARS Delphes #2 is close to the base color but doesn’t have the silver sparkle. Chanel Gris Exquis is a darker gray with no silver sparkle.
Carbon is a medium-dark black with a matte finish. It is part of the permanent range, and it varies in its dryness. This isn’t the worst iteration I’ve seen of it, but it’s certainly not the best and is by no means a favorite of mine to use. The beauty world can do better black eyeshadows now, so Carbon could use a reformulation to put it on par with current black eyeshadows. It’s just so dry and stiff, so the color payoff is sheerer and patchy–even applied on the lid, it can be a pain to blend out. You can find numerous black eyeshadows that compare to this (in terms of color).
It is a cool-toned, silver-and-gray smoky eye palette. Over the years, I’ve grown frustrated with Carbon, so the inclusion of it in the quad is tiresome, as it is so often released in quads and palettes, so you very likely have one already (and it’s just not a great quality eyeshadow to begin with, so why have doubles or triples of it?). I think the color of Waft is the most interesting, but it turns out that Weathered ends up looking more nuanced on the lid because it is bluer. I wish the silver sparkle stuck to Gentle Fume, because then it would be something harder to dupe or find, but it just disappears and gets everywhere else. Rondelle is the best performing shade in the palette. I’m going to be wearing this quad for wear today, so I’ll report back with the results this afternoon–based on my experience with MAC’s drier/sheerer shades, I don’t get great wear (between seven and eight hours, some fading), I’ve assessed a rating but if it is better/worse, I’ll be sure to let you know.
The quad just requires too much work. I think that eyeshadows have significantly improved over the past five years, and I feel like these are too dry and stiff and lack color payoff.
Product
7.5/10
Pigmentation
7.5/10
Texture
7.5/10
Longevity
7.5/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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MAC Inner Strength Eyeshadow Quad ($40.00 for 0.21 oz.) consists of three new shades and one repromote: Lithe Spirit (palest white pink), Inner Strength (light cool mauve taupe), Fabulous Fit (mid-tone cool grey), and Heatherbelles (deep charcoal). This is a rather cool-toned quad, more so than All Woman, with the only warmth coming from Inner Strength, which isn’t all that warm, so if you like cooler tones, you’ll be in luck with this color composition!
Lithe Spirit is a cool-toned white with a matte finish. It is listed as a satin finish, but I didn’t see much sheen in it (or any). It had good pigmentation, but it was a touch powdery. Urban Decay Venus is a touch warmer and more shimmery. MAC Vanilla is warmer.
Inner Strength is a warm peach with subtle pink undertones and a barely-there sheen, though it is listed as a matte. It had good color payoff, and it was soft to the touch. Too Faced Peach Fuzz has gold sparkle. Urban Decay Freestyle has less pink. MAC Nubile is similar in color but is a cream product.
Fabulous Fit is a light gray with blue undertones and has a matte finish. It was a bit weak on pigmentation, and it had a drier texture that made blending harder. Estee Lasuder Modern Mercury is more metallic. MAC Scene is darker. Chanel Gris Exquis is also darker. Inglot #339 is somewhat darker but closest with respect to its cool undertone.
Heather Belles is a dark gray with a mostly matte finish but there’s a touch of sheen; the sheen becomes more apparent when blended out. It has a satin finish, and the color payoff is so-so–it is a stiffer, drier shade. Urban Decay Ace is more shimmery. Guerlain Les Gris is matte. Estee Lauder Black Chrome is darker.
The quality of Inner Strength as a quad is below-average to average. It’s not impressive, and it’s not the most heinous release we’ve seen from MAC. It’s middle-of-the-road. The problem with this palette is in the textures, which tended to be a bit dry and stiff (in the case of Fabulous Fit and Heatherbelles). Lithe Spirit was somewhat powdery, which can have a tendency to make such a pale color look chalky on darker complexions. Inner Strength was the best-performing shade here, as it wasn’t so soft that it was powdery, but it wasn’t too dry or firm that you couldn’t get color payoff out of it. The shades lasted for seven and a half hours and looked just a smidgen faded after eight hours.
The quality of Inner Strength as a quad is below-average to average. It's not impressive, and it's not the most heinous release we've seen from MAC. It's middle-of-the-road.
Product
7/10
Pigmentation
7.5/10
Texture
7/10
Longevity
8/10
Application
3.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
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