Temptalia

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)

Christine — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:21:44 +0000

MAC Vintage Coin Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow ($20.00 for 0.08 oz.) will launch nine limited edition shades on December 26th (in-stores), and they include: Cyber (metallic silver with silver pearl), Fusion Gold (light pinky beige with gold pearl), Gold Carbon (metallic taupe), Palladium (metallic ash), Red Hot Copper (warm copper), Rusty (dirty peach gold), Venetian Tarnish (golden tarnished bronze), Vintage Coin (metallic olive green), and Virgin Silver (white with silver pearl).

Rusty is a softened copper with golden shimmer-sheen. It’s not as intense as a lot of coppers can be. The finish here wasn’t as metallic as some of the other shades. It’s similar to Urban Decay Chopper, which is a little more orange. MAC Soft Brown is kind of like a matte version of this. MAC Lie Low is a hue or two browner.
Venetian Tarnish is a molten gold-shimmered bronze. It has this deeper, darker bronzy base color but the sheen it gives off makes it appear more golden. Urban Decay Snakebite is similar in the base color but the sheen isn’t nearly as strong. MAC Tempting has a similar sheen but warmer base–I think if you layered it over a deeper brown (maybe even just Bronze), you could get close. Urban Decay Deeper is similar, not as bright of a sheen. Inglot #406 is also similar. Urban Decay Smog has less of sheen but pretty similar in color.
Vintage Coin is a rich, medium-dark olive green with darker, almost emerald green shimmer. Bare Escentuals Speaker Box is less metallic and warm. Lancome Designer is not as intense.
Virgin Silver is a really bright silvery white with a metallic sheen. This was the least pigmented of the range. It’s brighter than Bobbi Brown Tinsel and lighter than MAC Misty. MAC White Frost has less silver. Inglot #447 would make for a really great dupe. Chanel Fantasme is sheerer and more glittery with less white.

Virgin Silver had some pigmentation issues for me; it has a really bright, reflective finish but applies sheer even though I tried to build it up to be more opaque. The other three shades were nicely pigmented, though, and were some of the creamier, easier to blend out shades of the set. I liked Venetian Tarnish the most, but it actually seems the most dupeable!

For the full review, please see this post.

The Glossover

	MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2) C-
	If you're really into editorial looks and you don't mind extra effort, you might still enjoy snagging one of these. The only characteristic they really nail is pigmentation--the majority of shades are really well-pigmented and buildable--but it's just not a very functional product.
	Product 6/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 5/10 Application 3.5/5

Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Rusty Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Venetian Tarnish Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Vintage Coin Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Virgin Silver Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)

Christine — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:03:32 +0000

MAC Red Hot Copper Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)

Cyber is a dark silver-shimmered gray. This one felt like it had larger sparkle particles, so it may be prone to fall out. MAC Silver Sleet is similar but a little darker–however, it has a much more of a metallic finish, whereas Cyber has more of a frosted one. MAC Tundra is a little lighter.
Fusion Gold is a peachy rose with good color payoff. This is one of the more versatile shades–I liked it best as a highlighter. MAC Nubile is pinker. Chanel Emerveille is very similar.
Gold Carbon is a really deep, dark intense neutral-cool brown with hints of gray and copper. It reminded me a lot of NARS Ponderosa. Wet ‘n’ Wild We’re Blasting Off is a bit purpler. MAC Legendary Black isn’t as dark but still similar.
Palladium is a dirty gold-silver; kind of pewter-like. It’s a little more silvered than Giorgio Armani #19. Wet ‘n’ Wild Dancing in the Clouds is a touch darker. I think MAC Cash Flow is a bit darker.
Red Hot Copper is a reddened copper with a metallic sheen. It’s a bit redder compared to theBalm Racy Kacy. It’s very similar to MAC Coppering.

These five had good color payoff overall, which is where this particular product excels in, but these shades definitely have good pigmentation and can be sheered out and blended if desired. The wear, of course, did not pan out for me despite trying several different methods, and as I have drier lids, I caution those with oilier lids on these. As with a lot of cream products, wear can vary from person to person, but generally, the oilier your skin type is, the less likely a cream product is to wear well (as oil breaks down makeup). The finishes on these is not nearly as metallic as you might expect from a product named “Metal-x” but some are better than others.

For the full review, please see this post.

The Glossover

	MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1) C-
	If you're really into editorial looks and you don't mind extra effort, you might still enjoy snagging one of these. The only characteristic they really nail is pigmentation--the majority of shades are really well-pigmented and buildable--but it's just not a very functional product.
	Product 6/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 5/10 Application 3.5/5

Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Cyber Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Fusion Gold Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Gold Carbon Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Palladium Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Red Hot Copper Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review & Photos

Christine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:00:31 +0000

MAC Palladium Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review & Photos

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow ($20.00 for 0.08 oz.) may sound new to some, but it originally debuted way back in 2007 (see my original “review” here–and I called that a review? For shame!) and were repromoted in 2008 as “Brushed Metal-x.” I kind of think the shades from the first launch were more fun–I still have Plum Electric (vibrant grape purple), though I don’t think I used it but a couple of times, because it looks nearly new. Cyber, Fusion Gold, and Virgin Silver have been relaunched as part of this year’s offerings.

In two separate posts, I will go through the individual shades regarding their pros/cons, possible dupes, and so forth, but I did as much testing as I could in time that I’ve had these, which is about 24 hours by the time this post is published. Lucky for me, because these crease nearly instantaneously, it was easy to test multiple shades.

Worn alone, none of the shades I tested (two are photographed below–Palladium and Venetian Tarnish–but I also tested Fusion Gold, Rusty, and Vintage Coin) could make it from application to camera (and I hurried!) without some creasing, and then, after fifteen minutes or so, significant creasing. Worn over an eyeshadow base (I used MAC Paint Pots and NARS Smudgeproof), it didn’t seem to make much of a difference–still creased within minutes and worsened by fifteen.

I did, however, have luck when I wore a single shade layered over an eyeshadow base with several powder eyeshadows on top. I used all MAC products, for the sake of giving MAC the best chance it could, and for me, everything managed to wear well enough for five hours. There was some fading of the colors overall, but I didn’t experience creasing up until that point. By eight, though, it had faded a bit more and had some noticeable creasing. However, a word of caution, I have drier lids, and I really packed on the powder products.

I also tested the wear on both cheeks and lips. They had a funny taste, so I don’t think I’d wear them again as a lip product, and they are very drying. They’re like a matte frost finish–the drying, clingy feel of a matte coupled with a really high frost finish. On the lips, I tried Red Hot Copper, which only lasted for an hour (no eating/drinking) before fading unevenly. It’s uncomfortable and doesn’t wear well.

On cheeks, I used Rusty to highlight and Red Hot Copper to add color. Because of the higher frost content, it does emphasize pores somewhat, and depending on the temperature of your workspace, these may be difficult to apply evenly. I found fingers to be the best applicator with these in general, because the cream surface is very hard and almost powdery–it balls up and takes the warmth from your fingertip to be able to work it out into a smooth, even finish. The wear was so-so; it was noticeably faded and, unfortunately, patchy, after three hours of wear without a setting powder and five hours of wear with a setting powder. Of all the ways I tried it, I liked it best on the cheeks, just because I didn’t have to worry about creasing. It wears similarly on the brow bone and decolletage.

This is really not a consumer-friendly formula; it will take some effort, work, practice, and the right skin type to get these to work well. In 2007, maybe it was acceptable, maybe other brands hadn’t created technology to yield this kind of finish and color payoff, but in 2011, I don’t think it is. If you have drier lids or tend not to have problems with your cream products creasing on you, these may work out for you. If you have oilier lids, I really do recommend–if these are just tempting you beyond belief–to try one and see how it works for you or else buy from a store with a good return policy. These weren’t well-received in 2007, so I’m kind of baffled as to why MAC would bring thes back without some reformulation. Sure, they bring back a product that seemed to receive mostly negative reviews, but last year’s Mega Metals (just as metallic as these) were a complete homerun and those remain a one-time wonder.

At $20 a pop, if the only way I can use it is as an eyeshadow base, it’s not the most useful product in my stash. When you use a translucent powder on top, while you retain some of the original shade, you do mute it a bit and definitely tone down the frosted/metallic finish, so it seems to defeat the purpose of these–which is that really high-shine, metallic-like finish (though some of these read frosty, less metallic). I could see picking up one or two for editorial work, though I think MAC’s Metal Pigments have a much better metallic finish and work better, plus some of their pigments that have more of a frosted/metallic shine. Like Big Bounce, I don’t know why these are marketed towards consumers, because realistically, I’m not sure how one would wear it except if you 1) wanted your eye makeup to crease or 2) you were only going somewhere for an hour or so.

We’ve seen MAC put out metallic fluidlines and paint pots, which work fantastically alone or as an eyeshadow base. I’d much rather put my money towards products with similar textures, finishes, and even shades, that perform better like Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows, Chanel Illusion d’Ombres, Bare Escentuals Stay-There Eyeshadow, or L’Oreal’s Infallible Eyeshadows (which finally hit the states!)–the latter two don’t wear as well as the first two, but they’ll manage to six hours to eight hours or so without an eyeshadow base. Even Estee Lauder’s new eyeshadows have a really cool, metallic-like finish, but they’re powder (and I suspect we’ll see something similar by MAC in the next six months).

So while MAC doesn’t tout these as long-wearing, they still fall short of just wearing. I thought long and hard about that one, but if it takes both an eyeshadow base, plus packing of powder eyeshadows on top, to make it more than fifteen minutes–we’re just not functioning. I’d let it slide if it just didn’t wear to six or eight hours, because long-wear tends to be more like eight to twelve hours, but I can’t even achieve eight with all the bells and whistles without both fading and creasing on the eyes; fading and patchiness on the cheeks (after four hours) and lips (after an hour). A C- feels generous to me, personally, but that is how the numbers worked out–I’m sure you can sense my disappointment and frustration on this product. Did we really need two collections of crease city products this year?

The Glossover

	MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review & Photos C-
	If you're really into editorial looks and you don't mind extra effort, you might still enjoy snagging one of these. The only characteristic they really nail is pigmentation--the majority of shades are really well-pigmented and buildable--but it's just not a very functional product.
	Product 6/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 5/10 Application 3.5/5

Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Palladium Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow, no base – 2 minutes after application

MAC Palladium Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow, no base – 15 minutes after application

MAC Palladium Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow, with base – 2 minutes after application

MAC Palladium Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow, with base – 15 minutes after application

MAC Venetian Tarnish Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow, no base – 2 minutes after application

MAC Venetian Tarnish Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow, no base – 15 minutes after application

MAC Venetian Tarnish Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow, with base – 2 minutes after application

MAC Venetian Tarnish Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow, with base – 15 minutes after application

MAC Fusion Gold as a base, MAC Nylon eyeshadow packed on two-thirds,
MAC Greensmoke eyeshadow in crease and outer corner, MAC Antiqued eyeshadow
on outer third of lid, with base – 2 minutes after application

MAC Fusion Gold as a base, MAC Nylon eyeshadow packed on two-thirds,
MAC Greensmoke eyeshadow in crease and outer corner, MAC Antiqued eyeshadow
on outer third of lid, with base – 4 hours after application

MAC Fusion Gold as a base, MAC Nylon eyeshadow packed on two-thirds,
MAC Greensmoke eyeshadow in crease and outer corner, MAC Antiqued eyeshadow
on outer third of lid, with base – 8 hours after application

Ingredients

MAC Red Hot Copper Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Photos & Swatches

Christine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:00:15 +0000

MAC Cyber Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Photos & Swatches

Review coming soon, please hold all questions until then! I spent all of yesterday and last night photographing, swatching, and testing, but I wasn’t able to get everything done before it was bedtime (midnight!). So for now, please take a gander at these eyeshadows but know two things 1) these have not been reformulated, so they have the same formula as the ones released in 2007 had; 2) they are NOT long-wearing and MAC doesn’t give any guidance on wear (read between the lines: it will crease).

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Cyber Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Fusion Gold Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Gold Carbon Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Palladium Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Red Hot Copper Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Rusty Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Venetian Tarnish Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Vintage Coin Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Virgin Silver Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow

MAC Metal-X Cream Eyeshadow Collection for Winter 2011 – Official Information & Photos

Christine — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:31:11 +0000

MAC Metal-X Collection for Winter 2011

availability: December 26th, 2011 (North America), December 2011 for International

A cutting-edge formula that transforms powdery cream into liquid metal before your very eyes – on your very eyes (or cheeks, brow bone, décolletage…anywhere a multi-dimensional metall ic effect is desired). Created with a new mélange of pigments that allow superior blendability and spreadability, our luxurious highlighter goes from medium to high intensity coverage in a simple one-stroke applicat ion. This molten magic is sure to elevate any look with its extreme brilliance, shine and dimension!

Metal-X Cream Eyeshadow ($20.00 U.S. / $24.00 CDN) (Limited Edition)

Virgin Silver White with silver pearl
Fusion Gold Light pinky beige with gold pearl
Palladium Metallic ash
Cyber Metallic silver with silver pearl
Rusty Dirty peach gold
Red Hot Copper Warm copper
Venetian Tarnish Golden tarnished bronze
Vintage Coin Metallic olive green
Gold Carbon Metallic taupe

Temptalia

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)

The Glossover

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)

The Glossover

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review & Photos

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review & Photos

The Glossover

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Review & Photos

Product

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

Application

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Photos & Swatches

MAC Metal-x Cream Eyeshadow Photos & Swatches

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Metal-X Cream Eyeshadow Collection for Winter 2011 – Official Information & Photos

MAC Metal-X Collection for Winter 2011

Metal-X Cream Eyeshadow ($20.00 U.S. / $24.00 CDN) (Limited Edition)

See more photos!