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.

Performance Art is is a pinky mauve with a dusting of very fine gold shimmer. It had good color payoff and applied smooth overall, though it was a smidgen dry. MAC Smoky Mauve is purpler and darker. Jasmine Carpet is darker and purpler. Tarte Frozen Hot Chocolate is slightly darker. NARS 413 BLKR #1 appears cooler-toned. Wet ‘n’ Wild We’re Blasting Off #3 is cooler-toned.

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.

The Glossover

	Temperature Rising B
	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
	Where to Buy
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MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Performance Art Eyeshadow

MAC Performance Art Eyeshadow

MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow

MAC Temperature Rising Eyeshadow

MAC Swelter Eyeshadow

MAC Swelter Eyeshadow

MAC Beautymarked Eyeshadow

MAC Beautymarked Eyeshadow

MAC Eyeshadows: Performance Art (inner lid), Temperature Rising(middle of lid),
Swelter (outer lid), Beautymarked (crease)

Can’t Say I Fancy This Whim

MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo ($27.50 for 0.09 oz.) contains two shades: Performance Art (platinum silver) and Shadowy Lady (blackened plum).  The last of the four new and limited edition eyeshadow duos in MAC’s fall collection Styleseeker, it leaves me less inspired. I think the duos are cute, and they could be easy ways to combine colors for quick looks, but there always seem to be one shade that doesn’t perform that well. The duo price point is too steep to permit one shade to be a disappointment!

Performance Art is a mauve-tinged silver with a hint of gold and silver shimmer. It has a veluxe pearl finish. It didn’t seem too sheer initially, but it definitely is–I had to go back and pack it on three times to get it to show up on me. There was also some fall out during and post-application, even though the sparkle didn’t seem to be too large. For a veluxe pearl, it’s not as smooth as I’d expect, and the color didn’t bind together as well. It’s like a lighter, less pigmented version of Urban Decay Midnight Rodeo. MAC Heirloom is similar but has a stronger sheen. Cle de Peau #207 is similar but has more sparkle. Giorgio Armani #8 is more metallic.

Shadowy Lady is a blackened plum with brown-burgundy undertones. It has a matte finish. The texture is dry, a little stiff. I thought it would be easier to use on the lid, but I found it was harder to work with (both in depositing color and blending it out) than Indie Spirit (which swatched even more poorly!). This shade is part of the permanent range. Urban Decay Rockstar has a similar base color/tone but it is much more purple and has shimmer. MAC Indian Ink has less red tones, more purple ones.

Performance Art has this oddly sheer, fall out-prone texture that makes it harder to work with, while Shadowy Lady didn’t want to blend out as evenly or as easily as other MAC matte eyeshadows. I don’t remember Shadowy Lady being hard to work with (I remember it not always swatching well), but in this duo, it wasn’t great.  None of the duos were out of this world–I think you’re better off making your own duo or picking up two pans and putting them in a palette you already own.  For something similar, though not exact, I’d suggest Seedy Pearl and Fig. 1.

The Glossover

	Whims & Fancies B-
	None of the duos were out of this world--I think you're better off making your own duo or picking up two pans and putting them in a palette you already own. For something similar, though not exact, I'd suggest Seedy Pearl and Fig. 1.
	Product 8/10 Pigmentation 8.5/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 8.5/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo

MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo

MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo

MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo

MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo

MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo

MAC Performance Art Eyeshadow

MAC Shadowy Lady Eyeshadow

MAC Brule, MAC Indie Spirit, MAC Shadowy Lady Eyeshadows, MAC Local Wares Fluidline

MAC Retrospeck (V2), MAC Chessa, MAC Star Myth, Giorgio Armani #1 Eyes to Kill Waterproof Eyeliner

MAC Performance Art, MAC Raving Mad, MAC Shadowy Lady, MAC Brule, Giorgio Armani #1 Eyes to Kill Waterproof Eyeliner