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.

Najm el Lail is a blackened brown with a matte finish. The swatch tells the majority of the story: dry, patchy, so-so color payoff. It’s not as easy to blend as a softer eyeshadow, as it tends to stick and be stubborn about softening along the edges. Too Faced Licorice is grayer/blacker. Dior Night Golds #3 is shimmery. MAC Bad Lieutenant is very similar. theBalm Matt Ramirez is also rather similar but has a slightly redder base. MAC Diamond Dove is similar. Tarina Tarantino Wonderful is slightly browner. MAC Brun is a bit lighter and cooler-toned. MAC Midnight Flurry is also similar. MAC Legendary Black is darker, grayer. Wet ‘n’ Wild Comfort Zone has a satin finish.

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.

The Glossover

	Rimal Dahabia B+
	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
	Where to Buy
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MAC Rimal Dahabia Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rimal Dahabia Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rimal Dahabia Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rimal Dahabia Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rimal Dahabia Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Shroom Eyeshadow

MAC Shroom Eyeshadow

MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow

MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow

MAC Beautyburst Eyeshadow

MAC Beautyburst Eyeshadow

MAC Najm el Lail Eyeshadow

MAC Najm el Lail Eyeshadow

MAC Eyeshadows: Shroom (inner lid, brow bone), Soft Brown (middle of lid), Beautyburst (outer lid), Najm el Lail (crease)

MAC Ice Parade: Warm Fabulously Festive Face Kit

MAC Warm Fabulously Festive Face Kit ($59.50) includes a palette with four eyeshadows and blush, along with a metallic, silver bag that also holds a lipstick, lipglass, and three miniature-sized brushes. MAC describes the shades, officially, as: Golden Flurry (beige with sparkle), Soft Brown (soft golden peach brown), Omega (soft muted beige-taupe), Carbon (black), Seasonal Appeal (orange brown), Mellowarm (peach), and Join the Party (pale peach). The brushes included are the 129SE, 266SE, and 275SE. The eyeshadows weigh 0.22 oz. while the blush weighs 0.18 oz. (basically, everything is full-sized).

• Golden Flurry is a white with iridiescent pink shimmer. The color payoff is low–it’s sheer and sparkly, but it is prone to fall out. This has a lustre finish. Bare Escentuals Muse is more pigmented and less iridescent. theBalm Safe Bet Annette is a touch pinker.
• Soft Brown is a medium brown with red-orange undertones and a matte finish. It has nice color payoff and a smooth, soft feel. This has a matte finish and is part of the permanent range.
• Omega is a lightened taupe with subtle beige-yellow tones and a matte finish. The pigmentation is nice, and it has the texture soft. This has a matte finish and is part of the permanent range.
• Carbon is a medium-dark black with brown undertones. It’s a little dry and stiff to work with but it does work better applied with a brush on the lid, though it can be a touch chalky. This has a matte finish and is part of the permanent range.
• Seasonal Appeal is a brownish peach with a soft, pearly sheen. This has a satin finish. The pigmentation is good, but it is a more orange-toned blush, so it may not work on really cool-toned complexions.
• Mellowarm is an orange-coral with a hint of red with a frosted shimmer. It has mostly opaque color coverage. This has a frost finish. CoverGirl Rapture is less red. Milani Coral Bora Bora is pinker.
• Join the Party is a peach-tinted beige with soft, white shimmer. It’s creamy and milky, so it does settle into lip lines, but the color coverage is semi-opaque. It’s similar to MAC Lust.

Of all of the holiday offerings, the Fabulously Festive Face Kits are the best bang-for-your-buck item and tend to be higher quality overall (maybe that has something to do with the inclusion of mostly permanent products?). Between the eyeshadows, blush, and lip products, you more than get what you spend back, so the subpar brushes are a bonus.

I did not and refuse to purchase any brush kits (for confirmation as to why, see Dusty’s review), but the brushes included in the Face Kits are disappointing. I found both the blush and eye brushes to be scratchy and lacked the density and precise shape of their full-sized counterparts. I had a ton of shedding and dye bleeding with the 129SE (and the full-sized 129 is one of the scratchier MAC brushes, so imagine this one!).

The Glossover

	Warm Fabulously Festive A-
	The Fabulously Festive Face Kits are the star products from the holiday collection, because the quality is there overall and as a bonus, they're a good value!
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 9.5/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Warm Fabulously Festive Face Kit

MAC Warm Fabulously Festive Face Kit

MAC Warm Fabulously Festive Face Kit

MAC Warm Fabulously Festive Face Kit

MAC Warm Fabulously Festive Face Kit

MAC Warm Fabulously Festive Face Kit

MAC Golden Flurry Eyeshadow

MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow

MAC Omega Eyeshadow

MAC Carbon Eyeshadow

MAC Seasonal Appeal Blush

MAC Mellowarm Lipstick

MAC Mellowarm Lipstick

MAC Mellowarm Lipstick

MAC Join the Party Lipglass

MAC Join the Party Lipglass

MAC Join the Party Lipglass

MAC Eyeshadow Swatches – Browns (Part 1)

As promised, here are even more brown MAC Eyeshadows ($14.50 for 0.05 oz.) — I have a few more palettes to work through, including more neutrals (which include more browns, too).

Tete-a-Tint is a soft, medium-dark peach-brown with a Matte2 finish. It is now discontinued. Inglot #337 is similar but less warm–more of a brown than tinted with burnt peach.
Amber Lights is a rich, warm-toned coppery bronze with a frost finish. Inglot #405 is similar, perhaps more bronze than golden.
Soft Brown is a muted, medium-dark tan brown with a matte finish. Inglot #337 is closer to Soft Brown than it is to Tete-a-Tint.
Bamboo is a soft, yellowed brown with a matte finish.
Motif is a pale yellow with a duochrome of pink iridescence. It has a frost finish.
Arena is a softened, medium beige-brown with a satin finish.  Illamasqua’s Furore is similar but a little more orange.
Espresso is a neutral, dark brown with a matte finish.
Mystery is a cool-toned, gray-brown with a satin finish.
Smut is a cool-toned, charcoal brown with burgundy shimmer and a velvet finish.
Satin Taupe is a dark taupe with a frost finish. Bare Escentuals Meteorite is similar.
Romp is a medium-dark, golden brown with a frost finish. Urban Decay Rush is similar to Romp, but it’s less golden.

Shades like Amber Lights, Romp, and Satin Taupe are some of MAC’s standout eyeshadows within their entire permanent range. Whether the colors are ones you’d wear or not, these are highly pigmented, smooth-textured, and so easy to blend. I have found that the neutral range of mattes is a cinch to work with; they really aren’t fussy–not powdery, chalky, or poorly pigmented. Soft Brown is one of MAC’s bestselling eyeshadow shades. Arena works so lovely as an all-over lid color because it has a subtle sheen but still remains rather sedate. Mystery and Smut are nice browns for those with cooler undertones. The only shade that falls a little short is Motif, which has a slightly gritty texture and less than perfect color payoff.

The Glossover

	MAC Eyeshadow Swatches - Browns (Part 1) A-
	Even though MAC may be known for their brighter shades and bold looks, their shade of browns is amazing. From matte to frost to satin finishes, they work well and come in a large variety.
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Tete-a-Tint Eyeshadow

MAC Amber Lights Eyeshadow

MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow

MAC Bamboo Eyeshadow

MAC Motif Eyeshadow

MAC Arena Eyeshadow

MAC Espresso Eyeshadow

MAC Mystery Eyeshadow

MAC Smut Eyeshadow

MAC Satin Taupe Eyeshadow

MAC Romp Eyeshadow

5 Great Brown Eyeshadows

These are five brown eyeshadows that I really love — as requested by reader Sarah!  There are a ton of amazing brown eyeshadows (probably one of the easiest shades to do well, from my experience), and these are just five of many.

• Illamasqua Ore Pigment
• Becca Shantung Eyeshadow
• Hourglass Gypsy Eyeshadow Duo
• MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow
• Giorgio Armani Khaki Pulse Eyes to Kill Intense

What’s your favorite brown eyeshadow?

Quick & Easy Natural Smoky Eye

This is a super quick, super easy smoky eye that’s not too dramatic and still natural.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base (neutral eyeshadow base), MAC Satin Taupe Eyeshadow (dark brown), MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow (medium brown), MAC Shroom Eyeshadow (highlighter), Urban Decay Zero 24/7 Liner (black), MAC Plushlash Mascara (black)
• Face: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (140), Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (translucent)
• Cheeks: Korres #15 Natural Blush (natural brown)
• Lips: MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick (nude), MAC Nymphette Lipglass (soft pink)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 116 (dense blush brush)

For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply Satin Taupe eyeshadow on the bottom third of the lid along the upper lash line. Lightly blend Soft Brown eyeshadow on the middle of the lid with the 239 and blend into and above the crease. Blend Shroom eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Zero liner on the lower lash line. Finish by sweeping lashes with Plushlash mascara.

For cheeks, apply #15 Natural blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply Velvet Teddy lipstick first, and then layer Nymphette lipglass for a complementing lip.

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Natural Makeup: Quick & Easy Browns

My days are all messed up. I thought it was going to be Saturday, so I thought a neutral look would make for a good Saturday post… but no, it’s Friday. Had I known that, I would have definitely done something brighter. Boo!  And yeah, the lip combo for this look is a pricey one, so you could try MAC Kinda Sexy or Honeylove lipstick with Nymphette lipglass on top for a more affordable version!  (I am just determined to start using and finishing some of my higher-end lipsticks/glosses!)

HAPPY FRIDAY!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot (neutral eyeshadow base), MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow (reddish champagne), MAC Soft Brown Eyeshadow (soft brown), MAC Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow (medium chocolate brown with red undertones), MAC Grain Eyeshadow (neutral highlighter), Urban Decay Underground 24/7 Liner (reddish brown), Fresh Supernova Mascara (black)
• Face: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (140), Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (translucent)
• Cheeks: Estee Lauder Peach Nuance Blush (coral-pink), Benefit Sugarbomb Blush (pinky-peach)
• Lips: Cle de Peau T2 Extra Rich Lipstick (browned nude), Cle de Peau #2 Lipgloss (champagne-peach)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 116 (dense blush brush)

For eyes, start by applying Soft Ochre paint pot as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply All That Glitters eyeshadow on the inner two thirds of the lid. Lightly blend Soft Brown eyeshadow on the outer third of the lid with the 239. Next, apply Swiss Chocolate eyeshadow into the crease with the 226, lightly blending onto the outer lid. Blend Grain eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Underground eyeliner on the lower lash line. Finish by sweeping lashes with Supernova mascara.

For cheeks, apply Peach Nuance blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116, then lightly pat Sugarbomb blush on the cheekbones for a little glow.

For lips, apply T2 lipstick first, and then layer #2 lipgloss for a complementing lip.

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