MAC Tartan Tale: Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
MAC Tartan Tale: Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Tartan Tale: Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette
Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette ($36.00) is a rather neutral, slightly warmed up palette.
This palette includes six eyeshadows: Bronze (copper penny), Buckwheat (frosty medium brown), A Dashing Lassie (metallic milk), Magical Mist (metallic taupe), Showstopper (dark brown), and Once Upon a Time (metallic vanilla).
- Bronze is a rich metallic bronze with a copper-bronze sheen. It has a frost finish, and it looks the same as the permanent shade of Bronze, despite the different descriptions. This is the nicest and most pigmented shade of the six–but you can get it on its own, too.
- Buckwheat is a medium-dark brown with soft green-gold shimmer. It has a frost finish, and it was originally launched with Naked Honey in 2009. The pigmentation is decent, but it could be a little richer. Sable seems like it would be the closest dupe from the permanent range.
- A Dashing Lassie is a frosted soft white with beige sheen. It has a frost finish. The pigmentation is decent, and it could be used as a highlighter on light to light-medium skin tones; it may be too ashy as a highlighter on darker skin tones. It’s similar to Dazzlelight, perhaps not as white.
- Magical Mist is a mushroom-y taupe with a metallic sheen. It has a lustre finish, but it doesn’t have the typical gritty texture of lustre eyeshadows–very little fall out as a result. I can’t think of any great dupes from the permanent range for this.
- Showstopper is a dark, cool-toned sooty brown. It has a matte finish, and it has been launched on numerous occasions. Even though it swatches rather sheer, it works decently as a crease shade to darken the lid. It’s just been in so many palettes and launches, I wouldn’t be surprised if you already had it somewhere in your stash!
- Once Upon a Time is a semi-sheer champagne. It has a veluxe pearl finish. It’s very sheer for a veluxe pearl–looks more like a lustre in terms of color pay off. It’s a more metallic version of Ricepaper.
The palette contains 0.19 oz. worth of eyeshadow along with a tiny 213 brush, which means you’re paying $190/oz. In comparison, if you were to buy potted eyeshadows, MAC eyeshadows run at $290/oz. and pans run at $230/oz. These palettes do offer a little more bang for your buck than if you were to buy shades individually.
The best part about this palette is how well the shades coordinate with each other. It’s very much variations on browns and beiges, and all but Bronze run on the neutral to neutral-cool end of the spectrum. Unfortunately, pigmentation seems to be lacking severely in two of the shades, and pigmentation is only top notch in one. I don’t think this palette is a must-have; at this price tag, I’d recommend Urban Decay’s Naked Palette instead for a solid neutral palette that’s not only a good deal but full of quality, too.
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- Product: 24/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: The shades go together well, but too many of them are on the sheerer side of things. Given MAC’s penchant for pigment, it seems at odds with what one would expect to see in their palette.
AVAILABILITY: October 28th at MAC Stores/Counters
MAC Tartan Tale: Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Tartan Tale: Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Tartan Tale: Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Tartan Tale: Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Tartan Tale: Dashing Lassies Eyeshadow Palette
Top row: A Dashing Lassie, Once Upon a Time, Magical Mist; Bottom row: Bronze, Buckhweat, Showstopper
Left to right, top to bottom: Magical Mist, Showstopper; Once Upon a Time, Buckwheat; A Dashing Lassie, Bronze
A Dashing Lassie, Once Upon a Time, Magical Mist
Bronze, Buckhweat, Showstopper
thanks for posting!
i love the last three colours, but unfortunately the first three don’t really do it for me.
so far, i think i have my eyes set on the ‘hark the heraldry face kit’ and possibly the pink lip kit? and i might have to snag the pink lip bag, along with the pink lip gloss set too probably. and then maybe some of the single lipsticks. ahhhh lip products are my weakness!
i wish they would come out with magical mist on their own.
Am I the only one that is passing on this collection?!? I think I’m getting the blush [the bright pink one] 3 cremesheen dazzle & that’s it..
Nothing stands out to me & thanks to you Christine I’m not getting the brush sets I was so exicted for. Thanks 😀
I like it. I may actually go and get it . There is a very famous makeup artist in Denmark who said blonde girls with pale skin(cool undertones) and blue eyes shouldn’t be using browns though so I’m not sure.
Thank you for great review and swatches
I’m, a blonde girl with pale skin and cool undertones and brown eyeshadow makes my blue eyes really stand out 🙂 so i’d say go for it!
I have tried COUNTLESS brown eyeshadows, until my MA at MAC told me that lots light pinks and lavenders would look amazing on my eyes. I thought it was another gimmick, but it turns out, GORGEOUS! I like Expensive Pink from MAC.
its a good neutral kit but nothing OMG!!
Gosh, they are really sheer… :/
From what I’ve seen online already I am again dissapointed with the purple palette… Can’t they for once make a decently pigmented purple eyeshadow set? 🙁
Thanks for the post, Christine. Been meaning to get this neutral set so was waiting for the swatch. There’s no urban decay at my place so do you think I should get this palette? I love neutrals…
I’d build your own neutral quad or get a 15-pan palette going, honestly! MAC has some fantastic neutrals in their permanent range.
Thank you so much for these posts Christine! I had almost purchased this set until I found you.
I’m a neutral girl and found MAC’s overall list of eye shadow shades overwhelming. Because of this I jumped ship to Bobbi Brown since it’s really hard to go wrong with the look I want.
Is there a list somewhere of MAC shades that are perfect brown neutrals with no shimmer? (or very little)
If you go to the MAC website, you can actually have it so it lists by the finish – if you have no shimmer, try Matte or Matte2, and if you want very little shimmer, you can check out Satins, too! 🙂 HTH!
Agree Shroom is on my list for that reason alone.
It would have been nice to have this comparable to the Naked Palette since it’s ridiculously hard to get ahold of. I could wear these since I’m ubber pale but it’s not a set I would go for since it seems unlike the shade depth could be buildable.
I agree they sure do, I made 3 neutral palettes using MAC colours from the permanent range.
Strangely enough, even though I am not really a fan of these colours, I realized that I have a dupe or more of each and every one of these colours. I think they have their place in a make-up collection of course. Safe and neutral.
I’m seeing a trend here…. this years collection is an average of a C… 🙁 I dont think im going to buy anything.
I was so excited for this palette after seeing the promo pics but I’ll pass
they seem way too sheer to show up well on the eye and the shades are similar to the naked palette
thanks for the review Christine!
I had this on pre-order but now I’m thinking I might cancel it as I already have Bronze, Sable, Shroom and Bisque so if it’s pretty much a compilation of those shades then I’d be wasting my money 🙁 I guess I just wanted a sad filler for the Naked palette *sigh*
Thanks Christine, appreciate your updates!
This is so sad.. this is like MY palette.. And yet most of the colors suck when swatched. Thanks so much Christine! you’re just saving me loads of money right now!
This was probably the only thing I was considering getting from this collection, but the more posts I see, the more disappointing it seems. I don’t think I’m going to get this. I might get it if I see it pop up at my local CCO, which a lot of last year’s holiday collection did and I ended up kicking myself for it.
It’s a bit ironic that NYX’s nude and purple e/s kits got B+ and MAC only gets a B-.
I disagree for the *one* reason you didn’t like this palette: that the pigmentation is too sheer. i think that is a narrow minded way to review this product. some people like having more sheer shadows to choose from. it’s easier to build… than to have to take away too much product. it’s not like these are pigments. and a palette full with pigmentation is a little much. sometimes it’s nice to have sheer options to go with more pigmented ones. just because every shadow doesn’t have high pigmentation, does not mean it is not a bad palette, or worthy of low marks. that is after all, your only gripe on this product. personally i love this, and i will be picking it up! so for all of you turning your nose up on a great thing… thanks! more for me!
Given MAC’s eyeshadow range and its motto, sheer shadows that hardly show up aren’t the norm. There’s also a huge difference between sheer and buildable and just plain ol’ sheer and poorly pigmented. The idea that all these shades are supposed to be ultra sheer doesn’t make any sense given MAC’s descriptions of the shades or their eyeshadow products in general. Even their neutral range is nicely pigmented, smooth, and easy to work with.
I’m glad the palette appeals to you, but I review very, very systematically and take it seriously. When I see a product that doesn’t match the brand’s description of it, I’m going to call on it. For instance, even the prettiest lipstick may be advertised as opaque may get a bad grade because it’s supposed to be opaque, not sheer.
My wallet feels so happy after seeing how much I don’t need or want many of the holiday items! And because I get to use that money on more hauling from Sephora! 🙂
I wanted this palette so bad until I saw your review Christine. Other blogs must have swatch the heck out of these colors because they looked sooooo pigmented and beautiful before I saw them here. Thank you so much for your honesty! These just seem way too sheer now. I’m sorry if this info is somewhere on your blog but can you explain how you swatch? One swipe with a brush on dry skin? One finger swipe? Thank you soooo much!
I use sponge applicators to apply, and then I use my finger to smooth it out. Maybe if I actually scraped off a layer of shadow, I could get something that looked more pigmented. I mean, trust me, I don’t LIKE wasting my money on products that suck, so I really try to make them work, but if they don’t, they don’t!
I don’t use fingers, because the oil will transfer into the product and can alter the surface.
Well this and the face brush set were my only two definite buys from this collection and I’ve now decided I don’t want either!! these are just too sheer and some are similar to ones in the Naked palette, which I already have! I’m hoping the individual items get better reviews cos i’ve got my eye on a few of them two.
Maybe MAC should stop putting out so many collections and put more effort into the ones they do release!!
i hate mac eyeshadow palettes because they have no pigmentation. i bought the smokey eye one holiday 2008 and it had no pigmentation or staying power. it also migrated to under my eyes (strangely) and made my eyelids itch. Now every time people rave about mac eyeshadow I’m like, are you serious? I have noticed this to be a trend in a lot of products though, that palettes are a much lower quality then their individual counterparts. I would suggest comparing the individual shawdow and the pallete before you buy. Maybe one day I’ll get over that pallette experience and give mac eyeshadows a try again, but as of right now, NO. I am very excited for the mini lipglasses though because the quality is the same and you get a bunch of different ones.
Good kit, but I still think that Urban Decay Naked Palette is still the best deal when it comes to neutrals.
I love your website Christine as I am an avid lurker lol but this collection is
B O R I N G!!! Is this really what MAC interprets as a stunning holiday collection…HA I laugh in the face of this collection lol
I saw this at my Mac store when I was doing my pre order and on my very fair skin tone the colors showed up pretty good so I put it on my list and because the tartan on it is similar to my families tartan, so I felt like I kinda had to buy it.
This has my name written all over it!!! It has just been added to my wishlist/might buy it myself as a treat heheh
I love neutrals and was excited for this palette, but after seeing swatches and hearing a mixed bag of reviews, I decided to skip this (and all the MAC palettes actually) and instead, I am buying the Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Palette and the Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye palette. So there, take that, MAC! LOL!
I love Bobbi Brown!
I’m relatively new to Bobbi Brown – – I’m not sure why I always passed by the counter without a second look, but lately as I am growing tired of MAC, I’ve taken a closer look and have become smitten. I’m going to a “master class” on Nov. 5 and am really excited!
Yep, same exact story for me too! I started using Bobbi about 6 months ago. My master class is Dec 3!
Browns are my favorite, I love this one.
Magical Mist looks amazing!
I was tempted to get this since I can’t find the UD naked palette. Any news on whether it will be available again soon?
Best to contact the retailer you’re hoping to buy it from! 🙂
I’m SO disappointed, this the palette I really wanted and since I don’t have eyeshadows I thought it would be a great base to build a kit on 🙁
I would get my own pallette but it is so expensive when you break down the costs..
Nice design on the lids…
I ended up getting this palette today. I read your review before I went to an actual store and figured this palette would be an easy pass, but I love to swatch everything, so I swatched this too. Surprisingly, the colors appeared pretty pigmented on my arm. I wanted to make sure, so I tested all the colors again, twice. At that point, I was still undecided. Then I commented on how pretty the MA’s eye makeup was, and asked her what colors she was wearing. She told me it was this Dashing Lassies Palette + MAC Wedge. It was very pretty and subtle. I am looking for possible colors for a bridal look, and the look that the MA created was exactly what I envisioned my bridal makeup to look like!
I swatched it in the store today and got a rich color pay-off from all colours…maybe they changed the formula for the official release?
I’m still undecided if I should buy this though, because 5,3g is just not very much product, but I’m running a bit low on basic shades so maybe I’ll take the splurge anyway.
I purchased this when it was released, so it’s not a sample or anything…
I thought you got a pre-release. But then the discrepancy is really hard to explain. I live in Europe but still they should all come from the same factory.
Btw I bought the palette today. Once Upon A Time looks a bit darker on my lid than I thought it would but A Dashing Lassie looks really nice – the colour I actually liked the least when I swatched it.
My first palette with browns and neutrals, I didn’t think it would suit me so well because of my brown eyes. But I’m very happy I got it.
Just as a sidenote: I wanted to look at the INCIs before buying it and the SA told me that MAC LEs don’t come with INCIs…well, at home I found them to be printed on a loose plate inside the packaging. Some SA just have no idea what they are selling.
Unlike Venomous, nothing was sold out at my Mac store today when I went in to take a look at this line first hand. I got this palette because I don’t have any dupes, somehow I grew to love this tartan packaging .. lol & when I questioned that the shadows in the palettes might be slightly inferior to the regular shadows, the woman swatched the bronze from both sources & they appeared to be exactly the same. So I was sold!
My parents got this for me for Christmas – It was my first eyeshadow ever. 🙂
I’m glad it got a decent review. I totally agree with you on Showstopper, it swatches super sheer! My Once Upon a Time and Magical Mist swatch much more opaque than that, which I guess is a good thing, though it’s odd. Bronze is my favorite color from the palette, I’m definitely picking up the full size when I hit pan!
I really like it and magical mist is really great!!! This is my favourite pallete 😉