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MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches (Archie's Girls)

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette ($44.00 for 0.19 oz.) contains four shades: Cheryl Chic (light coral pink), Dreammaker (pale frosty yellow), Caramel Sundae (mid-tone warm tan), and Showstopper (dark, cool-toned brown).

Cheryl Chic is a light-medium pink with warm, yellow undertones and a soft, frosted finish. It has a frost finish. It had good color payoff, and the texture was fairly soft and smooth. Tarte Skinny Dip is matte. NARS Bouthan #1 is lighter and matte. MAC Rose Light is a smidgen darker and more metallic. MAC Love Power is rather similar.

Dreammaker is a warm, yellow gold with a frosted finish. It has a frost finish officially. The color payoff was a little weak here, and there was some sheerness. It was also a little powdery both initially when I swatched as well as when I applied it to the lid; it really didn’t want to smooth out for me. This is also a repromote. bareMinerals The Rising Star is similar. Make Up For Ever #10 is more metallic and a touch darker.

Caramel Sundae is a softened, medium brown with a satiny sheen. It has a satin finish. There are warm tones to it, but they’re subtle and barely-there. It had decent to good color payoff, and it applied smoothly, but the texture was a touch dry. Giorgio Armani Moonlight Beige #3 is browner. Tarte Hot Cocoa is a touch grayer. Bobbi Brown Praline is a smidgen warmer.

Showstopper is a cool-toned, dark brown with a matte finish. It has a matte shade, and this is a shade that has come out many, many times pre-made palettes/quads. It has a firm, stiff texture that doesn’t yield great pigmentation and doesn’t blend out as easily as a really great matte would. theBalm Matt Ramirez has stronger red undertones. MAC Diamond Dove is similar. Tarina Tarantino Wonderful #5 is warmer.

None of the shades in this palette were as bad as the ones in Spoiled Rich, though the palette as a whole is just okay–not horrible but at the price point, you’d likely want better quality.  Cheryl Chic was the best-performing out of the four with Caramel Sundae coming in second.  Dreammaker was surprisingly troublesome from its powdery texture to its sheer color payoff.  Showstopper was a pain to blend and apply, though it was unsurprising given its past track record.  The real concern with this palette is whether or not it’s going to show up on your skin tone, because three of the shades are on the softer side.  On my lid, the three lighter shades really ran together, so I think this may only be workable on really fair complexions.  I wore all four shades together, and they lasted seven and a half hours before starting to have a slightly faded look.

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches (Archie's Girls)

C+
8
Product
8
Pigmentation
8
Texture
7
Longevity
4
Application
78%
Total

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Cheryl Chic Eyeshadow

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Cheryl Chic Eyeshadow

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Dreammaker Eyeshadow

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Dreammaker Eyeshadow

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Showstopper Eyeshadow

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Showstopper Eyeshadow

MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette

38 Comments

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fabiola Avatar

This makes me think a lot about getting it, I went to my MAC counter and put it on hold for next week, along with betty bright and girl next door lipsticks, and also cream soda blush. ha????????

Veronica Avatar

I thought that myself, until I double-checked the size of the MAC shadows and realized that they’re actually only 0.001 oz smaller than the full-size singles. At $14.50 a single, that would the palette at $58, which means you are still saving a bit on the amount. The regular quads go for $38 at the same amount, so the extra $6 is for the special packaging. (That doesn’t excuse the poor quality of the individual shades, of course.)

Christine Avatar

Although, you can purchase all permanent shades for $12 in pan form – $48. Since MAC raises prices across everything, it usually works out that buying a palette is more expensive than a pre-made one, but sometimes, the quality differential is worth the extra $4-10 to build your own. It’s the cost of choice, lol! Eyeshadows are $15 indivudally now and then quads are up to $40 as of Strength collection.

It’s one of those things where if only maybe one shade is a dud… no biggie. But ultimately it depends on what you want out of it and how you plan to use it. I think the $44 price point is too close to some of the other bestselling palettes by brands like UD, Too Faced, etc. e.g. you can grab one of UD’s Fun, Feminine, Dangerous palettes for $36 I believe and that contains 6 eyeshadows at 0.03 oz. each for 0.18 oz. It reinforces the idea that price doesn’t always equate to higher quality, and the higher the price and the less perfect it is, the harder it can be to justify buying!

Dani Avatar

You are such a hard worker! Have you been doing this since you woke up? I think this is a terrible rip-off by the way, that look is nothing special at all. I think I have some old Revlon shadows that would look more pigmented than that.

Jade Avatar

You’re right, Christine, NO ONE is surprised!! I do feel sorry for consumers who don’t read reviews, and who perhaps have good, solid eyeshadow colours from MAC’s permanent line, and then buy this expecting the same quality. It’s really very misleading.

Anonymous Avatar

Is it possible to de-pot the eyeshadows from this palette in put in new refills? I am considering getting this because the palette looks so cute, but if the eyeshadows are really this bad, then I was wondering if I could at least reuse the palette.

Anonymous Avatar

Oh wow, how did you do it? Did it spoil the packaging at all because if it does then it kind of defeats my purpose lol. Also, if I put in other refills, would they stay put? Thanks Annelise and Christine!

Alyson Avatar

not surprised but wanted it to be better.. i do like the colors. i use to have dream maker from it’s starflash days and i loved it. but it doesn’t seem to be the same quality in this set. too bad

Kathy Avatar

Really disappointed read that the palettes are subpar, as I just got into MAC and I ordered both in this collection, but I appreciate the honest reviews!

Amanda Avatar

I have Dreammaker still. The one from the Starflash and swatched it compared to what you posted. It’s not as sheer and powdery as the new version here is. Still the color payoff could be a bit better. At least with my pot of Dreammaker here. I was hoping they would be the same so I would have the color in the palette as well. That just seems like it’s not even close. It’s the same shade color with a different texture and finish. Strange. 🙁

sandra pass Avatar

I am so sorry, but I am not into looking like a clown.Natural looking colors that highlight your eyes without the clown look like shimmer and sparkles purple and yellow and pink etc. Yuck.So 70’s.Not cool.

Leticia Avatar

I love how you make a so-so palette look GREAT on you, Christine! However, I know I don’t have your skills, so I´m passing on this one. I wonder if MAC will ever launch again an ES palette that is worth the price. I’d rather save the money for a palette from another brand with more consistent quality or for individual ES of MAC’s permanent range.

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