MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad Review, Photos, Swatches

MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad ($46.00 for 0.04 oz.) is a bluish take on a smoky eye–a mix of silvery white, pale blue, light-medium blue, and black. The first three shades were decent, while the last shade was a pain to work with for a myriad of reasons. The Mineralize Eyeshadow formula is wet/dry, and it is designed to have sheerer coverage applied dry while stronger color payoff requires working with the product using a damp brush; this isn’t always an extra step everyone wants to do, but it’s absolutely necessary with this palette if you want opaque coverage, so keep that in mind!

Dark Energy #1 is a bright, silvery white with cool undertones and a frosted finish. It had semi-opaque coverage both dry and damp; the only difference seemed to be that the finish became more metallic when applied damp. The texture was soft, smooth, and blendable. The color lasted for six and a half hours dry, seven hours damp. Buxom Velvet Snow (LE, $12.00) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar). MAC Treasure Me (LE, $20.00) is cooler (95% similar). Guerlain Cygne Blanc #2 (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar). NARS Rue Allent (Left) (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar). MAC Holy, Holy (LE, $22.00) is lighter (95% similar). MAC Letty Lynton (LE, $18.00) is more shimmery (95% similar). Make Up For Ever ME122 Snow (DC, $21.00) is lighter (95% similar). Cle de Peau Les Annees Folles #8 (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar). BH Cosmetics Club Tropicana #14 (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar). Chanel Tisse Jazz #2 (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar). Sephora + Pantone Universe Antique White (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar). ColourPop Tassel (LE, $6.00) is lighter (90% similar). MAC A Party of Pastels #1 (PiP, $21.00) is darker (90% similar). Tom Ford Beauty First Frost #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar). Guerlain Les Nuees #2 (LE, ) is brighter (90% similar). NARS Silver Screen #4 (PiP, $19.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Clarins Garden Escape #1 (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar). Make Up For Ever ME202 Iceberg Blue (DC, $21.00) is darker, brighter (90% similar). MAC Pretty Punk'd (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). NYX Frostbite (P, $6.00) is cooler (85% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Dark Energy #2 is a muted, light cloudy blue with subtle, cool undertones and a frosted sheen. Applied dry, it had sheer coverage and looked more white than blue; it also wore for six hours before fading. Applied damp, it had mostly opaque coverage with a stronger blue tint, and it started to fade after seven hours of wear. Make Up For Ever ME202 Iceberg Blue (DC, $17.00) is more shimmery (95% similar). Dior Blue Garden #3 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar). Dior Parisian Sky #4 (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar). ColourPop Daze (LE, $6.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). theBalm #34 (P, $6.50) is lighter (90% similar). Wet 'n' Wild Water (LE, $6.99) is darker (90% similar). ColourPop A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes (LE, $6.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar). ColourPop Talented (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar). ColourPop Hot Copic (LE, $4.50) is warmer (90% similar). Dior Blue Beat #3 (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar). ColourPop Astromech (LE, $9.00) is darker (90% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Starry Night #1 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker, more muted (85% similar). ColourPop Ember (LE, $6.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar). ColourPop Feelin' Wavy (PiP, $4.50) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar). Glaminatrix Mermaid Scales (P, ) is more shimmery, warmer (85% similar). ColourPop Dime Piece (PiP, $4.50) is more shimmery (85% similar). Smashbox Sky (P, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar). MAC Rondelle (LE, $17.00) is less shimmery, darker, more muted (85% similar). ColourPop Fluffy (LE, $4.50) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). Sephora Sweet Dreams (17) (DC, $10.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Dark Energy #3 is a light-medium blue with cool undertones and a frosted finish. It had semi-sheer pigmentation and six-hour wear when applied dry. Applying the eyeshadow damp yielded more opaque coverage with a stronger sheen, and it stayed on better at seven hours of wear. The texture was soft, smooth, and blendable. ColourPop Bassline (P, $4.50) is more muted (95% similar). Fenty Beauty Muva's Boy (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (95% similar). Sephora Blue Rhythm (LE, ) is lighter (90% similar). BH Cosmetics Foil Eyes 2 #22 (PiP, ) is warmer (90% similar). Anastasia Blue Moon (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar). NABLA Cosmetics Freestyler (P, $8.00) is darker, more muted (85% similar). Inglot #429 (P, $7.00) is darker, brighter (85% similar). Smashbox Sky (P, ) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar). MAC Hopper Blue (LE, $17.00) is darker, more muted (85% similar). Sephora + Pantone Universe Citadel (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, more muted (85% similar). Sephora Sweet Dreams (17) (DC, $10.00) is warmer (85% similar). Milani Bella Sky (08) (P, $4.49) is less shimmery, darker (80% similar). MAC Bright Moon (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery, darker (80% similar). Urban Decay Seattle (LE, $19.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). CoverGirl Ice Flame (345) (P, $7.99) is less shimmery, darker (80% similar). Bobbi Brown Iced Blue (LE, $22.00) is lighter (85% similar). MAC Water & Ice #1 (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, darker (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Dark Energy #4 is a sooty black with cool undertones and a satin finish. Unfortunately, while the rest of the palette was decent, this one was a major let-down due to a very dusty, thin texture that was hard to apply and blend out on the skin, as it would adhere to some places but not others. MAC Nutcracker (LE, $17.00) is more shimmery (95% similar). Tarte Black Tie Beauty (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar). Kevyn Aucoin Black (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar). Tarte Black Velvet (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar). Lancome It list (PiP, $19.00) is darker (90% similar). Chanel Tisse Jazz #4 (LE, ) is darker (90% similar). ColourPop The Capricorn (P, $4.50) is warmer (90% similar). Marc Jacobs Beauty Catwalks (LE, ) is darker, warmer (85% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Mink Mirage #4 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Dark Energy Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Dark Energy #1 Mineralize Eyeshadow
MAC Dark Energy #1 Mineralize Eyeshadow

MAC Dark Energy #1 Mineralize Eyeshadow
MAC Dark Energy #1 Mineralize Eyeshadow

MAC Dark Energy #2 Mineralize Eyeshadow
MAC Dark Energy #2 Mineralize Eyeshadow

MAC Dark Energy #2 Mineralize Eyeshadow
MAC Dark Energy #2 Mineralize Eyeshadow

MAC Dark Energy #3 Mineralize Eyeshadow
MAC Dark Energy #3 Mineralize Eyeshadow

MAC Dark Energy #3 Mineralize Eyeshadow
MAC Dark Energy #3 Mineralize Eyeshadow

MAC Dark Energy #4 Mineralize Eyeshadow
MAC Dark Energy #4 Mineralize Eyeshadow

MAC Dark Energy #4 Mineralize Eyeshadow
MAC Dark Energy #4 Mineralize Eyeshadow

20 Comments

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Fran Avatar

I really love those blues, especially #3. Since I rarely use black anyway, I’m going to think about this one. I really need to consider how willing I am to work with them damp, both for this and for Full Orbit. It’s just so rare to see two palettes in the same collection with mostly my colors in them! Somehow I picture them mixing with my primer and ending up with a mess when I apply them damp, but I suspect that isn’t really going to happen.

Katherine T. Avatar

Total pass for me. I don’t mind a frosty white on my inner corner, but not 3 shades of it on my lids, and that’s a horrible-looking black (is that Carbon in disguise??). I think MAC also needs to re-think the price of their quads. At $6 for an individual shadow, I could build a much better custom quad for $24, don’t have to pay $46 for this crappy one.

Nicole Avatar

What a bummer. This could be a really pretty palette. But, the black is ruining it. This is reminding me of that Chanel Blues jazz palette (or whatever it was called) . I don’t do blues a lot. But, I feel with something subdued and smokey like this, I may actually take the leap. But, if it’s a pain in the rear-I’m out.

KJH Avatar

Like the other quads in this issue, most have little variation, and in this case, the fourth shade is useless. Well, if you like it, get it, but pull out the darkest shade from UDNB 1 or2, or your MUFE black. Easy to solve, but why have to? These have been underwhelming, and I see CCO in their future. The lips look like early 60s, something pre-Beatles, kind of been there, done that, and hardly futuristic to me. The MSFs: big shame about the dark one, the rest, kind of meh. Not MAC’s best work.

Helene Avatar

What a pity. This quad looked quite tempting.
I liked the idea of a cool blue, almost icy shade for spring and summer. Sort of cooling in the heat.

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