MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette (Zac Posen) Review, Photos, Swatches
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette ($43.50 for 0.19 oz.) is a pink and plum-hued palette with a subdued gray in the mix. There are six shades, and two appear to be totally new-to-me, while three are repromotes from past releases (two are from larger permanent palettes) and one is permanent as a single (Phloof!). It’s decent, and I was able to use all six shades on their own with some success, but some of the shades are drier to work with.
Also, apologies for the close-up photos of the eyeshadows individually: I completely screwed up and forgot to take close-up shots altogether, so I had to make-do with the further away photo of the palette (they were already used, so I couldn’t re-shoot!).
Cozy Grey is described as a “soft white pearl [with a Matte finish].” It’s a subdued, light-medium taupe with subtle, cool undertones and a matte finish. (The official description didn’t make any sense to me.) It had good pigmentation with a soft, smooth consistency that was just a smidgen dusty but otherwise applied just fine. The color lasted for seven and a half hours before fading. Inglot #390 (P, $6.00) is lighter (95% similar). ColourPop Skinny Legend (LE, $4.50) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). Sydney Grace Speedway (P, $5.25) is darker (90% similar). Lisa Eldridge French Grey (P, $16.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Sous Le Sable #1 (PiP, ) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). Urban Decay Naked 2 (PiP, $19.00) is darker (85% similar). LORAC Black #1 (LE, $19.00) is lighter (85% similar). Urban Decay Combust (PiP, $19.00) is darker (90% similar). NARS Kingston (P, $19.00) is cooler (85% similar). Chanel Clair-Obscur #2 (PiP, ) is darker (85% similar). LORAC Sugar Cookie (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar). Buxom Designer or Die (P, $12.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar). Blackbird Cosmetics Dog Days (DC, $8.00) is darker (85% similar). KVD Beauty Lazarus (PiP, ) is darker (80% similar). MAC Camel Coat (DC, $23.00) is darker, cooler (80% similar). L'Oreal Café au Lait (P, $5.99) is more shimmery, darker (80% similar). KVD Beauty Night Crawler (LE, ) is darker (80% similar). ColourPop U Rock (PiP, $4.50) is darker, cooler (80% similar). Zoeva Never Ending (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (80% similar). Anastasia Stone (P, $12.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.
Performance Art is described as a “soft lilac with multi-pearl [with a Veluxe Pearl finish].” It’s a medium, mauve with a sparkly, frosted sheen. The consistency was drier and looser to work with, which gave it less opaque coverage and made it prone to sheering out on the skin. There was some fall out during application and a few stray sparkles during wear. It wore for seven hours. Dior House of Pinks #4 (LE, ) is lighter, cooler, lower quality (90% similar). NARS Dolomites (Left) (DC, $25.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar). ColourPop Prickly Pear (PiP, $6.00) is less shimmery (90% similar). Makeup Geek Twilight (DC, $6.00) is darker (90% similar). Giorgio Armani Flannel (08) (DC, $39.00) is lighter (90% similar). bareMinerals Catch Me If (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar). MAC Dress Me Up (LE, $17.00) is cooler (90% similar). Too Faced Winter Dream (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). MAC After Dusk (PiP, $17.00) is darker, brighter (85% similar). Tarte Make a Mauve (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (80% similar). Natasha Denona Glaze (12M) (PiP, $29.00) is more shimmery, lighter (80% similar). Cle de Peau Silver Eclipse #2 (PiP, ) is darker (80% similar). Tarte Poker Face (LE, $14.00) is more shimmery, darker (80% similar). Kevyn Aucoin Ultraviolet (LE, ) is lighter, cooler (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.
Palatable is described as a “deep frost-grey [with a Satin finish].” It’s a muted, medium-dark gray with subtle, neutral-to-warm undertones and a frosted sheen. It had good pigmentation with a soft, blendable texture that was a little dusty but didn’t look dry on the skin. This shade wore for eight hours on me. MAC Mindfiles (LE, $17.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar). MAC Rich Thrills (LE, $16.50) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Make Up For Ever ME108 Steel (P, $17.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar). Buxom Graphite Glam (LE, $12.00) is warmer (90% similar). bareMinerals Abracadabra (LE, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar). NARS Lysithea (P, $29.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). Pretty Vulgar Darkside (PiP, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar). Cle de Peau Les Annees Folles #4 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar). ColourPop Full Metal (DC, $4.50) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar). MAC Plum Darling (LE, $17.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar). NARS Titania (LE, $29.00) is darker (85% similar). LORAC Gunmetal (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, warmer (80% similar). MAC Knight Divine (P, $17.00) is darker (80% similar). Dior Smoking Blue #4 (LE, ) is darker (85% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.
Phloof! is described as a “frosted off-white [with a Frost finish].” It’s a bright, light peachy-pink with warm undertones and a frosted sheen. It had good pigmentation with a firmer, smooth consistency that applied well and lasted for eight hours. MAC Creamy Bisque (LE, $17.00) is lighter (95% similar). Maybelline Pure Nude (80) (LE, $6.99) is warmer (95% similar). Guerlain Les Tendres #1 (LE, ) is darker, more muted (95% similar). Make Up For Ever I526 Pearl Beige (DC, $21.00) is more muted (95% similar). MAC Sugar Rush (LE, $21.00) is cooler (95% similar). MAC Smoked Cocoa #1 (LE, $17.00) is darker (95% similar). Dior Dulcinee #1 (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar). MAC Apricot Blend #1 (LE, ) is warmer (95% similar). LORAC Nude (PiP, $19.00) is darker (90% similar). KVD Beauty Instaglam (LE, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar). ColourPop Acorn (P, $6.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). bareMinerals Nude Beach (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar). Cle de Peau Stardust #1 (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar). Cle de Peau Marmalade Sky #2 (PiP, ) is warmer (90% similar). bareMinerals Boss Lady (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar). Disney by Sephora Treasures Untold (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Laura Mercier Diamond Pink (LE, $23.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar). Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma (DC, $6.00) is warmer (90% similar). Stila Snowflake (LE, $18.00) is lighter (90% similar). MAC A Party of Pastels #2 (PiP, $21.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.
After Dusk is described as a “deep lilac [with a Veluxe Pearl finish].” It’s a muted, medium-dark rosy mauve with warm undertones and a pearly sheen. It had nice color payoff with a soft, blendable texture that wasn’t too firm or too soft. This was the best shade in the palette. It started to fade after eight hours of wear. Urban Decay Buzz (PiP, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar). theBalm Just This Once Jamie (P, $16.00) is more muted, cooler (90% similar). Anastasia Blossom (LE, $12.00) is cooler (90% similar). NARS Orgasm (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Inglot #399 (P, $7.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar). Smashbox Posh (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar). MAC Star Violet (P, $17.00) is darker (80% similar). Le Metier de Beaute Smoky Quartz (LE, $30.00) is lighter (85% similar). City Color Ladylike (P, $6.99) is darker (85% similar). Anastasia B4 (Norvina Vol. 4) (LE, $12.00) is more shimmery, lighter, brighter (85% similar). Make Up For Ever I838 Slate Pink (DC, $21.00) is less shimmery, cooler (85% similar). Chanel Abstraction (LE, $32.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar). Dior Aurora (825) (LE, $32.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar). MAC Lingering Dusk (LE, $17.00) is lighter (85% similar). NARS Mojave #1 (PiP, $19.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar). ColourPop Wattles (P, $6.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar). MAC Performance Art (LE, $17.00) is lighter, more muted (85% similar). MAC Mineral Mode (LE, $21.00) is more shimmery, more muted (80% similar). NARS Parallel Universe (Left) (DC, $25.00) is more shimmery, lighter (80% similar). MAC Trax (P, $17.00) is less shimmery, darker (80% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.
Mauve Over is described as a “soft mid-tone mauve [with a Veluxe Pearl finish].” It’s a muted, dark plum-purple with warm undertones and a satin sheen. It had decent coverage, but it was drier and harder to blend out. This one also tended to fade soon after applying it to the lid (before I finished my makeup), so it lost a lot of the contrast it could have had when paired with the rest of the shades. After that initial fading, I don’t notice a real breakdown of the product until seven and a half hours. Marc Jacobs Beauty The Free Spirit No. 16 (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar). Guerlain Rose Barbare #5 (DC, ) is darker (90% similar). Dior Capital of Light #5 (LE, ) is darker (90% similar). MAC Slow as You Glow (LE, $17.00) is darker (85% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Seductive Rose #4 (PiP, ) is darker, warmer (85% similar). Dior Magnify #5 (PiP, ) is darker, brighter (85% similar). Smashbox Eggplant (LE, ) is darker (85% similar). MAC Trusted Instinct #3 (LE, ) is warmer (85% similar). Cle de Peau Golden Lace #1 (LE, ) is darker (85% similar). Tarte Show Plum Love (LE, ) is darker, warmer (85% similar). Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Overlook (DC, $14.00) is darker (85% similar). MAC Double Feature #1 #2 (LE, $17.00) is darker (85% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Virgin Orchid #4 (PiP, ) is darker, cooler (85% similar). Viseart Beaujolais (Dark Matte #6) (PiP, ) is darker (85% similar). Chanel Delicatesse #4 (LE, ) is darker, warmer (85% similar). MAC Abu (LE, $17.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (80% similar). Anastasia Rosette (P, $12.00) is more shimmery (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.
Eye Z You
LELimited Edition. $43.50.
Cozy Grey
PPermanent. $17.00.
Performance Art
LELimited Edition. $17.00.
Palatable
LELimited Edition. $17.00.
Phloof!
PPermanent. $17.00.
After Dusk
PiPPermanent in Palette. $17.00.
Mauve Over
LELimited Edition. $17.00.
See more photos & swatches!
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Cozy Grey Eyeshadow
MAC Cozy Grey Eyeshadow
MAC Performance Art Eyeshadow
MAC Performance Art Eyeshadow
MAC Palatable Eyeshadow
MAC Palatable Eyeshadow
MAC Phloof! Eyeshadow
MAC Phloof! Eyeshadow
MAC After Dusk Eyeshadow
MAC After Dusk Eyeshadow
MAC Mauve Over Eyeshadow
MAC Mauve Over Eyeshadow
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Eye Z You Eyeshadow Palette
Pretty palette, but if the cranberry shade isn’t good, it’s not worth my getting it. I think this is pretty dupable.
I wish the darker purple was stronger/more intense. It just seems to get lost applied–and you’d think it would stand out.
Agree Rachel. I love the colour story for the palette, but the poor performance on the deep berry shade has killed it for me.
I want to love this collection, he was the designer of my prom dress, but this collection is blah and basic to me.
Oh no 🙁
I really don’t need another palette with these shades. But I still really want it anyway. Since your review doesn’t indicate it’s stellar, I may think about it for a while before I pull the trigger next week. I’ve actually been buying more MAC lately, I love their Sheen Supreme Lipstick, and have been replacing some of the shades I got rid of in other brands that I felt were drying/not for me/etc.
For as dusty/dry some shades were, it came together and looked better on the lid than I expected, but it still took more effort than I’d expect!
Michelle, speaking of MAC, I swatched the Flamingo Park collection in store. I found your pic that you posted in the Looks section. You have nice skin! I’m light/light medium, about 1-2 shades darker than you, with cool, yellow undertones, brown eyes, and black hair. For blush, I can wear many pinks. I bought the blush in Spring Flock, it is a pretty soft coral apricot pink that’s very brightening on the face. I’m thinking of buying a backup as all of the close dupes were either LE, scored lower, or are more expensive. What I Fancy blush is similar, but lighter and drier, more white based. Life’s A Picnic is a bright coral red pink blush, pretty but need to use a light hand, as it’s very pigmented, but it goes well with the lipstick Nice To Meet You, which goes well with the lipliner Chic Trick. Let’s Be Friends blush is pretty too but I have several dupes for it. Pink Swoon was dry and hard, could barely get any pigment out of it, but could be a bad batch, as Temptalia gave it an A-. For lips, I look good in brown pinks, berry pinks, and purple pinks, but usually awful in light, pastel, cool, peachy, or coral pinks b/c of yellow undertones. I got Have Your Cake, and it’s a bold, matte magenta purple pink that looks good on me, harder to dupe, and leaves a lasting stain behind. It is drying on me, so I had to dot lip balm on top, but I’ve read several reviews, and no one mentioned any issues with dryness, so could be me. I think this could be an interesting color on you, as it will contrast with your (green?) eyes. Temptalia did list BITE 010 October shade as a 93% dupe, and I swatched them side- by- side, and BITE definitely has more purple while the MAC one is more pink. The closest matching lipliner I could find in my stash was Colour Pop Grind, which is more purplish but I like purple. I thought This Could Be Fun blush would be a good match for my lipstick, but I already have Colour Pop Homie, and it’s a very close dupe, except Homie is slightly more purple. I can’t wear Long Legged, Silly, or St. Germain as they wash me out and/or clash with my yellow undertones, but you might have better luck since you are fairer and look more neutral in tone. Compared to my face, my lips are pretty big, so I think Be Silly (bold hot pink) will be too much on me. If you like Be Silly lipstick, the lipliner Embrace Me seems to go well with it. The jury is still out on Flocking Fabulous (maybe) and also on Please Me lipstick, as my swatch seemed to have more brown in it than Temptalia’s, so might be able to pull it off, but it’s permanent, so I can wait. If you like shimmery, glittery purple pink glosses, Playful Petal is very pretty and reminded me very much of the Sephora Holographic Lip Gels, which were LE. I couldn’t swatch Fashion Flock lipstick or Oh My Blush, as those are MAC online exclusives, but Temptalia reviewed those. If you’re trying to narrow down your buy list, Temptalia listed which items were permanent vs. LE in the post dated 1-21-16. Hope this helps
Wow Katherine, thank you! I can’t remember what pic I posted on this site but I’m recalling it wasn’t great. You are more than welcome to go to my FB page, it’s open, and I think you can find it at binx.cat.100. My pics are quotes and the banner is, of course, cosmetic related!
I’m going to look back at your suggestions when I have time to drop things in my MAC wish list. Yes, my eyes are green and my hair is dark brown with cool red (although I have a hair appt tomorrow with a new stylist so hopefully it’s dyed the same!) I try not to buy many warms although I have some. For some reason, as I get older, I’m seeming to be more of a cool than a neutral which I was for my entire life. I dyed my hair black for a lot of years (eyebrows are naturally black). Oh, and I did buy Long Legged…not so sure if I can pull it off either. It may end up being a giveaway or one I mix out with something else, esp. since I also found it drying.
I really love these plummy-rosy shades, very green-hazel eyes friendly! Wondering whether you feel these could be worth it over primer? Which I need to wear with every single eye look anyhow. It’s the bane of hooded, oily lids, I’m tellin ya!
Better over primer, maybe B+. Still a little weak re: pigmentation/texture.
This is the kind of palette I really want to love! But it always seems like there are several shades that underperform, and inevitably they’re the ones I don’t own anything similar to. :/
Aww!
This collection is turning out to be a dud, save 1 or 2 lipsticks. Too bad.
Not a big collection but definitely not impressive 🙁
This is an odd collab. Zac Posen’s designs are edgier than this.
Oh, that’s a bummer to hear!
I find this palette to be so lovely! I own a lot of similar shades though, and I’m not a huge fan of the packaging.
I like the concept a lot! I think the shades work well together, though that darker purple needs to be truer to pan applied for contrast.
It’s ok, not great. Nice purplish plum colors for fall, wish the formula was better, but sounds like it’s workable with primer or cream shadow base.
Exactly!
This seems very similar to the Cinderella palette. While I adore that palette, and I really like the shades here, I don’t know that this is different enough to justify purchase. I could probably dupe this well enough,
I bet you have dupes, Lacey!
This is better than I expected! But, I draw the line typically at a B+. I do like the color combo and a primer may help it out. IDK, Ill have to think and check out the dupes.
Definitely look for dupes!
I think I can dupe it. I’m passing on this one. Thanks for the review and advice.
I could really enjoy a cool-toned gray and plum eyeshadow palette; it seems kind of depressing to me that even pinks and grays are warm nowadays!
It would be awesome to get a genuinely cool-toned palette someday!
Doubt it will come from MAC. ?
Yes, it would!
Darn, I was hoping this palette worked out better. I haven’t bought a small Mac palette in quite some time. I just liked the combo from the pics I had seen for some reason…not that I need another phloof-like color! now that I think of it, I’m sure I have something in my nars palettes with similar colors from olderish releases.
I’m glad you have something similar in your stash already, Alisha!
I felt excited. I wanted to reach out to touch them. I kept going. I feel nothing. If all were A+ quality than what a palette! But dupey. It seems cheap as if it looks better than the whole thing is in person. If these shades weren’t being put to death in everything already:maybe. I need to be moved. Why did Phloof have frosted white description? Always been peachy pink sheen. Purple hard to get right.Plum though. Why? How? ?
I’m not sure! I find it is a little more pink-leaning (in the past) than this one, though it’s not totally outside the range I’ve seen it.
I like it. Nancy T is correct- this is a green eyed gals special! Thanks Christine for the quick posts. Always appreciated!
No problem, Trish!
It’s a nice palette but I already have Laura Mercier’s Artist Eye Palette, the purple one, which I love and it’s better quality.
Perfect 🙂
Good to know that none of these pieces will be making it into my collection! I think I’ll just wait for Flamingo Park to come out. I wonder if the description for Cozy Grey is just like a technical mix-up? I remember that when MAC Cinderella was released here (Australia), the websites listed one of the lipstick as ‘Secret Lover’, even though that wasn’t part of the collection — I asked about it to make sure, and they attributed it to being a glitch of some sort (not that they fixed it). So perhaps that could be it! Maybe MAC put in the wrong description, who knows. 🙂
I’m guessing it is some sort of mix-up!
Really lovely for purple/plum lovers but the key colour – the cranberry shade is poor. So the rest is redundant.
Gorgeous eye look Christine.
Thank you, Genevieve!
Really disappointed with packaging . Looks kind of like something from Estée Lauder .
That’s too bad!
I like the shades but the cranberry shade is the sticker in my craw. This needed to be better to entice me to buy!
I totally understand, Erin!
I literally have 3 of these shades already, and it seems I can dupe the other 3 from my current MAC stash (at least 90%, if not closer!), so this is a solid pass.
Perfect 🙂
At least After Dusk got an A- grade from you as I think most MAC palettes I’ve seen don’t perform well. Why is that so? hehehe. Butttt i still want to have this palette. Crazy kitty! 😛 Thanks for the swatches as always! xx
They have been a little better recently, but they aren’t solid yet!
Their packaging and description are trying to say that Cozy Grey is Veluxe Pearl finish, that is so obviously matte…
Mine is a press sample, so the label might not finalized yet. I know that it was listed as a matte in the prior release!
Better than expected and suits me more than the adorable Flamingo collection. But not worth stalking. A tad underperforming, though the colors are well curated. (Did I say that, gag me!). One of the true benefits of T is using the dupes to pull out stash members that come from different sources/palettes. Like Nightcrawler, Twilight, FS 16, Gunmetal, and get Slate Pink and Cozy Gray. It’s tough to think up combos from different palettes, unless those colors are in current rotation and easily visible. Your dupes help me pull things together nicely. And often save me from myself in the overspend department!
It is funny that now a B for a MAC palette is better than expected. Funny and sad at the same time!
Ah finally I will save some money. Major pass !!
Phew!
Such pretty colors, especially After Dusk! I just wish the overall quality was better.
Same here!
I was hoping that purple would be more intense!
Me too!
Oh, so disappointing! I was looking forward to read your review and I really hoped these would perform well… I love these colours, it’s a good combo of shades also. Might give it a go with a primer. (Or check out the dupes!)
A primer would definitely help!
Hope we ll get it in Europe!
I’m surprised by how weak Mauve Over is! That’s disappointing. After Dusk is a great color, though, and a few of these name are cute also.
I was, too, Chris!
I can’t make my mind up regarding this palette, I love the colours, but when the, for me, star colour (Mauve Over), is questionable, and I have some dupes, and Phloof, I just don’t know. It’ll probably be a no. Pity though, it looks so good.
It looks like a slightly cooler and lighter version of TF quad Orchid Haze. Swatches look good to me.
I want to buy it, because of the packaging and the colours. But I guess I will have to wait for another month, since I’ve been burning my wallet these past few months on MAC. Time to budget! ?
Enjoy, Tanvi!