MAC Eyeshadow Swatches – Purples
MAC Parfait Amour Eyeshadow
MAC Eyeshadow Swatches – Purples
Here are several swatches of MAC eyeshadows from the purple family (mostly permanent shades) that are now part of The Swatch Gallery.
Parfait Amour is a cool-toned, blue-based purple with a frost finish. It’s hard to work with, just because the color payoff is low. Inglot #379 is similar in color but it has a matte finish.
Cobalt is a bright blue-indigo with a matte finish. It was a PRO shade but is no longer available. It is a powdery shade. It’s a lighter version of Atlantic Blue.
Beautiful Iris is a soft lilac with a veluxe pearl finish. Such a lovely inner corner highlight shade!
Digit is an ultra pale lilac with a satin finish. It’s much lighter than Beautiful Iris. Inglot #440 is similar, not quite as light, and it has more of a metallic finish in comparison.
Indian Ink is a dark purple with strong, cool undertones and a matte finish. This is a PRO shade.
Graphology is a blackened bluish-purple with a Matte2 finish. It reads more purple in the pan than it does when swatched. It has been discontinued.
Fig. 1 is a plummy eggplant purple with a Matte2 finish.
Vibrant Grape is a brightened raspberry-tinged plum with a satin finish.
Plum Dressing is a raspberry plum with a veluxe pearl finish.
Hepcat is a raspberry pink with a fuchsia-purple sheen. It has a frost finish. It’s less red-based and cooler-toned in comparison to Plum Dressing.
Seedy Pearl is an iridescent pinky-lilac with a frost finish.
Stars ‘n Rockets is a fuchsia-pink with an iridescent violet sheen. It has a veluxe pearl finish. It is similar to Urban Decay Fishnet, which is more pigmented.
The best shades in this selection of purples are Beautiful Iris, Digit, Fig. 1., Plum Dressing, and Seedy Pearl. I am a huge fan of Stars ‘n Rockets, but Urban Decay’s Fishnet is a more pigmented version–so it’s a good shade but not the best. Vibrant Grape is finicky, so it can be difficult to work with, as it is a drier matte. Parfait Amour is the worst of the purples swatched in this post. You can check out the progress made on the MAC Cosmetics Eyeshadow Swatch Gallery–I think it’s really coming along. I have a few more palettes to go through of mostly permanent shades, which at this point are browns/neutrals overall. After that, I’ll move on to re-swatching limited edition shades.
MAC Parfait Amour Eyeshadow
MAC Cobalt Eyeshadow
MAC Beautiful Iris Eyeshadow
MAC Digit Eyeshadow
MAC Indian Ink Eyeshadow
MAC Graphology Eyeshadow
MAC Fig 1 Eyeshadow
MAC Vibrant Grape Eyeshadow
MAC Plum Dressing Eyeshadow
MAC Hepcat Eyeshadow
MAC Seedy Pearl Eyeshadow
MAC Stars ‘n Rockets Eyeshadow
Wooh! Indian Ink is beautiful… never noticed that one.
You read my mind! I’ve never noticed it either, but I really like it.
Srsly! My mind was just blown away! :O
i disagree with your assessment of parfait amour. usually when i work with this shade i take a mascara wand and i shave the eye shadow to make a pigment out of it. then i pack it on to the eye. when i find a shadow hard to work with this is the technique that i usually use and it works. all of MACs eye shadows are beautiful.
That’s the point… It doesn’t have a good payoff. You shouldn’t have to do (scraping it) that or any other technique in order to make a eyeshdow you paid good money for to work. The eyeshadow itself isn’t that great. People don’t buy a eyeshdow expecting they’re going to have to chip away at it in order for it to be decent. As for all mac colors being beautiful, that’s a personal opinion. I’ve seen some really ugly colors. I like mac but their quality has gone down, especially their limited edition collections.
Thanks for all this hard work, Christine!
I have heard a few people say parfait amour is tricky to work with but I love it. Prob my favourite colour of all time. I wear it with blue noir and it brings out my green eyes and I get lots of complements. I also love stars and rockets which I got after seeing it on this site!
Thank you for doing this Christine, I was interested in buying the 15 piece eyeshadow palette and I had no idea what any of the colors look like, but now I do! The girls at the Mac by my house in NJ are very rude and do not like to help you unless you buy their products! 🙁 Also, I just ordered Star’s and Rockets the other day b/c the look you’ve done with it are wonderful! Thank you for all you do.
Hey Christine! Where does Contrast fit in? I didn’t see it in the purples or the blues from yesterday! Most awesome shade ever!
I probably don’t have it – if I don’t have it, I can’t swatch it. I don’t own all of MAC’s eyeshadows! Sorry!
Ah Christine you HAVE to get Contrast – such a beautiful shadow with an awesome texture. Pairs nicely with Blue storm (stormwatch collection maybe?), that Metal-Blu cream shadow, Deep Truth, and Freshwater. Can’t rate it highly enough!
I probably swapped Contrast, as I had a limited edition shade that was far better, if I remember correctly. I will probably get whatever ones I’m missing once I can figure that out so I can swatch. I never was a big fan of it, though 🙁 The texture was very hard!
I second this. I first got Contrast over 10 years ago and its been a staple ever since. Its beautful!
Hmm . . . I’m underwhelemed, especially compared to Inglot, UD, and even Wet N Wild. Thanks for the swatches, Christine!
Tell me if I’im wrong but I think fig.1 is a pro shade
You can buy it online – http://www.maccosmetics.com/search/esearch.tmpl?search=fig&search_submit.x=0&search_submit.y=0
No fig.1 is not a pro color, I live in Colorado and we have no pro stores here 🙁 the tragedy lol…. I picked it up at a regular MAC store a few years back.
If you have a Sephora, maybe you’ll find some dupes in the make up for ever line 🙂
Fig 1 is not a pro shade. You can get it at any free standing Mac store for sure. I am not sure, however, if it is sold on counters or not. There are some shades that are mac store only, and not carried on counters.
I have the vibrant grape, just bought it at a CCS(CCO) last week. I think it’s going to look great once I find out what I want to pair it with
I own Plum Dressing and it’s really a great color. I rarely say this about MAC shadows. 🙂 I like wearing it with Sally Girl Mauve e/s and Star Violet.
I need hepcat.. It looks perfect for green eyes, maybe plum dressing. Is plum dressing similiar to cranberry? I already have cramberry.
Cranberry is redder 🙂
I’ve got zero problems with Parfait Amour, it’s my favourite purple and I think it’s totally work-able…
Now, I have to buy Stars ‘n’ Rockets! It’s your must have purple from the MAC Must Haves Series and the swatch is so gorgeous! And purple is my favorite color! Got to go see if you have tutorials/looks with it….
Lots 🙂 http://www.temptalia.com/tag/mac-stars-n-rockets-eyeshadow
do you have crystal??? it’s a greyish purple…. i think 🙂
Christine you need Nocturnelle! Its my favorite shade of purple from MAC. However, the texture really sucks (its super hard) and its difficult to work with. I’ve been trying to find a more workable dupe but have yet to come across one!
I have both fishnet and stars n rockets, but I prefer stars n rockets is softer and nicer to me and less purple than fishnet
Out of all these swatches you’ve done, every single e/s I’ve liked has been discontinued or is a PRO shade. Grrr.
christine (or anyone one) – can you give me some suggestions for how I can wear plum dressing and make it work? I’ve had the color for years but have worn it probably once because it makes it look like i have a bruised eye (Asian, fair, probably nc25-nc30). I think maybe it’s more of a reddish purple? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as i’d hate for such a pretty color to go to waste.
You could try pairing it with a really light champagne or yellow-y gold, to give it warmth!
Thank you!
Those eyeshadows look horrible! Horrible pigment, texture, and they look gritty. Uck.
This makes me wonder why i always thought MAC did the best eyeshadows :/
Stars ‘n Rockets was my first MAC eyeshadow..and still probably my favorite! Layering it over Urban Decay’s 24/7 pencil in Asphyxia really helps bring out the gorgeous color.
Hi Christine, no overall mark?
I loved the marjority of the shades, but Parfait Amour and Cobalt seemed too chalky
Hm, I gave an ex of Parfait Amour to my friend and that’s not hard to work with.
Thanks Christine! I noticed you didn’t mention star violet, one of my faves! It’s veluxe pearl I believe and it looks great with green or hazel eyes!
BTW, I agree with the others, I must have Indian Ink! How do I get it if I don’t have a pro store nearby?
You can call any PRO store or the PRO 1-800 number and order via the phone + they will ship it to you (shipping is $7 flat, no matter how much/little you buy)!
I think they may have changed their shipping policy: http://www.maccosmetics.com/macpro/cms/functional/customerservice.tmpl
I usually call a store – I know stores are $7! 🙂
This is wonderful! Really helpful! Tks a lot, Christine! I’m looking for a matte (light) lavender eyeshadow. I’m not sure if MAC has / had a good one. Any suggestions?
Lovely colours. Like all of ’em!
Another subsitute for Parfait Amour, if you don’t like the texture of it, is Cornflower Pigment. Its basically the same color, but with a little more shimmer. Its really pretty. I purchased it becauase, liks a few other people have said, I did not care for the texture of PA, but still really liked the color.
I totally agree about Parfait Amour. I think it’s a great color but the pay off is really poor. 🙁
does anyone know if Indian Ink compares to mac signed sealed?
I just bought Cobalt in a MAC PRO store (I am fond of this colour) and the sellers told me they just recieved their last order from MAC. I swatched Cobalt in the store and it was as powdery as you said Christine, but the one I have is a dream to work with. Not powdery at all, blendable, true-to-pan colour. So maybe MAC improved some of their existing eyeshadows.
Hey Christine! How many times are you rubbing your finger on the eyeshadow before swatching it on your skin? I ask because if I rub/glide my finger on the eyeshadow just once, the color payoff is never as good as yours 🙁
I don’t rub my finger on the eyeshadow – that’s probably why. I only rub the product on the skin, but I don’t put my finger to the actual pan of eyehadow. I loosen the eyeshadow powder, flip the eyeshadow upside down so that the loose powder is on my arm, then I smooth out with my finger. If you put your finger in the pan, you’ll notice how much pigment is on the tip of your finger – but then there is a lot less that transfers!
Hi! I imagine you receive a lot of swatch request…so excuse me! 🙂 I’d love to know if Stars n’ rockets is similar to Purple Shower (limited edition)..can you tell me if they are similar? thank you in advance!
Purple Shower has no real shimmer or sheen, so they look pretty different!
Seedy Pearl e.s is one of my favorite for brow-bone highlight color and i even use it as cheek-bone highlight . i am looking for a dupe for this one because it’s chalky but can’t find anything yet…
Hi Christine,
I was wondering if there is a dupe of Indian Ink? I don’t care about the brand, just love that shade. Thank you for all the latest in the makeup world 🙂