MAC Eyeshadow Swatches - Reds, Pinks, Oranges
MAC Beauty Marked Eyeshadow
MAC Eyeshadow Swatches – Reds, Pinks, Oranges
These are swatches only! 🙂 I am in the process of re-swatching a ton of products, because the Swatch Gallery is designed so you can compare individual products, so all of the swatches have to be done in a way that each swatch can be photographed and shown individually. I’m going through various brands, so there is some variety as I journey through it all, but here are fourteen MAC eyeshadow swatches, along with my descriptions of the shades and any notes on performance if it was below average. Unless noted otherwise, shades are part of the permanent range.
Beauty Marked is a blackened burgundy with multicolored shimmer. It has a velvet finish. It’s also a real pain in the behind to use, because it tends to apply unevenly. A lot of the sparkle doesn’t translate as well on the lid as it does in a swatch.
Cranberry is a berried red with a frost finish.
Post Haste is a pinked red with a Matte2 finish. It has been discontinued. It is slightly darker and redder than Passionate.
Passionate is a raspberry pink with a matte finish.
Sushi Flower is a medium-dark pink with a satin finish. It’s hard to build-up color and applies rather sheer.
Swish is a lilac shimmered pink with a frost finish.
Da Bling is a medium pink with subtle yellow undertones. It has a veluxe pearl finish.
Rose is a mauve-tinged pink with a slightly frosted finish. I have no idea what the official finish is, as it is now discontinued and was only a PRO shade before then (there is nothing on the label of mine that indicates the finish). My guess is frost.
Pen ‘n’ Pink is a pale, pastel pink with a Matte2 finish. It has been discontinued.
Coppering is a rich copper with a veluxe pearl finish. It is one of MAC’s best-textured eyeshadows.
Red Brick is a dirty orange with a matte finish. It’s darker than Orange.
Expensive Pink is a dirty rose with peach and gold. It has a veluxe finish. It’s one of MAC”s more complex shades.
Free to Be is a coral-pink with a matte finish.
Orange is a medium-dark orange with a matte finish. It is part of the PRO line.
Overall, a few of these are excellent eyeshadows (like Cranberry, Coppering, and Expensive Pink), while some are total duds (Beauty Marked, Sushi Flower). Several of these have matte finishes, and my experience with MAC’s matte formula is they tend to perform infinitely better on the lid than when swatched. They are a drier matte, and they’re not a buttery or powdery formula, so you don’t end up with any fall out or fading, but they can be finicky.
MAC Eyeshadow Swatches - Reds, Pinks, Oranges
See more photos!
MAC Beauty Marked Eyeshadow
MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow
MAC Post Haste Eyeshadow
MAC Passionate Eyeshadow
MAC Sushi Flower Eyeshadow
MAC Swish Eyeshadow
MAC Da Bling Eyeshadow
MAC Rose Eyeshadow
MAC Pen ‘n’ Pink Eyeshadow
MAC Coppering Eyeshadow
MAC Red Brick Eyeshadow
MAC Expensive Pink Eyeshadow
MAC Free to Be Eyeshadow
MAC Orange Eyeshadow
I really love Coppering!
Gorgeous swatches!
It’s a shame that Post Haste has been discontinued. It looks lovely!
Wow Christine! What a project. This is what I admire most about you- you don’t leave anything half-done or fail to give ANY project anything buy your best effort. These qualities are extremely rare. Why? Because hard work is HARD! 🙂 I do my best to follow your example. Thank you so much for providing it.
Thank you, Jessi!! I really do appreciate it. Sometimes someone will look at Temptalia and go, “That’s easy,” but even though it’s certainly not rocket science, it can be a lot of really time-consuming work. I think the Swatch Gallery is going to be SO SO SO amazing once we finish eyeshadows, so I just keep my eye on the prize, LOL!
Thank you!
I think it will be kick-ass-awesome as well! Your swatches are the ones I look at the most when looking to buy something! 🙂 Thank you so much for all your hard work!
Ooh, swatches! I love them! I never bought Beauty Marked, because of the uneven app problems, and the Wet n Wild Lust and Kat Von D Adora palettes both have decent dupes for BM.
I’ve got Beauty Marked and I’ve only used it to add a layer of depth. I’ve never used it on it’s own because it’s not very attractive. They shouldn’t have put so much grit it in with the glitter.
How strange. My Sushi Flower goes on with no problem but my Free To Be looks chalky pale peach. Guess they’re all a little different.
I’ve owned 4 Sushi Flowers and hated them all, LOL (I bought & swapped three times; I only own this one to swatch it for readers). I have 3 Free to Bes and haven’t had any issues!
really? my sushi flower works amazingly. i don’t own free to be but the tester at my mac counter was alright when i tried them.. guess the QC needs to be more efficient!
I’ve owned four, bought at all different times and stores, and I’ve hated them all equally.
Okay Christine, you’ve changed my makeup life since reading your blog. I have a big question. I have a small makeup collection. A few Mac eyeshadows (woodwinked, stars n violets etc), blushes etc. I am just starting to collect. Since reading your post on Inglot and now Mac, for a new collector who wants quality and value would you suggest inglot or Mac for eyeshadows? I am going to NYC in two weeks and I am coming home with a palette! I just dont know if I should splurge on Mac or get a lot for my money with inglot. I don wear crazy colors just browns golds (although cranberry and expensive pink look quite nice). Sooo, makeup master, what do you think?
I’d go Inglot for basics – save money for some of MAC’s really fun and exceptional shades, because they do some really interesting colors and textures, but for basic shades, Inglot is the way to go.
Like Expensive Pink has a slight duochrome, and most of Inglot’s shades don’t have that!
Thank you! I went to the MAC store today and almost bought Expensive Pink, Bronze, Antiqued and a highlight color I can’t remember the name of. I may crack and buy them tomorrow but I will still get an Inglot palette in NYC – loving the mattes!
Those three shades are all great, IMO! 🙂 Bronze probably more dupeable though!
i cant find rose in the UK even at the pro stores – i don’t think they sell in anymore … or am i wrong
It has been discontinued!
Rose is the one that I want! *cries*
I LOVE sushi flower in the pot, but it swatches so funkily. I had to return it; it was too high maintenance.
I really wish Beauty Marked actually maintained all that beautiful pink reflect once it is blended out on the eye… but alas, as with most Velevet eyeshadows, all that pretty shimmery reflect is lost once you blend…
Wow… I can see what you’ll be doing with your summer vacation! Serously, the swatch gallery is a great idea and very user friendly. Thanks for making it a little easier on the rest of us. FYI, I’d always wondered what finish Rose was as well.
Christine, since you’re like a MAC Queen, could you help me?
I went to USA last month and bought my first MAC foundation (Studio Fix Fluid)and the MA at the store told me best one for me was NW15 so I bought it.
But when I used it, it was dark on me. It didn’t “fit”.
Is there any other colour on MAC that is lighter than NW15??
It’s really hard for me to find a foundation that match my skin colour, so I believed the MA at MAC would know better.. I’m so disappointed…
NW15 is the lightest in MAC! You might try NARS Siberia, I believe, which is very, very light.
NC15 is actually lighter, the NW’s run dark for some reason! I blend NW15 and NC15, perfect match for me 🙂
Thank you girls!!!
Based on all the Inglot swatches and now these initial MAC swatches, it really seems like one could get pretty much everything they need in an eyeshadow from these two brands. MAC for periodic ingenuity, classics, and a huge, always expanding range, and Inglot for classic colors in amazing formulas. Because I’m a psycho about consistency, I only wish that Inglot sold circular pans on their website. I know you get less product for the same size, but I would love love love to have palettes filled with little round pots in all the same sizes. I’m weird.
All the round refills are being discontinued 🙁
Does MAC still sell Budding Beauty eyeshadow? That was very comparable to Sushi Flower but may have better payoff.
Budding Beauty was LE!
I LOVE BeautyMarked as an eyeliner. I smudge it on almost everyday! It isn’t too harsh next to my pale skin, but the color is still intense!
Christine, what you are undertaking here, with the swatch gallery, is really a dream come true for a makeup nut like me. I obsessively search for swatches and try to compare but it’s so hard to do with different skin colors, different lighting, different browser windows! It’s a wonderful project that I think the online beauty community is very excited about.
Free to be <3
You make me glad that I own Cranberry and only Cranberry. xD Guess I better pick up that Expensive Pink, I hear it looks good on warm medium skin tones. 😀
Christine, thanks so much for taking so much time and doing all of this! You have no idea how much your site has helped me! I sometimes wish we could all do something to repay you for all of this hard work.
Expensive Pink is awesome! One of my go-to shades for a quick wash of color all over the lid 🙂 Goes well with browns too so it’s a nice color change than going with just neutrals.
And yes, Christine, you are AMAZING!!! I honestly can’t buy anything in new collections unless you have a swatch or quick review on it. Your blog is my FAVORITE to read everyday and I love how you are so consistent with your ratings, reviews, and pictures. You are an inspiration to us all for your passion and and hard work. 🙂
MAC is so overrated. Some of those eyeshadows are pretty, but you can find just as good quality in drugstores.
But probably not in those colors! Finishes and longevity of product can vary, so it is nice to have options. Even if you have the same hue, the MAC and drugstore brand may look a bit different applied. Variety is good, IMO. For a drugstore product with funky colors like the ones above, you can try Sleek, which is a UK brand. They have e-commerce for those outside the UK.
By the way, Christine, I love that you are doing a run-down post of all the colors your are adding to the Swatch Gallery, so you have something to which you can link. You may not call them reviews, but it works great for me!
Thank you, AS! I figured I should say something about each shade, and it’ll give people an opportunity to see what I would rate MAC eyeshadows.
Honestly, since finding this website, I read it everyday, depend on the switches to make buying decisions, take the ratings and reviews seriously and buy new products based on your recommendation alone. I don’t know what you went to school for, but you are very talented at this!!! I am totally stoked about the swatch gallery and really appreciate the steps you are taking to be consistent. I also like it when you put costumes on your dog. Keep up the good work!!!
Aww, thank you so much Mumtaza! I’m so happy to help!
Love expensive pink on green eyes!
ah at least i’m not the only one who curses under her breath everytime i see sushi flower in my stash, the color is so pretty but it has the most awful texture
In the CoverGirl Queen Collection Eye Shadow 1 Kit collection, I am wondering how red the Q110 “Fire It Up” is — where would Fire It Up be among the above set of swatches?
Thanks
I don’t have that, sorry!
I bought a few colors today and was wondering if they would go okay together. I have woodwinked, cranberry, star violet, all that glitters, texture, and mythology. Which ones would look the best together? The sales rep said they would all look great with my medium skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. What do you think?