MAC Fall Colour Pigments Swatches, Photos, Reviews

Christine — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 13:00:06 +0000

MAC Fall Colour

MAC Fall Colour: Pigments

MAC Fall Colour Pigments ($20.00 for 0.15 oz.) include four limited edition shades and one permanent repromote in the MAC Fall Colour Collection, which debuts in North America on September 29th, 2011 and will roll out internationally in October. These include: Blue Storm (rich metallic blue), Emerald Dusk (deep yellow blue with white pearl), Golden Olive (high frosted green-gold), Magenta Madness (intense neon blue-pink), Neo-Orange (intense neon salmon), Starless Night (deep black purple with light purple pearl), Tan (muted pinky brown bronze), and Violet (vivid bright violet purple).

Blue Storm is a dark navy blue with a purplish tint and silver sparkle. It gets a little darker and more cohesive when used damp as compared to dry. This shade has come out before, and yet I don’t have the original version (I’m at an utter loss as to why). It is similar to Givenchy Lune Mordoree. It’s not as dark as MAC Later.
Emerald Dusk is grayish blue with green-teal shimmer. When dry, it has a dustier look to it with less sheen, while when used damp, a silvery metallic sheen comes to the forefront. The color is similar to Urban Decay Hijack and Bare Escentuals Vapor.
Golden Olive is a medium grassy green with a hint of olive but mostly golden shimmer and sheen. This (along with Violet) were some of my very first pigments. I looked through the gallery but didn’t feel anything was very similar (and I couldn’t think of anything).
Magenta Madness is a neon fuchsia pink. It reads more fuchsia than magenta to me, though I wouldn’t debate you on that ’til the death. This shade is not to be used in the eye area per MAC’s safety insert. Inglot #362 is pinker, while Make Up For Ever #75 is closer but darker. MAC’s Neon pigments take a fair amount of work, and I can see why they’re a pro product. It’s better mixed with other base products (e.g. creams, mixing mediums, etc.) than applied straight to the skin. It has a matte finish, so it ends up looking chalky just swatched dry. The texture is silky soft–very finely milled–but it means it can look patchy when applied damp.
Neo-Orange is just shy of being a full neon orange. It looks rather dusty and softened when applied dry to the skin. This shade is not to be used in the eye area per MAC’s safety insert. The texture and issues with this shade are the same as Magenta Madness (see above). Make Up For Ever #5 is very close but in an easier format.
Starless Night is a violet purple over a blackened-purple base with silver and blue sparkle. It does well applied dry (binds together nicely) but takes on a more cohesive look when used damp. It’s similar to MAC Imaginary, if it were over a black base. It also reminds me of a purpler MAC Later.
Tan is a warm, red-toned medium brown with a gilded champagne shimmer-sheen. It looks more metallic when it is used damp. Wet ‘n’ Wild Comfort Zone and Urban Decay Blaze are similar.
Violet is a softened violet purple with subtle red undertones and a frosted finish. Like Golden Olive, it was one of my first MAC products. Urban Decay Delinquent is darker. Urban Decay Ecstasy is less red-toned. Inglot #441 is more intense.

I have a soft spot for pigments, personally, as they were the product that made me fall in love with makeup. I prefer them with MAC’s Water-Based Mixing Medium (or 1/3 glycerin + 2/3 water for a DIY version) and have often used them as an eyeshadow base. There are only two new shades here and one more that is a repromote (so perhaps new to some); the rest of the shades are available permanently (Magenta Madness and Neo-Orange only at PRO stores, though currently available online to all!).

If you like pigments, the three new/limited edition shades (Blue Storm, Emerald Dusk, and Starless Night) are good and the latter two are reminiscent of the texture and formula of the Alice + Olivia pigments. The two neon shades (Magenta Madness and Neo-Orange) require more patience and likely better mixed with mediums/bases than alone. Pigments are technically multi-purpose products, which means you can use them on eyes, cheeks, lips, hair, nails, body, etc. (though some shades have safety restrictions). If you’re wondering where one might use the two non-eye safe shades, think cheeks or lips!

According to MAC, pigments “[contain] ingredients to help [them] adhere to the skin … easy to blend and long-lasting.” The way I review products is much, much more transparent to you as well as me (I have over fifty different characteristics I look at, though not all apply to each product). Nowadays, I try to be careful to read exactly how a brand describes their product/formula, because then I know what it’s supposed to do and then can review based on that. As much as I may like pigments, and I’m so used to using them with mixing medium, it’s almost mind-boggling to use them over bare skin! I’m also surprised MAC doesn’t mention using these wet/damp or with a mixing medium.

The majority of colors do not apply intensely if you use them dry over bare skin. If you dampen the brush with even water, you’ll get a much better result. I also find that if I just use them damp over bare skin, they tend to fade a little (on me) after eight hours or so with minor creasing. I have no trouble with creasing or fading even after twelve hours if I use mixing medium instead of water. I have no problems with wear (whether dry or damp) if I use it over an eyeshadow primer.