MAC for Gareth Pugh: Ascension Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches
MAC Ascension Nail Lacquer
MAC for Gareth Pugh: Ascension Nail Lacquer
MAC Ascension Nail Lacquer ($23.00 for 0.30 fl. oz.) is described as “grey with blue-violet reflective pearl.” It’s a murky grayish-green with a grayish-purple iridescence that comes together in a duochrome finish. The duochrome is definitely there, but I think some of the sheerness prevents it from really shining. When you look at the nails head-on, it is mostly a murky purple-gray, and then when you tilt and angle your nails, the murky green-gold comes through. It’s very, very similar to Wet ‘n’ Wild Grey’s Anatomy, which is a known dupe for the pricier Deborah Lippmann Wicked Game. MAC’s version is more pigmented than Grey’s Anatomy, where three coats was almost opaque, while there was still a lot of visible nail line at three coats with Grey’s Anatomy.
It’s only a smidgen less than regular MAC lacquers–0.34 oz. for $15.00 normally–although, I guess going from 10ml regularly to 9ml is a 10% decrease! The packaging is a heavy, square glass bottle with a glossy black cap. The bottle is rather large–larger than Deborah Lippmann–but the actual polish is just enclosed in a thicker glass surround.
I haven’t tested the Gareth Pugh polishes for wear, but I usually get a week of wear with minor tip wear with MAC’s nail lacquers. The formula wasn’t too thick or thin, and it flowed evenly across the nail. It does have a more metallic finish, so you will see some brush strokes.
Ascension
LELimited Edition. $16.00.
MAC Ascension Nail Lacquer
MAC Ascension Nail Lacquer
MAC Ascension Nail Lacquer
MAC Ascension Nail Lacquer
MAC Ascension Nail Lacquer
MAC Ascension Nail Lacquer
How disappointing, I was hoping it’d be much more different :(. There was also a similar $OPI shade for the Glee collection, and the Katy Perry for OPI collection had one too :/ boooooring.
interesting shade
I own Grey’s Anatomy because the shade reminds me of an old Cabbodel Platinum I loved. I’m still tempted to pick this up since the ticker formula is a nice feature (but the $28(?) CAN price tag makes me cringe)
How does this compare to OPI Not Like The Movies? Looks similar, but maybe a little bit lighter?
I don’t use OPI, sorry!
Just out of curiosity, any specific reason why you don’t?
It’s based on previous dealings with them on a blog/business level. There are a few brands we just do not work with and OPI is one of them.
I’ve heard you say that many times, but what’s the reason? Is it something in them that others should be worried about?
No – business reasons 🙂 I had no problems with their actual products when I used them!
I’ve become a real sucker for nail polishes lately and this looks amazing in the bottle. Not so much on the nail, but it could make for an interesting layering shade! I think the polishes are the thing I’m most excited for in this collection, so I’ll more than likely pick them all up!
The purple and green duochrome remind me of OPI Significant Other Color and Nubar Paradise.
it looks cool but omg that price tag! i’ll pass i think and maybe pick up a dupe. $20 is my limit +_+
It also looks a lot like Katy Perry for OPI Not Like the Movies, just minus the tiny silver flecks
I like it, but for the price I will likely pick up the Wet n’ Wild dupe instead 🙂
thats the weirdest/coolest color haha
Wow, I think the result on the nail is extremely disappointing compared to what you see in the bottle!
🙁 was soo beautiful in the bottle!! still very pretty but no where near as amazing.
It looks like liquid magic in the bottle, but it’s sort of disappointing on the nail, which is a shame. Your pictures are gorgeous though.
woooooah 😀 kewl :)))
i wish i could fiiiiiinally stop biting my nails :((( but i just cant… i have so many polishes… and there are so many that i want, but my nails are just to short and ugly for me to do anything with them. and i just cant get myself to stop :((((
aww so beautiful, i would buy it, but then again, it would just lye around. 🙁
TWENTY-THREE DOLLARS? Ugh. I know, couture collection, Gareth Pugh, cool packaging, blah blah blah, but Dior is $22/.33 oz. Chanel is $25/.4 oz. This is more expensive than both. I have a ton of polish so the size isn’t a big deal to me but the high price is a huge, huge turn-off. Especially $23, it’s like a number pulled out of thin air. $20? Okay. But those extra three dollars? Noooooooo. If you really want to treat yourself you can get the Lippmann and save $7! As it is I already have Grey’s Anatomy, so I’ll grit my teeth at the ugly bottle and save my $23 for something else.
It looks lovely on the nails, but a lot cooler in the bottle.
I agree,if it looked like it does in the bottle while on the nails I would definitely be purchasing this!
Last picture makes it look gorgeous, but I’m not sold on it based on the other ones.
It’s so much more sheer than I was expecting based on looking at the bottle! I think I would give it a B too.
I would have expected the polish to be more reflective like it is in the bottle. I already own Grey’s Anatomy so this is a pass.
Woah, this is really a stunning color!
This looks SO similar to OPI’s by Katy Perry Not Like the Movies. The only thing is OPI’s seems to be a little darker, but still it’s the same duochrome colors. Does it not??
omg this looks so pretty!!!!! can’t wait for the rest of the swatches!
WANT!!! But now you mentioned dupes, I will pick up Grey’s Anatomy for size.
Whoa, that *is* very similar to WnW lol
Oh, finally, something that I really want from this collection. Thank Goodness, the packaging is too pretty to pass up!
I first thought about Gray’s Anatomy. If you don’t want to splurge on MAC’s nail polish just put a white nail polish under 2 coats of NYC’s and it goes opaque! 🙂
Just WOOOOOOW
it looks quite lovely in the last image.
Huh… Kind of reminds me of the Venomous Villains polishes….
There is also a Catrice polish that looks almost identical. Can’t recall the exact name, but it had something to do with mermaids… Mermaiden?
Iron mermaiden 🙂 I think the opacity of that one should be better than this 🙂
OMG! I love it! Its gorgeous. Definatly going to have to buy this x
it reminds me of the opi katey perry silver polish..
I really can’t wait to try it! It’s different. So many brands are getting to be so alike it’s ridiculous. I own hundreds of colors and obviously alot are alike-but I’m in the business so you need a shade different here and there. It’s cool!
Wow it looks waaay prettier in the bottle…still a nice color though!
Noooo! It looked SO much cooler in the bootle 🙁
Darn it, it’s nothing special really…
So pretty in the bottle but on the nail it’s a pass. More of a spring color anyways.
4 coats of greys anatomy does the trick for me, skipping this nail polish. But it is gorgeous packaging,
I love wet n wild grey’s anatomy. I bought drug store nail polish after almost 4 years and I can’t believe how much wear time I got out of a $2 polish (6 days to be exact). In the past I bought MAC nail polishes but they always end up chipping in a day so as much as I think the packaging is beautiful, I’d skip this and settle for Grey’s Anatomy any day. Nonetheless, it’s still a beautiful color but definitely not unique.
There is NO WAY in sweet Jesus I am paying $28 CAN for that nail polish!!! It looks exactly like SOPI Mash-Up, OPI Not like the Movies and a $2 dollar polish: WetnWild Grays Anatomy!!! SOOOOOOOO unoriginal and disappointing!!!!
That’s a crazy chameleon effect. I might pick it up because of it’s uniqueness.
Pretty but I think another good dupe is Orly’s Space Cadet or Hard Candy’s Beetle. What are your thoughts Christine?
I don’t have Hard Candy’s Beetle, but Orly’s Space Cadet is really a different color altogether, IMO.
hmmmm, I have both Beetle and Space Cadet and I thought Space Cadet looked pretty close but it is a bit darker. I just bought my SC so maybe a different batch makes the difference, I don’t know? I far more trust your opinion than mine…..lol. Your the makeup expert. Thanks for the reply though.
wow!! what a funky shade.
This is really pretty. I might try to find the Deborah Lippman version of this color, as I don’t have any DL polishes yet.
I’m not planning on buying anything else from this collection, though, so if I can’t find the DL version, I may cave and just get this one.
Wonderful color, i’m definitely after it!!
It looks gorgeous in the bottle, but on the nail…meh. For the price I’d want something without an easy dupe.
This is quite similar to Sinful Colors “Let me go” . Especially after two coats. It also costs 2.99
I say skip this, and just invest in Wicked Game from Deborah Lippmann.
If there are people living in Holland/Germany/Swiss/Belgium,… and your drugstore carries Catrice
This colour is just like Catrice’s Iron Mermaiden and it’s only EUR 2,49!!!
At least this one seems to be duochrome-yay!
Looks nice on the nails, but so much better in the bottle. Not worth the price tag…especially if Wet n Wild has a dupe, even if it’s not as opaque.
That’s actually pretty cool. Not sure if I’d drop $23 on it, but it does make for an eye-catching set of nails.
It looks absolutely gorgeous in the bottle. However since I already have the WnW polish, I may skip on this.
What if you’d put two coats over a black base? Would the iridescence show up more?
I’d be tempted to buy it just to display the bottle!
Looks exactly like a shade I have from OPI’s Katy Perry collection… :/ Not worth the $22 price
It is pretty similar to ” Péridot ” of Chanel I think. It’s beautiful though.
Regards from France !
Just had this swatched at the counter, and it’s a dupe of OPI Katy Perry Collection “Not Like the Movies” which I own.
LAME! Chanel-peridot is similar and way prettier!! for that price? Another reason why I don’t use MAC, there are better brands on everything MAC does. Price is a concern? I’D rather drugstore brands over MAC anyday!!!
W&W Gray’s Anatomy was totally opaque for me in 3 coats. For the price of this one you can buy a WHOLE DOZEN W&W-GA at any drugstore, pass them out to your friends and have a big matchy-match manicure party! woohoo!*:•;°:•°:°•:*•*:•*°°