MAC for Gareth Pugh: Strada Blush

MAC Strada Blush ($30.00 for 0.08 oz.) is described as a “mid-tone nude.” It’s a pink-beige on me but looks less pink once applied on the face. MAC Brit Wit is a bit pinker but similar, just in a cream form.  It’s a good shade for contouring if you’re light to medium in skin tone, and it will also work as a cheek color on light to light-medium skin tones. On medium skin tones, you might find you’re really piling it on to get enough of an effect on the cheeks. It has a matte finish, which is yet another reason why it works well for contouring without looking muddy. It wore for about eight hours. The texture is soft enough to be blendable and buildable, but it doesn’t kick up powder or look dry on the skin.

The compact is black metal, and it’s quite heavy. It is a small compact, but it has more heft to it than you’d expect given the size. The top of the powder is also patterned, which is also something you wouldn’t get if you bought it normally.  On the top of the palette, you’ll find the signature logo from the collection, and there is a mirror on the inside of the lid.

It’s part of the permanent range at PRO stores (I had originally thought it was discontinued), so you can only buy it pan form these days, but if you like the color of Strada, you can visit a MAC PRO store OR you can place a phone order–even with shipping, you’ll still spend less than the price tag of this product and you’ll get over double the amount of product. You should also be able to place an order via phone with online last I heard. It looks like there is a TON of confusion – some stores say this is discontinued, others told me it’s permanent. When MAC puts out their “couture” collection each year, the prices skyrocket, but this is the first time I’ve noticed how much they’ve skimped you on the product. Full-sized MAC powder blushes contain 0.21 oz. and retail for $19.50 a pop, while this variation of Strada is over $10 more and contains almost a mere one-third of a full-sized blush! It’s like they’re squeezing you on both ends.

MAC Strada Blush

MAC Strada Blush

MAC Strada Blush

MAC Strada Blush

MAC Strada Blush

MAC Strada Blush

MAC Strada Blush

MAC Strada Blush on cheeks as blush; theBalm Promiscuous Pearl Highlighter/Shadow as a highlighter