MAC Ignite Wonder Face Palette Review & Swatches
Ignite Wonder
MAC Ignite Wonder Highlighter Palette ($40.50 for 0.63 oz.) includes six, warmer-toned shimmery cheek colors from pale gold to plum. The formula felt new-to-me; it was much creamier, more emollient, and in that genre of cream-to-powder that was still obviously a powder with elements of creaminess. Per MAC, the formula has the most coverage when applied with fingertips and then more buildable coverage when applied with a brush. I found this varied from shade to shade, which is where the palette lost the most points; if you tend to like more pigmented products or you’re comfortable using a lighter hand to adjust for sheerer coverage, I think it’s quite nice.
Ingredients
Ignite Wonder
LELimited Edition. $40.50.
Wonder Who
Wonder Who is a pale gold with warm undertones and a luminous finish. There was a noticeable glow but it did not accentuate my skin’s natural texture, even when worn at higher coverage. The pigmentation was buildable from semi-opaque to opaque, so it was more pigmented than actually described, which may be a better or worse characteristic depending on your personal preferences. The denser, creamier consistency made it easier to control how much product was picked up on a brush, though, so I feel like you can apply it with a lighter hand or fluffier brush to get sheerer results. It wore well for eight and a half hours before I noticed any fading.
Top Dupes
- ColourPop You're a Trip (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Kaja Toy Alien (P, $19.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- OFRA Moondance (LE, $29.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Kaja Gold Drip (PiP, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Natasha Denona My Dream (Glow Cream) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Gorgeous Glowing Beauty #7 (LE, ) is warmer (95% similar).
- Becca Moonstone (P, $38.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- ColourPop Silly Old Bear (LE, $10.00) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
- Coloured Raine Selfie (P, $25.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Dior Universal (001) (P, $38.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
Wonder Who
LELimited Edition.
Some Kind of Wonderful
Some Kind of Wonderful is a light-medium gold with moderately warm undertones and a luminous sheen. It had nearly opaque pigmentation in a single layer, so it was more pigmented than as described. To get sheerer, more buildable coverage, I’d recommend using a more rounded brush and gently tapping the surface. The powder had a smooth, lightly creamy consistency with no powderiness. The color went on evenly and blended out with little effort, and the finish didn’t emphasize my skin’s natural texture. It stayed on nicely for eight and a half hours on me before showing signs of wear.
Top Dupes
- Dior Strobe Gold (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Beauty Beam #2 (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- MAC Maca (LE, $44.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Tan-tastic Glo (Highlighter) (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Reflects Gilt (LE, $50.00) is less pigmented (90% similar).
- Tarte Hi-Fi (-, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- ColourPop Goody Two Shu (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Milk Makeup Iced (P, $28.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Algenist Champagne (PiP, $38.00) is darker, less pigmented, glossier (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Satin Kicks (P, $9.00) is lighter (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Some Kind of Wonderful
LELimited Edition.
Any Wonder
Any Wonder is a medium copper with warm undertones and a pearly sheen. The texture was firmer and stiffer to work with, while it felt smooth to the touch, it was harder to grab with a brush and required me to really dig and prod at the surface to get product to transfer to my brush to begin with. As a result, this particular shade wasn’t as blendable as the rest in the palette. The powder itself seemed rather pigmented once I was able to get it onto a brush but definitely was easier to get sheer coverage with due to the stiffness. It lasted well for eight and a half hours on me before I noticed fading.
Top Dupes
- Phytosurgence Meteor Mist (P, $26.01) is darker (95% similar).
- Laura Geller Ballerina (P, $26.00) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Peaches and Cream (P, $39.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Sephora High Noon (P, $16.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- MAC Golden Bronze (LE, $29.00) is warmer (95% similar).
- Kosas Contrachroma (High Intensity) (Highlighter) (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Laura Mercier Indiscretion (P, $45.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Beauty Beam #1 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Rhaegal (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- lilah b. b captivating (P, $60.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Any Wonder
LELimited Edition.
Girl Wonder
Girl Wonder is a soft peach with warm undertones and a soft, metallic finish. The consistency was smooth to the touch, lightly creamy, and denser in the pan without being thick–it has a lot more slip than most of MAC’s powders. It had nearly opaque pigmentation in a single layer, but the texture works best with slightly flatter, moderately dense brushes to pick up product. The powder went on evenly and blended out easily, and the finish didn’t emphasize my skin’s natural texture. It wore well for eight and a half hours on me before fading slightly.
Top Dupes
- Tom Ford Beauty Soleil d'Ambre (Highlighter) (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Becca Year of the Pig (LE, $38.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (95% similar).
- Hourglass Absolute Strobe Light (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Kosas Contrachroma (Highlighter) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Too Faced Warm Glow (Right) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Beach Party (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Cover FX Moonlight (P, $34.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Milk Makeup Blitzed (P, $28.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Love Glow (Glow Impact Powder) (PiP, $42.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace PSL Extra Whip (P, $9.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Girl Wonder
LELimited Edition.
Seven Wonders
Seven Wonders is a muted, medium-dark coppery brown with warm, reddish undertones and a pearly sheen. The texture was smooth to the touch, a little firmer in the pan, so a moderate hand worked best to pick up product; while feathery brushes might work, I just find that a denser brush does a better job of actually getting product onto bristles and doing so evenly (which makes actual application easier). I would say it had more semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation, so it was a little more in line with how it was described. It stayed on well for eight and a half hours on me before I noticed any fading.
Top Dupes
- MAC Strange New Worlds (LE, $34.00) is darker (95% similar).
- MAC Stride of Pride (LE, $34.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Too Faced Peach Honey (PiP, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Flesh Beauty Promise (P, $28.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Becca Rose Gold (DC, $38.00) is glossier (90% similar).
- MAC Into Eternity (LE, $36.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Tarte Daygleam (P, $28.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- NARS Rêve Salé III (LE, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- ColourPop Parasol (LE, $10.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- Westman Atelier Peau de Peche (P, $75.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
Seven Wonders
LELimited Edition.
Wonder Years
Wonder Years is a medium, reddened plum with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. This was the only shade that seemed to have enough shine and shimmer to it to emphasize my skin’s natural texture when worn at heavier coverage. The consistency was soft, smooth, and creamy without being too dense or too firmly pressed in the pan. It had nearly opaque pigmentation, which could be sheered out, or used with a lighter hand for sheerer coverage if preferred–but I wouldn’t have called it sheer or buildable as it was described. It lasted nicely for eight and a half hours on me before it showed signs of fading.
Top Dupes
- Laura Geller Pink Buttercream (P, $28.00) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- MAC Scene to Be Seen (Outer) (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Shiseido Berry Dawn (08) (P, $29.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Incandescent (Bottom) (PiP, $75.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Becca Raspberry/Opal (P, $27.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Sephora + Pantone Universe Bridal Rose (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Scene to Be Seen (Inner) (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- NARS Dominate (P, $30.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Pink Glow #5 (LE, $60.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- KIKO 111 Classic Rose (P, $12.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
I love Wonder Years but so many of the other shades in this palette just don’t work for me and this is a common problem for me with face palettes – almost always there are several shades that aren’t for me.
That’s the problem with larger palettes like this – they often don’t fit!
Some Kind of Wonderful is an especially nice gold.
Yep I had to get this the ‘canyon’ colors were so spot on and so pretty. I wasn’t too impressed with the bronze I put it in the crease and it had a lot of yellow in it on me and like you mentioned.. hard to pick up.
I love macs blushes but seems like their shadows are iffy and both those eye palettes but I passed on those. But if the reviews are good…might change my mind?
Well, it’s not igniting anything at all for me, I’m afraid…
I do enjoy a good highlighter/blush palette but this one wonderful enough for me to consider buying it.
I quite like this blush/highlighter palette. The texture and finish looks lovely, apart from Any Wonder, and I think you could easily blend a couple of shades together to create a different kind of look. This is MAC doing well.
This palette was a serious blip on my radar in the wait leading up until the collection Iaunched. I love 4 out of 6 shades, with the other two still seeming to be workable. It’s still tempting me because I love the softer radiance to most of the shades.
Pretty, but too many shades I wouldn’t be able to use.