MAC Nutcracker Sweet Bronze Pigments & Glitter Kit ($35.00 for 0.30 oz.) contains three Pigments and one Glitter. Of the two sets available, this one is my preference as three of the four shades are Pigments, which make them more usable and versatile. MAC’s Glitter formula, while it might say it can be used alone, needs an adhesive companion product to function well, and it is not eye safe.

MAC Pigment is supposed to have “buildable coverage” with “rich colour” and a long-wearing formula. MAC’s Pigments have more to them that really helps the powder blend and bind together, so they can be used dry or damp but do not need a primer or mixing medium to function. I tend to get eight-hour wear with most shades, and most shades are medium to opaque dry and fully opaque damp. The more finely-milled, almost satin-like in feel, shades tend to be a bit sheerer overall.

MAC Glitter is supposed to have a “high-level sparkle effect” that can be used on face, body, and hair (but it “not recommended for use around eyes”) and “applied directly to the skin or combined with [other] products.” They really can’t be used on their own, because it is just loose glitter, so without using some other product, it gets everywhere and doesn’t stay where you’ve applied it. It can work using an adhesive base or primer (Too Faced Glitter Insurance, Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy, etc.). I don’t love that the Glitters are included in holiday kits, because they are listed as “not eye-safe.” I would rather four eye-safe Pigments. Since MAC did state that they can be applied directly to skin, I tested them on cheeks. The swatches are over Too Faced Glitter Insurance, which is an adhesive base.

Value

• Pigment: $22.00 for 0.15 oz. or $146.67/oz.
• Glitter: $22.00 for 0.15 oz. or $146.67/oz.
• Set Values: $35.20 worth of Pigment, $8.80 worth of Glitter
• Total Value: $44.00

* Note: Some pigments are sold as “Sized to Go,” which are priced at $10.00 for 0.09 oz. or $111.11/oz. I normally use the price per ounce of full sized products to determine value, but I wanted to point out that mini Pigments are also available (and are, oddly, a better value, by price per ounce, than full size).

Sugar Rush is a light beige with warmer undertones and iridescent opal shimmer that gave it a cooler overtone. It had very sheer coverage dry, and it was semi-opaque when I tried using it damp. The consistency was incredibly finely-milled and silky, which I think made it prone to sheering out. It was better as an inner tear duct/corner highlighter or dusted over the tops of cheeks as a highlighter rather than an all-over lid shade. It lasted seven hours on the lid/seven and a half hours on the cheeks (as a highlighter). ColourPop Acorn (P, $6.00) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar). MAC Phloof! (P, $17.00) is warmer (95% similar). Maybelline Pure Nude (80) (LE, $6.99) is less shimmery (95% similar). Cle de Peau Marmalade Sky #2 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar). Make Up For Ever I526 Pearl Beige (DC, $21.00) is warmer (95% similar). NARS Topless (LE, $29.00) is warmer (95% similar). Dior Dulcinee #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar). Smashbox Opal (PiP, ) is less shimmery (95% similar). Cle de Peau Stardust #1 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, more muted, warmer (90% similar). Urban Decay Bribe (PiP, $19.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Make Up For Ever I514 Pink Ivory (DC, $21.00) is warmer (90% similar). NARS Andromeda (P, $29.00) is warmer (90% similar). Clinique Jammin' #1 (PiP, $15.00) is less shimmery, darker, more muted (90% similar). ColourPop Onai (LE, $6.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Guerlain Les Nuees #4 (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Stardream is a medium-dark, copper-brown with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had semi-opaque pigmentation when applied dry, and it was darker, brighter, and fully opaque when applied damp. The consistency was smooth, blendable, and easy to apply to the skin as it covered evenly and did not sheer out too readily. It wore well for eight hours on me. LORAC Cider (LE, $19.00) is warmer (95% similar). ColourPop Walk of Fame (LE, $7.00) is more shimmery (95% similar). Anastasia Sunset (P, $12.00) is more shimmery (95% similar). City Color Cleo (P, $6.99) is more shimmery, brighter (90% similar). The Estee Edit Swerve (LE, ) is lighter, brighter, warmer (90% similar). Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night No. 03 (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar). Tarte Wings (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar). Sephora Ready (P, $10.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar). Natasha Denona Sienna (P, $25.00) is lighter (90% similar). Urban Decay Midnight Blast (DC, $20.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). Coloured Raine Your Majesty (DC, $6.99) is lighter, brighter (85% similar). Milk Makeup Gig (P, $24.00) is darker, more muted (85% similar). Ciate Shine Bright (LE, ) is lighter (85% similar). The Estee Edit Ray (LE, ) is lighter, brighter (85% similar). Stila Rose Gold (LE, $18.00) is lighter, brighter, warmer (85% similar). Too Faced Butterscotch (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar). Natasha Denona Cool Bronze (31M) (PiP, $29.00) is more shimmery, lighter, brighter (85% similar). Zoeva Pure Ganache (PiP, ) is lighter, brighter (85% similar). Too Faced Friendspiration (LE, $16.00) is lighter (85% similar). Urban Decay Lucky (LE, $19.00) is lighter, brighter, warmer (85% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Handsome Prince is a rich, medium-dark reddish brown with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. The consistency was soft, finely-milled, and blendable on the skin, and it tended to have a more luminous finish as it was worked on the skin. It had medium, buildable coverage; the dry application was closer to medium, while the damp application was fully opaque. The color started to fade after eight hours of wear. Anastasia Sphinx (LE, $12.00) is lighter (95% similar). MAC Romantico (LE, $17.00) is less shimmery (95% similar). NARS Fez (DC, $25.00) is warmer (95% similar). Make Up For Ever D652 Celestial Earth (P, $17.00) is warmer (95% similar). Tarte Whiskey (LE, $14.00) is warmer (95% similar). LORAC My Castle (LE, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar). NYX Bedroom Eyes (P, $6.00) is more shimmery (95% similar). LORAC My Castle (LE, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar). Guerlain Gold Palette #5 (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar). MAC Divine Decadence (LE, $17.00) is less shimmery (95% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Honeymoon #2 (PiP, ) is more shimmery (95% similar). Too Faced Caramelized (PiP, $16.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). MAC Softened Up (LE, $22.00) is warmer (90% similar). Pretty Vulgar Songbird (PiP, ) is cooler (90% similar). ColourPop Revel (PiP, $4.50) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar). Guerlain Coque d'Or #3 (DC, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar). Viseart Ambre (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar). ColourPop On the Rocks (LE, $6.00) is warmer (90% similar). BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Deluxe Edition #14 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Makeup Geek Pocket Change (DC, $6.00) is more muted (90% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Reigning Riches is a muted, medium-dark red with warmer, coppery undertones in a small-to-medium particle size. It is not an ultra-fine glitter, but it is not large, chunky glitter either. It does not work without an adhesive base, as used on its own, it sheered away easily, did not stay where it was applied, and had virtually no real wear. Used with an adhesive base, I found it performed as most glitters do over that base–minimal fall out, mostly even coverage. Huda Beauty Excite (PiP, ) is cooler (90% similar). Urban Decay Stonewall (P, $21.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Huda Beauty Cosmo (PiP, ) is warmer (95% similar). Lit Cosmetics Heartbreaker (P, $12.95) is cooler (85% similar). Huda Beauty Infatuated (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (85% similar). elf Big Dipper (P, $6.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar). ColourPop Stormy (PiP, $6.00) is less shimmery, cooler (85% similar). Stila Rose Gold Retro (P, $24.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar). MAC Reflects Rust (P, $21.00) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (80% similar). Makeup Geek Solar Flare (P, $12.00) is less shimmery, lighter (80% similar). ColourPop Confess (LE, $6.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

* Note: Glitters are shown over Too Faced Glitter Insurance.

MAC Bronze Nutcracker Sweet Pigments & Glitter Kit

MAC Bronze Nutcracker Sweet Pigments & Glitter Kit

MAC Bronze Nutcracker Sweet Pigments & Glitter Kit

MAC Sugar Rush Pigment

MAC Sugar Rush Pigment

MAC Sugar Rush Pigment

MAC Stardream Pigment

MAC Stardream Pigment

MAC Stardream Pigment

MAC Handsome Prince Pigment

MAC Handsome Prince Pigment

MAC Handsome Prince Pigment

MAC Reigning Riches Glitter

MAC Reigning Riches Glitter

MAC Reigning Riches Glitter

MAC Reigning Riches Glitter

MAC Nutcracker Sweet Pigments | Look Breakdown