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MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad Review, Photos, Swatches

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad ($40.00 for 0.21 oz.) includes these four shades: Arctic Grey (frosted mid-tone gray, Lustre), Courtly Grey (matte cool gray, Matte), Typographic (asphalt black, Matte2), and Rainy Season (light warm gray frost, Satin).  This quad is, for as gray and smoky as it is, more neutral than it is cool or warm-toned.  I think on cooler complexions, it will turn cooler-toned, but on my warmer complexion, it looked slightly warm-toned overall when applied to the lid.  I wore all four shades together, and they lasted fairly well over an eight-hour period–I had some minor (but not as bad as expected) fall out from Arctic Grey but didn’t have any issues with the shades fading.

Rainy Season is a subtly, warmed-up, pale gray-beige with a satiny finish. The texture was slightly powder, but it had fairly good color payoff. I didn’t have to pack it on to get it to show up on my lid, but it is the kind of the shade that can get lost on lighter complexions. Urban Decay Midnight 15 is more shimmery, as is Urban Decay Verve, which is also darker. Urban Decay Polyester Bride is lighter. MAC Vex has a duochrome, but at certain angles, they are somewhat similar. Giorgio Armani #1 Spring 2012 #4 is more golden and shimmery. Giorgio Armani #19 is more shimmery and warmer. bareMinerals Daydream is more beige. bareMinerals Suspense is darker. See comparison swatches.

Arctic Grey is a frosted, beige-gray with more beige than gray. It is a more golden and shimmery version of Rainy Season really. It had decent pigmentation, but it has a Lustre finish, so it also has larger sparkles that were prone to becoming fall out during application as well as during wear. Giorgio Armani #1 Spring 2012 #4 is more metallic. Giorgio Armani #19 is lighter, more metallic. MAC Vex is grayer. See comparison swatches.

Courtly Grey is a medium, neutral gray with a matte finish. The texture is somewhat powdery, and the color payoff is so-so–it sheers out easily, so it needs to be patted and packed on for best results. You’ll want to avoid blending it too much, because then it looks really faded. NARS Delphes #2 is darker. MAC Gentle Fume is darker and has sparkle. MAC Fabulous Fit is slightly darker. MAC All Woman is somewhat darker. Giorgio Armani Moonlight White #3 is darker and more shimmery. Bobbi Brown Sterling is a bit lighter and shimmery. See comparison swatches.

Typographic is a gray-black with a matte finish. It has a very soft, silky texture that can be a little powdery but doesn’t look it once applied. It’s not quite a black, but it’s a very dark gray so it can look like a faded or softened black at times. theBalm Serious is darker. Milani Pitch Black is blacker. MAC Gravel is warmer. MAC Heather Belles is a smidgen lighter. Guerlain Les Gris #1 is a touch lighter. Estee Lauder Black Chrome #2 is shimmery. Chanel Premier Regard #4 is a bit darker. bareMinerals Amnesia is slightly grayer. bareMinerals Lights Down is darker. See comparison swatches.

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Arctic Grey Eyeshadow

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Arctic Grey Eyeshadow

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Courtly Grey Eyeshadow

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Courtly Grey Eyeshadow

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Typographic Eyeshadow

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Typographic Eyeshadow

MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad
MAC Rainy Season Eyeshadow Quad

25 Comments

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Brian aka Roulette Avatar

Its actually pretty difficult to find this many WARM (non-bluish) greys in one pallette. I atually really like this too. 🙂

So simple but it works.

Sandy Avatar

Are these eyeshadow pans removable? Just wondering if I would be able to swap out colors with my other palette if I wanted to. I’ve never purchased a limited edition MAC quad before.

Sam Avatar

Christine, you should do more Inglot swatches! I went to the NYC store today and their lipsticks are so creamy and gorgeous, there’s also so many eyeshadows and their formula is perfect! Thank you for introducing me to them!

Denise S. Avatar

I’ve been looking for a good gray eyeshadow palette, but unfortunately looking at these swatches this isn’t it! The colors don’t seem vibrant enough, looks too muted for my complexion. Too bad wanted to like this one. Will still check it out in person though.

Monica Avatar

Christine,
Did I miss it somewhere on the review? You usually tell us which color goes where on the eye. I was telling a co-worker about you sight and how much information you give and showed her the review on this quad, but we couldn’t find the details to duplicate the look.

Thanks,
-M

Monica Avatar

Thank you, YOU are AWESOME. Love your reviews and site. I always come here to research before I purchase anything.

Thank You so much for all your hard word and dedication.

Abbi Avatar

I’ve been looking for a palette to replace a Physicians Formula one I had a VERY long time ago and this is IT, it’s hard to find greys that are neutral and not overly shimmery, I’m def excited to get this and was waiting on your review, THANKS!

Adriana Avatar

Ohhhh, so sad!!!! I just called the Mac store in my country and was told this collection won’t be coming here! I’m not usually into grey eyeshadows because I find them a bit too cool for me, and warmer shades suit me better. But these grey shades are superb! I’m reaaaaally loving this quad, so sad… :'(

Christina Avatar

Hey Christine,

I have a couple of questions. Is this the same Arctic Grey eyeshadow that was released with the Chill collection a few years back?

Also, do you know how this compares to the Tone Grey quad that released a while back? I’m thinking the matte/satin greys may be similar, but I’m having a hard time locating the pics you posted back then!

Thanks!

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