MAC Semi-Precious Collection: Overall & Recommendations

Each summer, MAC’s mineralize-themed collection is one that seems highly anticipated, but ultimately, I’m more let down than excited over it after trying it all out. This year is, ultimately, not very different. I find this launch overwhelming–is it necessary to launch twelve, limited edition eyeshadows all at once?–and I think that might show with the inconsistencies in color payoff, texture, and quality.

The five Cremesheen Glasses and four lipsticks are consistent with past launches and formulas for all of those. The lipsticks are surprisingly wearable and seem like they should work across skin tones, which is owed to the sheerness of the color. Though Musky Amethyst is labeled frost, it feels more like a lustre (which the other three are). I do find lustre lipsticks drying and that they only last two to three hours (a little below average). I wish Cremesheen Glasses were either less expensive or contained more product, because they’re a miss in terms of value (and always will be).

In my experience, mineralize products do not seem to wear as long as regular, pressed powders. I find this to be true in the mineralize blushes, skinfinishes, and eyeshadows. I typically get around six hours of wear with the blushes and skinfinishes, and the wear with the eyeshadows seems to depend on just how much work I put into them and the color payoff when dry, because they can fade within two to three hours or last closer to five or six.

The mineralize blushes seem to be the best products out of the collection, because they have soft, natural finishes and blend easily against the skin, though their softness can make them too easy to sheer out. I did find Warmth of Coral did not show up well on my NC25/NC30 skin tone. With the mineralize skinfinishes, they seem a little less glittery than past variations. Crystal Pink seems to be the most unique, just because it has a certain cool undertone running through it.

No matter how much I want to love mineralize eyeshadows, I just can’t. For $20 a pop, I really shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to make them work. The way they look in the pan doesn’t translate to the eye–even from swatch to lid, I never see the depth show up on the lid. The majority of this batch of mineralize eyeshadows need to be used damp/wet in order to get good color payoff. However, the problem is that they don’t stay wet and the dry down is somewhere between dry and wet, but the result is a little faded.  The best results are using a sticky base or something like MAC Water-Based Mixing Medium (which has a slight adhesive quality) and/or a colored base, then you need to pat on, avoid blending as much as possible, and cross your fingers.

My experience with reduced wear time (as compared to the average wear of these types of products) makes me hesitant to list anything mineralize as a must-have.  I think Gem of Roses offers something that MAC’s permanent range doesn’t have and is not a color we see launched every few months by MAC, and for that reason, it is the only item on the must-have list, even though it is a little drying to me.

Photos, Reviews, Swatches

• Brushes
• Cremesheen Glasses
• Lipsticks
• Mineralize Blush – Feeling Flush
• Mineralize Blush – Pressed Amber
• Mineralize Blush – Warmth of Coral
• Mineralize Eyeshadows (Part 2, Part 3)
• Mineralize Skinfinish – Crystal Pink
• Mineralize Skinfinish – Goldstone
• Mineralize Skinfinish – Pearl
• Mineralize Skinfinish – Rose Quartz
• Video Review

Check out recommendations! 

Temptalia’s Recommendations

must-haves: Lipstick – Gem of Roses

nice-to-haves: Cremesheen Glass – Natural Flare, Richly Revered; Mineralize Blush – Feeling Flush, Pressed Amber; Mineralize Skinfinish – Semi-Precious Crystal Pink, Pearl

skip: Mineralize Eyeshadow – Clarity, Hint of Sapphire, Jade’s Fortune, Quartz Fusion, Unsurpassable

Check your stash for…

LOOKS LIKE SIN (repromote)

Skip if you have…

• Skip GEO PINK if you have SO BAD (limited edition); the former is a little more opaque and the latter has more glitter.
• Skip LUSH AMBER if you have FRECKLETONE (permanent); unless you need something a little less warm.
• Skip MUSKY AMETHYST if you have ODYSSEY (permanent); unless you are looking for something sheerer.
• Skip WARMTH OF CORAL if you have PEACHES (permanent); they ended up being rather similar.
• Skip QUARTZ FUSION if you have CRANBERRY (permanent); the latter being slightly darker.
• Skip HINT OF SAPPHIRE if you have GIORGIO ARMANI #3 EYES TO KILL INTENSE; as it is really just a better, more pigmented and multi-faceted version.
• Skip RARE FIND if you have THEBALM CURVY CAMI; the latter being more pigmented.

Recommendations by Skin Tone

Please note that this section is merely suggesting shades that would complement a particular skin tone better than other shades, but these lists are meant to be rather exhaustive of the entire collection; it’s not reflective of must-haves for your skin tone. When it comes to cooler/warmer skin tones, these are products that lean noticeably cool/warm and therefore complement the corresponding skin tone better (but it does not mean you can’t wear a warmer product if you’re cooler!).

• light skin tones: Cremesheen Glass – Looks Like Sin, Pure Magnificence; Mineralize Blush – Pressed Amber, Warmth of Coral;
• medium skin tones: Cremesheen Glass – Natural Flare; Mineralize Blush – Feeling Flush, Pressed Amber;
• dark skin tones: Cremesheen Glass – Geo Pink, Natural Flare; Mineralize Blush – Feeling Flush;
• cool undertones: Cremesheen Glass – Pure Magnificence; Mineralize Blush – Feeling Flush; Mineralize Eyeshadow – Blue Sheen, Quartz Fusion
• warm undertones: Cremesheen Glass – Geo Pink, Natural Flare; Mineralize Blush – Pressed Amber, Warmth of Coral; Mineralize Skinfinish – Goldstone; Mineralize Eyeshadow – Dark Indulgence, Faux Gold, Rare Find
• universally flattering shades: Lipstick – Gem of Roses, Lush Amber, Musky Amethyst, One of a Kind; Cremesheen Glass – Richly Revered; Mineralize Skinfinish – Crystal Pink, Pearl, Rose Quartz; Mineralize Eyeshadow – Clarity, Golden Gaze, Hint of Sapphire, Jade’s Fortune, Mineral Mode, Smoked Ruby, Unsurpassable