MAC Sketch Blush ($17.00 for 0.21 oz. pan-only) is described as a “rich plum [with a Matte finish].” It’s a blackened burgundy with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. Viseart Sculpting #3 (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar). Chanel Plum Attraction (LE, $45.00) is lighter (90% similar). MAC Film Noir (P, $24.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

MAC’s Powder Blush formula is supposed to be easy to apply, long-wearing, and have “fantastic colour.” It’s hard to generalize for MAC’s blush formula, because it varies a lot from shade to shade, even within different types of finishes! Some of them are very good, others are so-so, and a few are complete misses. The more frosted/shimmery shades tend to have the softest and smoothest textures and are easier to apply and blend out on the skin, while more satin and matte shades can sometimes be powdery, firm, or stiff, which makes blending more challenging. The wear is typically between six and nine hours but closer to seven to eight hours on average. Sketch is one of the hardest blushes to blend out that I’ve ever encountered: it does not want to diffuse, even out, or otherwise look half-decent on the skin. Perhaps it is due to the incredibly dry, powdery consistency that drags across the skin’s surface and has that patchy, uneven coverage even as a swatch that results in an absolutely disastrous application. It seems quite pigmented, but it just doesn’t seem to go on well–even when I tried it over primer and with various brushes, I really couldn’t get decent results at all. The mess that I did make, however, seemed to wear for eight hours, so there’s that.

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MAC Sketch Blush

MAC Sketch Blush

MAC Sketch Blush

MAC Sketch Blush

MAC Sketch Blush