MAC Spellbinder Shadows Reviews, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)

MAC Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Dynamically Charged Spellbinder Shadow ($22.00 for 0.02 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark olive brown with subtle, warmer undertones and a metallic sheen. It had decent pigmentation, though not full coverage, that applied fairly evenly to bare skin. This was one of the easiest shades to blend out on the lid, but as a result, it was harder to maintain opaque coverage even after building the color up. It was opaque when applied over primer or with a damp brush and blended out well. It started to crease after seven and a half hours of wear, and it had no signs of wear with primer after nine and a half hours. MAC Posh Pedigree #3 (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery (95% similar). MAC Rich, Sweet (LE, $16.50) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). MAC Smokeluxe #2 (PiP, ) is more shimmery (90% similar). MAC Bao Bao's Jewels #4 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar). Milani Sweeter Than Chocolate (PiP, $5.99) is lighter, brighter (90% similar). MAC Silver Dawn (P, $20.00) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (90% similar). Natasha Denona Dark Sepia (47P) (PiP, $29.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Sleek MakeUP Lust in LA (LE, $9.99) is brighter, warmer (90% similar). Chanel Cuir Brun (928) (LE, $30.00) is warmer (85% similar). Clinique Cocoa Pop (P, $17.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). Melt Cosmetics Industrial (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar). Olivia Palermo Diamond Dust (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (85% similar). Jouer Midnight Swim (LE, ) is warmer (85% similar). bareMinerals Elitist (PiP, ) is lighter, brighter, warmer (80% similar). Melt Cosmetics Ravage (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (80% similar). Give Me Glow Iced Coffee (P, $7.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

MAC Gravity’s Pull Spellbinder Shadow ($22.00 for 0.02 oz.) is a blackened purple with warmer, pink undertones and a fine, pearly shimmer. It was more pigmented than it looked in the swatch, as the consistency was so finely-milled that it sheered out very readily on bare skin. The color applied better over primer, where it maintained most of its opacity and blended out a bit easier, though it was still a little more difficult to diffuse. It lasted for eight hours on me, and it had no signs of wear with primer after nine and a half hours. MAC Round Midnight (LE, $20.00) is more shimmery (95% similar). Urban Decay Bondage (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar). Marc Jacobs Beauty How You Want (PiP, ) is more shimmery (95% similar). bareMinerals Yoga (LE, $14.00) is warmer (95% similar). Guerlain Rose Barbare #4 (DC, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Chanel L'Intemporel de Chanel #4 (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Guerlain Electric Look #9 (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Bobbi Brown Black Violet (P, $24.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar). Make Up For Ever ME930 Black Purple (DC, $21.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar). ColourPop Twilight (LE, $4.50) is cooler (90% similar). Tarte Illusion (LE, ) is lighter, brighter, cooler (85% similar). MAC Grape (LE, $32.50) is more shimmery, lighter, brighter (80% similar). Urban Decay Rapture (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

MAC Higher Power Spellbinder Shadow ($22.00 for 0.02 oz.) is a dark, plummy brown with warm undertones and a soft, metallic sheen. It had mostly opaque coverage, and it was one of the more pigmented shades right out of the gate as it did not sheer out as easily as the others and maintained its intensity and coverage even on bare skin, though it was even better over primer. The consistency was soft, smooth, and fairly blendable with minimal work. It wore well for seven and a half hours on me, and it had no signs of wear with primer after nine and a half hours. Too Faced Sugar Plum (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery (95% similar). Dose of Colors Hot Mesh (P, $20.00) is darker (95% similar). MAC Midnight Shine (P, $18.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). Dior Early Bird #5 (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Make Up For Ever ME828 Garnet Black (DC, $17.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar). ColourPop Future Industries (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar). Natasha Denona Stark (335M) (PiP, $29.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar). ColourPop Hung Up (P, $4.50) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Lisa Eldridge Faded Amethyst (P, $16.00) is darker (90% similar). NARS Pointe Noire (LE, $22.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar). Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night No. 19 (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Marc Jacobs Beauty Dress (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar). Huda Beauty Courageous (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar). MAC Rare Find (LE, $21.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar). Fenty Beauty Nuts N Dates (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar). Anastasia Metallic Plum (LE, $12.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar). Urban Decay Digital (PiP, $19.00) is less shimmery, cooler (85% similar). Milk Makeup Silent Disco (P, $24.00) is darker (90% similar). Too Faced Rhinestone (PiP, $16.00) is less shimmery (90% similar). ColourPop Sing (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

MAC Mysterious Influence Spellbinder Shadow ($22.00 for 0.02 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark olive green with warmer, brown undertones and a frosted sheen. It had good color payoff with a soft, finely-milled texture that blended out without too much work and didn’t appear patchy on bare skin, and it was fully opaque and applied with ease over primer. The color wore just over seven and a half hours on me, and it had no signs of wear with primer after nine and a half hours. Dior Jardin #3 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar). LORAC Seaside (LE, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar). Stila Seaweed (LE, $18.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Dior Bonne Etoile (384) #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar). Guerlain Les Precieux #1 (LE, ) is brighter (90% similar). Charlotte Tilbury Veruschka (DC, $34.00) is darker (95% similar). Chanel Codes Subtils #4 (LE, ) is darker (90% similar). Hourglass Color Field #5 (PiP, ) is darker, brighter (90% similar). MAC Unsurpassable (LE, $21.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar). Make Up For Ever D320 Golden Khaki (DC, $21.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Burnished Copper (LE, $45.00) is warmer (90% similar). Guerlain Khaki Mono (07) (P, $34.00) is lighter (90% similar). Chanel Tisse Fantaisie #3 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar). Make Up For Ever D308 Aquatic Khaki (DC, $17.00) is more shimmery, cooler (85% similar). Cle de Peau Stardust #4 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, lighter, brighter (85% similar). Ciate Soul (LE, ) is lighter, cooler, lower quality (85% similar). Sephora Hidden Treasure (114) (LE, $13.00) is lighter, brighter, cooler (85% similar). Inglot #419 (P, $7.00) is more shimmery, lighter, brighter (85% similar). theBalm #30 (P, $6.50) is less shimmery, warmer (85% similar). Cle de Peau Modern Era #4 (LE, ) is cooler (85% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Find part one here.

Formula Overview

MAC Spellbinder Shadow ($22.00 for 0.02 oz.) is described as “black, ionized pigments [that] are magnetically charged, fusing the loose powder together so it magically maintains its form and dimension” and will “cling to lids like pure velvet.” Per “usage,” MAC actually says they are “best” when used over their 24-Hour Primer, so the wear and application are rated as they performed over primer (I also tested without primer, as I was not sure what the claims were going to be, so you will still see that information below). It feels like velvet if you touch it with a fingertip, as the powder is finely-milled but “fuses” together, so there is less mess in the pot. They are supposed to be as pigmented and as intense as loose eyeshadows but in an easier-to-use format. They are less messy in the pot, as the pot seems to have a magnet within it, but I don’t find that it is particularly less messy during application as I still had some fall out while working with it; in some ways, it was harder to tap away excess as the product did seem more inclined to stick to itself on the brush initially. If you push the product too close to the rim of the jar, it will creep over the edge and is too far from the base to stay in. The powders do maintain their wavy pattern, even as you push and move the loose pigment around.

I am, personally, a big fan of MAC’s regular Pigments, as they have more to them that give them better binding and adhesion on the lids, so I find them easy to work with, pigmented, and longer-wearing. I liked the fineness and smoothness of the Spellbinder Shadows, but the black base made the harder to blend and diffuse on the lid. These worked best as lid colors, where one can use other products for crease/transition shades, blending around the edges, and so forth. I did not see anything in the press copy about using them damp, but as most loose pigments/eyeshadows can be used that way, I did try some of these with a damp brush, which I thought was useful for really bringing out the depth and sheen of the colors overall. They perform better over primer, as the fineness of the powder seemed to apply somewhat unevenly and was more prone to appearing patchy over bare skin, as some particles would adhere well but not diffuse.

They seemed quite pigmented, but the texture seemed more prone to sheering out when I applied it to dry lids; there was a faded, slightly translucent quality to the majority of the shades when applied to bare skin. The wear was average at seven to eight hours without primer and no signs of wear after nine and half hours of wear (I did not test further). Primer seemed to help primarily with getting more even, true-to-pot coverage, as the product didn’t sheer out as easily, and of course, the wear, but it did not help as much as was needed for blending out the colors. I think the deeper colors and the finer shimmer makes them worth checking out, but it’s a product where I could see just one or two shades being necessary. They will also come together better when mixed with other shades, as together, they can run together as they have a similar depth and base color.

As a note, it really does contain only 0.02 oz. of product, which is definitely on the low-end for loose eyeshadows, and it is particularly low when compared to MAC Pigments (0.10 oz. for the same price).

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Dynamically Charged Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Dynamically Charged Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Dynamically Charged Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Dynamically Charged Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Dynamically Charged Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Gravity's Pull Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Gravity's Pull Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Gravity's Pull Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Gravity's Pull Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Gravity's Pull Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Higher Power Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Higher Power Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Higher Power Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Higher Power Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Higher Power Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Mysterious Influence Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Mysterious Influence Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Mysterious Influence Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Mysterious Influence Spellbinder Shadow

MAC Mysterious Influence Spellbinder Shadow

Mysterious Influence, Higher Power, Gravity’s Pull, Dynamically Charged

Mysterious Influence, Higher Power, Gravity’s Pull, Dynamically Charged