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MAC Spring Colour Forecast: Colour 4 Eyeshadow Quad Reviews, Photos, Swatches

MAC Cosmetics Spring Colour Forecast
MAC Colour 4 Eyeshadow Quad: Manila Paper, Flip, Aztec Brick, Creole Beauty

MAC Spring Colour Forecast: Colour 4 Eyeshadow Quad Reviews, Photos, Swatches

Colour 4 is decidedly for those who enjoy their golds and warm-toned browns. So, you know this is my favorite, personally. I love all four shades, and I’m excited that all four are pigmented and smooth. It’s so rare to like *all* the shades in a palette, so it is a nice surprise. I don’t think this is the most original color palette ever, though. I could see duping it with Nylon, Motif, Amber Lights, and Bronze. Not that it’d be exactly the same, it just brought instant “similar but not the same” shadows to mind when I first saw and swatched it.

Eyeshadow Quad — Colour 4

  • Manila Paper is a shimmery white-gold (more white than white-gold!) in a veluxe pearl finish. This is fairly pigmented, but you could probably dupe it with Nylon (which is a little frostier and yellower).
  • Flip is a peachy-gold with gold shimmer sheen with a frost finish. This came out previously, though it was limited edition. I’ve always liked this shade–not quite like anything MAC has in the permanent collection. The closest is something like Gleam or Motif, but it’s not a dupe for either.
  • Aztec Brick is a rich, shimmery copper with gold sheen in a veluxe pearl finish. It reminded me of Amber Lights eyeshadow quite a bit, though perhaps a little more bronzy than Amber Lights.
  • Creole Beauty is a warmed-up, medium-dark bronze with lighter bronze-gold sheen and shimmer with a frost finish. It’s like Romp and Bronze had a baby. Nice pigmentation–probably one of my personal favorites from the launch.

See product photos and swatches!

MAC Cosmetics Spring Colour Forecast
MAC Colour 4 Eyeshadow Quad: Manila Paper, Flip, Aztec Brick, Creole Beauty

MAC Cosmetics Spring Colour Forecast
MAC Manila Paper Eyeshadow

MAC Cosmetics Spring Colour Forecast
MAC Flip Eyeshadow

MAC Cosmetics Spring Colour Forecast
MAC Aztec Brick Eyeshadow

MAC Cosmetics Spring Colour Forecast
MAC Creole Beauty Eyeshadow

MAC Cosmetics Spring Colour Forecast
MAC Colour 4 Eyeshadow Quad: Manila Paper, Flip, Aztec Brick, Creole Beauty

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77 Comments

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peachesxsan Avatar

love this quad! it’s right up my alley as I love warm browns. I’m a little concerned about Azteck Brick though. I hope it’s not too orange.

Jade Avatar

Thank you so much, Christine! I just ordered this quad last night and your review and swatches made me confident and very happy that I did. I really appreciate all of your hard work 🙂

HC Avatar

This reminds me slightly of one of the quads that came out with the Makeup Arts Cosmetics line. Notoriety? But that was a fail b/c of its lack of pigmentation. I think I might pick this one up!

Erin Avatar

this may be my first premade MAC quad I purchase! such pretty colors… (besides the fact that I will have at least 4 Amber Lights-esque e/s after this). Thanks so much for the gorgeous swatches, Christine!

NuNu Avatar

I’m just thinking how similar this quad is to the Devil May Dare palette. Bronzy golds and a white gold highlighter. Wait…doesn’t it remind you of the one Maybelline quad?

Rachel Avatar

This could actually pass for a pretty decent dupe of Dior Golds quint that came out in the summer of 08, which I completely adore. I think this is the best item to come out in the entire collection, from what I can tell. Great job on all the swatches and reviews! 😉

Caroline Avatar

I really like that all the finishes and colors work together. Part of the reason I don’t ever buy mac quads is that every shadow in the quad tends to have a different finish. (I don’t like mattes!)

Christine Avatar

It’s supposed to launch in-store on the 11th, but it’s available online now.

I don’t know how you can take them out, just because it seems really difficult to pop ’em out.

You might have to do something like heat it in an oven for a few minutes, and then take tweezers to kind of pull it out.

phuong k Avatar

if you have a heat pad for like coffee and stuff, just put the palette on there on a medium setting and wait for 2-5 mins. it should be slightly melted enough where the glue will give and you can use tweezers to pull it out. this is only a suggestion though…i would leave it if it doesn’t come out after trying once or twice

Rosanna Avatar

If the oven or flat iron method won’t work, then I’ll just cut the palette up with pliers or something cause I don’t care about the palette (preferably not, I’d use it for B2M) then use the heat method to soften the glue. LOL!

Rosanna Avatar

I’m not a neutral girl, but I’m trying to get more of them (got Glamour check! but that’s it).

Since I don’t have any of the supposed dupes, I’m definitely gettting this as a neutral colours introduction to my collection! I love all the colours!

Angela Avatar

Aztec Brick, Creole Beauty are pretty colors. I know I have dupes for these e/s shades but I am a sucker for all things in the brown/bronze family, so I am so adding this to may collection.

cady Avatar

hmmm…i see this quad being perfect for my blue eyes, if i don’t have any of those (or similar!) colors, ya think this would be a good buy?? oooh and for summer time…

Ino Avatar

hey christine! do you use water to bring out a better pigmentation? i tried doing that with one of my MAC eyeshadows, but the water just stayed put on the surface and didn’t pick up any color.

Hannah Avatar

could you maybe start doing swatches of dupes side by side? I really want bronze and amber lights anyway but inf they’re too far off the orirginal colour then i wont be purchasing 🙁

I usually order online because I cant always get access to a MAC store…

Krys Avatar

hey Christine, thanks for the swatches! i ordered this quad but i have a lil question…i was hoping manila paper could pass as a dupe for nanogold…do you think it could?

Hannah Avatar

thankyou!
I can save my money for some other colours…

Im always looking in my (small) collection for dupes because they’re everywhere, you just need to look 😉

Vix Avatar

I need to get this.. I think it’ll be perfect for a neutral quad to travel with, since I usually wear just neutral makeup while I’m away and it’s less crap/bulk to carry around with me haha.

Danielle Avatar

Okay, I totally didn’t think I was gonna get much, but I just went and saw this in person today and you know what, I had to pre-order it, ITS SOOOOO PRETTY!

Bella Avatar

Sorry if this is a stupid question – is it difficult to depot the quads especially in these new cases?

Second question – WHEN in the 130 coming out in the US? I’m obsessed with the 130.

Christine Avatar

It’s definitely harder than before, because I can’t see how (or figure out, at least) you would remove the “insert” portion whereas the old one you could pop it out. I think you’d have to heat up the whole quad and then use tweezers to pull out the eyeshadow (and if it wasn’t completely melted, maybe drip some alcohol or glue remover and let that sit). It’s certainly possible from what I can tell… just not as easy.

The new foundation was supposed to launch the 4th from my press sheet, though the original date was the 18th, I believe.

Kenyatta Avatar

I just picked up this palette today and i absolutely love it! I also got the Springshine and Ripe Peach Blush Ombres. I’m happy with all three. Thanks for such thorough reviews and swatches. They really helped make my decision super easy…thanks again!

Cherie Avatar

I just picked up this quad and love it!! I wasn’t sure how it would look on my NW15+freckles self then the MUA put it on me.. SOLD! I used Ripe Peach on my cheeks and then Bronzilla + Cha Cha to complete the look 🙂

100% satsified! I feel like if this was the only makeup I was ever allowed to use again for the rest of my days, I would be ok with that 🙂

Bella Avatar

Christine,
For those of us with older eyes that don’t wear the frosts well anymore could you suggest some dupes that aren’t as frosty from the permanent collection?

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