MAC Stroke of Midnight/Nude Eye Bag ($39.50 for 0.295 oz.) is a small, zippered bag that contains a Paint Pot ($20.00 value), Fluidline ($16.00 value), In Extreme Dimension Lash Mascara ($21.00 value), and a double-ended brush (approximately $10-15 value). The value of the color products is $57 alone, so you’re definitely getting more for your money by purchasing everything as a set; there is also the value of the bag and the double-ended brush that would bring the value to at least $67. Even if you’re just digging the Paint Pot and Fluidline, together they’re $36, so it’s not too bad if the other products are less interesting.

Past Twilight is described as a “blackened plum.” It’s a deep, dark plummy brown with a mostly matte finish. It had nice color payoff in a single stroke, and it had a creamy, easy-to-apply consistency. It wore well without smudging or fading over a twelve-hour period. Urban Decay Demolition (P, $19.00) is browner. MAC Dark Diversion (LE, $16.00) is a bit lighter but still quite similar. bareMinerals 5PM (P, $15.00) is more muted. See comparison swatches.

Utterly Becoming is described as a “creamy beige.” It’s a light-medium rosy beige with warm undertones and a matte finish. The consistency was lightly creamy and easy to spread and blend on the skin. It had opaque color coverage, and it wore well for twelve hours without fading or creasing. Urban Decay Freestyle (LE, $18.00) is a powder product. MAC Inner Strength (LE, $15.00) is a powder product. See comparison swatches. I don’t have it swatched (and I’m not sure I have it at all), but I believe Painterly is grayer/cooler-toned.

The bag seems sturdy and practical enough, and it’s wider than the zipppered Lip Bags, so it can accommodate more products. The dual-ended brush is a toss-in for me; it’s not bad, it’s not great–MAC’s full-sized versions are both better in feel and consistency of the density/shape of the brush heads.  In Extreme Dimension mascara separates and defines, but sometimes it seems to pull out a lot of product on the wand, which needs to be removed so that lashes don’t enter Clump City. I didn’t see a lot of length or volume with the mascara.  I didn’t have any flaking/smudging, though!

P.S. — I did not purchase the Gold or Violet Eye Bags, as they both contain products I’ve reviewed in the past.

MAC Stroke of Midnight Eye Bag/Nude

MAC Stroke of Midnight Eye Bag/Nude

MAC Past Twilight Fluidline

MAC Past Twilight Fluidline

MAC Past Twilight Fluidline

MAC Past Twilight Fluidline

MAC Utterly Becoming Paint Pot

MAC Utterly Becoming Paint Pot

MAC Utterly Becoming Paint Pot

MAC Utterly Becoming Paint Pot

MAC Double-Ended Brush