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MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack Review, Photos, Swatches

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf Baby: Surf the Ocean

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack ($32.50 for 0.40 oz.) comes with two stacks of colors, with each stack having two shades. The Surf the Ocean stack’s shades are described as “frosty platinum, light yellow green, gold bronze, and dirty graphite with silver pearl.” The individual colors do not have shade names, just the stack itself.

  • The first shade of the stack that I tried was a medium-dark silvery gray with a metallic finish. It’s like a lighter version of Silver Ring, seems comparable to Silver pigment (long discontinued).
  • Next, we have a really blackened navy blue with multicolored shimmer of teal, green, and blue with more of a frost finish. Deep Blue Green would seem the closest but this is definitely bluer.
  • The third shade I swatched was a medium-dark, bronzy gold with a metallic finish. It’s a little less copper than Amber Lights eyeshadow.
  • Finally, there is a seafoam green that is really iridescent and a little sheer (even when swatched wet), and it photographs less seafoam and almost like this mauve-gray. I can’t think of any similar shades in the permanent line, but it almost seems like a lighter version of NARS Dogon.

Each stack is about 2.5x the size of a regular, full-sized pigment–essentially, the value here is about $52 worth of product. The texture of these is chunkier than pigments, though they don’t apply that way. For the most part, they have a tendency to stick together, which is why I can see the “crushed metal” name coming from, and obviously, the finishes are very strong frosts/metallics (also, expected, from the name). The gold shade was the chunkiest, unusually so (it looks nothing like the previous stacks I’ve had nor any of the ones from this launch)–made it look like little nuggets of gold goodness!

These are best used over a slightly tacky base (like MAC Mixing Medium) or wet, because they are more like a loose color than a pressed one, but the pigment itself does bind well over an eyeshadow base or regular eyeshadow without having to be used wet, because as you press the product on, it doesn’t poof everywhere. These adhere well, and for all intents and purposes, I find them very much like MAC Pigments. When applied wet, they adhere really well without a base; when applied dry, you really have to press and ensure it’s been smoothed out to wear it alone without a base.

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack Review, Photos, Swatches

B+
9
Product
9.5
Pigmentation
9
Texture
8.5
Longevity
4
Application
89%
Total

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack
MAC Surf the Ocean Crushed Metallic Pigment Stack

42 Comments

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Jessi Avatar

I just have never gotten the appeal of MAC’s pigments. I feel like I can get the same thing and perhaps even more nuanced colors from indie companies.

Dusty Avatar

I’m a MAC Pigment NUT! LOL! The thing that I like about MAC Pigments over every kind of mineral makeup I’ve tried is the “built-in binding agents” that they have in them. They’re all kind of creamy and “sticky-ish” which makes them wildy easy to work with. I usually recommend them to people just getting into loose color because of that.

Lorraine ER Avatar

I felt the same way until I tried a pigment and I ended up loving them! I’m a big fan of mineral shadows but I’ll still buy/use pigments because they are a bit different. They are easier to work with than typical mineral shadows because of how well they adhere and they also blend well without blending away the nuances of the shade. I find they are easier to use when I’m in a rush than some of my mineral shades. If you like minerals you’ll probably like these too but I wouldn’t say if you have one you should skip the other 🙂

esme Avatar

Maybe you could put it over a green or seafoam-y color base… Just an idea. You could try it with one of the NYX jumbo eyeshadow pencils.. I’m really having a hard time deciding if I want to buy these! Lol.

Lizzy Claiborne Avatar

It photographs silver – but is that what it looks like in life? It was described as Yellow-ish. I bet it’s a take on Spiritualize. The silver? Silver Fog, bad batch. I also see ScatterRays, gold piggie in chunks as well. They added something to make it bronzier.
There is no mint green in pigments, but the mysterious changing green may well be amazing around your eyes. Don’t sell it short.

I love them all and will be getting both. I mean, they’re Pigments!!

Penemuel Avatar

Those are GORGEOUS. Sparkly like dragon treasures.

I wonder how they’d work in some clear nail polish as layering polishes…

April Avatar

Hey Christine!

Thanks for the awesome photos as usual. I’m sorry, this is sort of off topic and I bet you’ve been asked before, but what kind of camera do you have? Your macro shots are always outstanding!!

Nicole Avatar

I would love to see you do a look with this. The blue sparkly shade and the gold shade I think would look wonderful with your skin tone.

Nellie Avatar

Hmm, this pigment stack was one of two things I really wanted from this collection, but I think I’m going to pass. I’ll have to swatch them in the store, but if the two blue colors are as in this post, I don’t think I need this. The stack I have from the Spring Colour Forecast has horrific fallout (even when used wet) over the course of a day, so I have to really be sold on the colors to buy one of these new ones.

Becca Avatar

I must ahve this. thank god this collection comes out right after my birthday!!! I want the other stack of pigmesnt too though, and some other stuff…. oh boy 😉

Coraline Avatar

I’m only starting to get into make up and have no idea how I would use these, but these are such gorgeous colors I’m considering getting them!

Rosa Napoleon Avatar

Hey Christine, will you be doing a looking using these stacks. I really like the colors in each stack. I thinking about getting both, but which one would you recommended for NW 45 skin tone?

Thanks….loving the dogie picks. He is too cute. 🙂

Teena Marie Avatar

Hi Christine!
I’m not sure if you will see this, but I wanted to let you know that the MAC site lists what the names of the colors are. For this set in the order that they come in, it’s Titanium, Aquamarine, Bronze, Graphite. For the other set, it’s Pearl, Peachy, Pink, and Old Wine. Hope you see this, and hope it helps! 🙂

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