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MAC Tartan Tale: Pigments Review, Photos, Swatches

MAC The Family Crest Pigment
MAC The Family Crest Pigment

MAC Tartan Tale: Pigments

For the color collection, there are three new and limited edition shades of MAC Pigments ($19.50 for 0.15 oz.). These shades are: The Family Crest (blackened bronze with pearl), Later (black with transforming purple pearl), and Moonlight Night (blackened teal with teal pearl). All three pigments have frost finishes. Later is a repromote from this spring’s Alice + Olivia Collection.

  • The Family Crest is a darkened, plummy brown base with flashes of gold and violet shimmer. It’s a very fun and complex shade! It’s actually a little similar to Style Clan nail lacquer (which you can’t wear on your eyes, LOL!). I couldn’t think of a MAC dupe for this shade.
  • Later needs moisture to look amazing. Do not just swatch it dry and forget about it, because you’re really not giving it a chance then. When applied wet, it’s a blackened-gray base with flashes of violet and deep blue-purple shimmer and sheen. About a million times prettier wet than dry. It is similar to My Dark Magic Mineralize Eyeshadow from Venomous Villains. It could also be replicated by layering Violet pigment over a black base.
  • Moonlight Night is a darkened charcoal gray base with flashes of deep forest green shimmer and soft frosted sheen. I couldn’t think of a MAC dupe for this shade.

Even when swatched dry, both The Family Crest and Moonlight Night swatched smoothly, but Later definitely needs to be used wet or patted over a sticky base to get the true color. I personally find MAC’s Mixing Medium (Water-Based) to work really well when using pigments wet, because it is slightly tacky, which makes the pigment hold together and wear all day.  I’ve often used pigments as bases for other eyeshadows with this method.

Though I like the look of the new pigment jars, I do find them a lot messier.  I don’t know if it’s perhaps that I open these over a white table, but I feel like I get some smeared on the photo station every time I open them, which is quite annoying.  I haven’t spilled or toppled any of the jars over, at least!

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! 🙂

  • Product: 29/30
  • Value: 9/10
  • Ease of Use: 4/5
  • Packaging: 3/5

RECOMMENDATION: If you’re a fan of pigments or enjoy using loose color, then yes on all three. I think they’re great shades and nothing feels like, “Wow, I’ve seen this twenty times!”

AVAILABILITY: October 28th at MAC Stores/Counters, Now online

MAC The Family Crest Pigment
MAC The Family Crest Pigment

MAC The Family Crest Pigment
MAC The Family Crest Pigment

MAC The Family Crest Pigment
MAC The Family Crest Pigment

MAC The Family Crest Pigment
MAC The Family Crest Pigment (Dry/Wet)

MAC Later Pigment
MAC Later Pigment

MAC Later Pigment
MAC Later Pigment (Dry/Wet)

MAC Moonlight Night Pigment
MAC Moonlight Night Pigment

MAC Moonlight Night Pigment
MAC Moonlight Night Pigment

MAC Moonlight Night Pigment
MAC Moonlight Night Pigment

MAC Moonlight Night Pigment
MAC Moonlight Night Pigment

MAC Moonlight Night Pigment
MAC Moonlight Night Pigment (Dry/Wet)

66 Comments

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Miri Avatar

Thank you for the swatches. 🙂 I pre-ordered Family Crest. The only dupe that I can think of might me the mineralized eye shadow from Style Black Cinderfella but that was LE too.

NiyaXRocks Avatar

Beautiful pigments! I have just started my collection and at least two need to be mine! I love Later and Moonlight Night. I think the family crest reminds me of ‘French Quarter’ greasepaint stick. But then, maybe its just the lighting!
Thank you for all the time and effort you put in to these posts to aid our buying decisions Christine! xoxo

cloudburst Avatar

Wow I wish I had known they were going to repromote Later, so I could have gotten my pro discount on it now! All three piggies are beautiful.

laden Avatar

Its such a shame that Later doesnt work without moist, I would like to see it with an improved formula in the future but for now I will pass on that , though Family crest is gorgeous most probably i will add it on my list.

Alma Avatar

I love all three of these! I recently got infatuated with darker colors, and these all look amazing.. I will definitely be checking these out.
Thanks for the swatches!

Linnea Avatar

I love all of these, but I feel like they are too dark for me.. I have a lot of problems not looking like I have a black eye.

Thanks for all the reviews Christine! Hopefully your midterms went great/are going okay. 🙂

Angel Avatar

You’re so quick Christine thanks!<3
I'm so getting Moonlight night ;D. Family Crest kinda looks like French Quarter grease paint… but since I don't have that I might as well get this one haha.

CJ Avatar

I haven’t really loved anything else from this collection but I want all three of these!

Christine, how similar would you say that The Family Crest is in color to the French Quarter Greasepaint Stick from VV?

san Avatar

Hi Christine , cud u please show these pigments on your eyes…the swatches look great but i wud like to see where exactly we shud apply on eyes..ive never used pigments before.

Lisa Avatar

I think it’s a change, but personnally I find these pigments too dark. I mean they would be awesome for a smokey or to darken a makeup, but given the quantity (and the price)of product, I don’t think it would be a good investment for me, as I’m not keen on everyday-deep-dark makeups 🙂 But I agree, the colours are gorgeous!

Xoxo

Jennifer Avatar

I ordered “The Family Crest” and “Moonlight Night” yesterday!

I am not a pigment person at all. I have one pigment in the old packaging “Blue Brown.” And I rarely use it, but these colors really caught my eye. I couldn’t think of a pressed shadow by MAC that looked like these, and both colors would work for me. So pretty, I couldn’t pass them up!

🙂

Megan Avatar

Wow, Moonlight Night is virtually the same wet and dry! I really like it, despite not being much of a green wearer. The Family Crest reminds me of Gilt By Association from the Style Black Collection but it could just be my monitor settings…

Ru Avatar

Wow I really want Later and Moonlight Night- but already spent a fortune on Sephora F%F. I’m pretty new to MAC, any idea how long the LE items will be around?

Denah Avatar

Yea Im glad I ordered Tuesday evening. I knew The Family Crest was a coldblooded color, so I went on and got it. I didn’t get Moonlight NIght because I had just ordered a very similar color from Meow Cosmetics called Coven. But Yea, I get a nig big haul tommorrow, and Im off, and my daughters are gonna be in school too!! so plenty of playing time!!

Rosanna Avatar

I love/want all of them!

Unfortunately, I don’t use my pigments or wear dark eyeshadows very often. >_< But Moonlight Night is so pretty (the name too..)! Whatever! I'm probably still going to get it!

gail Avatar

Hi, how does moonlight night compare to deep blue green pigment? xx Thanks for swatches! aargh I swore I would boycott MAC pigments after the new packaging but… I need that Family crest!!!

Tish Avatar

Was a bit distraught when I saw that both Moonlight Night and The Family Crest are sold out online. After taking a deep breath, I called my local store and found out that they had received all three of the new pigments and will have them on sale tomorrow.

So, for those that didn’t get a chance to get them online there is still hope. 🙂

Trish Avatar

Maybe it’s my screen but Moonlight Night looks a lot like ‘She Who Dares’ from Venomous Villains. Since I have that, I’m not as inclined to buy this pigment.

Denah Avatar

Oh and they bring back their halloween collection every year just in case anyone is interested but miss out this year. You can just wait till next year and get it.

Paintedlady Avatar

The dupe that came to mind right away for Midnight Night would be “1939” from BFTE Cosmetics, I have it in my stash and they are extremely close!

Stacey K Avatar

last year’s Guilt by Association mineralize shadow from the style black collection is VERY similar to The Family Crest. I bought the family crest, went home and played with it, and now I’m kind of wishing I hadn’t bought it because the two shades are pretty much identical

Jessica. Avatar

I just picked up the family crest today.. It was my first pigment purchase. MAC has disappointing the hell out of my these past 2 years but when I opened this jar I actually gasped.. it’s.. so… beautiful!

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