MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo Review, Photos, Swatches
MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo
Can’t Say I Fancy This Whim
MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo ($27.50 for 0.09 oz.) contains two shades: Performance Art (platinum silver) and Shadowy Lady (blackened plum).  The last of the four new and limited edition eyeshadow duos in MAC’s fall collection Styleseeker, it leaves me less inspired. I think the duos are cute, and they could be easy ways to combine colors for quick looks, but there always seem to be one shade that doesn’t perform that well. The duo price point is too steep to permit one shade to be a disappointment!
Performance Art is a mauve-tinged silver with a hint of gold and silver shimmer. It has a veluxe pearl finish. It didn’t seem too sheer initially, but it definitely is–I had to go back and pack it on three times to get it to show up on me. There was also some fall out during and post-application, even though the sparkle didn’t seem to be too large. For a veluxe pearl, it’s not as smooth as I’d expect, and the color didn’t bind together as well. It’s like a lighter, less pigmented version of Urban Decay Midnight Rodeo. MAC Heirloom is similar but has a stronger sheen. Cle de Peau #207 is similar but has more sparkle. Giorgio Armani #8 is more metallic.
Shadowy Lady is a blackened plum with brown-burgundy undertones. It has a matte finish. The texture is dry, a little stiff. I thought it would be easier to use on the lid, but I found it was harder to work with (both in depositing color and blending it out) than Indie Spirit (which swatched even more poorly!). This shade is part of the permanent range. Urban Decay Rockstar has a similar base color/tone but it is much more purple and has shimmer. MAC Indian Ink has less red tones, more purple ones.
Performance Art has this oddly sheer, fall out-prone texture that makes it harder to work with, while Shadowy Lady didn’t want to blend out as evenly or as easily as other MAC matte eyeshadows. I don’t remember Shadowy Lady being hard to work with (I remember it not always swatching well), but in this duo, it wasn’t great.  None of the duos were out of this world–I think you’re better off making your own duo or picking up two pans and putting them in a palette you already own.  For something similar, though not exact, I’d suggest Seedy Pearl and Fig. 1.
Whims & Fancies
$27.50.
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MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo
MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo
MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo
MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo
MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo
MAC Whims & Fancies Eyeshadow Duo
MAC Performance Art Eyeshadow
MAC Shadowy Lady Eyeshadow
MAC Brule, MAC Indie Spirit, MAC Shadowy Lady Eyeshadows, MAC Local Wares Fluidline
MAC Retrospeck (V2), MAC Chessa, MAC Star Myth, Giorgio Armani #1 Eyes to Kill Waterproof Eyeliner
MAC Performance Art, MAC Raving Mad, MAC Shadowy Lady, MAC Brule, Giorgio Armani #1 Eyes to Kill Waterproof Eyeliner
Shesh, from your reviews on the duos, they seem way less than stellar. Sometimes I wonder how MAC performs quality tests on those, because really?
Anyways, Thank you so much for your reviews! They will make me save R$520,00 Reais (Mac in Brazil is super expensive, by the exchange rate, the 4 duos would cost something like U$ 260 dolars).
They’ve had a lot more problems with duos/quads in the past few years than before. I remember LOVING their holiday palettes, because you really did get 6 eyeshadows for a deal – they usually were pretty good. Now, you get one or two good shades with a mixed bag for the rest.
Wow, MAC is really super expensive in Brazil…..I’m shocked! It´s so unfair that one of these eyeshadows duos costs so much! Thank goodness we have Temptalia to consult before making a purchase.
The colour of this one was the one that appealed the most to me. While I think the look that you did with the MAC Retrospeck (V2), MAC Chessa, & MAC Star Myth is really pretty on you — so lovely with your hazel eyes — not even *your* skills and talent can really save the look of Performance Art, Raving Mad, Shadowy Lady & Brule. I’ve rarely seen an eye look that didn’t suit you or that looked unappealing. But, imo, this is one of those rare exceptions. I can’t pinpoint why exactly (and it’s not even how muddy it looks at the top) but, if you can’t save this, then I certainly couldn’t.
So I went to my MAC store yesterday and asked about this collection. They didn’t have it for sale, of course, but since they had a pre-view event a few days before, they had all the displays and testers in the back.
I swatched this duo, cause I thought it could be gorgeous for winter, and although I loved Performance Art, Shadowy Lady felt like a nightmare! Stiff, dry, and very poor color payoff. This is SO disappointing again!
Oh and just to share my frustration with sales associates who know nothing about what they’re selling, the one who showed me these products stated that “all the products are brand new and limited editions shade”. Right. I didn’t even bother to correct her…
What lipstick do you have on??
MAC Eden Rouge!
I’ve read all of your reviews on the duo’s for this MAC release. Great work, Christine! I have to say there are so really lovely colours in this collection, but so typical for MAC quality these days. A complete pass for me.
The look you made with the duo is stunning! Too bad the eyeshadows are a bit disappointing. I have the feeling that MAC duo’s and quads from limited editions are often a bit disappointing.
Thanks, Kelly! 🙂 I agree – there is rarely a duo that is good all around. I think since you’re not getting much of a discount for buying two at once, it has to be!
This is really too bad. This duo was the only one that really caught my eye but it definitely doesn’t look like it’s worth the money. BUMMER! Thanks for the review so that I can save some pennies! 🙂
No prob!