MAC Lightly Tauped Studio Eye Gloss ($21.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “light beige gloss with pearl.” It’s a dirty olive with fine, multi-colored shimmer. It’s basically a slightly warming clear gloss with a smattering of shimmer. This isn’t a type of product I’ve come across often, so I don’t know of any dupes that are designed for use on eyes. The glossy effect coupled with the barely-there amount of shimmer when actually applied to the lids is really replicated by any glossy product that could be applied to the eyes.

The Studio Eye Gloss formula is supposed to give a “high shine” and can be used with pigments or as a “wash of gloss and a hint of color” on its own. I’d love to know the reasoning for including this formula in a mass, consumer-driven collection like MAC x Cinderella, because this is everything that you’d expect to find in a PRO-only product… because it IS a PRO product. It is a high maintenance product that’s best for photoshoots or for someone who wants a very specific look and doesn’t mind the pitfalls of what amounts to as a lipgloss you put on your eyes.

It’s tackier than any gloss I’ve tried, and it physically snaps the skin on my eye lid back as it sticks to my finger or brush (anyone who is concerned about tugging or pulling at the skin around the eyes, stay far away). I applied it using a flat, synthetic brush all over the lid and above the crease, and it settled into the creases within five minutes. I could feel the gloss migrating immediately, and the area near my inner corner gave me the sensation of my eyelid becoming glued shut. Every time I blinked, I could feel my upper and lower lash lines sticking together and slowly releasing. The product is so sheer and within a few minutes, most of the shimmer settles into the creases, so it just looks like you’ve applied clear gloss–I can get the same glossy effect using Vaseline, which is more comfortable to wear, since it isn’t tacky.

I tried patting pigment on top of it, and the loose pigment stuck well to the glossy base. It was hard to apply, and it’s very finicky as you’ll get big clumps of product lifting off of the area as you work. It actually lasted a bit longer than I anticipated–creasing occurred two hours into wear, but surprisingly, I didn’t feel like the effect was glossy (the pigment looked the same applied damp).

MAC doesn’t make a whole lot of claims about it on their website, so I don’t know if it’s supposed to be long-wearing or crease-resistant, but it’s not even short-wearing, because the formula gravitates towards the creases immediately for me. I can only see this working for an editorial shoot, where the look is high-shine, glossed eyelids, where the eyes can be touched up constantly for that specific shot.

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MAC Lightly Tauped Studio Eye Gloss

MAC Lightly Tauped Studio Eye Gloss

MAC Lightly Tauped Studio Eye Gloss