Exotic Ember

Exotic Ember is described as an "orange with bronze pearl." It's a deep, bronze-shimmered brown with subtle warm undertones. This is a shade that is going to be tricky for some skin tones, amazing on others; I think if you liked Metal Rock, you'll like the color of this. Aside from the tricky color, the orange shade was difficult to blend with the brown. It was like the two were oil and water and really didn't want to blend together, so the color looked splotchy applied. I tried it over different foundations (two liquids, a powder, and bare skin), and I still had the same issues trying to get it to look even. I had the best results with I used a fan brush to use it very, very lightly as a contour but the color may not work as a contour for all skin tones (it doesn't for mine, for reference). As a blush, it did emphasize pores and skin texture. I will try to snap a photo of it being used more as a contour sometime this week. It lasted six hours on my skin, and it was patchy after eight hours of wear (this is typical wear for me with MAC's mineralize products). MAC Earthshine is less warm-toned, slightly redder/more plum in a way. MAC Pressed Amber is lighter, less warm-toned. Bobbi Brown Bahama is lighter, more plum. See comparison swatches.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview, which is a detailed review of the range as a whole.

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