MAC always has these huge holiday collections filled with limited edition shades of products, new formulas, minis, and plenty of value sets. Unlike other brands, whose holiday items tend to be cheaper quality, MAC’s standard seems to be the same across the board. The brushes are the only things I’ve heard negative things about, and I’ve liked the holiday makeup I’ve bought over the years. This time, I decided to pick up just a few things.
Sugar Crystal Lip Oil Stick in Glisten Up
The cute packaging and uniquely shaped bullet with the gorgeous oil-slick colors is so enticing! I was very curious to experience this formula, because it’s a new innovation for MAC.
As seen in the swatches, the purple-blue-pink shimmer specks are an overspray. One swipe was enough to remove it completely from the slanted portion, and I can see that it’s clear from the inside, similar to the look of the Winky Lux Flower Lip Balms. I believe MAC’s formula is a little more complex and modern than those. I am at least happy that the sides of the lipstick will continue to look sparkly as long as I don’t touch it. I honestly didn’t want that shimmer on my lips. I get a particle or two each time I wear it, but it’s essentially a clear product. It has a pretty shine, but it’s not very glossy or oily looking.
The surface feels gel-like, soft, and comfortable as I move it across my lips. The bullet doesn’t tug and I get a similar sensation to the k-beauty melty formulas, but the bullet continues to hold its shape and doesn’t look overly emollient on the surface.
I have super dry lips, so I’m always happy to have a product that deeply nourishes and hydrates my lips, in addition to making them look supple and moisturized. Unfortunately, this is not one of those products. It keeps my lips moisturized on the surface for a couple of hours, but it’s not that much better than a typical lip balm and my lips lose that hydrated feeling much quicker than my regular lip oils. I have to reapply a lot throughout the day.
Although I don’t see parfum listed on the website ingredient list, this contains Citric Acid and Vanillin, and it has a mild candy gumdrop type of smell. I get enjoyment from looking at it and using it, but it’s not going to become a staple product in my collection. I think this would make a fun gift for someone, but more as a novelty item. Perhaps others with less severely dry lips will consider the formula to be good enough. I can only speak about my experience using it.
Jelly Shine Eye Shadow in Ice List
Based on the name alone, I was expecting a gel wet-feeling product. It’s supposed to have a “hybrid, jelly-like texture,” but the shimmer particles make it so that it feels dry to the touch with every swipe. I honestly would have called BS on the texture if I hadn’t been able to scrape the product out with my nail and then completely smooth it back out on the surface of the pan with my finger. It has some slip to it, but it’s not wet like the Colourpop Jelly Much eyeshadows, it doesn’t have the creaminess of a MAC Paint Pot, nor the softness of the MAC Glow Play Cushiony Blushes.
As someone who enjoys an interesting tactile experience combined with high performance, I was a little disappointed by how this felt. The results made up for it though. Ice List doesn’t look that impressive on me when I use it on my bare lids, but it really sings when paired with other eyeshadows!
When applied straight from the pan to my lids, it has a scattered effect type of look. I cannot get an opaque application without applying the eyeshadow damp first. I think this is a good quality for a topper to have, so that it suits more people’s eye makeup preferences. I’m not the biggest fan of toppers, but if I can get one to show less of my skin or eyeshadow underneath, I’m fine with that.
I have a lot of impressive sparkly eyeshadows from indie brands, so my expectations were low. I didn’t think a product like this would make such a difference, but it’s great for bumping up the impact and drama of an eyeshadow look. One such example is when I was completely satisfied and happy with my eye makeup using Clé de Peau eyeshadows, but when I added Ice List on top, it took the look to a whole new level!
This can be a little messy to use if an extra chunk comes off, as I sometimes get it in my lashes. It adheres well (I always wet it though), so I don’t notice much fallout throughout the day. However, when I have to take it off is when the sparkles go everywhere and it’s so difficult to get every speck off my face despite using my tried and true Bioderma micellar water with a Makeup Eraser cloth.
M·A·CStack Elevated Mascara (travel size)
MAC has the Foreseeable Future Eye Kit that includes a full size of this mascara, plus full size of the Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eye Liner. I did not buy that set, but I figured I could include this mascara review as part of the holiday collection because of that kit.
The M·A·CStack Mascara is one of my favorites, so I was eager to try this one because I assumed it would be a similar formula, just with a curved brush instead. There are actually more differences than that. For instance, the first M·A·CStack has a “mousse-like texture…for endless stackability” and the Elevated M·A·CStack has a wetter formula “featuring argan oil.” The M·A·CStack has a silicone brush and the Elevated M·A·CStack has a bristle brush.
In the beginning, I really did not like the Elevated M·A·CStack because I felt the formula was too wet and thin. It wasn’t sticking as well to my lashes, so I was lacking volume and couldn’t build it up that much. After about a month or so the mascara liquid became thicker and/or less wet (it gained more grip), and then I started to like how it looked. Although my preferred technique is to build up a lot of mascara in one go, with the Elevated mascara I got better results by applying a first coat and waiting for it to mostly dry before adding a thicker second coat.
Below is another example of how it looks on my lashes. It’s from my Cle de Peau post.
Although this mascara works better for me now than it was in the beginning, and it does a decent job of lifting the lashes, I still prefer the normal version of M·A·CStack. The M·A·CStack is quicker to apply and get the volume and length I like. The only thing to note is it may not be suited to those with sensitive eyes. I have no issues wearing that mascara unless I lay down to take a nap. Then, my eyes get irritated. Although I don’t see flakes on my face when I wear the M·A·CStack, I can only assume that some of it gets in my eyes when I’m in a laying position and causes irritation. Also, when I’m trying to remove the mascara, my eyes are fine as long as I get all of the particles completely out. If a dot of it gets in the back, my eyes will again feel uncomfortable and a little irritated until I remove it. I don’t know if the Elevated version does this as well, considering I have tried my best to just not nap while I’m wearing makeup. I do not wish to intentionally test this out either.
MAC Lustreglass Sheer-Shine Lipstick in Posh Pit
Since this is a MAC centered post, I figure it’s a fitting place to add photos of this lipstick. It was not included in my first review of the Lustreglass lipstick formula from my Makeup So Good I Had to Buy More post. I bought this shade in April, but I don’t see it on the US MAC website, so I’m not sure if it’s discontinued. It’s listed as out of stock on the MAC DE site, but I can still find it at other German retailers.
A short summary of my thoughts is that I consider the Lustreglass formula to be a more emollient version of the Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours. The amount of color this gives can be built up, but not to full opacity. The texture is light and buttery feeling and the shine level looks beautiful when first applied, but it’s not that long lasting on me. The tradeoff for this remaining comfortable on my desert dry lips is the fact that I have to reapply a lot.
Final Thoughts
This marks the end of the reviews. If these products were amazing and staple-worthy, I would consider the holiday collection to be brilliant. As it stands, this isn’t a bust either because MAC is holding true to what they usually do. This is the brand that released the Snowflushed duochrome highlighter in 2019, and chose to make a minty shade of highlighter this year. They tend to take more risks with the colors in their holiday collections, and I too am more prone to trying things outside of my comfort zone during this festive time.
The products I got were fun, and it helps that I got them on sale too!
That’s all for today! Thank you for checking out my blog! Also, I’m wishing anyone who celebrates it an early Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m calling this a Part 3, even though Parts 1 & 2 were solely about blushes (plus one more about the fails). This post is intended to showcase additional colors of products I’ve already reviewed before. If this is your first time visiting my blog…welcome! Herzlich Willkommen! I will have links to the original reviews in each section (ex: in bold blue) if you’re looking for in-depth information about each product. In a way, this particular series is for the email followers and regular visitors to get any updated information and see how additional colors look.
Chanel Joues Contraste Intense in Rose Radiant (Rouge Franc)
I was so eager to try this on, that I only took one good photo of this in new/untouched condition. Unfortunately, it was in a room with ultra warm lighting. Once I realized this, I tried very hard to color correct the picture, but I couldn’t get it to look accurate enough and had to take a new photo instead.
This is the color I wanted most all along. I just didn’t think it would show up on me until I saw how it looked on someone a little darker than me. I’m very happy with this blush and I like that its appearance is subtle. Although I still like Rouge Franc, I didn’t like it enough to put it in my Project Pan. This one, however, is included in it.
Suqqu Blurring Colour Blush in 105 Akanezome
I’m including this here because I have so many Suqqu blushes, but this is technically a new formula and Akanezome is the only color I have in the Blurring Colour Blush line. My list of various Suqqu Collections, which consist mainly of blushes, can be found HERE.
I gave up on trying to take photos in front of the window. Time with sunlight streaming in is too limited in Germany and my pictures get washed out. The part that is important to see among the various photos is that this blush shade works for me despite how light it looks in one half of the pan. I do mostly concentrate on swirling my blush brush into the darker corner for more impact.
Suqqu’s Blurring blushes are in the same compact as the Pure Color ones and discontinued Melting Powder blushes, but they are matte black on the outside instead of shiny black. Regarding the quality and performance, I really can’t tell a difference between the Pure Color and Blurring Blush formulas. My guess is that the Blurring Blush line just has more subdued tones, especially with the kinds of shades that are available to mix with in the compact.
YSL Make Me Blush Bold Blurring Blush in 06 Rose Haze and 83 Spicy Berry
The review containing Peachy Nude, Restless Rose, and Nocturnal Nude can be found HERE.
Because of the way Rose Haze looked on me when using the virtual try-on tool, I just couldn’t let this color go. It still looks pretty and is visible on my cheeks (even more so in person than in photos), but the light color combined with the matte finish makes this look a little less appealing on my dry skin than if it had a shimmery finish. Peachy Nude, being a little darker, doesn’t look as dry on my skin from my perspective.
Sometimes I want a light and subtle blush. It happens so infrequently though that there isn’t a reason for me to have too many of them. If I didn’t have a color like this from Sephora, Nabla, Chanel, and Pat Mcgrath already, I’d have felt more content in adding this to my collection. By now though, I do feel a twinge of regret, although the consolation is that I got it deeply discounted.
The scarcity tactic for this shade absolutely worked on me. It was the last thing I purchased from Selfridges before my Selfridges+ subscription ended. I must also admit that my discussion with Olive Unicorn Beauty about purple blushes led me down the path of wanting a higher quality and newer replacement for the singular purple blush I owned, my four year old blush called Potted from Colourpop. I have raspberry colored blushes and mauves, but Potted was my only true purple. I loved it, but the formula became less smooth over time and it’s a matte blush. Spicy Berry is a satin, which I prefer, so I bought it.
When I look at Spicy Berry up close, it looks cool toned and I could almost swear I see the faintest tiniest tinge of blue shimmer. However, when I hold it at a different angle, it looks more like a dark raspberry or deep magenta. Warm purples suit my skin better. Because my foundations are a bit golden and I discovered that orange mixed with purple or mauve turns into more of a pink color on me, I wasn’t that surprised to see how the blush shade appears on my cheeks.
All of these YSL blushes are pigmented, but Spicy Berry is extra pigmented. The photo above on the left shows how my cheek looked with just two taps of the blush onto my cheek with the rephr Koyo brush, which is a relatively airy squirrel and saikoho goat mixed brush. In the second attempt on the right, I made sure to tap just once at the top and apple of my cheeks and then switched to a clean brush to buff everything in. The result from that is exactly how I hoped this would be and it looks more like Potted this way. If I want a more visible color, I can just add Nocturnal Nude or another orange leaning blush on top because of color theory and how purples and oranges mixed together turn dark pink on me. The other alternative is applying a little more, but toning it down with the remnants on my foundation brush or using a blurring finishing powder.
I am very happy I bought this shade, but be forewarned that at this level of color intensity, it does have a tendency to look a little patchy. Blending it out or mixing it with other things can cover up it and fix it.
YSL Loveshine Candy Glaze Stick in 16 Watermelon High (YSL Lippies)
The Candy Glazes are my favorite of YSL’s lip formulas. I knew I should have stopped at buying number 14 and 15 because these are so sheer, but I couldn’t help myself once I saw 16 (which was part of this year’s shade expansion). It’s basically how I wanted 15 to look on me, but that one is a little light and milky on my pigmented lips. This color is a perfect light-medium pink nude for me! So, even though I know I could have gone without having this, I don’t actually regret buying it.
MAC Intimate Nudes Collection: MAC Lustreglass in Signature Move and MACximal Sleek Satin in Hodge-Podge
Both of these lipstick formulas are new to me and I only have one of them in each formula. However, they’re both from MAC’s Intimate Nudes range of lipsticks. After loving the way Signature Move looked on me, I purchased Hodge-Podge next because it’s a unique color for my collection. So, I think this can count for being in the category of a lipstick so good I had to buy another!
I love the shine level (when first applied) and the lightweight buttery feel of this lipstick. In addition to the sheer partly buidable coverage this has, these attributes remind me of the Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colours. This just feels like an even more emollient version. I find that this has more pigment than the Lucents, but no matter how much I try to build up color over the darker pigmented spots on my lips, this does not cover it completely. I don’t mind this, but I wanted to be clear that the buildable aspect has limitations. This MAC formula also does not have the same staying power as the Lisa Eldridge Lucents.
After only an hour, my moisture-greedy lips absorb some of the lipstick and I can feel that there is less slip when I rub my lips together, in addition to the shine having dulled down. Even though there is less lipstick on the surface, my lips continue to feel moisturized. However, if I want the color to be noticeable, I definitely have to reapply after eating, and sometimes after finishing 1-2 cups of water. This is definitely not a long lasting formula. I end up feeling compelled to do touch ups every 3-4 hours (more or less frequently depending on my eating/drinking habits). By the end of the day, there are only the subtlest signs that my lips are drier than before. I can wear this a second day with no issues, or wear a lip treatment to bed to return my lips to a well conditioned state. So, that makes this one of the better lipstick formulas I’ve encountered, but the shorter wear time is a big tradeoff. Because I can get lip nourishment and sheer color from products like the YSL Candy Glazes, I feel like I own enough of these types of products. I foresee myself buying one or two additional shades in the future, but only if they are part of a limited edition collection or have some type of special packaging.
To me, this color is a muted yellow-brown. However, sometimes I could swear it looks a bit olive or that it leans a stronger grey depending on the lighting. How we perceive color is in relation to other colors, so sometimes I think Hodge Podge looks good when I have no other makeup on versus my foundations that tend to lean even warmer. The tones and depth of this shade is like a desaturated version of my skin, so it doesn’t look like full on concealer-lips/foundation-lips, but I don’t feel confident enough to wear this in public without a lip liner. Maybe it’s due to my preference for high contrast looks on myself, and Hodge Podge looks too flat.
In the second photo above, I demonstrated how this pairs with my two darkest brown lip liners. The one from Coloured Raine is warm, so it looks like a better compliment for my undertone. Palladio’s is cool, so I think it pairs better with the actual lipstick.
Although I can get this to fully cover the darker spots on my lips after I first apply it, the color wears down just enough to faintly see those spots after a lot of talking or repeated lip movements over time. So, the coverage level on me is high, but not full.
Regarding the performance, I don’t have to worry about reapplying anything from just drinking, though it will leave obvious imprints on surfaces and will not make it past a meal. After about two hours, similarly to the Lustreglass, some of the lipstick gets absorbed and it feels noticeably less creamy, though not to the levels of being considered drying. It feels super comfortable to wear, but I can still see that at the end of the day my lips show the beginning stages of wear before chapping. So, it still dries my lips like nearly every bullet lipstick formula on me, but at least while I’m wearing it, it looks smooth and shiny to the eye. In fact, my lips look smoother wearing this formula than the Lustreglass after several hours of wear (even though the Lustreglass is actually more moisturizing).
I like this lipstick formula, and it’s a relief to finally have some MAC lippies I’m not afraid to wear for fear of having my lips dry out. However, I don’t feel the need to purchase anymore (unless it’s part of an eye-catching limited edition collection).
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Hot Cocoa (Vanilla Mint)
I said in my Battle of the Lip Balms post that I wouldn’t buy another of these because my collection is so large, but I wanted one with a yummier scent and with a bit more color. Plus, there’s a 12m PAO, which mine has passed, so getting a discounted replacement during the holidays wasn’t quite so bad.
This has flavoring and smells like a tootsie roll, hot chocolate from a powder pack, or some other kind of highly processed chocolate. I don’t recommend licking this, but I did it for science and it does taste like a tootsie roll (plus Vaseline and wax)! I think it’s fun to have a hot cocoa scented lip balm, and I enjoy it. My husband doesn’t agree.
Lisa Eldridge Eyeshadow Singles: Supernaturally, Smoke & Mirrors, Dorian, Talk to the Paw, Posh, and High Maintenance
I was actually working on a Lisa Eldridge post separately, but then realized this was a better place to put the content since I have reviewed at least the eyeshadows before.
I’ve had Smoke & Mirrors from the Vega palette for over a year. Dorian and Supernaturally are from the Fawn Palette and I’ve had them since September 2024, but I didn’t start using these three until December last year. I was honestly a bit disappointed by the ones from Fawn, and it almost stopped me from buying Talk to the Paw, Posh, and High Maintenance from the limited edition Betty palette. However, I had hope the formula of those would be better after watching a few reviews on YouTube, like this one from Beauty with Substance.
Supernaturally is a Seamless Matte, just like Smoke & Mirrors, but it’s so much stiffer, drier, and less pigmented. Even though it’s natural for certain brown shades to have a hard time showing on my brown skin, this color is even sheer when I swatch it on the palm of my hand. Fired Earth and Troubadour are others in my collection that have better color payoff as well. So, I don’t know if Supernaturally was intended to perform, apply, and feel differently than the others.
Dorian is a Lustre, yet it is so dull! It looks like a matte shadow until light hits it directly at the perfect angle. Based on the website description of this formula, it seems like this is supposed to be the most subtle of the shimmer types. Based on my experience (and photos of Taffeta Fan) it seems like Dorian is the only one that can’t take on a pearly effect and isn’t as shiny as even Talk to the Paw despite it being a deep brown as well.
As I mentioned before, Talk to the Paw and High Maintenance are Lustre shadows. As seen in the swatch photo below, they are clearly less shiny and shimmery than Lisa’s Luminous formula, but they still pack more of a punch than Dorian.
I wanted a deep smokey shimmery brown all over my lids, so Talk to the Paw fulfilled the wish (though technically a taupe) that Dorian could not.
Posh is a Luminous shadow. It has the shine factor I want (once it is applied damp and/or with my fingers), but this particular shade has a hard time appearing pink (or mulberry mink) in tone on me unless I pair it with other shades in the same color family. This is not unusual for me when it comes to light pink shimmer eyeshadows looking more like a silver instead.
In the dry application, the individual shimmer particles are easy to spot. In the damp application, the shimmer looks smoother.
Below are swatches of the other shades in my collection that I kept with me.
And here are the swatches of the shadows I left behind.
I went through my Clionadh eyeshadows and found similar shades to the purples from the Betty palette, but nothing close enough to call a dupe because my Clionadh ones are duochromes and multichromes with strong shifts. I learned from Fedaro Beauty that there are much closer similarities within the Viseart Coy palette, but I left those shades in the US. What this indicates to me is that I don’t currently have those colors for a reason. The types of purples in Betty are just not my favorites. It was definitely for the best that I focused on the three shades I wanted most. I probably could have talked myself out of getting the three I did anyway, but because these shades are limited edition, I did not want to miss out.
Lisa Eldridge Liquid Silk Eyeshadow in Gaia and Phoebe
I planned to only get Gaia, but I enjoyed it so much that I felt compelled to own at least one more too.
Gaia works as a subtle one-and-done liquid eyeshadow, but I was more entranced by the color because it reminded me of one of my favorite eye bases from a brand I don’t support anymore. It’s so smooth on the lids. I have enough time to blend out the edges before it fully sets and it mixes well with other shades. It doesn’t crease, nor fade, and it doesn’t look drying on my lids. It usually stays put very well in my deepest eye wrinkle/crease. This formula is the reason I’m excited to try the brand’s upcoming liquid concealer!
Since I reach for powder eyeshadows 49 times out of 50, buying a lot of these wouldn’t be practical for me. I use matte liquid and cream eyeshadows even less than shimmery ones. However, when I tested this out as an eyeshadow base and it worked wonderfully with no issues, this became my replacement for the product that shall not be named! The only downside is that I needed a lighter shade to prime under my brows. That’s why I purchased Phoebe, but since it’s less pale than I expected, I have mostly been using Phoebe as an eye base/primer by itself. Gaia doesn’t get used as much anymore, but Phoebe is now a staple in my collection!
I have additional pictures of both of them used together in the Benefit mascara section, but I realized everything I photographed was during the testing phase, so I didn’t have any of me actually trying to create a seamless transition between the two shades.
The photo above is that demonstration. I have to put in more effort to get 100% full coverage considering the super dark sections in my eye area, so how this looks in this quick low effort example is satisfactory for me. There are plenty of great matte liquid eyeshadows at a lower price from other brands, so I consider this a semi-splurge type of product unless you’re someone with mature eyes. Then spending this amount of money for this product might be well worth the cost. There are also great primers available for a cheaper price, but since I prefer having an eyeshadow primer that covers the discoloration around my eyes (in a shade that isn’t that crazy far off from my skin tone) without having to resort to using an actual concealer, this product is doubly important to me.
*JUNE 29, 2025 UPDATE: I started using Gaia almost exclusively and within three months I was struggling to get product out. I had to uncork the stopper and mix it a little to start reaching product again. It still periodically moves to a spot along the sides that I cannot reach with the applicator, so I have had to uncork it an additional two times, which is not an easy task! I had to use tools because it’s very tightly in there to keep the product from drying out. So, if you think you might have used yours up quickly, I recommend removing the stopper and checking. By this point, six months after purchasing it, I estimate I’ve used up half of the product.
Benefit Cosmetics BADGal Bounce Mascara
I’m reaching a bit on this one to have this fit the theme, but I’ve been a fan of the original Benefit BadGal mascara, so I felt compelled to give the new Bounce version a try!
I conveniently had a free mini of the original from a past purchase, so I was able to compare it to the travel size of Bounce. Both are dry formulas. The original Badgal Bang has a plastic applicator that starts with a small round tip that gradually widens. It also has a bendy part on the wand that allows me to better angle the applicator to avoid accidental smudging of the mascara. The Bounce version has one side with a bunch of brush bristles that curve and another side with straighter spikes that act a bit like a comb. I’ve tried to figure out how best to apply mascara with it, but I just prefer the original wand. The Bounce wand creates a fluffier wispier look, but it takes so much time to build up the length and thickness I want. It’s also tricky applying the mascara to my lower lash line because the brush part is too thick to get that close, but the comb part has more gaps, making it easier to miss the finer thinner hairs of my lower lashes with repeated swipes. I can get it to look good, but it takes extra time. I wonder if adding a bendy portion to this wand could have made it better.
I don’t recall my past minis and full-size tubes of the original BadGal Bang having an issue of flaking, but this newest tube does flake a little. However, the Bounce one flakes even more. For this reason alone, I don’t intend to wear the Bounce anymore and if I had to choose a winner, it would be the original!
That concludes everything in today’s post. I hope this has been helpful!
To call myself a “fan” of MAC blushes would be understatement, and the Glow Play line of blushes are among my favorites. I was so excited to see MAC expand the line, although they discontinued a few shades like No Shame and Rosy Does It. As soon as it was available, I bought two of the three darkest colors: Pinch of Marrakesh and Plush Pepper. The one I opted out of getting is called Big Diva Energy, because it seems like a deeper version of Plush Pepper, and Plush Pepper is plenty deep on me already. A week later, I found a 28% off discount code, so I bought Ginger Luck too.
For anyone curious how the colors compare to their older shades, I have a photo below. I also have a close-up video of them on my Instagram. Unfortunately, as discussed in my MAC Blush Declutter post, I had to temporarily leave the others in my collection behind.
These swatches look intense, but they look much tamer when blended out.
I saw a YouTube video from Dear Eva Hansen comparing the old and new version of Totally Synced, and they are not the same. I don’t know if any other shade went through changes, but that’s something to keep in mind if you’re making a repurchase.
Aside from the added colors, the whole line has been reformulated. I don’t have any of the original boxes with me to compare, but I have the ingredient list from the Incidecoder website that has not been updated yet. Setting the “may contain” portion aside, the most notable changes seem to be the removal of talc and replacement of mineral and synthetic oils with naturally derived oils.
From a performance standpoint, I haven’t noticed that much difference between the old and new ones. I find it easier to pick up color on my brush with the new ones, but I assumed that was because they were fresher. After seeing the ingredient list, it might really be the case that the new formula is slightly more emollient and therefore having less of the drawbacks of some putty style blushes. MAC does tout that this is a finger-friendly formula, and it’s true that it doesn’t take much effort to apply these to the cheeks for a natural look. I’ll always prefer using a brush though.
This might sound absolutely crazy, but I actually liked the way I had to load up my old Glow Play blushes on my brush because it required me to dig more into that putty. The ads I keep seeing for the reformulation shows finger indents to indicate how “bouncy” or “cushiony” these are, but I just lightly pass over the surface with my Sonia G Mini Base, Sonia G Jumbo Worker, or my finger, and I’ve got enough product to cover at least one cheek, if not both. There hasn’t been any situation where I needed to push into the product enough to form a dent, except with the original line. I’m not actually complaining, just pointing out that the marketing is trying to appeal to Gen Z, TikTokers, etc with “fun” makeup. Whereas dents in mine were created out of necessity, now you can do it voluntarily to play with it? That’s an option I guess. As much as I liked the imprint from my brush, I will grow to enjoy how much quicker I can apply them even more.
They have the same lasting power as always and I don’t need to set them with powder on my dry skin. They also aren’t as glowy as the name suggests. It has that cream-putty type of glow to it, not the shimmery or mica kind.
About the colors specifically, I wanted to note that Pinch of Marrakesh is nearly identical to Armani’s Neo Nude Color Melting Balm in 30 Warm Coral. Since that’s another formula I’ve loved and raved about, I wanted to mention that for anyone who already owns it. I also couldn’t help noticing the similarity in names of the new colors. I suspect Pinch of Marrakesh is inspired by the brand’s Marrakesh lipstick shade, since it’s an orange-red type of color. I wouldn’t be surprised if Plush Pepper was supposed to be a sister shade to Burnt Pepper, which looks slightly more red on the cheeks, whereas Plush Pepper has a bit more rose pink tone to it. For some reason, it’s the opposite when I swatch it on my arm, but on my cheeks that’s how it looks. One of the reasons I initially skipped getting Ginger Luck was because even though I figured it could work as a mixer to turn some of the more vibrant shades into a more nude one, the description of the color reminded me of Gingerly, which barely shows up on my cheeks. Coppertone is the lightest nude from MAC that I can pull off. Just for fun, I’ll link a comparison between the two from Temptalia’s Blog HERE, though I have pictures wearing both in one of my many MAC Blush posts HERE.
As you can see, Ginger Luck faintly shows up on my cheeks and looks the tiniest bit ashy because it’s too light for my complexion. Adding a little Plush Pepper on top creates exactly the kind of look I was hoping for. The combination is still a sheer light-medium pink shade on me, but the slight boost of rose-red helps it to pop more.
Having Ginger Luck essentially tones down vibrancy while adding a touch of brown to it. It’s a similar process when I try to tailor the color of my colorful Glossier Cloud Paints with Dusk.
I’m very happy MAC extended the Glow Play color range to include more options for those with dark skin and in less vibrant colors. I’m still waiting for true dark nude shades as well, like a darker version of Ginger Luck (True Harmony isn’t dark enough). They’ve created limited edition shades before, so I’d love for that to happen again.
In addition to getting the Glow Play blushes, some of my other MAC purchases have been yet another Fix+ spray in the mini size with the original sprayer, another Fix+ Stay Over Setting Spray from the Teddy Forever Collection since my other one is still in the US, and the Lash Dry Shampoo Mascara Refresher. I also bought two limited edition lipsticks, so I thought I would review those here as well.
Fix+ Stay Over Alcohol-Free 24HR Setting Spray
This bottle has a limited edition design, but MAC has now equipped all their Fix+ sprays in bottles with this type of sprayer. I liked the power and wide spray range of the previous ones, but I admit the new ones do a better job at creating a fine mist, with one exception. Every time I use it, there are between 1-3 larger size droplets on my face. This isn’t a colorless spray. It’s milky, so after I spray, I look in a mirror and try to tap out the obvious droplets.
Aside from that, this is a very interesting setting spray. I’ve accepted that setting sprays are going to increase makeup longevity, make it water-resistant, but won’t be transfer-proof. The MAC Stayover Spray is a whole different thing. It increases the longevity, but is not water-resistant, though it’s better at being transfer-resistant.
I tested it with foundations that transfer fairly heavily and it was alternating throughout the day from not transferring to only lightly transferring depending on the moisture level of my skin. Whenever my face was shiny, I knew those spots would leave a slight imprint of color on my finger, but it was like this spray continued to try setting my face. If I stopped sweating or my face started to be dry again, lightly touching my face would not get foundation on my fingers. It might be the film-former particles at work that MAC describes in the product description on their site! When I perform a waterproof test for sprays, I wait until the end of the makeup day and splash my face with water. I can usually see the droplets rolling down the surface and not leaving a trail. With the MAC spray, it left a trail. I rubbed the spot to try and fill in the void, but it looked messed up. So, I went to go get my Makeup Eraser cloth, but when I returned to look in the mirror I noticed my foundation looked perfect. It’s like it set itself again! This spray doesn’t contain upsalite, the special oil absorbing ingredient that are in a lot of Danessa Myricks products, but the way it performs throughout the day reminds me of that one. I don’t like upsalite because it makes my skin feel tight, and this spray does have a little bit of a stretching sensation, but not full on tightness.
The transfer-resistant nature of this spray is obviously more effective with my foundations that are less prone to transferring, plus factoring my dry skin type. I don’t know how effective this would be for those with other skin types or dewy foundations. The formula is alcohol free and intended for those with hydration needs, so I recommend taking that into consideration if you’re interested in buying this product.
There are so many factors that impact how effective a spray will work for me (the skincare I used, the products I used, the humidity levels, the overall weather, etc.). Even my once tried-and-true Urban Decay All-Nighter wasn’t always fool proof. So, I’ve always taken a “better than nothing” approach to setting sprays. I use it when I know I’ll be hugging other people or out in the elements, so I just hope for the best. However, I do feel a little more confidence in at least minimizing the possible transfer when I use this spray, so I’m happy with it.
One more thing to note is that this doesn’t leave a glycerin-looking shine to the skin the way that the normal MAC Fix+ spray does. It looks that way while it’s still wet on the skin, but the dry down is just natural looking.
MAC Lash Dry Shampoo Mascara Refresher
When this product first came out, a lot of people were saying it was just a gimmick and that if a mascara needs refreshing at any point in the day, then it’s a bad mascara. I had a bit more faith in MAC because they’ve come out with some really unique formulas over the years and have been innovators. Just in case though, I waited for a sale before buying it. I’m glad I did because the naysayers seemed to be right about this one!
I wondered how I should even go about testing these claims since none of my mascaras need touching up throughout the day. I decided that I should at least see what this could do on its own. So, I applied one coat to my lashes, seen in the photo above. It’s certainly not pretty, but adding a second coat makes them look too clumpy and spidery, which is not my preference. It also doesn’t add much extra length, just volume.
I tried to use it as a “refresher” for my MAC Stack Mascara, but that mascara was unchanged by the end of the night. I still applied the Lash Shampoo on top of it and I noticed a significant boost in volume and a bit more length, but I can also achieve that by adding a second coat of MAC Stack Mascara. In fact, one of the reasons I love that one is I can build it up as much as I want and it won’t harshly tug at my lashes. It applies layers very well. So, using the Lash Shampoo didn’t go above and beyond the norm.
In the photo above, the top left and right photo is what the MAC Stack looks like freshly applied. The bottom left and right is what it looked like at night when I topped the MAC Stack with the Lash Shampoo.
I figured it would be better to test this product with a different mascara, so I picked the L’Oreal Telescopic Lift. This is technically a sneak peek of eye looks for an upcoming review (most likely to be published in October) using the LH Cosmetics Reload Palette. In the top left and right burgundy eye look, I’m wearing the L’Oreal mascara. In the bottom left and right green-brown-blue eye look, I wiped away some of the L’Oreal mascara and then topped my lashes back with the MAC Lash Shampoo.
The whole reason I was interested in this mascara in the first place is because I would often do back-to-back eye looks when testing larger eyeshadow palettes. I would do a different eye look on each eye, then remove the eyeshadow with micellar water and a cloth so I could create two new looks. In the process, sometimes the mascara would come off with it. Some mascara formulas wouldn’t reapply that nicely after having micellar water partly on the lashes (would form clumps or turn spidery), or were the type that was too stiff to add additional layers after it dried. So, I thought the Lash Shampoo could be the answer to that issue. Again, it adds volume and length, but it’s easily prone to turning the lashes spidery. It takes so long to wiggle the wand and comb through over and over to unclump the lashes. Plus, the end results are no different that trying to recoat the partly wiped off lashes with the Telescopic one. Two coats of the L’Oreal mascara gives me a similar look.
So, it may be the case that if I remember what the “bad” mascaras were or ever come across some new ones in the future, this product could be useful. However, if I just stick to my favorites, I will have no need for a second mascara to go with it.
I don’t know if MAC intended for this to be a gimmick, but it’s at least not useful for me. When I remember how half-assed they did the Sims 4 collab, I can’t put anything past them. It’s humorous that the brand that brought me Glow Plays is the same one that cooked up the Lash Shampoo.
MAC 40 Year Anniversary “Bringback” Amplified Creme Lipstick in Double Shot and the Teddy Forever Collection Retro Matte Lipstick in Eternal Teddy
Once again, I’m dealing with constantly shifting natural lighting and my artificial lights wash me out too much, so these lipstick shades are hard to capture accurately. I did my best. Even though I’m wearing the same shirt as the Ginger Luck photos, which were added to this review a week before publishing, these pictures come from day 2 of trying to work around the constant fading in and out of light due to the cloudy weather here. I tried a third time (also in the same shirt) with at least Double Shot, but lipsticks look different on everyone anyway depending on their skin tone and the pigment level of one’s lips.
Eternal Teddy is my first Retro Matte lipstick, and my goodness it is too much for my dry lips! I have to wear a balm underneath to manage the discomfort, but this color isn’t quite what I expected, so I don’t think I’ll be wearing it again anytime soon. I’m a sucker for that packaging though. As for the amplified lipstick formula, I still suffer dryness, but it’s a far more comfortable formula to wear. Double Shot is described as a mid-tone mocha brown. On my lips, it appears a little more mauve and brown than my natural lip color, and slightly lighter, but I like it. It looks great paired with a darker lip liner! This shade reminds me of a few others in my collection, but I left them in the US, so I can’t compare them. In any case, I have a lot more of a chance to wear this color. I’m glad I bought it.
I hope this has been helpful! If you’re a lover of all things MAC or just makeup in general, please consider checking back every Monday, or clicking follow, as to not miss out on any posts!
The last two years have been the peak of my blush obsession, and MAC is the brand that still holds the record for most blushes in my collection. Even though I’ve given some away or sold some that didn’t work for me, what you see in the photo above is everything still remaining in my possession.
For the first wave of products I brought from the US to Germany, and knowing I’d be separated from my collection for a period of time between 3-10 months, I had to decide which items I didn’t want to be without and which ones could come later.
MAC Effervescence Extra Dimension Face Compacts in Medium and Deep
I never reviewed these, which launched for the holidays last year, because MAC released them in such a strange way. Initially they were only available overseas. Then, a month or so later, only the lightest shade was available at retail partners like HSN and Dillard’s. The lightest two shades eventually came to Ulta a few months after that, but the collection never became available on the MAC-US website. The only places they could be found were CCOs, which I have Nikkito thank for that information. Everywhere I called within my state and other states didn’t have the Deep one, but I purchased it from someone on Mercari and later got my hands on the Medium one from Amazon, specifically to have that vibrant coral blush.
I love the Deep trio, and all the shades in it work for me, but it comes in really bulky semi-heavy packaging that doesn’t fit in traditional beauty storage containers, so I left it behind. The Deep Trio will come back with me in the second wave of products, but Medium will likely be decluttered in some way.
MAC Extra Dimension Blushes
The Extra Dimension blush formula is my second most used type of blush from MAC, though it doesn’t look as evident since I’ve been focused mainly on using mine in the shade Faux Sure. Other than that one, I’ve dug into Guindilla from the MAC x Rosalia Aute Cuture collection the second most and Hushed Tone in the compact form (not from the Surrounded by Stars quad). Since Hushed Tone is so subtle on me, I pretty much stopped using it once I got my hands on Faux Sure. Because Guindilla is the only shade in its quad that I use, and it also takes effort to build up, that would add too much weight to my bag that could be used for other things. So, of all the Extra Dimension ones, I only brought Faux Sure with me. The rest will come in other waves.
MAC Glow Play Blushes
I never did showcase the color Grand, the leftmost blush in the photo above, because it’s too light for me. When MAC had one of their deep discounts on blushes, I bought it to see if I could pull off that shade or not. The Glow Play formula is my most loved from MAC and most used. They look like they’re in a messy state rather than heavily used condition, but they all started off in round domed shapes. So, the flattest ones are most used (with the exception of HD Cherry Tree). I tend to use the peaches and oranges way more often than the pinks, so I knew HD Cherry Tree and No Shame weren’t coming with me. I kept forgetting which ones I liked more between That’s Peachy and Peaches ‘N’ Dreams. Groovy and Heat Index were also hard to decide between as well. Ultimately, I dropped That’s Peachy and took the other three. That’s Peachy just took extra effort to build up, which is the only reason I didn’t bring it.
MAC Mineralize Blushes
Flirting with Danger and Love Thing were the only two Mineralize Blushes that I kept, and I still love them, so I took them with me. Unlike the other formulas from MAC that I can wear in tones that appear as though they’d be too light for me, the Mineralize Blushes look ashier on my skin tone the lighter they lean. That’s the reason why the deeper ones look better on me.
MAC Powder Blushes
The photo above shows my blushes that I did not depot and plan to keep in their original packaging. It also shows Sunbasque (too light for me) and Modern Mandarin (hard-panned quickly) which I was supposed to declutter, but never had the heart to toss them. He Likes It Cold is nice, but too similar to Flirting with Danger to be worth bringing in the first wave. The duo in Sunset Boulevard, Melba, and Gingerly are all super subtle. I like subtle, but I have other barely-there blushes from other brands that I wanted to bring instead, so those three had to remain behind. The MAC x Whitney Houston Blush in Nippy’s Plum Rose is one that I hadn’t reviewed yet and thought for sure I’d bring with me, but it’s close enough to MAC’s Breath of Plum that I decided it could stay for now. So, I didn’t take any of the ones above. However, I definitely plan to bring them all (except Sunbasque and Modern Mandarin) next time.
As for the photo below, I like so many of these shades, but the ones that remained behind were either too subtle or too vibrant for my taste now, don’t perform as well due to being old, or I have a similar shade from another brand in a formula I like more (ex: Peachtwist and Ambering Rose versus BareMinerals Blonzer in Kiss of Rose).
Even though the Powder blushes from MAC are what kicked off my obsession, my love of their other formulas overshadowed these and I didn’t get nearly enough use out of them because I was devoting more time to the others. So, I chose the most wearable ones that happened to fit into this nice custom quad.
So, I ended up narrowing down the first wave of MAC blushes to these chosen few! Ten blushes are still a lot, but it looks so small compared to the full collection.
The camera setting wasn’t in Pro mode, so the colors are washed out. I wasn’t intending to show this picture.
That’s all for today! I know reviews on newly released products tend to be more exciting, but it’s nice to revisit past things, especially to see if I would still recommend older products to this day.
For all who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! I’m going to update the home page, but I also want to announce in this post that I’m engaged! That’s why I’ll be in Germany either three months (if something goes wrong) or up to ten months (if I’m able to make this move permanent), before I return to the US for a visit. I’m bringing things over slowly, and this is why I’ve had to take a hard look at my beauty products to decide which products will come at which time.
Not pictured, but will be reviewed, is the Hermès Bronzer and the bonus bronzers mentioned towards the end of this post.
In my Bronzer Ranking and Declutter post, I mentioned that I would review all the 2023 bronzer releases at least several months later because it wouldn’t be fair to compare them to the others without having tested them thoroughly. I believe I’ve spent enough time with them by now to review them properly, but I’m not ready to include them in an ultimate ranking list. Perhaps I’ll do that during summer 2024.
Included in this post are bronzers that launched, were reformulated/repackaged, or underwent a shade expansion this year.
In the demonstration photos (and whenever I review bronzers), I try to apply it nicely, but it still needs to be seen on camera, so I don’t blend it as much as I normally would. If I applied them as subtly as I would normally wear them in every day life, it would be difficult to see the difference between the bronzer and my natural skin tone. I wouldn’t normally apply bronzer in a way that lines can be seen, and would even apply a finishing powder on top to ensure it was seamlessly blended. Of course, I don’t use a finishing powder when the photos are for the blog since that would be an inaccurate representation of what the bronzer looks like on the skin. So, I always try to find a balance between blending it and ensuring it is visible.
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New Holy Grail?
Hermès Plein Air H Trio Healthy Glow Mineral Powder in 04 Sienne (refill)
Packaging is one of the biggest reasons I sometimes make luxury purchases, but in this instance, the rave reviews of the Hermes formula was convincing enough for me to buy it. I purchased mine through Selfridges because the refill was significantly lower priced on their website than in the US. The refill pan is not magnetic, so I had to put metal stickers on the bottom in order to store it in my empty magnetic palette. The packaging it came in is durable, but I knew I’d be more likely to get use out of it if I kept it in my Z-palette of face products that has a clear lid, rather than the forgettable unicarton. The pan size is wider than nearly every bronzer I own (I have a wide Makeup Revolution compact, but the Hermes pan is too tall in height). So, even if I wanted to depot a compact so I could put this in there, I can only do that with the bronzer compact from Charlotte Tilbury (though it would have gaps around it), or settle for my custom empty palettes.
Each bronzer contains three different colors. It’s unrealistic to use them separately without them mixing at least a little, but the placement of the brush in the pan will determine the depth of color. For example, swirling the brush in a circle around the rim of the pan will get more of that lightest shade. Swiping up and down on the left half or right half, avoiding the darker blocks in the center, would get more of the medium color. Trying to get an even mix of all three colors makes it too light to bronze me properly, so what I do is swipe my brush back and forth vertically between the two darkest rectangles, and that turns out to be the perfect bronzing shade for me. I built it up in the photo below to show the the maximum depth I can get from it. So, if you’re close to my skin tone, know that Sienne is on the subtler side though it still works. I chose not to get Colorado, which from what I’ve seen in photos and reviews is a little darker, but seems to be more red-toned.
I don’t get kick up in the pan and the product picks up easily even with my most delicate natural hair brushes. It’s the most natural looking finish from a standard powder (by standard I mean not baked gelee or cream to powder) bronzer that I own. It’s the smoothest and most refined. It contains shimmer particles that aren’t visible as sparkles on the face, but just enough to add a realistic skin-like look instead of being purely matte. I have no longevity issues. I have zero blending issues, no matter which foundation I use, and regardless if it’s powder-set or not and whether it’s matte or dewy. It’s pretty much perfection. I have to build it up a little, but it’s a low-effort task to complete that takes almost no time at all.
My favorite brushes to use with it have been ones that aren’t too dense but aren’t too airy either, and sweeping style brushes like the Sonia G Jumbo Bronzer and Eihodo RE8-3 Makie Blush Brush.
I still need time to see if this bronzer will eventually get hard-pan with extended repeated use or any other changes, but thus far, it is my #1 powder bronzer. I should note that the difference in performance between this one and the Charlotte Tilbury powder bronzer, Victoria Beckham Bronzing Brick, and others that have crept their way higher on the list of “standard” powder formulas is so slim, it’s not going to be worth the price difference for the majority of people. To put it in different terms, if the Hermes bronzer scores a 9.8 out of 10, the Charlotte Tilbury scores 9.5 out of 10. At the US prices of $105 (or $67 refill) for Hermes versus $58 (or $41 refill) for CT, it seems simple to conclude Charlotte’s is the better deal. However, that’s really up to each individual to decide based on their own skin type and skin tone. I have no way of knowing how the Hermes bronzer will work on someone with a skin type other than dry. I know some people that don’t like the tones of the other bronzers in the line, and even find Sienne to be too orange based on their undertone. This purchase was worth it to me because of how well it suits me in every way, and I don’t have my perfect color in the CT powder formula specifically. Plus there are luxury lovers who might be perfectly content with paying premium prices for the designer name and the look of the packaging. I’m happy I bought the refill, but I understand why it wouldn’t sound worth it for everyone.
Almost a Three-way Tie: Pat Mcgrath, Nars, and MAC
These three bronzers are the reason this post took so long to complete. I had the hardest time deciding where I rated the formulas because they’re all blendable pigmented powdery mattes (ignoring the MAC radiant finish) that are long lasting and produce an airbrushed finish at similar price points. I felt compelled to review these three together, as they’re so similar, and I will point out the subtle differences along the way.
Pat McgrathLabs Skin Fetish: Divine Bronzers in Desert Glow, Bronze Divinity, and Burnished Honey
First, I have to apologize for the fact that I’ve worn the Pat Mcgrath bronzers plenty of times, and had these the longest out of all the new ones, yet I don’t have any photos wearing it that were taken with my main camera before it broke. I made a post on the home page about needing to switch to my cell phone camera now. I hope that this change will still be satisfactory to you.
I don’t have the PML Foundation, but based on their concealers I owned (MD22-24, with 23 being the correct depth), I should be shade 23 or 24 in the foundation. Thanks to the last minute shade suggestions added to the website before launch, I knew Bronze Divinity (MD22-27) was supposed to be my shade. Yet, I couldn’t stop myself from getting Desert Glow (M15 to MD22) and Burnished Honey (MD25-30). I should have stuck with my suggested one, but it’s hard to control myself when it comes to this brand. I’m at least glad I saved some money buying the 006 Duo and then getting Desert Glow later with a 25% off code.
Desert Glow was a little easier to see in spring, but this deep into summer, it’s very difficult to detect since it’s so close to my skin tone now. As for Burnished Honey, it’s still a bit deep and also more of a reddish-orange compared to the more solidly orange Bronze Divinity. Bronze Divinity can be built up more intensely and Burnished Honey can be applied more sheer than depicted in the photos below, so it’s really the undertone that makes a difference between them and why I prefer Bronze Divinity.
That being said, this is an extra warm line of eight bronzers. I love an orange leaning bronzer, but these are some of the strongest orange tones I have in my collection. Those that are the type that prefer cool toned or neutral bronzers might want to look elsewhere unless there’s a shade expansion for the range.
Desert Glow is the only one currently in the line with the pearl shimmer particles, compared to the rest that are semi-matte. Even in the summer, this shade is still useful to me to amp up the glow of Bronze Divinity when used on top of it. This is shown in the photo below where I have Bronze Divinity on the perimeter of my face from my forehead to under the cheek bones, but the cheek bone area is toned down in color from putting Desert Glow on top in that spot.
I’ve always thought the shimmer looked beautiful and refined on the skin, but at certain angles it looks like I used a highlighter as bronzer in photos captured with my cell phone. I’m a bit less happy knowing this now.
Regarding the formula, those that love Pat Mcgrath’s blushes will love this one since it feels pretty much the same, though perhaps slightly drier to the touch. The look on the skin, texture, finish, and performance are identical.
Sometimes I prefer the Nars bronzer over this one because the Nars powder feels softer, not just to the touch with my finger, but even when applied with the same brush it has a smoother glide across the face making it a slightly more pleasurable experience. Sometimes I prefer the one from Pat Mcgrath because I can apply Bronze Divinity in practically two swipes and not have to do more than a few additional swipes for blending because it’s a good tone match and the amount of pigment I want is achieved with such minimal effort.
Nars Laguna Talc-Free Bronzing Powders in Laguna 05 (full-size) and 06 (mini)
This is a buildable formula, and not what I’d call sheer, but it is the sheerest of the three powder ones I’m comparing. This could be a great thing for those who are heavy handed with bronzer. Laguna 6 is the best suited of the nine options for me and looks deep and red in the pan, but because it’s such a lightweight powder, I have to build it up more than the lighter colored Bronze Divinity from PML. Laguna 5 is too close to my skin’s depth and undertone to create a bronzed look on its own. So, on a day that I’m feeling lazier, I use Laguna 6, but I love the tone I get from mixing 5 and 6 together. It’s just more effort and therefore sometimes I can’t be bothered.
For those curious how the new formulation compares to the previous ones from Nars, I have that review here, along with the Laguna Cream bronzer.
As mentioned in that review, I believe the new formula by Nars is just the tiniest bit better than their old one. Because the talc-free version only comes in a matte finish, I’m still holding onto my original one that contains shimmer.
MAC Sunstruck Bronzers in Matte Rich Golden and Radiant Rich Rosy
These perform so well! They give slightly less color payoff than the ones from Pat Mcgrath, but still more than the bronzers from Nars. I love Rich Golden because it’s a deep golden yellow tone, which is not a common bronzer shade in my collection. I have an easier time finding olive than a dark yellow-brown. It’s only this year that I’ve made discoveries of any deep enough to work for me. Previously, my only options were orange, red, neutral brown (and I tried to stay away from cool toned ones). I also have a few more rosy options, though Rich Rosy is closer to orange-red than pink on me.
The difference between the matte and radiant formulas is similar to matte versus satin eyeshadows. Rich Golden has a thinner consistency that’s less compact in the pan, but not so powdery as to have kickup. Rich Rosy has some slip to it and seems to have more adhesion/binding properties. This makes the radiant formula take a little more effort to buff out. I prefer MAC’s matte bronzer compared to Nars for the color and near identical finish/performance. I prefer MAC’s radiant bronzer over the Kosas baked bronzers in the new yellow packaging, though I’m not a big fan of the tone of Rich Rosy. However, there is one gigantic flaw that drops this lower on the rankings and why I can’t recommend it. They stink.
I don’t remember the exact timeline, but essentially MAC released these bronzers online on March 19th. Then a few days later they were abruptly removed from all websites for about a month or so, but my order was still delivered. There was speculation that it was because there was something wrong with them, and some people said it was due to the smell either from having gone racid fast, contamination, or a harmful ingredient. However, if those were true, I don’t think they would have been made available again so quickly (unless it was batch specific and they identified which ones to not sell). I was in Germany when mine were delivered, so I had to wait until mid May to come home and smell them for myself. The first time I opened the compacts, I detected a faint smell in one, but it wasn’t that bad. Every time after that, I either could smell one or both very strongly, but then the smell would dissipate and had me wondering if I imagined things. Now, it’s at the point where the smell is quicker to identify but it does disappear in the air after the container has been opened for a while, but it reminds me of the Beanboozled Vomit flavored Jelly Bean. I wish I had an explanation as to how the smell comes and goes (sometimes the smell even temporarily transfers to my brushes), or what is causing it. At least the smell doesn’t linger from the powders when used on my face, but the mystery bothers me. Kosas bronzers have a frying oil smell due to the use of “clean” ingredients. MAC thus far hasn’t jumped on the clean beauty train for cosmetics, so I don’t know what their excuse is and I haven’t seen any official explanations for it online, nor them even addressing the fact that it was temporarily pulled from the website including all the various retailers of MAC products.
I’m still trying to decide what to do with mine. I’m very torn between liking the formulas, but being concerned about the smell. I would love to at least keep the packaging, since I like reusing them and swapping them with different products inside. However, I did see a comment online about it possibly being the components that smell and not the products, so that wouldn’t be the best solution.
The final thing I wanted to mention is that when I saw the packaging photos online, I hoped it was going to look like the Snowball Holiday 2017 packaging for the Whisper of Gilt highlighter. I see now that it’s a different pattern. Considering both bronzer finishes come in identical packaging, it would have been nice if they added a shiny varnish at least to the radiant ones.
Liquids Drops and Cream Sticks
Armani Luminous Silk Glow Liquid Bronzer Drops in 110
To recap the preview of info I mentioned about this bronzer already in the Armani Beauty post, I don’t think shade 110 will work that well for anyone who wears darker than Armani’s foundation shade 10 or 11. It barely shows on me once I blend it in. Sometimes this will randomly have a grey tone on my skin. I thought it was because I’d gotten darker, but I now am fairly certain it’s from the sunscreen in there if I forget to shake the bottle well enough before use. I also tend to pick up the excess product on the bore of the bottle with my Patrick Ta Contour Brush, which could have been improperly mixed if I pick it up from that spot instead of using the dropper.
The photos in the rose print shirt were taken May 18th and the black shirt photo was taken July 25th.
This product sheers out a lot when blended, so I have to essentially pack it on for it to still show by the time I’m finished applying blush and highlighter. It looks quite beautiful on the skin and sinks right in like an oil, but it has dimethicone and other “cones” that account for that slip and it being so easily spreadable. I expected a more glowy/dewy finish, but I think the brand was relying on some of the glow to come from the tiny gold micro shimmer. While the shimmer succeeds giving a pretty golden color to the face, it’s hard to see the shimmer unless you’re really close up to the skin. The sparkles are very obvious in direct light, so I’d rather it just not be there at all.
This formula lasts on my skin for a good portion of the day in most cases, and it dries down, but it isn’t transfer-proof. If I touch it, I see a lot of shimmer on my finger and a little bit of the base color. Setting it with powder changes nothing.
According to retail websites, this product “can be used all over the face for added warmth,” or mixed into moisturizer, sunscreen, or primer for a glowy base. I figured if it can be mixed into products and used all over the face, then surely it can be mixed into foundation. It looked so pretty at first, but then I looked closer and noticed all the tiny random sparkle particles all over my face. So, that was an absolute no-go. In the up close picture, there’s one right near the center of the underside of my nose, in the cheek area in and next to my pores (though camouflaged a little by the light illuminating my skin there), and a few diagonally between my nose and the deep smile line by my mouth.
I thought perhaps it would be possible to mix it into a foundation that’s too light in order to deepen it up slightly, but there’s so little pigment in this, that although it looked like it darkens at first, the moment it dries down, it basically returns to the same color it was originally, just slightly more warm-olive in tone. I tried to do this with a few other foundations and it didn’t matter. They all barely changed in color, even though I used a much bigger portion of bronzer than the single pump of foundation.
As a bronzer, I like this for minimal makeup days. For any other use, it just doesn’t work for me. Because it’s not very successful in living up to all the claims, and considering the price, this isn’t the Armani product I recommend to others.
Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick in Full of Life
This is one of the most hyped up bronzers, but I usually hate stick products since they’re a firmer texture and tend to dry out faster than pot creams. It was a little easier to ignore the hype since the closest depth match for me was True Warmth, which looked way too red for my liking. After they extended the range and I saw Full of Life looking a lot more neutral by comparison and described as “deep bronze with golden undertones,” I bought it without hesitation. Imagine my surprise when I saw how warm this one was too! However, when I blend it out, it somehow matches me so well and I can easily get it to look even more natural and subtle when I use less than the amount pictured below. Unlike many stick products I’ve used in the past, this one isn’t stiff and practically melts as I glide it along my face. I typically draw a stroke that’s the length of my ear and blend that out dragging it slightly lower under my cheekbone. I also draw from the center of my forehead to about where my brow tail is and blend the rest of it out and connect it to the rest by the ear. I add a little more after blending if needed and it doesn’t disturb my makeup underneath. If I want it to last on my skin, I have to apply it a little more generously since my skin likes to absorb some of it. It makes me very happy though that even though the formula feels creamy, it fully sets on my skin and I don’t get an imprint on my finger when I touch it. This looks so natural, and I finish bronzing so quickly, that I now understand the hype. It’s well deserved. If my year late low-buy series has taught me anything though, it’s that cream products could take six or more months to start behaving differently, like a film forming on top or it drying out. So, I am curious to see if this continues to perform well as time goes on.
Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer Cream Stick in Blitzed
After unscrewing the cap, be careful removing the plastic dome off the stick portion. I saw a lot of creators break theirs in their videos, so I was trying to be careful removing mine, but a chunk still broke off since it was stuck too tightly to the plastic.
I had a feeling Blitzed would be too deep for me, but I wasn’t sure if Blaze would be too light. I can get Blitzed to work if I blend it out very well, and the amount used in the photo is about what I use per side, though maybe a little less in the cheekbone portion to start off with. It can easily get out of hand if I’m not careful.
This bronzer is the perfect example of the type of stick products I don’t like since it’s stiff, doesn’t blend as easily as traditional creams, and can be a little patchy looking at times. I like that it’s more of a neutral color by comparison to my shade from Rare Beauty, but I’m just not a fan of this formula.
Also, it’s a bit funny that I avoided buying this bronzer when the full-size used to be 1 oz / 28 g because I knew I’d never use it up and didn’t want it to go to waste. Then, they came out with minis that I believe were either $18 or $20 for 0.19 oz / 5.7g but they did not have my shade. Then when Blaze was available as a mini, I still felt the price per grams were so bad by comparison that I wanted to wait for a sale. Instead, I got the surprise that Milk decided to make the previous mini-size the new full-size, yet they did not adjust the price. It’s now $24 for 0.19 ounces. I don’t mind having less product, but to pass the cost onto the customer and not adjust the price accordingly for getting less product isn’t very cool in my books. Especially since Blitzed was released this year and only ever released in this tinier size. I waited years for a better price, so I figured I may as well keep waiting. Then there eventually came an opportune time to get it during a SpaceNK sale.
This was like THE bronzer stick before Rare Beauty came along. This was people’s holy grail bronzer for years, but considering the texture and the way it blends, I don’t see why. It has slightly more lasting power since the thicker and less emollient consistency keeps it from sliding off or moving, the way other cream bronzers can, though I don’t have this problem with Rare Beauty either.
The Better Butter Bronzer?
Westman Atelier Beauty Butter Powder Bronzer in Beau Soleil
Even though I purchased this during a Credo Beauty sale, it’s still the most expensive single bronzer in my collection (since the Hermes Bronzer was only the refill). I heard great things about the formula, but I was never interested until they added this deeper shade to the line.
The bronzer is small, but its packaging is so heavy! Between the weighted metal, shiny gold surface, and the dust pouch it came with, it feels very luxurious. I also like the cute heart pattern with the “W A” representing the brand’s initials on the product surface.
Beau Soleil is definitely not as deep or neutral as it looks in photos. It’s also not heavily pigmented, so I still have to build it up. I like the color, but it’s unfortunate that they don’t have a rich shade available for those with skin tones darker than mine. In fact, it’s a little difficult to see in my photos, but it’s at least present (still subtle) in person. I believe the original two bronzers launched over two years ago. I’m glad we got this one this year, but I hope there will be another shade expansion sooner than that.
The photo on the right was digitally adjusted to improve the color accuracy.
The texture is buttery, as the name implies, and smooth. Of course, because of the name I couldn’t help but think about the famous Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer. I disliked that one immensely because it was overly shimmery for my taste, which is a shame since it had a nice texture. The Westman Atelier bronzer is actually matte. It has a sheen that isn’t in a shimmery way, but in a moisturized way. The best way I can describe the look is like when the skin’s natural oils show the tiniest sign of coming through a powdered face. It isn’t to the level of being glowy or shiny, but resembles slightly moisturized skin. Another way to describe it is the look of skin after spraying one’s face with MAC Fix+ once it dries back down. The bronzer looks great when I use my medium density brushes, but if I try to use something that’s lightly packed it can look uneven. Due to the nature of it having this texture, the pigment packs more heavily in some places if the brush bristles aren’t strong enough to move it smoothly across the skin efficiently enough. But all it takes is more time buffing, a slightly denser brush, or a more resilient bristle to smooth it out.
This product is up there with some of my more enjoyable bronzers like Nars, Mented, and Pat Mcgrath. I definitely think it’s good, but the bigger selling point is the packaging. If this bronzer was in MAC packaging instead, I’d have said this is way overpriced. However, I bought this specifically during a time when I wanted something that was undeniably in the luxury category with a formula that was at least “good.” So, I’m satisfied with what I got.
Reformulated or Just Repackaged?
KosasSun Show Baked Bronzer in Escape and Paradise
The original Kosas bronzer was in my top 3 favorite formulas for many years, only recently dropping slightly lower because the shade became too dark for my liking, it had a smell that couldn’t be ignored, and the reputation keeps growing about the brand’s products going bad quickly (which made me question whether mine was still safe to use). Until recently, this bronzer was my #1 favorite in the shimmer finish category.
The brand posted on the product page, “new packaging…same formula,” but I believe there is something off about the shimmer. Every time I’ve compared the new ones to my old one, the new ones look like there’s way more shimmer and reflects more strongly. Escape and Paradise look borderline metallic in direct light. Perhaps it’s just something to do with the shimmer color with Deep and its orange base tone compared to the golden tone of Escape or the red tone of Paradise, but the bottom line is that I don’t like the finish of the new ones at all compared to the old one. It’s too much for me. It sounds wild to say considering I’m in my glowy cheek era for blushes, but I’m not usually a fan of metallic blushes either.
One of the other unfortunate things is that I’ve been wishing for Kosas to expand the line and make something slightly lighter than Deep, which was previously their darkest one. I was thrilled to see they added an even darker bronzer called Tropic and hoped that meant Paradise would be slightly lighter than Deep, but it’s slightly darker instead and in a less flattering undertone for me. Escape is less than a half shade darker than me and basically worked to add a golden glow, but not actually bronze me. However, it does seem to have gotten a little more orange several months after purchasing. My solution in the beginning was mixing the two new shades together, so I can’t say that didn’t effect the color Escape turned into now. Even though I have a workable color, the shine is a bit offputting. I spend quite a bit of time buffing the product in to try and get some of that shimmer off my face. At this point, I don’t know if I kept them because I genuinely liked them enough to not be worth returning, or if it’s the nostalgia and my desire to find a worthy replacement for Deep. It’s such a shame because the formula of the original truly is fantastic, beautiful, and I couldn’t recommend it enough to those who could get past the frying oil smell. The new ones don’t smell of it as strongly, but I can definitely still detect it. Perhaps it’s the Meadowfoam Seed Oil and/or Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil which are listed as the second and third ingredients.
So, after all this, Deep is still the best shade for me, but I can’t trust using it anymore because it’s so old and the brand doesn’t seem to like preservatives. So, I will make do with the two new ones for now. This could be something to take a chance on for those that love a super glowy bronzer, baked formulas, and “clean” makeup. It performs the same as the old one, which was so blendable and smooth. However, my personal disappointment keeps me from being able to recommend it.
BONUS REVIEWS
When it comes to the Vieve and Victoria Beckham duos, I forgot to include them in my previous bronzer ranking because they were in my face palette drawer and I also hadn’t decided which one I liked more. So, even though they aren’t 2023 releases, I thought I should try to include them in the bonus section. Also, kudos to both brands for making their duos refillable/replacable.
Vieve Modern Bronzer Duo in Deep
The left powder is intended to add warmth, while the right powder is for sculpting. The latter is a bit too deep, so I use the lighter shade in the duo almost exclusively. That one is my kind of color, though a little bit strong on the orange tone. The performance and texture reminds me of Charlotte’s bronzer, but not quite to that level of looking airbrushed. This is a buildable formula that I was surprised to see described as “satin” on the website, but I can agree it has a natural finish. I’m very pleased with this duo, but longevity is the only issue. If I’m wearing a dewy foundation or my skin has been properly primed and moisturized, the bronzer lasts. Sometimes it sticks a little too well and requires more blending time. Conversely, if my skin is on the dry side, it doesn’t cling to my skin as well and will come off in spots at some point in the day. This normally isn’t a problem for me except on minimal makeup days where I tend to skip a lot more steps in my routine.
I also have to note that I’m impressed with the packaging. It’s a lightweight plastic, but it still looks like an upgrade compared to the cardboard blush compacts. The extra bits of gold color on the back side and around the edges of the duo really help to elevate the packaging. However, I’m guessing the reason the blush compacts aren’t plastic is because they’re not refillable, unlike the powder bronzers.
These two photos were edited to improve color accuracy.
In the photo with both sides listed, I started to rub away the lighter one before I thought about how I could probably leave it there for comparison purposes. So, I labeled it mainly to indicate that what’s lingering is the Vieve bronzer on the left side of the duo and I did not apply the right one to both spots. The demonstration under the cheekbone was applied with the amount picked from a single tap into the powder with a brush and blended out a lot, which still looked dramatic enough to feel it wasn’t necessary to apply it to my forehead too.
A month or so ago, Vieve released cream bronzers. I’m curious about them, but I recently put myself on a cream product no-buy, so I guess I won’t be finding out what they’re like for a very long time.
Victoria Beckham Matte Bronzing Brick in 05
I couldn’t figure out whether I should get 04 or 05, but I’m glad I chose the darkest one because this isn’t as deep as I anticipated. The lighter shade is a bit subtle for me and the darker one is a bit too red (even though that’s supposed to be the sculpting shade). So, once again, I end up mixing them both together to create a golden-orange color. And it ends up looking quite similar to the lighter shade from Vieve’s Deep duo.
Full disclosure is that I bought this from a third party seller in new/unused condition, so technically I can’t verify the authenticity of the product. I strongly believe it is authentic though based on how weighty the packaging is, the product performance, and all labeling including the box it came in, all compared to photos I’ve seen online. I am super impressed with the compact and it being as lux as I’ve heard described by others. This bronzer is similar to Vieve’s but the powder feels a little more fine, and it also gives me no issues blending or with longevity regardless of the condition of my skin. It’s the closest comparison I’ve found to Charlotte Tilbury’s powder bronzer with how airbrushed it looks on the face, the way it gets picked up with my brushes, and the texture of the powder. My one complaint is that certain spots look like hard-pan is starting to form. I assume it’s from the increased frequency that I’m using oil based products as primer. So, I wonder if people with oily skin will have a problem with hard-pan after extended use.
These two photos were digitally edited to improve color accuracy.
Dior Forever Natural Bronzer in 07 and 08
I put this in the bonus section because I got these from a third party seller and had no intention of reviewing them until I realized how high they ranked among my collection, and that I should share this information. Even though these aren’t new, a few shades from the line were re-released in new limited edition packaging this year. I preferred the look of the original quilt pattern ones and it occurred to me that Dior might reformulate them as they have for nearly everything else that’s a permanent product. So, I tried to get them while I had the chance, even though I was still uncertain if 07 was going to be too light and 08 too dark. As expected, 07 is so close to my skin tone that I could literally (and have a few times) use this as an all-over face powder. It matches my undertone so well, it’s a shame there isn’t an in-between shade that’s this color but just a shade or two deeper. As for 08, it’s darker than I prefer, but I just have to use it sparingly. It’s also a neutral color, which I don’t mind if I want to look like I got darker from the sun, but I don’t look bronzed without that warm undertone. It has a slight sculpting effect, so I like to use it almost the same way as Nars, but in reverse because 07 isn’t pigmented enough to lighten up 08 if 08 is underneath. I apply a liberal layer of 07 first and then a sheer amount of 08 so that I get the benefits of slightly deepening what I laid already down. This creates a pretty shading effect on the face.
This bronzer reminds me of the Nars ones, but even softer. I really like it, but not enough to pay full price. If I couldn’t have gotten it elsewhere and had to choose between Nars and Dior, I would feel Nars is more worth the price. The Dior bronzer comes in what I consider to be a cuter compact, but I’d rather pay a little more and just get Charlotte’s bronzer instead.
This photo was adjusted to improve color accuracy.
RANKING AMONG THE BRONZERS IN THIS POST
Hermès Plein Air Mineral Powder
Victoria Beckham Matte Bronzing Brick
Rare Beauty Bronzer Stick
Vieve Modern Bronzer Duo
Dior Forever Natural Bronzer
Westman Atelier Butter Powder Bronzer
Nars Laguna Talc-Free Bronzing Powders
Pat Mcgrath Divine Powder Bronzers
MAC Sunstruck Bronzer (Matte)
Armani Luminous Silk Bronzer Drops
MAC Sunstruck Bronzer (Radiant)
Kosas Baked Bronzer (Yellow Packaging)
Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer Stick
Although I feel it’s too soon for me to rank these with the rest of my collection, I can at least say with certainty that my first three here would make the top 10, knocking Nabla, Mented, and Covergirl lower. Four through eight here could potentially knock those three even lower.
It’s easy to say the Hermes is my top “standard” powder formula, GloWish is the top with a sheen (performs like a baked gelee but I have no idea what it technically is), and Charlotte makes my top cream formula. However, deciding between the three where they rank is too difficult to say with full confidence. The one from Victoria Beckham comes just after Charlotte’s Powder bronzer, (so basically fifth place). I mentioned in last week’s post that Colourpop’s bronzer would drop lower since it started to perform differently at the one year mark of opening it. I still don’t know what place that put’s Colourpop now, but I know that ABH’s cream bronzer moved above it. Between ABH and the Rare Beauty Stick, I cannot make a decision without seeing how Rare Beauty performs in the long term of at least one year too.
So, that is everything! While it’s true I technically have more bronzers in my collection if one counts my face palettes too, I just don’t use the bronzers in there enough for it to be fair to include them. The only ones I can think of that could significantly shake up this list is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Finishing Powder I use as bronzer (Transcendent Light) and the Captivate bronzer from Sephora’s Microsmooth Multi-Tasking Baked Face Palette. Those two would be somewhere between 15-25, but that’s as far as I could narrow it down.
Thank you for reading! Again, apologies for needing to switch now to my cell phone camera. I’m still trying to figure out the settings, color, and lighting.
UPDATE: I hadn’t realized MAC started a “sale on sale” deal today. Use code LOVERSEXTRA20 for an additional savings off the Last Chance/Goodbyes/Sale Section on the US website. The code is non-affiliated and the link is non-affiliated as well. I just wanted to be sure to mention this in time. The sale ends June 13th, 2023 and it’s supposed to be for those who have signed up to MAC’s reward program. So, be sure to log in so the code will work.
This is technically a swatchfest bonus post, but I don’t believe I can complete this coming Monday’s official post. So, I hope this replacement will suffice. I mainly wanted to show photos, swatches, and lip looks as fast as possible since these lipsticks are selling out fast. Only a few are still available on the MAC-US website, but perhaps those in other parts of the world still have access to some of them and that this post will still be helpful.
MAC x Whitney Houston in Nippy’s Moody Nude (Cremesheen)
MAC x Black Panther Wakanda Forever in Story of Home (Amplified)
MAC New Year Shine in Lookin’ Like Wealth (Matte)
Of the three shades, the Whitney Houston one is the only one I like as-is. It’s the lip color I wish I naturally had. There’s a little bit of a brown tone to it, but it’s still a muted pink (which is my preference). The Black Panther lipstick is a little cooler toned. A little greige on me. I still like the lip color, but paired with a lip liner, as shown below. I used the Juvia’s Place Lip Liner in Brownie for the demonstration.
As for Lookin’ Like Wealth, it’s a gorgeous color, but it’s a brighter shade of rose than I would want. In order to tone it down, it pairs beautifully with Nippy’s Moody Nude applied to the center of the lips on the top and bottom. Plus, I like the added shine.
So that’s everything! For those curious, I purchased additional items from the sale. The M·A·C Stack Mascara has been one of my newest mascara obsessions since it came out. Even at the reduced price of $18 and $19, I would probably still be better off sticking to my Essence mascaras or continuing to use up the remainder of the mascaras in my makeup stash. However, I couldn’t resist getting backups in the limited edition packaging of the Lunar New Year collection and Richard Quinn collab. I considered getting more pieces from the Richard Quinn line, such as taking a chance on the highlighter even though it looks far too light or the mint color eyeliner, but I decided against it. There are also the limited edition bottles of Fix+ that I would have considered getting if I didn’t already have plenty (and in scents other than Cherry Blossom, Lavender, or Rose). Fix+ scents I loved so far have been cucumber, coconut, pineapple, and watermelon. I even prefer the unscented Fix+ over the floral ones.
The sale section is filled with limited edition products, but be careful about some of the collections that were originally launched long ago! It’s not just semi-new products in there. Still, I recommend taking a peek at what’s available!
Thank you for viewing!
-Lili ❤
DISCLOSURE: I purchased these products with my own money and am not affiliated with MAC in any way.
Today’s post certainly includes swatches, but I’ve worn most of the products between 1-3 times. So, I thought it might be nice to add my initial impressions along with it, considering I did not bringing any of these on the trip with me and this could be as close as I get to reviewing them. However, if my initial impressions are vastly off or if I discover additional useful information about the items, I’ll update this post (anytime from June ’23 and onward).
MAC Underground Limited Edition of 1000, MAC New Year Shine Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Beaming Blush, and MAC x Richard Quinn Powder Blush Duo in Sunset Boulevard (Bronze and Coral)
Starting with multi-colored (at least in the pan) highlighter, I actually purchased Precious on February 18, 2023 even though the initial release was in Summer of 2020. I remember how much I regretted not stalking the website, missing out on that launch, and not even being able to buy it from resellers because they were putting it for sale at $100 or more! So, when I recently saw it available on MAC’s US website, I thought it must be a mistake considering they only made 1000 and they sold out extremely quickly. Then, I thought maybe they did a limited re-release. However, mine actually had the number 690 written on the box, which leads me to believe MAC may have misplaced some of that initial inventory from three years ago. I was surprised to see that this order was shipped from Canada (even though I ordered from the US site), which I don’t believe is a usual occurrence with my orders and further leads me in the direction of suspecting this was a misplaced item recently found and put back up for sale. The link I included above had broken (not visible) photos too, which is also why I expected it to be mistakenly made live on the website and thought my order would be cancelled. So, I was quite surprised when it went through and I got it!
It was listed as “low stock” for about ten days before it sold out again. I apologize for not posting about it on my blog or Instagram sooner! I hadn’t expected it to be available for that long.
The swatches above are the only ones I took of it. Since it’s definitely not a wearable color for me, I plan on not touching it again and just keeping it for collector purposes just like I wanted to back then! Also, I wonder if MAC will ever make something like this again. It’s so visually stunning and from every angle!
Next on the list to discuss is this year’s Lunar New Year release. Both highlighters in the New Year Shine packaging are previously released shades. Show Gold looked gold but had a stronger pink hue on the skin. The one I purchased, Beaming Blush, looks pink while appearing much more gold on my skin. I was drawn to the embossing, the colors, and packaging from the beginning, but they looked so frosty and light in photos that I didn’t think I’d be able to pull it off until I watched B Rich Beauty on YouTube show the collection and compare them. This one does indeed work for me!
The photos I took are all of Beaming Blush at various angles and light situations to show how it goes from pink to gold.
I do happen to have one photo wearing Beaming Blush, but I was wearing the Rituel de Fille Thorn Oil as primer and wearing a mix of two different Armani Color Melting Balms for blush, which means the highlighter looked extra smooth and merged even more with my skin because of these wet ingredients. Beaming Blush isn’t a glittery highlighter by any means and does still work for my skin tone, but it is a little more stark if I’m not wearing my winter foundation, a pink blush, and my skin is drier. The actual formula though is no different from MAC’s other Extra Dimension highlighters, which is a good thing since it’s one of the products MAC nails.
Then, we have the MAC x Richard Quinn Collection with the gorgeous floral print fabric outer packaging. It has a very nice tactile feel to it. I purchased my duo from Selfridges, but it’s now available in the US.
As a packaging lover, I knew I had to get at least something from the Collection, but the makeup isn’t very dark-skin friendly between the pastel eyeshadows and light silvery-beige highlighter, but I thought I had a decent chance of the blush duo working for me.
I was right about the “bronze” portion, which isn’t actually named Bronze, but described as that color. It’s quite close to MAC’s Coppertone blush, which is one that only shows when I’m at my lightest. It’s brown with a slight bit of rosiness to it. It’s just like any other MAC powder blush I’ve used before. Long-lasting, buildable, and blendable. I have to build it up for the color to show, but it works for me right now. As for the pink portion, the “coral,” looks ashy on me. It’s much too light, especially with the cooler tone to it. In terms of depth, it’s on par with Melba, but Melba is peachier, which is why I can rock that one when I’m at my lightest. Unsurprisingly, I don’t have many other shade dupes for Coral.
Colourpop x Snow WhiteMagic Mirror, Super Shock Blush in Fair Enough, Lip Scrub in Just One Bite, and Colourpop x High School MusicalPowder Blush in Playoffs
I didn’t need a new mirror, but I have a difficult time resisting unusual shaped ones, like the Colourpop x Hocus Pocus one in the shape of a cat head. This is another collector item purchase.
The Just One Bite lip scrub has very fine sugar granules and smells like apples, but thankfully it’s not an overpowering smell. As nice as it is for there to be small crystals, lip scrubs barely work for me because they just aren’t strong enough no matter how much I rub them across my lips. I still wanted this anyway because I’ve been in the mood for DIY projects and know that I could always clean out this cute apple container and replace it with a lip balm that works better for me, or travel size skincare, etc. I’ve done this kind of repurposing with Tony Moly products, including their Red Apple Hand Cream container that’s much larger than the lip scrub one from Colourpop.
I love Super Shock face products from Colourpop, and with this adorable packaging and this shade, I had to grab this one even though I knew it would be shimmery and I’m a little less interested in that type from Colourpop unless it’s a highlighter. As I suspected, the shimmer particles in this one are borderline to my comfort level. The specks are medium sized but a reflective gold that’s absolutely beautiful, but not the most natural looking on the cheeks. I absolutely love the color of this one and can see myself continuing to wear it on occasions that I don’t mind pronounced shimmer and am not going for a subtle look. A product like this is going to be the star of a makeup look because of how much it stands out.
As for the High School Musical blush, I bought it because of how much Angelica Nyqvist was raving about it. It’s true that this is my type of color and it does have a very soft feel to the blush. For some reason though, I wasn’t as impressed when I put it on my cheeks, and that has nothing to do with the formula. I think I just prefer to have a satin or shimmer finish when I wear blushes of this color. So, all I could think about while wearing it was that I prefer the Bare Minerals Blonzer in Kiss of Rose, Hourglass At Night, or even all my pink/red MAC blush shades despite how much more expensive those are compared to this one from Colourpop. I’m also wearing matte blushes less often lately, so this could be something I end up likely a lot more in the future. Also, I wore it while testing out some less glowy foundations, so it’s possible I could like it more if it was on top of something glowier, so I could feel like I wasn’t looking so dry. Playoffs is one of the few items I could see myself changing my mind about for the better. For now, though, it’s just okay.
about-face Cheek Freak Blush Balms in Cowgirl and Smash
I bought these during Black Friday last year, but didn’t get around to trying it for the first time until recently. By then, I had completely forgotten these are supposed to be “balms” and intentionally sheer. They still build up to a nice amount of pigment. It feels oily as it instantly melts from the touch of my finger, but as I dab and smooth it onto my cheeks, it takes on a velvety finish and feels a little more silicone-like. It reminds me of the way the One/Size Cheek Clapper in the cream feels after it’s applied to the cheeks. I love that it fully dries down. I like the shade Smash the most. Cowgirl is more orange and less terracotta than I wanted. These look darker in promo photos and in the compact than they will appear on the skin. I’ve used these with a brush and fingers, though I prefer using my finger. I have not tried them with a sponge.
I’ve worn them on bare skin and over foundation, but prefer them over foundation because it gives a blurred and diffused look with the veil of color it leaves on the cheeks. On my bare skin, the vibrancy of color with how sheer they are was an unnatural combination to me, but I have a lot of discoloration, which may have contributed to why I felt that way.
Regarding the longevity, my longest wear test has been eight hours and there was noticeable fading, but I still had enough color by the end of the night to be satisfied. It just faded to looking like a subtle flush, but it might still look vibrant on someone with a lighter skin tone than me. My first impression of this line of blushes is overall a good one. It’s only the color variety that keeps it from being a blush that I’m obsessed with. The line has shades that are a bit too on-the-nose for me. I prefer the nuance of a pink-brown, orange-pink, brown-red, etc. I think I like Smash the most because it’s actually a rosy red and that makes it a little more interesting than a basic red. I know it’s a bit strange to want something different when the brand simultaneously goes so far as including various purples and berries in the line that are definitely more unique types of colors to the market. So, I acknowledge that the brand does have “normal” and out there type of blushes, but I would love to see an expansion of the line to include something between the two. The fact that I instantly went on the website to try and see if they had other shades that I would prefer (they currently do not), is a testament to it being a very interesting product. I really like the formula and just need the perfect color for it to be a favorite.
Rare Beauty Positive Light: Silky Touch Highlighter and Liquid Luminizer Highlight in Flaunt
I’ve shown the liquid highlighter before when I tried it as a sample in this post, and I specifically said I wouldn’t buy a full-size (only a mini), but I did it anyway!
I didn’t like the powder version at first because it was so intense and sparkly. What I did not know is that it can actually look smooth depending on the lighting situation. Robert Welsh posted a YouTube short explaining it and demonstrating how the highlighter looked in yellow light versus white light. Sure enough, I loved how it looked under warmer light. My ceiling fan I take pictures near has two daylight lights and a warm one, so depending on the spot I took swatches, it looked smoother or more intense. So, I like that this highlighter can be flattering, but the problem is that we cannot control what kind of lights will be around when we’re out and about. So, I don’t want to be paranoid about having a glittery cheek when I’m in public and caught in literally a bad light. So, it’s very possible I will end up decluttering this.
Rose Inc Refills: Cream Blush Refillable Cheek & Lip Color in Ophelia and Hibiscus and Satin Eyeshadow in Satin Cocoa
In that same post that I linked in the Rare Beauty section, I reviewed and demonstrated four different Rose Inc blush shades. I also showed the shade Wisteria here, and in my depotting post, I mentioned that saving the samples was keeping me from being tempted to buy more shades when I know that I don’t like the dewy feeling from them never drying down, which keeps the blushes from being a favorite even though I love the actual look of them.
However, Rose Inc temporarily added full-size blush refills to the free samples with order sidebar. They offer free shipping (at least to the US) with no price minimum and allow up to 2 free samples with orders. So, essentially, I bought the eyeshadow and got the two blushes for free! Plus, I was able to use a promo code to make the price even lower. There was no way I could pass that up! Especially since I have been curious to see what the eyeshadows would be like. I haven’t worn these particular blush shades on my cheeks yet, but since I’m familiar with the formula already, I think it’s safe to wager they aren’t any different from the ones I’ve reviewed on this blog before.
Rose Inc currently has two eyeshadow formulas in two finishes, a satin and shimmer. I somehow mixed up the fact that the satin is a cream product and the shimmer is the pressed one. The green one I was most interested in was sold out, so I opted for Satin Cocoa as one can never go wrong with a pretty gold or bronze…or so I thought.
I have only tried these on bare lids and with the Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm because I know with my oily lids, I figured the cream would need some oil absorbing properties to last on my eyes, but that was a bad idea. I had instant creasing before I could even finish applying it on the other eye! The creasing got worse and within a few hours most of the eyeshadow was just gone from my eyes.
Unless a cream shadow dries down completely or I use one with thick mattes that I can essentially use as a barrier between my oils and the cream, ceasing is inevitable. However, to have it completely gone off my eyes by the four hour mark is a little less common. I’m not ready to completely write this off yet, as I have other primers and techniques I could try, but this is just a first impression.
Bobbi Brown x Tokidoki Mini Highlighting Powder in Pink Glow and Headband and Bobbi Brown Brightening Blush in Blushed Burgundy
There was a sale on the Toki Doki items on Bobbi Brown’s website last December, and any order of an item from the collection came with a free headband, so that was enough to steer me towards getting the mini highlighter (as one of the lower priced items available) even though I knew Pink Glow would be too light for me. This is yet another product I purchased for collector purposes. I’ve used Bobbi Brown’s highlighters before in this same formula, just different shades, and it’s quite pretty and very shimmery without being that glittery/sparkly level I don’t prefer. I think it’s a nice product, but I always end up feeling like MAC does it better for a lower price as well, even though formulas are probably shared under the Estee Lauder umbrella.
As for the Brightening Blush, I bought that from Selfridges in order to get it for a slightly lower price. There are two different shimmery strips, which is nice for those who want something champagne and lighter or gold and deeper, though I can only isolate each color if I use a fan brush. With the main blush, which I believe is a satin-matte, it’s a little trickier to get just that color onto my blush brushes and avoid the shimmer. However, I personally find it prettier when I use them separately and keep the burgundy shade on my cheeks and put the gold shimmer on my cheekbones, versus swirling all of them together for a glowy cheek look. I’m not sure if it’s the champagne strip specifically that throws it off, but the shimmer just doesn’t look as refined to me when on top of the blush. However, it looked nice and smooth when just kept in the typical highlighting areas.
Oh! And I updated the Kaleidos post in the eyeliner section to show swatches of the additional Danessa Myricks multichrome liners that I bought.
That’s all I have for today! As I mentioned in last week’s post and on the Homepage, I’m spending two months in Germany and there’s a high chance posts will not be on the regular Monday schedule during this time. Thank you for reading!
We’ve got ourselves another MAC Cosmetics post! These are the products from MAC that I purchased during the final few months of 2022. I’ll begin with the two item types I haven’t purchased or reviewed from MAC before, but the blushes and highlighters are formulas I’m very familiar with and will probably not have much new to add. For those interested in my previous MAC posts, the list with links can be found on this index page here.
Additional MAC Items
MAC Glow Play Lip Balm in Floral Coral
This is one of a few items I redeemed as a free birthday gift from MAC’s Reward Program. It’s a sheer product in a soft formula. The top layer of the bullet instantly melts when it touches my lips. If I apply the amount of balm to my lips based on how it feels, I get almost no color. I can build it up to show a pink tinge, but the amount I need to apply for that leaves my lips feeling excessively wet in a way that isn’t quite greasy or oily, but it’s a similar enough sensation that is uncomfortable for me. After I wear it for a short time, it gives me the feeling of dripping around the edges and a strong urge to wipe it off.
For this reason, I haven’t been using this beyond the handful of times I wore it to test it out. And even though it feels moisturizing, my lips aren’t actually being conditioned. The moisture lasts a few hours before I feel like I need to reapply, even if there’s still some balm left on my lips. If I want to wear a slightly colorful balm for a short time, like in photos, this is fine. If I want a balm that’s actually lip conditioning and having color isn’t a necessity, I’d reach for plenty of other balms instead. So, I don’t really recommend this. According to a sneak peek I saw on IG, MAC might be releasing a Valentine collection of new and/or existing shades of Glow Play Lip Balms and other lipsticks. I won’t be purchasing them.
MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 Foundation in NC47
This was a Black Friday purchase when MAC had 40% off complexion. The pump for this foundation is sold separately, and unfortunately was full price. I wish the package with the pump came with an extra cap that could fit over the foundation instead of the little dispenser cover piece because I always lose tiny parts to makeup and skincare (like the little spoons to scoop out products in jars).
With “fluid” in the name, I expected this foundation to be watery like the Uoma Beauty Say What Foundation or Kosas Tinted Face Oil, but it’s more viscous than those while still managing to feel lightweight on the skin. MAC describes it as being a, “buildable, medium to full coverage [foundation] in a natural matte finish.” While I agree with the buildable claim, the amount I would normally pump out and blend in with my Blendiful gives me light coverage, and I have to use quite a bit more product in order to get a solid medium. I can technically build it up to nearly full, but I have to focus on targeting my areas of discoloration specifically, and at that point it can look a little mask-like since it’s not my absolute perfect shade. So, I keep it at a nice medium and use concealer in the areas I need more coverage.
Additional photos of me wearing this foundation, under a different lighting situation (using my ring light), is in the highlighter section.
When I wore it the first time, I thought it was a pretty good color match, but upon subsequent usage and building it up to medium-full coverage, I realized it’s about a half a shade off in depth and it’s my correct undertone family but not perfect. The fact that I can wear it at all is quite surprising because I remember a time when I tried a sample of NC47 and it was too light for me, but the next shade NC50 was way too dark. I figured the hypothetical NC48 shade (if it existed) would be my perfect shade, but apparently NC47 can work for me in winter. Since I plan on wearing this at medium coverage level, it’s good enough of a match for me to keep it in rotation.
I do like the natural-matte finish of the foundation. It’s supposed to be sweat and humidity resistant, but I challenge that as well, since I managed to look sweaty on a day that was only 75 degrees Fahrenheit outside (and even colder in the house) when all I was doing was taking blog photos and rearranging my makeup drawers in the span of under two hours. It makes me wonder how this will look on me in the summertime when it’s between 85-98 degrees. After I noticed how it was looking, I powdered my face (I initially skipped that step) and that helped to take away the extra shine. The other days I wore it were not hot days and I wasn’t doing anything that would make me produce sweat, so my face remained looking matte even without powder. So, I’m not sure what to make of those results. I will say that I love the fact that this sets on me to the point of being dry to the touch without a trace of wetness/creaminess and no transfer on my fingers that I can see. I love my natural and dewy foundations, but those usually come at the price of various levels of being transferable. I’ve had to train myself to just not touch my face and to be careful when switching outfits and hugging people. It’s actually a relief to have a foundation with some coverage again that I don’t have to be so careful with. I just wish they had my full on perfect shade in depth and undertone.
This is a pretty nice foundation. I like it, but I still prefer my Rose Inc and Estee Lauder Futurist Hydra. I can also think of past Nars Foundations and the original Makeup Up For Ever HD and Ultra HD that I preferred as well when I owned them. I haven’t been using this very long, and normally I don’t review a foundation until I’ve worn it at least 10 times, so there’s still room for my opinion to change. If that happens, I will try to remember to update this post.
My Latest MAC Highlighters
I make it a point now to try and make my MAC purchases via Selfridges because of the price difference being in favor of USD, or from MAC’s website when they have a sale of 30% off or higher. However, it was only the MAC Indulgent Glow Face Kits that came to Selfridges, so I had to purchase the others elsewhere. Of course, I could have waited until a potential sale for the collaboration items, but I didn’t want to take the chance of them selling out, so I purchased the Black Panther Royal Challenge and Whitney Houston ones at launch. I did at least get 20% off on Black Panther’s Royal Vibrancy when I bought that one from Ulta. At the time I’m posting this, the Black Panther Collection is on a deeper discount on MAC’s website, along with last year’s holiday items.
For those who may be curious, in all four highlighter photos I’m wearingthe MAC foundation in NC47, The Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Bronzer in Terracotta (newest shade addition to the line that came out after my review), and the Pat Mcgrath Divine Rose III blush.
MAC Indulgent Glow Face Kit/Set in Sparkling Wine
These kits came in two versions: Sparkling Wine and Rosé. I was impressed by the presentation of the box in a beautiful creamy light pink color and with a raised pattern on the surface.
The bag the items come in is quite cute. I haven’t found a purpose for it yet, but it’s a nice “free” addition considering MAC Extra Dimension Highlighters have risen in price to $40 (or $44 for collaboration versions). This set being $44 normally, means the bag and brush that come with it are essentially free. I paid $35 for it from Selfridges, so the deal was even better.
I didn’t have high expectations for this brush, but it actually surprised me! The more deeply shaped and intricate the embossed pans are from MAC, the harder it will have been pressed. That makes the top layer a bit tougher to pick up product from when using softer bristle brushes. This one feels soft, but the strands themselves are strong enough to really dig into the highlighter while still dispersing the product softly across the skin. Rather than following the direction of the brush, I swirled it roughly in the pan in a circular motion to get the most product pickup with the least effort. I’ve used this brush enough times that it softened the surface of Sparkling Wine, so I can now pick up the product with my natural hair brushes. Prior to that top layer being broken into, it was extremely difficult.
I’ve also used this brush to apply blush and bronzer in a sweeping motion and it’s pretty good with those as well!
The highlighter embossing encapsulates the “Bubbles and Bows” theme MAC chose for holiday 2022. MAC Highlighters tend to be smooth to the touch, but even when I rub my finger across the smoother part of the bow, it feels slightly rough and dry. However, it has such a healthy glowy sheen with a few twinkling sparkles that are just enough for me to feel like this is a festive highlighter I would want to wear to a holiday event, and not enough to be considered glittery. This contains medium size sparkles instead of large ones, which is probably why I actually find them to be quite pretty and wearable.
Ever since Fenty’s Trophy Wife highlighter came into being, I have feared pigmented deep yellow highlighters because of how terrible they look on me. So, I was afraid this one might be too yellow because of the way it looks in the pan, but then my fear switched to worrying it might be too light after seeing the swatch. However, on the face, it looks so pretty to me! Sparkling Wine has a semi-transparent base with just a hint of a yellow tinge to it. The color that peeks through blends with the undertone of my skin while not being pigmented enough to cause a stripe with the low amount of product I apply to my face. It also balances out the pearly looking particles within the highlighter. It looks lighter than Royal Challenge in swatches because the color of the inside of my arm is lighter than my face, but on my cheeks, the fact that Royal Challenge has a more pigmented and lighter base color gives it the lighter appearance, whereas Sparkling Wine’s slightly tinted base allows my darker cheekbone color to show underneath which makes it look darker than Royal Challenge overall. I really like this! As the embossing starts to wear down, I know I’m going to struggle with that part of me that doesn’t want to ruin it versus the side that wants to make sure I get good use out of the products I own. However, this embossing is lingering quite well so far, so I guess I have a ways to go before I need to start worrying!
MAC x Whitney Houston Extra Diminision Skinfinish in Just Whitney
This is another highlighter that was hard-pressed in a way that just affected the very topmost layer and is now getting easier to use as the print is fading. And, once again, I’m reaching the point where I want to keep it intact, but want to be able to wear it. This is slightly smoother and less drying feeling than Sparkling Wine. It’s certainly closer to the kind of deep golden highlighter shades I tend to prefer to wear. Just like all my other highlighters from the brand, this lasts all day and remains shiny without losing its reflectivity as the day goes on. It’s a solid product, but because it’s the most common type of color in my collection, I instinctively compare it to everything else I own, and then it doesn’t seem quite worth the $44 price tag. If the highlighter was in standard packaging, I believe it should be within the $28-$35 range. Because of the collaboration with such a powerhouse of an icon (or at least Whitney’s Estate on her behalf), the pretty limited edition packaging, and the highlighter embossing, the special factor is there. So, I don’t mind it being the price I paid, but I’m just not sure this particular color being added to my collection would be worth it otherwise. For anyone else though, I would recommend it with the acknowledgement that it could be considered a bit overpriced.
MAC x Black Panther Extra Dimension Skinfinishes in Royal Challenge and Royal Vibrancy
I still haven’t watched the Black Panther sequel, but I loved the first one, so I felt an inward obligation to purchase at least one thing from the collection. I tried to purchase the Black Panther Cosmetic Bag, but that was an utter mess. Even though I purchased it at 2am EST (I assume it launched at midnight), my order ended up canceled due to being “sold out,” but they didn’t cancel it until three weeks later after it was sold out at other retailers too. The most irritating part is that I called them about nine days in to ask them about the fact that they priced it at $35 whereas everywhere else had it for $25 and then they later changed the price to $25, but I hadn’t been reimbursed. That call, had the bags truly been out of stock, would have been the prime moment for them to let me know there weren’t any left and to cancel my order so I could have time to buy it somewhere else. However, they didn’t do that, so I don’t believe their statement to me about the bag being out of stock since the launch day, yet it somehow took weeks until it read “sold out” on the website.
Anyway, these two shades are gorgeous, but a better combination for me is to have Royal Challenge on the bottom and a little bit of Royal Vibrancy added on top. That way, I can get some of that darker shimmer without the dark cast when I turn my head at certain angles. In photos, Royal Vibrancy looks perfect for me, but I’ve been unsuccessful in capturing the dark cast I’m referring to from it being a little too deep bronze-red for me.
The texture feels soft and smooth. It’s softer than the others, but it’s also not as hard pressed because the embossing isn’t as detailed/intricate. Also, it’s lasting me quite a while. I forgot to take a photo of Royal Vibrancy prior to being used (or at least I lost the photos of it if I took them) so the picture I included above shows it after about eight uses and it looks nearly untouched! Granted, I was swiping highlighter across the entire pan and not just zeroing in on one specific spot in order to keep it looking even.
At the same time that I purchased these two, I also bought the Tom Ford Shade Illuminate Highlighting Duo in Tanlight that reminded me of a combination of those shades. However, in swatching them together, I see that the tones are slightly different. The lighter shade in Tanlight is more flattering on me than Royal Challenge and the deeper shade is not as dark, and therefore works on its own for me better than Royal Vibrancy. Most of the time I just mix the two Tanlight shades together for a highlighter shade I love a lot and it’s in an even smoother finish than the ones from MAC. Considering I paid around the same price for Tanlight (it was slightly discounted at Nordstrom) as the two MAC highlighters combined, it’s funny that the Tom Ford one was the better purchase for me. However, I also bought these as Black Panther/Wakanda Forever merchandise, so I don’t regret it.
While I could have waited for these highlighters to go on a deeper discount, I like the franchise and didn’t want to chance missing out. So, for me, these were worth having. I think I will stop using Royal Vibrancy though, in order to keep one looking pristine, and just start using Royal Challenge mixed with a different darker highlighter, such as the R.E.M. Interstellar Highlight in Miss Mars.
My Latest MAC Blushes
I currently have 35 MAC blushes in my collection (this number fluctuates as I get rid of some and purchase others) which is by far the most blushes I own from a single brand. Despite having so many, I can’t help but remain interested in them because MAC makes some of my favorite finishes, plus they’re pigmented, and are very long wearing. These four I’m discussing today are the remaining few that hadn’t been reviewed yet on this blog.
MAC Glow Play Blushes in Just Peachy and Groovy
That’s Peachy was the other free birthday item I chose. Based on how it looks, I thought there was no way it would show up on my skin. However, I felt the same way about Peaches ‘N’ Dreams, which ended up working on me too, so I tried it on a whim and was floored! Granted, I have to build it up a ton to get a flush of peach, but it still works and I think it’s beautiful!
Groovy looks like a deep coral-orange on me, and thankfully not a pure orange. As much as I love Heat Index, which was previously my favorite shade, Groovy dethroned it after just once use. I avoided getting this color for a long time because Nikki and a few others mentioned the formula difference in Groovy compared to the other Glow Play Blushes. It’s been a few years now since the Glow Plays launched (January 2020), so I think the original disappointing batch of Groovy are no longer being sold. Or at the very least, I was lucky and got one with the same texture as the others. I was more willing to chance it because I waited for a 40% off sale on blushes.
The Glow Play line remains one of my favorites from MAC and in general because they have the softness and sheen of a cream/putty with the benefit of drying down. They’re buildable and blend right into the skin. It’s a really gorgeous product that I highly recommend trying for those who haven’t.
Because there are such subtle differences among the shades I own, I figured it would be helpful to show the ones I own all together and in swatches.
And for those who like limited edition packaging, MAC currently has the shades Heat Index and So Natural in their Lunar New Year 2023 packaging for their “New Year Shine” collection.
MAC Mineralize Blush in Hey, Coral, Hey…
I included a picture of how the blush looks on my finger, plus a swatch that isn’t fully blended, to demonstrate my issue with this particular Mineralize Blush. The deep reddish-coral pigment is gorgeous and is a tone that looks pretty and suitable for me when I pick it up, but it’s got a light base powder that when blended lightens the shade overall and turns it ashy on my skin. This is even evident looking at the surface of the blush itself between the darker and lighter patches. It’s not super ashy, but just enough on the cusp to make me not want to wear it.
I’ve had issues with most of the Mineralize Blush shades I’ve tried in the past (and said it looked too matte and dry and lighter on my skin than it looks in the compact), and now I’m starting to wonder if the base color in this particular line of blushes from MAC is the reason most don’t work for me. Love Thing and Flirting with Danger are currently the only two that I’ve liked and don’t look ashy on me because the pigment is deeper than I’d normally wear, but is more toned down and lighter when blended on my actual cheeks. It’s unfortunate that it took me buying six of them to finally realize why some shades of Mineralize Blushes work for me, yet others don’t. But, I’m happy that now I know that if MAC creates more colors in this formula, it’ll be safe for me to get them as long as they are the deepest ones (and deeper colors than I normally go for). Any of the colors that look medium-dark or lighter in the compacts just won’t work for my skin tone.
Hey, Coral, Hey… isn’t staying in my collection, but I still recommend the Mineralize Blush line overall, as long as it’s well established to be careful selecting the right colors if you have a dark/deep skin tone. The two shades that work for me are in my top favorites, not just among MAC blushes but among my blush collection as a whole.
MAC x Stranger Things Powder Blush in He Likes It Cold
This color makes me think of MAC’s Flirting with Danger and Frankly Scarlet blush shades. I’ve tried several times to capture the variations in undertone, but they barely show a difference on my skin tone. I retook the photos again, but had to do brush swatches because my older powder blushes from MAC really don’t like to be finger swatched anymore. Nikki, who I’ve mentioned several times here, did a clear comparison of those three shades that can be found here on her blog for those interested, as well as a ton of other MAC content and more. Essentially, the undertone of those shades are going to make a bigger difference if you’re lighter than me (and then perhaps on the other end of the spectrum, if you’re much deeper).
I tried my hardest to skip buying this blush because I had similar enough shades to it, but I think I ended up paying $15 for it when it went on sale, so I couldn’t resist. This release celebrates Stranger Things Season 4, but I only watched seasons 1-3, so I don’t understand the “He Likes it Cold” reference (but it sounds creepy). It’s a pretty color, applies smoothly (even smoother than MAC’s older matte powder formula), and performs as fantastically as I expect from a MAC blush, so I’m happy I bought it. I just caution using a light hand with this particular shade.
That’s everything for today! I’m on another year long low-buy, so I would love to say it will be a long time before I do another MAC post, but that feels unrealistic as it’s one of the brands I purchase from the most. It can be expected that additional new releases from MAC will be reviewed here at some point, if not at launch, then perhaps after a big sale.
Thank you for reading!
-Lili ❤
Disclaimer: Other than free birthday gift items everyone who joins MAC’s free reward program is entitled to (I can’t recall if you need to be a certain tier for it though), I purchased all the other items with my own money. I am not affiliated with the brand. There are no affiliate links in this specific post.
I buy products from MAC fairly often, but I like to review multiple purchases at once, rather than doing them individually. Today’s post is a review of all the latest additions to my ever growing collection of makeup from MAC Cosmetics.
MAC Extra Dimension X4: Surrounded By The Stars Skinfinish Palette
This item is part of MAC’s Magnificent Moon Collection that I purchased online from Selfridges containing an existing Extra Dimension Highlighter (Oh, Darling), two existing Extra Dimension Blushes (Hushed Tone and Hard to Get), and one new Extra Dimension Skinfinish Blush/Highlighter in the shade Surrounded By Stars, which is also the name of this face quad. This release was in celebration of Ramadan and EID, which I admittedly don’t know anything about aside from them being an important time in the Islamic religion. By this point, it seems this collection will not be released in the US. As a lover of celestial imagery and MAC’s Extra Dimension Skinfinish formulas, I couldn’t pass this up like I did with the MAC Mosaic Masterpiece Collection from 2020 that I hoped would come to the US, but it never did.
I already own Hushed Tone, but the other products are new to me. Hushed Tone was my favorite Extra Dimension Blush shade from MAC for a while, but it’s on the lighter side of medium which means it is harder to see on my skin. If I build it up too much, the shimmer particles become too apparent for my taste, which is why I usually reserve this blush for the winter time when I am at my lightest. Faux Sure replaced Hushed Tone as my favorite because it has just as pretty of a sheen but is on the medium-dark spectrum, so it shows better on me. Oh, Darling is a bit light for me and Surrounded by Stars only works for me as a highlighter, so I prefer to combine those two products. Surrounded by Stars can look a bit subtle because of the tone of it, so adding the tiniest amount of Oh Darling gives it that extra pop at the highest points of my face. As for Hard to Get, the only reason I don’t already have a single of that shade is because I knew it was darker than I like to wear for blush. It doesn’t look too dark in my photo since I applied such a sheer layer, but I can literally use it as a shimmery sculpting blush if I want. In fact, when I reach for this palette, I like to put Hard to Get just above where I would contour and have it be a deeper gradient going into Hushed Tone.
I forgot to mention that in the last photo above, Surround By Stars with Oh Darling are both on top of the Suqqu blush.
It was only around six months ago that MAC released a similar product as part of the MAC x Rosalia Aute Cuture collection. Those were more of the highlighter formula whereas these are the softer to the touch blush formula, which I prefer. I’m quite pleased with the fact that I can find a use for all these shades, though I am more lightly to reach for my single products over this full palette. This is especially because I have a difficult time using limited edition products and ruining the embossing on the pans. I am happy to have this anyway.
MAC Wild Cherry Glow Play Blush in Peaches ‘N’ Dreams
I reviewed the HD Cherry Tree Blush previously, but I used my points at Ulta to get this shade. It’s not very pigmented, so it takes a ton of building up to get it to show on my cheeks, though my camera still had a hard time picking it up. It looks quite orange in the compact, but it translates to a true peach on the cheeks. I do like this shade and just like all the other Glow Play blushes, the blend is beautiful and the blush lasts as long as I need it to on my cheeks.
I couldn’t decide which photo shows the blush better so I just put them both here. It may depend on the viewer’s device settings and screen brightness.
MAC Macstack Mascara (Mini with the Superstack Mega Brush)
I bought this with my Ulta Reward Points as well. I purchased the version with the Superstack Mega Brush which is supposed to be better suited for those with longer lashes naturally and/or for everyone to use on the upper lashes. There is also a Superstack Micro Brush for those with naturally shorter lashes or for those who just want a smaller brush to get at the lower lashes.
I applied a thick line for my eyeliner, which makes it difficult to see my eyelashes, but I do have decent length to them. It’s just not as visible without the lift that a good mascara provides. My lower lashes are quite fine though, so I typically have an issue applying mascara there (except with a select few favorites), but I still went for the mini size of the Mega brush mascara.
I cannot deny that I can achieve a false lash effect with this mascara. I don’t have issues with smudging and it’s also fairly easy to remove the mascara. However, the more layers are added the more it’s prone to clump despite being marketed as, “… a continuously buildable mascara that stacks on infinite layers of volume and length.” Even if I keep passing over the lashes repeatedly without dipping back into the tube (so still within the first coat) it will start to clump if I keep at it for too long. After using it a few times, I wondered if it was because it starts trying to dry. The formula is supposed to allow the user to build up multiple coats, even on fully dry lashes, so the dried lashes do soften back up, but then it just builds on top of the clumps rather than smoothing them out. So, the most clump-free tactic I have is to skip wiggling the applicator side to side like I usually do to build up volume with other mascaras. Instead, I try building up the first coat using straight upward strokes for about 30 seconds to a minute before dipping the wand back in the tube (even if there’s still product on the wand) just to get a fresh wet coat and continue building it up, just stopping short of it starting to get that first clump. I then use the tip end of the applicator to smooth that clump back off (since it’s easier to fix one spot rather than multiple spots in multiple sections of the lash) and then leave the mascara alone. Another method is to repeat that step of building up a layer in the first minute, stopping to let it dry, then building up a second later but only in a minimal amount of strokes (5 to 15) in order to stop before the clumping begins.
The only time I had an issue with flaking was in the beginning when I had drier layers and clumped layers. Considering how much I dislike spidery lashes or clumps because it makes my lashes look like they’re suffering from split ends, I’m a little torn on my feelings about this mascara. I love the effect it gives in the end when I get it right, but it’s a little more finicky than my tried and true favorites, so it’s not always worth the effort for how quickly I need to do my makeup sometimes. I do like it, but I will not be buying the full size at full price. I could possibly see myself buying it at half price after my mascara no-buy is over (which I technically already broke for this).
That’s everything for today! Thank you as always for taking the time to read… or if you’re new here, welcome!
MAC Cosmetics is probably the most reviewed brand on my blog. They frequently release eye catching collections that manage to make me want even their repromoted shades, just to get the limited edition packaging. They often have sales, which plays on my deep love of getting a good deal. Their staple products are top notch and they’ve held onto their generally good reputation for decades. Unfortunately, MAC has made some questionable production decisions in the last few years to the point where I seriously considered taking a break from them. Today’s post is not about that, and is instead about sharing the newest additions to my MAC collection.
MAC Lunar Luck Eyeshadow x 9: Made My Fortune
This palette was a gift from one of my best friends, and for that reason I will cherish it. It’s one of those things I wanted for the packaging, but not the makeup inside, since I tend to not be the biggest fan of MAC’s eyeshadows. I can at least say the quality of this one is the best I’ve tried from them. The shimmers have pigmented bases, but are a bit tame in sparkle reflectivity, even when used wet. I appreciate that they were easy to apply smoothly to the lids and inner corner. The mattes were also more pigmented than I expected from MAC, and slightly easier to blend than the ones I’ve used in the past. Creating the two looks shown below was enjoyable enough that I may continue to use this palette from time to time, but not enough to make me want to purchase anymore MAC shadows. There isn’t a whole lot of versatility among the two light mattes that hardly show on me (Shell We Celebrate and Sunkissed Orange) and two shades that look nearly identical when used next to each other (Propitious Poppy and Plum What May). The shimmers (excluding Supreme Harmony) don’t look that far off from each other in the pan, but I was pleased to see they are distinctly different on the eyes. Wish Me Luck!, 15 Minutes of Flame, and Born to Rule (as a highlight shade only) are my favorite eyeshadows in the palette. I’ve really been into the brown shimmer eyelid look lately. I still feel $32 is a bit pricey for the quality, so for anyone wanting this palette, I hope you’ll be able to get it on sale!
MAC Glow Play Blush in No Shame!
I’m a big fan of MAC’s Glow Play blush formula, so I wasn’t satisfied with having just one from their collection. I got this for 50% off on Black Friday. These blushes tend to look more vibrant and pigmented than they actually look on the skin, which can be tricky in trying to figure out which shades would work for me. No Shame! takes a lot of building up to get it to show on my cheeks, but the end result is pretty. It has that familiar putty-like texture that sets to a natural finish, just like the others.
At the time that I’m writing this, I cannot find this shade on the website any longer. I think it’s safe to assume it has been discontinued, and I believe the reason is because of the release of HD Cherry Tree.
MAC Wild Cherry Collection Glow PlayBlush in HD Cherry Tree
HD Cherry Tree is like a deeper, slightly more berry version of No Shame!. Quite a few people managed to get their hands on this blush before the US launch, so I purchased mine from one of them (and for less than the retail price)! I was unlucky that as soon as I flipped it over to let the plastic protector naturally fall out, the entire blush popped out with it. However, since it’s a bouncy blush, I was able to squish it back in the compact. Good as new!
I’ve only purchased the Glow Play shades that I think would show up on me, and it’s a bit unfortunate that they look quite similar to each other.
My hope is for MAC to expand the range even further to fill in some gaps, like a medium-deep reddish brown, a terracotta, and a deep pink-mauve. Then again, I’m trying to buy fewer MAC products, so maybe it’s good that they don’t have those shade options!
The Wild Cherry collection is limited edition, but I wonder if MAC intends to make HD Cherry Tree a permanent shade in the future, but without the special packaging. There are two other Glow Play blushes in the Wild Cherry line, but I don’t plan on buying them. Between the Wild Cherry packaging and last year’s Black Cherry packaging, I prefer the look of this new one.
MAC x Lisa Blush in Melba
There isn’t much to say about this blush since I already reviewed it before, but I wanted it for the limited edition packaging since purple is my favorite color. I know Lisa is from the band BLACKPINK, but I don’t listen to their music, so the collab aspect didn’t entice nor deter me. Melba only works for me when I’m at my lightest (typically winter), so I gave my original blush to my sister. This color is still so difficult to get it to show on camera*, but it is visible in person. After wanting to repurchase it for so many months, I decided to go ahead and do it when it was 40% off on Veteran’s Day. Around that time or soon after, I saw the sneak peeks of the MAC x L collection, but I had no idea they would repromote yet another product and that it would be Melba! It worked out in the end since I gifted my new and unused standard packaging version of Melba to the friend who gave me the Lunar New Year Tiger palette.
*Another photo showing Melba is in the Illuminate Face Palette section demonstrating how GoldieLush looks on the cheeks.
I’d like to add that my last purchases directly from MAC’s website was last November and December and both of them were listed as delivered according to the tracking history on my account page (I didn’t get shipping confirmation for either one), but they never arrived. I had to contact customer service for reshipment. Prior to that, my eyeshadow palette from the Tempting Fate collection was lost in the mail (after already being delayed for a week before getting shipped). I would typically view the carriers as responsible for undelivered mail, but the lack of shipping confirmation in two of those instances makes me wonder if the fulfillment center nearest to me is having issues and if it’s fixed by now.
MAC Pro Face Palette: Illuminate
I was eligible for a free birthday gift in November, which was supposed to be an eyeshadow quad. Only three out of four shades were in stock, and it wouldn’t let me add them to my cart without choosing a non-existent fourth available shade. I asked customer service what I should do in this instance, since you can only redeem the gift with a purchase and I only had a few days left before the offer expired. The solution was to send me this palette, which I jumped on since I don’t really like MAC eyeshadows anyway.
This palette consists of cream highlighters that have an almost waxy texture. It reminds me of both edge gel and the Danessa Myricks Dew Wet Balms. I didn’t have high hopes because products in that consistency tend to remove my foundation underneath it, and this one did too, but it’s easy to apply a little concealer back on top without interfering with the shine level. Unlike the Dew Balm, this gave a perfectly smooth wet sheen without looking greasy. It doesn’t dry completely, but it’s not dewy enough for my hair to cling to it either. I was very happy with the results! It also makes a great base to intensify powder highlighters that are applied on top of it, although I don’t usually go for the super highlighted look. Powder highlighters are my preference, so I don’t know how often I’ll actually use this, but it certainly made a nice birthday gift!
Please ignore the slightly lingering indent on my skin from wearing a mask. I took 3 of the 4 photos on the same day, which is why GoldieLush doesn’t have that mark.
They look nearly identical in photos, but the slight pink tinge in Starry Opal, the light silvery tone of Malted Milk, the traditional medium gold in GoldieLush, and the orange tint to Peach Plush are identifiable in person.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Dark Tan
I wanted to try this powder for so long, but trying to figure out which shade I should choose out of Dark, Dark Tan, Dark Golden, Dark Deep, and Dark Deepest (which didn’t look all that deep in all the photos and videos I scoured the internet to find) was quite frustrating. It’s helpful when brands list their products by order of either lightest to darkest or darkest to lightest, but these didn’t seem to follow that order all the way, which added to my confusion. The biggest difference between multiples of them seem to be the undertone, but MAC doesn’t have any descriptions of these shades. It would be great if the brand created a chart pairing MAC foundation shades with the suggested powder matches.
This powder tends to look lighter on camera, so it took ages for me to get an accurate photo. I can understand now why the same shade looks so different in the photos and videos I’ve seen others take too.
Based on the broken up powder photos from MAC’s website, I thought Dark Tan and Dark Deep were my two best options, but I questioned whether Dark Deep was slightly too dark and possibly a bit orange. Since powders can sometimes deepen on my skin when I wear a dewy foundation, I decided to ultimately get Dark Tan. Dark Tan is admittedly a tad light, but it still works for me. The bigger issue I have is that it looks a little dry on my skin because I grew unaccustomed to having such a matte look to my face, plus it being a bit light. I have only used this a few times, so I will continue to experiment some more using different brushes. It’s possible I applied too much or that it looks better with other complexion products. Because I was so iffy about whether I’d like this powder or be able to select the right shade, I decided to wait as long as it took for this product to finally be on sale for higher than 30%. It took years, but I was thrilled when MAC added this to the 50% off deal for Black Friday. So, that made satisfying my curiosity less of a financial hit!
This is everything new I’ve added to my collection from MAC so far. I do intend to get the Magnificent Moon Extra Dimension x 4 highlighter quad palette when it gets released. Of course, I shouldn’t because I’m on a highlighter no-buy, but this falls in line with one of the exceptions listed in my Beauty Resolutions post. I love moons. It’s one of the central aspects of my one and only tattoo, so that kind of imagery is significant for me. Other than that, I’m going to continue trying to slow down on the frequency of my MAC purchases so I can enjoy what I already have!
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