Pat McGrath Celestial Odyssey Luxe Quad: Bronze Borealis

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If you didn’t know, Pat McGrath’s Holiday collection landed on her website at the end of September. Although I was disappointed at the repeat shades in the blush/highlighter palettes, I couldn’t resist getting something from the collection. I decided on the Luxe Quad in the Bronze Borealis** shade. This quad does not contain any of the special shades, but that is actually good for my preferences.

I’ve only had the chance to do 3 eye looks so far, but since this is limited edition I wanted to go ahead and share swatches and my thoughts.

Pat McGrath Bronze Borealis Luxe Quad, $54**

The brand promises that these shades have “strong saturation, creamy texture” and that they are “ultra-blendable.” I mostly agree with these claims. I don’t necessarily think I would call them ultra-blendable, but I do think they blend easily enough considering how intensely pigmented they are. These are much more pigmented than the shadows that I typically use (NARS, MAC, Makeup Geek, Urban Decay, Sigma). I do find this quad easier to blend than the Bronze Ambition and Dark Star 6-pan palettes. It was easy to blend the shades with each other, although the Sienna Rose (top right shade) was a little more work to blend. I have not had the chance to try Sienna Rose and Cyber Bronze in the same look, so that is the only combo I can’t really speak on. I used my go to eyeshadow primer, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, without any issues.

• Lunar Legend – Foiled Metallic (top left)
  • Lunar Legend is the most versatile shimmer shade in this quad. It has enough base pigment to use as a stand alone shade, but it can also be applied lightly as a topper shade.
  • This shade has the most fallout. If you don’t do eyes first, its no problem, it came off easily for me.
  • Despite how high shine this shade is, it was very kind to the texture on my lids and looked smooth.
• Sienna Rose – Foiled Metallic (top right)
  • When swatching this palette, Sienna Rose was the shade I was the most excited about using. It was somewhat of a let down for me in application, but I don’t think it will be that way for everyone. If you don’t have much texture on your lids or you don’t mind if your lines are more prominent, you won’t have an issue.
  • It is much more complex than it appears in these pictures. It has multi-colored shimmer running through it that makes it quite unique and eye catching.
  • It has a thickness to it that feels like a creamy texture when swatched, but translates to a heaviness when applied to the lids. So the downside for me is that it really accentuated the lines on my lids and a small patch of eczema that I have on my left eyelid.
  • This shade in particular is one that I would not call ultra-blendable, trying to diffuse it where it meets the crease wasn’t the easiest or quickest process.
  • This shade has a lot of fallout and it was more difficult to remove. I would suggest doing your eyes first with this one.
• Mink Dusk – Velvet Matte (bottom left)
  • Despite how rich and deep this looks in the pan, I have been able to apply it lightly and really sheer it out so it can be used as a transition shade. It is easy to get the full intensity of the shade if you pack it on, but it can also build up slowly to land somewhere in the middle of the extremes. This versatility really helps get the most out of having only 4 shades.
  • There is powder kick up when I dip my brush into this shade, which isn’t my favorite type of matte. It is easily manageable, and not as messy as ABH shadows in my experience. I do think that the looser texture is important with this shade so that it can be sheered out. Being able to wear it lightly and at full intensity is crucial to this quad’s versatility, but I wanted to point it out for those that like to know.
• Cyber Bronze – Sateen Shimmer (bottom right)
  • This shade performs beautifully. I didn’t notice any fallout, it applied smoothly and it didn’t accentuate texture on my eyelids. I have no complaints with this one, it just works.

Overall, the Bronze Borealis Quad** was a good experience for my first Pat McGrath Luxe Quad. Plus, holiday collections are always exciting for me.

Update, October 12, 2021: Ebony had a question about the design of the packaging, so I’ve added some images of the actual compact.

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Did you buy anything from the Pat McGrath holiday collection? How are you liking it so far? Or are you one of the unlucky ones that are still waiting on your package? If so, hang in there, the supply chain is still on the struggle bus.

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