Category: MAC Cosmetics

If you caught my post about MAC’s new release of eyeshadows back in March, then you know I was on the fence about trying anything else from the collection.  MAC sent me four eyeshadows, and I was able to try them out ahead of the official launch.  I decided not to purchase any of the matte or frost finishes, but wanted to try out the new Dazzleshadow Extreme formula.  I chose the shade incinerated because it looked similar to Mac antique,d which I wanted to replace anyway because it is old.  I took the swatch photos at two slightly different angles so you can see how the shade shifts depending on the way the light hits it.

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

Update October 2, 2025: Today, MAC released a new **Dazzle Collection, which rebranded the Dazzleshadow Extreme formula. The new ones are labeled “Eye Shadow [Metallic]” and some of the old Dazzleshadow shades are there, but the formula is different. The new formula doesn’t have talc in the ingredient list.

MAC describes incinerated as a brown with red pearl.  When I swatch this it reminds me of Makeup Geek Foiled Shadows but with a slightly less emollient/creamy texture.  That is where that comparison ends.

Continue reading “MAC Dazzleshadow Extreme Incinerated (swatch)” →

This MAC highlighter comes in 5 shades and falls under the Mineralize Skinfinish name.  They also have 15 shades of Skinfinish Natural powders of which 12 are all over face powders and 1 is a bronzer.  The two are often mixed up, so I just wanted to point out that I’m featuring the highlighter formula rather than the face powders. If looking for Skinfinish natural powders, I have a post featuring medium deep and dark that you can check that out by clicking here.

MAC describes Cheeky bronze as a soft coral with a golden shimmer.

It is hard to see the golden shimmer in the picture but it is definitely noticeable if you look at yourself closely in the mirror. I do like the quality of this formula and I think it sits nicely on my skin despite my dryness and texture.

As with most makeup items, from a comfortable distance,  it looks much like other highlighters.  On me, this shade is very similar to the Patrick Starrr Holiday 2018 highlighter (Baby It’s Gold Outside).  Cheeky bronze has more color to it and you can see how coral it is in a comparison swatch, but that goes away once blended out on the face.  At least on my Estee Lauder 4W4 skin tone, when I wore one on each side of my face, I could barely tell the difference.

You can purchase this shade and the other 4 permanent shades of this formula from the MAC Cosmetics website for $38.00.

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

 

This finish of MAC Blush isn’t talked about as much as their regular powder formula but it really is one of their standout products.  I was not able to capture the shimmer particles on camera, but both of these have some shimmer to them.  Love Thing has larger gold shimmer particles that I was worried would be a glittery mess on the face.  It turned out not to be messy at all and I didn’t feel like you could even see the particles once it was blended out.  Neither shade accentuates texture and they both give a nice sheen that suits my dry skin.

MAC Love Joy is described as a warm mid tone brown with gold pearl.

MAC Love Thing is described as a dirty burgundy with gold pearl.

MAC Mineralize Blush is available in 13 colors for $30.00 each.

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

MAC’s More than Meets the Eye collection is new for Spring 2020.  They’ve added new eyeshadow shades, a dazzleshadow extreme finish and a fiber brow gel to their lineup.  The collection is available for purchase now on the MAC Cosmetics website.

Disclaimer: I was fortunate enough to be sent a package ahead of the official release to try out 4 of the new eyeshadows.  This was not a PR package, it was sent out to customers and I happened to receive one.  The opinions I offer in this post are my own and I did not agree to feature or speak positively about these products.

The colors pictured left to right are Royal Rendezvous (matte), Shady Santa (matte), Carbon (matte), and That’s Showbiz Baby (frost).  The eyeshadows retail for $19.00 in the form you see pictured here and the single refill pan style retails for $8.00.

The traditional MAC eyeshadow formula seems to have fallen out of favor with some consumers over the years and as such we have seen MAC start to tweak some of their formulas.  As newer shades have been released by the brand in limited edition collections, I have noticed they are not as hard-pressed as the old favorites in the line.  Sometimes this goes over fine for me, but other times I do miss the old formula.  I tend to appreciate a dry/hard-pressed, buildable formula rather than a loose very pigmented one.  For example, I would choose a MAC shadow over an Anastasia Beverly Hills or Lorac shadow.

Continue reading “MAC More Than Meets the Eye (Swatches)” →

The MAC Lip Liner formula is one of the drier formulas I have tried, but it is still my favorite liner to use.  When I use lip liner, it is typically to create a smoother transition between my skin tone and lighter shades of lipstick.  Sometimes I’ll use a liner to help a sheer formula last longer, which these liners also work well for.  The reason I like these so much for lining is that they blend extremely well with various textures and finishes of lipstick.  I’ve never come across a lipstick that didn’t blend well with this formula. 

Update June 13, 2025: MAC recently revamped the lip pencils, so I’m unsure if the shades are the same in the new formula.

Left Column, top to bottom: chestnut, plum, cork

Right Column, top to bottom: auburn, burgundy, mahogany

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

MAC lip Liners retail for $25.

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	$ Sale Price $ 25.00 Regular Price
MAC – Lip Pencil

• **Bloomingdale’s – MAC Lip Pencil
• **Nordstrom – MAC Lip Liner Pencil

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If you’d like to check out more of my content, here are some places to start. 

• Blush Index
• Brands A-Z
• Bronzer & Highlighter Index
• Brush Index
• Concealer Ranking
• Eyeshadow Index
• Foundation Round-Up
• Lipstick Index
• Powder Round-Up

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  This site receives a minimal commission from participating in the WordAds program and using affiliate links.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

If you are not opposed to a high sheen in your blush, then you may want to check out some of the colors from MAC’s extra dimension blush line. In my experience, Faux Sure and Hushed Tone have a more subtle sheen than the other shades pictured. There are no large particles but I feel like, for me, they are getting close to a more metallic finish and I prefer satin and matte finish blushes.

Blush compacts, left column, bottom to top: telling glow, cheeky bits, sweets for my sweet
Blush compacts, right column, bottom to top: hushed tone, faux sure, hard to get

Swatches, top row, left to right: telling glow, cheeky bits, sweets for my sweet
Swatches, bottom row, left to right: hushed tone, faux sure, hard to get

It looks like at some point they discontinued the shades telling glow.  You may be able to find telling glow in a CCO (Cosmetics Company Store) for a discount if you live near an outlet mall that has one.  If you are not sure if you are near a CCO, you can check here (Tanger outlets) and here (Simon Premium outlets) to find out.

The extra dimension blush retails for $30 on the MAC website.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.