Forgotten Best Sellers: MAC Cosmetics (Vol. 2)

Published on by Nikki6 Comments
MAC Cosmetics Best Sellers and Memorial Day Sale 2025 Recommendations
Best Sellers from MAC Cosmetics

MAC Cosmetics is kicking off its Memorial Day Sale today, so it felt like a great opportunity to bring you a volume 2 for MAC’s Forgotten Bestsellers. I enjoy writing these posts because I get to talk about older products that are good enough to still sell well for the brand. To keep it simple, I use the brand website’s best seller list rather than separate retailers. You can check out the first MAC Forgotten Bestsellers that I posted in 2022 by clicking here. I have also done this for NARS, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Maybelline, and Laura Mercier, if you’d like to check those out.

DISCLAIMER: This post will also be the first post in a long time to include affiliate links. Long story, short, I removed all of my affiliate links a couple of years ago, but they will be returning. I am still an unsponsored blog and do not receive payment in exchange for any blog posts. I will continue purchasing all my products and sharing my honest opinions. While there is nothing wrong with sponsored content, I value the perspective I get from spending my own money on an item. If you click on an affiliate link AND make a purchase, I will receive a small sales commission. There is no additional cost for you, and the purchase price remains the same. If you see two asterisks (**), it is an affiliate link. I greatly appreciate your support if you decide to use my affiliate links to shop.

**The Memorial Day sale on MAC’s website starts Friday, May 23, and ends May 27, 2025. As usual, there are some sale exclusions, so double-check the website for the terms and conditions.

**Connect In Color Eye Shadow Palettes, $56 for 12-pan & **$34 for 6-pan

MAC Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette Future Flame Swatches Medium Dark Skin
MAC Future Flame Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette

Technically, the best-selling versions of these palettes are the Embedded in Burgundy (6-pan) and Unfiltered Nudes (12-pan) versions. I apologize if this causes frustration, especially with the 6-pan I will showcase (Nude Board), because it is only available at airport duty-free locations and, I believe, overseas. Its name also seems to differ (Intimate Nudes) on the MAC UK website, but the shade names are the same as mine. I purchased mine at the Las Vegas Airport. However, since the formulas are pretty consistent across the palettes, I decided to just feature the versions that I already own. I have swatched all of the 12-pan and 6-pan versions that are currently available in the permanent range, and I really don’t think there is much variation between the palettes. There is variation from shade to shade, which can be typical of any palette, even among the same finish.

MAC Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette Future Flame Swatches Medium Dark Skin
MAC Future Flame Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette

My biggest complaint is that What’s the Pointilism (bottom row, 1st shade) and Flame-Boyant (bottom row, 3rd shade) are a little weak in pigment and build slowly, but they work. The mattes blend easily, the shimmers haven’t given me any trouble with fallout, and they work with fingers or a brush. I’ve used this palette with my usual eye primers (MAC Prep and Prime 24HR, Urban Decay Primer Potion, and Milani), and it has performed well with all of them. It has also gotten along with both natural and synthetic brushes.

MAC Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette Future Flame Swatches Medium Dark Skin
MAC Future Flame Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette

Update October 2, 2025: For what it’s worth, I prefer the singles eyeshadows over the Connect In Colour formula. The Connect In Colour palettes don’t list talc as an ingredient, so that could be the problem. Also, today (October 2, 2025), MAC released a new **Dazzle Collection, which rebranded some of their eyeshadow formulas. This release does have some of the older Dazzleshadow and Dazzleshadow Extreme shades, but the formula is different. The new formula doesn’t have talc in the ingredient list. I’d bet that the older single eyeshadows that still have talc won’t be far behind this reformulation.

**The Future Flame version of the Connect in Colour 12-pan palettes has been marked down to $42 for a while, so it may be excluded from the Memorial Day sale. 30% off full price would make it cheaper than its current marked-down price, so it would be better for the brand to take it off sale and give the 30% off. But we’ll see how things happen when the sale starts.

**
$
Sale
Price
$ 56.00
Regular
Price
MAC – Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Unfiltered Nudes
Continue reading “Forgotten Best Sellers: MAC Cosmetics (Vol. 2)” →

Clinique True Highlight Weightless Illuminator and All About Shadow Quad (swatches and review)

Published on by Nikki7 Comments

Like many brands, Clinique has been busy adding new products to its lineup and reformulating old ones. I’ve recently been testing 2 shades of their newly released True Highlight Weightless Illuminator and the reformulation of their Morning Java All About Eye Shadow Quad, and it was all kind of a bust. I still think this brand excels in making products that are easy to use, but with prices increasing, I’m not sure it’s the same value buy that it once was. I still think the quality is good. I’d just rather spend my money on other brands. Regardless, let’s get into my thoughts on these formulas.

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

**Clinique True Highlight Weightless Illuminator (03 Starlit Bronze and 02 Daylit Glow), $44

Clinique True Highlight Weightless Illuminator 02 Starlit Glow 03 Daylit Bronze Highlighter Swatches Medium Dark Skin
Clinique Highlighter – 02 Starlit Glow and 03 Daylit Bronze
Clinique True Highlight Weightless Illuminator 02 Starlit Glow 03 Daylit Bronze Highlighter Swatches Medium Dark Skin
Clinique Highlighter – 02 Starlit Glow and 03 Daylit Bronze

I found the Clinique True Highlight Weightless Illuminator before it had testers in any store, so I made an educated guess on which shade would work for me. Since there are four shades, I figured the 3rd (Daylit Bronze) would work, but it turned out to be too dark. So, not only did it not look like a highlight, but I could barely see that I applied it. I liked the actual formula and thought it was promising. So after a couple of weeks, I decided to try the next shade lighter (02 Starlit Glow), which I initially thought looked too icy to work for me.

Continue reading “Clinique True Highlight Weightless Illuminator and All About Shadow Quad (swatches and review)” →

Makeup Lately (ft Tom Ford Bronze Isle, Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Balm, Maybelline Lifter Glaze Lip Balm, and more)

Published on by Nikki3 Comments
Tom Ford Bronze Isle, Revlon Spiced Wine, Maybelline Latte Crush, Makeup By Mario Honey, Smashbox Earthy Vibes Swatches

I have a few new things and one product that is new to me, and I wanted to share some swatches and my thoughts on it all. I’ve also updated some older posts with new information. I’ll leave a list of those at the end.

Let’s start with the new limited edition Summer 2025 Eye Color Quad in Bronze Isle from Tom Ford.

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

**Tom Ford Soleil Eye Color Quad Bronze Isle – $100

Tom Ford Soleil Summer Eye Color Quad 01 Bronze Isle Swatches Medium Dark Skin
Tom Ford Soleil Summer Eye Color Quad in 01 Bronze Isle

I said I wasn’t going to become a regular at the Tom Ford counter, but here we are 🤦🏽‍♀️. The quality is very nice. The texture of the eye shadows in the Bronze Isle Quad is smooth and blends easily. The quad comes with two mattes and two shimmers, and while there isn’t a lot of versatility, I do think all four shades are useful, with a slight problem for my skin tone that I’ll mention in a bit. I haven’t had trouble with creasing, which was a relief after my experience with the creme formula from the Tom Ford Olive Smoke Quad. I typically use the brand’s wet/dry formula, so this traditional powder formula is new for me. Back in maybe 2012 or 2013, I tried the formula, and it irritated my eyes. My hope with buying the Bronze Isle Quad was that it had been long enough for the brand to have changed the formula. So far, so good.

Continue reading “Makeup Lately (ft Tom Ford Bronze Isle, Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Balm, Maybelline Lifter Glaze Lip Balm, and more)” →

Make Up For Ever (MUFE) Artist Blush and Highlighter (B260 Limitless Berry, H110 Anywhere Glimmer)

Published on by Nikki7 Comments
Makeup Forever (MUFE) Artist Highlighter H110 Anywhere Glimmer Artist Blush B260 Limitless Berry Swatches

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

Make Up For Ever (MUFE) keeps the claims simple with the **Artist Blush and **Artist Highlighter lines. They are promising a buildable, blendable formula that melts into the skin. I mostly agree, with the slight caveat that you should go in lightly and not overload your brush. If you are heavy-handed or have a lighter skin tone than mine (NARS Tahoe/Estee Lauder 4W4), you might find this formula to be less buildable. I would recommend using a fluffy or sparsely packed brush to control the pigment more easily. I haven’t had any issues with longevity or fading throughout wear (usually about 10 hours) with the blush or the highlight.

Before we get into swatches, I want to call out the size of this product. Both the Artist Blush and Highlighter that I purchased at Sephora @ Kohl’s were $32 and list .14oz/4g on the packaging. However, Sephora, Sephora @ Kohl’s, and Make Up For Ever’s websites all list .17oz/5g. I’m unsure if the size varies by shade, but I wanted to point out the discrepancy.

Makeup Forever (MUFE) Artist Blush B260 Limitless Berry Swatch
Makeup Forever (MUFE) Artist Highlighter H110 Anywhere Glimmer Swatch
Continue reading “Make Up For Ever (MUFE) Artist Blush and Highlighter (B260 Limitless Berry, H110 Anywhere Glimmer)” →

Setting Powders That Work for My Dry Skin (2025 Update)

Published on by Nikki4 Comments

Setting powders can be tricky for my 40+, dry, eczema-prone skin type. I can wear some foundations without powder, but I often benefit from powder to prolong the wear and minimize settling in pores and lines. On rare occasions, I can leave concealers unset, especially if I use them for spot-concealing on the face. However, 95% of the time, I have to set under-eye concealer. I use a moisturizing serum and a heavy moisturizer so that skin prep comes into play with how products perform. With that in mind, you may have different results if you use a lighter moisturizer. You may also have varying results if you use primer and setting spray, which I don’t. So, here are some powders that set my foundations and concealers for longevity without accentuating dryness or creating dryness where there was none.

Last updated October 21, 2025

  • Best for Blur and Slight Luminosity: NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder – Jump to Review
  • Best Talc-Free Matte Finish (adds no coverage): bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil Pressed Powder – Jump to Review
  • Best Matte Finish (adds coverage): Maybelline SuperStay up to 24HR Hybrid Powder Foundation – Jump to Review
  • Best Talc-Free Natural Finish (adds no coverage): Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder – Jump to Review
  • Best Natural Finish (adds light coverage): MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural – Jump to Review
  • Best Talc-Free Loose Powder (adds slight radiance): Hourglass Veil Translucent Loose Setting Powder – Jump to Review
  • (Honorable Mention) Talc-Free Natural Finish (adds no coverage): Westman Atelier Vital Pressed Skincare Powder – Jump to Review
  • (Honorable Mention) Natural Finish and Slight Luminosity (adds no coverage): Revlon PhotoReady Blurring Powder – Jump to Review

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

Best for Blur and Slight Luminosity: **NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder (shade translucent crystal), $45, 10g

NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder in Translucent Crystal Review Medium Dark Skin

I like to pair the NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder with foundations that feel tacky to the touch on my face. This powder sets the foundation for longevity without changing the finish much. So, by using this as a setting powder, I get the longevity and dried-down feeling, but it keeps my skin from looking dry or matte. I will note, however, that during the dryness of winter, I don’t experience the luminosity as much. It has been one of the best powders at preventing under-eye concealers from creasing badly throughout wear.

Continue reading “Setting Powders That Work for My Dry Skin (2025 Update)” →

MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush (Unsweetened and Nitelite Swatches)

Published on by Nikki3 Comments
MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush Unsweetened Swatch Medium Dark Skin

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

Today (April 6, 2025) is the last day of Macy’s Spring VIP sale, which includes 15% off most cosmetics and fragrances (some exclusions). 15% off is a better discount than some people can get during the Sephora spring sale, and MAC is only available at Sephora if you are in Canada. So it felt like a good time to share my thoughts on this blush. I’ve been a fan of MAC Cosmetics for a long time, but I haven’t been as tempted by their reformulations and new releases lately. Although it is not my formula preference, I did expect the new **MAC Cosmetics Strobe Beam Liquid Blush ($30) to perform well, and I was not let down. I was intrigued when I first saw this formula, but knowing they were attaching it to the Strobe Cream lineup made me nervous. Most of the shades looked a little too reflective for my taste, but I thought that the shade Unsweetened would give a nice glow without accentuating too much texture.

MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush Unsweetened Swatch Medium Dark Skin

It is kind of weird to me when MAC products aren’t in black packaging, but I like the packaging update for this product. It doesn’t feel quite as luxe as the new concealer packaging, but it is still nice and sturdy.

Continue reading “MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush (Unsweetened and Nitelite Swatches)” →

Pat McGrath Mothership XII Petalmorphosis Eyeshadow Palette (Review and Swatches)

Published on by Nikki15 Comments
Pat McGrath Mothership XII Petalmorphosis Eyeshadow Palette Swatches
Top, L to R: Divine Dawn, Twilight Lilac, Cosmic Fantasies, Astral Eden Envy, Astral Sunset Splendor | Bottom, L to R: Nocturnal Bloom, Astral Iridecent Iris, Lunar Nectar, Blitz Radiant Rhapsody, Blitz Bronze Supernova

The Pat McGrath Mothership XII Petalmorphosis Eyeshadow Palette ($128) is the first Mothership Palette I’ve purchased from the brand. If you are familiar with my preferences, you may know that I prefer singles, quads, and smaller palettes. I still get tempted by palettes, but with how expensive the Motherships are, I really wanted to be happy with all of the shades in the palette to get my value out of the purchase. Huetopian Dream and Sunlit Seduction were close options, but ultimately, as you can see, I bought Petalmorphosis and got the limited edition lavender case.

There are mixed reviews, which is pretty typical for the Pat McGrath brand these days, so I can’t say I’m surprised. Many people are disappointed that Mothership XII Petalmorphosis doesn’t have any of the “special shades” the brand is known for. I can’t compare this palette to other Motherships, but I have tried the baked formula that appeared in the Bridgerton Part 2 Collection. I personally wasn’t as in love with that baked formula that people rave about. I don’t know if that formula differs from the actual Mothership palettes, but from what I thought at the time, they were the same. The formula was okay, but there was too much fallout, and it looked dry and textured on my eyelids. I don’t use glitter glue or wet my brush, which could’ve been part of my issue. So I wasn’t upset when the product information was released, and there were no baked shadows. This is just some background to keep in mind as you read my thoughts.

Ok, let’s get to the swatches!

Continue reading “Pat McGrath Mothership XII Petalmorphosis Eyeshadow Palette (Review and Swatches)” →

Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer (P7, YP11, NY12 Swatches)

Published on by Nikki6 Comments
Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer NY12 Swatch Medium Dark Skin
Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer NY12

Using the Natasha Denona Bloom Eyeshadow Palette prompted me to stop dragging my feet on finishing my review of the Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer ($30). At first, I wasn’t going to post about it because there are so many reviews out there already. I have seen that people either love or hate this concealer. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of middle ground. I don’t love or hate it, although I would love it if my dry, sensitive, eczema-prone skin agreed with it better.

Before I talk about how the formula performed for me, I wanted to talk about the shades. The shade range is excellent because it has 50 concealer shades and 6 corrector shades. However, that also makes the shade range hard to navigate, and the Hy-Glam Concealer is only available in a limited number of Sephora locations. So, many people shopping for this concealer will have to rely on brand swatches, reviews, and swatches from YouTubers and bloggers. This made me want to post swatches of the shades I tried, especially after I struggled with the shade range. I had issues even though two of the times I purchased shades, I saw them in person. The undertones are diverse, but different than what I’m used to, and the number depth isn’t the same depth in every undertone. For instance, P7 is described as tan dark peach, but Y7 is medium yellow. In my mind, these should have the same depth but different undertones. This is not a unique problem for the Natasha Denona brand, but it is something I still wish was more straightforward.

Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer YP11 and P7 Swatches

My best foundation matches for shade reference are the NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in Tahoe and the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 4W4. After swatching in person, I started with shade P7 and then ordered shade YP11 online. After the second time I went in-store to swatch shades, I finally settled on NY12. Unfortunately, I didn’t own all three simultaneously, so I couldn’t swatch all three together. Something else to note is that the color changes slightly as the Hy-Glam Concealer dries (see below in the swatch of NY12). It is common for matte concealers and concealers with added skincare (which this has) to dry down slightly darker.

Continue reading “Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer (P7, YP11, NY12 Swatches)” →