MAC – RiRi Woo Lipstick: Photos, Swatches and Review… Also: Upcoming news for the next Rihanna collection!

05/16/2013

As many of you may know, Rihanna collaborated with MAC to create a new lipstick with a Retro Matte finish that is a beautiful, blue based red that will compliment any skintone. This was only released online on May 2nd, 2013 and at a one day pop-up shop in New York City on May 4th. Needless to say, this sold out ridiculously fast so you’re lucky if you got this lipstick! I’m especially lucky because I didn’t get it, but my best friend Breanna got two and gave me one! She’s the best! <3

The good news is that this lipstick will make an appearance with every Rihanna collection throughout the year with the next release day rumored to be June 6th online only. With the June 6th release, there will also be two other Retro Matte finish lipsticks… One is called RiRi Boy and is a beautiful purple that’s similar to Up The Amp and Heroine. There is also a deep berry red that’s called Heaux, which is going to look fantastic if you prefer a darker, more vampy look or have a deeper skin tone. With this collection, there are two face products as well; Lustre drops in a rose gold bronze color and a Blush duo that contains a coraly pink blush and matte neutral bronze that can be used together as a blush or bronzer, or used separately as a contour/bronzer and a blush.

RiRi Woo sounds a lot like Ruby Woo and there’s a reason! It’s like Ruby Woo’s darker, more cool toned sister. They look similar but there are some definite differences in them as well. You can really tell when you have them side by side or on the lips. RiRi Woo also seems to make my teeth look a bit more white than Ruby Woo does The only product difference between RiRi Woo and the typical MAC lipsticks is that there is text that reads “RiRi” engraved into the lipstick itself… How cute!

This is a limited stock, limited edition lipstick that will exclusively be online again June 6th, probably at noon Eastern Standard Time again like the first release. Be sure you are in front of your computer and ready to click as soon as this pops up for sale because it will disappear quickly!! This sells for the normal $15 and I do not believe PRO or employee discount applies. It contains the typical 3g / 0.1 US oz of product. Like other MAC lipsticks, RiRi Woo has a subtle vanilla scent but no flavor.

NOTE: This is also available at Rihanna’s concerts, so you can pick it up there is you see her live.

Photo Taken outdoors in natural sunlight. Lipstick swatched on NC20 skin.

RiRi Woo is a medium-dark, true cool toned/blue based red with a Retro Matte finish. It’s slightly darker than Ruby Woo and has a cooler, more blue toned base to it. It gives totally opaque coverage and amazing color payoff with only one swipe of product. Retro Mattes have a drier texture than other MAC lipsticks so it can feel dry and tug if applied with a heavy hand. I like to apply this with a brush, or at least use a brush to smooth out the edges. Since it’s a Retro Matte, it can also emphasize dry or chapped areas on the lips, so be sure to moisturize them or use Prep + Prime Lip before applying! As a Retro Matte, the wear time with this lipstick is longer than usual… I got about 6-7 hours before I needed to touch up and it left a slight stain after removal.

My favorite liner to use with this is Cherry Lip Pencil… It’s best to use a liner with bright lipsticks, especially reds, so you have that perfectly defined, bold lip!

Overall Rating: 5 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 5

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

MAC Baking Beauties – Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

04/25/2013

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With the Baking Beauties collection, MAC released four new Mineralize Tinted Lip Balms, only three of which I will be reviewing. You may recognize this product from the Apres Chic collection from last winter where this product made it’s debut.

MAC describes this formula as “A liquid lip balm that adds moisture while providing the right pop of color and mirror-like shine. Enriched with a special, nourishing 77 Mineral-Rich Complex”. It’s a super nourishing formula that feels a bit sticky when first applied but that doesn’t last once it warms up on your lips… After that it feels lightweight but still wears well and gives your lips some serious moisture! Believe me, I have put these to the test in a lot of situations (even hiking in the cold and whale watching last winter) and they kept my lips soft and stayed on for over 5 hours!

They give decent color payoff for being a balm, but they’re by no means as intense or opaque as MAC’s various Lipglass formulas are. Although the packaging has the golden shimmer that most Mineralize packaging has, don’t let it fool you to think that the lip balms are that shimmery! Some have a bit of shimmer but not THAT much!

These Mineralize Tinted Lip Balms are all limited edition and are available now at MAC counters, stores, and online at www.maccosmetics.com. Mineralize Tinted Lip Balms contain 10 ml / .33 US fl oz of product and sell for $20. There are four colors in all, but I did not purchase Glace, which is a “creamy pale baby blue”.

Mineralize Tinted Lip Balms swatched on NC15 skin.
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight.

Baking Beauty

Baking Beauty: Baking Beauty is a “creamy light peach” with a soft shimmer. It’s a light-medium peachy yellow with a warm pinkish-golden shimmer. It has good color payoff, considering that it’s a semi-sheer formula. It will become slightly more opaque if you apply more product.

This Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm is perfect to wear over Pure Decoration lipstick if you want to add some gloss.

Overall Rating: 4.3 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 3

Color Payoff: 3

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Cheery Cheery

Cheery Cheery: This Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm is a “creamy midtone blue pink” with very, very little shimmer. It’s a light, cool, milky pink. Although it doesn’t add a lot of color to my lips (as expected with this formula), it actually gave my naturally very pigmented, pink lips a more toned down, soft, creamy pink look. Cheery Cheery had the shiniest type of gloss out of these three Mineralize Tinted Lip Balms and gave decent coverage.

If you want to wear this over one of the Baking Beauties lipsticks, I suggest pairing it with Raspberry Swirl.

Overall Rating: 4.7 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Sweet Tooth

Sweet Tooth: Sweet Tooth is described as a “creamy lilac” and has very little shimmer. It’s a light, milky, pinkish lavender. Although the color isn’t very bright, it does show up well and give decent coverage. The color made my lips look a bit lighter and cooler toned and added a lot of pretty, glossy sheen.

The perfect Baking Beauties lipstick to layer underneath this Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm is Lavender Whip.

Overall Rating: 4.7 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

MAC Baking Beauties – Lipsticks: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

04/25/2013

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With MAC’s Baking Beauties collection, there were four lipsticks released. Three of which are new colors and one (Lavender Whip) is a seemingly revamped version of a lipstick that was released in the past. Out of the four, I will only be reviewing three, as Devil’s Food was not something that I thought would fit into my personal collection or kit very well. It is a nice color, though!

The theme of this collection is, of course, tasty pastries, so the colors remind me of cupcakes and icing and anything else pretty and edible. Baking Beauties is full of delicate pastels so this is the perfect collection to close out the Spring season for makeup.

All three of these lipsticks have a Cremesheen finish, so they apply smoothly and have a subtle, glossy sheen too them without being too shiny. They don’t dry out the lips and seem to help hold the natural moisture of the lips in. The majority of Cremesheen lipsticks, these included, have great color payoff and are semi-opaque and buildable all the way to fully opaque, depending on how much of the product you apply. I like that about this formula because they can be a wash of color or appear bright and bold, whichever you prefer. With the Cremesheen formula, I get about 4 hours of wear before I need to touch up.

The lipsticks in the Baking Beauties collection are all limited edition and are available now at www.maccosmetics.com or your local MAC counter or store. These sell for $15 and contain the usual 3 g/ 0.1 US oz. MAC Lipsticks have a light vanilla scent but no taste.

Lipsticks swatches on NC15 skin. Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight.

Lipsticks swatched on NC15 skin.
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight.

Lavender Whip

Lavender Whip: Lavender Whip is a “light cool lavender” with a Cremesheen finish. It’s a medium, cool, pinky lavender that has a soft pearly sheen to it… You can probably see the subtle pearl in the closeup shot of the lipstick itself, although it didn’t show up in the photo so well (for some reason my camera did not want to focus on this particular color). You may remember the Lavender Whip that came out a few years ago as being, well, more lavender, and you are correct! This version is definitely a bit more pink. It’s still a very pretty color, though!

The color payoff for Lavender Whip was great… It’s very true to color on the lips unless you have naturally more pigmented, pink lips, like I do… That’s probably why it looks more pink towards the center in the photo above. The opacity isn’t 100%, but since Cremesheens are what I consider to be a buildable formula, you can make this nearly opaque if you swipe it back and forth a few times. The sheen from Cremesheen lasts the entire time the lipstick is on, which is about 4-5 hours of wear time for me with this particular color. The only issue I had with this lipstick is that because it’s a light pastel, it emphasized the more chapped areas of my lips. That said, I have a cold so my lips are INCREDIBLY chapped right now… I don’t see this being a common problem! If you DO happen to have this issue, priming your lip with something like MAC’s Prep + Prime Lip should fix that

You can use SO many Lip Pencils with this lipstick, but a few of my favorites are Magenta and Hip ‘N’ Happy. You can even do something like Beet or Nightmoth for a more ombre look and added contrast. In Anticipation Pro Longwear Lip Pencil also works and will make this look warmer and more pink. As far as dupes go for this lipstick, Viva Glam Nicki 2 is close, but lighter and has a more milky, cooler toned look. Up The Amp is also a nice purple, but it’s darker and brighter. If you like to wear a gloss over your lipstick, try applying Sweet Tooth Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm over Lavender Whip. It’s also from Baking Beauties… They were made for one another!

Overall Rating: 4.7 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 4

Packaging: 5

Pure Decoration

Pure Decoration: Pure Decoration is described as a “light white peach” and has a Cremesheen finish. It’s a light to light-medium, warm orange-peachy nude with a soft sheen.

It has great color payoff and opacity but tends to emphasize any dry areas on the lips, so be sure to exfoliate and/or prime the lips before you put this lipstick on! When I first tried this on before I came down with a cold and got dehydrated, it looked MUCH better, trust me!!! It has the usual soft, creamy consistency that makes Cremesheens so nice, but it feels a bit drier than some. Because this is a drier lipstick, it did give me a little over 5 hours of wear before it began to fade and required any touchups.

The only lipstick that I can think of that’s close to this would be Peachstock, although it’s darker. If you want to wear a Lip Pencil with Pure Decoration, I would suggest Naked Liner, Stripdown, Spice, Subculture, Boldly Bare or What Comes Naturally if you want to keep it nude… Even Etcetera Pro Longwear Lip Pencil would work. If you want to bring out the peachy and orange tones, you could also use Lasting Sensation Lip Pencil to add some coral-ish contrast, or even What A Blast Pro Longwear Lip Pencil if you really want to brighten it up with some bold orange! Either one of those would create a gorgeous ombre lip! If you’d like to add a gloss over this, Baking Beauty Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm is perfect! It also came out with the Baking Beauties collection (obviously, since it is the namesake for the collection).

Overall Rating: 4.2 / 5

Application: 3

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 4

Wear Time: 4

Packaging: 5

Raspberry Swirl

Raspberry Swirl: Raspberry Swirl is a “light white blue pink” with a Cremesheen finish… It’s a light-medium, cool toned candy pink with a subtle sheen but no shimmer.

This lipstick has a wonderful soft, creamy texture that glides on and doesn’t show dry areas on the lips, even though it’s such a light pastel color. The color payoff is fantastic and it has full opacity once you swipe it back and forth once or twice. I got a little over 4 hours of wear before it began to fade in the center and I needed to reapply.

There are a few of MAC’s permanent range of lipsticks that are similar to Raspberry Swirl, but still not quite as light, pastel, and pretty! Honestly, Raspberry Swirl is unique, but if you can’t find it you can always try these on… Saint Germain is lighter in a milky sort of way, brighter, and more cool toned/purple-ish. Snob is darker and has a more dirty pink tone to it. Pink Nouveau is much brighter, slightly darker, and more of a true neutral pink. For a good liner to use with Raspberry Swirl, I suggest In Anticipation Pro Longwear Lip Pencil… It’s a bit warmer and darker but it’s a very pretty combination. You can also use Hip ‘N’ Happy for a softer liner, or Magenta if you want more contrast or an ombre look. For a glossier appearance, you can apply the Baking Beauties Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm in Cheery Cheery over this lipstick.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Application: 4

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 4

Packaging: 5

MAC Baking Beauties – Pro Longwear Paint Pots: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

04/24/2013

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Although Paint Pots are probably a familiar formula for you, Pro Longwear Paint Pots are fairly new… I’m not 100% sure of the change in formulas, but the Pro Longwear type DO seem to last a little longer than the original Paint Pot formula.

Anyway, there are a total of five Pro Longwear Paint Pots with the Baking Beauties collection… Three of these are brand new and limited edition, while Dangerous Cuvee and Let’s Skate are part of the permanent line (I will not be reviewing those in this post). The two I am not reviewing at this time add a bit more variety, though, since Let’s Skate is a “pale pink with pearl” and Dangerous Cuvee is a “frosted cool grey”. There is definitely something for everyone in this collection and Paint Pots are always a good product to get when there are new ones released!

Pro Longwear Paint Pots are, according to MAC, “A highly pigmented eye colour that goes on creamy but dries to an intense, vibrant finish. Long-wearing, colourfast. Creates seamless coverage without weight or caking. Blends smoothly over the lids. Cream-based, can be mixed with M·A·C shadows and liners.” That’s a mouthful but it’s a very accurate description! They’re a cream eye shadow that can be used on their own or as a base for other eye shadows (like powder eye shadows or pigments). They blend easily and you have a bit of time to blend these out before they set. Once they’re set they will NOT budge or crease all day long! I like these because if I’m in a hurry I can pop one on all over my lid for some shimmer and color and be done. Since Pro Longwear Paint Pots are like a primer and eye shadow all in one, it takes out the step of applying a primer first, so that saves time and makes life a little easier. No matter how you apply these, you should get a long-lasting wear time of at least 8-12 hours.

There are a few different ways to apply these… If you want it to be pigmented and opaque all over your lid, either as a base or as your only eye shadow, I suggest a flat type of brush like a MAC 242, 252 (which is being promoted with this collection), a 249, or even a 287 flat duo-fibre brush. These will pack on the color and apply the product smoothly. To blend these Pro Longwear Paint Pots out, apply them more softly, or blend these into the crease, a MAC 217 is a good brush to use. Alternatively, if you’re using these as a liner or as a base for a liner, you can use any kind of liner brush! They’re so smooth that anything from a MAC 210, 212, 219 or 266 will work. My suggestion is to play around with brushes and see what works best for you!

All of these are available now and are limited edition. You can purchase these for $18.50 at your favorite MAC counter, store, or online at www.maccosmetics.com. Pro Longwear Paint Pots contain 5 g / 0.17 US oz of product, which should last you quite a while!

TIP: If you have ever had an issue with your Paint Pots drying out, store them upside down (label up), and that should keep them from drying out or shrinking. Same for Fluidlines!

Pro Longwear Paint Pots swatches on NC15 skin.
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight.

Eclair

Eclair: Eclair is described as a “light chocolate with gold pearl” and has a pearl finish. It’s a medium-dark, warm, rich, reddish, bronzed brown with a soft, golden frosted sheen. It’s kind of like the cream version of MAC’s Mulch eye shadow.

This was totally opaque and had amazing color payoff with very little product applied. It glided on like silk and set well but still gave enough time to blend out and soften the edges when I wore it all over my lid. I got a full 12 hours of wear with Eclair before any creasing or fading happened. If there’s only one Paint Pot that you get from this collection, this should be it! It’s versatile and flattering on everyone!

Overall Rating: 5 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 5

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Fancy Frosting

Fancy Frosting: This Pro Longwear Paint Pot is a “frosted white”. It’s a light, cool white with a silvery-white, pearly shimmer. The type of shimmer particles in Fancy Frosting seem bigger than they are in other Paint Pots in this collection… It has a rougher, drier sort of texture than Eclair does and doesn’t apply as smoothly but still layers and wears well. You just have to take care to blend it out so the shimmer particles don’t stick together and look clumpy!

Fancy Frosting is really versatile… It can be layered for full opacity or worn more sheerly (like it is in the swatch above). It works as a base to brighten eye shadows or pigments worn over it (it works well under light, bright, pastel, and metallic colors), or it works well by itself as an all over lid color or a pop of a light shimmer on the inner corner of the eye. Since it’s versatile, the color payoff and opacity vary drastically depending on how you apply it! With a sheer or heavy application, I got around 8 hours of wear before I noticed any creasing or fading.

Overall Rating: 4.2 / 5

Application: 4

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 3

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Mooncake

Mooncake: Mooncake is a “warm beige” that contains small shimmer particles and has a soft frosted finish… It’s a light, warm golden beige that actually looks more sparkly/shimmery on than it does in the pot.

It has good coverage and color payoff but, like Fancy Frosting, can be applied sheerly or heavily, depending on your preference. Also like Fancy Frosting, the shimmer particles can cling to each other and look slightly heavy unless you blend this out. When I wore this on my lid I had no fading or creasing for about 12 hours.

Overall Rating: 4.3 / 5

Application: 4

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 4

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

MAC In Extra Dimension – Skinfinishes: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

04/19/2013

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The most anticipated part of MAC’s 2013 In Extra Dimension collection are definitely these… The Skinfinishes!! MAC has previously released this formula last with the Glamour Daze collection for holiday 2012 and before that as part of the In Extra Dimension collection in April of 2012. The difference this time is that these three Extra DImension Skinfinishes are duos, so they have two colors in each compact. I really like this because it makes them more versatile and it’s kind of like a two for one deal!

MAC describes Extra Dimension Skinfinishes as “A liquid-powder highlighter with prismatic reflections that sculpts, highlights and models the face. The cool, creamy near-fluid formula creates a luminous, well-defined finish”… That sums them up pretty well! These feel like a cream or liquid but are actually a super fine powder that glides onto the skin and gives a beautiful sheen. They’re buildable, so you can get a slightly glowy or frosted look all the way up to a totally metallic sheen. MAC also claims that they wear for 10 hours, which seems about right. On oily skin they may begin to fade sooner… More like after 8 hours. For me, I get around 10-12 hours of wear, though.

If you have very large pores, these may emphasize them because they’re so shimmery but you can fix that by first priming with MAC’s Prep + Prime Skin Smoother, or just avoiding areas (like your cheeks close to your nose) that may have larger pores. That isn’t an issue on most people, though. Also, since these are such a fine texture, they work well on all ages and skin types!

Since these are duos, you can use the lighter color as a highlight, then use the darker color as a bronzer or blush… OR you can swirl the two together and use them as a blush, or highlighter, or eye shadow, or whatever else you can come up with. To be honest, the possibilities with this product are endless, so don’t be afraid to get creative with them!

All three of these Extra Dimension Skinfinishes are limited edition and available now for $30. These can be purchased online at www.maccosmetics.com or at your local MAC store or counter. Each Extra Dimension Skinfinish contains 9 g / 0.31 US oz of product. These are selling VERY fast at the store where I work and are sold out online for now, although the website says coming soon, so they should be replenishing supplies shorty! If you don’t see them on there now, make sure to check back!

Extra Dimension Skinfinishes swatches heavily on NC15 skin Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight

Extra Dimension Skinfinishes swatched heavily on NC15 skin
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight

Extra Dimension Skinfinished blended out on NC15 skin
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight

Definitely Defined

Left: Colors swatched separately Right: Colors blended together
Definitely Defined Extra Dimension Skinfinish swatched on NC15 skin

Definitely Defined: This Extra Dimension Skinfinish is a “silvery pink/soft rose with shimmer. The lighter, silvery pink color is a pale, soft, silvery champagne with a noticeably frosted finished. The darker, soft rose color is a light, peachy rose with a more subtle type of frosty sheen. Blended together these turn into a light, warm champagne-peach color with a warm, silvery, frosted sheen.

You can use these colors separately with the lighter color as a highlight and the darker as a blush, or blend the two together as either a highlight or a blush. The texture is the typically super-fine, creamy feeling powder that is very lightweight but easy to build up and blend out. I got about 12 hours of wear with Definitely Defined before any fading occurred.

I recommend Definitely Defined for fair/pale to medium skin, as it may not show or or may look chalky on darker skintones unless blended together and just used as a highlight.

Overall Rating: 5 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 5

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Double Definition

Left: Colors swatched separately Right: Colors blended together
Double Definition Extra Dimension Skinfinish swatched on NC15 skin

Double Definition: Double Definition is a “soft shimmery gold/patina bronze”. The lighter soft shimmery gold color is a warm, soft, light gold with yellow-peachy undertones and a very warm, frosty sheen. The darker patina bronze color is a warm, medium-dark, peachy-brown bronze with a softer, more pearly type of sheen. When blended together, these create a wonderfully warm, medium peachy-golden bronze that has a subtle frosted glow.

As with the other Extra Dimension Skinfinishes, you can use the lighter color as a highlight and the darker as a bronzer or blush. You can also apply these blended together all over the cheek as either a bronzer as a blush. As with Definitely Defined, I got 11 to 12 hours of wear before I noticed any fading.

I think this looks most flattering on medium to deep dark skin. However, this can be used on lighter faces too! I’m a MAC NC15 and I wore this blended together as a bronzer with the lighter shade as my highlight, I just applied it with a light hand and a duo-fibre brush!

Overall Rating: 5 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 5

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Shape the Future

Left: Colors swatched separately Right: Colors blended together
Shape the Future Extra Dimension Skinfinish swatched on NC15 skin

Shape the Future: Shape the Future is a “pastel pink with iridescence/soft brick with light shimmer”. The lighter pastel pink with iridescence is a light, warm pink with a champagne-like iridescent sheen. The darker, soft brick color is a warm medium-dark, reddish-peachy bronze with a pinkish sheen. When blended together, these two colors create a medium peachy-pink bronze that’s SO pretty!

I like blending these together as a blush, then using the lighter color as a highlight on my fair skin (using a light hand, of course). I got about 11 hours of wear with Shape the Future before I noticed any fading.

Since this is a warmer, bolder Extra Dimenision Skinfinish, I recommend this for medium to dark skintones. That said, this can be used by anyone with the right brush and with a light hand, so if you’re fair skinned, don’t be afraid to try this out! It can really warm up and brighten even the lightest faces!

Overall Rating: 5 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 5

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

MAC In Extra Dimension – Blushes: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

04/17/2013

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Extra Dimension Blushes are a totally new product and formula that made their debut with MAC’s In Extra Dimension collection for Spring of 2013. They are “a liquid-powder blush with prismatic reflections in five shimmering shades. Impact ranges from sheer crystallized light to a highly polished metallic effect”.

These blushes don’t have quite the amount of metallic, frosty shimmer that the Extra Dimension Eye Shadows and Skinfinishes do but they have a lovely type of glow that’s very unique. This is a buildable formula, so any of these colors, even the brighter/darker ones will work on the fairest skintones (thank you, MAC)! MAC claims that these wear for 6 hours… I got at least that much, if not closer to 8 hours of wear before any fading occurred. The texture is awesome! They have the typical creamy-powder feel that all Extra Dimension products do… They apply so smoothly and blend out easily.

Depending on what kind of coverage and intensity you want, there are different brushes you can use… For a lighter application, try a Duo-Fibre brush like a MAC 188, 187 brush. If you want some extra color payoff but still a soft look, try a MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush. For the most color payoff and intensity, you can use a MAC 116 or 129 brush, or the 128 Split Fiber Cheek Brush that was also released with this In Extra Dimension collection.

All of the Extra Dimension blushes are limited edition and available now from www.maccosmetics.com, or at your local MAC store or counter. They contain 6.5 g/0.22 US oz of product and sell for $25.

Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight. Extra Dimension Blushes swatches on NC15 skin.

Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight.
Extra Dimension Blushes swatched on NC15 skin.

At Dusk

Left: Applied heavily Right: Blended out
At Dusk swatced on NC15 skin.
Photo taken outdoors in naturally sunlight.

At Dusk: At Dusk is a “midtone rose”. It’s a pale to light, neutral rosy pink with a subtle glow. When applied lightly, this has very minimal color payoff on anyone darker than about an NC20, but it is a buildable type of blush so you can get better color payoff and more opacity the more you layer it. Since this formula is a very finely milled powder, it won’t look heavy no matter how much you apply! The more you layer At Dusk, the more the glowy Extra Dimension sheen will show up. Since At Dusk is so light, I recommend this for those of you who have fair to light skin… No darker than about an NC30. I would also suggest using a MAC 116 or 129 brush to apply this so you will get a smooth application and good color payoff without having to take too much time or effort to apply this blush!

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Application: 4

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Bareness

Left: Applied heavily Right: Blended out
Bareness swatched on NC15 skin
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight

Bareness: Bareness is a “rosey beige”. It’s a light rosey beige but it also has a definite warm peach tone to it with a soft, warm, peachy sheen. Like At Dusk, it took some building up before I got true to pan color payoff and coverage but this blush formula is like that throughout the color range, so I don’t consider it a fault. I like the fact that I can get a soft wash of color with these or a brighter, bolder type of color payoff depending on how I apply it. Also like At Dusk, the more you apply, the more of a glowy finish you will get. On my NC15 skin, Bareness showed up well without building up the product too much so I would say this blush is best for fair to light-medium skin… Anyone darker than an NC30 or NC35 may have problems getting Bareness to show up.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Application: 4

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Blazing Haute

Left: Applied heavily Right: Blended out
Blazing Haute swatched on NC15 skin
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight

Blazing Haute: Blazing Haute is described as a “dirty peach”. It’s a light to medium, warm, orangey-peach with a golden sheen. This blush has better color payoff and coverage than the previous two I’ve reviewed so far… It doesn’t take nearly as much product applied to get true to pan color. The golden sheen shows up well even if you apply this lightly. Since Blazing Haute is more pigmented than At Dusk or Bareness, it’s suitable for a wider range of skintones. Anyone from fair to medium-dark can wear this one!

Overall Rating: 4.7 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Fiery Impact

Left: Applied heavily Right: Blended out
Fiery Impact swatched on NC15 skin
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight

Fiery Impact: This Extra Dimension blush is a “burnt red bronze”. It’s a medium to medium-dark, warm, rusty, reddish bronze with a warm, very soft golden-bronze sheen. The sheen doesn’t show up so much as it does with the other blushes in this collection but it IS there! Although this is the darkest, boldest color out of all the Extra Dimension blushes, it’s so buildable that it can be applied lightly to the fairest of skin, or applied heavily for dark to deep skintones. It’s a unique and versatile color that’s flattering on everyone!

Overall Rating: 5 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 5

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

Flaming Chic

Left: Applied Heavily Right: Blended Out
Flaming Chic swatched on NC15 skin
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight

Flaming Chic: This blush is described as a “bright blue pink”. It’s a medium, bright pink which, despite the “blue pink” description, looks more neutral to warm on the skin. It has a very subtle, warm sheen that shows up more as you build more product up on the cheek. Like Fiery Impact, this looks super bright in the pan but can be applied either sheerly or heavily, so it will work on fair to medium-dark skintones. Out of all the blushes in this collection, this is my personal favorite!

Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 5

Packaging: 5

MAC In Extra Dimension – Eyeshadows: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

04/17/2013

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With the In Extra Dimension collection, MAC decided to bring back some of the large Extra Dimension Eye Shadows… You may remember this formula most recently from the Glamour Daze holiday collection of 2012. Those, however, were small like MAC’s normal range of eye shadows. Accompanying the eye shadows of the In Extra Dimension collection are three duo-toned Skinfinishes and five Blushes (a totally new product/formula).

Extra Dimension Eye Shadows 2013

The Extra Dimension Eye Shadows are totally different from the normal powder MAC Eye Shadows… MAC describes these as “A liquid-powder Eye Shadow with prismatic reflections in six shimmering tints. Impact ranges from sheer crystallized light to a highly polished metallic effect”… That sounds about right!! They feel like a cream but apply like a powder and can be used both dry or damp. If applied dry, they have a softer, less intense type of finish but still have fantastic color payoff. When applied damp, these appear much more metallic and pigmented. Either way they wear for 6-7 hours before creasing and even longer if you apply them over a primer like a MAC Paint Pot or Pro Longwear Paint Pot.

For dry application, I like to use a MAC 239 brush to pack the color on my lid. They can also be blended out with any fluffy type of blending brush, like a MAC 217. When applied damp, I use MAC Fix+ Spray to dampen my brush, then swipe it across eye shadow gently (if you do this too hard, you will pick up too much product and it may clump up). For damp application I like to use a small, dense brush like a MAC 242, which will easily pack the product on without getting any fallout or patchiness.

All six of these Extra Dimension Eye Shadows are limited edition and are available now at MAC stores, counters, and online at www.maccosmetics.com. Each of these eye shadows contains 2 g / 0.07 US oz of product and sell for $21.

Extra Dimension Eye Shadow Labels

These swatches were applied dry.
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight.
Extra Dimension Eye Shadows swatched on NC15 skin.

These swatches were applied damp.
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight.
Extra Dimension Eye Shadows swatched on NC15 skin.

Dimensional Blue

Dimensional Blue: This is a “frosty blue” eye shadow with a frosty/metallic finish. It’s a light to medium cool blue. I got good color payoff with a dry application, but it was even more pigmented and metallic when I applied this with a damp brush. It went on smoothly and gave decent coverage both dry and damp with no gathering or clumping. Applied dry, this is semi-opaque. Applied damp, Dimensional Blue is closer to opaque but not TOTALLY opaque until some layering happens! Either way, I really like this color… I got about 6 hours of wear with Dimension Blue before it started to fade.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 4

Packaging: 5

Extra Silver

Extra Silver: This Eye Shadow is a “true silver” with a very frosted, metallic finish. It’s a light, bright, slightly warm toned silver with an extra metallic sheen. It gives fantastic color payoff and coverage when applied both dry or damp, the only difference is that when applied dry, it’s softer, while it looks totally metallic and bold when applied damp. The texture of Extra Silver seems slightly finer and more powdery than the other Extra Dimension Eye Shadows in this collection, but that makes it easy to apply with no gathering or clumping. Extra Silver gave me a solid 6 hours of wear before creasing or fading.

Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 5

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 4

Packaging: 5

Opalesse

Opalesse: Opalesse is an “opalescent white with pink pearl”… It’s a light white with a pinky-opal toned iridescence. It leans toward the cool side of pink/opal but it will work with a variety of looks and on all skintones. It’s a softer type of metallic sheen than the other Extra Dimension Eye Shadows have, especially when applied dry. The dry application also yields less coverage, opacity and color payoff than a damp application does. When apple damp, it looks more metallic, iridescent and brighter. Both dry and damp, Opalesse goes on incredibly smooth and wears slightly longer than the majority of the other eye shadows in this collection do, giving closer to 7 hours of wear.

Overall Rating: 4.7 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 4

Packaging: 5

Smoky Mauve

Smokey Mauve: This Extra Dimension Eye Shadow is a “midtone cool mauve”. It has a softer type of metallic sheen to it in comparison to Dimensional Blue or Extra Silver, that makes it seem more like a frost finish eye shadow. Smoky Mauve is a medium, cool toned, almost plummy mauve. Out of all the Extra Dimension eye shadows in this collection, Smoky Mauve gave the best opacity and coverage both dry and damp. When I applied this damp it appeared darker, more plummy, and slightly more frosted. Like Opalesse, this eye shadow has that super fine, ultra creamy feel that applies evenly. Smoky Mauve also wears for closer to 7-8 hours, rather than 6 like most of the other eye shadows in this collection do.

Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 5

Color Payoff: 5

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 4

Packaging: 5

Triple Impact

Triple Impact: This Extra Dimension Eye Shadow is an “opalescent lavender with violet pearl”. It’s a light, cool toned, iridescent lavender-pink with a mostly frosted finish, although it looks more metallic when applied damp. When applied dry, this eye shadow is only semi-opaque and doesn’t have very intense color payoff, although it’s still a very pretty color to use all over the lid. If you apply this damp, you will get opaque coverage, better color payoff, and a more heavily frosted, iridescent finish with a bit of shimmer. Dry or damp, this applied smoothly, although it felt a bit drier than some of the other Extra Dimension Eye Shadows in this collection did. It gave me 6-7 hours of wear before any creasing occurred.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 4

Packaging: 5

Zestful

Zestful: Last but definitely not least, we have Zestful, which is a “pale iridescent lime”. This is by far the most unique product in this collection and a must have for Spring! It’s a pale to light, almost pastel lime with a warm, golden iridescent sheen. Overall, the finish is frosty both dry and damp, although with a damp application you will get more opaque coverage and intense color payoff. Dry, this color is much softer and appears only semi-opaque. The texture for Zestful feels extremely creamy and smooth, easily gliding onto the skin. When I wore this I got the typical 6 hours of wear before it started to fade or crease.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Application: 5

Coverage: 4

Color Payoff: 4

Texture: 5

Wear Time: 4

Packaging: 5

—I rock faces.

Your cosmetic-obsessed source for MAC Products, Makeup Reviews, Face Charts, How-To's and Tips & Tricks for all things beauty!

MAC – RiRi Woo Lipstick: Photos, Swatches and Review… Also: Upcoming news for the next Rihanna collection!

MAC Baking Beauties – Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

MAC Baking Beauties – Lipsticks: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

MAC Baking Beauties – Pro Longwear Paint Pots: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

MAC In Extra Dimension – Skinfinishes: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

MAC In Extra Dimension – Blushes: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

MAC In Extra Dimension – Eyeshadows: Photos, Swatches and Reviews

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