a) always go pro - the quad (empty) costs $10 CAD (don't know about the larger version but I prefer the quads because it's easier to travel with and fits better in my drawer dividers - plus the price has gone down) and the pans cost $12 CAD + tax a piece (down $2 from last year, where I bought a pan for $14 CAD + tax), which is a few dollars cheaper than buying individuals.
b) make your money's worth - I've heard people say buy colour you use the most from the drugstore brands and buy "special" colours from MAC. Okay, there are drugstore brands that can compete with MAC and the price is less steep but in my opinion, if you buy MAC you will technically spend less because there is better pigmentation and you will probably purchase less just because you already spent on MAC and have the right colour (hence the need to choose wisely)
c) buy colours that can work with everything or a lot of the colours you own - when I first started, I got shroom, woodwinked and satin taupe. Why? Because I wanted a good highlighter and two colours that could work on their own and separately. On top if that, I knew that Woodwinked would work with the existing purples from one of my L'Oreal quads, as well as with my matte navy Revlon eyeshadow (I had asked the MUA too)
So here are the 10 eye shadows I currently own - note that I actually don't like one of them, but I'll explain that later.
(Top is without flash, bottom is with flash - these are my three quads (note that two pans are empty) but I only really use the two on the right more)
Colours are - from left to right going clockwise:
Goldbit, Humid, (empty), Li'Lily
Shroom, Handwritten, All That Glitters, Woodwinked
Blanc Type, Shadowy Lady, Satin Taupe, (empty)
My first four MAC eyeshadows were Woodwinked, Satin Taupe, Li'lily and Shroom. I had done some extensive research into what people had considered the best shades, and Satin Taupe along with Woodwinked were the ones that I decided were probably my best bet. My original list included Dazzlelight, Brule, All that Glitters, Amberlights and Mulch, but obviously I didn't have enough $$ to fork out to buy all of that in one shot. Li'lily is one of my biggest regrets to date, having been influenced by the MUA (who must've loved glitter/sparkle) and not having tested the colour more thoroughly at the counter prior to purchasing.
My next purchase was Humid, since I wanted a green eyeshadow to complement my brown eyes (plus to venture outside my norms of brown and purple). The MUA in Hong Kong suggested to pair it off with Goldbit (discontinued), since I had said I wanted something that I could pair off with my Revlon Riverie (matte navy) as well.
I hadn't purchased another MAC colour in a while after that until I bought Handwritten about a year ago, mainly because I needed something matte for my outer v (mind you, this is when I was finally getting a better hand at applying my shadows). The MUA at the store suggested Handwritten, since it would work well with the existing shadows that I already had.
Most recently I picked up Shadowy Lady, Blanc Type and finally All That Glitters because I got a good deal via a friend's connection - my friend's friend works at Estee Lauder and managed to snag me these three eyeshadows for $0! Score!
Here are the swatches:
Top without flash, Bottom with flash
So my qualm about Li'lily - I should've seen this one coming but I guess when you first start buying MAC (or makeup in general), you don't realize it right away. Li'lily is a lustre finish, and for those who are not familiar with this, it is like a disco ball on your eyelids. It is a dry shadow (no buttery texture like the others), and has massive massive MASSIVE fallout. And the fallout isn't just the light purple (which mind you, I love the colour but hate the finish), it's GLITTER. Chunks. Of. Glitter. I'm not a tween anymore sporting glitter any time at the office is not exactly acceptable. I guess big fail for me :(
Goldbit is also a Lustre finish, but I find that there is less glitter everywhere and much less fallout. It is also a tad bit less dry than Li'Lily given the same finish. I'm on the fence about it because it's a gorgeous highlight or lid colour...but lustre finishes really aren't my thing.
Even though these two aren't my most used MAC eyeshadows, I figured I'd include them in this review just because they are in my quads anyways, and I figured it would be good for people to know what they are getting into when purchasing a lustre finish eyeshadow at MAC.
Humid is a gorgeous deep jewel-toned green, and although it seems washed out with the flash, it really is a deep colour and shows up beautifully with or without primer. I usually just put this in the outer V and close to the lash line with Shroom or another lighter colour (I haven't actually paired it with All That Glitters yet) if I want a bit of colour in my look. It works beautifully with a deep blue, matte or sparkly. I have paired this off with the Maybelline Sapphire Ice quad for my birthday one year and people complemented me on the makeup,
Top without flash, Bottom with flash
Blanc Type was actually a mistake "purchase" (quotation marks because I didn't actually have to pay, as per explanation above. I had requested to pick up Brule but ended up with Blanc Type instead), but I actually really like it for days where I want a cleaner look. This eyeshadow is matte and I personally find it very buttery. It doesn't show up on my skin like "in your face" highlight, which is nice on days where I just want to be a bit more subdued. You just have to be careful and not cake this on too much or else it because chalky looking. The colour is a creamy light beige in my opinion, a few shades lighter than my NW25 complexion.
Satin Taupe is my favourite colour because it is so versatile - it works super well on its own, or paired with Woodwinked/any bronzy-brown colour, or paired with a purple/plum. Hence the reason I purchased Shadowy Lady, since it is a deep plum colour. These two work so well to produce a nice purple smokey eye, that is still somewhat appropriate for the office depending on how dark you make it. I love the versatility of Satin Taupe - it is a frost finish, which delivers a great amount of shimmer (the shimmer is more iridescent, which allows the colour to take on different tones too I guess) but not overkill. I know some people find it doesn't agree well with their skintone since it can appear more grey on some and more brown on others, but honestly I think it also depends on what you pair it off with to bring out the undertones. That's what I love about this colour - pair it off with different colours and you will get a different colour.
Shadowy Lady is a matte blackend plum shade and is perfect for a smokey eye and also as a liner for my lazy days (or the days where I don't have enough time because I procrastinate in the bathroom or decide that I would like to snooze a bit longer). I love purples because they look good on my skin and don't make me look too tired, nor make me look like I have a black eye (anything with a major red undertone makes me look like I have a bruise on my face!)
Top without flash, Bottom with flash
Shroom in my opinion is a great highlight colour - on its own it makes a great lid colour, providing the right amount of sheen, and with others it just really helps to highlight the right parts. It is a golden beige with slight shimmer since it is a satin finish, which I enjoy in MAC's eyeshadows since it delivers just the right amount of shine on the eyes without being too crazy. Since it's not too shimmery either, I sometimes use it to blend out colours when I get a bit too heavy handed.
Woodwinked, as I had mentioned before, was one of the colours I heard was a cult favourite, and I do agree that it is a very versatile colour. A lot of times I just use this and Shroom, or sometimes I add a bit of Handwritten in the outer V. Regardless, this colour adds just the right amount of depth on my lazy days, although there are times when I find it a bit orangy on me. When that happens, I usually have to offset it with some Satin Taupe as well to bring out a different tone. This is a Veluxe Pearl finish and has the same buttery feel as the other MAC eyeshadows I've mentioned (aside from the Lustre finishes). The shimmer in this one is a little less since it is a Veluxe Pearl, so the shimmer is more metalic-looking.
Handwritten is a Matte2, and although I managed to get it in the pro-palette pan, not all stores stock it (so I learned recently). It was a toss up between this and Espresso, but the MUA helped me decide by picking this one, which is a warmer dark brown. It is extremely pigmented, so a little goes a long way. There are days where I just put this in the outer V and crease with Shroom or All That Glitters. I personally think this is a great crease and outer V colour, since every one should have at least one matte crease colour.
The last one that I haven't mentioned is All That Glitters. I use this on its own a lot just because I haven't played too much with it, but I love it on its own with some eyeliner (I tend to use Urban Decay's Zero or Whisky pencil). The colour is a beautiful rose-gold/champagne colour (Veluxe Pearl) and is gorgeous in the pan and on the eye. I think this colour will probably work with everything, so I am looking forward to playing around with it a bit more.
For those that are curious, the other colours that are coming soon into my palettes (and I swear after that I think I'm going to stop with the MAC purchases...) are Carbon (matte black - everyone needs one), Deep Truth (a deep shimmery blue to work with Humid, or on its own) and Shale (a middle colour to work with Satin Taupe). I can't wait to have my quads all filled up!
Readers: Which MAC eyeshadows do you own, and which ones are your go-to ones?
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