M.A.C. | The 15 Pan Custom Palette [Part 002] + The Swatches


If you missed yesterday's post (here) I gave the run down on how I built this palette and shared some insight into how I used YouShop to get this palette to me from the MAC US online shop. And as promised here is the eye shadow palette break down, including the colours I picked and swatches of them all - I can say right off the bat; I adore this palette.



It really is a beautiful thing! I love the packaging of these 15 pan palettes, as you can see all the colours you have through the perspex lid. The pans are magnetized in, with the shade names on the back of each pan (see yesterday posts for more details and photos), so you don't forget the name of the shadows.


I would often find myself going onto the MAC site and just building a palette and playing around with all the colours (here) - the choice is quite overwhelming! As I noted yesterday, I had 10 shadows that I was certain I wanted (All That Glitters, Satin Taupe etc.), but it took a lot of Googling and reading reviews and looking at swatches to make the decision on the other shades to fill the palette out with. The best advise I can give is do not rely off the images from the website as they are never as they seem; it takes a simple Google to show the true colour so you know exactly what you are getting! And as the palette is very expensive [USD $160] you want to ensure you know, so no disappoint occurs once it arrives. Of course I kept things really neutral as these are colours I go for all the time and I knew I would get a lot of use from them.

Now I had no prior experience with MAC eye shadows, obviously I had oggled them for a very long time, but generally just stuck with my cheaper brands until a year or so ago. The most high end eye shadows I have are from Urban Decay, in the form of the Naked Basics, Naked 2 and Naked 3 palettes - now they are amazing and had set the bar pretty high when it comes to quality and pigmentation. The MAC eye shadows are really beautiful, they have some amazing shades and the range is unprecedented. Compared to the Urban Decay shadows they have a very different feeling, not as buttery and soft but they still have great pigmentation and do blend out very well. The lasting power is amazing and you can easily get away without a primer underneath. Brushes pick up the shadows well and allows the colour to be built up, you can go for a light wash, or build up for some serious colour pay off. Now that I have both MAC and UD shadows, I honestly could not choose between them; I think they are on par with each other and the fact that I customised my MAC palette just makes it that much more special.

THE SWATCHES

I will use the details from the MAC website which describe the shades and finishes and also add my thoughts. I found this blog post here from Eyeshadow Addicts Anonymous so helpful in differentiating the finishes.






TOP ROW//
Vanilla - Velvet finish, peachy-ivory with reflects - This wasn't as pigmented as I thought it going to be, but it does make for an amazing inner corner and brow bone highlight. It seems mostly matte, but the hint of glitteryness through it just adds a bit of extra dimension to the shadow.
Shroom - Satin finish, soft beige with shimmer - I adore this shade, it is definitely more white than 'biege' as MAC describe it, but the shimmer finish is beautiful, another great highlight shade.
Honey Lust - Lustre finish, bronze-dipped peach - This is one of the more 'chunkier' shadows as it has large bits of glitter through out and quite a bit of fall out, but the colour is lovely.
Tempting - Lustre finish, sinfully rich coco - This has the same chunky texture like Honey Lust and is a gorgeous bronzed brown shade which is one of my favourites.
Woodwinked - Veluxe Pearl, warm antiqued gold - A fan favourite and one of mine as well, this has great pigmentation and feel very soft with an amazing soft shimmery finish.


MIDDLE ROW//
Nylon - Frost finish, pale gold with icy shimmer - Now I think I covered my bases on the shimmery whitish shades! This definitely has that gold tinge to it, especially when compared to Vanilla and Shroom.
Amber Lights -  Frost finish, peachy-brown with shimmer - They call it a peachy-brown, I'd just call it gold, none the less, it is a really beautiful and quite bright with great pigmentation.
All That Glitters - Veluxe Pearl finish, beige with gold pearl - The one that was at the very top of my wishlist, I have been wanting this shade for so long and it has not disappointed. It is very soft and very pigmented, perfect for an all over wash on the eyes.
Soft Brown - Matte finish, Soft golden peachy-brown - This definitely has quite a terracotta, bronze tone through it and very pigmented for a matte shadow.
Espresso - Matte finish, muted golden brown - I was adamant to get a couple of good matte shades for my palette as I think they are essential and this is the perfect companion. It is very warm toned, and perfect for deepening the crease, or outer edges of the lid.



BOTTOM ROW//
Patina - Frost finish, taupe brown with golden pearl - Another of my favs and one that is really unique. It has quite a bit of duo-chromeness in it due to the golden reflects.
Trax - Velvet finish, burgandy-plum with shimmer - I added this one as I needed to step away from the neutrals shades, Trax does that but also compliments the other shades beautifully. It is packed with almost rose-gold type glitter through it.
Satin Taupe - Frost finish, Taupe with silver shimmer - Another must have, and a gorgeous one all over the lid.
Club - Satin finish, red-brown with green pearl - I adore this colour and the duo-chrome effect is stunning changing from copper red to blue/green.
Smut - Velvet finish, muted black with red shimmer - I didn't want to go with a full on matte black, so this is a good one to have as the shimmer just adds a bit of dimension.

And that completes my MAC palette! There isn't a shade I don't like, and although I do have my favourites I find it hard deciding what ones to go for on a daily basis. I'm glad to have a good mix of the different finishes,  as well as having lighter to darker shades. The beauty with these palettes is you can also buy the smaller x2 or x4 palettes from MAC or even a Z Palette, if you only want to take a couple of shadows with you when you travel (but I mostly just take the whole thing because I like having the choice.. makeup lover problems right here...)

What are your favourite MAC eye shadows? Any I should be on the look out for?

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