MAC Extra Dimension Blush in Autoerotique

I am a huge fan of the MAC Extra Dimension blush formula and when they debuted last Spring, I picked up all of them.  The Magnetic Nude collection that launched around the first of the year had two new blushes, Autoerotique and Pleasure Model.  I decided to pass on Pleasure Model, but I picked up Autoerotique.

Autoerotique is described by MAC as "dirty coral rose", which I guess works.  It's a medium warm pinky-tan that leans ever so slightly orange.  The blush has a satin finish and contains just a bit of shimmer by way of fine gold glitter.

The blush applies evenly and smoothly and sheers out easily.  I didn't think the glitter was particularly noticeable on the skin and I got great wear time out of it.  The formula on autoerotique is noticeably different from At Dusk.  I feel like At Dusk sort of melts into my skin and that isn't really what I get from Autoerotique.

Autoerotique contains 6.5 grams of product and is limited edition, but as of the writing of this review is still available from MAC and several other retailers who carry the line.  I purchased mine from Nordstrom for $25.

Overall:  8/10

MAC Silver Dawn Extra Dimension Eyeshadow

MAC's Magnetic Nude collection launched late last month and it contains eyeshadows, blushes and MSFs in MAC's Extra Dimension formula.  As soon as I saw swatches, I was very intrigued by the Extra Dimension eyeshadow in Silver Dawn.

I have quite a few of the Extra Dimension MSFs and blushes, but Silver Dawn is my first Extra Dimension eyeshadow.  I was drawn to it because it looked like a vaguely taupe-y pewter color.  I'm always in love with taupe shadows, but I'm definitely working on a pewter obsession as well.  Mmmmm, pewter.

To my relief, Silver Dawn is indeed a taupe-y pewter color.  It's a very warm silver with hints of brown.  It's a complex color that changes depending on how the light hits it.

(daybulbs)

(indirect natural light)

Silver Dawn is very pigmented and easy to use.  It's not an overly soft product and it is not powdery at all, but it does have excellent true-to-pan color payoff without fallout. As I mentioned earlier, it is a complex color that shifts depending on the light, so it works well as an all over color (I LOVE shadows like that.)

As I was playing with Silver Dawn I went through my other eyeshadows to see if I could find anything similar.  I pulled Benefit's Skinny Jeans, which is most similar in color, though it's a cream product.  MAC Patina and Rouge Bunny Rouge Abyssinian Catbird look very different in the pan, but swatched are similar (though not dupes).

MAC's Extra Dimension eyeshadow in Silver Dawn is (not surprisingly, *sigh*) limited edition with the MAC Magnetic Nude collection.  As of the writing of this post, it is still readily available from most retailers that carry MAC as well as directly from MAC online.  It contains 1.3 grams of product and retails for $19.50.

Overall:  10/10

MAC Extra Dimension Blush in At Dusk

I picked up all (yes all *cringe*) of the MAC Extra Dimension blushes that launched with the In Extra Dimension collection earlier this year.  One of my favorites out of that collection, At Dusk, is launching again with MAC's Magnetic Nude collection, which hits counters and websites the day after Christmas.

I know that all of the big beauty blogs have already reviewed this, but both Christine from Temptalia and Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog are very warm toned and considerably darker than me, so their swatches look nothing like what the product looks like on me.  I figured I would put some swatches out there in case any pasty pale people were wondering what it would look like on them.

The color is described by MAC as a mid-tone rose.  To me, it's pink.  When I think of rose, I think of something a bit darker in tone, edging towards berry.  At Dusk is pink.  On my cool, pale skintone, it is cool, but not crazy blue based.

(diffused natural light)

(daybulb CFLs)

This is one of those shades that I absolutely love because it can provide definition and color without making your look all about the blush.  It's just lovely and on me, it looks very natural.

The Extra Dimension blush formula is nothing like the Extra Dimension MSF formula.  The blushes, to me, are somewhere between a satin and a matte.  They have some dimension to them, but they're not shimmery at all.  They have fantastic pigmentation and texture.  They apply very evenly and they wear well.  I have dry skin so most blushes do wear well on me, but I get a solid ten hours out of these before they are noticeably faded.  This is hands down my favorite blush formula from any brand.

 The MAC Extra Dimension blush in At Dusk is (of course *sigh*) limited edition.  It will launch at counters and online in North America on Dec. 26, 2013.  The Extra Dimension blushes contain 6.5 grams of product and retail for $25.  If you haven't checked them out yet, I would highly recommend them.  I plan on picking up the other two blushes in this collection.

Overall: 10/10

MAC Extra Dimension MSF in Shape the Future

Wouldn't it be fantastic if I had managed to get this review out while this product was still available?  SIGH.  I procrastinate, therefore I am.  Also, better late than never.

MAC Extra Dimension MSF in Shape the Future was released with the Spring 2013 Extra Dimension collection and like the other Skinfinishes, it is split into two colors which can be used individually or mixed together.

(daybulbs)

Of the three Skinfinishes launched with this collection, Shape the Future is the darkest overall.  

The lighter of the two colors is a shimmery pinky beige.  It's not quite as light as either the Superb Skinfinish or the lighter shade in the Definitely Defined Skinfinish, but it would definitely be a highlighter.

The darker shade is a very warm burnt orange, again with a decent amount of shimmer.  I think this would probably be used as a blush by just about any skintone.

The two shades mixed together make a shimmery peach color that again, would probably be used as a blush rather than a highlighter.

Shape the Future isn't as shimmery/iridescent as the other two Skinfinishes released with this collection, which I think probably gives it a bit more versatility.

MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Shape the Future contains 9 grams of product and retails for $30.

Overall:  8/10

MAC Extra Dimension MSF in Double Definition

I am a total sucker for the MAC Extra Dimension Mineralize Skin Finishes, so when this year's collection came out, I picked up all three of them.  The first I'm reviewing is the Extra Dimension MSF in Double Definition.

(natural light)

Unlike last year's Extra Dimension MSF collection, this year, the MSFs are split into two separate colors.  I absolutely love this.  While I really, really like last year's inaugural collection of Extra Dimension MSFs, I just think that having two colors per pan makes them so much more versatile.

(day bulbs)

The top half of the Double Definition MSF compact is a very metallic frosty warm gold color which I think is exactly the same color as last year's Whisper of Gilt (there are side by side swatches below).  The bottom half of the Double Definition MSF compact is a much darker, bronzy color.  The texture is quite different from the top half.  While the bottom half isn't matte, it is certainly not frosty either.  It does have a lovely metallic sheen, but much more muted than the top half.  

When you mix the top half and the bottom half, you get a more metallic, frosty finish, but the color is still very bronzy.

The lighting isn't great here, but I assure you that the top half of Double Definition is the same color as Whisper of Gilt.  Below are swatches of the top half of Double Definition next to Whisper of Gilt in both natural light and under day bulbs.  They are the same color.

MAC Extra Dimension Mineralize Skinfinish in Double Definition contains 9 grams of product and retails for $30.  MAC online is sold out, but some counters still have product available as do some online retailers.  Nordstrom still has some of the MSFs.

On the whole, I love this product, but it is a bit of a niche product.  As highlighters, the Extra Dimension MSFs are certainly not subtle.  You can sheer them out, but even then these pack a punch.  But they are gorgeous.  Personally, I get more mileage out of them as eyeshadows.

Overall: 10/10

Review: MAC Skinfinish in Whisper of Gilt

Next up in my series on highlighters is the MAC Skinfinish in Whisper of Gilt.  It is Limited Edition (sorry, but keep an eye out for my next giveaway).  It came out in MAC's Extra Dimension collection that launched at the beginning of April 2012.  It's sold out at MAC online, but as of this blog post, you can still get it at Nordstrom online and I'm sure some MAC counters still have it.

The entire Extra Dimension collection is a new formula from MAC.  The Official blurb from MAC about the collection and the Skinfinishes in particular:

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. Wears 10 hours.

Whisper of Gilt is described by MAC as "a light soft white with shimmery sheen".  It definitely has a shimmery sheen, but I don't think I'd categorize it as a soft white.  It's gold.  A lovely gold.  But gold.

I took 2 swatch photos below.  Again, I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how to photograph highlighters.  There is a heavy swatch on the right and a sheered out swatch on the left.  I think the heavy swatch in the second photo is truer to color, but the sheered out swatch on the first swatch is truer.

The product goes on smooth.  I was a little afraid that the first time I swatched it, that the pattern would be demolished, but it's surprisingly firm.  I'm not buying the marketing bit about "cool, creamy near-fluid formula".  It felt like a powder.  A nice powder, but a powder nonetheless.

The internet tells me that this formula is probably if not an exact copy of the Estee Lauder powder gelee formula, then at the very least a really close copy.  The MAC Extra Dimension skinfinishes have the bonus of being much larger and cheaper than the Estee Lauder powder gelees.

I think this is a beautiful highlighter.  It is a lot more of a true gold than many of the highlighters I own, so I am happy to add it to my collection.  The pan contains a TON of product and I seriously have no idea how I could even hit pan on this, much less use the entire thing.  I am curious to see how the new formula holds up over time since I will definitely have this for a while.

The pan contains 9 grams of product and retails for $29.

Overall:  7/10