Top 10: Best MAC Pigments
With the vast colors of pigments that MAC has to offer, you can get easily overwhelmed on which ones to get. So… here’s my favorite 10 pigments that I seem to reach for the most!
10. Reflects Antique Gold
Shade Description: Sparkling Taupe
Finish: Glitter
Buy a sample in the MUG store
Now technically this isn’t a pigment, but a very fine glitter. I love this as it has this bronzy gold color and looks amazing with brown for a neutral look with a kick, or with a black or dark blue for an amazing night out on the town look!
9. Bright Fuchsia
Shade Description: Intensely rich fuchsia with a hint of pearl
Finish: Pearl
Buy a sample in the MUG store
Now my other favorite pink was Brash and Bold, but since MAC discontinued it, this is a close 2nd :)
8. Grape
Shade Description: Deep purple with shimmer
Finish: Frost
Buy a sample in the MUG store
Purples are my favorite color to wear as they make my baby browns pop! This one is such a pretty shimmery deep purple color that I love!
7. Pure White
Shade Description: Flat pure matte white
Finish: Matte
Buy a sample in the MUG store
This has been my go to color lately as it’s such an intense white color (it beats out Gesso eyeshadow every time!)
6. Platinum
Shade Description: Smooth, high-shine platinum
Finish: Metal
Buy a sample in the MUG store
I love this one as it really does look like pure metallic metal! It’s pretty potent and VERY finely milled, so be carefully applying….
5. Emerald Green
Shade Description: Rich, emerald green infused with tiny diamond-like particle
Finish: Pearl
Buy a sample in the MUG store
If you love dark shimmery green, you will love this one! It reminds me a little bit of NARS Night Porter eyeshadow
4. Copper Sparkle
Shade Description: Super frosty copper flecks
Finish: Frost/Glitter
Buy a sample in the MUG store
I like this one as it’s unique- it’s a copper color with little bits of fine glitter in it. It looks great by itself on the lid for a nice Fall look!
3. Deep Blue Green
Shade Description: Rich, deep bluish green
Finish: Pearl
Buy a sample in the MUG store
This is such a gorgeous deep teal color! I love it on top of Delft paintpot- ooh la la!
2. Mutiny
Shade Description: Shimmery teal
Finish: Frost
Buy a sample in the MUG store
I’m not sure why MAC doesn’t make this part of their regular line, as everyone I know loves this pigment! It’s a gorgeous shimmery aqua that looks great on any eye/skin color.
1. Melon
Shade Description: Soft bright golden peach
Finish: Frost
Buy a sample in the MUG store
This color I think will always be my number 1 favorite as it’s so versatile! I wear this on the lid with a little brown in the outer corner for a perfect neutral look, or pair it with a dark purple eyeshadow for a great night time look.
What, no Vanilla?!?
lol you read my mind, I still love this list tho <3
I agree with you! Also, Blue Brown is an amazing color!!
Yes! Blue Brown is amazing! and Old Gold!! and Kitchsmas
This is very usefull, thanks, because I don’t know where begin, what by first… and this gonna help me. I wonder, if you would do the same thing for brushes, and paint pots. thanks you for doing a great job!
I bought mega rich pigment from MAC yesterday and I love it! I’m going back to get the Mauvement color you mentioned. What color fulid lines do you recommend?
OMG I was just talking about this to CIVICBABE last night. She mentioned the same ones that were her top 10. Now I need to go shopping at the MUG store.
what about copperbeam? that was my first pigment and ever since i’ve been hooked! but i haven’t found to many looks using it so i’ve been using carbon to tone down the shimmer. i can’t wait for the dark soul that i ordered!
I, too, am still searching the page for vanilla pigment! No one should be without it!
Also tan, old gold, & very blue
Marlena-
I’ve never used any picments at all & don’t really
know much about them. Can you give me a 411
about them? PLEASE!!! Thank you
-aj26
Hey, Marlena! This is great! I do have a request, though… you have Golden Lemon as your #2 favorite… I own it and don’t really know what to do with it since the texture is so… chunky? glittery? anyways…. I have this problem with Golden Lemon (and Frost also)… could you please do a look with it? Maybe it will help me with the texture… thanks…
I also must vote for Vanilla.
Vanilla is the most useful pigment I’ve ever had. It works as a highlighter, as an eyeshadow, it makes wonders on my lipsticks/lipglosses and I’ve even used some of it in my Fix+ spray. It should be in the essential list.
You’ve given me some new ideas with your recs though! Thanks.
Old Gold is by far my favourite! It is pure magic! but also love rose gold, copper, and platinum as well as the gold from their metal line.
Agreed, Vanilla! It’s by far, the most versatile…
I would agree vanilla & dazzleray are must have’s
What to use them for:
- highlight eyes & cheekbones
- highlight ur cupidsbow
- put into your moisterizer for a glow
- put into ur fix + and/or charged water
- dust some on your shoulders & decloite if ur going to an event/club, etc
- add on top of a shaddow to add some shimmer if color is too flat
But I would agree w/ Marlena that I love Naked, Mauvement , Rose Gold, Melon, grape & rose
I also like tan & choc. brown
Ooohhh thank you for those suggestions. Cant wait to try them out. Thanks so much
Hola
Golden lemon my favorite
I disagree. My all time fave is Tan Pigment by MAC. It makes my brown eyes pop. I hate golden lemon. eww
surprised vanilla didn’t make the top 10, thought that was ur fav
Are these colors good for any skin tone ?
I bought steel blue and HATE it! It shows up more green than blue. It just sits in my drawer… what a waste!
But i LOVE naked, and i’ve been wanting to try melon. I think i will now, and its number 1 on your list!!
Haha. I agree with the “What?! No vanilla?!” statement. So many people consider vanilla to be such a staple pigment since you can use it for so much. But I’ll agree with naked and melon! Those are definitely staples of mine!
Hehe Vanilla for sure!!
Melon is so very pretty (that pic does it NO justice lol) and i really like Cornflower.. not many people seem to like it.
Violet would be a major fav too =D
I like the colors grape is best
I too love Vanilla. But one that I don’t think was mentioned yet is: Golden Olive. I can use a touch of that with many different shadows and it pops life into them. Cocoa is another favorite. Yeah.
All the colors are lovely, but i am in LOVE with Blue/Brown! The only problem is i don’t know how else to apply it other than very lightly on my bare lid. Any suggestions? HELP!!
Even I use it just the way u do.. Yeah, I would appreciate more suggestions from any1 pls; since it is a gorgeous color so I would want to apply it in more than 1 way.
I use Blue Brown on the lid on top of Blackground paint pot (or any black gel eyeliner smudged on your lid) then I use a brown in the crease like Swiss Chocolate or even better MUFE Matte Chocolate Brown then blend with a lighter color like Brule, then Vanilla in the highlight area. I am by no means professional but this looks very nice. Oh then take the blue brown pigment and brush under the lower eyelid area with it (connecting to the outer corner). I also take a black matte pigment (I bought a sample from the MUG store) and just put it on the outer corner. Then finish with whatever style eyeliner and mascara you like. Try it (if you like smoky).
Michele
OOOo… This sounds amazing. Thanks so much Michelle for your suggestion
¿Emerald green? ¿Sweet sienna? ¿Jardin Aires? ¿Old gold?…
…Love your blog.
i like old gold because it s mixture of two colors ,
Hello, just wanted to say thanx for all the info you give out, you rock… and youre beautiful! You really inspire me to explore more ways to do my makeup! Thanx so much, keep it up! I love this site!
those are too expensive here in venezuela almost like 112Bsf
i love it but i cant buy it..
is like 40$ US EACH ONE!
so
you could go to the mug store and buy some samples….. just an idea because I cant even afford to buy them here in the US lol
Steel Blue and Rose are two pigments that are TERRIBLE to work with, esp. as a beginner…they have nice duochrome finishing but they are extremly chunky and worrysome. I’m surprised a few are not on here first one being Vanilla, Chartreuse. The rest i guess they are okay. Rose Gold, Naked, and Grape are probably my favorite out of this list.
THANK U SO MUCH
Platinum is gorgeous.
old gold is number one to me and so is vanilla
You don’t use matte eyeshadows? I like them because they are really great for an intense look. But I love the colors!
Vanilla is definitely a must….can be used with ANYTHING!
How about the Solar Bits? They may not be the most useful, but everyone has a best shade out of Fashion Warrior they should have. They’re tough to handle, so chunky! And the jar is a bad idea! But they’re gorgeous on Date Night. A girl can dream…
So any comments on handling them?
Grape has been on my wishlist forever, I just have to get around to buying it.
Maybe next month ;D
nice colors
I’m looking for neon colors
No Vanilla or Naked?????
vanilla ofcourse and I love Cocomotion too..:)
No naked ?
I love ur nails :X. How do u do them?
I have melon & reflects antique gold. I get these in a set of 5 when they do the holiday sets. Personally it is the best way to buy them. You get a great selection of colors & they last for a long time. My fiance gets them for me every Christmas & I still have shadow in the little tubes from like 3 years ago (plus I use them A LOT)! My birthday is coming up & I was wondering about getting the Mac matte gel & Mac fix + but I have pretty oily skin & have to touch up with powder a few times during the day, would you suggest those for oily skin??? Thank you so much for your review! Hopefully they will have some of these colors coming up for the holidays!
I love
Jardin Aires
Blue Brown
Mutiny
Vanilla
Melon
Push the Edge
I dont own any of these pigments, and something about the sales representatives at MAC stores and counters almost always seems a little condescending, so this has more than once deterred me from making a purchase that had been planned. On my journey towards all wonderful things makeup, I have sadly been turned off by MAC, but now willing to give it a try again for the Deep Blue Green, Vanilla, and antique Gold. I have a few MAC products that I love BUT going to buy them feels more like a chore than a pleasant MUG experience.
I totally agree with this. I rarely go to my MAC counter. Usually purchase online. I don’t have to pay tax that way either, because there is no freestanding MAC store in NE.
Blue brown is great for a fun smokey eye!
Marlena,
Lorel has some great pigments as well. Was wondering if you could do something with those since they are a cheaper alternative for the MAC ones. My faves are tenacious and visionary.
I sooooooo wish golden olive was on the list!! Its so sparkley and pretty!!
I agree with your top four but the others wouldn’t be anywhere my ten. Where is Mauvement!?!?! I think Melon is my absolute favorite with Mauvement coming in second. I also really like Tan, Naked, Golden Olive, Teal, & Pink Bronze. Later from the Alice + Olivia collection might get an honorable mention when applied wet
Hi Marlena,
I love Melon too.. its a perfect color for the eyes.. for those who wanted a natural and subtle look..
I love watching your videos.. they are superb!!
Love,
Darlene
Why on earth would Reflects Antique Gold be listed here? Like the other reflects shades, it is NOT eye safe. People should certainly not be using it eye looks!
My two favorites are deep blue green and old gold. And I also love blue brown!
what about teal and golden olive?!?!?!?! those are gorgeous!
Hello, golden olive & naked are missing!
My favorite MAC pigments are Violet and Teal.
I would also like to try Mutiny
Since you mentioned it in the point about Deep Blue Green (gorgeous), by the looks of things, they’re discontinuing Delft paintpot, which is sad.
i wanted to know what the difference was between a eye pigment and a eyeshadow