Explore the MAC Bronze Influence 6-Pan Eyeshadow Palette
MAC Bronze Influence Connect in Colour 6-Pan Eyeshadow Palette ($34.00 for 0.22 oz.) is a new, permanent addition boasting a versatile six-pan selection that features two matte shades and four shimmering hues within a neutral color scheme. Unfortunately, my experience with the formula of the new Connect in Colour palettes fell short of expectations. The shimmering shades exhibited a dry, thin, and powdery texture, resulting in sheer coverage and subpar longevity. While the matte shades performed slightly better, they lacked the blendability one would anticipate from a brand like MAC. Despite claims of “one-swipe” pigmentation and high intensity, three of the shimmers simply did not deliver in terms of vibrancy.
The palette narrowly escaped a lower rating due to MAC’s realistic eight-hour wear time claim, which is more specific than many competitors. Typically, an eight-hour wear guarantee would suggest a high quality, around 8.5/10, but here it justified a perfect 10/10 rating.
Ingredient Breakdown for Informed Choices
Uncover the Unique Shade: Retrospeck
Retrospeck is characterized as a light-medium gold, showcasing warm undertones and a frosted finish that adds a touch of glamour to any look. However, it offers only semi-sheer pigmentation, making it challenging to achieve a vibrant look without layering. The texture is on the thinner side, which can lead to uneven application and fallout during use, often causing frustration. Additionally, the longevity is disappointing, as it tends to fade noticeably after just five hours.
- Semi-sheer pigmentation
- Thin texture, somewhat dry, making it difficult to pick up evenly
- Application can be uneven with noticeable fallout, prone to sheering out
- Poor longevity (5 hours before noticeable fading)
FURTHER READING:
Formula Overview
for detailed insights on overall performance and specific characteristics (like scent).
These are the dupes the editor has pulled but not yet rated and officially entered.
- NABLA Cosmetics Ray of Light (PiP, ).
- Tarte Moonlit (LE, ).
- Juvia’s Place Zuri (P, ).
- Dose of Colors Suz (LE, ).
- Anastasia Peach Sorbet (P, $12.00).
- Tarte Paradise Found (P, $22.00).
- ColourPop Cattitude (LE, $6.00).
- NARS Let It Whip (LE, $19.00).
- Sydney Grace Morning Star (P, $6.25).
- ColourPop Okay (LE, $6.00).
Insight into the Formula’s Performance
–
MAC touts their latest formula as delivering “one-swipe, pure pigment payoff” with a “lightweight, silky-smooth texture” promising eight-hour wear—an ambitious yet realistic claim. They further assert that the formula features “up to 25% higher pigment load,” though my experience suggested otherwise.
In practice, this new formula appears thinner, drier, and less pigmented than previous iterations from MAC, which have varied in quality over recent years. The matte shades range from semi-opaque to opaque, typically buildable, and moderately blendable, while the shimmers tend to be drier with a tendency for fallout and fading.
Historically, certain MAC formulas have underperformed in swatches compared to their real-life application, often being more buildable and blendable without excessive powderiness. However, my findings indicated that the performance here did not exceed swatch quality, and in some cases, it was slightly worse. With many brands enhancing metallic finishes to new heights, it is puzzling to witness a decline in MAC’s shimmer quality over time—rather than achieving a more satin-like sheen, they come off as weak metallics.
In terms of wear, some matte shades lasted up to eight hours, while others hovered around six to seven hours. Most shimmers lasted approximately six hours, with a few extending beyond that timeframe.
Explore our comprehensive MAC Connect in Colour Eyeshadow swatches for more insights.
Experience the Richness of Data Mine
Data Mine presents itself as a medium copper hue, infused with warm, orange undertones and a frosted finish that can elevate any makeup look. The pigmentation is semi-opaque, requiring layers for full intensity, and the texture is thin and occasionally crumbly, making it tricky to apply evenly. The application is somewhat even, but the shade is prone to fallout and sheering, leading to inconsistent results. This shade also suffers from poor longevity, fading noticeably after just six hours.
- Semi-opaque pigmentation
- Thin, crumbly texture, making even application difficult
- Moderate fallout, with a tendency to sheer out
- Poor longevity (6 hours before fading noticeably)
FURTHER READING:
Formula Overview
for an in-depth look at performance and characteristics (like scent).
These are the dupes the editor has pulled but not yet rated and officially entered.
- ColourPop Here for It (PiP, $4.50).
- Dior Bayadere #3 (LE, ).
- Natasha Denona Alloy (312DC) (PiP, $29.00).
- Huda Beauty Toffee Brown #8 (PiP, ).
- Charlotte Tilbury Celestial Eyes (Pop) (LE, ).
- Linda Hallberg Cosmetics Ara (LE, ).
- NABLA Cosmetics Creation Crown (PiP, ).
- ColourPop Dream On (PiP, $4.50).
- ColourPop Heart 2 Heart (PiP, $4.50).
- Natasha Denona Luster (375M) (PiP, $29.00).
Analyzing the Formula’s Efficacy
–
MAC describes their recent formula as “one-swipe, pure pigment payoff” with a “lightweight, silky-smooth texture” and an eight-hour wear time, a claim that is both ambitious and practical. The brand asserts that the formula has “up to 25% higher pigment load,” yet my experience did not corroborate this.
The new formula feels thinner, drier, and less pigmented than earlier MAC formulations, which have shown inconsistency in quality over the last few years. The matte shades range from semi-opaque to opaque, typically buildable and somewhat blendable, while the shimmers appear drier with poorer adhesion, leading to fallout and a greater susceptibility to fading.
In the past, MAC’s formulas often swatched poorly compared to their real-world application, yet they were usually more buildable and blendable without excessive powderiness. In my experience, however, the performance fell short of expectations, and in some cases, it was even less favorable. At a time when many brands are elevating their metallics to unprecedented levels, it is concerning to see a decline in MAC’s shimmer quality—rather than achieving a satin-like sheen, they merely reflect as weak metallics.
The longevity of the matte shades varied, with some lasting as long as eight hours, while others performed closer to six or seven hours. Most of the shimmers lasted around six hours, with a few exhibiting longer or shorter wear times.
For more detailed information, browse our extensive MAC Connect in Colour Eyeshadow swatches.
Discover the Allure of Olive Twist
Olive Twist is a captivating light-medium golden brown, adorned with subtle gold micro-sparkle over a satin finish that adds a hint of sophistication. However, this shade presents only semi-sheer pigmentation and features a thin, somewhat dry texture that complicates even application. Users may find themselves needing to layer the product for optimal results. The application can often be uneven, leading to fallout and a tendency to sheer out, which can detract from the overall look. Longevity is another drawback, with noticeable fading occurring after just five hours.
- Semi-sheer pigmentation
- Thin, somewhat dry texture, making it difficult to pick up evenly
- Application can be uneven with noticeable fallout, prone to sheering out
- Poor longevity (5 hours before noticeable fading)
FURTHER READING:
Formula Overview
for a comprehensive understanding of performance and specific characteristics (like scent).
These are the dupes the editor has pulled but not yet rated and officially entered.
- LORAC Rendezvous (PiP, ).
- LORAC Firefly (LE, ).
- Too Faced Dear Diary (LE, $16.00).
- KKW Beauty Glam (LE, ).
- Tom Ford Beauty Noir Fume #2 (PiP, ).
- Sydney Grace Vibrant Madness (DC, $8.00).
- Tarte Starfish (LE, ).
- Isamaya Belt (PiP, ).
- Sephora Glitter Dress (357) (P, $9.00).
- Glaminatrix Divine (P, $8.04).
Understanding the Formula’s Performance
–
MAC describes their latest formula as “one-swipe, pure pigment payoff” alongside a “lightweight, silky-smooth texture” that promises eight-hour wear, a claim that seems both ambitious and realistic. They assert that this formula includes “up to 25% higher pigment load,” although my experience suggests that this might not hold true.
The updated formula feels thinner, more powdery or drier, and less pigmented than previous MAC formulations, which have demonstrated inconsistency in quality in recent years. The matte shades were noted for being semi-opaque to opaque, typically buildable and fairly blendable, while the shimmers were drier with poor adhesion, fallout, and were particularly prone to fading.
Historically, MAC’s formulas sometimes swatched poorly in comparison to their real-life performance, often being more buildable and blendable without excessive powderiness. However, my findings indicate that the performance did not exceed swatch quality, and in many instances, it was even less favorable. As many brands enhance their metallics to unprecedented levels, it is concerning to witness a decline in MAC’s shimmer quality over time—rather than achieving a satin-like sheen, they come across as weak metallics.
Some matte shades lasted as long as eight hours, while others were closer to six or seven hours. Most of the shimmers lasted around six hours, with a few exhibiting longer or shorter wear times.
For more details, you can browse our extensive MAC Connect in Colour Eyeshadow swatches.
Delve into the Depth of Overnight Influencer
Overnight Influencer is a muted, dark forest green featuring cool undertones and a matte finish that adds a striking contrast to any makeup palette. This shade offers mostly opaque and buildable coverage, but it can be lightly powdery and somewhat thin, which may hinder a flawless application. While it applies fairly evenly, there’s room for improvement in terms of blendability. The longevity is average, typically lasting around seven hours before it begins to fade, which falls short of the brand’s claim of eight-hour wear.
- Mostly opaque, buildable coverage
- Lightly powdery and slightly thin
- Applies fairly evenly but could be more blendable
- Average longevity (7 hours before noticeable fading; brand only claimed 8-hour wear)
FURTHER READING:
Formula Overview
for additional insights on performance and characteristics (like scent).
Analyzing the Formula’s Effectiveness
–
MAC describes their latest formula as “one-swipe, pure pigment payoff” with a “lightweight, silky-smooth texture” that promises eight-hour wear, a claim that is both ambitious and realistic. They assert that the formula has “up to 25% higher pigment load,” though my experience suggests otherwise.
The new formula appears thinner, drier, and less pigmented than previous MAC formulations, which have shown inconsistency in quality over the last few years. The matte shades range from semi-opaque to opaque, typically buildable and fairly blendable, while the shimmers appear drier with poorer adhesion, leading to fallout and a greater susceptibility to fading.
In the past, MAC’s formulas often swatched poorly compared to their real-world application, yet they were usually more buildable and blendable without excessive powderiness. In my experience, however, the performance fell short of expectations, and in some cases, it was even less favorable. At a time when many brands are elevating their metallics to unprecedented levels, it is concerning to see a decline in MAC’s shimmer quality—rather than achieving a satin-like sheen, they merely reflect as weak metallics.
The longevity of the matte shades varied, with some lasting as long as eight hours, while others performed closer to six or seven hours. Most of the shimmers lasted around six hours, with a few exhibiting longer or shorter wear times.
For more detailed information, explore our extensive MAC Connect in Colour Eyeshadow swatches.
Unveil the Versatility of Bronze
Bronze is a bold shade that captivates with its opaque pigmentation. The texture is smooth, striking a balance between being pressed just right—not too firmly nor too loosely. This formulation applies beautifully and blends effortlessly, making it a favorite for many makeup enthusiasts. The longevity is average, with the shade remaining vibrant for about seven hours before it begins to fade, which is acceptable for daily wear.
- Opaque pigmentation
- Smooth texture, perfectly pressed for optimal application
- Applies and blends out evenly
- Average longevity (7 hours before fading noticeably)
FURTHER READING:
Formula Overview
for detailed insights into overall performance and specific characteristics (like scent).
These are the dupes the editor has pulled but not yet rated and officially entered.
- ColourPop Come On (LE, $4.50).
- Urban Decay Smog (DC, $19.00).
- Anastasia Paris (LE, $12.00).
- Milani Foxy Lady (PiP, $5.99).
- Bad Habit D’Orsay (PiP, ).
- Anastasia Teak (LE, $12.00).
- Glaminatrix Truffle (P, $8.04).
- Natasha Denona Palladium (316M) (PiP, $29.00).
- Sydney Grace Hot Stuff (P, $6.25).
- Urban Decay Distilled (PiP, $19.00).
Formula Insights for Optimal Use
–
MAC describes their latest formula as “one-swipe, pure pigment payoff” with a “lightweight, silky-smooth texture” that promises eight-hour wear, a claim that seems both ambitious and realistic. They assert that this formula includes “up to 25% higher pigment load,” although my experience suggests that this might not hold true.
The updated formula feels thinner, more powdery or drier, and less pigmented than previous MAC formulations, which have demonstrated inconsistency in quality in recent years. The matte shades were noted for being semi-opaque to opaque, typically buildable and fairly blendable, while the shimmers were drier with poor adhesion, fallout, and were particularly prone to fading.
Historically, MAC’s formulas sometimes swatched poorly in comparison to their real-life performance, often being more buildable and blendable without excessive powderiness. However, my findings indicate that the performance did not exceed swatch quality, and in many instances, it was even less favorable. As many brands enhance their metallics to unprecedented levels, it is concerning to witness a decline in MAC’s shimmer quality over time—rather than achieving a satin-like sheen, they come across as weak metallics.
Some matte shades lasted as long as eight hours, while others were closer to six to seven hours. Most of the shimmers lasted around six hours, with a few exhibiting longer or shorter wear times.
For more details, you can browse our extensive MAC Connect in Colour Eyeshadow swatches.
