It’s always the era of Era around here. Flexible, because it flatters both warm and cool skin tones, MAC Era Eye Shadow is a fantastic workhorse neutral to have in your collection, especially if you love taupe.
Officially, MAC describes it as a soft golden beige, and yeah, I can see that, but on my NC42 skin, I’d characterize it as a golden taupe. Color temperature-wise, it’s like a perfect porridge — just right. Neither too warm, nor too cool.
I don’t know…but there’s just something earthy and natural about it. I see it and picture smooth river rocks baking in the hot desert sun…
And the finish? Satin. One of my favorite finishes from MAC.
It shines a bit, but doesn’t shimmer, and stops well short of frosty. It’s like a subtle, super pretty soft-focus sheen that just makes skin glow, and it’s so, so wearable.
When it comes time to blend Era, it never protests. A few swipes from a 217, and the soft, buttery formula blends into other colors without a hitch.
It’s perfect for easy or complicated looks blended with other taupe shades when you want a bridge between darker and lighter colors.
For softly defined eyes, I’ll dust MAC Ricepaper all over my lids, then rock Era in the crease with a MAC 217 before smudging black or brown liner along my lash lines, or pulling out the black cat eye liner…
Simple, classic and not overly flashy, it’s one of those eye looks that balances nicely with bold lips.
Era might be a good fit for you if…
- You take delight in taupes
- Like products you can wear with warm and cool shades
- Lean toward understated eye makeup looks
- You’re looking for a flattering new crease color with a satiny glow (marvelous on mature skin!)
- You like easy-to-blend eye shadows
- You want something you can wear daily to work
Era lives in MAC’s permanent collection ($15 for a regular pan; $12 for the Pro Pan refill pictured above), and it’s available now on MAC counters, in stores and online.
Watching now on Netflix: Orange Is the New Black
My latest TV obsession is one of Netflix’s new original programs called Orange Is the New Black.
I’ve been binge watching it all week… I think I’ve seen six or seven of the hour-long episodes so far (Netflix released the entire first season at the same time).
It’s a dramedy about a woman, Piper, who gets sent to a minimum-security prison for a youthful lapse in judgment/non-violent crime she committed about a decade earlier when she was in college. It follows her and her fellow inmates.
I’m not usually big on prison shows (Oz pretty much scarred me for life…although the shirtless Detective Stabler scenes were quite nice), but this one’s more weird and quirky than brutal and shocking.
I like it… There are squirm-worthy moments (not recommended for young kids), but it seems authentic to me (like I know anything bout prison). They do these cool, poignant flashbacks into the lives of the women before they were sent to the prison, and the choices they made along the way. Very interesting.
So tonight, I’m back to packing, believe it or not. Yup, I’m heading to Redding tomorrow to celebrate my father-in-law’s 70th birthday.
I suspect Tabs won’t miss me while I’m gone… He’s been extra disinterested in my existence lately.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The MAC Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite products from MAC’s permanent collection
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Texture Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Saddle Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Cork Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Fleur Power Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Costa Riche Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Chicory Lip Pencil
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Smoked Almond Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Half ‘n Half Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Chili Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Coffee Eye Pencil
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish in Global Glow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Burnt Spice
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Foundation/Loose
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Giddy Lustre Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Amorous Alloy Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Texture Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Saddle Eyeshadow
- Unsung Heroes: MAC In Extra Dimension Waterproof Mascara
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Minted Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Take the Plunge Technakohl Liner
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Cork Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: 221 Mini Tapered Blending Brush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Matchmaster Shade Intelligence Compact
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Oh My Mocha Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Pro Longwear Waterproof Colour Stick in Lilacked
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Satin Taupe Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: High Tea Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Blooz Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Fleur Power Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Layin’ Low Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Constructivist Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime Fix+
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Persistence Matte Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow in Brownluxe
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Costa Riche Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: The Studio Chromagraphic Pencils
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Brun Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Staunchly Stylish Pro Longwear Lip Pencil
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Warm Soul Mineralize Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Reflects Antique Gold Glitter
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Style Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Shaping Powder in Lightsweep
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Era Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Bronze Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Honey Lust Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Sun Rush Lustre Drops
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Nice Buzz Plushglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: 33 Lash
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Shale Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Harmony Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Careblends Pressed Powder
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Fulfilled Plushglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Bamboom Paint
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Sublime Nature Paint
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Face and Body Foundation
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Prunella Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: The 239 Eye Shader Brush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Greensmoke Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Ample Pink Plushglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Indianwood Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Bare Study Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Rubenesque Paint Pot
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Tarnish Eye Kohl
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Big Baby Plushglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Kohl Power Pencil Liner in Feline
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Format Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Ambering Rose Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in Silver Dusk
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in Golden Bronze
- MAC Unsung Heroes: C-Thru Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Fresh Flare Pro Longwear Eye Shadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Viva Glam V Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Loud & Lovely Cremesheen Glass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Viva Glam VI Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Breezy Sheertone Shimmer Blush
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Care Blends Essential Oils, Grapefruit + Chamomile
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Right Image Cremesheen Glass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Modesty Cremesheen Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Double Dare Cremesheen Lipglass
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Bamboo Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Speak Louder Cremesheen Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Sandy B Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Club Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Uniform Technakohl Liner
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Sweet Satisfaction Pro Longwear Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Red Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Lady Danger Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Tempting Eyeshadow
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Ruby Woo Lipstick
- MAC Unsung Heroes: Retrospeck Eyeshadow
Even i’m crazy about that show.
Yeah, it’s good!
Love,love,love Era! Second favorite Mac eyeshadow after Patina- which I learned about from you! I love to do the look you described swapping Rice Paper for Patina.
Hi KP,
I wear it with Patina all the time. What other shades do you like to wear it with?
Era was the very first MAC eyeshadow I purchased years ago. It’s also the only one I’ve hit pan to date. Love it. Although as my MAC collection (obsession) has grown I haven’t worn it lately. I’m feel nostalgic . . . think I will wear it tomorrow in honor of my birthday 🙂
Happy birthday, Takeia!
We already finished the season of Orange is the New Black – So freaking good!
I’m two episodes away from the finale! There are so many good lines. My favorite is “It’s just like the Hamptons, only f***ing horrible.” HAHAHA!
How’s work going btw?
i love your blog, make sure to check out mine ive recently started
allthatsbeautyandfashion.wordpress.com
Cool, thanks for sharing!
Yay, Era! It’s the ONLY eyeshadow I’ve ever hit pan on! I use it pretty much for everything, but my favorite is to blend out smokey eye looks with it. It’s pretty much perfect 😀 And so is that show! I saw it all in two days *gulp*…you’re going to love (or hate, ha) the ending!
Hi Solangel,
Ooh, you have to share your fave Era combos with me. 🙂
Marvelous on mature skin? That’s something I can get behind. 🙂
I haven’t seen Orange yet but have been using Netflix to watch back eps of The Killing. I tend to be behind on every series besides GoT and TB. Thank goodness for Netflix!
Oooh, which season? I tried to watch the first season and had a hard time getting into it. You should probably watch Orange Is the New Black without the boys around…
I watched the past 3 eps of this season because they were On Demand and then decided to start from the beginning of Season 1. I’m about halfway through but can see how it wouldn’t be for everyone. I’ve sobbed like 4 times already so I’ll probably need to take a break soon. I’ll try Orange, too. I seriously have to watch everything “good” without the boys. TV has changed a lot since we were young!! 🙂
Very Nice and versatile!
Yes!
Pretty! Looking for ideas for neutral lid ideas now that I wear a lot of bold lip looks! Have fun in Redding!
Thanks, Rachel. We’re here in Redding right now…I’m sure Tabs is thrilled to have the place to himself and to his petsitter.
What are you up to today?
Looks great! Have you tried All that Glitters Karen? Its a gorgeous color, I love it as an all over lid wash!
Hi Ankita,
I have and like it very much. What do you usually pair it with?
Era was one of the first colors I bought from MAC way back in the 90’s! I still have it – it’s a really great versatile neutral that works on many skin tones. I’m hoping MAC by Request will bring back Butterscotch, another old fave of mine.
I like Era in the crease with All That Glitters on the lid. Then whatever liner I grab first, usually Feline or Teddy.