Please pardon my less-than-pristine pot of MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly. We’ve done a lot of lovin’ together over the past few years.
Painterly, a clean, classic nude beige with a matte finish, is one of my favorite cream eyeshadows in the MAC Paint Pot line. Mostly, I use it as an eyeshadow base or to even out my lid color by buffing a single layer of it on with a MAC 217 before some cat eyeliner and mascara.
I absolutely lurve the way it enhances other shadow colors when it’s worn as a base. It keeps other colors true to the way they look in their pans, which is a nifty trick. Products are also easy to blend on top of it, so when I’m doing a look with multiple colors and gradients, Painterly is almost always the base I grab.
On my (now, this time of year) slightly dry lids, Painterly lasts all day long without creasing, but if you have uber-oily lids, you might want to give it a hand by applying it atop a layer of NARS Pro-Prime or Too Faced Shadow Insurance.
I have found that I have to be careful about how much Painterly I use…because when I apply too much, it settles in some places more than others and ends up looking patchy.
Most of the time, I’ll buff a very thin layer on my lids with a MAC 217, and then, if the look is involved at all, dust a light layer of face powder directly on top. I think the powder evens the surface a bit more, making everything easier to blend.
I know a lot of gals, from fair to dark, NW and NC alike, who adore Painterly for its prowess as an eyeshadow base.
I have to admit — I was a skeptic at first. I mean, it’s lighter than my NC42 skin tone! — but it turns out, that only helps it enhance other colors. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S.
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
Yup, it’s an all time fave of mine too Karen. P.s i luv your blog x
I’m a daily painterly user as well. I actually just purchased a Milani shadow stick in Almond Cream and it’s almost an identical color, in stick version! I have been using that the past couple days with good results. Just an FYI to share my product love!
thanks for the tip, will need to try milani almond cream (a stick form is more convenient).
This is such a great trick! I have super oily lids but I should try this out with a primer under it. Gotta love reasons to visit MAC.
TGIF!
Now I need it. I already have the Constructivist paint pot, but this has convinced me on Painterly. Sadly, MAC is way expensive here… 🙁
I’ll just have to give it to myself or convince someone else to give it to me as a birthday present. 😉
how do you feel about UD primer potion? I just switched to that after being a loyal shadow insurance user. I think i like the UD PP better though.
I love Painterly too! It’s my HG as eyeshadow primer cos I’ve got the oiliest eyelids. No eyeliner, no matter how longwearing, has withstood smudging without painterly on. Haven’t given Nars Pro-prime a try yet with eyeliners from Dior or MUFE. The Nars eyeliner w Pro-prime smudged on me in less than an hour.
I didn’t end up buying Painterly, but I got Soft Ochre instead. But a little voice inside my head keeps saying I should just get Painterly too 😉
I recently bought and fell in love with this myself! It’s very pink on me, like a dark pink brown. For reference, I’m about a NC10, just under a NC15. It looks great on it’s own as a relatively dark pink brown shadow for me. So easy to apply! And it does make a great primer under other colors, although I do feel it adds a bit of darkness to really light colors on me.
I still am not completely sold on Painterly. Every time I use it, I think it’s just okay. Bare Study has been my everyday base lately.
lol that dance with Tabs is precious :))))
I recently discovered painterly. I couldn’t agree with you more! It’s an awesome base (I to was a skeptic).
Tabs!
happy friday! *well it’s saturday already in my part of the world*
painterly disappears on my lids, so i can’t use it as eyeshadow, but as base it rocks! actually i prefer the mac paintpot as eyeshadow base opposed to the other products named as base.
The dancing pic is crazyy.. 😛 :P.. the paint pots are really good… 🙂
Love the Tabby photo 😉
Painterly has been in my stash for years… It was the first paint pot I ever tried and it has consistently remained my go-to lid primer & shadow base. I’ve had them all – Too Faced, UD, Lorac, Milani, etc. and I ALWAYS come back to Painterly. It’s the perfect lid perfecter for my veiny lids too, never creases or fades on me. One pot lasts forever. I take it for granted every day but it might be my most used, loved, and dependable makeup product!! Whoa.
I love this as well!!! It works to make colors pop underneath or is a quick wash of color on the lid with a bit of crease color for a good neutral look 🙂