There should be a YouTube video above this blurb. If you can’t see it, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.
Oh, heavens! Look at those naughty names… Spank Me, Beg For It and Think Kink? And those are just the tip of the S&M iceberg, haha. I think it’s safe to say that the new MAC Dark Desires collection was inspired by some sort of 50 Shades of Grey type situation.
But I’m thinking that this collection is going to make a different kind of fantasy come true — one of my makeup fantasies — which is to be able to draw winged liner and not have it take half a day!
OK…so maybe half a day is exaggerating (barely), but you know what though?! It feels that way sometimes, especially when I’m deep in it, and I’ve been sitting there futzing with the angles for 20 minutes.
I know you feel my pain!
There’s a reason for that saying about winged liner being the reason why everyone’s always late (why can’t I remember that saying??).
MAC Dark Desires promises to upgrade your winged liner life with a new product line called The Well Eye Shadows ($20).
They aren’t ringing any bells for me, so I think these are brand-spankin’ new.
Designed from the start to be applied wet or dry, these super soft, pigmented powder products are dual-purpose. You can use them as eyeshadows and/or eyeliners.
The little packages are slimmer than MAC’s regular eyeshadows, and check this out: each one has a divot, or “a well,” right in the middle of the pan.
The idea is that you’re supposed to wet your brush, then swirl it around in the divot, then apply the wet powder to your lids.
So The Well Eye Shadows? For winged liner, big paws up from me. Compared to gel or liquid liner, I think these are easier to control when wet, and when I use them I spend way less time fixing my mistakes.
I dunno… I just feel like I have more leeway with them than I do with gel or liquid liner.
Liquid liners are usually runny and very pigmented, so you have to be absolutely on point with your placement; otherwise, you get liner in your crease (boo!).
Gel liners are also usually very pigmented, and usually more forgiving than liquids because of their thicker formula, but they can still be tricky and easy to over-apply. Sometimes they’ll end up looking really thick and start flaking.
But I can build out my lines more slowly with these wet powder liners, much like gel liners, except that The Well shadows don’t look as heavy if you accidentally over-apply them, and they don’t lift off or flake.
They also set pretty quickly, and so therefore don’t transfer up into my crease, which is one of my BIGGEST liner pet peeves.
Basically, as liner, I think these rock (I go into how I feel about them as eyeshadows in the video at the top).
The 22-piece collection, which is mostly eye products, also includes four lipsticks and two nail lacquers, but yeah, this one’s crazy for eyes. You’ll find it making dark makeup fantasies come true at MAC counters, stores and online December 3, 2015, through January 14, 2016.
Befitting a name like Dark Desires, the colors are super saturated and dark, and black plays a big part. Most of the pieces have either a figurative or literal reference to black in them.
The MAC Dark Desires collection
- Cremesheen Lipstick in Black Night, a black with red and gold pearl ($17)
- Cremesheen Lipstick in Boyfriend Stealer, a blackened plum ($17)
- Cremesheen Lipstick in Heavy Petting, a burgundy ($17)
- Glaze Lipstick in Ring My Bell, a pale cool neutral ($17)
- The Well Eye Shadow in Beg For It, a matte black ($20)
- The Well Eye Shadow in Switch Me on, a matte dark navy ($20)
- The Well Eye Shadow in Midnight Tryst, a matte chocolate brown ($20)
- The Well Eye Shadow in What’s Your Fantasy, a black with heavy multi-colored pearl ($20)
- The Well Eye Shadow in Think Kink, a grayish silvery white ($20)
- The Well Eye Shadow in Dark Desires, a matte blackened eggplant ($20)
- Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline, a black ($16.50)
- Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Orpheus, an intense black with golden pearl ($16.50)
- Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Mystery, an intense black with green pearl ($16.50)
- Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Raven, an intense black with red pearl ($16.50)
- Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash ($22)
- Haute & Naughty Black Lash ($22)
- Fluidline Eye Liner in Blitz & Glitz, a black with golden pearl ($16.50)
- MAC Studio Eye Gloss in Spank Me, a black with multi color glitter ($22)
- MAC Studio Eye Gloss in Pearl Varnish, a white gloss with pearl ($22)
- MAC Studio Eye Gloss in Erogenous Zone, a violet with multi color glitter ($22)
- MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in 6-Inch Stilettos, a blackened blue ($12)
- MAC Studio Nail Lacquer in Unzipped, a blackened green ($12)
There’s a lot more info in the video. Thank you as always for watching. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
It’s a beautiful collection. The well shadow is very design is really clever. I’d be more likely to wear the eye glosses on my lips. I spend most of my time fighting greasy lids and creasing.
Does the pearl come through on Black Night? It looks like it gets lost in the swatch. I totally got that late 90s vibe from Ring My Bell, as well. I used to love those icy taupey lavender shades in the 90s for lips and eyes. I never did the unblended dark lipliner thing, though, but I remember it being very popular.
Hi Rachel R.,
Yes, I can see it the pearl when it’s on the lips. It’s subtle but it’s there. 🙂
Thank you!
Um. Those “well” shadow/liners, though. ? Midnight Tryst and What’s Your Fantasy are rocking my WORLD! They look absolutely gorgeous swatched wet, and that glitter, mmmph!
LOL to the aggressive cat petting! You’re so funny! I’m a bit bummed that the shadows aren’t great shadows ha ha, I was hoping to get dark desires to kind of replace sketch because although I lov bathe color, it’s sooo hard to blend and it’s the only Mac shadow that visibly fades away as I wear it 🙁
The colors don’t wow me (maybe I have to reconnect to my whip-cracking side?), but I am tempted to get one of the Studio Glosses, most likely “Spank me”. Just because I have nothing similar in my kit.
There are some really nice colors in this collection it seems, going to check out the video right away!
Shades are so good! love the well eyeshadows! xx
This was a fabulous review, Karen. I think there is something for everyone in this collection. And, I am glad that I am not the only one who had some strange makeup ideas (like the dark lip liner around the pale lipstick) back in the day. I could tell you stories! Thank you so much for you. I hope your pregnant self is felling well. You look great. Love you!
It’s definitely an interesting collection! The well shadows look really cool. Of course, I love the purple eye gloss but I would probably never use it…The names though!!!
LOL, they’re so naughty! 🙂
“What are you wearing?”
“Spank Me.”
“What?!”
I really love the colors in this collection! Sadly, I don’t need any smoky eyeshadows, but the liners and lipsticks (especially that black and purple) are calling my name! I don’t know when or where I would wear black lipstick but I’ll figure something out haha
You should try it! I think it can look very cool if you’ve got the outfit and hair to match.
I’ve never been interested in black lipsticks before, but Black Night is CALLING MY NAME. It’s so rare to find a black shade with any kind of shimmer!
Hi Auxiliary Beauty,
Yeah, I like it too! So opaque and you can actually see the shimmer. 🙂
Eye gloss? Very curious about that product! I’m sure it would work more for a nightclub look or a perfume editorial photoshoot but maybe I could find somewhere to wear it 🙂
When I saw the first promo pics I was wondering why these shadows had this strange central circle pattern, it all makes sense now! I’m actually pretty impressed by their pigmentation, and I LURV to you shadows as liners. So much easier to get a clean line than with any liquid or gel liner for me.
Um…is it crazy that I wanna rock that black sparkly eye gloss? My inner goth girl is dying to try it! I’m actually looking forward to this launch. I’m eyeing a few of those
“well” shadows, too.
Totally not crazy! I feel the same way. You have to pair it with the dark lipstick, though. 🙂
“Never ask a girl with winged eyeliner why she’s late”.
?
I already love using eyeshadows wet as eyeliner! I find that it makes a softer, smokier, more flattering effect than liquid or gels. Those are fun sometimes, but I generally find using wet shadows more flattering and smokier, and makes the eye look more open (always a good thing for my close set eyes). I’ll definitely check out the well shadows!
Hmm, Ring My Bell reminds me of a MAC product I bought around 15 years ago and still miss lol… It was this SUPER thick, opaque pearlescent gloss in a squeeze tube that was very warm, almost beige-y gold. I look forward to when we invent make-up time machines 🙂 I might have to pick up Ring My Bell in the meantime.
Okay your swatches look REALLY nice! Much nicer than the ones I just saw. They totally turned me off lol. Your swatches makes me want the navy and What’s Your Fantasy like right now though. I have to check these out in stores to be sure but if they’re as good as you say, I’m gonna need one lol
Love the product names and the colors! Why do I want a black sparkly eye gloss?!?! I have no where to wear such a thing. Ugh, the pain if being a beauty addict not in the beauty industry.