How to Get the Most Out of the MAC Dazzleshadows From the MAC Le Disko Collection

WANTED — One illuminating disco floor (complete with square floor tiles that change color to the beat of the music) and silver disco ball for impromptu office party. I’ll provide music and cat (because what’s a disco party without a chubby tabby? — a HELLA BORING disco party, that’s what). You bring your slickest bell-bottoms and signature moves.

En lieu of cover charge, arrive wearing one of the new Dazzleshadow eyeshadows from the new MAC Le Disko collection, and enter the front door doing The Hustle. 🙂

For the shadow-loving roller girls out there, the MAC Le Disko collection is available now and bristling with Dazzleglasses, a couple of Superslicks (the gold and silver shades, both re-promotes) and a flat shader brush (also a re-promote), but I feel like most of the items are sideshows for the Dazzleshadow main event — a line of super sparkly metallic glittery eyeshadows that could very well make you go “Ooh!” when you open them.

I don’t remember ever seeing these before, so I think they’re a new MAC shadow formulation, in this case limited edition, $21 each, and available in 12 shades…

• She Sparkles — a light gray with silver sparkles
• Last Dance — a peachy beige with pink sparkles
• Let’s Roll — a reddish bronze with sparkles
• Try Me On — a deep blueish green with sparkles
• Say It Isn’t So — a dark gray with pink sparkles
• Can’t Stop Don’t Stop — a deep plummy purple with sparkles
• Let’s Boogie — a black with sparkles
• Boom Boom Room — a light burgundy with emerald sparkles
• I Like 2 Watch — a mid-toned brown with golden sparkles
• Slow/Fast/Flow — a bronze with red sparkles
• Get Physical — a purple with light blue sparkles
• Feel the Fever — a deep blueish purple with pink sparkles

You can have tons of fun with these shadows — super shimmery glitter-fests and high-shine foiled effects — but in order to go buck wild, I think it helps to know how to work ’em; otherwise, frustration could ensue.

On that note, when working with these, here are some things to keep in mind…

1. Use a creamy base

Whatever you do, don’t even think about applying these on dry skin like a traditional eyeshadow. Please! You’ll get glitter all over the place (read: fallout city) and won’t get the best pigment payoff.

I get my best results when I layer these Dazzleshadows on top of a creamy, wet base, because they love to latch onto something. My favorite for these is MAC 24-Hour Extend Eye Base (which I like more than NARS Pro-Prime in this case because the MAC base stays “wet” longer), or sometimes a MAC Fluidline like Blacktrack, and you’ll get a different effect with each of these.

When I layer the Dazzleshadows on top of MAC 24-Hour, I get bold glitter and a moderate amount of pigment that remains very true to the color you see in the pan.

I like this combination for stuff like going out to dinner or the movies, because it’s good glitter — noticeable, but not full-on Las Vegas bachelorette party glitter.

Last week I wore Last Dance (the peachy beige with pink sparkles) one night when we went out to dinner. I applied it on my lids and buffed out the edges to feather out the glitter, then swept MAC Soft Brown into the crease, and got some nice compliments (one of them was even from a makeup artist, *blushes*).

And layering the Dazzleshadows on top of a Fluidline like Blacktrack is pretty fun, too. Shadows applied on top of Blacktrack appear richer and deeper, and they take on a metallic finish. Some of the shadows will end up looking completely different than they do in the pan, which I think is also pretty rad. If you’re going for all-out drama, use Blacktrack.

2. Reach for a flat, compact eye brush

A flat concealer brush works really well with these. Basically, you want to apply them using something flat and super stiff because it’ll make it easier to place the shadows exactly where you want them.

You could use a finger…but I really do think it’s easier to be precise with these using a brush, and you can leave the brush dry, or wet it first with water or something like MAC Fix+ to intensify the shadows and make them shine even more.

3. Don’t dilly-dally

I’ve found that once the base dries, the Dazzleshadows don’t stick as well to my skin, so work as quickly so you can to get them on that wet surface.

Expect a little movement as you go about your business wearing these because they do seem to shift and shimmy on my lids throughout the day. I’m not sure at all, but I have a feeling it’s purposeful, because it leads to them to looking kind of grungy glam.

Of course, depending on how polished you like your eye makeup, this could be a make-or-break thing. I happen to dig wearing grungy-glam, messy makeup sometimes, so I think it’s cool.

The Dazzleshadows are (supposedly) available now at all MAC locations and online, but you might want to call ahead before you trek out to your favorite MAC store or counter if you’re interested in them because they weren’t available yet at the MAC counter I checked last Saturday (the Nordie’s in Corte Madera, California).

Then, once confirmed, make a date with your favorite makeup enabler to see them in person, ’cause that’s the only way to roll, obvs. Afterwards, the two of you can get fries, talk about cats and makeup, and have an impromptu dance party…perhaps in the privacy of your car. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen