Why I Don't Use MAC Eyeshadows Anymore

When I was around 16, MAC eyeshadows were coveted. The range of colours and finishes were unrivalled at the time. I bought a large palette with the idea of filling it, I did have around 6-8 different shades but as soon as the Urban Decay original Naked Palette was released they were pushed to one side.

Palettes weren’t really accessible to the everyday consumer, only high-end brands had quads and building a custom palette was left to the makeup artists. In my opinion, Urban Decay shook up the makeup market, starting a nude eyeshadow trend that many brands followed suit on.

My old MAC eyeshadows were chalky and chunky, with hardly any payoff in terms of pigment compared to the Naked Palette. A few years on I still have them in my collection as nostalgia, but I have so many other great options I never need to buy another MAC shadow again. The shades I still have left in my collection are Green Smoke, Club, Twinks, Satin Taupe and Nocturnelle. As you can see from the photos below, they are quite muddy and chunky in texture.

My favourite alternatives at the moment are Makeup Geek eyeshadows. They are buttery and highly pigmented; you can also collect the pans and build your own palette, much like MAC does.

I still adore my Naked Palettes and I have a real thing for my Naked 3 palette at the moment. This one from the Naked range houses lots of pink undertone eyeshadows, they are super feminine colours.

From the high street, I would recommend NYX for both single shadows and palettes. I have the Ultimate Shadow Palette in Warm Neutrals. It has an amazing range of nudes and browns and it's compact enough that it would be perfect for travelling. 

For cream eyeshadows, I adore Charlotte Tilbury; they are incredibly easy to blend and can be layered to build the colour up. The quads are on my wish list at the moment.

Do you still use MAC eyeshadows? If not what are your favourite alternatives?

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