MAC Midnight Madness Mineralize Eye Shadow Holiday 2009 Review

Taupe.  The word sends vibrations of earth shaking through some veins of the makeup world.  There is something about the quest for the perfect taupe that sends a certain segment of the population into a frenzy.

MAC Smoke and Diamonds is one example- that sent a whole bunch of people into a quest that lasted a year until it was released once again.

Then there was the infamous COCO pigment.  There are STILL people who clamor for a small jar of that from anyone that will sell it to them.

One of the things that I have learned about taupe makeup is that it only fits a certain group of people well, but when it fits- it really looks AMAZING.

One of my favorite colors of all time was a MINERALIZE EYE SHADOW DUO from MAC called EARTHLY RICHES.  The only problem with it was that the texture was such that it had to be applied with a damp brush on an eyeshadow base to make it stick at all.

EARTHLY RICHES made the eyes truly pop when doing a smokey eye and I found the colors to work well on many different people.

Well, MAC has released another version of this color called MIDNIGHT MADNESS.

WHAT IS MIDNIGHT MADNESS LIKE?

MAC MIDNIGHT MADNESS MINERALIZE EYE SHADOW from the MAGIC MIRTH, and MISCHIEF collection from HOLIDAY 2009 is a medium taupe color which has a section of it dedicated to a brassy gold glitter shadow too.

2.2g of product for $19.50 is a bit steep, but the improvements that MAC has made on their MINERALIZE EYE SHADOWS has been all for the good so far.  This time around MIDNIGHT MADNESS MINERALIZE EYE SHADOW has something new in it- something that makes the eye shadow stick to the eyelids and not come off if used dry.

This new texture is creamier and more velvety at the same time.  This makes the eyeshadow look velvety if used dry, but still metallic like if you add a damp brush to it.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS is a cooler taupe color with a light icy taupe shimmer to it.  It does not sound very special, but on a cooler complexion it really does wonders on the eyes- when used as a smokey eye.

PERFORMANCE

When used dry, the texture is a buildable velvety texture.  MIDNIGHT MADNESS MINERALIZE EYESHADOW is a lovely crease color.  When used for a smokey eye on someone with a cooler complexion, it really does make the eyecolor pop beautifully.  So many taupes are very warm which does not work on cooler complexions.

I find that using it with IT'S A MIRACLE MINERALIZE EYE SHADOW also from this collection, MIDNIGHT MADNESS is the perfect companion.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS makes a great eyeliner if used with a damp brush over a good eyeshadow base.

So far, the performance is excellent.  Not much fallout from the taupe side, the gold however, is another story.  Used wet it is okay, but dry, it is useless.  The shadow is very blendable (back to the taupe side again), and stays on well too.

I will continue to experiment and let you know if there are any sensitivities that develop over time.

FINAL COMMENTS

I think that MIDNIGHT MADNESS is an excellent choice to get as a shadow.  It is a neutral shade but one that is hard to find in the eyeshadow ranges of this caliber.  I see MIDNIGHT MADNESS as being useable all year round and an excellent color to add to your collection of neutrals.  Just ignore the gold side if you don't like it.

You can find out more about MIDNIGHT MADNESS MINERALIZE EYESHADOW from

www.maccosmetics.com

or any counter that sells MAC or MAC store or MAC PRO store.

I would not wait too long to decide about this one, however.  Knowing how popular taupey colors are, this will not last long and before you know it, it will be selling for lots of money on Ebay.