April 9, 2013

MAC Extra Dimension Blush Review & Swatches

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

MAC Extra Dimension Blush

Nobody panic but I think perhaps the MAC Extra Dimension Blush kinda suck. I tried At Dusk and Bareness and both were SO sheer and no metallic finish (I expected as much considering we get the finish from both the Extra Dimension Skin Finish and Eye Shadow).

I was actually expecting a glowing blush of some kind but they have a super soft almost semi-matte satin finish.

Am I nuts?

Perhaps!

MAC Extra Dimension Blush Swatches

At Dusk and Bareness

I think the good news is if you ever felt like Extra Dimension Skinfinishes were overkill than Extra Dimension Blushes might be a very pleasant surprise. However, if you loved the overkill of the Skinfinish you might found the blushes are completely and utterly a bust.

I’ve always liked the Extra Dimension Skinfinishes but even I can agree they are very shimmery and sometimes too frosty. But on occasion a shade or two has crossed my path that had an incredible metallic finish that gave my cheeks this stunning glow. I expected the same from the blushes in all honesty so I was shocked they are the complete reverse finish and formula of the Skinfinish.

I dunno you but I expected bold, lots of gold, possibly some shimmer. Instead you get a REALLY super sheer blush here or at least the two shades I tried were very sheer.

MAC Bareness Extra Dimension Blush is a warm beige with a soft, satiny feel that almost feels semi-matte to me. The color is too sheer to actually show up on my skin tone so if you’re super fair of skin this might just be your solution to a warm yet wearable shade of beige blush. I sadly didn’t get the glow I’ve been reading about in other reviews….I just look like I applied face powder after application but no color at all shows up on my skin.

MAC Bareness Extra Dimension Blush

MAC At Dusk Extra Dimension Blush I had a similiar experience with this. This is a lighter dusky pink with a subtle, sheer color pay off. This has a satiny feel as well with a soft, easy to apply texture. The formula is a little more finely milled than Bareness and kicks up some dust when a brush is applied to it but doesn’t produce a chalky finish on skin. After application, again I felt like I had applied face powder but not actual blush as I’m not seeing ANY color.

MAC At Dusk Extra Dimension Blush

Needless to say I was terribly impressed with the beautiful formula of the blushes. They have a really soft, finely milled texture that’s a joy to apply. The blush doesn’t cling to flaky areas, applies smoothly and flawlessly, and just feels stunning on. The lack of pigment was a vast disappointment though. I think I expected more of a metallic-like blush much like the shadows and Skinfinish and these just don’t bring that….!

However, I admit I would be happy with the formula if a touch more pigment was involved.

I look forward to exploring the other shades in the hopes they have better color pay off.

Were you expecting some sort of shimmer or metallic goodness from these blushes?

Or is the subtly of them appealing?

Do share!

These are available from MAC this week at all counters or online at maccosmetics.com

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Leticia – Cosmetics Aficionado

    The other shades had better payoff. For these to show up on me I had to use a dense synthetic brush.

    • the Muse

      ugh aren’t they subtle?! I was disappointed. I thought they’d have some sort of glow or metallic finish, something anything!? but they are really ho hum!

  • Jamie

    Yep, they suck alright! I am so annoyed with these blushes! I ordered 4, two from Mac that I got today, and the other 2 from Nordies, which will be here on Friday. The two I got were Blazing Haute and Flaming Chic. They look so bright, but to get any pigment I had to ruin the design and I don’t like that. I am returning them. I did get the highlighter and it’s the same formula, and so are the shadows, so I’m keeping those. It seems to me that they could have made the blushes with the same formula as the other items, right?

    • the Muse

      I’m kinda mind boggled by them! I too expected them to be like the eyeshadows and MSF but the finish is FAR softer and more subtle 🙁 kinda crushed, I wanted more glow!

  • cat

    It would be nice to see these colors on your cheeks. I’m not getting a clear picture with just the swatches :/

    • the Muse

      cat not sure if you read the review but the colors don’t show up on my face.

  • amy

    I’m really interested in At Dusk. I’ve been looking for this sort of shade for a while, so I’m hoping to swatch it at some point. I’m pretty light, and neutral, so I’m curious to see how it looks on me, and if I can actually purchase it.

  • Teiva

    I bought Flaming Chic and it took about 5 layers on my NW15 skin to show up. I had to use a very stiff brush and really dig into it to get anything off of it. BUT..when I FINALLY got some one my face and you could see it..the color DID last a REALLY long time. All day, actually. I think that I am going to return it, though. For the price of the blush its really too much work to use.

    • the Muse

      sigh same issues here teiva 🙁 I tried with a kabuki but even than color was REALLY hard to see!

  • Cj

    I’m aliiiiiiiveeeee! Time for speed commenting to catch up, you ready wifey??

    Ok I ordered all 5 of these, I’m returning 2, not because they’re bad but the color doesn’t work for me, I’m returning fiery impact and blazing haute, those 2 arrant as sheer as the other 3 btw. Now I get why a lot of people are disappointed, but if you don’t look at these as extra dimension blushes, they are freaking amazing, expecially for fair people and guys who want something natural, these give gorgeous barely there hints of color that totally liven up my face. No glow just soft satiny finish.

    Also I loooove the mineralize balms!

  • Lisa

    The colors look so pretty. I read on another website that there is a waxy first layer on the blushes. When you scrape off the waxy layer, there is a better color payoff.