A lesson in wearing purple… feat. MAC In Extra Dimension and Wash & Dry releases

Purple title

So apparently I’ve been loving purple.

I rocked a smoky purple eye a few weekends ago during a night out and for the day I’ve been loving a light flush of the shade with some mascara. So why the sudden obsession? It all has to do with a shadow.

A couple weeks ago I received a couple new products from MAC, including their new In Extra Dimension shadow in Stylishly Merry and one of their lipsticks from the new Wash & Dry collection.  Stylishly Merry is a mid-tone dusty violet, which leans more on the orchid/lavender side of purple, making it easy to wear in the day.  You can also really layer it on for a night look, but for the most part, I’ve only ever worn this when the sun is up.

purple shadow

MAC’s In Extra Dimension eye shadows are a modern hybrid formula that combines the smoothness of a cream, the blendability of a liquid and the finish of a powder with long-wearing colour and prismatic reflections. Its creamy, silky, near-fluid formula creates luminous, well-defined eyes in finishes from sheer crystallized light to stunning metallic.  They retail for $20 USD or $24 CDN, and are available in 18 different colours.

Compared to the shadows from their regular line, I do find these are more creamier to apply.  They also last a long time on the lids; I believe the time billed is six hours, but I usually get an all-day wear (keep in mind I layer these over a base). MAC released Extra Dimension eyeshadows a couple years back, so I’m not sure what the difference is between those and the In Extra Dimension shadows. I know though that these are now part of their permanent line, whereas the other ones were limited edition.

For this particular look, I laid down MAC’s Paint Pot in Nubile (limited edition, but Painterly is a good dupe; basically you just want a neutral colour).  Then, with a flat-top shadow brush, I packed the colour on. After, I skipped the liner and just curled my lashes and applied a few coats of mascara (CoverGirl The Supersizer).  I left the lower lash line bare, just coated my lashes in mascara, then put a nude liner along my waterline.

Nude lipstick

Now since purple is such a bold colour to wear, go light on the lips. Every year I get overly excited about a few MAC collections, and Wash & Dry is definitely one of them. This breezy bronzing collection is inspired by bright fresh hues perfect for a full spin or quick tumble. Best of all, the rainbow packaging really pops in any bag you toss the item in. There are an abundance of products in the collection, but I always gravitate towards the lipsticks.  The lipsticks from the collection are all pretty much part of the permanent line, but I just couldn’t resist Creme D’Nude, a light beige-pink nude.  This lipstick is a cremesheen, making it sheer but buildable, moisturizing, and somewhat glossy.  Since the eyes take all the attention, it’s the perfect nude to complement the look. If your local counter is out of this colour from the collection, ask them for the regular packaging since it’s such a universal nude.

final

I didn’t think I would end up loving this shadow as much as I did.  Although these do retail more than their normal shadows, I did enjoy the consistency of the product.  I only received the one shade, but the formulation is enough to have me stopping by my nearest make counter and taking a peek at the other shades.

I wouldn’t necessarily wear just purple shadow every single day, this is a great shade for blue eyes, as it really makes them pop.  If you are into creamy shadows, definitely give their In Extra Dimension line a look.

Have you picked up any products from the Wash & Dry or In Extra Dimension lines?

Please note, I was sent these products from PR. All opinions are my own.

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