must try: mac paint pots

i thought i'd start a series of "must tries"...items i think are star items within a brand overall. i feel within any brand it is rare to find that all the products they offer are worth buying. i will go through what i think is worth checking out within a brand and why i think so. hopefully this will help those that are new to a brand or just new to a certain product! i will kick off with mac paint pots.

paint pots are basically cream eyeshadows or bases. they also can be used as a primer for the lids, if your lids arent extremely oily. the consistency is thin yet opaque. the formula is very blendable, it doesnt dry too quickly so you have time to spread the color onto your lids. they come in many permanent and LE shades. i currently own 6, 5 of which are permanent colors.

painterly
probably one of the most popular shades since it acts as a blank canvas and makes colors show up better. it is a creamy matte light beige. this is probably my most used shade as well as my oldest.

depending on your skin tone, you could choose this color or soft ochre. painterly i would say is for fairer and the more cool toned. soft ochre is more yellow and for the warm toned.

indianwood
this is a warm metallic bronze. this was also one of my first paint pots. i wore this a lot on it's own when i first got into makeup because it was such an easy shade to wear.

sometimes this shade is a little TOO bronze to wear by itself though so i like to pair it with tempting or, even better, sumptuous olive. if you have indianwood and sumptuous olive...please layer them together...pretty please? it's so lovely together.

groundwork
i would say this is my favorite paint pot. the color is a matte neutral greyed brown. i love this because it is an effortless shade. this shade is the easiest shade to wear. many times i have just plopped this on my lid, added mascara and headed out the door.

if you are just beginning in makeup, i would really recommend this shade. it is effortlessly pretty. it also works great as a base for soft smokey brown looks.

vintage selection
my only LE shade. this came out with the champale collection. it is a pinky pearly champagne. this is the most shimmery shade i have. it could also be used as a highlighter if you wished.

this pairs really well with naked lunch by mac. or urban decays sin. if you like shimmery, you would like this shade.

quite natural
this is a matte dark brown. this is a great base for more intense brown smokey eyes. i recently got this so i havent used it too much.

when i have used this shade it was pretty intensely pigmented. so much that it was a bit harder to spread the color. i would say this is the hardest shade for me to work with.

contructivist
this is a metallic plummy brown with very fine red sparkles. i really like this shade. it isnt too shimmery so it smooths out on the lid as a dark brown with a sheen.

i like to layer this shade with shimmery browns or golds. it really adds depth to whatever color i layer on top.

swatches:
from left to right: painterly, indianwood, groundwork, vintage selection, quite natural, contructivist

overall i really recommend these. the formula is great, i dont get any creasing with these (my lids are slightly more oily than normal, but nothing too crazy), and the colors are very neutral. the only downside to these(if you love color) is there arent too many colorful shades in the permanent range. it isnt a downside to me because i love me some neutrals.

what paint pots do you have/love/want? right now im pretty content on what shades i have. rubenesque is popular but it leans a little too orangey for my liking. bare study is also popular but it is way too sheer on me (my sister has this one). i havent had a chance to try out any of MUF or benefits cream shadows so i cant compare! let me know if you like those more than mac's...id love to try them all out.