I got my first MAC eyeshadows yesterday, in a fit of blind consumerism. Overall, I’m quite happy with my purchases—Trax and Amber Lights—as I had been curious about MAC eyeshadows. I’d also been looking for shadows in a nice purple and a shimmery bronze for a while, so these pretty much fit the bill.

MAC Trax

First up is MAC Trax, which is a purple velvet shadow with quite a bit of shimmer. Velvet shadows give a softer color than what they look like on the pan and have a velvety texture. You can use them as a wash or as a light shadow. I like to think of them as toned blending modes on Photoshop.

Trax has decent color payoff, but is only obviously purple if you use a base or a primer. On its own on my skin tone, it kind of looks like the beginnings of a glittery bruise.

Next is MAC Amber Lights, a peach-y golden bronze shadow with considerable shimmer. It is a Frost shadow, which appear to be metallic and are wont to reflect light and highlight certain spots. These are buildable shades, depending on the desired intensity. I love Amber Lights. It’s so pretty and versatile.

Here are the swatches. From left to right: Trax without primer, Trax with primer, and then Amber Lights without primer, and Amber Lights with primer. The primer I used was Benefit’s Lemon Aid, which as you can see, kind of discolors and diffuses the golden aspect of Amber Lights.

However, it brought out the purple in Trax, so I think I will be using this primer on certain shades only, especially if they are lighter.

There is the littlest bit of fallout, although not a disgusting, distracting amount. Both are versatile colors and perfect for a girl who’s still on the fence about loud shadows (aka, me!).

FOTD: Messy mascara & liner, MAC Trax (outer half of lid) and MAC Amber Lights (inner half of lid and crease) on eyes. NARS Orgasm on cheeks. Chanel Rouge Coco in Perlé on lips.

You can even wear them together, without looking like Lisa Frank threw up all over you.

VERDICT: I love both shades, although I don’t know if I will be using Trax as much as I plan on using Amber Lights.

Would purchase this again? Trax: If I end up using it more than I think I will. Amber Lights: Yes.

How much? Php 900 each for 0.05 oz.

Where to buy in Manila? Rustan’s.