MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow

Each Autumn for as long as I have been blogging one particular eyeshadow crops up as a must have every single year. Yes I am of course speaking about MAC Cranberry which I was very late to the party in discovering. In fact I only purchased my pan earlier this year and while I am being entirely truthful I first applied MAC Cranberry to my eyes a little more than a week ago. Burgundy eyeshadow scares me a little, one wrong move and you look like you've spent the day chopping onions!

MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow
MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow
MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow

As my MAC Cranberry eyeshadow is a refill pan there is not much I can say about the packaging, this shade does also come in a stand alone pot should you not have or want a MAC palette or quad. The pans for the palettes do work out cheaper - which may be something to keep in mind for future reference and you can Back to MAC the empty pans as long as they have the MAC magnet on the back. Since my quad has been featured in the photos it is only fair I mention the other three shades. From top to bottom and left to right, I have: Trax, Cranberry, Blackberry and Shadowy Lady.

MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow
MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow

So yes MAC Cranberry a bizarre shade of eyeshadow if ever there was one. Officially listed by MAC as a red plum with pink shimmer, close but no cigar. In my opinion MAC Cranberry is a rusty red hue that oddly leans cool toned, in certain lights it looks more pink than red but best summed up it is a metallic burgundy or maroon if you fancy. If you have blue or green eyes this shade will really make them look more blue or green than they are. However be warned that in my opinion it is one of those shades that you do have to be careful when it it comes to application as it can look painful. To avoid this I recommend using MAC Cranberry in conjunction with other shades be it warm browns or to jazz up a smoky eye.

MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow
MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow

As with all MAC eyeshadows I found this shade to apply best with a primer and typically I can achieve around 8 hours of crease free wear from a MAC eyeshadow and this isn't any different. The levels of pigmentation and ease of blendability are as I have come to expect from MAC. Think a silky soft texture that doesn't product significant levels of product fall out, wears well on even the oiliest of lids and produces good colour pay off. When wore dry don't get me wrong the pigment is there but I find that when dampened this shade really comes to life and are oddly easier to work with. My only advice if doing this would be to reserve a segment of your eyeshadow for wet use as once you wet any eyeshadow it is never quite the same dry ever again.

To answer my question MAC Cranberry a must have? I'm not convinced, I still much prefer L'Oreal Color Riche L'Ombre Pure Eyeshadow in the shade Escape in Bordeaux which I have reviewed here.

MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow £10-£13 via Debenhams - link.