MAC Tropical Taboo: Mineralize Skinfinish Review, Swatches and Photos

Undoubtedly the most anticipated products of a MAC Mineralize collection are the Mineralize Skinfinishes, and this summer's collection Tropical Taboo is no exception. Featured in Tropical Taboo are three new limited edition Skinfinishes: Adored, Lust and Rio ($35.00 CA/$30.00 US). All photos taken in natural light, swatches on NC 40/42 skin.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish: Adored, Lust and Rio

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Adored

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lust

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Rio

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish: Adored, Lust and Rio

Adored - described by MAC as "coral with a light beige pearl." Once mixed Adored turns into a champagne beige shimmer with a hint of peach/pink. On most skin tones it would work best as a neutral highlighter, as it's pigment is on the light end and it's colour is essentially close to that of skin. On darker complexions it will obviously look cooler and more dramatic. It's texture is very finely milled and a little powdery so it tends to blend out very easily.

Grade: B+

Lust - the description of Lust as a "pale pink with cranberry pearl" is somewhat misleading as I would peg Lust as a light-medium pink with pink pearl. Unlike Adored or Rio, Lust has an added pearl or fleck, which gives it's finish a slightly glittery/metallic look. It's texture is a little bit grittier than Adored or Rio due to this added pearl. Out of the three this one was the most pigmented on my skin, so on  light skin tones I could see this working as a blush. On medium and dark skin tone sit would be a slightly more dramatic/metallic highlighter.

Grade: B

Rio - a "bronze with a bright pink pearl" is more like a beige-coral on my skin tone. My favorite out of the three, it has a finely milled, powdery texture and a warm tone that I would imagine would be flattering to both warm and cool complexions. Pigmentation is on the light side, so this would again be best as more of a highlighter than a blush. On really fair complexions this would make a great companion to soften or blend out bronzer.

Grade: A-

I was very pleased to see MAC producing a refined group of MSF's. In the past this product has been extremely frosty/glittery which is fine for more dramatic looks but much too obvious for a "natural sheen" effect. I would like to see MAC continue to move towards this trend of finely milled highlighters...maybe they could end up somewhere in the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders end of the spectrum?

J