Review & Swatches: MAC Dazzlesphere! Smoky Berry Crushed Metallic Pigment Kit

Limited Edition
Release Date: December 10, 2011
Availability: MAC online & MAC stores

MAC’s Dazzlespheres collection features 3 limited-edition Crushed Metallic Pigment kits. This review is for the kit in “Smoky Berry”:

• Pearl: Pearl
• Rose: Light Rose
• Spicy Smoke: Dark strawberry
• Roasted Chestnut: Deep chocolate with gold pearl

Packaging: 9.25/10

The pigments themselves are housed in clear plastic jars. The jars are stacked in pairs but you can mix-and-match them however you want to.

The jars are housed in plastic globes with the top-halves being see-through and bottom-halves being silver. You twist the halves to open up the globe and access the product. This packaging makes for a great holiday gift.

Quality: 9.5/10

Like with all Crushed Metallic Pigments, these colors have frosty finishes.

Pearl is a shimmery white with the slightest hint of light pink in it. Rose is a light pink, Spicy Smoke is a medium brick, and Roasted Chestnut is a deep, rich brown. All of the colors go on evenly and with strong color.

All the colors become ever-so-slightly more vibrant when you apply them wet.

This is the best of the 3 Crushed Metallic Pigment kits.

Ease of Use: 8.5/10

Although often times beautiful, Crushed Metallic Pigments are relatively difficult to work with. They get glitter absolutely everywhere and the open-jar packaging only encourages you to get shimmers on your fingers and clothes.

You also need to swipe your brush across the skin several times to flatten and even out the pigment. It takes more effort to work with these pigments, but a lot of the time it’s worth it.

Price: 9.75/10

For $32.50, you get a total of 12 grams of pigment. MAC’s normal pigments cost $20.00 and give you only 4.5 grams of product. You’re getting a phenomenal deal with the Crushed Metallic Pigment sets.