Review: MAC Greasepaint Stick

Posted by Tamara in eye liner, eye shadow, review | 4 comments

Category: Multi-purpose

Product Name: MAC Greasepaint Stick (Dirty)

Product Description: A smooth and creamy eye crayon with an opalescent sparkle finish specially formulated for maximum drama. Easily provides ultra-high-level coverage. Versatile. Use as a soft but intense liner or blend out to create a smoke-like shadow. Long-wearing. Transfer and water-resistant. (from maccosmetics.com)

Price: $21 CAD

Amount: 1g (0.03 oz)

Packaging: A thick, black plastic retractable twist up pencil with a lid that clicks when properly sealed.

Experience: I try not to do too many reviews on limited edition products, but after putting this through a grueling test I really wanted to write about it.

With that said, the greasepaint sticks have been released by MAC on a few occasions. They debuted with the Style Black collection of 2009, followed up with some new colours in the D-Squared collection of 2009 and then re-appeared with Art Supplies and Venomous Villains in 2010. So even though they are limited, they definitely seem to pop up regularly – so keep an eye out. Many people considered the greasepaint sticks to be a new spin on shadesticks, but while the packaging is essentially the same, the formula is completely different.

This product is a bit stiff to start off with, but as it warms on the skin it becomes quite creamy. It blends easily enough, but it dries down very quickly so if you’re after a smudged effect you need to do it as soon as the product is put on. The pigmentation is very good, while remaining versatile. Layering is done easily for more opacity and intensity, or blending can be done to sheer it out. I’ve always applied it directly from the stick, which works very well for me. This isn’t ideal for kit use, but to maintain professional hygienic standards it would be easy enough to slice off small amounts to use with a palette and brush.

Any time that something is said to be transfer resistant or crease proof, I’m immediately skeptical. Both the shadesticks and paintpots from MAC creased without another base under them, but the greasepaint sticks held up. Just recently, I used this as the only base on my eyes and the shadows on top lasted for more than 12 hours without creasing or fading. That’s amazing as far as I’m concerned, especially since my eyelids are notorious for being oily, and there are only a few products that can hold up on them. I didn’t try it alone as a liner, because I feel as a cream based product it needs to be set with a powder. An oil based makeup remover took it off the easiest, though I was able to remove it with a cleansing milk as well.

The only major downside about this product is the amount that you get for the price you pay. While I do love the product itself, I don’t love the price; $21 dollars is a lot of money for 1g of product. To compare between MAC bases; shadesticks contain 1.5g, paintpots contain 5g and paints contain 6.5g, each retailing for $20.

If you’ve got any of these, I’d definitely recommend dusting them off – but I have a hard time recommending them for purchase just because of the lack of value. If money is no concern, see how many of them you can find – the formula is fantastic and the staying power is phenomenal.

Pros: doesn’t crease, nice blendability, opaque pigmentation, rich colour, smooth finish

Cons: limited edition, limited shades, price, quantity, sets quickly

Rating: 3.5/5