MAC · Light Festival Eye Shadow x 9

Paying homage to divine Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, the Diwali Festival of Lights is celebrated yearly (this year it begins on October 30) with a gathering of friends, family, light, colour, sharing of sweets and numerous fireworks. MAC’s Light Festival Eye Shadow x 9 honours this tradition with the release of a limited edition palette of 9 mini shadows, complete with a rainbow of wearable colour to help you channel your own inner goddess.

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Diwali: Festival of Lamps, Light, Colour & Sweets

MAC · Light Festival Eye Shadow x 9

Light Festival Eye Shadow x 9, limited edition (CAN $42.00) | Housed in a slim-profile compact, these nine mini shades come in a variety of textures — from matte to shimmery — and can be mixed & matched to create as many looks as your imagination can come up with. There are enough ‘neutrals’ to keep things grounded and a few more vivid hues for those who crave a bit more colour in their eye makeup, or anyone looking to punch things up a notch.

The colour breakdown:

Rice Paper (frost) – bone
Goldmine (frost) – pale gold
Amber Lights (frost) – light golden bronze
Coppering (veluxe pearl) – coppery pink
Cranberry (frost) – berry pink
Embark (matte) – mid-tone brown
Humid (frost) – soft emerald
Deep Truth (frost) – blue indigo
Carbon (matte) – smudgy black

First of all, all nine shades in the palette are also part of the permanent range; a good thing too, because any one colour here that you absolutely crush on can always be repurchased. In the swatches below, I’ve divided them by tier, starting at the top and working my way horizontally; the shades of the first row honour the gold/yellow spectrum and have the lightest colour payoff, with Goldmine actually applying much lighter than what’s seen in the pan (although it can be boosted by using a dampened brush), but all three work beautifully as inner eye or brow bone highlighters. The middle row honours the red spectrum and while both Coppering and Cranberry (the latter one of my all-time fave MAC shades) are vivid hues, they are extremely flattering against all eye colours and provide a stunning counterpoint to the depth of Embark. The last row honours the blue/green spectrum with two shades that are bright enough to stand out, but can still be worn sheered out as a light wash, perfect for anyone who’s colour-phobic but wants that little kick just the same. As to Carbon, its texture is one that can be hit or miss, but I finally figured that it was never meant to be an intense black; think of it as more sooty-like, and you’ll understand the finish much better. All blend extremely well and last without fading when applied over primer.

MAC · Light Festival Eye Shadow x 9

MAC · Light Festival Eye Shadow x 9 (swatches in direct sunlight)

MAC · Light Festival Eye Shadow x 9

What I really like about this palette, is that it’s not only quite different from the shades I usually reach for (i.e.: neutrals), but it’s small enough to be perfectly travel friendly; I find it handy to have everything housed in one compact without needing to pack a slew of eyeshadows. You get a variety of colours without the commitment of a full-sized shadow (that you’d probably never use up anyway), and that totally works for me.

Available now at The Bay, MAC counters & online