However, when used in the same look, both of these look identical and are easily interchangeable with one another. I’ll be the first to admit they look like two very different eyeshadows in that regard. These two are very deceiving when you look at them side by side in the pan.
(L to R) Sushi Flower, Free to Be Deep Damson vs. If you’re looking for a nice matte pink that’s not too strong but still holds its own, Free to Be is the way to go. If you’re looking for a STRONG pink that stands out, go for Sushi Flower. There are differences again in finish – Sushi Flower is a Satin and Free to Be is a matte. Sushi Flower is a true, ‘Barbie’ pink, whereas Free to Be is more of a coral-orangey pink. Sushi Flower and Free to Be are not EXACT dupes of one another, but they’re close enough that if you’re trying to decide which one to get, you really only need one. (L to R) Expensive Pink, Mythology Sushi Flower vs. I do find myself reaching for Expensive Pink more, as you can see below. Expensive Pink is the more universal choice among women and that could be attributed to Mythology’s glitter formula. Mythology is a Lustre finish and I feel is slightly stronger than Expensive Pink. If ever there were two eyeshadows that could easily be substituted for one another, it’s definitely these two! Expensive Pink has one over on Mythology in that it offers that beautiful duochrome quality not found in Mythology. (L to R) Romp, Tempting Expensive Pink vs. I personally prefer Tempting over Romp and will actually be swapping Romp away soon. Romp is Frost finish and Tempting is a Lustre finish. I honestly don’t see a difference between the two except for the finish.
If you didn’t grab Romp before MAC discontinued it about 8 months ago, you’re in luck! Tempting is its exact dupe, which is probably why MAC decided to discontinue it to begin with. These are essentially the same shade color-wise. The only real difference between these two is the finish Folie will give you more of a matte-leaning finish (not matte though!), while Twinks will give you more of a shimmer finish. Twinksīoth are red based browns which actually both have a purple hue to them, barely detectable in the pan. If you want a darker, more robust shade, Brun may just be the one for you. I personally find Mystery much easier to work with and not so garishly dark against my skin. What is interesting about these two is that they are both Satin finishes, whereas usually with two very similar eyeshadows like this, one would have a different finish. Mysteryīoth dark brown shades, it is hard to tell the difference between these two when you line them up side by side. If you’re of a warm complexion, go for Handwritten cool complexion, Brown Down is your gal! (L to R) Handwritten, Brown Down Brun vs. I would say Handwritten leans more towards a red base while Brown Down is more of a true, neutral brown. However, when applied to the lid, they are essentially one in the same. Brown DownĪt first glance you can see the subtle difference between these two in the pan.
If you’re trying to decide between the two, Malt would be better suited for warm complexions and Kid can go either way (warm or cool). The effect you get with each of these is essentially the same. After purchasing these two, one right after the other, I realized I truly did not need them both. Kid is a light tan shade, while Malt is also a light tan shade but tends to lean more pink.
However, if you only wanted one of these shades, you’d be just fine! (L to R) Soft Brown, Saddle Kid vs. I do feel Saddle leans slightly more orange than Soft Brown and Soft Brown is a tad lighter, more neutral. Soft Brown and Saddle are very similar in color and are easily interchanged with one another. (L to R) Naked Lunch, All That Glitters (L to R) Naked Lunch, All That Glitters Soft Brown vs. For some reason, I still prefer Naked Lunch over All That Glitters and I can’t figure why that is.
No real difference in color, pigmentation, finish in my honest opinion. Sure enough, as I was putting together the swatches, they are exactly alike. All That GlittersĪfter putting together the post for Espresso recently, I had used each of these shades simultaneously and it occurred to me how truly dupeable they were with one another. But if you just need to have all the pink shades because they’re pink, I completely understa nd. Some of these are exact dupes of one another, and others are not exact, but close enough to save you some pennies in the long run. This post more than likely will be updated well into the future, as I discover more. A VERY popular question I have run across a lot lately is “If I have this MAC eyeshadow, do I need that MAC eyeshadow?” The answer is, “Probably not!” I thought it might be helpful to put together a post addressing some of the common dupes you can find within MAC’s permanent collection.