Hello Lovely People!
So it wasn't until recently that I purchased and used
MAC Pigment for the first time, (I know, crazy), And when I purchased Mac Pigment I was under the impression that it was simply an eyeshadow, but I couldn't have been more wrong! I discovered that there are in fact 15 ways to use it after a little but of experimenting and searching the Internet.
Mac Pigment is very simply, a coloured loose powder. Which most people use as an eyeshadow, However, many of you may not know the many other uses it has, which is almost anything by the way! That's why I wanted to do this blog post to tell you about the many other uses for Pigment so that you can make the most of yours!
1) Eye Shadow
Firstly, Is the very simple way which most people use MAC Pigment for, which is just using the loose powder, as is, as an eyeshadow. It comes in a very wide selection of colours, and finishes, including matte, frost metal and pearl, of which are matte, sparkle and sheen finishes meaning it is perfect for using as an eyeshadow and making some very beautiful eye looks. To use in this way you would simply dab your choice of brush into your chosen pigment, shake to remove any excess unneeded amount of Pigment, as you don't need very much, and then apply to the eye, Depending on what brush you choose to use you could apply the Pigment in a very feathered way or very concentrated way.
2) Applied Wet For Metallic Eye Shadow
Another way to use Pigment is, again, as an eyeshadow, but more as a cream based eyeshadow, similar to the
Mac Paint Pot. To do this, I would mix in some of the pigment with simple water or if you have it available,
Mac Fix & Spray. Then, simply grab your desired brush and apply to the eye. You will notice that the colour from the Pigment with really pop and stand out and in fact some finer colours that you may not quite see when in powder form, really come out when you apply in creamy form.
3) Blush
Using Pigment as blush is another great way you can use this product, Here you would use the product, as is, like in one, but using your desired blush or large puffy powder brush, and apply to the cheeks, depending on your preference, you could use any colour from the options, you never know, you could be quite wild and daring and want blue blusher! But Peachy, Pinks, Oranges, Reds, Corals, and Possibly Purple colours are the best options to create a realistic looking blush. As mentioned before, you could go for a very matt blush or could go for a satin finish blush with a slight sheen, depending on the finish you choose from the colour options. Depending on how strong you want you blush to be, you only need to use a tiny amount of the Pigment here, it is very highly concentrated and a little bit goes a really long way!
4) Bronzer
Very much like above, use the pigment, as is, in the darker colours that resemble bronzer colours, such as Tan and Naked Deep Dark, and apply to the areas you want to be bronzed!
5) Eye liner
Again, the same as you would do with step 1) Mix the pigment with water or Mac Fix & Spray. Once you have mixed you would use a thin eyeliner brush and simply apply whatever colour you wish as an eyeliner. You could use a black and go for a typical eyeliner or you could use golds and bright neon colours for some really great editorial look thats really stand out!
6) Coloured Mascara
There are two ways you can do this, I discovered online, you can dip an empty disposable Mascara Wand into your Mix of Pigment and Water or Mac Fix & Spray and apply to the lashes as normal, or you can simply use a clear Mascara, dip into the powder of your choice and apply to the lashes.
7) Highlighter
One of my favourite ways to use pigment is as a highlighter, You could do this in two different ways. The first way is very simple, you would simply use a brush or your finger and apply the Pigment, as is, to the desired area you want to highlight, light colours are recommended of course and you are trying to brighten these areas, However, there are many different choices, the most popular, and the colour that I purchased, is in colour Vanilla, although there are many other white, cream and in fact gold colours for the perfect highlight. Another way is like in many of the steps above, mix your pigment in with water or Fix & Spray by MAC or possible with any face creams you have, or possible with a cream based highlighter you are already using if you wish, and apply to the face as a cream based highlighter. When I used pigments as a highlighter I highlight my tear duct, which is the skin right by the inside of your eye by your nose, my cupids bow, which is the area just above your lips, and then in the standard places, like my nose, my t-zone, the tops of my cheeks, and just under and above my eye brow.
8) Illuminator
This is very easy to do, mix the colour Pigment you would like to illuminate your skin, such as a simple highlighter colour such as pure white or Vanilla, or a colour you would like a tint of in the skin, such as any golds or pinks, in with your foundation when you go to put it on. When mixed well this will illuminate your skin nicely and give a nice highlight and hint of the pigment colour you mixed. Buying illuminators in shops can be quite expensive so this is a great use of the MAC Pigment.
9) Nail Varnish
This seems a little crazy, but yes, you can actually use MAC Pigment to create your own custom nail varnish colour, You simply mix in your pigment(s) in with a clear nail varnish, or a coloured nail varnish if you want to see what interesting outcomes you can make with different pigments and nail varnish colours, and then apply to the nail with your nail varnish brush, the colours, like when mixing the colours in the above options, really pop and are really vibrant.
10) Lipstick / Gloss
A lot of lipsticks that are long lasting or have really vibrant and pigmented colours tend to really dry out your lips, However, if you use MAC Pigment as a lipstick you can get a really vibrant pop of colour lipstick that is really soft on the lips, all you do, is mix in your pigment with a clear lipgloss or a lipbalm (if you want really soft lips), and apply to your lip with a lipstick brush or your finger. It create a really beautiful and bright lipstick, with a matte, sparkle or sheen effect depending on your choice of colour and finish!
11) Eye Brows
Here all you do, is choose a pigment colours that is 1-2 shades lighter than your natural hair coulour and apply directly to the eyebrows to fill them in, using an angled brush is best as these are easiest to use when filling in your brows, these angled brushes are what you will find most of the time in brow kits! Here you could mix your pigment for you brows in with a tiny bit of water oR Fix & Spray if you prefer to use a creamier type substance when filling in your brows to make them stay and wax them down, but it is completely up to you!
12) Body Shimmer
There are two ways to use this as a body shimmer, of which, I have tried and it works really well as! The easy way is to get a really big puffy powder brush, dab it ever so slightly into your chosen powder and sweep over the areas of your body that would naturally hit the light, such as your collar bone and shoulders. Depending on the look you want you could use golds, pinks or the selection of white based colours.
Another way, for a more subtle finish, is by mixing your Pigment into your Body lotion (Preferably not body butters or cream as they are difficult to blend), and then massaging your Body lotion and Pigment mix into the skin. This created for the perfect body shimmer that is really subtle and gives a lovely glow.
13) Body Contouring
Like above, if you want to contour areas of your body, use darker MAC Pigments in colours like gold and silver, and mix them in with your body lotion. Once you have done this, simply apply to the areas you want to contour (areas that are naturally shadowed) such as on the knees and up the sides of your legs, on your chest in your cleavage area, and under your collar bones, and it will make you look beautifully toned. You could apply this with a large flat foundation brush, your hands or in fact any brush you like that has quite a large surface area and is quite generally BIG, as you are applying to a much larger area unlike your face. You will get better coverage with a larger brush.
14) Hair
If you want a hint of pigment in your hair, whether it be for colour, sparkle, or highlight, all you have to do, is mix in your Pigment with the product you are using for your hair, whether it be Gel, Moose, Cream, Heat Protection cream or any other product, and then apply the product mix through your hair and then go about your normal hair routine like usual. And then voila! Depending on the product you are using and whether your product is used when you have damp or dry hair you will achieve different effects, and of course it depends on how much pigment you used!
15) Custom Colours
One of the greatest things about pigments is that fact that you can mix 2 colours or even 3 or more and create your own personal colours! For example you could mix blue and green to create a lovely turquoise colour. You can mix your personal colours and then use them in any of the ways above!
So, I really hope that you, like me, can now make the most of your MAC Pigment!
Have a lovely day!
xoxo