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Great as a base for smoky eyes or other frosty e/s to make the color appear "more vibrant" as many people say. It has a bit of shimmer, so I have used it on its own. Also, great as an eyeliner. I apply it with my fingers or with the MAC 249.


Some people complain it's hard to blend but I just really heat it up with my blowdryer for a few seconds and problem solved. I do the same with Painterly and Soft Ochre.


Great staying power, eyeshadows don't fade or move a bit when I use PPs as a base. Will buy again and again.

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I always wondered how people got such a dark smoky eye. I just figured they used A LOT of eye shadow but I was watching a youtube video recently and a girl was doing a smoky eye and she used this and I thought "wow what a great idea" and it really is.. I love this stuff I don't know how I lived without it before. A staple for girls who love to do a smoky eye. Get this! I'm definitely going to try other colours now!

i got this the other day and im in loooove with it. i use it as a staple for a dramatic smokey eye.. i see where people are coming from when they say that the consistancy is a little hard to work with... i solved this problem by using a small concealer brush (like the $5 one from walgreens) and using a little bit at a time patting it on my lid and building up the color slowly instead of trying to smear a big blob on my lid which came out patchy and not cute.... when i used the concealer brush and gently patted it into my lid it was fantastic.. no splotches and it was even and beautiful. i dont like using alot or having it be totally black, i like to apply it lightly and make it a light grayish color as my base for a smokey eye. if i make it to dark then whatever color i put over it makes me look like i got punched in the eye

my favorite looks with this are putting swish over it on the inner corner, trax over the rest of the lid and sketch in the crease with a little bit of fuschia pigment on the outer corner to brighten it up

i also love putting silver ring and knight divine over blackground

if u use a brush and pat it on the lid it will be beautiful... a shimmer blackish gray color depending on how heavy u apply it


definitly worth it =)

This product has breathed new life into my eye make-up. I could never get the black smokey eye the way I wanted for both day and night until I started playing around with this. I'll smudge a little beneath my lower lash line and then above, then line with MAC's Blacktrack and perfect eye! Seriously everyone should have this in their bag! This elevates every single eyeshadow by adding more depth to the color. Ones I *never* thought I'd use suddenly have new potential with this. I only lightly smudge over my lids such that it looks more like I didn't take all my eye make-up off, then apply the desired color on top. This gives great staying power too. I'd be LOST without this product. Every singly time I wear this product I receive compliments on my eyes.

I wanted this so badly because I loved Indianwood and thought all paint pots would be similar..Man,.. was I wrong.This is incredibly hard to blend.They harder you try,the worse it looks.It almost starts to ball up and come off.And before you question whether the product was dried out,no it seems very creamy upon initially dipping into the pot.But as soon as it hits your lid,it seems to dry instantly**confusing** You'd probably get better application from Sharkskin shadestick...which is slightly more grey and less black than Blackground. And while I'm not a fan of Sharkskin either,at least it blends..unlike Blackground

great eye shadow base. this makes your eye look last no matter what.

i think this product is essential to a smokey eye... but other than that.. i don't know why else i'd use it. but i do love me some smokey eyes!

My first paint pot and I love the shimmery black color. My only gripe is that its a pain in the a** to blend!! The texture is kind of dry and pasty and I had to spend quite some time getting this to blend evenly with a brush. I set it with UD Oilslick and it was beautiful, lasted all day.

Skin Type: Normal to dry, tans easily, rarely breaks out. Skin tone: LLL (olive skin tone) Hair color: Changes frequently Right now, light brown with golden highlights. Eye Color: Espresso brown. Foundation colors I use: Bobbi Brown Sand; Chantecaille Cream; RCMA KO-1, KO-2; Joe Blasco-Special Medium Olive-1, Olive Beige-1; Julie Hewett Lily, Theda; Laura Mercier-Warm Ivory; MAC NC 20, 25.
Size: 0.24oz/7g Cost: $16.50USD Website: maccosmetics.com
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First of all, the texture is different from the paints. I would consider the paints to be the "lotion" of eye shadows while the paint pots are the "cream/balm" of eye shadows. If you are used to the paints, you might find the paint pots harder to work with since the texture is thicker.
Mac describes this as a smoky black grey with multi-colored pearl which is pretty much on the dot. Depending on how it is used, it can look anywhere from graphite to a silver grey. As an eye liner, it looks shimmery charcoal grey that almost hits black. As an eye shadow, it can look from a smoky silver grey to a dark shimmery grey; makes a great base for smoky eyes.
My technique for application is to use a face primer which I do a light touch on the eyes to allow the paint to glide on more smoothly. I do use a brush in a filbert shape, synthetic or kolinsky hair. With a brush I find I can apply a thinner layer than with my fingers. This allows a more even application for me. Fingers can be used to pat it on for more dramatic color, but I do it in layers for more control of pigment.
I haven't found a problem with creasing but your mileage may vary. When I do use this as a base color for eye shadows, I do powder lightly with no color face powder (RCMA) for a smoother application of my powder shadows on top.
This is one color to try if you do like a smoky eye or a dark liner or if you find the fluidliners just not quite right in texture.
Ingredients: Isodocecane, dimethicone, polyethylene, hydrogenated polyisobutene, quaternium-90 bentonite, dimethicone silylate, octyldodecanol, silica, trihydroxystearin, retinyl palmitate, tocopheryl acetate, lecithin, carnauba wax, propylene carbonate, triethoxycaprylylsilane. May contain: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, bismuth oxychloride, blue 1 lake, carmine, chromium hydroxide green, chromium oxide greens ferric ferroxyanide, manganese violet, ultramarines, yellow 5 lake.
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Okay, for anyone having a problem blending this, let me give you a little tip. Kind of pat it onto the eye instead on sweep it on like you do a regular shadow. When you pat it, it goes on more evenly and gives a deeper color pay-off. Secondly you MUST use a brush with this one. You can't use your fingers like the other PP, it doesn't blend right. Other then that, this PP is awesome! I great way to get a quick smokey eye, and really intensitfy and dark shadow colors. Looks awesome under Silver Ring, too. You don't need that much, just make sure to pat instead of smear, hope this helps you to love it as much as I do!