MAC • Violet Trance • Eye Shadow

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*TOP REVIEWER* UWMsGirl on 9/9/2011 7:57:00 PM more reviews by UWMsGirl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I absolutely love this e/s color, it is gorgeous. I use it with GroundWork PP and it goes on true to color and very bright like I want it. I gave it 4 lippies because it is difficult to blend, it takes alot of work trying to get it to blend out evenly atleast for me.

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concon1496 on 9/8/2010 3:02:00 AM more reviews by concon1496

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this at one of those outlet stores so it was pretty cheap only $12
the colour in the pan is beautiful but the colour pay off is not as good...it's hard to get the bright blue purple it looks like in the pan. On my skin it doesn't seem vibrant it's almost seems like a dark purple that has hardly any colour pay off. However I do like wearing more neutral colours so I still like this shadow

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*TOP REVIEWER* chimera59 on 6/30/2010 8:39:00 PM more reviews by chimera59

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Not sure why this e/s is getting such low reviews. I used this today over UDPP along with Lancome Light Violine liner, Parfait Amour and Filament to highlight and thought it was beautiful. I touched it up once when I got home, but other than that I was still pretty happy with the way it looked after eight hours. I think if you want more color, try packing it on with a 213 brush or using it wet or with Fix+. I love purples and would buy this one again. Just keep trying to work with it, ladies!

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barbius on 5/25/2010 11:20:00 PM more reviews by barbius

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

okay so I'm definitely a sucker for purple, so I swapped with a girl for this e/s even though I was hesitating a little bit from all the bad reviews I had read. I'M SO GLAD I got it anyways, the colour could not be more perfect, I absolutely love it , but I do have to say , that for a mac eyeshadow , it could be a lot more pigmented and a whole lot smoother

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*TOP REVIEWER* simera2371 on 3/24/2010 12:46:00 AM more reviews by simera2371

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Dry, Medium   Hair: Black, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

As soon as this was released i went to Mac to grab this eyeshadow. It is a beautiful color. But horrible pigmentation, no color pay off what so ever, does not blend well, also very chalky. Would not repurchase,

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*TOP REVIEWER* lgooding on 12/10/2009 7:54:00 PM more reviews by lgooding

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Dark, Warm   Hair: Black, Kinky, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

OMG! What?! Nobody likes this shadow?! I do admit that you have to swirl a bit in the color, but it shows up fine on my lids...I use Groundwork as a base and my 239 to apply it and it goes on fine. I do wish that the formula was a matte2 like tete-a-tint or handwritten (they are much smoother), but i won't complain b/c the color is like nothing else that MAC has. If your counter has sold out by this time, then try to swap with some of the reviewers that hated it or find it at the CCO...if that's not possible, then this shadow will probably be hard to find and expensive to purchase (if buying on ebay or something)...

Give it another try..with a base, a good brush, and some packing...With Groundwork, I must say, that I only had to pack color on my lids 2x (and the second time was just for me..the color went on fine the first time).

Reference: MAC NC50/NW45...Bobbi Brown Almond 7

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leiakrystine on 12/2/2009 1:53:00 AM more reviews by leiakrystine

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I suppose I'm the minority since I absolutely love this e/s. I found my pandamonium quad (I thought I had swapped it away or lost it since I couldn't find it), but there it was in my traincase. I thought I'd give Violet Trance a chance since I usually love what everyone hates. This eyeshadow shows up a gorgeous blue violet- indigo on my eyelids. I use soft ochre as a base and my 224 brush- you really have to pack it on to make it work, but the results are gorgeous.. I like to wear violet trance on the lids with pandamonium in the crease. This shadow is worth trying- try working with it before you swap it away....you never know.

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mhoskin on 11/19/2009 11:58:00 AM more reviews by mhoskin

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

I was so disappointed with this color. It was one of the two colors from MAC MAC collection that I really wanted (the other be Haunting). But the color payoff is TERRIBLE. Also, I can't find a suitable, wearable way to use it. Most MAC mattes have much better payoff after the top layer is gone, so I had hope for it after swatching in the store. But this color doesn't.

On the plus side, if you have enough time in the morning, or if you are just playing with your makeup, it's an absolutely beautiful color. It just needs a really good purple base and a lot of building.

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SophieLunar on 11/9/2009 2:45:00 PM more reviews by SophieLunar

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Bad..Bad..Bad ... hardly any colour payOff takes ages to build even the swatch had no if any payoff.
People that show good results have used a base underneeth like a purple gel liner then say what a good colour it is on youtube.

I give up with mac matte colours Carbon is great but 95% of mac matte colours have hardly any colour payoff i like the satin shadows more.

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DazedDamzel on 10/11/2009 2:46:00 AM more reviews by DazedDamzel

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I was excited about this color because so many people were raving about it on youtube. I went to the MAC counter as soon as this was released and to my disappointment, I was unable to pick up any color with my fingers. I passed on it and got "off the page" and "haunting" instead. I do not regret either of those purchases.


However, I visited another MAC counter several weeks later and found the shadow to swatch remarkably different. I saw brilliant pay off. I really should have purchased the shadow there but instead bought it from the MAC counter I had initially went to. It might not have made a difference but when I came home to swatch this purple mess, and to my dismay AGAIN, it was not at all what I had had it mind. I immediately put it up for swaps on here.


This color plain sucks for finger swatches and takes effort to build up with an eyeshadow brush. It is capable of build up though. And it is a gorgeous purple. And although I do agree that is different enough from MUFE #92 that it can hold its own as a unique and beautiful purple BUT as you can see for yourself in the pictures below, worn on the eyes, you can barely see a difference between the two. MUFE's #92 is technically more expensive but you get more product with much less hassle. 92 is definitely a red based purple (you can actually see minuscule nuggets of red pigment in the pot) and vt is blue based.


I am hesitant to return this because I do adore the color and picky about swapping it. I identify with the "love hate relationship" other MUA reviews have associated with this shadow. What were you thinking MAC? As if you couldn't do any better...



T to B: MAC Violet trance, MUFE #92
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/StrangerWayz/makeupalley/Photo-0228-2.jpg

R to L: MUFE #92, MAC Violet trance
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/StrangerWayz/makeupalley/Photo-0251.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/StrangerWayz/makeupalley/Photo-0249.jpg


enjoy the pictures!

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dirtyrat on 10/8/2009 3:54:00 PM more reviews by dirtyrat

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

i was so excited to see such a pretty purple shade at MAC.

alas ... this one is another miss. is it just the matte eyeshadows form MAC that suck??

doesn't blend well, no color payoff, chalky.

i am getting tired of wasting money on MAC !!

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shaebrixton on 10/6/2009 10:02:00 PM more reviews by shaebrixton

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight   Eyes: Brown    

I have a love/hate relationship with this product. It really isn't as bad as some reviews say. The colour is amazing; I love blue-violet, and I usually like my eyeshadow to be matte. However, the colour pay off is not very good. It took a lot of experimenting to make it work really well. I took the tips from previous reviewers and used it wet. I found that a sponge tip applicator works better then a brush. I lightly wet the applicator, put it in the shadow and then patted it on overtop of a base. The result was a bright, intense blue-violet. I just wish it was easier to get that result!

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xMissMurderx on 10/1/2009 8:26:00 PM more reviews by xMissMurderx

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

Normally before I buy anything from MAC I come on here and check the reviews, but this time I didnt. I was at the store and it was kind of an impulse buy, Im a sucker for purple eyeshadows and I thought this was such an amazing purple! The girl at the counter showed me a swatch of it and I thought it looked great so I got it. I swatched it myself later and I found it to be chalky like everyone said. Not very much color payoff and its really hard to work with compared to some of the other MAC shadows. BUT if you are willing to put some effort into it and work with it a bit, it can be a beautiful eyeshadow. I just use UDPP and then I use this eyeshadow over it. I use it wet, but I do the same with the majority of my shadows because I love the boldness it brings out. I like this shadow much better wet, and it does take some packing on and blending but the results are worth it IMO. I couldnt really return it anyways since I live so far away from the store, so I just found a way to work with it and Im happy with it.
Just be careful about wetting your brush and then putting it into the eyeshadow because its one of those shadows that gets that hard film over it. Im not a huge fan of Matte shadows but its an okay shadow so I gave it 3 out of 5.

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pslovetoshop on 9/25/2009 2:18:00 AM more reviews by pslovetoshop

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

Okay, so i was excited about this color before it was even released with the Make-Up Art Collection. I bought it because it seemed to be the perfect matte bluey/purpley color, and it is IN THE PAN. once you try to apply this --UGH!!! it has the worst pay-off/ consistency/ blendability of any MAC eyeshadow I have ever bought. I am sooooo dissapointed with this.
Not worth your time or money!
booooo.

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Thrizyl on 9/21/2009 4:34:00 PM more reviews by Thrizyl

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Before I purchased this product, I read all the reviews and really gave a lot of thought to my purchase as $120 TTD is a lot to throw away.

The product is difficult to work with, the pay off is poor even for a matte shade but I wanted to give it a try.

I used L'oreal HIP Colour Truth Cream Eyeliner in Eggplant as a base, really worked my brush into the Violet Trance and I got the most beautiful black violet colour as my reward. I was really surprised with the colour and I loved as as anything blue or purple looks great with my brown eyes and NW43 skin.

This colour is hard work but the result can be beautiful if you are willing to work the colour.

An extra tip: If you do not want the black violet look, Parfait Amour on top of Violet Trance ***mwah***!

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*TOP REVIEWER* nattyngeorge on 9/17/2009 1:56:00 AM more reviews by nattyngeorge

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I laughed when I saw the buy back percentage was 18% for this. Mainly because I've never seen a rating that low for any product.. but I am not at all suprised. In the pan, this purple is my dream come true. It is the perfect shade of purple. It is a bright matte blue/purple with a very chalky consistency.. similar to Carbon, if not the same. I wasn't going to buy anything from this MAC collection, but as I stared at Violet Trance.. it really did have me in a trance. lol So I bought it. I couldn't wait to do a look with it but to my disapointment, the color payoff is horrible. I tried taking a picture for a swatch and I applied a neutral colored base and packed it on and the color still wasn't intense. When I tried applying this to my eye lid, I applied the same base (Loreal HIP paint in "Secretive) and layed this stuff on, and the color never seemed to get any more vibrant or pigmented with each layer I applied. Sad huh? BUT, when I use this stuff as a liner, for some reason it shows up better. I use a very small smudge brush and pack it on, and apply it under my lash line for a pop of color and it stands out just how I want it to. I have never tried applying this wet.. I might have to try it some time soon. I'm not disappointed I purchased this.. I still like Violet Trance.. but it wasn't what I thought it would be. *sigh* On my search for the same exact shade of purple with a lot better pigmentation.

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*TOP REVIEWER* niclyf on 9/10/2009 10:39:00 PM more reviews by niclyf

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have Violet Trance in the Pandamonium quad which was when it was initially released. The color in the pan ... looks like pure heaven, the tragedy begins when you actually try to apply it. Violet Trance appears to be a matte vibrant purple with a slight blue tinge, however the texture of it is horrific, there's virtually no color payoff/pigmentation with this one. This is probably the worst MAC e/s I've had and used. The only way I can actually make use this, is to layer it over a simliar color, and even then, the blendability of it is lousy. If you're looking for a great purple .. pass this one by. It's just not worth the money and I can't see anyone not being let down by this one :(

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*TOP REVIEWER* bvan117 on 9/10/2009 7:09:00 PM more reviews by bvan117

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This color is so beautiful in the pan, however the color pay off is horrible. It takes a lot of packing on to get the color that is actually in the pan. If you do pack it on, it still is not that same color that is shown. It is still a little bit ummm I wanna say 'duller'. And if you do want to use it without packing it on to get maybe a lighter version of the color, it's not worth it. The color is still not that great. HUGE disappointment. I really wanted the color to be the color that is actually in the pan. It is very hard to blend this as well, it doesn't seem to move. When you do try to blend it, the color just basically comes off. And I am in love with MAC eye shadows, but this one is terrible, one of their worst ones yet. Do yourself a favor and do not buy this. The texture is nice, but once again the color pay off sucks.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Fleet on 9/10/2009 4:01:00 PM more reviews by Fleet

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

This is the worst MAC shadow I own. I'm obsessed with purples and this electric violet shadow was the most exciting thing I've seen in a MAC collection in a long time. I didn't want to believe what the bloggers saying about the texture. It's completely true. I've tried every shadow brush I have and not one picks up a decent amount of color. I have to apply several swipes of color and really pack it on with a dense brush to get any payoff at all. It still looks chalky (as in the color looks separated instead of a nice solid layer) no matter how and over what I apply it. I've seen swatches on some blogs and I can't fathom how they got the color to show so well.


I don't think I've ever sent back a MAC shadow or lipstick, but this is ridiculous. I'm considering sending an email of complaint in fact. They know the matte^2 formula is superior to the matte, yet they continue to make mattes. They know people snap up LE items like crazy, and they had to know people would be awfully disappointed in this chalky mess. I'm so disappointed in fact that I'm probably going to return this and pick up Make Up For Ever's shadow in 92 matte. It's not an exact match, as it's more to the red side of purple than this fabulous electric blue violet, but it will still heal a bit of my sadness. Bew hew.

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furbz on 9/10/2009 1:09:00 AM more reviews by furbz

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

i won't say what hasn't been said already because it's all true. however--i am a true sucker for purples and try to make it work no matter what. it seems to work over a really purple base such as non-conformist fluidline. the purple in the pan is too pretty to give up on!

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