MAC • Paint Pot in Blackground • Eye Shadow

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*TOP REVIEWER* PinkSoFoxy on 7/11/2009 9:51:00 PM more reviews by PinkSoFoxy

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

MAC Blackground Paint Pot is an excellent eyeshadow base for doing dark smokey eyes. Usually I will first apply Painterly Paint Pot all over the lid and then I'll apply Blackground just where my Carbon eyeshadow is going to be placed. Sometimes I'll apply Blackground with a small angled brush and simply use it as a gel eyeliner. Works great!

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sillymoose on 6/30/2009 9:37:00 PM more reviews by sillymoose

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

I use this as a cream eyeliner. Works really well. It's a beautiful graphic black color with some silver sparkles. Very smooth and blendable. I use an eyeliner brush draw the line on my top lash. Doesn't work well on the bottom line though because its smudges. The pot is huge and will probably last forever.

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*TOP REVIEWER* twistygirl on 6/27/2009 9:16:00 AM more reviews by twistygirl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

LOOOOVE this! I wanted to get a Sharkskin Shadestick, and of course Macy's no longer has them, so I got this instead. Bought it with trepidation, as cream shadows do NOT go "cream to powder" on my seriously oily eyelids, but this one truly DOES dry to a beautiful long-lasting, smudge-free base. I use it either alone for a nice smoky look (and bonus - when I use it alone, I don't need eyeliner, which is unheard of, as I have eyes that can be described as "space alien who looks like they haven't slept for a week" eyes) or under another color to give it depth and pop. I find the application to be VERY easy if I use a concealer brush (I use the Sonia Kashiuk brush), it dries quickly but not so quickly it's hard to work with. I also find you can build the intensity easily. Definitely HG item.

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barbieismetal on 6/6/2009 11:24:00 PM more reviews by barbieismetal

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

OMG!! I cant belive i lived with out this!!
This is amazing , i use this all the time , it helps make my purple , pink , greys and even blues pop , and it makes a great very very sexy smokey eye . Its buildable in color and so far has not creased on me at all!

I will always have this in my makeup stash

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tao on 4/19/2009 8:40:00 PM more reviews by tao

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I'm generally a big fan of MAC Paint Pots - I find that they have great staying power and are not prone to creasing. That said, I'm a little disappointed with Blackground. While I love the colour (grey to black depending on how many layers you build up, with a touch of shimmer), this is the Paint Pot with the least staying power.

So far I own Indianwood, Groundwork and Blackground. With Indianwood and Groundwork, I find the colour stays bold and in place all day, but for some reason Blackground tends to go sort of oily and turns sheer. It also creases much more than the other colours I've tried.

It's a real shame, because a neutral grey/black is very flattering to my colouring - I just wish I could get it to stay on more successfully!

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raingirlred on 4/8/2009 5:44:00 PM more reviews by raingirlred

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

I picked this up when a lady at my MAC counter suggested it to go with the beauty marked eye shadow I was getting. I’m so glad she suggested it to me! I love this product. While I will agree with others that it is a bit hard to put on and blend out, it’s worth the time and effort! It really makes the color in my eye shadows pop. Also helps my eye shadow stay in place and doesn’t crease. Lately I have also been using it as an eye liner which has been working out great. I defiantly think this is a must have for anyone who loves a smoky eye!

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*TOP REVIEWER* xxxPikadoodlexxx on 3/27/2009 2:10:00 AM more reviews by xxxPikadoodlexxx

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

Oh my gosh this stuff is AWESOME! I swapped for this on a whim and so far it's been my favorite swap yet. I've worn it every since day since I got it. I love the color- not brown, not quite black but very dark. It is the perfect base to add depth to dark shadows. I love that it dries completely. It does NOT smudge! Not even a bit! My only complaint is I wish it were easier to blend. I've tried 2 diff brushes, and my finger, so far the finger application method is winning. It going to take some practice but it's still well worth it. Definitely HG worthy here!

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*TOP REVIEWER* pootiebear1031 on 3/20/2009 3:25:00 PM more reviews by pootiebear1031

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

I used this paint pot for my darker eyeshadows as a base. Blackground is black in color with speckles of silver in it. It is a nice creamy base and it helped my eyeshadows look more vibrant and not crease. I used this as a base for Silver Ring and Print and it made my eyeshadow pop.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Abrial on 3/19/2009 8:33:00 PM more reviews by Abrial

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

So I really wanted to love this product...and I like it on my clients and using it on other people. But on myself frankly I think it looks horrendous. I can blend it out well and it can look really good, but in my normal day routine it just takes too much damn time.

I now use this as an eyeliner mainly, and its great when you have the time...but I think using a shadestick is 100% easier and faster

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* lalaland on 3/8/2009 4:24:00 PM more reviews by lalaland

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

I originally purchase this when paint pots were first introduced, along with four others, which I no longer have because they all dried up. I bought them because I thought they were cream eyeshadows that did not need much effort (for quick mornings). I did not know much about makeup yet, so I never used them properly and hated the texture of all of them except Indianwood. After watching YouTube and reading make up blogs, I discovered how others used them and decided to give them another try. I purchased Painterly, Blackground and Rubenesque. I wanted Blackground because I am always wearing dark shadows (necessary for my type lids). When I tried it on I wanted to cry, I hated it because it did not blend well, had a weird shimmer to it and did not apply evenly. I thought I made a mistake trying it again, but I kept it. I gave it a few more tries and now I use it daily (crazy I know). I found a brush that picks it up well and applies it nicely. I use a tiny shader brush (a mini version of the 242 brush, from Ulta). It is still not apply as smoothly as Painterly, but its black, so you can notice flaws on it more, but once you apply a well pigmented shadow over it, it is beautiful. I apply dark matte colors over it and it works well, but it definitely is best with duochrome colors like MAC Club and satiny colors like Mulch or Satin Taupe.

Bottom line: I use it daily and need it for how I like my monolids to look. Formula and possibly even the color can be improved but I love it.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

BRosa on 3/2/2009 7:04:00 PM more reviews by BRosa

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

(Click "Continued" for swatch)

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.

Swatch (natural light):

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* stephiem on 3/1/2009 8:22:00 PM more reviews by stephiem

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

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!

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*TOP REVIEWER* jenn7985 on 2/21/2009 5:13:00 PM more reviews by jenn7985

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond, Fine   Eyes: Green    

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 =)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Sophia1105 on 1/19/2009 1:52:00 PM more reviews by Sophia1105

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

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.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Aligirl on 1/11/2009 12:07:00 PM more reviews by Aligirl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy   Eyes: Green    

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

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*TOP REVIEWER* arikabh on 1/3/2009 12:57:00 AM more reviews by arikabh

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

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

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*TOP REVIEWER* BeeGee35 on 12/31/2008 5:59:00 PM more reviews by BeeGee35

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

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!

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*TOP REVIEWER* TopNote on 12/25/2008 8:44:00 PM more reviews by TopNote

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown, Kinky, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

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.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Olivia142 on 11/26/2008 5:11:00 PM more reviews by Olivia142

Age: Unknown   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

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
****continued version has pic****

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.

9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* swtlilqtk on 11/16/2008 4:34:00 PM more reviews by swtlilqtk

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Cool   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

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!

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No