MAC Velvet - Black Tied

As with the other Velvet shadows, the shimmer doesn't come out as much as it looks like it would in the pan. It's hard to tell the difference between this and Carbon once it's blended out but this is slightly softer. To make it look more shimmery, I lightly dab some Forgery on the top and blend again.

Well pigmented black with silver sparkles. Sparkes are barley visible after application. Great for smokey eye application. Blends really well. Carbon is still more intense black. Not a necessary purchase if you have Carbon.

Beautiful as an eyeliner and blended out! I'm too scared to try it all over the eye for a smokey eye but I'm sure it looks amazing like that too :)

Me favorite eyeshadow for smokey eye! Really like to add coopering in the crease with it. Make my blue/grey eyes pop! It blends great but doesn't last that long on me. Maybe I should put a primer instead of the mac vanilla eyeshadow.

I wasn't floored by this color at all.
It has way too chunky glitter in it and I find it difficult to blend.
The only way I use it is wet as a liner over smolder.
Not special enough for me to buy again.

This is the eyeshadow that I cannot live without. I layer this over EVERYTHING. It lasts long and is easy to apply. I never use it by itself, so I can't say much whether it creases or not... but what I do know is that I can't live without it (I tried, didn't work so well).

I don't have Carbon to compare it too, but I know for sure that I really like Black Tied. It's very black IMO, it's my go to shadow for darkening my outer V.
****TIP**** If you want the sparkles to show up, then make sure you have a damp brush. I find the best way to do this is to load up the brush with shadow, then use a squirt of fix + onto the loaded up brush. This stops the shadow pan getting gloopey and ruined. I'm sure water in a spray bottle would work just as well. X

I have black tied and carbon. Black tied has sliver flecks of glitter that runs though the product, only problem is; if your buying it for the glitter don't, and it falls off or doesn't even make it on to your lids, which isn't a problem for me, but would be if I spent £13 for a eyeshadow that contains glitter for the glitter that doesn't stay on. It's not as black as carbon, but works if you want to soft black eyeliner and make it less harsh. You can also do thins with carbon, just use less product....so in short I would buy carbon if your not to sure which one to go for, and get some glitter separately to push on top of carbon

I love Black Tied! It's incredible to create a smokey eye or just to use as a liner. It's got beautiful, fine silvery glitter in it, which (miracle alert!) doesn't end up all over my cheeks.

I will say that Black Tied seems to have a sort of top layer that you need to break through before it becomes really pigmented. I've noticed that on many velvet formulations from Mac. Before you break through that initial layer, the eyeshadow goes on much better using a tacky (as in sticky) base, especially a black one.

You can think this is gonna be black, because of the name, but is not black, it is dark ashy gray with glitter chunks that fall out. It doesn't work for smokey eyes, is too sheer. It doesn't work as eyeliner becaus it fades quickly. It doesn't work as a crease color or because the glitter is too chunky... and it has a lot of fall out. If you're looking to get the color in the pan, I suggest you get Wet n Wild color icon palette in Lust, it has a deep grey/black with small glitter, mostly black that can double as an eyeliner if wet.