MAC Padma Lakshmi Collection: 3 Things to Know About the Powder Blush Duos

Tonight on Top Makeup Chef, Dillon and Skyler face off in the Quick Fire 10-Minute Makeup Challenge! Before the day is over [FLASH TO HOST PADMA LAKSHMI], one of them will see their dreams on Top Makeup Chef come to an end. “Please pack your blush and go.”

You’ve gotta know Padmna Lakshmi. She’s the host of Top Chef, one of my favorite TV guilty pleasures, and how do I get a catchphrase, BTW? On Top Chef, Padma’s is “Please pack your knives and go.” Mine could be “So many cats, so little time,” or “The world is a vampire!” ??

LOL.

Padma’s new MAC collaboration comes out next week, and here are three things you should know about it.

1. Unfortunately, neither of the two Blush Duos is called “Please Pack Your Knives and Go.”

I would have loved them even more if they were, haha! One of them has a satiny peachy pink and a frosty orange — that one is the one that’s more like a traditional blush and highlighter duo — and one that has a neutral matte brown and a frosty beige. That one works more like a bronzer and highlighter.

2. Both look bad-@ss on toasty tans.

When I was putting them on my MAC NC42 cheeks for the first time, I kept having to take a step back to look at myself in the mirror, and then make ridiculous kissy faces. I think they’re both very flattering on tan skin, but don’t let that stop you if you’re a lighter lass.

Shades very similar to these look lovely on a wide range of skin tones. The peachy pink in the peachy pink/orange duo looks similar to NARS Orgasm and NARS Deep Throat (but it’s not an exact dupe), and the orange side looks like MAC Sunbasque and NARS Lustre, and I think all of them look lovely on lighter skin tones, too.

Same goes for the shades in the beige and brown duo, which look very similar to the Diffused Bronze Light bronzer by Hourglass. I’ve seen that rock on many ladies lighter than I am.

3. The peachy pink one is frostier.

The peachy pink and orange duo is frostier than the brown and beige one, so, FYI, if your cheeks lean dry like mine do, it might emphasize those dry spots… It’s more of a closeup thing, though, so if someone is standing right next to you, they probably won’t notice, not unless you really pile it on and/or they have preternatural magnifying vision, and/or they’re a makeup artist.

Obvs, you can wear the colors in the duo separately, but I always end up mixing the them together. #lazymuch?

It’s a personal thing… It just saves a step. I mean, why do blush first, and then the highlighter on top, when you can just swirl everything together and be done with it?

Everything in the collection arrives next week on March 15th to the MAC website and select MAC counters, so call your local counter first before you pack up the kids, cats and dogs and drive through a snowstorm.

One last thing about bronzer duo: it appeared at my doorstep a little worse for the wear, having broken in transit, so it’s probably delicate. Be gentle!

Final verdict

I like these a lot. They remind me of the purple MAC Padma Lakshmi eyeshadow quad I reviewed last week in that they’re deceptively addictive, and it’s easy to get comfortable with them for months.

So, Padma…YOU ARE TOP CHEF. Of blush duos. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!