MAC Mineralize Skinfinish

~ stashy

This post was prompted by the prospect of letting go one of my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (MSF) in my makeup purge.  By now, you will already know which one got the boot.  I only owned 3 of them in total, so the 33% reduction was a significant event.  I owned:
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Left to right:
Stereo Rose – Coral with golden bronze shimmering nuances
Petticoat – Pale rose with gold and amber veining
Rio – Bronze with bright pink pearl

Mineralize Skinfinishes are baked products with a marbled effect which makes them very eye-catching in the pans (they look like little planets to me!)  MAC describes them as “A luxurious powder with 77-Mineral Complex that adds highlights to the face and body”. MSFs can vary so much in their finish, level of shimmer and pigmentation from shade to shade.  There are some that are more of a highlight but some act more like a blush.  The 3 that I own I use as blush.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Stereo Rose was the most highly sought after shade after its initial release in 2005 in the Goldplay collection. I didn’t immediately jump on the Stereo Rose bandwagon as I passed on it in that first showing. MAC then re-released it in 2010 with the In The Groove Collection, which is when I succumbed to its lure.  The elusiveness of this colour has waned somewhat as MAC has since re-re-released it again in 2012 (Apres Chic) and again in 2014 (A Fantasy of Flowers). According to Temptalia though, the newest 2014 Stereo Rose bares little resemblance of the previous coral toned versions, the 2014 version is merely a peachy wash.  I’ve read that Milani Baked Blush in Rose D’Oro is similar to this, so if you own that, no need to seek out Stereo Rose.

Why I’m focusing so much on Stereo Rose is that I’ve given it away.  I just could not learn to love it as much as everyone else did.  On me, this just shows up as a coral-ly chunky frost on the cheeks – nothing nuanced about this! It’s so disappointing because it’s gorgeous in the pan.  This was almost “rescued” from the purge pile because I wanted to keep it for nostalgia – and I’ll admit, MSFs are just look so darn pretty to look at!  But in the end, I realize that it should go to someone who would actually use it.  Goodbye, Stereo Rose, you will be missed… until MAC re-re-re-releases you again.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Petticoat is the oldest MSF in my collection – it came from the 2005 Lingerie collection (yes, this thing is 10 years old).  This shade has since been re-released once in the In The Groove Collection in 2010.  This has the beautiful duochrome effect that registers as both warm (coral) and cool (raspberry).
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Rio is my newest MSF which I purchased in 2013 (Tropical Taboo collection) – by then I had almost sworn off MSFs altogether because of my disdain for Stereo Rose. But Rio is probably my favourite MSF – it doesn’t have obvious shimmer, it’s more of a sheen, and the colour is a gorgeous warm bronze.

Here they are all together for one last time:
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
I hope the frostiness of Stereo Rose is coming across in the photo, and how refined the shimmer is on Petticoat and Rio.  So now I’m left with just 2 MAC MSFs, and I’m fine with that! 🙂  If MAC releases more MSFs that aren’t too frosty in the future, I may add more to my collection.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Keep in mind that due to the individualized nature of the colour veining in the baked product, the overall blended shade may differ within the same shade from batch to batch. If you’re looking to purchase MSFs, you may want to ask the MAC SA to show you a few compacts so you can choose the exact one you want. They cost CAD$37 (may cost more depending on if there are special limited edition packaging) for 10g of product (although… I did just notice that my Rio is only 7g!) and are made in Italy.

Do you own any MAC MSFs?

44 thoughts on “MAC Mineralize Skinfinish”

  1. I have Milani Rose D’Oro and it does look very similar to Stereo Rose.
    I’m low-key obsessed with Rio! That color is gorgeous.
    Also, yes! They do look like planets!
    The MSF I want is ‘Soft and Gentle’ which I feel like everybody talks about, but whatever 😛
    Great post, girl!

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  3. So pretty! I always oooh and ahhh at the MSFs every time I walk by MAC…’Soft and Gentle’ has been on my wish list for a really long time, but I’ve never bitten the bullet as I don’t use highlighters regularly and already own too many as it is!

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    1. Yeah they’re so pretty to look at in the pan. I’m with you on highlighters – I own WAY too many for the amount of time I actually use one. I really need to think long and hard next time I think I “need” one just because it’s SO PRETTY in the pan! 😛

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  5. I always want to love the MSF’s but dang are they frosty. I have the re-re-released Stereo Rose and…I just don’t like it. It isn’t hideous or anything but it reads as a weird deep peach chunk of shine on my face. Partly it’s probably just too dark for my skin tone but also, I really struggle to blend it. I should try wearing it again, sometimes I change my mind on products over time but as of how, it’s on my “regrets” list.

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    1. Sorry to hear the new Stereo Rose is a chunky weird peach. Maybe you can sell it online! People go nuts for it. I posted on IG that I was decluttering it and I had someone ask me for it lol. I already promised it to my friend! (she’s going to use it for an eye shadow! maybe you can try that?)

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      1. Ha! I hate chunky weird peaches! Using it as an eyeshadow is brilliant! I’ll try that. Then maybe I will give it away or sell it. So many people really love it so it seems a shame for me to keep it and hate it.

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    1. Teehee, trying my hand at animating! 😛
      Funny you should mention about using it as an eye shadow because my friend who I gave it to said the same thing! She tested it on her eye and it looks really pretty! At 10g though… that’s a LOT of eye shadow!

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  13. They all look really pretty but I’m worried about too much shimmer. Maybe I’ll pick up the Milani and see how that goes since MAC can be pricey. Nice swatches though!

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  14. Ahh, you’re so good to be able to give some of your makeup away. 😛 Bless you.

    Stereo Rose doesn’t look half as grande as Petticoat or Rio, gotta admit. Especially Petticoat! What a pretty shade.

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