Makeup Mondays With Mario: How To Wear MAC Pigments

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.

Hi Mario,

First, let me say that I think you are a makeup genius and I am a very big fan of yours. Which is why I am reaching out with this question. My question is about MAC pigments. Have you ever used those? I have a whole bunch, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to use them. Can they only be used as eye shadows or can they be used elsewhere on the face? And what's the best way to apply them - I have trouble making them stay put. Thanks so much and best of luck to you!

-Keisha


Hi Keisha,

Thank you! I recommend priming the eyelids with either concealer or an eye primer and setting it with loose powder before you apply any pigment or mica. This allows for a more smooth, clean application. The brush that you use should not be too fluffy. Blending brushes will not work when applying pigments. Instead, use a normal eye shadow brush that is more dense like Sigma's eye shading e55 brush. A dense brush is great for building eyeshadow for more intensity and also holds on to the pigment so it goes exactly where you apply it.

Pigments can sometimes be used on the cheeks or as a highlighter and even on the lips. If the color is appropriate, dab some on your lips and rub it in or mix a bit with a gloss. It has great staying power. Shimmery pigments look great when applied with a wet brush. I often wet the brush myself before applying a shimmer pigment because it makes application very clean and I get more intense color. Another tip is to first dip and sweep your brush into the lid of the pigment before you apply it to your face. This coats the bristles in pigment and, again, provides a more clean and precise application.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!