Even the darker shades, which I expected to be more pigmented, apply disappointingly sheer. The hard-packed shadows feel like concrete in their pans, and I have a tough time picking them up with either a brush or my fingers.

Seriously, what a letdown… I had so much trouble working with this palette. This was my first time using one of MAC’s Times Nines, and while I was hoping to achieve neutral shadow nirvana with Amber, I didn’t. Eye Shadow x 9: MAC Amber Times Nine gave me trouble… The pans in these Times Nine palettes are smaller than regular full-size MAC eyeshadow pans (they’re about the size of my thumb, LOL!) and hold 0.02 ounces of powder, compared to 0.05 ounces in a standard $10 Pro Palette refill pan. In addition to Amber Times Nine, there’s also a Purple Times Nine palette, Navy Times Nine and a Burgundy Times Nine, but yesterday I played with Amber. When the four $40 MAC Eye Shadow x 9: Times Nine palettes launched a while back, it was with the more expensive $85 MAC Cool Neutral and Warm Neutral 15-pan palettes. Top row from the left: Don’t Tell, Ricepaper and Cozy Grey middle row from the left: Aromatic, Creative Copper and Kitties bottom row from the left: Pepper Please, Cork and Georgia Peach Here I’m wearing Ricepaper, Don’t Tell, Cork, Aromatic and Pepper Please on my lids Then I delved in… Eye Shadow x 9: MAC Amber Times Nine. All this for $40, which I considered a steal based on all of the looks I saw myself doing with it.

Mac eye shadow palette pan cozy grey