MAC Gold-Go-Lightly Studio Careblend Pressed Powder: As Contouring Powder, Blush, And Eyeshadow

Every time MAC rolls out their weekly limited edition collection, I’ll roll my eyes too. @_@

Established beauty bloggers can receive the whole suite of products from the collection and will give details on the eyeshadows, lipsticks, lipglosses, powder, prices, DA-BER-DEE-DA, and I usually don’t give a hoot about their loot.

I mean, how many of us, with regular, fixed income, have the financial ability to fork out so much money for one collection? And it’s not like each collection has very unique products to die for. More often than not, the eyeshadow colors repeat or are just slightly darker, slightly lighter and really don’t make a BIG DIFFERENCE on the eyes once you mix them with other colors and blend them out. =(

It is also because of the fact that MAC Singapore prices its products at least S$10 more expensive than in the US (#109 Small Contour Brush costs S$20 more here! Ugh!) that I rarely find myself casually browsing the black MAC shelves. I enter a MAC shop with a mission – to swatch a color, see a brush, or ask for a specific product. Then I buy online. LOL.

So it was one of those mission-filled days that I stepped in and asked the MUA for a contouring powder shade for my NC20-25 skin undertone. I’ve read on countless blogs that MAC Emote blush is the best color for contouring but it was discontinued long ago much to the utter dismay of thousands of fans around the world. It was kinda substituted by Harmony. A well-known dupe for Emote is NYX blush in Taupe but Taupe looks disgustingly muddy on me so I use it as an eyebrow powder sometimes instead.

At that time, the MAC Surf Baby Collection was nearing its end and a lot of the samples had ‘SOLD OUT’ stickers plastered across. I didn’t think much of the collection, as usual, but the MUA recommended Gold-Go-Lightly, swatched it on my hand and told me it suits me to a T.

The other Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Lush-Light Bronze is too dark for my NC20-25 skin undertone.

After thinking about for a night (Yup! Not an impulse purchase, this one!), I went out to buy it the next evening. Cost me S$48.00. OUCH.

Packaging

I’m not crazy about the whole off-white background Hawaii-inspired surfboard look. To me it looks kinda tacky. The eyeshadow pots look the worst coz instead of the usual classy black that they come in, they’re replaced with off-white.

Color

Gold-Go-Lightly is perfect for people with warm skin undertones or who aim to achieve a warmer one. It is a warm medium-dark golden brown that works for light to medium complexions. It is just right for my NC20-25 skin.

Works lovely as a contour or blush powder for golden-toned Asians, giving that natural, healthy-looking glow. Gimme the sunkissed look! MUACK!

Texture

I like that the Careblend Pressed Powder feels creamy to the touch. Feels really good to swipe it with the fingers! So smooth and velvety, no wonder it glides effortlessly onto the skin without looking dry or chalky.

Layering is definitely a breeze with Gold-Go-Lightly, and also probably with all the Careblend Pressed Powders, I've heard.

True to its name, the MAC Gold-Go-Lightly Studio Careblend Pressed Powder is very well pressed and does not create a mess like the MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation does when I swirl a brush in the pan.

Gold-Go-Lightly As An Eyeshadow On The Contour Area

I love pairing Gold-Go-Lightly on the contour area with blue or purple on the lids. The warm brown complements these colors beautifully. The near matte finish of Gold-Go-Lightly is also perfect as a transition color at the eye contour area before hitting the browbone highlight color.

Gold-Go-Lightly As A Face Contouring Powder

I have been using Gold-Go-Lightly every day ever since to create contours on my face. There was a little getting used to at first because I’ve never successfully managed contouring without looking like I have a beard with NYX Taupe. =(

Contouring is essentially the emulation of shadows on the face, with usually a shade or two darker than the skin tone. But I have non-existent cheekbones and it was very hard to contour because I had NO IDEA where to place the contouring powder. I tell you, with the 'fish face' or 'pout+smile face' or however much I suck in my cheeks, I still cannot see any shadows on my cheeks.

I have a flat face. X’(

I’m getting better at it though.

I just have to feel the (arbitrary) hollows on the cheeks and very carefully apply the powder, unlike people with nice cheekbones who can simply do the 'fish face' and draw on the pronounced lines.

So now I have an extra step added to my daily makeup routine, but I’m not complaining! I find that without a contouring powder to shade, my skin looks flatter with only foundation and blusher.

I like that the contouring shade is very subtle. I don't have a sharp face structure with distinct cheekbones so a shade too dark will look harsh on me. I hope you can see the layering of contour powder, blush, and highlight to make my face look less flat.

Just in case you might wanna know, this look was created with eyeshadows from Stage Cosmetics, MAC and Urban Decay. I will do a tutorial on this colorful look soon!

On another day of less dramatic eye makeup, you can see the subtle contouring of the hollows of the cheeks.

For creating a more chiseled look the MAC #168 Large Angled Contour Brush is a little too big and fluffy to apply Gold-Go-Lightly with on my small face.

The MAC #188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush is the right size but I don’t like to have to clean the brown contouring powder off before applying highlighting powder. Matte brown powder mixed with champagne shimmer on the top of my cheeks = EWW.

So… I ordered the MAC #109 Small Contour Brush! I’ve read many good reviews about it and some even say it’s an un-dupable face contouring brush. Woot!

Get the MAC Gold-Go-Lightly Studio Careblend Pressed Powder