MAC Caitlyn Jenner: Compassion Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

Last Thursday, MAC launched their collaboration with Caitlyn Jenner, a collection that is meant to "continue her mission of sharing her transition with the world, championing All Ages, All Races and All Sexes." It includes a total of 15 products, of which 11 are new and limited edition and four are permanent and in special edition packaging. The Caitlyn Jenner collection sees the launch of one new and limited edition shade of Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, which is described as "a luxurious, slow-baked domed face powder in a cool brown shade with low-level pearlized pigments providing a dimensional yet natural-satin finish. Can be used to contour skin, set foundation and touch up makeup throughout the day." It is housed in a black soft-touch clear-lidded compact with gold trim and Caitlyn Jenner's name on the lid. Each Mineralize Skinfinish Natural contains 10 grams of product, and retails for $38.
Compassion
Compassion

Compassion is a dark neutral tan brown with a soft sheen in a satin finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a lightweight, silky texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is darker than Dark Golden Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, cooler than Dark Tan Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, and lighter and more golden than Dark Deepest Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.

The Caitlyn Jenner collection as a whole has gotten a lot of backlash since it was launched, but I am not here to judge her nor to write my personal opinion about her as a person, so I want to make it clear that I am reviewing this as a makeup artist, enthusiast, and collector. With that aside, I want to first note that this Mineralize Skinfinish Natural does have a slightly more pearlized finish than MAC's permanent MSFN shades. This is not a bad thing, but it does give off a bit more luminosity, which makes it ideal as a setting powder for darker complexions with normal to dry skin types (those with oilier skin types might want something with more of a matte finish). Other than that, this shade is actually a fantastic bronzing powder for all complexions from fair to medium-dark as it doesn't run too yellow or too red, nor too shimmery or too matte. It leaves just a beautifully natural, glowy finish so the skin looks smoother, healthier, and more radiant — never dull, ruddy, or ashy. It doesn't look powdery on the skin or emphasize pores and fine lines, so it is also ideal for all ages. It can likewise be used as a soft contour and as a blush on fair to medium complexions who don't like a lot of colour on their cheeks but want some dimension. The texture of this powder is like a regular MSFN — finely-milled and weightless — and goes on very smoothly and evenly, so application is pretty fool-proof as well. It's not a must-have if you already have one of the permanent darker shades of MSFN (like Dark, Dark Tan, or Dark Deepest), but if you're looking for a universally-flattering bronzer or neutral cheek colour that'll work any time of year and simultaneously make your skin look smoother and more radiant, this one is well worth it.