MAC Blush Beyond the Film Noir Shade Everyone Asks About

MAC Blush Beyond the Film Noir Shade Everyone Asks About

MAC blush began with two Toronto founders who wanted makeup that held up under studio lights. These are the Skinfinish powders, glow creams and liquids I would reach for, plus the brown and taupe blushes that sit near the Film Noir shade.

MAC was founded in Toronto in March 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo, and the name stands for Make-Up Art Cosmetics. The line was built for professional makeup artists first, which is why MAC blush still feels like it was designed by people who work on other people's faces all day.

The Skinfinish blush powders in this grid are the easiest place to begin. The brand describes them as velvety, blurring pressed powders with buildable coverage and 12 hours of wear, in matte and radiant finishes. The shade notes do the talking: Raizin The Roof is a golden reddish brown, Gingerly is a capri bronze, Desert Rose is a soft dusty pink, Pinch Me is a medium dirty rose coral, Melba is a soft coral peach, Peachykeen is a baby peach and Cheeky Chili is a warm brick red. The last Skinfinish in the row is the same velvety powder, so you can pick whichever shade suits you.

If you came here for the mac film noir blush, it was out of stock when I put this together. Grid three has the brown and taupe blushes I would look at in the meantime.

A quick test: tap the brush on the back of your hand before your face. The brand's own tip is to tap off the excess, then sweep and build.

Magazine page collage for MAC Blush Beyond the Film Noir Shade Everyone Asks About, featuring MAC and Bobbi Brown
MAC Blush

MAC Skinfinish Colourstruck blush

Creams, liquids and mousse from MAC

MAC goes well beyond powder, and this grid is where I would go for something softer. Glow Play is a cream blush with jojoba and grape seed oils and vitamin E. True Harmony is a muted rose beige, Blush, Please is a neutral light mauve and Pinch Of Marrakesh is an intense orange brown. You can use it on cheeks or lips with just your fingertips.

Strobe Beam is an iridescent, water-based gel blush, sheer and buildable, made for sunlight or spotlight. Nitelite is a dirty cool mauve with pink pearl, and Unsweetened is a midtone reddish mauve.

Powder Kiss Liquid Mousse works on cheeks and lips, with a hazy matte, whipped texture. It's Personal is a cool dusty nude and Marrakesh-Mere is an intense orange brown. The Mineralize Blush rounds out the grid for anyone who wants a powder in the mix.

Pairing tip: put Glow Play on first, then dot Powder Kiss on top of it in the same shade family for a two-layer cheek that has some depth.

What I would skip: Strobe Beam if you have visible texture and want a matte look. It is made to catch light, so it will catch every bump too.

More MAC blush

Brown and taupe blushes for deeper cheeks

This grid is for anyone who wants a blush that lands closer to brown than pink, in the spirit of the Film Noir shade. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Warm Mocha is a warm dark brown cream blush for cheeks and lips with a soft matte finish. Saie SuperSuede in Ciao is a soft golden brown baked powder that is talc free. Armani Beauty Dolci Blush in Cinnamon Blush is a neutral brick brown cream-to-powder balm. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch in Resilience is a warm chestnut liquid, and one dot goes far.

Jung Saem Mool Artist Cushion in Nutty Rose is a muted brown rose cushion with a soft matte finish. Violette_FR Plume Blush in Latte Praline is a warm caramel nude cream-to-powder cheek melt. Wonderskin Wonder Blading in Toasty is a chestnut rouge liquid stain, described as fade-proof and transfer-proof. Armani Beauty Cheek Tint in 13 Brick Brown is a warm rich brown liquid that lasts up to 12 hours.

How to wear it: tap brown on the outer cheek, high toward the temple, and add a lighter dot in the center for glow.

What I would skip: a heavy hand on the apples of the cheeks. Deep brown reads best a little higher, and the tint can look muddy if it sits low.

Brown and taupe blushes in the Film Noir family

Picking your MAC edit

To choose your MAC edit, start with the finish. Skinfinish powders are for a matte, blurred flush, Glow Play is for a soft cream glow, and the liquids are for the fast route. If your shade is out of stock, go for the brown and taupe family for a similar mood. Try the color on your cheek in daylight, blend it out, and see whether it still looks like you. Deeper skin and warm undertones often look best in the bronze and brick shades, while cool, light skin can carry the mauves and dusty pinks. Use a single dot or a light tap first, since every formula here builds. If it does look like you, that is your blush.