Finish: Frost / Beige with pink-green pearl
Vex is a light green shade with a duochrome formula, so it takes on pink and purple in addition to green. It’s ideal for pairing with other greens, pinks, purples and browns. The first Vex I had was swapped away as I personally did not find this color appealing. I bought another one to put together better combos for you, but unfortunately I still feel the same way about it. It is a beautiful shade and works well especially in purple combinations, but to each their own I suppose. Maybe I haven’t found the combo that WOWS me with it, yet!
Look #1
MAC eyeshadows used:
- Vex (inner half of lid)
- Sketch (outer half of lid and lower lashline)
- Blackberry (crease)
- Blanc Type (blend)
Emeconeme
I like it, maybe it is the colour of your eyes. I think it is a mysterious tone, difficult to describe.
XXX
Gina
Beautiful, love all looks. All very wearable for day but still striking and natural…♥
Zabrena
Thanks, Gina! I’m glad you like them! 🙂
Joanna Hotalen
i really like combo #1. i also swapped this one away. i felt like the pinky duochrome made me look sick and my eyes looked so tired. it was personally just an ick shade for me. i love the first look but it doesn’t justify repurchasing this one. just my personal preference. i think it looks good one you, but most pinks do. i feel like only a select few pinks are good for me that i’ve held onto
Zabrena
I hear ya! I normally love pink shades, but this has an icky look to it. Blah! 🙂
Melissa Raymond
I use it over nyx milk and love it but if I don’t use milk then it doesnt show up much. Very pretty with vellum too!! 🙂
Zabrena
Ouu! That’s a thought – thanks, Melissa! 🙂 Yes, I do LOVE it with Vellum – that combo is so beautiful in person.
Diana Slade
I’ve had trouble using Vex, but I tried look 2 today and it was great. Enough to make me look awake and have my eyes stand out but not so much that my eyes scream “I’m wearing makeup!” A perfect on-the-go mom look. Thanks!
Zabrena
That’s awesome, Diana! I do like that look a LOT too. You’re so welcome! 🙂
Melody Wang
I like no. 7
I always use vex and pulm dressing together.
Zabrena
Ouu! I’m looking for some new combos to add to this post – how do you place them on the lid?
Melody Wang
vex inner half lid
pulm dressing outer half lid and crease
Brule blend
I love your combos hehehe
Kaitlyn
I LOVE pairing this with Blackberry! Something about when you blend the two together is just magical! I typically put vex over 2/3-3/4 of the lid and blackberry on the outer part of the lid and into the crease, blended towards the center of the lid. Blackberry picks up the pink shimmer and woah baby! (you could darken the outer part with sketch, but I don’t like how it blends so I sometimes mix blackberry with a bit of a dark brown to make a crease color, nylon in the inner corner)
Donna Campanaro
Just got email about a new comment, but I don’t see new comment and I don’t see an update on page. . I’m confused is still a color that you don’t like to work with?
Zabrena
Hi Donna,
Now I’m confused! LOL I just re-released this post today with the new combos … 🙂
Donna Campanaro
maybe you could date your new posts. and your comment up top saying you don’t like it, is that still from 2011 or is that still your opinion as you tried working with Vex in 2014? I love, love, love this color. I’m drawn to it every time I go in the store looking for new ones!
Zabrena
Yes, still hasn’t changed, unfortunately 🙁 I actually always rewrite the top portion of the post when I redo a post, just so you know 🙂 Glad you like it!
Staci Werner
Vex is one of the few MAC shadows I own, and my least worn. It just doesn’t seem to work with anything for me. I like it too much to get rid of it though.
Zabrena
I feel the same way about it, Staci! I want to like it so badly …
Mariella
Staci, try Vex with purple shadows you might have. I find it works really well with colours like Shale and Memorabilia (a LE shade from years back that was really problematic for me; I searched around for reasons why it had such a high rating on MakeupAlley and found that a lot of people had paired it with Vex; I tried that and it made both shadows work better for me). Hope this helps.
Mariella
#4 is a stunner and I think I have a sample of Antique Diamond. If it hasn’t dried out, I think I’ll give that look a test drive tomorrow (you know I adore Inglot 419 so any look with that is calling my name). And speaking of Inglot and their numbers – have you tried any of the new Make Up For Ever shadows. Gorgeous and there are hundreds of them. I wanted 3 particular ones and spent close to half an hour in Sephora trying to find them (MUFE’s number/letter system makes NO sense and is the height of confusing and disorganized; in the end, the store didn’t even carry the one shadow I really wanted a lot; the other 2 – Reptile and Taupe Grey are fab but it took ages to find them, even with the SA’s help, and the 3rd one eluded us entirely).
Zabrena
Oh gawsh, don’t tell me they use a numbering system, too! ARGH! I wish it was the standard to NAME the eyeshadows, so much easier to remember and refer to! 🙁 I have only ever swatched them in store but I always get makeup ADD in Sephora so I’m looking at one thing one minute and then “Ouuuu!” two seconds later. LOL! 😉 I did swatch their neon eyeshadows that were recently released and OMG! Insane pigmentation! I’ll have to look more closely at the ones you mentioned next I go.
Mariella
I’m with you on the makeup ADD, Zabrena. It’s to the point where I have to make a 3 part list – items I’m buying, items I’d like a sample of (that’s what I often forget) and items I want to look at/check out. The numbering/lettering with MUFE is so confusing. They don’t have all the M(atte) shades together or the (D)iamond so they’re all over the place. The numbers don’t run consecutively either, so M333 could be really far from S334, not right next to it. As far as I can tell, they’re arranged sort of by colour but that’s no bloody help when you’re looking for a specific shade that could be in with the beiges or could be with the warm browns or could maybe be in with the grey shades….it’s find if you hit on a shade that you love just from the look of it on the display but if you are searching for a particular shadow (or shadows), you’re probably in for a loooong search.
Layni1006
I like to do Knight Divine on the outer half of the lid, then Vex on the inner half and blended over Knight Divine. It makes a pretty black pearl kind of effect on the center where they blend, and looks more complicated than it is!
Zabrena
Ouuu! That sounds gorgeous! Thanks for sharing that one! 🙂
Dana Gossett
For years I have paired Vex with Knight Divine. I get a lot of compliments. I have dark brown eyes.
Karen Forsling
I’ve had Vex for a few years and never really knew what to do with it. But that changed today! I tried Look #2 and love it! I’m eager to try the others. Thanks so much, Zabrena!
Zabrena
Whoo hoo! That’s wonderful, Karen! I’m thrilled to hear that!! 😀
Marie-Josee Pitre
Hi Zabrena! I love Vex, it is a stunning color! In look #2, you used Moth Brown?? I looked in the Mac gallery and did not find it… Can you give me a close dupe? Thanks!!
Stephanie Harris
I used it today for the first time. I love it! I used it on the inner 2/3 of the lid with MUG Time Travel (similar to Plumage) in the outer 1/3 and Copperplate in the crease. I have green eyes with light neutral coloring, and it was gorgeous. These combos are really pretty too. Surprised you don’t like it!
Jill
When I bought Vex, I bought it along with Sumptious Olive and paired together it makes a very nice look with Vex in the inner half of the lid with Sumptious Olive on the outter half.