Usually they restock brushes. Let's hope there is a restock for those who were undecided, but want it now. The reviews seems mainly positive with only a few (bitter) ones.
It is not as bad as I expected based on the video but it is still a brush for a more advanced user or application for the intended use. I can see some people liking it for foundation if they can't make it work for contouring.
I love CW and Accentuate on me. I am Nw15. Pure Sculpture is ok too but does pull a tiny bit orange.
I found it far too orange on me. It already looks orange in the pan and even more orange against my NW15-20 skin.
I'm NC15 at the moment, my winter shade is NC10.
I tried Pure sculpture and it was too reddish orangy on me, even now...
tried the Walnut one, since it looked much more cooler but blended out it was greenish on me. :D:D:D
I'm so sad that they don't make a sculpting powder like NYX's Taupe. I really like the shade on me of thit one but the texture and quality could be improved.
My sister got Pure Sculpture she is somewhere between NC-NW15 and it looks great on her, like natural shadow.
I'm NC15 with a yellow undertone and Pure Sculpture even ran very warm on me. It's definitely on the orange end of the spectrum.
Violet Pearl - did you try Naturally Defined? That one seems rather light in the pan, but just from eyeballing it, it looks a lot closer to Strada territory - but less of a pink cast and more beige.
Also, we were commenting on how a few of the new Office Hours blushes were in the Strada color family (but also more beige than pink, but with that noticeable grey cast). Baby Don't Go and Blush All Day are the two I particularly remember (I think Baby Don't go had the most grey). They were too light for contour for me applied directly to bare skin, but so is Strada. One thing about those Office Hours blushes - if you apply them over a full coverage foundation, then the color and texture really come forward and look beautifully gorgeous (we tested this out after I was scratching my head about why they weren't showing up on my skin). With something underneath them to grip onto the powder, they've got the most beautiful porcelain matte radiance.
It's the grey undertones in CW that really make it work for me, so maybe Baby Don't Go will be the right sort of thing for you - it's very greyish, while skipping all that green and yellow. As far as powders go, I wouldn't say it's so soft that you couldn't get a sharp line if you wanted one, but if you're not the type to wear foundation or primer regularly, better be safe and try it out first to see what it does on your bare skin. Naturally Defined looks less grey, but for a cream, it might be the right look you are trying for (I can't say for sure because I didn't try it on my skin and that's always the most important test).
any other reviews on the 215 brush? Is it scratchy? I am hearing nothing about it but crickets...
I was tempted by this brush, but I didn't want to test out the display brush on my skin because I was getting over a cold.
It's very dense and quite stiff (due to the short dense bristles), but I wouldn't call that scratchy. It's got a very subtle slant as well. It struck me as a perfect tool for contouring from the crease outwards along the underside curve of the brow bone, 70's-style. Also would work very precisely if you have puffy bags under your eyes and are using concealer to sculpt around their edges to give that really flattened out illusion, like this MA's technique here:
All in all, I wouldn't call it an all-purpose eye brush, but I think it will be a real miracle worker if you have a pronounced brow bone and/or under-eye issues you need maximum precision for. I'm going to get one, since I've mostly been using a pencil brush to do all these things up till now, but this brush will speed up application and require less strokes to get the perfect results. I use one or both of these techniques pretty much every time I do my eye makeup, so it'll be very handy for me. 
The face contouring brush is excellent too, btw - so velvety soft and dense. I had that on my buy list the instant I saw it. I can't speak for how the Kashuk one is because I've never seen it on the shelves at Target - it must sell out often. I'd have a hard time imagining it would be as dense as the MAC brush, but you never know.....
I really wonder why MAC describes PS as "neutral pink beige" 
I love CW and Accentuate on me. I am Nw15. Pure Sculpture is ok too but does pull a tiny bit orange.
I found it far too orange on me. It already looks orange in the pan and even more orange against my NW15-20 skin.
My swatches of Accentuate, Naturally Defined, Pure Sculpture and Richly Honed on NC15/20 skin:
Thoughts:
RIchly Honed is super super dark on me. Any blending tips that you have are appreciated. I'm an amateur at blending for contour--should I try mixing it with a bit of my foundation?
Any suggestions that anyone has are greatly appreciated! Anyway, maybe some of you NC15 might find the pix useful. 
My swatches of Accentuate, Naturally Defined, Pure Sculpture and Richly Honed on NC15/20 skin:
Thoughts:
RIchly Honed is super super dark on me. Any blending tips that you have are appreciated. I'm an amateur at blending for contour--should I try mixing it with a bit of my foundation?
Any suggestions that anyone has are greatly appreciated! Anyway, maybe some of you NC15 might find the pix useful.
Use the Mixing Medium in matte. It will not alter to cream-to-powder finish but simply translate RH into a lighter shade while maintaining its base color. HTH
The bristles are short and very dense, which makes it very firm but definitely not scratchy.
I skipped the cremes because I just got a pro sculpting pan in a powder (and I wear powder foundations). However, I did pick up Light Touch pressed pigment because I could easily use that as a face & body shimmer, or as an eyeshadow. Maybe if I like it, I'll pick up something more bronze. The brush is also quite nice. I use the angled blush brush for contouring, but I might try it.
My MAC 163 brush arrived today. For the record, it did have a slight glue smell that dissipated about 5 minutes after I took it out of the box. I wouldn't have noticed it at all unless I held it up to my nose (lol after Dustin's video, I had to see).
Also, it's hard to clean in the same way that many foundation brushes are. It's the same experience that I have with Shiseido's Perfect Foundation brush--I think the bristles go very deep into the ferrule and it can take a long time to rinse if you are trying to get the water to run clear while rinsing. Chanel's older foundation brush was the same.
If you aren't using a brush cleanser, another quick way to clean these is a squirt of oil cleanser --it breaks down the foundation and cleans much faster.
By the way, I love the 163. It allowed me to place the product really well--I actually liked it for blending too (although I'm no expert--it made it easier for me)
I ran to the Mac store after work to check out all the new collections. The SA starts telling me about sellouts as soon as I got there. So annoying. I'm trying to hard to patronize the stores but the sell out situation is terrible. I had no idea which sculpting cream to get as I've never done any sculpting before. The MA recommended 2 different ones. I got both because I just wasn't sure. One looked very close to my skin. I thought it might be just right but maybe too light. The other was dark but the MA said would be fine if really blended. I tried to keep in mind what everyone was saying about tone rather than color but I'm not sure how I did. I'm too tired to try them tonight. But I got Copper Beech and Richly Honed. Copper Beech looks close but darker than my skin but Richly Honed is really dark, I just hope its the right tone. I also bought some of those pigments. I know they are super sparkly but they looked so pretty. Maybe for nights out? I'm hoping the glitter glue will help it adhere better or maybe mixing medium? I also got both brushes. The SA thought the 163 was sold out but then found a whole bunch. I wouldn't have been too upset if it were sold out as I saw the Hakuhodo?? one and it was about the same price. Oh and I decided to try a sample of F&B. I tried 2 colors but I couldn't be sure. The SA said they do oxidize so I asked for a sample. But she only gave me the one shade.
I ran to the Mac store after work to check out all the new collections. The SA starts telling me about sellouts as soon as I got there. So annoying. I'm trying to hard to patronize the stores but the sell out situation is terrible. I had no idea which sculpting cream to get as I've never done any sculpting before. The MA recommended 2 different ones. I got both because I just wasn't sure. One looked very close to my skin. I thought it might be just right but maybe too light. The other was dark but the MA said would be fine if really blended. I tried to keep in mind what everyone was saying about tone rather than color but I'm not sure how I did. I'm too tired to try them tonight. But I got Copper Beech and Richly Honed. Copper Beech looks close but darker than my skin but Richly Honed is really dark, I just hope its the right tone. I also bought some of those pigments. I know they are super sparkly but they looked so pretty. Maybe for nights out? I'm hoping the glitter glue will help it adhere better or maybe mixing medium? I also got both brushes. The SA thought the 163 was sold out but then found a whole bunch. I wouldn't have been too upset if it were sold out as I saw the Hakuhodo?? one and it was about the same price. Oh and I decided to try a sample of F&B. I tried 2 colors but I couldn't be sure. The SA said they do oxidize so I asked for a sample. But she only gave me the one shade.
i bought richly honed also, and it works well on me. (nc 44/45) when a single layer is blended out, it is a clear contour without looking like a dark stripe....but i think for a more dramatic contour it could probably be layered. this worked better for me than using blunt or ccb in root.
i thought copper beech might be too close to my skintone, and i wasn't sure how i should use it. but i haven't seen them in store yet. let us know how they work out for you!!!
I ran to the Mac store after work to check out all the new collections. The SA starts telling me about sellouts as soon as I got there. So annoying. I'm trying to hard to patronize the stores but the sell out situation is terrible. I had no idea which sculpting cream to get as I've never done any sculpting before. The MA recommended 2 different ones. I got both because I just wasn't sure. One looked very close to my skin. I thought it might be just right but maybe too light. The other was dark but the MA said would be fine if really blended. I tried to keep in mind what everyone was saying about tone rather than color but I'm not sure how I did. I'm too tired to try them tonight. But I got Copper Beech and Richly Honed. Copper Beech looks close but darker than my skin but Richly Honed is really dark, I just hope its the right tone. I also bought some of those pigments. I know they are super sparkly but they looked so pretty. Maybe for nights out? I'm hoping the glitter glue will help it adhere better or maybe mixing medium? I also got both brushes. The SA thought the 163 was sold out but then found a whole bunch. I wouldn't have been too upset if it were sold out as I saw the Hakuhodo?? one and it was about the same price. Oh and I decided to try a sample of F&B. I tried 2 colors but I couldn't be sure. The SA said they do oxidize so I asked for a sample. But she only gave me the one shade.
I think someone (can't remember who) recently said in this thread that they tried applying their pressed pigments with their finger and it worked fine. Maybe you can try that to see if it avoids some of the glitter fallout. I really need to go look at this collection this weekend.
Which shades of pressed pigments did you get?
i bought richly honed also, and it works well on me. (nc 44/45) when a single layer is blended out, it is a clear contour without looking like a dark stripe....but i think for a more dramatic contour it could probably be layered. this worked better for me than using blunt or ccb in root.
i thought copper beech might be too close to my skintone, and i wasn't sure how i should use it. but i haven't seen them in store yet. let us know how they work out for you!!!
Good to know that Richly Honed worked for you. I will let you know how it goes with Copper Beech.
I think someone (can't remember who) recently said in this thread that they tried applying their pressed pigments with their finger and it worked fine. Maybe you can try that to see if it avoids some of the glitter fallout. I really need to go look at this collection this weekend.
Which shades of pressed pigments did you get?
Okay. I'll try that method. I bought 3 of them. What's wrong with me. Everyone says they were a horror but they looked so pretty and I couldn't make a decision. I really meant to get 1. They were almost sold out though, go figure. I bought Warming Heart, Beaming and Deeply Dashing. I'm not going to try them until the weekend. I don't want to deal with a mess for work.
Oh that reminds me, I didn't get a highlighter shade in the sculpting cream. They were sold out of the lighter shades. Any suggestions of which highlighter shade to get? I will try other stores and counters now.
I think someone (can't remember who) recently said in this thread that they tried applying their pressed pigments with their finger and it worked fine. Maybe you can try that to see if it avoids some of the glitter fallout. I really need to go look at this collection this weekend.
Which shades of pressed pigments did you get?
It was me! Patting them in with the warmth of the fingers really helped a lot. Sprayed after with a little Fix+. I DID have a heck of a time removing them - thick cream cleanser had to come into play when it was time. I think I'll bust out my Big Bounce Shadows to use as a base, since those have a really grippy texture to them, just in case. Also, I think I might try mixing a little scraped out with a spatula with hair product for a shimmery hair look - ought to look good with my curly hair.
I bought Warming Heart, Day Gleam and Deeply Dashing, when I originally was only going to buy one. The warm toned ones developed a golden edge that really brought out my green eyes (I picked the mid-tone version, since Beaming was a little too orange - I've got orange eye shadow for that job), Warming Heart was the perfect tone for a nude I can wear all over the lid and brow, and Deeply Dashing was soft and sultry, without being smokey.
I almost went for the lightest shade too, because it's the shimmeriest, like a nude with white frost highlight, very wet-look. I held off just in case the Marilyn shadows are actually pressed pigments, since the MAs were not sure if they were or weren't. One guy was sure that they were but the book says VP. 
It was me! Patting them in with the warmth of the fingers really helped a lot. Sprayed after with a little Fix+. I DID have a heck of a time removing them - thick cream cleanser had to come into play when it was time. I think I'll bust out my Big Bounce Shadows to use as a base, since those have a really grippy texture to them, just in case. Also, I think I might try mixing a little scraped out with a spatula with hair product for a shimmery hair look - ought to look good with my curly hair.
I bought Warming Heart, Day Gleam and Deeply Dashing, when I originally was only going to buy one. The warm toned ones developed a golden edge that really brought out my green eyes (I picked the mid-tone version, since Beaming was a little too orange - I've got orange eye shadow for that job), Warming Heart was the perfect tone for a nude I can wear all over the lid and brow, and Deeply Dashing was soft and sultry, without being smokey.
I almost went for the lightest shade too, because it's the shimmeriest, like a nude with white frost highlight, very wet-look. I held off just in case the Marilyn shadows are actually pressed pigments, since the MAs were not sure if they were or weren't. One guy was sure that they were but the book says VP.
LOL liba! Yes! I was too doggone lazy to go back to see who made the finger application suggestion.
I'm NC15 with a yellow undertone and Pure Sculpture even ran very warm on me. It's definitely on the orange end of the spectrum.
Violet Pearl - did you try Naturally Defined? That one seems rather light in the pan, but just from eyeballing it, it looks a lot closer to Strada territory - but less of a pink cast and more beige.
Also, we were commenting on how a few of the new Office Hours blushes were in the Strada color family (but also more beige than pink, but with that noticeable grey cast). Baby Don't Go and Blush All Day are the two I particularly remember (I think Baby Don't go had the most grey). They were too light for contour for me applied directly to bare skin, but so is Strada. One thing about those Office Hours blushes - if you apply them over a full coverage foundation, then the color and texture really come forward and look beautifully gorgeous (we tested this out after I was scratching my head about why they weren't showing up on my skin). With something underneath them to grip onto the powder, they've got the most beautiful porcelain matte radiance.
It's the grey undertones in CW that really make it work for me, so maybe Baby Don't Go will be the right sort of thing for you - it's very greyish, while skipping all that green and yellow. As far as powders go, I wouldn't say it's so soft that you couldn't get a sharp line if you wanted one, but if you're not the type to wear foundation or primer regularly, better be safe and try it out first to see what it does on your bare skin. Naturally Defined looks less grey, but for a cream, it might be the right look you are trying for (I can't say for sure because I didn't try it on my skin and that's always the most important test).
Naturally Defined is too light for my liking for a contour shade, I don't feel that it would actually "sculpt" my face.
When the SA tried on me the sculpting creams her next idea was the same thing you wrote, try Baby don't go on me as a contour shade.
The results were quite funny, it turned out really rosy-beige on me, like if I was sunburnt. The SA told me that it was strange, but she said also that it was rather rosy on me than a cool brownish colour.
But it happened with me before with other products as well, that colours turned out to be more intensive on my skin than on others.
For example the SA (nc25 approx) wore a golden-peachy shade mineralize eyeshadow from a previous collection, she tried it out on me and it was almost orangy.
She said that I am so fair skinned that pigments are showing up on my skin with more intensity.
NYX Taupe looks really good against my skin though, a truly greyish-brown shade, it seems that I should stick with it... Or maybe I will visit a theatre supply makeup store, I bet they have a wild range of contour shades...
Ok I'm trying to sell my Naturally defined (received at the Mac event).. If I find no one who wants it, how could I use it? sadly it completely blends into my skin tone.. not enough dark nor enough light!
Maybe try it as an e/s base and/or for a natural contouring of your eye socket on days where you want a natural look. Just contour your eyes with the cream and set it with a slightly darker powder.
Naturally Defined is too light for my liking for a contour shade, I don't feel that it would actually "sculpt" my face.
When the SA tried on me the sculpting creams her next idea was the same thing you wrote, try Baby don't go on me as a contour shade.
The results were quite funny, it turned out really rosy-beige on me, like if I was sunburnt. The SA told me that it was strange, but she said also that it was rather rosy on me than a cool brownish colour.
But it happened with me before with other products as well, that colours turned out to be more intensive on my skin than on others.
For example the SA (nc25 approx) wore a golden-peachy shade mineralize eyeshadow from a previous collection, she tried it out on me and it was almost orangy.
She said that I am so fair skinned that pigments are showing up on my skin with more intensity.
NYX Taupe looks really good against my skin though, a truly greyish-brown shade, it seems that I should stick with it... Or maybe I will visit a theatre supply makeup store, I bet they have a wild range of contour shades...
ND is a shape cream (to highlight) rather than a sculpt cream (to contour). That's why it probably did not work out for you as a sculpting cream.
so...wearing richly honed on my lids today, and blended a little around the socket. i just applied it with my finger, then followed with deeply dashing on the lids, also using my finger. no fallout. (thanks for the suggestion, liba!) the effect of the pressed pigment is a little like that image we saw of the girl with ruffian red and a bunch of face & body and office hours products....i think she was wearing one of the pressed pigments on her eyes...
She's probably still trying to get all the glitter off her face
ROFLMFAO
My brushes do not smell at all either. Yay for that!
I have never thought to sniff one. Which is odd, because I sniff about everything else, food, drinks, actual make up products.
I love CW and Accentuate on me. I am Nw15. Pure Sculpture is ok too but does pull a tiny bit orange.
All talk of baby poo aside, I would welcome a face product that doesn't look too red or orange. I have never tried contouring, but perhaps a CW would be a good way to start to learn how...it could make my cheeks look less chubby LOL
My MAC 163 brush arrived today. For the record, it did have a slight glue smell that dissipated about 5 minutes after I took it out of the box. I wouldn't have noticed it at all unless I held it up to my nose (lol after Dustin's video, I had to see).
Also, it's hard to clean in the same way that many foundation brushes are. It's the same experience that I have with Shiseido's Perfect Foundation brush--I think the bristles go very deep into the ferrule and it can take a long time to rinse if you are trying to get the water to run clear while rinsing. Chanel's older foundation brush was the same.
If you aren't using a brush cleanser, another quick way to clean these is a squirt of oil cleanser --it breaks down the foundation and cleans much faster.
By the way, I love the 163. It allowed me to place the product really well--I actually liked it for blending too (although I'm no expert--it made it easier for me)
I use an oil based eye MU remover. And, rinse like gangbusters. Then resign myself to the fact that I will never get it completely clean (probably) but I have done what I can to cut down the germs...
Whoa, this thread took forever to catch up on. You guys are making me want all of the pressed pigments. Can anyone recommend if there is a cool toned fawn colored one?
