The (in)famous Parrot

The (in)famous Parrot

MAC Parrot eye shadow was released in the Salsabelle collection in May 2004. It was popular straight away and was easily the most desirable item in the collection. I managed to get mine simply because MAC wasn't as popular in the UK then.

Parrot came right at the start of my MAC addiction. At that point I only had a couple of pigment samples and one or two eye shadows. So, when I saw a picture of it I knew I had to add it to my collection.

It was described as "electric turquoise" and that's exactly what it is! In the pan it's a very bright turquoise with a green pearl. It's a very rich blue when it's worn with a beautiful green iridescence. It's very smooth and pigmented, even compared to other MAC shadows. This makes it so easy to apply and blend.

So, why is it so desirable? Well, MAC limited editions are always sought aftre but Parrot seems to be something special. I have seen it go for as much as $70 on ebay but now it sits at about $40-$50. Maybe it's because MAC hasn't released anything like this since (althought it was re-released in a limited edition holiday palette). The colour is unique for MAC. It's bluer than any of the other teals or turquoises in the range and nothing comes close to the green iridescence. Every time there's a new blue/teal/turquoise in a collection, the first question I see is "how does it compare to Parrot?".

There are many, many similar shades on the market but nothing I own matches exactly. A quick dig through my stash revealed 8 similar shades.

1 - MAC "Parrot"
2 - Shu Uemura "ME Blue 638" - lighter than Parrot and a little more metallic. Doesn't have the green iridescence.
3 - Sally Girl "Sun Kiss" - quite similar in the pan but much lighter when applied. The iridescence is more gold than green.
4 - Kryolan Aquacolour Interferenz "GB" - quite a good match. It's quite a bit brighter and I love to layer Parrot over the top of this to give an extra brightness to it. The green iridescence on this one is much brighter than Parrot's. This is a cream that needs to be applied wet so it can be a little difficult to use.
5 - Bourjois Suivez mon Regard "Bleu Swimming Pool" - this was a surprisingly good match. It doesn't look to similar in the pot but it's quite close when applied. The blue base isn't quite as rich as Parrot but the green iridescence is similar. *applied with a damp brush*
6 - Kryolan Satin Powder "BG" - very similar to the aquacolour (#4) but being a powder this is much easier to use. The green iridescence is brighter than Parrot's. *applied with a damp brush*
7 - Barry M Dazzle Dust "#78" - one of my favourite matches. The blue base isn't as rich as Parrot but it's still very similar. I can barely tell the difference when worn over the aquacolour. *applied with a damp brush*
8 - Pure Luxe "Shameless" - much, much brighter than Parrot. Its base is more turquoise but the green iridescence is just about the same. *applied with a damp brush*
9 - Sweetscents "Royal Peacock" - this is the one I reach for the most. I think I prefer this to Parrot! It's richer and has the same green iridescence. *applied with a damp brush*

Notice how flat Parrot looks to some of the alternatives, especially the mineral pigments. The mineral pigments tended to offer the best alternatives to Parrot as they are much more reflective and complex than pressed shadows. They can be difficult to use though. I tend to apply all my loose shadows with a damp brush as I find they work better that way.

If you can find a Parrot then enjoy it. It really is a beautiful eye shadow but there's plenty of others out there that you could use instead.

Thanks to supko.

~Sirvinya~

Words and images by Sirvinya 23rd July 2006