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For example, if you had a bunch of strangers baking cookies, you might say

The cookies produced were [adjective].

Meaning there were both good and bad results in the set.

Or:

Jean went out in a tight fitting short skirt. The reactions she got were [adjective].

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I think contrasting ( also conflicting) can fit in your second example:

  • different, especially with strong dissimilarities , between entities or objects compared.

or mixed:

  • Composed of a variety of differing, sometimes conflicting entities: viewed the change in management with mixed emotions; a closet full of mixed outfits.

As for the biscuits I think you have to be more specific saying 'that they were not all good'.

Source: www.thefreedictionary.com

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  • Mmm, I think I'm wanting to highlight the bad in the set.
    – dwjohnston
    Commented Oct 4, 2014 at 6:22
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    @dwjohnston - you are asking for a mix of good and bad in your question. You should be more specific in your request if you want to stress one aspect (bad) vs the other ( good).
    – user66974
    Commented Oct 4, 2014 at 6:25
  • Yeah, I'm being difficult. The answer given certainly fits the question posed. :)
    – dwjohnston
    Commented Oct 4, 2014 at 6:27
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I know "mixed" was given above, but I don't think it's as accurate as

mixed bag (idiomatic) something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a mixture of advantages and disadvantages.

The results of the cookie competition were a mixed bag.

Source : http://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/mixed_bag

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Although so-so means neither very good nor very bad, Merriam-Webster, it seemingly fits your tone and content, in that none were outstanding in any way. You could say ranged but you'd sound like a stiff using it as a single word.

The cookies produced were so-so.

The cliche, "varied reactions":

Jean received varied reactions when she went out in a tight fitting short skirt.

She also got "assorted looks".

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If you're looking to highlight the bad, then a good expression would be a "curate's egg" as in, "the results were a bit of a curate's egg" :

The expression itself comes from an old Punch cartoon caption;

Bishop: "I'm afraid you've got a bad egg, Mr Jones"
Curate: "Oh, no, my Lord, I assure you that parts of it are excellent!"

enter image description here
"True Humility" by George du Maurier, originally published in Punch, 9 November 1895.

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    That's a great phrase, but I don't think most Americans would recognize it. It might be a strictly a UKism.
    – keshlam
    Commented Oct 4, 2014 at 15:46
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I think you could use, poise, equipoise, equilibrium, or stasis. They all have the same definition: A condition in which opposing forces are equal to one another.

If you're sneaky, you could use aplomb, which means: Evenness of emotions or temper.

Antipodal and diametric mean: Being as different as possible.

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