MAC lipstick collection.
6.11.15
Right, so apparently MAC lipstick collections are still a thing. I had a bad MAC-lipstick addiction when I first dived into the world of lip colours and then I got bored of the line for a while. It wasn't for lack of trying as I would try to pick out new lipsticks from the stand, only to grab the ones that I already had. Fast forward to present day, and let's just say that I'm coming down from the latest MAC-addiction. I have a small collection, but I'm quite proud to say that there's a considerable variety to the shades I own. Mostly.
I've provided arm and lip swatches for all the shades because I'm an insanely nice person to better show the colour and provide some guidance if these are the shades that you're looking to purchase. If you prefer visuals over reading, then there's also a swatch video here. It should be noted that I have quite pigmented lips as you can see here. And now that out of the way, let's get on with the show.
MAC Peach Blossom: Possibly the lightest shade in the 60+ lipsticks I own, Peach Blossom is a cremesheen finish, meaning there's considerable shine to the end result. It's a peach shade that I can wear becuase of the slight pink undertones. I can wear this for about 3-4 hours if I pretend to be a camel and don't drink any water. Otherwise, constant coffee breaks considered, it needs reapplying around the 2 hour mark. I like this lipstick for an everyday shade when I don't want to be dressed up but still look put together.
Perfect for: I tend to gravitate towards this more in the spring and summer. Also a very good casual 'I'd walk my dog wearing this paired with t-shirt and jeans' lip colour, that is if I had a dog.
MAC Faux: So apparently this shade has been quite popular as of late? I'm like an aging dinosaur when it comes to trends, so really, don't look to me for advice on what's popular and hip (I mean, do younglings even use the word 'hip' anymore????). Anywho, I was looking for an everyday lipstick that was a little more pink than Twig and Faux came home with me after a particularly spendy duty-free shopping trip. A mauvey pink with slightly greyish-cool undertones, this is a beautiful neutral non-offensive everyday shade that will definitely sit well with my non-makeup wearing mother. It's a satin finish and will last up to 6-7 hours with regular intervals of drinking and snacking. Light meals are probably fine, but I would rethink dunking your face in a bowl of ramen and/or stuffing your face with Korean fried chicken.
Perfect for: wanting to look pretty and put together but not like you're trying too hard. Also great for low-key lunch with your girlfriends. Boys can also come, I suppose. If they're nice.
MAC Twig: Now this is what I look for in a 'my lips but better' shade (Oh, I hate myself for saying that cliche). It's darker than my natural lip colour so there's some kind of statement. But the pink-brown shade makes it subtle enough to wear to family gatherings without elder relatives wondering if you're desperate to find a 'man friend'. It's a satin finish and lasts 4-5 hours. I have a more extensive review that you can find here.
Perfect for: any occasion really, but one I always reach for when I want a low-key and natural statement lip. Especially in the autumn and winter. Also highly recommended when you need to meet elder/nosy relatives and wanting to avoid the 'oooh - where's the man friend you wore this lipstick for?' and 'I know this really sweet boy that's around your age and is also single' remarks.
MAC Taupe: Um, first off, misleading name much???? MAC and I have different understandings of what Taupe means, but I love this lipstick despite the confusion. Described by MAC as a 'reddish-taupe brown', I'm still not quite sure what it means. It's a unique neutral shade that has tints of rusty orange/red that's beautiful for autumn/winter. Like Twig, it's a satin finish that lasts a good several hours and leaves behind a good stain.
Perfect for: Autumn walks in the park that end in being buried in leaf piles, or evenings curled up with hot apple cider and a good book in front of an imaginary fireplace (or with a human - depending on your status)
MAC See Sheer: No one forgets their first. Mine was See Sheer. (WHAT DID YOU THINK I WAS REFERRING TO???) This red-based coral is a luster finish, meaning the colour applies quite sheer. Which explains why my lip swatch looks less red than the swatch on my arm. It's very comfortable to wear, but will definitely mark its territory on a white mug. It does wear off evenly and needs reapplication after a couple hours. Also, I'm not quite sure if this is just the problem with the tube I have or if it's a thing that luster finishes have, but mine is a bit, leaning tower of Pisa. I don't apply lipstick with a heavy hand, nor have I chucked this in the oven left this outside in the summer, so I'm not quite sure why this is happening. Let me know if you guys have this problem or if I just have a tube that's lacking back support.
Perfect for: walks in the park after a really big meal, or anything that doesn't involve food nor mugs. Straws are okay.
MAC Crosswires: Not gonna lie, I had to completely retake the lip swatch photo as I shot it right after See Sheer and could not tell where the previous ended and the latter starter. I was also an idiot and forgot to take reference photos. So I guess that gives you an idea of how similar the shades look on me. But as I said, I have quite naturally pinkish lips and that's probably why the shades look so similar on me. The two shades are quite different as you can see in the arm swatches. See Sheer is more of a reddish-coral, whereas Crosswires is a soft coral-pink. It's a cremesheen finish, meaning it's a punch more pigmented. Not one to hold up to heavy duty 'smoosh your face in a burger' activities, Crosswires will hold up to 4 hours with intervals of light snacking and coffee sipping.
Perfect for: anytime when you want to feel particularly girly and still have a hint of spunk, but not in the mood for wearing pink. Not recommended when you're on a mission to do a burger taste test.
MAC Speak Louder: One of the first 'bright shades' I bought when I ventured into the world of lipsticks a couple years back, Speak Louder is a beautiful blue-based fuchsia that I don't hear enough about. It's a bright shade, but not outrageously loud - just louder but still slightly muted and held back. Combined with the cremesheen finish that doesn't go on fully opaque, Speak Louder is surprisingly easy to wear if you're just starting to get into bright shades. Not particularly hydrating, it won't dry out your lips either and is quite comfortable to wear. It does transfer, but not outrageously so. It will also leave behind a stain and wears around 4 hours before it needs topping up. Perfect for: when you want to make a low-key statement; coffee dates and afternoon tea, but avoid pizza indulgences.
MAC All Fired Up: Ah yes, this shade is so beautiful, my mum accidentally agreed to buy this for me just minutes after she dragged me to a lipstick counter determined to find me a less 'man-eater, blood-dripping' lip colour. We walked away, with my new purchase in hand, ready to get in the car when she paused, looked at me with wide, delusional eyes, before saying 'I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO CONVERT YOU TO A MORE APPROACHABLE HUMAN BEING' as I flashed a bright red-fuschia smile at her. But yeah, point of this story is that All Fired Up is gorgeous enough to derail my very stubborn and determined mother from her original goal. It's a retro matte finish, which means some people may find it drying. But I am a big fan of matte lipsticks as they stay put and require very little maintenance. I would exfoliate with a q-tip if you have flaky lips beforehand and a slathering of lip balm wouldn't be harmful either. You can see a more 'normal' lip swatch here - it should be noted that I did slick it on over Chanel Boy, which didn't alter the colour but did add a shine to the finish. Perfect for: when you want to make a statement. Or derail your non-makeup-wearing mother from trying to replace your bright lipstick collection with 'friendly and subtle' shades.
(I have no idea why I look slightly feline in this photo...it was one of those days.)MAC Up The Amp: Oh my, you beautiful one. Up The Amp is without a doubt, one of the most unique shades in the MAC permanent lipstick line. It's a slightly grey-ish lavender shade that's surprisingly wearable. The amplified finish means that there's a punch of pigmentation, but if you have pigmented lips like mine, there's a chance that this shade will lean slightly more pink on the lips. Up The Amp is like a moody rainy day - not the depressing ones, but the comforting rainy days. Don't ask me to explain why but I can see Up The Amp being that romantic-comforting shade with a hint of depression and nostalgia. It wears around 5-6 hours, but faded and needed reapplying after an aggressive 'ALL THE FRENCH TOAST IN MY FACE' feast.
MAC Flat Out Fabulous: This lipstick is a pain to photograph and that arm swatch does not do the shade any justice. It's a bright pink-purple lipstick that's just outside the 'normal lip colours' ballpark, but not so far out that it's a completely different game. Aka, it's a wearable shade that's different. Another retro matte finish (are you starting to see a trend here?), Flat Out Fabulous is another shade that's insanely low maintenance and can put up with regular eating and drinking. I have a more comprehensive overview that you can find here, but this is a shade to add on your swatch list, even if you don't think you'll fall in love with it.
Perfect for: when you want a statement lipstick that's slightly out of the box, but not too outrageous. Would also recommend if trying to make friends with kids as tiny humans seem to quite like this shade for some reason.
MAC Pink Pigeon: Call it being caught up in the adrenaline of unsupervised duty-free shopping when under the illusion that I had more money than I thought. I mean, I love a bright lip, but Pink Pigeon is a bright 'in your face' pink. Definitely not something I would gravitate towards if I was standing in front of a MAC counter and had to pay sales tax. But I'm really glad that I got this as it's such a fun shade that I don't have in my extensive lipstick collection. Re-released as part of the permanent line, Pink Pigeon is a creamy matte shade that wears well past the 8-hour mark. Even if you're eating dinner and with a round (or two) of drinks. It does get slightly drying past the 5-hour mark so I would bring a lip balm around with you when wearing this loud pink.
Perfect for: when you want a statement lipstick that's slightly out of the box, but not too outrageous. Would also recommend if trying to make friends with kids as tiny humans seem to quite like this shade for some reason.
MAC Pink Pigeon: Call it being caught up in the adrenaline of unsupervised duty-free shopping when under the illusion that I had more money than I thought. I mean, I love a bright lip, but Pink Pigeon is a bright 'in your face' pink. Definitely not something I would gravitate towards if I was standing in front of a MAC counter and had to pay sales tax. But I'm really glad that I got this as it's such a fun shade that I don't have in my extensive lipstick collection. Re-released as part of the permanent line, Pink Pigeon is a creamy matte shade that wears well past the 8-hour mark. Even if you're eating dinner and with a round (or two) of drinks. It does get slightly drying past the 5-hour mark so I would bring a lip balm around with you when wearing this loud pink. Perfect for: when you really want a loud statement lip while feeling extra girly at the same time. This would totally be a 'astronaut Barbie' shade - kicking butt while being the epitome of 'girly'.
MAC Ruby Woo: OH HAI YOU CULT CLASSIC. Ruby Woo is a bright neutral red with a retro matte finish. Again, really drying, but like All Fired Up, it will stay put once applied. I've worn this up to eight hours with regular intervals of food and drinks, but I did have to apply a bit of lip balm at the five hour mark. However, this is a lipstick that I'll only wear when my lips are in pretty good condition as it would otherwise be a really heavy toll. Perfect for: ANYTIME. Because red lipstick awesomeness is everything. But only when your lips are in relatively good condition. Would recommend avoid wearing it to family gatherings, especially if elder/nosy relatives are present. I've also been told that red lipsticks aren't great for funerals either.
It is obvious that I was hungry when I typed up this post? Anyways. What is it about these black bullet lipsticks that make them so enticing? I can't seem to resist them so I'm just staying away from the general gravity field of MAC counters in general for the time being. I have quite the diverse collection, if I may say so myself, but I have a fondness for their (Retro) Matte and Satin finishes. I'm already collecting lipsticks at this point, so I might as well ask: what colour should I get next? 
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