Saturday 19 October 2013

My Mac Lipstick Collection (So Far!)

Hello again! Brace yourselves, this is going to be a long, picture-heavy post! I have been shopping at Mac for almost four years now and one of the things that I keep going back for is the lipsticks. The combination of the mind-blowing array of colours, the sleek packaging and the fantastic finishes of the lipsticks themselves make for a winning formula and so inevitably I have accumulated quite a sizable collection. I've taken photos of me wearing each of the lipsticks, to give you a feel for how they actually look on and will let you know what I think of each one. Enjoy! 


(From l-r Capricious, Up The Amp, Girl About Town, Viva Glam Gaga, Viva Glam Nicki x2, Sandy B, Fanfare, Hue, Creme Cup,  Myth)

Capricious

Mac describe this shade as a "fanciful rose plum" which is really rather accurate. It gives a berry tone to the lips making it the perfect colour for Autumn/Winter. A lot of A/W lip trends seem to be too dark for me and my pale skin, making me look washed out and ghostly, but this is a really wearable alternative. This is a Lustre lipstick, meaning it leaves a glossy finish on the lips and isn't drying at all. Overall, I love it and will be wearing it a lot over the next few months.

Up The Amp
Until recently I was a devout pink/nude lipstick fan, but I decided to branch out a little and Up The Amp is certainly different! Mac describe this as a "lavender violet" and as it is an Amplified Creme formula the pigmentation is extremely opaque, meaning the colour in the tube is very similar to the end result on your lips. I actually really like it, although as the colour is so bright and the formula is so creamy, I tend to use a lip brush to apply it and gradually build up the colour. This is a great lipstick to invest in if you're looking for a bright, but wearable colour. 

Girl About Town
This is probably one of my favourite lipsticks in my collection, which probably won't surprise you if you read beauty blogs as everyone seems to love it! It is a "bright blue fuchsia", with the blue undertones helping to give the illusion of whiter teeth, which is always a bonus! It is an Amplified formula meaning it has great pigmentation and is opaque with just one layer. I think the fuchsia shade is a really lovely alternative to the classic pink and I would definitely repurchase this again.

Viva Glam Gaga
First of all, I love the Viva Glam lipsticks in general as 100% of the proceeds go to aids charities which is fantastic. The packaging is also pretty special, with red detailing and Lady Gaga's signature scrawled across the tube. The colour itself is an adorable cool-toned bubblegum pink. As it is only semi-opaque the colour isn't quite as garish as it looks in the tube making it a really sweet, girly, everyday pink. The only downside is that it was limited edition!

Viva Glam Nicki
Sticking with the Viva Glam theme, next up is the original Viva Glam Nicki lipstick. In the tube it appears to be a vibrant, almost fluorescent pink, but on the lips you can see that it actually has a subtle coral tinge to it, making it a perfect summer colour. I wore this a lot over summer, so much so that I bought another one as I knew that it would soon be removed from the line as it was also limited edition. It is a Satin finish meaning it has great pigmentation and a natural looking glossiness. Overall, a really great choice for when you fancy a pop of colour. 

Sandy B
Sandy B is a light, peachy pink but the thing that makes this lipstick stand out is the formula. As a Frost it has an intense gold shimmer and a pretty sheer opacity. Unfortunately, as my natural lips are quite a dark pink, Frost formulas don't tend to have a high enough pigmentation to conceal the colour underneath so I find this lipstick very difficult to wear and so very rarely reach for it. I think it could look quite flattering with a tan, but considering I live in England I don't think that will be happening for a while! 

Fanfare
The ultimate "your lips but better" shade! This was one of my first Mac lipsticks and remains one of my favourites. It is very close in colour to my natural lips and simply enhances them making them a more uniform colour. As a Cremesheen formula it is extremely moisturising and doesn't cling to chapped, dry lips which is great as this can be a problem for me, particularly in winter. A perfect, sophisticated mauve pink that would suit everyone. I'd definitely recommend this to someone looking to buy their first Mac lipstick.

Hue
Oh Hue. This was the first Mac lipstick I ever purchased and i've gone through about three since, I simply can't live without it! The colour is a light, nude pink with a Glaze formulation, meaning it is pretty sheer, giving a really natural, subtle tint to the lips. It is such an easy lipstick to wear, you can touch up on the go without needing a mirror and you don't have to worry about it at all. It doesn't make an outstanding difference to the lips, but it is a wonderful, low-maintenance everyday colour and I would repurchase this a hundred times over. Definitely one of my favourites. 

Crème Cup
Crème Cup is a  Cremesheen formula like Fanfare, but is very similar to Hue in colour. As you can see from the photos of the lipsticks in their tubes though, it is slightly pinker, whereas Hue is a little bit more nude. I have been so impressed with the Cremesheen formulas as they are so easy to wear and I'm definitely going to opt for more Cremesheen lipsticks in the future. I think it would suit girls with any skintone as it is such a universally flattering shade and is a great, slightly more opaque alternative to Hue.

Myth
Inspired by my love of Hue and Crème Cup I decided to try out Myth, a true pink nude, but unfortunately I was left a little underwhelmed by this one. It's not that I don't like it, in theory the colour is great and the Satin finish offers a great colour pay off, but again I think this one comes down to the colour of my lips themselves. They're so dark in comparison that it's really hard for me to apply this colour evenly and the formula seems to cling to and accentuate any dryness which makes it even worse! However, i'm certain that this would work really well on someone with less pigmented (& moisturised!) lips.

Mac lipsticks generally retail at £15 and can be purchased from your nearest Mac counter or direct from maccosmetics.co.uk.

Phew! Such a long post, but I hope you enjoyed it! Have you tried any of these lipsticks? Have you got any recommendations?

18 comments:

  1. Hey, I really love your blog, so I have nominated you for the sunshine award. All the rules are on my blog :)
    http://throughkatieslookingglass.blogspot.co.uk
    Katie xox

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  2. Girl About Town is next on my list, it looks far too pretty not to get. Raspberrykiss xo

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  3. Myth and Fanfare are quite nice! Thought about grabbing Fanfare when I grabbed Pink Plaid..another color you should def. grab if you don't have it!

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  4. This is a great post! I love this. Thank you so much for sharing.
    My sister promised to get me a mac lipstick for my birthday and I think I want her to get me either fanfare or capricious. The lipstick color look so nice on you... I'm so excited for it since it gonna be my first ever mac lipstick.
    Btw i followed you on your bloglovin and on your blog and on your instagram and twitter account too.
    Really hope you can follow me back on all. =)
    Thank you so much and have a great day ahead.
    XOXO
    Sincerely Renny =)

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    1. Both great choices!
      I was so excited when I got my first mac lipstick :)
      Thank you! xx

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  5. Finally someone who has just as big MAC lipstick collection as me. Creme Cup is one of my favourites. I also love Ruby Woo and Snob, but they are both strong colours!

    Belle x
    Mascara & Maltesers

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    Replies
    1. I'm on the hunt for a red lipstick so might have to invest in ruby woo!
      xx

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  6. That's a great collection you have of MAC lippies, new reader here !!!!!

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  7. Great collection! You've got some lovely shades x

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  8. so glad i came across your blog hun! now following you on gfc, bloglovin and instagram, keep in touch xx

    http://gypsywardrobe.blogspot.com.au/

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  9. This is a great post. i love your blog, just found it! Keep it up xo

    theglamaddict.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete