Tag Archives: mac lipstick

My Favorite “MLBB,” Neutral, & Natural Lipsticks & Glosses

Good morning! Today I have quick reviews & swatches of five of my favorite mlbb (my lips but better) / neutral / natural lipsticks & glosses. These aren’t what I’d call nude lipsticks – I think of those as paler than my natural lip tone – but rather rosy, natural colors. I tend to wear this type of lip color to work, and all five of these are frequently used.

MAC Out For Passion // Tarina Tarantino Queen Alice // Revlon Pink Truffle // Maybelline Intoxicating Spice // Essence Choose Me!

Continue reading →

MAC Rusty & Out For Passion Huggable Lipstick Review & Swatches

Purchased – No Affiliate Links

Rusty // Out For Passion

I recently posted about MAC’s limited edition (and no longer available) Huggable Lipsticks in my Weekly Loves post. As that post states, I I try to stay away from the MAC limited-edition hype, but I was very intrigued by the sound of the Huggable lipsticks. I first bought Out For Passion, and I loved it so much that I also bought Rusty. Continue reading →

MAC Marilyn Monroe Deeply Adored Lipstick Review, Swatches, and a Giveaway!

MAC Marilyn Monroe Deeply Adored

As I’m sure you all know, the MAC Marilyn Monroe collection sold out lightning-fast online. I decided to go to the mall today to check it out at a counter. I was planning to buy just The Perfect Cheek blush, but after swatching the lipsticks I decided to also get Deeply Adored matte lipstick – the darkest red of the collection. I was early enough that almost everything was in stock (despite the woman before me buying six of each item!), so I bought an extra Deeply Adored lipstick to give away – enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post!

MAC & Marilyn packaging
(Deeply Adored lipstick for me & to give away, plus a The Perfect Cheek blush)

I’m not sure what to say about the packaging. Some people want these items just because of the packaging; some people hate the images chosen. Regarding the lipstick itself, I love the color – a very deep red. I have a lot of red lipsticks, but this is darker than most of them.

My arm swatch doesn’t really show the depth of the color, but it gives a good idea of the pigmentation level; this is an intense, pigmented matte. This is two swipes, but it looked exactly the same after one (not sure why I did two).

And here it on my lips:

MAC Marilyn Monroe Deeply Adored

In order to get a better idea of the color – and just because it’s so pretty! – I also took a full face picture of myself wearing the lipstick. The only makeup I have on is foundation, powder, and lipstick. Some eyeliner and mascara would help balance out the look, but it also works as-is, I think.

One thing to note is that this lipstick is matte, and more drying than most of my other matte lipsticks. Mattes are my favorite, and I don’t mind a slightly dry matte, but if that bothers you, this is not the lipstick for you.

So, if this lipstick sounds good to you, here’s the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

——–

MAC Casual Color in Keep It Casual Review, Swatches, Photos

MAC Keep It Casual lip & cheek color

When I first saw swatches of MAC’s new Casual Color collection, I was intrigued but wary. I’m generally skeptical of combination lip and cheek products, and some of the swatches make the product look too dewy for my taste. So, I decided to wait until I could test these in-store to decide whether to buy. I finally made my way over to MAC store, and after some playing around with Keep It Casual, I am absolutely thrilled with this purchase!

First off – the only negative is that I don’t like things packaged in pots, because I feel like it’s less sanitary to just put my fingers in things – especially if it’s something that goes on my lips and not just my cheeks. So, I’m not thrilled with this packaging, though given the consistency I’m really not sure what packaging choice would have worked better. I actually decided to scoop out some product – actually, it’s not soft enough to scoop, so more like scrape off – with a mini cosmetic spatula, and store it in a little clear jar. I have enough for probably 5-10 applications in the little jar, and I can apply that with my fingers without concern about the whole pot. Note that this is VERY pigmented, so you only need a about a grain of rice sized amount for your lips or both cheeks; it’s hard to imagine anyone actually using up the whole Casual Color pot! In fact, I would have preferred a smaller product for a slightly cheaper price – but that’s just me.

MAC Keep It Casual

As you can see, Keep It Casual is a really lovely reddish berry color. I have a few powder blushes that are similar, but my two other cream blushes are both coral. I found that as a blush, it’s very important to apply this to well-moisturized skin; it’s pigmented enough that even though it blends nicely, it really needs the extra slip to be easier to use. This is not a foolproof cheek product, so I don’t see myself using it often on my cheeks, though it’s nice to have the option.

What I really love about this product is using it on my lips. I love the color – it’s very flattering on me, and I think it’s the type of color that will look good on most. And, the texture is fantastic as a lip product. It has a very natural looking finish (not glossy or matte) and and a completely weightless feel. It lasts well, and fades evenly.

I had been planning to just buy this one color – it was the only one that really drew me in when I swatched them – but I like this texture so much that I am considering purchasing a couple more. I think I will go for either Have a Lovely Day or Keep it Loose; both look like possibilities for a soft nude lip. I also love the look of Out for Fun, but my makeup collection is a bit oversaturated with corals and oranges at the moment, so I’m not sure about it.

Overall, I am totally smitten with the texture of this as a lip product, and if anyone know of anything else with a similar texture, I would love to hear about it!

——–

MAC Rebel Lipstick Review, Swatches, Photos

Since MAC is about to release the Lips & Tips / Fashion Sets Collection – it’s already available online – I thought this would be a great time to review one of my favorite MAC lipsticks, Rebel, which is included in the collection (though it’s a permanent part of the MAC line). Although I just bought my own Rebel lipstick, I’ve worn it a few times before because one of my best friends owns it.

Rebel is a Satin, which means that it has full coverage, some sheen, and no shimmer or sparkle. I don’t own enough MAC lipsticks to have a favorite finish overall, but I love the finish of Rebel – it’s moisturizing but not slippery. My favorite thing about Rebel, however, is it’s longevity – it lasts, and lasts, and lasts. Both my friend and I have worn it for 8 hours or so. I noticed when I swatched it that it stains the skin significantly, and this is probably why it lasts so well; it’s acting as a lip stain once the product starts to wear off.

Rebel is described as a mid-toned plum on the MAC website, and I have trouble describing it – it definitely has some purple tones, but it’s not so purple that it’s difficult to wear. It’s a cool, deep berry/purple, perhaps. I find it very flattering on me, and it’s also very flattering on my friend, who is a pale redhead with pink undertones!

The color is similar to NARS Damned, though they aren’t exact dupes, and of course the finish and packaging are quite different – though both are quite long lasting. This picture is less color accurate than the swatch photo.

NARS Damned, MAC Rebel

Another close dupe for MAC Rebel – and a drugstore dupe at that! – is Wet n Wild Sugar Plum Fairy 908C MegaLast Lip Color, which I have reviewed in full here. Note that Sugar Plum Fairy is matte, while Rebel is a satin finish.

WnW Sugar Plum Fairy; MAC Rebel

Overall, I really love Rebel and I’m so glad I finally picked up my own! It’s been on my wishlist for quite a long time, and I’m sure I’ll get a lot of use out of it.

Project Swatch

a makeup blog