Last week, my workmate Jill surprised me with a little bag filled with MAC lipsticks for “content.” I was so happy and excited I wanted to make a post right then and there! Since I was at work, I had to wait until I got home to try on the lipsticks and take some initial photos.

But alas, the weekend has been very busy and I was not able to write down an entry as I planned to do. Never mind, however, as it gave me ample time to test and enjoy the lipsticks. So let’s get right down to the first part of my MAC lipstick review.

Which finish is right for you?

Mac lipsticks come in different finishes – Matte, Satin, Amplified, Lustre, CremeSheen, Frost, and Glaze. The difference among these lies in the amount of coverage it gives the lips when applied.

Matte, Satin, and Amplified give the most coverage with matte being the driest and Amplified being the creamiest. The colors from these lipsticks are intense and stay true to the color of the stick.

Frost, on the otherhand, provides medium coverage that gives off a pearly, sparkly sheen.

Meanwhile, Cremesheen and Lustre are semi-sheer in coverage. Both make the lips appear shiny and wet. A bit of caution for Cremesheen lipsticks, however, because as the name implies, these are very, very creamy! The sticks are soft and might break easily. So swipe these on gently.

Lastly, Glaze offers the least coverage. It’s very sheer and the effect might be likened to how a lipgloss might look on the lips.

Nudes and Soft Pinks

For this post I tried five lipsticks in different finishes with shades varying from soft, natural pinks to pale, peachy nudes.

One

This is a soft pink color shot through with sparkles. It looks absolutely lovely  on and smells great as well. Since it’s very pale, it might be best to wear it with a darker eye.

Two

Blankety is a good lip-tone color. A similar color would be the Natural Pink lipstick from the Revlon Beyond Natural collection. It glides smoothly on your lips when applied. Unfortunately, MAC seems to have discontinued selling this product as it’s no longer available on their website. A similar color would be Faux (see below).

Three

I must admit that I’m not a fan of nude lipsticks since I often look pasty wearing them, but I like this one. It’s very sexy and it inspired me to project sexy on the photo. Haha… But again, I must warn people to apply it gently since the cremesheen stick felt so fragile while I was putting it on. A little pressure will surely break it and that would be a waste of good lipstick.

Four

This color is similar to Blankety but just a shade darker. It has a bit of shine in it but the color is very intense. I like this one a lot.

Five

Hug Me is a peachier almost-Nude. As one might notice in the photo, it has a lustre finish hence the wet, shiny look.

Lastly, here are the swatches to help you appreciate the colors better:

I’m surprised at how great these lipsticks were. Surely, there’s a reason for MAC being one of the more preferred brands among makeup artists. The pay off for their products are great. These lipsticks, for instance, are long-wearing and the selection of colors are a joy to behold!

For my next post, I shall try on some of the more colorful lipsticks from Jill’s collection. Thanks, Ate Jill, for being so supportive! 🙂