On Display Lipglass
MAC Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection: Lipstick & Lipglass Lip Swatches
As I promised, here are lip swatches for all of the lipsticks and lipglasses released with MAC’s latest collection. I have to say that I don’t like any of the lipsticks on me! I don’t think they’re suitable to my coloring, or else the shades are just too blah. Front Lit is like Bubbles lipstick – lots of shimmer, and it’s one of those shades you use more for layering than to wear alone or to add color (instead, it adds shimmer). The lipglasses were definitely better, but my favorites remain as On Display and New Spirit lipglasses.
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Front Lit, High Strung, Hold the Pose, Lovin’ It, Full Body Lipsticks
MAC Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection: Lipsticks
Five different lipstick shades are available with the MAC Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection: Front Lit, High Strung, Hold the Pose, Lovin’ It, and Full Body. None of the new lipsticks really called out to me–they were a bit too blah, I suppose. I actually found Front Lit the one that intrigued me most, just because it has a very pretty shimmer to it, but it’s certainly not a must-have. Lip swatches will be posted tomorrow 
Lipstick ($14.00)
- Front Lit is a sheer, frosty gold shimmer shade. It doesn’t add much color, but it does add a lot of shimmer.
- High Strung is a sheer brassy rose with golden shimmer with a frosty finish. This is a permanent shade.
- Hold the Pose is a sheer brown-plummy shade with soft golden shimmer and a bit of glossiness. It has a lustre finish, which is why I was expecting it to be sheer. It gives my lips a bit of a rosy plum look, but otherwise, it doesn’t add much to my lips.
- Lovin’ It is a neutral brownish-coral with a light frosty sheen. It’s a lustre finish, so it applies sheerly.
- Full Body is a semi-sheer, dark plummy shade with red tones. Also a lustre, this particular shade does pack a bit more color than the average lustre finish.
- Product: 8/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 7/10
- Packaging: 8/10
Recommendation: Muted, fall tones reign supreme in this collection–if you love the lustre finish, then definitely check these out!
Availability: MACCosmetics.com
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Korres Guava Lipsticks: Gorgeous, but are they worth it?
Korres Guava Lipstick
($22.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a slim-sized lipstick with carnauba wax, beeswax, and shea to keep your lips hydrated as you wear the lipstick color. It’s currently available in ten different shades ranging from nude to red. I tried #17 Pink and #55 Red.
- #17 Pink is a shimmery shade of rosy pink with no real shimmer so much as just a silver frosty sheen. It went on fairly pigmented, though I’d describe it as semi-opaque. It was smooth and creamy, and it definitely felt moisturizing on the lips.
- #55 Red is a semi-opaque shade of vibrant blue-based red with a subtle sheen. This one was a bit more pigmented and intense compared to #17 Pink, but it is also red, so I was expecting a little more pay off with this shade.
I actually really loved the feel of these–very soft and silky. I felt like these wore well, too, and they gave me about four hours of wear with minimal fading. Though they made my lips feel hydrated, they’re not ultra creamy or glossy–I don’t think they’d give chapped lips enough hydration to quench their thirst, but for normal lips, they do quite well.
My biggest complaint was the price of the lipstick, particularly relative to how much product you get. To put it in perspective, a MAC lipstick goes for $14.00 for 0.10 oz.; a Guerlain lipstick goes for $30.00 for 0.12 oz.; Cargo’s PlantLove lipstickgoes for $20.00 for 0.14 oz.; and a Urban Decay lipstick goes for $22.00 for 0.13 oz.
I’d be more comfortable paying $22.00 if I was getting a decent amount of product. Korres’ Mango Butter Lipsticks are $18.00 for 0.12 oz. product, so while the Guava Lipstick may have fancier ingredients, it still felt and looked like a lipstick on me, so the extra $6 for half the product is hard to swallow. Next time, I’m going to look into their regular lipsticks instead.
- Product: 8/10
- Value: 6/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: Love pigmented lipsticks? Korres give just the right amount of pigmentation for a nice lip color. The packaging is slim and compact, but the price is not nearly as palatable. At $22 a pop, it’s a bit more than a treat for some. From Korres, I’d expect a price a bit lower (probably around $18) or else double the product. One of the major reasons I love Korres is that they’re an affordable and consistent brand. The Guava Lipsticks are a great product, but they’re certainly a bit of a splurge!
Availability: Sephora
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Sneak Peek: MAC Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection — Lipstick & Lipglass
To wrap up our sneak peek of the Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection, let’s take a look at Hold the Pose lipstick and New Spirit and On Display lipglasses.
Lipstick ($14.00)
- Hold the Pose is a sheer plummy shade with soft golden shimmer and a bit of glossiness. It has a lustre finish, which is why I was expecting it to be sheer. It gives my lips a bit of a rosy plum look, but otherwise, it doesn’t add much to my lips.
- Product: 7/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 8/10
Lipglass ($14.00)
- New Spirit is a light orange-y coral with soft golden shimmer. I was reminded of a more orange version of Orangedescence lipglass (limited edition from quite awhilea go). I liked it, and I liked the way it gave my lips a brighter look and the shimmer was noticeable.
- On Display is a stunning deep burgundy-wine with gold shimmer. This one is absolutely stunning both swatched and on the lips. I haven’t been this pulled by a lip color by MAC in what feels like way too long. I like this one so much I’m considering a back up…
- Product: 9/10
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 8/10
- Overall: 8/10
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of lustre finish lipsticks, Hold the Pose isn’t a bad choice. The gold shimmer keeps it from being too muted, but the color is very work appropriate, too. Since I’m not a big fan of lustre lipsticks, it’s not a must for me. I do love both of the lipglasses I tried, so now I’m eager to check out the other two from the launch. I definitely recommend everyone check out On Display!
Availability: MACCosmetics.com (August 20th), MAC stores
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Aquarouge Liquid Lipstick
Kevyn Aucoin: Aquarouge Liquid Lipstick
Kevyn Aucoin The Liquid Lipstick
($27.00) is an intense, semi-opaque lipgloss that packs a lot of color and gives a creamy, glossy look on lips. Aquarouge was a nice, browned-down red shade that held up well on lips. It was creamy, and it wore for hours with no issues or funny fading. Sephora is showing only five shades available, and I’d definitely consider trying the others in the future.
- Product: 8/10
- Value: 6/10
- Ease of Use: 8/10
- Packaging: 7/10
Recommendation: For glossy lip color that delivers real color to lips, consider the Liquid Lipstick. It’s creamy, easy to use, and it lasts for hours (assuming you’re not kissing, drinking often, eating, etc.!). It’s not the best bang for your buck at only 0.12 oz. of gloss for $27, though.
Availability: Sephora, KevynAucoinDirect.com
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Jupitesse Liquid Patent Lip
Kevyn Aucoin: The Liquid Patent Lip
Kevyn Aucoin The Liquid Patent Lip ($27.00) is a liquid lip color designed to give you lips that look like glossy, patent leather. It comes in a twist-up container with a white bristled brush applicator. I’ve never been a huge fan of this gloss/color delivery system, just because so much product gets stuck in the brush, and if you don’t wash the brush (which I get concerned over any water/soap getting back into the product), it can get pretty gross. I usually take a makeup remover wipe and then I brush this back and forth to remove the majority of the product without contaminating the product itself. From my HauteLook order, I purchased three shades:
- Jupitesse is a dark purple-black with fine multicolored shimmer running through it. This one is particularly difficult to apply evenly and opaquely on lips. I had the most trouble with this shade, and I would not recommend it.
- Infernelle is a semi-opaque deep red that went on much better than Jupitesse. It was smooth, left a lovely glossy finish, and gave my lips plenty of color without being completely opaque. A bonus was Infernelle turned out to be a very wearable red, because it wasn’t bright or overly bold.
- Nyalia is a pretty pink with just a little bit of coral to it and nearly no shimmer. I felt this one had the best application–look and feel–compared to the other two I tried. It was smooth, opaque, and just glossy enough (though I wouldn’t say it had a patent lip look). This shade was very wearable and perfect for summer.
I think Kevyn Aucoin may have discontinued the Liquid Patent Lip colors, though they’re still available via the brand’s website. I don’t love these, just because I’m not a fan of this type of gloss applicator. Of the three I tried, Nyalia had the best overall application and look, but I feel these may be a bit too hit or miss, since Jupitesse left much to be desired, and Infernelle needed to be smoothed out with my lips since the applicator left streaks.
- Product: 6/10
- Value: 6/10
- Ease of Use: 6/10
- Packaging: 5/10
Recommendation: If you like ultra glossy lip color that goes on semi-opaque, Kevyn Aucoin’s Liquid Patent Lip might be for you. If you like brush-type glosses like these, you may find this more to your liking than I did. Personally, I don’t recommend these products unless you’ve gotten a chance to play with them in-store.
Availability: KevynAucoinDirect.com
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