The Sultry Season: MAC Media Lipstick
MAC Media Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) is a deep, dark red wine. This is a shade that also works particularly well as a lip stain–just layer a little on, blot, and then dab a touch of clear gloss on top and voila. For a satin finish, Media is very… lustre-like. It has that slicker feel of a lustre finish lipstick, but it also has the look of one. I do find that Media settles into my lip lines more than I’d like, though.
Is this the right wine for you? Would you wear it?
The Sultry Season is a series of posts featuring deep, rich shades of brown, berry, plum, and wine lipsticks and lipglosses — just right for autumn — that runs through October 2010.
See photos and swatches…
MAC Media Lipstick
Oh goodness, that is INTENSE. But beautiful!
Does MAC make a lipstick that is similar to this – I mean, like this shade, but with some shimmer?
Maybe Odyssey, but I’d say that’s purpler and lighter.
It’s a gorgeous colour, but I fear it would be too dark for my very pale skin
Might be alright for me for Halloween, but not otherwise.
No way!!
WOW! i love this! I can never find lipsticks I like in MAC unless I know which ones i’m looking for! i think i feel overwhelmed by the amount of them!I tried out rebel at the weekend after your review and i really liked it so i might get it when i back-to-mac soon!
So glad you tried & liked it!!
Love the color, but it would NEVER work with my PALE skin tone(or should I say I wouldn’t be brave enough to wear it..)
I think this could work on a pale skin tone. It will probably accentuate the paleness of your skin and so stand out more than it would on Christine but if you like that look you could prob work it!
No way! It would look so hot on pale girls!
are there any shades that DON’T look good on you?!
Pfft!
I love it. I think this shade would look lovely on my NW45 skin.
WOW, I am not always a fan of the dark berry lips, but this is gorgeous! What a pretty vampy colour on you! Too fab!
Thank ya!
If this looks as good on me as it does on you, this might be my first MAC purchase =)
Aww
Thanks, Deah! Hope you like it!
Oooh, what a color! Would love to see it used as a lipstain in a look…but I know you have way too many products to use in looks and it’s probably not feasible
It’s funny how all of these dark colors look darker in the full-face shot than in the lip-only shots. Probably the contrast of your pearly whites.
It would be awesome if I could, but yeah, I definitely get more products than possible to wear in a look… at least if we’re talking one look a day, LOL!
Gorgeous! If you had to pick Christine would you get this or MAC Rebel l/s? and why?
Rebel, but I’d say it’s more of a personal preference for that color!
I can assure you that any skin tone can rock Rebel! I’ve seen it on numerous shades and used it on plenty clients. It’s a gorgeous pink! Has a hint of purple in it too. I consider it as one of MACs premiere lipsticks since it works for everyone.
That’s beautiful! I like the idea of a stain. I am very fair and I think this would look lovely.
i’m loving it. i need this color for fall/winter. for some reason, it reminds me of the ‘alejandro’ mv from lady gaga.
I love it! I want it! It looks similar to Dark Side, but that’s never stopped me before
Christine or anyone
Would you consider this a vampy shade?
I want it really bad, but I am NC20, green eyes, dark brown hair and feel I might look “Gothic” with it…
I love your idea of the stain… It’s so pretty…Maybe I could bronze my face up more for it… Any suggestions?
Oh, yes, I definitely would consider it a vampy shade
But I think you could rock it!
Maybe something like Soft & Gentle?
I recently got Media as a B2M. Very sexy, but I need an occasion to wear it…or just Fall.
Wow! That’s bold! But I like it. I wonder if I could pull it off.
Oo, I like it! I have Diva — how does it compare to that? It looks redder, which I like.
I think it’s a little redder, not as brown.
This is one of my FAVORITE lipsticks. Media and NIght Violet are two of my staples. I have very pale skin (NC 15 or lighter) so don’t be afraid of them!
What a beautiful shade. The perfect red-a little vampy but not too difficult to pull off! Plus it looks gorgeous on you!
Thank you, Stefanie!
For some reason I REALLY want to see how you do your lip swatches right now. What brush do you use? Do you do anything to your lips before you apply? Tell me! tell me! Please! Hah!
No lip brush! Nothing special – always straight from the tube. I usually do 10-15 in each sitting, so I just don’t have the patience to clean a lip brush that many times, lol. I apply from the tube, and I try to use the edge of the lipstick to go around the edge of my lips, smoosh, and if there are any obvious mishaps, I try to clean up with my finger or if it’s REALLY bad, a MAC wipe.
I’d say after doing SOO SOSO many lip swatches over the years, I’ve just kind of learned how to maneuver the lipstick around my lip shape to get it crisp enough to work in macro photos.
Oh, and as for prep… no, not really. I usually do 10-15 lip swatches every other day or so, which kind of keeps my lips exfoliated, LOL.
When I have more time or for an actual look, I will use a lip liner or lip brush. If I’m not lazy!
I recall you saying you just used the lipstick straight from the tube in earlier posts. But the edges on the top lip here look SO crisp that I thought, “No! Surely not! It can’t be!” Great job! I’m like a monkey with lipstick in an actual tube (meaning I have a hard time with it, not that I like trow my feces around the room or anything). On myself I can apply lipstick with my pinky finger and it looks good… Otherwise I always use a brush.
10-15 every other day would keep your lips VERY exfoliated! LOL!
LOL!
If I had to do it on someone else, I probably would suck at it! But I feel like my lips and I are wayyy too acquainted in macro mode these days!
Nice! It’s perfect for fall! How does this compare to Diva lipstick?? (color-wise)
Redder!
gorgeous! this makes your teeth look super duper white, haha
im about nw10 so this would be way too dark for me.
No way!! You could rock it!
I would love this shade even more, if it had shimmer. Any recs for a lipstick (or gloss) like this, with some shimmer?
Odyssey maybe, though it’s a good deal lighter.
Ok seriously Christine, you need to do a video on how you apply your lipstick. It’s ALWAYS on point. You never go outside the lines, its perfect!
LOVE IT!!! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate the “Sultry” posts. I love deep shades but they can be very tricky. Well, more like looking at my swatches of them. This is fantastic.
Question: I have Dark Side but Media (and Rebel) are on my mind for the couple of weeks now. Are they too close to own both, considering that I wear darker shades no more than 10% of the time. (Btw, my favourite is Chanel Rouge Coco Rivoli, and sheered out Night Violet) TIA
I think Media and Rebel are pretty different so you could own both.
I already own Rebel, and I just bought Media.
I’m NW15, but I have dark brown, almost black, hair, full lips, and large green eyes, and I’m pretty close to fearless when it comes to deep lip colors.
This is a very sexy colour
<3
i bought it on a whim & i use NW45 & it looked horrible on me. i was so disappointed.
Christine!!! you look so pretty!!!!! Everything looks good on you!!
Thanks, Abby!
I absolutely love this color on you. it’s stunning.
Thanks, Lowie!
Ha!ha!
What I MEANT to say was: Oooooooo…. What a gorgeous colour.
I totally love this. Neat brows, no eyeshadows and luscious lashes.
Super sexy!
love the colour, but i know it will be awful on me
Christine,
Here in Brazil, people tend to use lighter shades, and they even find it weird when someone (younger women) uses very dark lipstick.
I have Media, and I just love it!
I combine it with Copperplate, from MAC, and Smolder, also from MAC + Diorshow Iconic, for great lashes!
It´s absolutely beautiful!!!
Sounds divine, Manuela!
hello Cristine! Could you suggest a champagne eyeshadow to wear with media lipstick? i would prefer it to be a mac product.Also my skin and eyes work better with warm colors. Thanx a lot!!
Warmer shades… you could do Retrospeck or Nylon or Shroom!
i ll be trying retrospeck and shroom in person!! thanx again!! i would love to know what you would be combining sultry lips with (maybe in another post)!!plus congatulations for your site!
I like nude eyes – heavier liner than shadow, and plummy cheeks!
Thanks, Christine! I picked this up today. The color is perfection on me.
Yay!!!
I really want to buy this but I fear it’s way too close to Underworld. I love both of these shades. What do you think? I’m pretty (haha very) pale.
You can rock it!!
hi christine! i’m so addicted to MAC lipsticks!!! For the sultry colors, I already have Hang Up, Dark Side and Rebel…and yet I still like to buy Media and Diva lipsticks…are they different from the shades I own already? Should I skip or its still great to have them on my MAC collection?
Skip!
hi Kristine, I’m looking for a close shade to Tom Ford’s Lipstick in Black Orchid, what shade from MAC would you suggest?
I just bought this from MAC. I went to the counter thinking I was going to buy Soulfully Rich, but that color was WAY too dark–almost black on me. Media is great for someone with darker lips who wants to get that vampy look. Its not too overpowering for darker skin tones. Love it!