MAC Media Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010


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…



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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!
hi Kristine, I'm looking for a close shade to Tom Ford's Lipstick in Black Orchid, what shade from MAC would you suggest?
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? ;-)
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.
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!!
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!
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!!!
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 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 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.
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!
I would love this shade even more, if it had shimmer. Any recs for a lipstick (or gloss) like this, with some shimmer?
gorgeous! this makes your teeth look super duper white, haha im about nw10 so this would be way too dark for me.
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!
What a beautiful shade. The perfect red-a little vampy but not too difficult to pull off! Plus it looks gorgeous on you!
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!
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'm loving it. i need this color for fall/winter. for some reason, it reminds me of the 'alejandro' mv from lady gaga.

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