MAC Midnight Media Mattene + MAC Blackfire Glimmerglass

Pucker Up: Glitzy Midnight Media

Again, applying MAC’s Midnight Media Mattene does yield better results when used with a lip brush than straight outta the tube. (To reiterate:  it’s important to know that distinction–you want to know just how much work you have to put in to get what you want out of a product.) Like Black Knight, this color took about five minutes to layer on to my satisfaction, but it never quite gave the color opaqueness I was after.  It always looked a little faded.

Everything that can be said about Midnight Media, I already said in my Black as Knight post (which is right below this one, so I don’t want to just regurgitate it).  It is necessary to point out that Midnight Media isn’t a true black lip color; it is near-black, but there is burgundy in it, which is noticeable.

I liked this combination better, because I felt like both products worked well together.  The burgundy-ish tone from the mattene was emphasized and played up by the red shimmer in Blackfire.  The glossiness of Blackfire helped to minimize some of the imperfections of the mattene alone.  (Seriously, totally exfoliated my lips right before putting it on — why so clumpy?)

Bottom Line: Apply a thin layer of concealer or foundation (or MAC Lip Erase, which serves the same purpose) to lips. This helps to neutralize your natural lip color and make whatever you’re applying much more pigmented, but it also evens out the surface a little more and adds a dry layer.  Midnight Media isn’t totally opaque, so the concealer base will help the color pop more. Use either a very dark or a clear lip liner all around the edges of the lips to help prevent the intense color from bleeding. Then, apply Midnight Media using a lip brush. Layer until satisfied. Be cautious when applying gloss, because the gloss tends to shift the color around in a slip-slide fashion.

See progression…

MAC Midnight Media Mattene

MAC Midnight Media Mattene + MAC Blackfire Glimmerglass

MAC Black Knight Lipstick + MAC Bling Black Glimmerglass

Pucker Up:  Black as Knight

As I expected, applying MAC’s Black Knight lipstick does yield better results when used with a lip brush than straight outta the tube. (But it’s important to know that distinction–you want to know just how much work you have to put in to get what you want out of a product.)  It took me a solid five minutes to layer the color on, and I felt like I had to use a fair amount of product.  I mean, honestly, not particularly dismaying as this isn’t a shade I’ll be reaching for constantly, so I don’t run a high risk of using it up in the next week.

Black Knight will eventually layer and look opaque enough to satisfy most.  I do want to note that in my bathroom’s light, unevenness and flaws are very, very minimized.  When I stood in the mirror, it looked pretty opaque–even when I shoved my face all up in my mirror’s business.  The camera’s flash does accentuate every little flaw!

Black lips are very, very high maintenance.  The color bleeds, and it is easy for you to smudge and pull at the color and make it uneven.  Just pressing your lips together will create some unevenness, which is a little frustrating!  A drier black lipstick would be easier to work with, to be honest.  I’d probably recommend MAC’s Black Lip Mix over Black Knight lipstick.

Bottom Line: Apply a thin layer of concealer or foundation (or MAC Lip Erase, which serves the same purpose) to lips.  This helps to neutralize your natural lip color and make whatever you’re applying much more pigmented, but it also evens out the surface a little more and adds a dry layer.  Black Knight has a lot of natural glossiness to it, which makes it easy for the color to slip and glide, creating that uneven look.  Use either a very dark or a clear lip liner all around the edges of the lips to help prevent the intense color from bleeding.  Then, apply Black Knight using a lip brush.  Layer until satisfied.  Be cautious when applying gloss, because the gloss tends to shift the color around in a slip-slide fashion.

See progression…

MAC Black Knight Lipstick

MAC Black Knight Lipstick + MAC Bling Black Glimmerglass

Pucker Up: Shimmery Purple Lips

I wanted to use Night Violet mattene, which is an up and coming shade MAC Style Black, slated for release on September 24th. Night Violet has come out previously (which is why/how I have it). I then wanted to see if Violetta lipstick would give it a cool, brighter purple sheen (not really–the camera shows more of this effect than is visible in person, to be certain). Since Violetta didn’t quite kick it up a notch, I added Pink Opal pigment to the center of the lip (just patted on), which gave it a funky iridescence. I’m about a glossy lip, so I couldn’t resist adding Nice Kitty lipglass on top (which is mostly shimmer on me, not a lot of color).

In real life, the lips looked rather solid-colored, no real demarcation between colors, but there was just an extra sheen towards the center of the upper and lower lips and where they met. I liked it, but I’d probably recommend omitting Violetta or Night Violet — either will work great as a base; Violetta for a very bright look, Night Violet for a deeper, darker look (more like this one).

See the progression…

Night Violet Mattene

Violetta Lipstick layered on top

Pink Opal pigment layered on the center

Nice Kitty Lipglass layered all over

Night Violet mattene, Violetta lipstick, Pink Opal pigment, Nice Kitty lipglass

Product photos of all of my lipsticks and lipglasses; swatches of all of my lipsticks and lipglasses.  This way when a color is limited, you can at least see what it looks like alone.

Thrills lipstick and Vital Spark lipglass

Check out forty-one more…

Tiger Tiger lipstick with Apex 3D glass

Curtsy lipstick with Lightswitch 3D lipglass

Fashionably Fuchsia (bright pink) lipstick with Lightswitch 3D lipglass (sheer irridescent shimmer with pink and purple undertones)

Strawberry Blonde lipstick with Tartlette lipglass

Cherish lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Strawberry Blonde lipstick with Apex 3D glass

Barely Lit lipstick with Bare Truth lipglass

Brew lipstick with Atmospheric lipglass

Mellow Rave lipstick with Bare Truth lipglass on my lips

Sparks Can Fly lipstick with Lull lipglass

Bazarrish lipglass

Viva Glam I

Sparks Can Fly lipstick with Lull lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Mouthwatering lipglass

Immodest lipstick (mattene) with Hothouse lipglass

Style It Up lipstick with Rust reflects glitter (with clear lipglass)

Rougette mattene lipstick with Atmospheric lipglass and a dusting of Lovely Lilac beauty powder

Style It Up lipstick with Guava pro gloss and Reflects Bronze glitter

Up-note lipstick with Bendel Girl lipglass

Queen’s Sin lipstick with Red Romp lipglass

Thrills lipstick with Poetique lipglass

Snob Appeal lipstick with Contessa lipglass

Overrich lipstick with Vibrational lipglass

Overrich lipstick with Magnetique lipglass and Reflects Antique Gold glitter

Pomposity lipstick with Contessa lipglass

Soft Pout lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Overrich lipstick with Red Romp lipglass

Antiquitease lipstick with Red Romp lipglass

Culture Class lipstick with Contessa lipglass

The Scene lipstick with Red Romp lipglass

Blueblood lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass

Antiquitease lipstick with Body Mind lipglass and Boundless 3D glass

Queen’s Sin lipstick (lightly) with Backlit 3D glass

Queen’s Sin lipstick with Red Romp lipglass

Thrills lipstick with Glamoursun lipglass

Fun Fun lipstick with Poetique lipglass and Reflects Bronze glitter

Rozz Revival lipstick with Full On Lust lipglasso

3N lipstick with 2N lipglass

Twig Twig lipstick with Full On Lust lipglass

Pomposity lipstick with Backlit 3D glass and Tres Cher! lipglass

Tiger Tiger lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass and Tres Cher lipglass

Product photos of all of my lipsticks and lipglasses; swatches of all of my lipsticks and lipglasses. This way when a color is limited, you can at least see what it looks like alone.

Wild ‘Bout You lipstick with Prestigious lipglass

Cockatease lipstick with Moonstone lipglass

Viva Glam VI lipstick with Hot Chrome! chromeglass

Strawberry Blonde lipstick with a bit of Boy Magnet lipglass

Cherish lipstick with Lychee Luxe lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with a touch of Orangedescence lipglass

Mari-Sheeno lipstick with Tartlette lipglass

Cherish lipstick with Magnetique lipglass

Red No. 5 lipstick with Prestigious lipglass and a touch of Gold pigment

Eager lipstick with Orangedescence lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Vibrational lipglass

Red No. 5 lipstick with Prestigious lipglass and a touch of Tres Cher! lipglass

Florabundi lipstick with Luminary lustrelgass

Fashionably Fuchsia lipstick with Vibrational lipglass

Capricious lipstick with Sweet Inspiration lipglass

Cherish lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass

Rockocco lipstick with New Year’s Yves lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Lychee Luxe lipglass

Alta Moda prolong lustre wear

Cherish lipstick with Hot Chrome! chromeglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Tartlette lipglass

Red No. 5 lipstick with Check, Please lipglass

Red No. 5 lipstick with Pas-de-Deux lipglass

Wild ‘Bout You lipstick with Pas-de-deux lipglass

Curtsy lipstick with Pas-de-deux lipglass

Sweetie lipstick with Standing Ovation lipglass

Curtsy lipstick with Glamoursun lipglass and a touch of Vibrational lipglass

lipstick with Pas-de-deux lipglass and Standing Ovation lipglass

Fashionably Fuchsia lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass and a touch of Auto-de-femme

chromeglass

Fashionably Fuchsia lipstick with Already Fab! chromeglass

Red No. 5 lipstick with Prestigious lipglass

Creme de la Femme lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass and Magnetique lipglass

Curtsy lipstick with Glamoursun lipglass

Cherish lipstick with Mouthwatering lipglass

Curtsy lipstick with Pink Grapefruit lipglass

Florabundi lipstick with Sweet Inspiration lipglass and a touch of Tres Cher! lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Orangedescence and Sweetie Cake lipglasses

Style It Up lipstick with Luminary lustreglass

Viva Glam VI lipstick with BodyMind lipglass

Cherish lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Capricious lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Syrup lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Tartlette lipglass

Malt lipstick with Glamoursun lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Poetique lipglass

Viva Glam VI lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Style It Up lipstick with Poetique lipglass

Fashionably Fuchsia lipstick with Negligee lipglass

Style It Up lipstick with Standing Ovation lipglass

Style It Up lipstick with Tres Cher! lipglass

Style It Up lipstick with Of Corset! lipglass

Refined Bronze to contour and Pearl Blossom beauty powder to highlight the face. I had

Tiger Tiger lipstick with Tartlette lipglass

Tiger Tiger lipstick with Dejarose lipglass (just a touch

Wild ‘Bout You lipstick with Prestigious lipglass

Capricious lipstick, and Dejarose lipglass

Tiger Tiger lipstick with Tres Cher! lipglass

Curtsy lipstick with Moonstone lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Velvet Teddy lipstick with Pink Lemonade lipglass

Florabundi lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass and Magnetique lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Pink Meringue lipglass

Fun Fun lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass

Up-note lipstick with Tartlette lipglass

Velvet Teddy lipstick with Greed and Dejarose lipglasses

Up-note lipstick with Moonstone lipglass and a touch of Standing Ovation lipglass

Sweetie lipstick with Luminary lustreglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Vibrational lipglass

Capricious lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass and Pink Opal pigment

Fun Fun lipstick with Luminary lustreglass

Fun Fun lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Style It Up lipstick with Standing Ovation lipglass

Dejarose lipglass

Sweetie lipstick with Standing Ovation lipglass

Cherche le Femme lipstick with Pink Meringue lipglass

Curtsy lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Sweetie lipstick with Negligee lipglass

Kissable slimshine with Hothouse lipglass

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Hothouse lipglass

Politely Pink lipstick with Tres Cher! lipglass and Glamoursun lipglass

Cherish lipstick with Hothouse lipglass and Pinked Mauve pigment

Mari-sheeno lipstick with Poetique lipglass

Strawberry Blonde lipstick with Moonstone lipglass

Fun Fun lipstick with Tres Cher! lipglass

CB96 lipstick with Prestigious lipglass

Up Note lipstick with Hothouse lipglass and BodyMind lipglass

Wild ‘Bout You lipstick with Moonbathe lipglass

New York Apple lipstick with Moonbathe lipglass

Fashionably Fuchsia lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass

Overrich lipstick with Lil’ Sizzler lip gelee

Fun Fun lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Violetta lipstick with Crystal Rose lipglass

Full Fuchsia lipstick with Bait lipglass

Strawberry Blonde lipstick with Bodymind lipglass

Pomposity lipstick with Vital Spark lipglass

Style It Up lipstick with Pink Grapefruit lipglass

Fun Fun lipstick with Bait lipglass

Thrills lipstick with Poetique lipglass

Thrills lipstick with Dejarose lipglass

Soft Lust lipstick with Hothouse lipglass