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

Go Big Red with Just Gold Liner to accent eyes without drawing attention away from your pucker.

Matte Eyes & Berry Lips make for an easy combination that looks sophisticated and fun!

Berry Bold with a near matte berry lip with lots of shimmer and sparkle will give you one sexy pucker that’s sure to be noticed before the clock strikes midnight!

Vamp the Night Away with an unforgivably dark and dramatic lip color, like Jampacked and Bing mattene from the fall. Vampy lips were all the rage this past fall, so I am sure you have one or two shades that would fit the bill.

Just a Cat Eye, Please to get you through the night. It’s easy to maintain, lasts all night, and it gives you way more attention to perfect your cherry-red lips!