MAC Lipsticks: 5N, Empowered, Myself, Equality
MAC All Ages, All Races, All Sexes Collection: Lipstick Reviews, Photos, Swatches, Lip Swatches
I think the lipsticks will be hit or miss for many — it’s really about personal tastes rather than the formulas. Three of the four are lustres, but Empowered is a satin finish lipstick and has a spectacular amount of pigmentation, creaminess, and overall feel. It’s not my kind of color, though, which makes me wish it was! Equality is definitely not going to be an easy shade for us to pull off; probably gotta layer it with another lipstick and/or gloss. Myself is really weird, because it is myself on me. Which isn’t bad, but hey, I wear lipstick so I can’t *change* the lip color.
Lipstick ($14.00 U.S. / $16.50 CDN)
Equality is a semi-opaque fleshy-beige. It reminded me a bit of maybe Fleshpot lipstick (PRO) or concealer. This is really “concealer lips” on me, because it is so, so pale. This is not a shade that I’d consider suitable–at least alone–on my medium skin tone. It’s just going to wash me out. It is, however, an interesting way to neutralize the natural pigmentation in one’s lips. It has a lustre finish,which accounts for its slightly uneven application and glossy sheen.
Myself is MLB… not quite better. No, but seriously, I put this on my lips, and I was like, “Where’d it go?” I slathered this sucker on, but it just looked like my lips… but again, not really *better*. I think this might be particularly lovely on those with more naturally reddened lips, because it might cool ‘em down to a lighter pink. This was the sheerest lipstick of the four. It’s kind of a soft, cool-toned dirty pink. It is also a lustre finish lipstick.
Empowered is a creamy, ultra pigmented brown with kind of a lightened peach feel — it’s just not dark brown or even chocolate brown, but it’s definitely brown. On me? Don’t love it. I’m not a brown lipstick kind of gal, but I do think deeper skin tones will appreciate this one. It has a full coverage look, a lovely satin finish, and feels lovely on. Best formula/texture out of the four — just wish I liked the color on me!
5N is a semi-sheer, plummy brown. It’s beautiful on lips, but it can go darker or lighter depending on your lips’ pigmentation — on me, it’s not ultra dark, but it darkens my lips enough that I’m satisfied with the color. It has a glossy finish, as it is also a lustre finish lipstick. This is a repromote from the N Collection from 2008 (correct me if I’m wrong on the year…).
See photos, swatches, and lip swatches! Continue reading →
The Spring Season: Maybelline Caramel Kiss Lipstick
Maybelline Caramel Kiss Lipstick ($8.29) is a creamy browned nude — it’s kind of like a taste of caramel; a little warm, a smidgen golden, but very natural, soft, and wearable. I’m not usually big on brown-based shades, but this is a shade I can work with. I love the kiss of gold shimmer in this color, and the coverage is excellent. It clings and wears really well with lips, because it looks natural and lasts a good four hours on me.
Is this the right nude for you? Would you wear it?
The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.
Smashbox Charming Lipstick
The Spring Season: Smashbox Charming Lipstick
Smashbox Charming Photo Finish Lipstick
($22.00) is semi-sheer, shimmery beige with a slight peach undertone. I’m not exactly sure why Sephora describes this as a “nude pink,” because I didn’t see any pink in it. It was definitely nude and dare I say it, a little peach? Smashbox’s lipsticks also have a sweet vanilla scent, very similar to MAC lipsticks, though I’d say this is just a bit stronger (but not overwhelming!). It does run a little more on the sheer side, so those with more pigmented or naturally tinted lips may find it doesn’t do much for them once applied. I was able to build up decent coverage, but I wouldn’t say it’s opaque. It’s a subtle shade, which makes it very wearable. With Smashbox’s lipsticks, I get about four hours of wear — probably a little on the lower end of the wear spectrum for me.
Is this the right nude for you? Would you wear it?
The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.
The Spring Season: NARS Orgasm Lip Gloss
NARS Orgasm Lip Gloss ($24.00) is a sheer peachy-pink with gold shimmer. I really like this lipgloss worn over nudes and light pinks for added glossiness and shimmer, because it doesn’t effect color very much (if at all!) – just adds a little more pop. One of the reasons that NARS Lip Glosses are popular is they’re non-sticky without being drying, and they last a particularly long time–at least for a gloss. I personally see wear time around four hours, whereupon the glossiness does tend to fade, but the shimmer sticks around for a little longer after that.
The gloss formula is fairly thin, and the doe-footed applicator doesn’t get too much out per application, which may or may not be what you’d like–you just can’t glob it on, so you’re neither wasteful and it forces you to be a little more precise in your application. I guess those are good things! 
I do wish they’d improve the smell a bit; some seem almost scent-free, but other times, it’s more of a chemical/plastic-y scent that’s harder to ignore.
Is this glossy peach-pink the one for you? Would you wear it?
The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.
Benefit Lady’s Choice Lipstick
The Spring Season: Benefit Lady’s Choice Lipstick
Benefit Lady’s Choice Full-Finish Lipstick
($18.00) is an ultra creamy pinky-nude with a glossy sheen and no shimmer. It’s pink enough to be almost like a very light and pale pink, but it’s still more of a nude. I love the full coverage of the formula, and it is such a moisturizing lipstick formula. It feels like you’re putting butter on your lips at first, and then it just melts into your lips beautifully. This is the kind of shade that pairs exceptionally well with smoky eyes.
Is this pale pink-nude the one for you? Would you wear it?
The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.
Lancome Voile de Rose Lipstick
The Spring Season: Lancome Voile de Rose Lipstick
Lancome Voile de Rose L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick
($29.00) is a creamy, medium pink with warmer undertones. I almost didn’t include it as part of the Spring Season, just because it’s the pink is a little more amped up than I was originally thinking, but I couldn’t resist — the color is really such a lovely shade of pink. L’Absolu Rouge Lipsticks apply like a dream; soft, creamy, and moisturizing. The color is opaque and clings to lips without being drying. Lancome’s L’Absolu Rouge is definitely one of my favorite lipstick formulas to apply.
Is this medium pink the one for you? Would you wear it?
The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.
