Two Well-Loved Lipsticks Make a Return in New Clothes

MAC Making Pretty Lipsticks ($28.00 for 0.15 oz. each) are available in two shades: 3N (milky pastel pink) and Runaway Red (rich red-blue).  Both shades are repromotes, though they were well-received shades.  The collection online yesterday, and I immediately placed my order and overnighted everything, but unfortunately 3N has already sold out.  To find it, you’ll have to find a MAC freestanding on December 13th or Pro store on December 6th.

3N is a pale pink with neutral undertones. It has a lustre finish. The color payoff is semi-opaque with some translucency. It lasts just over two and a half hours on me.  theBalm Milly is a bit pinker. MAC Pure Zen is darker, pinker. Chanel Empreinte is sheerer. Cle de Peau #129 is pinker. MAC Lazy Day is grayer.

Runaway Red is a darkened blue-based red with a natural sheen. It has a satin finish and opaque color payoff.  This shade lasted right around six hours and left a stain behind.  Dior Diorling is similar. MAC Deeply Adored is a touch darker. Guerlain Gwen is lighter. MAC Digna is less red, more berry.

Of all products available during these couture releases, the lipsticks are typically the best value, as they contain more product than the standard lipstick–by a lot. Normal MAC lipsticks retail for $15.00 and contain 0.10 oz., which is equivalent to $150/oz. These specially packaged lipsticks are $187/oz. I believe the lipsticks are packaged in thin metal with faux shagreen wrapped around the tube. I kept trying to clink it with other known plastics and metals, and the cap tinkled nicely, but the inner tube not so much (but there is a plastic insert within it, which might have contributed to the lack of metal-like sound).

MAC lipsticks are vanilla-scented, and the coverage, wear time, and hydration level depends largely on the finish.  Lustres like 3N are slightly drying for me, and they have a tendency to wear around two hours.  Satin finishes like Runaway Red are neither drying nor hydrating, but they tend to wear longer than the average lipstick.

The Glossover

	MAC 3N & Runaway Red Lipsticks Reviews, Photos, Swatches (Making Pretty) A-
	Of all products available during these couture releases, the lipsticks are typically the best value, as they contain more product than the standard lipstick--by a lot. Normal MAC lipsticks retail for $15.00 and contain 0.10 oz., which is equivalent to $150/oz. These specially packaged lipsticks are $187/oz.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4.5/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC 3N Lipstick

MAC 3N Lipstick

MAC 3N Lipstick

MAC 3N Lipstick

MAC 3N Lipstick

MAC 3N Lipstick

MAC Runaway Red Lipstick

MAC Runaway Red Lipstick

MAC Runaway Red Lipstick

MAC Runaway Red Lipstick

MAC Runaway Red Lipstick

MAC Runaway Red Lipstick

MAC Runaway Red Lipstick

MAC Runaway Red Lipstick

MAC By Request – Lipsticks Review, Photos, Swatches

MAC By Request is a collection that’s voted on by the fans–there are 18 shades of lipstick, lipglass, and eyeshadow that MAC has listed for grabs, and your votes will determine the top three from each product type that will go on to be launched in an online exclusive, limited edition collection in August. Voting is open and closes on March 30th and users can vote once per product category per day. Not sure where to cast your vote? I’ve got the goods on the six lipsticks up for a comeback!

• 3N is a pale pink beige nude. It has a lustre finish. The color coverage is semi-sheer and adds a touch of pink. Cle de Peau #129 is more opaque, slightly darker. MAC Lazy Day is a bit pinker, almost a little gray. Korres #13 is similar but warmer.
• Candy Yum Yum is a bright, neon magenta pink with cool, blue undertones with opaque color coverage. It has a matte finish. MAC Pink Pigeon is a bit lighter, pinker. MAC Show Orchid is darker, more fuchsia. MAC Quick Sizzle is pinker. MAC Rose Hip is lighter and pinker.
• Eden Rocks is a subtly pink-tinged coppery brown with a frosted shimmer. It has a frost finish and semi-opaque color coverage. MAC Felicienne is subtler, less coppery.
• Moxie is pinky-red with opaque color coverage. It has a matte finish–I think! Not to worry, it feels like a modern matte: creamy, easy to apply, and doesn’t shrink-wrap your lips. MAC Party Parrot is more coral, no blue undertones. OCC Queen is darker. Guerlain CHamps-Elysees is darker. Guerlain Gigi is very similar but has a glossy sheen.
• Rocker is a darkened brown-based red with subtle shimmer. I’m not quite sure what the finish is–I had the original listed as a matte. Will inquire! Nonetheless, it yields opaque color coverage with very subtle shimmer. shu uemura Rouge Luster is slightly more orange. MAC Such Flare! is a bit lighter, more orange than brown. MAC Extended Play has more brown in it. MAC Unknown Pleasures is a bit darker. Rimmel Metallic Seduction and Make Up For Ever #48 are darker.
• Shitaki is a medium-dark warm brown with a pale gold-champagne shimmer-sheen. It has a glaze finish, so the color coverage is semi-sheer. Guerlain Chant d’Aromes is pinker, less brown. MAC Flustered is more golden. MAC Kraft is darker. Lancome Bronze Show is a bit darker, more orange.

The formula on these was typical MAC–I didn’t have any unexpected issues with these.  Generally, I find lustre lipsticks to be drying and wear only two hours or so.  The more matte-like finishes (Candy Yum Yum, Moxie, Rocker) felt creamy and opaque, so no trouble there.  Glaze finishes (Shitaki) are less drying than lustres though still a touch drying over time and tend to wear for a similar short time.  MAC lipsticks are vanilla scented.

Continuing with the fun, here are some shades I think could have been good choices: Ahoy, There! (Naughty Nauticals ’08), Angeldish (Aquadisiac ’03), Big Bow (Hello Kitty ’09), Blue Eve (Eden Rocks ’01), Blueberry Fizz (Cocktails, ’01), Brave New Bronze (Style Warrior ’09), Curtsy (Dance ’06), Fashionably Fuchsia (Classic Coordinates ’06), Flash-n-Dash (Fafi ’08), Gladiola (Dame Edna ’08), High Top (Fafi ’08), Isabella Blow (MAC for Isabella BLow ’05), Jazzed (In the Groove ’10), Legendary Femme (Raquel Welch ’07), Lollipop Loving (Heatherette ’08), Marisheeno (Lustreful ’04), Mellow Mood (Electroflash ’08), Merry Mistress (Black Tied ’01), Pink Maribu (Lingerie ’05), Port Red (Naughty Nauticals ’08), Queen’s Sin (Antiquitease ’07), Rebelrose (Rebel Rock ’05), Red No. 5 (MACouture ’06), Rococo (Rococo ’04), Strawberry Blonde (Catherine Deneuve ’06), Tiger Tiger (Raquel Welch ’07), Wild ‘Bout You (Rockocco ’06).

I was confused when I saw both Eden Rocks and Shitaki being promoted–I thought they were both permanent, but I guess they were discontinued in the past two years or so. (If they were such bestsellers, why were they ever discontinued?!) With a collection concept like this one, I think the older the better–and certainly not shades that were permanent for years! If we’re going to go so recent, might as well repromote the Iris Apfel lipsticks, since those sold out so quickly. It’s just such a great concept and one that fans have been asking to see forever, and I’m left wondering, “What data did you use to come up with these lists?” Because I can’t seriously believe that there was no top selling coral lipstick–historically, MAC corals sell out quickly!

I am however pleased to see Moxie and Rocker make the list — those are two I’ve heard about, and they’re both oldies (but goodies). I don’t think I have most of these in the original forms; I should have 3N and Candy Yum Yum, but I’m not so sure about Eden Rocks. I know I owned Shitaki once upon a time, but I don’t think I kept it.

The Glossover

	MAC By Request - Lipsticks Review, Photos, Swatches A-
	I think MAC was most successful with the lipstick category as far as picking shades that would make sense--I loved that they brought back two really old shades (Moxie and Rocker), though they are more dupeable today than they probably were when they initially launched!
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4.5/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC 3N Lipstick

MAC 3N Lipstick (Diffused/Bounced Flash)

MAC 3N Lipstick (Studio “Natural” Lighting)

MAC 3N Lipstick

MAC 3N Lipstick

MAC Candy Yum Yum Lipstick

MAC Candy Yum Yum Lipstick (Diffused/Bounced Flash)

MAC Candy Yum Yum Lipstick (Studio “Natural” Lighting)

MAC Candy Yum Yum Lipstick

MAC Candy Yum Yum Lipstick

MAC Eden Rocks Lipstick

MAC Eden Rocks Lipstick (Diffused/Bounced Flash)

MAC Eden Rocks Lipstick (Studio “Natural” Lighting)

MAC Eden Rocks Lipstick)

MAC Eden Rocks Lipstick

MAC Moxie Lipstick

MAC Moxie Lipstick (Diffused/Bounced Flash)

MAC Moxie Lipstick (Studio “Natural” Lighting)

MAC Moxie Lipstick

MAC Moxie Lipstick

MAC Rocker Lipstick

MAC Rocker Lipstick (Diffused/Bounced Flash)

MAC Rocker Lipstick (Studio “Natural” Lighting)

MAC Rocker Lipstick

MAC Rocker Lipstick

MAC Shitaki Lipstick

MAC Shitaki Lipstick (Diffused/Bounced Flash)

MAC Shitaki Lipstick (Studio “Natural” Lighting)

MAC Shitaki Lipstick

MAC Shitaki Lipstick

Back In Time with N Collection

Do you ever like to go through your stash and rediscover old favorites? Since I wasn’t wearing makeup (to help clear up my acne) for so long, I was really itching for *some* makeup to play with… which meant lips! I didn’t want to go too bold with my lip choices, because without more makeup to complement the bold lips, it would make my face look incomplete (at least to me).

This leads us to 3N Lipstick paired with 2N Lipglass! Think of 3N as one of those “my lips but better” (MLBB), with a little extra pink to give lips a natural flush. 2N Lipglass adds the sparkle and the shimmer, complementing the pink hues with some beigey-pink. Add in multi-colored shimmer and you’ve got an easy, oh-so-wearable combination perfect for a neutral look or on its own.

If you can’t get your hands on 3N Lipstick, try Hug Me lipstick instead. If 2N Lipglass eludes you, try Luminary lustreglass (it’ll work well with this combination in particular).

If you were using MAC’s 3N lipstick, what look would you create with it? What shadows would you use? What would you use on cheeks? Anything added to the lips?

Create a look using whatever you want, as long as you include 3N! Feel free to share links to photos of your look(s) using it in the comments.

Despite spending most of my day with my head in the beauty realm, I honestly don’t find I wear full makeup as often as I used to. Maybe it’s because I’m busier, or maybe it’s because I’m lazier (I’m going with the latter), but nonetheless, I tend to go for a minimal face. There are even a few days (when my skin is being nice) where I will even go sans makeup altogether!

What exactly does the “I’m Not Really Wearing Makeup” look entail? I have discovered that with the right mix of products you can get that totally natural look and look good in it.

I used Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 applied in dabs using the 194 brush, then buffed in with the 182 brush. Sculpt sculpting powder to contour cheeks using the 168 brush. Select Sheer Loose Powder in NC25 applied using the 187 brush (stippling brush). Dior Skin Shimmer in Amber Diamond with the 150 brush on apples and high planes of cheeks. Espresso and Carbon eyeshadows to fill in brows with a 266 brush. I finished by wearing 3N lipstick with 2N lipglass on lips.

What do you need? Since we are not all the same shade of skintone, nor do we all own the same products, let me give you some more generic ideas as to what you need for that super natural look.

Find out…

For the face | Start out with a foundation that is lightweight but really evens out your skin. I have always felt like liquid does a better job than pressed powders, personally. Many achieve the look of flawless skin with mineral foundation, too! Conceal if you choose to (I generally just put a little extra Studio Fix Fluid over any trouble spots) with a product that is creamy and not drying. If you contour lightly, it helps to accentuate your cheekbones without calling too much attention to them; just enough to polish. Choosing a contour color is not actually that difficult; you simply need a product that is a shade or so deeper than your natural skintone. Try matte blushes or bronzers, or even products designed for contouring (e.g., sculpting powders). Apply a light dusting of loose powder to set your foundation so it doesn’t fade or move throughout the day. You want a blush/cheek color that is incredibly subtle, that’s “barely there.” I have found love in Dior’s Skin Shimmer in Amber Diamond; it gives me the perfect touch of bronzy-rose flush. I like to use a product with a modicum of shimmer in it, just to help highlight at the same time. Sometimes for extra punch, I use Margin blush underneath Amber Diamond. Some ideas… Well-Dressed blush, Springsheen blush, MSFs.

For the eyes | I opt for no shadow, but sometimes a dusting of a matte or semi-matte neutral shadow on the lid is nice. Even a matte contouring of the outer crease area can help to define the eye without making it look “done.” Normally, I would apply two coats or so of mascara (I didn’t in the photo, because I was planning to do a full makeup look later on), but I don’t line the eyes. Filling in brows really does polish a look for most, because not everyone has full, natural brows that are well-shaped and have no sparse spots. You want to choose a brow color that is a shade lighter or the same as your natural brow, as a rule of thumb. Going darker can often be too stark (which is why many artists do not recommend black as a fill-in color) and unnatural.

For the lips | I like nudes, neutrals, and light to medium pinks. If you want to truly stay in the “I’m Not Really Wearing Any Makeup” look, choosing light colored lipsticks gives your lips some color without drawing attention to them. Of course, with everything else so natural, this just might be the perfect time to use that Russian Red lipstick you keep stashed away!

I used Your Ladyship pigment on lid, Nanogold eyeshadow on inner lid, Modest Tone eyeshadow on middle of lid, Neutral Pink eyeshadow on outer lid, Dark Edge eyeshadow lightly in the outer crease, Nanogold eyeshadow above crease and on brow and lower lash line, and Feline kohl power on lower lash line. I wore Light Flush mineralize skinfinish with Sculpt sculpting powder to contour. I had 3N lipstick with 2N lipglass on my lips.