MAC Fashion Sets: Lipstick Review Round-up

In the collection, the lipsticks, on average, were the strongest product. The quality of MAC’s lipstick range is definitely there, particularly with their core, permanent shades. The permanent shades are often overlooked because of the neverending onslaught of limited edition shades coming out each month (and sometimes each week!). Many of these shades have been around for several years and have proven to be bestselling shades for the brand for good reason.  I would recommend the lipstick over the matching lipgloss and nail lacquer for every single shade (which is not to say I recommend every single lipstick, period).

These shades did the best when it came to pigmentation. They’re rich, pigmented, and pretty much opaque across the board, with some being totally and utterly opaque and others being nearly opaque. When it comes to the overall quality and claims, these do well, but some finishes are more drying than others. I don’t find MAC to have moisturizing lipsticks, but for the most part, they are not drying either. Lustres and cremesheen finishes are the most drying for me, while mattes and satins can be slightly drying depending on the individual shade. Frosts are neither drying nor hydrating in my experience.

Generally, lighter shades (think Angel, Myth, Snob, etc.) will not wear as long or as well as richer, deeper shades (think Girl About Town, Rebel, Russian Red, etc.), as those deeper shades (combined with their finish) lead to six hour wear as a result of staining–and staining may be good or bad depending on your preference. Lighter shades typically wear three to four hours with deeper shades lasting four to six hours–and this is based on experience of over a hundred MAC lipsticks over the years. I’m pretty sure it’s way more than that, but I’m not going to guarantee it.

The best shades were:  Girl About Town, Morange, and Russian Red (all As).  Good but not great shades were:  Peachstock, Please Me, Rebel, and Spice.  The most under-performing shades were:  Myth and Razzledazzler.

Availability: Based on the information I have received from MAC, the distribution of these shades is regional. I cannot confirm the extent of non-regional shades being available online for your region (e.g. whether all of these will be available on the UK website). I can confirm only that for North America, all shades are available for purchase online. Only the North America-specific shades will be available in-stores on May 3rd, 2012. Select Macy’s will also carry Latin America & Middle East region-specific shades.

North America: Chestnut, Girl About Town, Myth, Rebel, Russian Red, Snob, Spice; Chestnut and Spice are limited edition–the rest are permanent
Asia Pacific: Angel, Morange, Impassioned, Peachstock, Ravishing, Razzledazzler, Saint Germain; Peachstock is permanent at PRO stores only, Razzledazzler is permanent in Asia only–the rest are permanent
Europe & Africa: Impassioned, Morange, Myth, Rebel, Russian Red, Saint Germain, Spice; Spice is limited edition
Latin America & Middle East: Girl About Town, Impassioned, Morange, Pink Nouveau, Please Me, Russian Red, Snob; all shades are permanent

Reviews, Photos, Swatches

• MAC Angel Lipstick
• MAC Chestnut Lipstick
• MAC Girl About Town Lipstick
• MAC Impassioned Lipstick
• MAC Morange Lipstick
• MAC Myth Lipstick
• MAC Peachstock Lipstick
• MAC Pink Nouveau Lipstick
• MAC Please Me Lipstick
• MAC Ravishing Lipstick
• MAC Razzledazzler Lipstick
• MAC Rebel Lipstick
• MAC Russian Red Lipstick
• MAC Saint Germain Lipstick
• MAC Snob Lipstick
• MAC Spice Lipstick

The Glossover

	MAC Fashion Sets: Lipstick Review Round-up A-
	The quality of MAC's lipstick range is definitely there, particularly with their core, permanent shades. The permanent shades are often overlooked because of the neverending onslaught of limited edition shades coming out each month (and sometimes each week!).
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 8.5/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!

Please note that the photos included in this post are for summary purposes only–there are four additional photos for each lipstick shade that have been excluded in this post but are available in the set’s original post: two product photos, one lip swatch (diffused flash), and one lip swatch (studio lighting).  All links to the individual posts have been provided above.

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Angel Lipstick

MAC Angel Lipstick

MAC Chestnut Lipstick

MAC Chestnut Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Impassioned Lipstick

MAC Impassioned Lipstick

MAC Morange Lipstick

MAC Morange Lipstick

MAC Myth Lipstick

MAC Myth Lipstick

MAC Peachstock Lipstick

MAC Peachstock Lipstick

MAC Pink Nouveau Lipstick

MAC Pink Nouveau Lipstick

MAC Please Me Lipstick

MAC Please Me Lipstick

MAC Ravishing Lipstick

MAC Ravishing Lipstick

MAC Razzledazzler Lipstick

MAC Razzledazzler Lipstick

MAC Rebel Lipstick

MAC Rebel Lipstick

MAC Russian Red Lipstick

MAC Russian Red Lipstick

MAC Saint Germain Lipstick

MAC Saint Germain Lipstick

MAC Snob Lipstick

MAC Snob Lipstick

MAC Spice Lipstick

MAC Spice Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass, Lipstick, Nail Lacquer

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) has been such a top-seller that it has now inspired a Lipglass ($14.50 for 0.17 fl. oz.) and Nail Lacquer ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) to complement it. This shade is part of the North American and Latin America/Middle East portions of the collection, so it will be available at all locations and online. Girl About Town is described as “bright blue fuchsia.”

If you layer the two lip products together, you’ll get a really dense, opaque fuchsia pink with very subtle silver micro-shimmer that’s very, very bright. The gloss is only slightly brighter compared to the lipstick. The nail lacquer is a pretty good match to both the gloss and lipstick, though it has stronger red undertones, which only become noticeable in really bright light. This shade is part of the permanent range, so it’s available all the time.

Girl About Town Lipglass is a brightened fuchsia-pink with silver micro-shimmer. It’s nearly opaque all on its own, and it applies evenly for the most part. The brightness helps to hide the settling of the thicker gloss into lip lines. Milani Flashy is darker, redder. MAC True Babe is lighter and more blue-based. MAC Full Speed Ahead is not quite as fuchsia, not as bright. (9, 10, 9, 9, 4.5, 4; A-)

Girl About Town Lipstick is a brightened medium-dark fuchsia pink with blue undertones. It has an amplified creme finish. It yields opaque color with very little product, and it has a creamier consistency than a lot of the other lipsticks in the launch. MAC Rare Exotic is very close, possibly a smidgen darker. Illamasqua Atomic is redder. NARS Carthage is slightly less blue-based and brighter. MAC Catharina is pinker and brighter. (9.5, 10, 9.5, 10, 5, 4; A)

Girl About Town Nail Lacquer is a rich, nearly-neon fuchsia pink with blue undertones. It has a cream finish, and it’s opaque after two coats. China Glaze 108 Degrees is a bit redder and shimmery. Zoya Dana is a bit redder. Zoya Reagan is bluer and lighter. (10, 10, 10, 9, 5, 4; A)

MAC Lipsticks are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Amplified creme finishes like Girl About Town typically wear four to six hours on me, with deeper shades like this one wearing closer to six hours.  This is one of my favorite finishes by MAC, as it is characterized by a creamier, more glide-on texture that wears really well and doesn’t dry lips out.  MAC Lipglasses are also vanilla-scented but taste-free. They are very sticky and have a thick, borderline-goopy consistency. If you prefer gel-like, cushion-y glosses that feel lightweight on, I don’t recommend MAC Lipglass. Because of the tackier texture, MAC Lipglasses do tend to wear a full four hours on me, with some of the darker shades lasting up to six hours (with mostly the color lingering at that point).

The Glossover

	MAC Girl About Town Lipglass, Lipstick, Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches A
	Girl About Town is a popular shade for a reason--it looks amazing only nearly every skin tone. It's bold, bright, and vibrant. It will add oomph and brighten your face with little else needed. All three variations were high quality products.
	Product 9.5/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9.5/10 Longevity 9.5/10 Application 5/5
	Where to Buy
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass, Lipstick, Nail Lacquer

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass layered over Girl About Town Lipstick, Girl About Town Nail Lacquer

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass layered over Girl About Town Lipstick (Diffused Flash)

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass layered over Girl About Town Lipstick (Studio Lighting)

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass layered over Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass (Diffused Flash)

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass (Studio Lighting)

MAC Girl About Town Lipglass

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick (Diffused Flash)

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick (Studio Lighting)

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Nail Lacquer

MAC Girl About Town Nail Lacquer

MAC Girl About Town Nail Lacquer

MAC Girl About Town Nail Lacquer

MAC Girl About Town Nail Lacquer

MAC Girl About Town Nail Lacquer

5 Bright Pink Lipsticks

Well, four lipsticks and one lipgloss… which is more like a liquid lipstick anyway!

• Milani Rose Hip Lipstick
• MAC Girl About Town Lipstick
• Giorgio Armani #517 Rouge d’Armani Lipstick
• NARS Schiap Lipstick
• Illamasqua Frenzy Intense Lipgloss

What’s your go-to bright pink lipstick?

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

The Summer Season: MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick ($14.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a vibrant shade of darkened, bright fuchsia pink. It has an amplified creme finish, which makes it a very creamy, opaque shade. Girl About Town is a classic pink from MAC, and it’s always been a favorite of mine. I love the full-color coverage it provides while giving just a slightly glossy sheen without shimmer.

Is this the right pink lipstick for you? Would you wear it?

The Summer Season is a series of posts featuring bright, vibrant shades of coral, orange, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for a summer of fun — that runs through July 2010.

See photos and swatches…

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick (Diffused Flash)

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick (Studio Lighting)

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick

If you were using MAC Girl About Town 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 Girl About Town! Feel free to share links to photos of your look(s) using it in the comments.