MAC Heavenly Creatures Lipsticks ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) features five shades: Cusp of Dawn (beige pink), Cut a Caper (mid-tone peach pink), Fire Sign (red pink), Pleasureseeker (creamy peach), and Venus (sheer yellow pink with pearl). Both Cut a Caper and Pleasureseeker have been released in previous collections, and all five are limited edition.
Cusp of Dawn is a soft, warm peach-beige with a little hint of brown and orange-copper shimmer. This has a lustre finish. The color coverage is semi-sheer, depositing more visible shimmer-sheen (almost looks metallic on my lips) while muting any natural pink in my lips. On my lips, it comes out as a subdued beige with a semi-metallic finish. Guerlain Chant d’Aromes is slightly browner and more opaque, less metallic. MAC Viva Glam VI has more red and plum (but it looked a little similar on). Maybelline Coral Kiss is slightly rosier. Guerlain Grace is rosier.
Cut a Caper is a pink-coral with this really, really subtle purplish iridescence. This has a lustre finish. The color coverage is semi-opaque and very buildable, so you can use almost nothing and get sheer color. Bobbi Brown Pink Seashell is less pink. Chanel Coquette is more vibrant, pinker. NARS Niagara is darker, pinker.
Fire Sign is a pinky-red with semi-opaque color coverage. This has a lustre finish. Was anyone else wanting this shade to be more fiery? It’s exactly as described, so I don’t take any real issue with it, I just envisioned something more fiery by the name (this has no impact on the review!). Guerlain Pour Troubler is a little more ruby red. NARS Flamenco is comparable. Guerlain Grenade is similar, slightly more muted.
Pleasureseeker is a dirty peach with subtle warm undertones. This has a glaze finish. It has semi-sheer color payoff, though it has more of a frosted/metallic effect than a lot of color. It seems to warm up my natural lip color and make my lips look a little coral–I imagine this is because it’s semi-sheer, so it’s not adding noticeable peach as a solid color but mixing peach with my underlying lip color. Bobbi Brown Pink Seashell is very similar (perhaps a little pinker in the tube) and also turns my lips to a shade of coral. MAC Razzledazzler is darker, more opaque. Burberry Devon Sunset is more opaque and darker.
Venus is a semi-opaque subtly yellow-toned medium pink with subtle golden shimmer. This has a lustre finish. MAC Blood Red is less pink. MAC Radicchio is lighter, plummier. Guerlain Bloom of Rose is more frosted.
Four of the five shades have a lustre finish, which isn’t one of my favorites by MAC for two major reasons: 1) they don’t wear very long (anywhere from one and a half to three hours usually), and 2) they’re drying. One shade has a glaze finish, which is similar but slightly glossier (heavier on the shine, slightly creamier), which wears about as well as lustre finishes do, but I don’t find the glaze finish as drying–slightly drying but not too badly. MAC lipsticks are vanilla-scented with no discernible taste and come in black bullet tubes with silver accents.
Yesterday, I tested the wear of Cusp of Dawn (two hours), Cut a Caper (three hours), and Fire Sign (five hours), while this morning, I tested out the wear of Pleasureseeker (hour and a half) and Venus (three and a half hours). All of the shades were on the drying side with Cut a Caper being the least drying but slightly so. Cusp of Dawn and Pleasureseeker will do best on well-hydrated, smooth lips. The sheer and frost combination doesn’t work well on dehydrated lips, as it tends to accentuate any imperfections on the lip, like dryness, flaking, and cracking.
On the whole, I do like MAC lipsticks, and I think there are few brands that provide as many shade varieties as they do (there are so many classics in the permanent range, and plenty of “ooh, I remember loving you” shades that were limited edition). I also think they’re a good option for someone who wants to go high-end but doesn’t want to shell out $20+ for true high-end brands (as MAC is generally considered mid-end, though their price points have been creeping–especially on newer product types–upward into high-end territory, e.g. $20 for an eyeshadow). Lustres just don’t work well on me; they wear off easily and dry out my lips, and since four of the five are lustres, this review certainly reflects those problems.
Lustres just don't work well on me; they wear off easily and dry out my lips, and since four of the five are lustres, this review certainly reflects those problems. If you find lustres to be moisturizing or non-drying and/or don't mind frequent reapplication, then these are worth considering. I didn't have any problems with pigmentation, evenness, etc.
Product
7/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
6/10
Application
4/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
MAC and Ruffian have teamed up to launch an online-only collection that features three sets of glue-on nails (to be shown shortly) and three lipsticks: Ruffian Gold (gold glitter metallic), Ruffian Naked (pale peachy nude), and Ruffian Red (classic rich blue red). The collection is available online now. Each lipstick is housed in traditional MAC packaging–a matte black tube with a rounded cap–and has the same vanilla-scent as other MAC lipsticks. Each of these is $14.50.
Ruffian Gold is a semi-sheer sparkling bronzy gold. It’s mostly gold and more molten gold micro-glitter suspended in a sheer color base. This has a frost finish. MAC Liquid Lurex is more multi-colored. MAC Front Lit is paler and more opaque. Dior Or Etoile is similar but lighter. MAC Tanarama is lighter. MAC Gel is fairly similar applied, though it is more bronze. I would recommend layering this over a red lipstick (and I have an upcoming post with it over Ruffian Red–stay tuned).
Ruffian Naked is a rosy beige with a creamy texture. This has a matte finish, though it felt more like a satin to me. I didn’t see much peach in this; it kept looking pink on me. It’s similar to MAC Myth, perhaps slightly lighter. MAC Innocence, Beware! is pinker. MAC Fleshpot is a touch lighter.
Ruffian Red is a just slightly blue-based medium-dark red with a fair amount of brightness. This has a matte finish. I swear, on me, this reads almost neutral to warm, even though it’s described as a blue-based lipstick. MAC Russian Red is darker, deeper. MAC Red Racer is a little brighter. Maybelline Very Cherry is bluer. MAC Ruby Woo is slightly darker and bluer-based. Giorgio Armani #404 is similar but shimmery. Make Up For Ever #43 seems fairly close. Guerlain Garconne is darker.
I didn’t have any problems with the three shades. They applied as they should–Ruffian Gold didn’t feel too gritty and the glitter spread evenly for the most part, while Ruffian Naked and Ruffian Red had just enough creaminess to glide easily across the lips to deposit rich, opaque color. Ruffian Naked is slightly creamier than Ruffian Red. I typically get four hours of wear with MAC’s lipsticks, and a shade like Ruffian Red would wear longer (as most reds do), around six to eight hours. Ruffian Red did stain my arm after only being on it for 10-15 minutes (as did Russian Red and Ruby Woo).
All three have a few potential dupes from previous launches, so you may not find any of these essential. They're good products, and the red is very classic. The nude shade may be too pale for some--if you like shades like Myth and Fleshpot, it'll be right up your alley!
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
4.5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
MAC Hey, Sailor! Lipsticks ($15.50 for 0.10 oz.) include four shades: Red Racer (bright yellow red), Sail la Vie (bright mid-tone orange), Salute! (neutral peach), and To Catch a Sailor (highly frosted tan).
Red Racer is a brightened medium red with subtle yellow undertones. It seems a little blue in certain lighting to me, as it has a pinky-red appearance when used lightly, but then it seems a smidgen orange-red at other angles. This has a satin finish, and it’s opaque once applied. I definitely recommend perusing our gallery of red lipsticks, because there are so many shades and you may find one is similar enough for you there. Guerlain Vega is a bit darker. Maybelline Very Cherry is a smidgen darker. Guerlain Habit Rouge is more orange-toned. NYX Chic Red is blue-based. CoverGirl Hot is a smidgen warmer. Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood seems fairly close. Giorgio Armani #404 is also similar but a touch brighter and has shimmer. Chanel Lover is a touch cooler. Make Up For Ever #43 is a little lighter/brighter. MAC Heartless is a smidgen warmer.
Salute! is a pale peach-beige with a creamy finish. This has an amplified finish. I actually applied and swatched this twice, because it looked so awful on my lips (and I had just exfoliated!)–it grabs onto every single imperfection on your lips and just amplifies it (ha, ha). It has a fair amount of yellow in it, which is why it looks different compared to other common peaches. Dolce & Gabbana Caramel is darker. MAC Archetype is sheerer and darker. MAC Siss is a bit darker but applies better.
To Catch a Sailor is a medium beige-brown with a metallic-like finish. This has a frost finish. MAC Pet Me Please is pinker. MAC Gel is more golden. MAC Tanarama is lighter and warmer. MAC Beachbound is more golden. MAC Beigeland is the closest, but it’s less brown.
First, to those who wanted Red Racer and Sail la Vie, never fear–there are several retailers still yet to launch the collection online, and it’s still not out in-stores (except PRO stores). I wish I could have posted the lipsticks sooner, but I did not have all of them (and ironically, I was missing both the shades that sold out) until 7PM last night!
Truthfully, I was a little surprised that both sold out so quickly, because they seemed dupeable (from the descriptions), but they are certainly lovely shades and wear and apply well to boot. I really say this as a gentle reminder that makeup is supposed to be fun. Sometimes the adventure and efforts it takes to track down just that particular shade can be fun and exciting, but when it takes a turn for aggravating, frustrating, and upsetting? that’s when it’s too much. And never be afraid to mix and match–you might be surprised just how much you can dupe if you mix two or three products together!
The only shade that was problematic was Salute!, which applied awfully on my lips. I thought maybe it was just because it was the first lip product I swatched, so I tried it on again, but it looked just as bad (the second attempt is what is shown below). It just catches on imperfections that a lot of other lipsticks don’t (for instance, To Catch a Sailor was swatched second). All four shades were opaque, and they had good, creamy consistencies that enabled easier application. I tested the wear of To Catch a Sailor (three hours) and Red Racer (five hours with a light stain).
MAC lipsticks are vanilla-scented but have no discernible taste. They’re typically packaged in a semi-matte black tube, but these are in a glossy, navy blue tubes with white striping. The finishes of these lipsticks were not at all problematic, and even though To Catch a Sailor has a very metallic finish, it wasn’t drying (but not moisturizing).
All four shades were opaque, and they had good, creamy consistencies that enabled easier application. The only shade that was problematic was Salute!, which applied awfully on my lips. I also think that Salute! is going to be harder shade to wear, but it will be flattering on some skin tones, particularly deeper ones.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
4/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
MAC Speak Louder Cremesheen Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) is described as a “clean poppy blue pink.” It’s a vibrant medium-dark pink-red with a subtle blue undertone and a soft, natural sheen. MAC Impassioned is much more vibrant, more coral. MAC Party Parrot is much more coral. MAC Moxie is darker, more intense. MAC Full Fuchsia is more vibrant, brighter. Against my skin tone, it doesn’t read as cool-toned as it is in the tube.
It has mostly opaque color coverage, and it’s one of the creamier Cremesheens I’ve used. It glides on better than others within the finish, though it’s not as creamy as an Amplified finish. What’s interesting about this color is that it’s the more muted sister of a lot of the really vibrant, nearly-neon shades that have become immensely popular/sold out. I wouldn’t described it as muted generally, though, as it is fairly bright on the face. Speak Louder wore for a solid five hours when I tested it.
I’m not a huge fan of the Cremesheen finish–it’s a bit drying (some shades more so than others). I’d also love a slightly creamier consistency so that it would really glide easily and evenly across the lips. Speak Louder wasn’t drying but neither was it moisturizing. It is vanilla-scented but has no discernible taste (same scent as other MAC lipsticks and lip products).
With its subtle cool undertone and brighter color, this shade will flatter a wide range of skin tones. It's not as bright as a lot of the recent peony pinks on the market, but it's still plenty vibrant.
Product
8/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
9/10
Application
4/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
MAC Russian Red Lipglass over Lipstick; Nail Lacquer
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
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
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
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.
The famous Spice Lip Pencil has inspired a MAC Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.), 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 America and Europe/Africa regions of the collection, so it will only be available both online and in-stores for North American buyers. Spice is described as “mid-tone neutral nude.”
Both the lipgloss and lipstick match very well, and as a result, they also look good layered. Spice is the kind of shade that will change here and there depending on the level and type of pigmentation you have in your natural lip color. Because I have a hint of underlying pink in my natural lip color, the rosy tones of both the lipgloss and lipstick come forth once applied, even though they look less pronounced when swatched against the skin (and likely helped by my yellower undertones in my skin!). While the nail lacquer shares some similarities, it’s significantly lighter, so it doesn’t look the same. It’s much pinker, not as brown or as “nude.”
Spice Lipglass is a medium rosy brown with opaque color coverage. It applies very evenly and doesn’t settle into lip lines too much at all. MAC Over Indulgence is sheerer, so it looks a bit lighter. MAC Show Me is browner and lacks the rose tones of Spice. MAC Looks Like Sin is a little more berry-colored. (9, 10, 9, 8.5, 4.5, 4; A-)
Spice Lipstick is a medium rosy brown with opaque color coverage. (Not a typo; it’s very nearly the same as the lipgloss!) It has a satin finish, and while the lip pencil is permanent, the lipstick is not (nor are the lipgloss and nail lacquer). MAC Shitaki is browner, sheerer. Guerlain CHant d’Aromes is browner, no rose tones. MAC Viva Glam VI is sheerer and a bit browner. Guerlain Galante is a little redder and darker. (9, 10, 9, 8.5, 4.5, 4; A-)
Spice Nail Lacquer is a rosy brown with an almost jelly-like quality to its finish. It does have a cream finish officially. After two coats, there is still a fair amount of visible nail line. China Glaze Dress Me Up is much browner. Chanel Morning Rose is pinker. Nubar Moire is darker and browner. (8.5, 8.5, 9, 9, 4, 4; B)
MAC Lipsticks are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Satin finishes like Spice typically wear between four to six hours on me, with lighter shades on the shorter end of the spectrum and deeper, more stain-prone shades on the longer end. I suspect Spice will fall somewhere in the middle there. 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).
Note: I am reviewing each “set” together. After I’ve reviewed all sixteen sets, I will do round-ups for each product type (so all lipsticks together) to deliver an overall Glossover rating. This rating is more indicative of the product type, as the rating that follows this post is an average across three totally different types of products. You can also see the individual scores listed after each product, which are listed in the same order as they are in the Glossover.
Spice may seem boring, but it can be really flattering. It's nude in a way that doesn't mean pale, pasty, or washed out; it's nude such that it's the kind of hue we see in our natural skin tones. For medium and deeper complexions, it would work well as a go-to shade.
Product
9/10
Pigmentation
9.5/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
8.5/10
Application
4.5/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
MAC, $14.50 each for Lipstick and Lipglass; $16.00 each for Nail Lacquer
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
