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 Style Black: Lipstick/Mattene Review, Swatches, Lip Swatches

MAC Style Black is a deep, dark collection with the rich tones of black as inspiration.  Included in the launch that’ll hit stores on the 24th are two mattenes, Midnight Media and Night Violet, as well as one lipstick in Black Knight.

Mattenes

• Midnight Media is a near-black, creamy semi-matte lip color that goes on semi-opaque.  It’s a red-toned or burgundy-toned black.  It appears mostly black on lips, but there’s a bit of a burgundy punch that keeps it from going monotone.  I don’t recommend applying this without a lip brush — it is not forgiving!  (My lip swatch is evidence of thus.)
• Night Violet is a burgundy-wine shade with a creamy, semi-matte finish and goes on mostly opaque.  It doesn’t bleed nearly as much as Midnight Media and is much more forgiving when you apply it directly from the tube.

Lipstick

• Black Knight is a slightly creamy, monotone black with a glossy sheen.  It’s a cremesheen finish, which can be drying at times, but this one didn’t feel that way to me.  I had a terrible time getting this to apply even remotely evenly.  Up close (as in the lip swatch), every flaw is enhanced.  I assure you it looked relatively even in the mirror.   I’d probably pass on this and just use Bat CCB on my lips (but I gotta double-check the safety on that).

Out of the three, Night Violet is the most wearable, and then Midnight Media is more wearable than Black Knight, because it has that reddish tone to it.  I don’t personally love any of the three, but I do like Night Violet enough to own.  If you don’t have any black lipstick, Midnight Media isn’t a bad way to go.

• Product: 7/10
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 7/10
• Packaging: 8/10

Recommendation: If you love yourself dark and vampy lip color… this is for you!

Availability: MAC Cosmetics

See more photos, swatches, and lip swatches…

MAC Night Violet Mattene

MAC Black Knight Lipstick

Midnight Media, Night Violet, Black Knight

MAC Midnight Media Mattene

MAC Night Violet Mattene

MAC Black Knight Lipstick

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