MAC Nail Lacquers — Preview Photos & Swatches

MAC Nail Lacquers ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) has thirty-one new (well, some newer than others) shades being added to the permanent range. I don’t have any of the brand spankin’ new ones to share with you, but I did receive a press kit that included a set of swatches on plastic nails. Since I didn’t do the swatching, I have no idea how many coats were used or anything like that. As soon as I’m able to purchase the polishes, I’ll do so and have swatches for you at that time. For official descriptions, please see this post. For now, here are my descriptions of them based on the included swatches:

• Deep Sea is a deep, dark blue-teal with a hint of green. It has a cream finish. I reviewed it here when it first released.
• Midnight Tryst is a bluish gunmetal gray with fine teal and silver micro-shimmer–there appears to be some brushstrokes in the swatch. This is a new shade.
• Formidable is a dark purpled burgundy base with a duochrome of blue-teal to fuchsia-purple. It has a pearl finish. I reviewed it here when it first released.
• Mean & Green is a dark olive green base with a duochrome of rosy plum to golden olive green. It has a pearl finish. I reviewed it here when it first released.
• Vintage Vamp is a dark burgundy-red cream. It has a cream finish. I reviewed it here when it came out during the holidays.
• Rougemarie is a medium-dark blue-based red. It has a cream finish. I believe this was always part of the permanent range, but I don’t think I have it.
• Flaming Rose is a brightened medium red with a cream finish. This is a new shade.
• Sparks on Screen is a red glitter polish with multi-sized particles of ruby red, crimson, and lighter red. It has a pearl finish. It is a new shade.
• Shirelle is a brightened orange-red cream. I believe this was always part of the permanent range, but I don’t think I own it.
• Impassioned is an orange-coral with a cream finish. I reviewed it here, though it seems slightly pinker on the plastic nail (my natural undertones could make a color appear more or less warm). I’ll have to pick up a new bottle to see how they compare.
• Morange is a brightened medium orange with a cream finish. I reviewed it here.
• Fiestaware is a lightened tangerine orange with a cream finish. I reviewed it here.
• Soiree is a champagne and copper shimmered shade with a frost finish. I reviewed it here.
• Skin is a light peach-orange with a cream finish. This is a new shade.
• Faint of Heart is a soft ivory with a hint of warmth. It has a cream finish. This is a new shade.
• Delicate is a pale white-pink with a cream finish. I reviewed it here.
• Snob is a slightly warm, mostly neutral light-medium pink with a jelly-like finish (but it is a cream finish). I reviewed it here.
• Girl Trouble is a silvered, pale purple with a pearl finish. This is a new shade.
• Screaming Bright is a muted metallic gold-champagne–possibly a little pewter. This is a new shade.
• Saint Germain is a light-medium pink with blue undertones. I reviewed it here.
• Steamy is a medium-dark blue-based pink with a cream finish. I believe this has been part of the permanent range for sometime, but I haven’t reviewed it previously.
• Girl About Town is a rich, nearly-neon fuchsia pink with blue undertones. It has a cream finish. I reviewed it here.
• Quiet Time is a gray–tinted light-medium beige with a cream finish. I reviewed it here.
• Coffee Break is a medium-dark gray-tinted brown with a cream finish. This is a new shade.
• Anti-Fashion is a subdued, smoky purple with subtle red-brown undertones. It has a frost finish. This is a new shade.
• Dark Angel is a deep purple with red undertones and a cream finish. I reviewed it here.
• Spirit of Truth is a brightened navy blue with a cream finish. I reviewed it here.
• Discotheque is a metallic light silver with silver shimmer. It has a pearl finish. This is a new shade.
• Nightfall is a dark, gunmetal gray with silver shimmer. It has a frost finish. This was released previously, but I don’t think I have it.
• Nocturnelle is a glossy black cream. I reviewed it here previously.

Some MAC nail lacquers are great, while others are less stellar (some being notorious for poor application).  The majority of these shades, from what I remember, were easy enough to apply. I know the lacquers from the recent Fashion Sets collection were fairly good overall.  Formidable and Mean & Green were two highly coveted shades from MAC’s Venomous Villains collection, even though both have several exact dupes on the market (Bad Fairy was the harder one to dupe).

I think the biggest issue I have with MAC’s nail lacquers is that they’re priced as if the brand were high-end, rather than mid-end. For example, NARS’ lacquers are $18 a pop, while their lipsticks are $24–MAC’s lacquers are $16 a pop, while their lipsticks are $14.50. Additionally, most high-end nail brands still give you 0.50 fl. oz., but MAC bottles contain only 0.34 fl. oz., so you’re really getting squeezed on both ends. For some reason, the price of MAC’s nail lacquers seems to have accelerated far faster than the rest of their product’s price tags. So without a stellar formula, they’re absolutely not worth it. If the formula is on point and the color up your alley, they’re certainly worth a look.

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MAC Nail Lacquers

MAC Nail Lacquers: Deep Sea, Midnight Tryst, Formidable, Mean & Green, Vintage Vamp

MAC Nail Lacquers: Vintage Vamp, Mean & Green, Formidable, Midnight Tryst, Deep Sea

MAC Nail Lacquers: Vintage Vamp, Rougemarie, Flaming Rose, Sparks on Screen, Shirelle

MAC Nail Lacquers: Shirelle, Sparks on Screen, Flaming Rose, Rougemarie, Vintage Vamp

MAC Nail Lacquers: Shirelle, Impassioned, Morange, Fiestaware, Soiree

MAC Nail Lacquers: Fiestaware, Morange, Impassioned, Shirelle, Sparks on Screen

MAC Nail Lacquers: Morange, Fiestaware, Soiree, Skin, Faint of Heart

MAC Nail Lacquers: Faint of Heart, Skin, Soiree, Fiestaware, Morange

MAC Nail Lacquers: Delicate, Snob, Girl Trouble, Saint Germain, Steamy

MAC Nail Lacquers: Delicate, Snob, Girl Trouble, Saint Germain, Steamy

MAC Nail Lacquers: Girl About Town, Screaming Bright, Quiet Time, Coffee Break, Anti-Fashion

MAC Nail Lacquers: Steamy, Girl About Town, Screaming Bright, Quiet Time

MAC Nail Lacquers: Coffee Break, Anti-Fashion, Dark Angel, Spirit of Truth, Discotheque

MAC Nail Lacquers: Quiet Time, Coffee Break, Anti-Fashion, Dark Angel, Spirit of Truth

MAC Nail Lacquers: Dark Angel, Spirit of Truth, DIscotheque, Nightfall, Nocturnelle

MAC Nail Lacquers: Anti-Fashion, Dark Angel, Spirit of Truth, DIscotheque, Nightfall, Nocturnelle

MAC & Beth Ditto: Nail Lacquers

MAC & Beth Ditto have teamed up to create a collection that features four shades of MAC Nail Lacquer ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.), and these shades are: Life and Beth (milky peach), Near Beth Experience (light yellow), Nocturnelle (black), and Vagabondage (mid-tone lavender).

• Life and Beth is a peach orange with a cream finish. It’s mostly opaque after two coats, but it’s very, very thick and streaky, so it takes forever to dry, which can result in drag at the bottom if you apply the second coat too early. I found that the second coat, despite trying to do a thicker one, still applied streaky in places. Chanel June is darker. Chanel Peche Nacree is pinker. China Glaze Peachykeen is slightly darker.
• Near Beth Experience is a green-tinged yellow with a cream finish. This shade was very streaky as well–it also had a similar thickness as that of Life and Beth but slightly less thick, yet it ended up applying worse. It was streaky on both the first and second coat, so it wasn’t totally opaque after two coats and had a really uneven, gloppy look. It also took a long time to dry. China Glaze Electric Pineapple is darker and greener. China Glaze Lemon Fizz is the closest, but it’s a little yellower.
• Nocturnelle is a black cream and part of the permanent range. I reviewed it here.
• Vagabondage is a pink-lavender with a cream finish. It’s almost opaque after two coats. This was the better performing of the three I tested from the launch (I did not purchase Nocturnelle specifically from this launch), as it wasn’t overly thick, though still on the thicker side. It had some streaking on the first coat. MAC Saint Germain is very similar, perhaps a smidgen brighter. MAC Ice Cream Cake is a bit darker.

Nocturnelle, though I did not purchase it from this launch, has typically been a thinner polish that applies fairly evenly. It’s expensive for just a black cream, but it doesn’t have major issues like the new shades from the launch.  I don’t know why nail polish continues to be a category where MAC struggles; it’s like they consistently struggle. Perhaps it’s because they try to do tougher colors (pastels and pale shades like Life and Beth and Near Beth Experience can be tricky), but you can only get so many props for originality. The quality of the three new (and limited edition) shades isn’t there.

The Glossover

	MAC & Beth Ditto: Nail Lacquers Reviews, Photos, Swatches C-
	The quality of the three new (and limited edition) shades isn't there. I absolutely would not recommend these polishes, based on the lower quality and high price tag.
	Product 5/10 Pigmentation 8.5/10 Texture 6/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 3/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Life and Beth Nail Lacquer

MAC Life and Beth Nail Lacquer

MAC Life and Beth Nail Lacquer

MAC Life and Beth Nail Lacquer

MAC Life and Beth Nail Lacquer

MAC Life and Beth Nail Lacquer

MAC Near Beth Experience Nail Lacquer

MAC Near Beth Experience Nail Lacquer

MAC Near Beth Experience Nail Lacquer

MAC Near Beth Experience Nail Lacquer

MAC Near Beth Experience Nail Lacquer

MAC Near Beth Experience Nail Lacquer

MAC Vagabondage Nail Lacquer

MAC Vagabondage Nail Lacquer

MAC Vagabondage Nail Lacquer

MAC Vagabondage Nail Lacquer

MAC Vagabondage Nail Lacquer

MAC Vagabondage Nail Lacquer

MAC Tartan Tale: 5 Naughty Little Vices Nail Lacquer

This year, MAC has created a miniature set of nail lacquers, which includes two new (and exclusive) shades as well as three repromotes. The set itself is limited edition.

This includes: Asiatique (creamy classic red), Beyond Jealous (blackened blue green), Nocturnelle (black-as-night black), Vice is Nice (classic metallic gold), and Vintage Vamp (deep black wine).

• Asiatique is a bright, cherry red cream. It applied opaque in two coats, and it went rather smoothly–not streaky at all. This is a repromote.
• Beyond Jealous is a green-teal tinged black cream. This applied rather streakily; I needed three coats to get an even, smooth look. I think three coats was necessary just to achieve total opacity, too. This looks rather black regardless of the lighting, though. This is a repromote.
• Nocturnelle is a dark black cream. Three coats. It’s come out a few times before.
• Vice is Nice is a shimmering lightened gold with soft yellow tones. The finish looks like a metallic frost to me. It did need a full three coats to get an opaque result, and you can see some brush strokes. It is golder than China Glaze Midnight Kiss.
• Vintage Vamp is a deep burgundy-red cream. Like several of the other shades, I did need three coats for this, and the first two layers applied on the streakier side.

Each vial contains 2.5g/0.09 oz., while a full-size polish contains 0.34 oz. There is a total of 0.45 oz. worth of polish in the set, which is just under a polish and a half worth of product. MAC’s Nail Lacquer retails for $38.24/oz., while this set works out to be $56.67/oz.  I would expect a bit more given the price tag.

Given some of the application issues and the overall uniqueness of the colors (low), I don’t know if this would be the best introduction to MAC’s nail lacquers or even a great deal. MAC has done some really interesting shades, but this set does not include those. A black, red, and dark red cream just feel too standard. There’s no reason to settle for streakier, less pigmented formulas at this price point when competitors in this price range do it better. Just from the quality issues I had, it’s not a must-have based on my experience.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

• Product: 24/30
• Value: 7/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: The formula on these is just so-so; the majority needed three coats, and a couple had streaky application.

AVAILABILITY: MAC

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Nail Lacquer: Asiatique, Beyond Jealous, Nocturnelle, Vice is Nice, Vintage Vamp

Nail Lacquer: Asiatique, Beyond Jealous, Nocturnelle, Vice is Nice, Vintage Vamp

Nail Lacquer: Asiatique, Beyond Jealous, Nocturnelle, Vice is Nice, Vintage Vamp

MAC Asiatique Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Asiatique Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Asiatique Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Asiatique Nail Lacquer (Flash)

MAC Beyond Jealous Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Beyond Jealous Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Beyond Jealous Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Beyond Jealous Nail Lacquer (Flash)

MAC Nocturnelle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Nocturnelle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Nocturnelle Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Nocturnelle Nail Lacquer (Flash)

MAC Vice is Nice Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Vice is Nice Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Vice is Nice Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Vice is Nice Nail Lacquer (Flash)

MAC Vintage Vamp Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Vintage Vamp Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Vintage Vamp Nail Lacquer (Natural Light)

MAC Vintage Vamp Nail Lacquer (Flash)

MAC Style Black: Nail Lacquers Review, Photos, Swatches

MAC Style Black is a deep, dark collection with the rich tones of black as inspiration.  In the launch, there are three nail lacquers:  Nocturnelle, Seriously Hip, and Baby Goth Girl.

Nail Lacquer

• Nocturnelle is a creamy, glossy opaque black. There aren’t any subtle nuances really, it’s really just black. This is a repromote, so check your stash before you buy.
• Seriously Hip is a green-toned black with gold-green-olive shimmer. This is insanely pretty, and it coordinates with Bling Black glimmerglass. It goes on opaque in two medium-thick coats.
• Baby Goth Girl is a red-toned black with reddish-purple shimmer. It’s dark and fall, but the red-purple shimmer is gorgeous over the black base. Like Seriously Hip, it goes on opaque with just two medium-thick coats.

All three lacquers are intensely pigmented and go on opaquely with minimal effort–no special tricks or techniques required. They have a glossy finish, and Seriously Hip and Baby Goth Girl have shimmer whereas Nocturnelle is a cream. These are really quite stunning, and I love these much more than the shades from Nail Trend F/W, actually. Nocturnelle is your standard glossy, creamy black–not a must-have–but the other two are on my list of must-haves.

• Product: 9/10
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 8/10
• Packaging: 7/10

Recommendation: If you don’t have issues with MAC’s formula and you don’t mind a splurge, Seriously Hip and Baby Goth Girl are both great picks!

Availability: MAC Cosmetics

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MAC Seriously Hip Nail Lacquer

MAC Baby Goth Girl Nail Lacquer

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