mac styledriven collection

Video Review: MAC Styledriven (Part 1)

First impressions/swatching of the sixteen eyeshadows and nine lipglasses!

MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencils

MAC Styledriven: Pro Longwear Lip Pencils (Part 2)

MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil ($18.00 for 0.04 oz.) is supposed to glide-on and “adhere instantly” with “rich, saturated color.” Unlike the other new Pro Longwear formulas, the description didn’t call out a specific wear time–it says that it will “[prolong] the hours between re-application” and transfer-proof. There are ten shades releasing in this new formula (part of Styledriven), all of which are permanent. This post features these five: More to Love (intense bluish pink), Morning Coffee (mid-tone rose), Nice ‘n’ Spicy (pink cinnamon stick), Staunchly Stylish (pinky beige), and What a Blast! (bright orange).

• More to Love is a bright fuchsia pink with most opaque color coverage and blue undertones. It has a very subtle frosted finish but reads more matte to me. It’s not as bright as MAC Rare Exotic or NARS Carthage. It is similar to Illamasqua Welt but pinker.
• Morning Coffee is a rosy peach-brown with a hint of shimmer. I found this one to be less pigmented than the rest, so it was more difficult to get even and opaque color coverage on the lips. It reminded me of MAC For Keeps. It is a little browner than MAC One of a Kind.
• Nice ‘n’ Spicy is a medium-dark brown with warmer, almost peach undertones in a matte finish. It had nice pigmentation and covered evenly and opaquely on the lips. It’s not as orange as MAC Touch.
• Staunchly Stylish is a soft rosy brown. It’s very slightly lighter and more beige compared to Morning Coffee, but this shade had better pigmentation. It reminds me a bit of Guerlain Grace.
• What a Blast! is a brightened orange with a mostly matte finish. The pigmentation is good, so it goes on opaque and evenly. It is similar to MAC Morange, MAC Neon Orange, and MAC Good to Go.

For more on how these wear, please read part one.

The Glossover

	MAC Styledriven Pro Longwear Lip Pencils Swatches, Photos, Reviews (Part 2) A-
	This is a good lip liner for layering and prolonging the wear of your lip products--I just don't recommend wearing these alone, because they are less-than-flattering.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencils

MAC Styledriven: Pro Longwear Lip Pencils (Part 1)

MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil ($18.00 for 0.04 oz.) is supposed to glide-on and “adhere instantly” with “rich, saturated color.” Unlike the other new Pro Longwear formulas, the description didn’t call out a specific wear time–it says that it will “[prolong] the hours between re-application” and transfer-proof. There are ten shades releasing in this new formula (part of Styledriven), all of which are permanent. This post features these five: Absolutely It (soft burgundy), Bittersweet (intense brown), Etcetera (creamy beige), In Anticipation (soft yellow pink), and Kiss Me Quick (yellow red).

• Absolutely It is a burgundy rose with a soft, frosted finish. It has good color payoff but could use a little more pigment.
• Bittersweet is a really rich, dark chocolate brown with a semi-matte finish. This was one of the best performing shades–excellent color payoff and creamy enough to yield even coverage with little work.
• Etcetera is an orange-y beige nude with a mostly matte finish. It has good color payoff and applies evenly. It’s similar to Korres #36 Natural Brown. MAC Kraft is darker.
• In Anticipation is a brightened pink with yellower undertones. It delivers nice even, opaque color. Bobbi Brown Mod Pink is similar but brighter.
• Kiss Me Quick is a subtly blue-based red. It goes on opaque and evenly. It is similar to a myriad of red lipsticks.

These have a nice waxy base that gives them a good glide that makes it fairly easy to apply the color, and they have nice pigmentation which means you don’t have to wear the pencil down to a nub to get full color coverage. The creamier shades tend to have the best color payoff, especially when they’re darker (like Bittersweet). Be careful about rubbing your lips together initially, because I found that doing so would cause unevenness–almost like there is a slight tackiness to it before it sets.

Even though there is no specific wear time given for these, they do wear a lot like iron. Alone, these wear around eight to ten hours, but they are drying over time–like my lips were pleading with me, “No more, stop testing, I need balm, STOP, DO NOT PASS GO.” I wouldn’t want to wear these alone, because it really shrinkwraps around the lips (that’s the “adhere instantly” characteristic, I’d say) but the drier texture and shrinkage make them less than flattering on the lips.  I don’t expect lip liner to be moisturizing, especially since one of the major reasons to go through the added step of lining is to increase the wear of your gloss/lipstick, and MAC doesn’t say that they are.  Underneath a lipstick, it seems to add an hour or two of additional wear.

Just swatching these on the lips for photos was a rather brutal experiment in pain over beauty (I’m normally more than capable of 10-15 products back-to-back, but my lips were dying after three pencils). When I went to remove these, it wiped off in chunks almost; you will need a little bit of elbow grease to remove, so I recommend using a separate remover as it will allow you to be gentler on your lips during the removal process.  If you’re familiar with MAC’s Superslick Liquid Liners–it removes kind of like that.

If I find out there is a specific length of time these are supposed to wear, this review may be adjusted to take into account how well (or poorly) these meet that mark.  

The Glossover

	MAC Styledriven Pro Longwear Lip Pencils Swatches, Photos, Reviews (Part 1) A-
	This is a good lip liner for layering and prolonging the wear of your lip products--I just don't recommend wearing these alone, because they are less-than-flattering.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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See more photos & swatches! Continue reading →

MAC Pro Longwear Lipglasses

MAC Styledriven: Pro Longwear Lipglasses (Part 2)

MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass ($18.50 for 0.06 oz.) is supposed to last up to six hours with lots of shine and color. There are nine shades released as part of the Styledriven collection, and all nine are permanent. This post features these four: Patience, Please (light pink-blue), Ready or Not! (neutral light coral with slight pearlized pigments), Show Me! (mid-tone neutral plum), and Whoops! (bright coral).

• Patience, Please is a pale pink-beige with a very creamy, milky look. It does settle a bit into lip lines (but not as bad as some recent lipglasses). It’s lighter than MAC Good Times. It’s more opaque than MAC The Wee Coquette but pinker than MAC Glamour for All.
• Ready or Not! is a light-medium peach with soft white micro-shimmer. I couldn’t get this shade to go on evenly (and again, this was just one pass of gloss!). It’s a little bit lighter and less pink compared to MAC Frankly Fresh but more orange than MAC 2N. It is very similar to MAC Illicit.
• Show Me! is a medium-dark peach-orange brown. I’m going to have to give a big clueless, “Huh?” because it’s not what I’d call a “neutral plum.” It applies fairly evenly and definitely has opaque color. Paul & Joe #4 is lighter. Korres #33 Nude is a bit similar but not as opaque. It also resembles MAC Temper Tantra.
• Whoops! is a coral-orange with a creamy finish. It’s mostly opaque and goes on fairly evenly but settles into lip lines a little. It’s like a shimmer-free version of MAC Geo Pink. MAC Exxhibitionist is brighter. MAC Viva Glam Cyndi is lighter and a touch pinker. Illamasqua Mistress is more intense.

Please see part one for a full review of the formula!

The Glossover

	MAC Styledriven Pro Longwear Lipglasses Swatches, Photos, Reviews (Part 2) C+
	This is a high-maintenance lipgloss; it takes patience and some effort to get the right amount of product to yield (mostly) even color coverage--and it takes a second of carelessness (aka pressing lips together) to erase that hard work.
	Product 8/10 Pigmentation 8.5/10 Texture 7/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 3/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Pro Longwear Lipglasses

MAC Styledriven: Pro Longwear Lipglasses (Part 1)

MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass ($18.50 for 0.06 oz.) is supposed to last up to six hours with lots of shine and color. There are nine shades released as part of the Styledriven collection, and all nine are permanent. This post features these five: Dark as Night (deep mid-tone purple with slight pearlized pigments), Driven by Love (red-blue with slight pearlized pigments), Full Speed Ahead (bright pink-magenta), Infinitely Likeable (light pink), and Lasting Achievement (mid-tone purple with slight pearlized pigments).

• Dark as Night is a dark burgundy-wine with subtle gold and burgundy shimmer. It’s semi-opaque but this was one of the more difficult shades to apply evenly (I did not succeed). I can’t think of a dupe for this particular shade though; nothing I think of is dark enough.
• Driven by Love is a rich red with gold shimmer. It’s a touch blue-based. This was the best performing shade out of the nine–not only is it intensely pigmented but delivers opaque color evenly. It is similar to several other red lipglosses, though.
• Full Speed Ahead is a creamy bright pink with blue undertones. It’s mostly opaque and applies evenly if you’re patient. It is a touch darker than MAC True Babe. It is similar to OCC Pageant.
• Infinitely Likeable is a light-medium pink with a good deal of milkiness to it. This one seemed thicker than the others; the swatch as shown is a single pull of gloss. It’s a bit darker than MAC Enchantee.
• Lasting Achievement is a deep red with a hint of berry and gold shimmer. It has semi-opaque color coverage, but it goes on evenly. It is similar in color to Dolce & Gabbana Amethyst but more opaque.

These are long-wearing, and I do get a five to six hours of wear out of them–even the lighter shades (like Ready or Not!). The darker shades (like Driven by Love) look really good at six hours, while lighter shades (like Ready or Not!) are still noticeably on and give decent color but look faded compared to when it was first applied. They have a nice dose of shine in the finish, and the shine hangs on for longer than the usual gloss.

They’re thick and almost goopy, and they get sticky very quickly. The texture didn’t seem sticky when I swatched, but on lips, it feels akin to glue (the stickiness is emphasized by the thicker consistency of the gloss). They are more pigmented than your average gloss, but I had some issues getting even color because of the thicker consistency. If you smush your lips together, forget about even color, because the color will pull and drag and you’ll get unevenness.

Overall, the formula needs improvement. Some shades apply well and deliver both opaque and even color, but others have major issues with evenness. The ones that do apply evenly are rather high-maintenance; you don’t want to be pressing and sliding your lips together, because the gloss will move and look uneven.

I’m also frustrated at how little these tubes contain–0.06 oz. (which is as much as Dazzleglass–I’ve regularly complained about the amount in those, too) and yet how large they seem.  They’re long, thick tubes with a pinched sponge-tipped applicator that doesn’t bother me.  It doesn’t hinder or really help application.  I can see it being too large and hindering application for those who have naturally thin lips.

The Glossover

	MAC Styledriven Pro Longwear Lipglasses Swatches, Photos, Reviews (Part 1) C+
	This is a high-maintenance lipgloss; it takes patience and some effort to get the right amount of product to yield (mostly) even color coverage--and it takes a second of carelessness (aka pressing lips together) to erase that hard work.
	Product 8/10 Pigmentation 8.5/10 Texture 7/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 3/5
	Where to Buy
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See more photos & swatches! Continue reading →

MAC Styledriven Pro Longwear Eyeshadow

MAC Styledriven: Pro Longwear Eyeshadows (Part 3)

MAC Pro Longwear Eyeshadow ($20.00 for 0.11 oz.) is supposed to wear for eight hours with a “silky, creamy texture” that yields “maximum color impact.” It’s also designed to be blendable and buildable. As a reviewer, I am endlessly pleased that MAC gave definite wear times on these–it’s so much easier to assess whether the product was successful!

There a whopping sixteen shades released in MAC Styledriven, and because of the amount of photos, I’ve split them over three parts. This third (and final!) part includes: Styledriven (pale white blue), Sunny Outlook (bright golden yellow), Sweet Satisfaction (soft neutral beige), Tease with Ease (bright fuchsia), Thru the Night (deep navy), and Weathered (dirty blue grey).

• Styledriven is a pale sky blue with a soft, frosted finish. This has a frost finish. What I really like about this shade is it’s that perfect sky blue without being chalky or powdery–which is difficult to achieve–and definitely outshines MAC Sky Blue. It’s a touch bluer than Bare Escentuals Illusion.
• Sunny Outlook is a medium-dark yellow with a shimmer-sheen. This has a satin finish. It doesn’t lean too orange and it’s more like a yellow than it is a gold (and the lack of metallic finish reinforces this). It is similar to Wet ‘n’ Wild Bright Idea. MAC Bright Sunshine is yellower–less golden.
• Sweet Satisfaction is a soft beige-y brown with a champagne sheen. This has a frost finish. It’s very similar to MAC Grain, while MAC Arena is a bit darker.
• Tease with Ease is a medium-dark raspberry pink with a soft shimmer-sheen. This has a frost finish. It’s a touch lighter than NARS Carvaggio. Urban Decay Woodstock is less red and more intense. MAC Bright Fuchsia is deeper and brighter.
• Thru the Night is a purple-tinted navy blue. This has a frost finish. It has decent color payoff, but it’s a bit dry to work with. I feel like every brand has been coming out with some variation on this color. It’s a bit purpler than Make Up For Ever #81. It’s somewhere between MAC Deep Truth and Contrast. theBalm Risque Renee is deeper. Wet ‘n’ Wild Earth Looks Small From Down Here is a touch bluer. It is similar to MAC Blue Storm and Bare Escentuals Climax.
• Weathered is a stormy blue-tinted gray with multi-colored shimmer. This has a frost finish. Of all the shades, I felt this one was the most complex and unique. It’s blue, it’s gray, it’s multi-faceted in the way the shimmer plays together. I couldn’t think of dupes for it! Inglot #387 has a similar blue-gray thing going on but it’s much, much lighter and grayer. Make Up For Ever #147 is bluer.

Please see part one for a full review of the formula!

The Glossover

	MAC Styledriven Pro Longwear Eyeshadows Swatches, Photos, Reviews (Part 3) A-
	It's a good eyeshadow overall, with some shades being really great and others being good, but there aren't any major duds here. The color payoffs are good across the board with a workable texture that's blendable.
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4.5/5
	Where to Buy
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See more photos & swatches! Continue reading →