MAC Rebel, Sour Cherry, Shirelle Studio Nail Lacquers Reviews, Photos, Swatches
MAC Studio Nail Lacquers — Rebel, Sour Cherry, Shirelle
MAC Studio Nail Lacquer ($12.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) is the brand’s latest nail polish formula that is supposed to be brand new. The bottle looks the same as before with a black, rubberized cap and clear glass bottle in a cylindrical shape. MAC has widened the brush that uses what seems like (at least to me) finer strands, because I definitely noticed an improvement in application across the board. I didn’t have any wear issues with MAC’s formula in the past, but the polishes often looked streaky and uneven, and the bristles of the brush just seemed too sharply cut or too thick, contributing to streakiness. The brush is wider but not too wide; it fits well on the nail, even my pinky nail, and you can press and flatten it across the nail so that it splays out and you can get almost coverage across the entire nail in one stroke. (This, of course, will vary depending on the width of your nail bed.) I’ve tested seven shades for wear, and they all lasted seven days with minor tip wear for me, which is the norm for me–almost nothing chips on me.
MAC Rebel Nail Lacquer ($12.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) is described as a “midtone rich plum [with a Cream finish].” It’s a medium-dark, warm-toned berry purple with a cream finish. It was fully opaque after two coats, and it wasn’t too thick or too thin. The consistency was easy to work with, and I didn’t have issues with the polish streaking or pooling along the edges. In the previous formula, Rebel was somewhat streaky, so there was a definite improvement here (which I owe a lot to the brush, as it is wider, better cut, and seems to use much finer strands). MAC Dayflower (LE, $16.00) is a touch darker, warmer. Rescue Beauty Lounge Bruised (LE, $20.00) is slightly warmer. China Glaze Traffic Jam (LE, $7.50) is cooler-toned. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
MAC Sour Cherry Nail Lacquer ($12.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) is described as a “dark berry red [with a Cream finish].” It’s a medium-dark, cool-toned red with a cream finish. It was mostly opaque after two coats, but in brighter lighting, there was a very faint hint of visible nail line. The finish came across as almost a jelly-cream hybrid that leaned towards cream. It applied beautifully, though, and it dried down to a smooth, even, high-shine finish. This shade wore well for seven days and had only minor tip wear. Revlon Bordeaux (P, $4.99) is cooler-toned, darker. Tom Ford Beauty Trophy Wife (LE, $32.00) is slightly brighter. NARS Lost Red (LE, $19.00) is brighter. MAC RiRi Woo (LE, $16.00) is similar. MAC Stage Red (LE, $16.00) is darker. Illamasqua Throb (P, $17.00) is similar. Chanel Suspicious (P, $27.00) is cooler-toned, pinker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
MAC Shirelle Nail Lacquer ($12.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) is described as a “classic bright red [with a Cream finish].” It’s a medium, brightened red with subtle cool undertones and a cream finish. It’s fully opaque in two coats (almost in one!). The consistency wasn’t too thick or too thin, and it applied without streaking or pooling along the edges. NARS Lost Red (LE, $19.00) is darker. MAC RiRi Woo (LE, $16.00) is more muted. MAC Touch of Red (LE, $16.00) is similar. MAC Flaming Rose (P, $16.00) is pinker. Guerlain Rouge d’Enfer (P, $23.00) is similar. Cult Nails Evil Queen (P, $12.00) is more neutral. Zoya Sooki (P, $9.00) Butter London Pillar Box Red (P, $15.00) is slightly darker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Rebel
PPermanent. $12.00.
Sour Cherry
PPermanent. $12.00.
Shirelle
PPermanent. $12.00.
See more photos & swatches!
MAC Rebel Nail Lacquer
MAC Rebel Nail Lacquer
MAC Rebel Nail Lacquer
MAC Rebel Nail Lacquer
MAC Rebel Nail Lacquer
MAC Rebel Nail Lacquer
MAC Rebel Nail Lacquer
MAC Sour Cherry Nail Lacquer
MAC Sour Cherry Nail Lacquer
MAC Sour Cherry Nail Lacquer
MAC Sour Cherry Nail Lacquer
MAC Sour Cherry Nail Lacquer
MAC Sour Cherry Nail Lacquer
MAC Sour Cherry Nail Lacquer
MAC Shirelle Nail Lacquer
MAC Shirelle Nail Lacquer
MAC Shirelle Nail Lacquer
MAC Shirelle Nail Lacquer
MAC Shirelle Nail Lacquer
MAC Shirelle Nail Lacquer
MAC Shirelle Nail Lacquer
Your nails look phenomenal…so rich and glossy. I love this grouping and I’m actually contemplating a buy of Rebel and Sour Cherry. This is a good news story; better formulation at a more realistic price point. There is an absolute ton of really good competitors in this range so the price drop was an absolute necessity in my view.
The price drop was long overdue!!
Sour Cherry is such a beautiful true red! I have a problem with a lot of reds, if they are deep they tend to get darker on my hands and if they have orange they look pretty stark!
Have you found any reds that are just right for you, Divya?
All three polishes look gorgeous, Christine! I love the look of a rich, plush cream polish! Also, I’m excited to hear that they’ve improved the brush. I also had issues with streakiness in the past due to the brush.
Yes!! The brush seemed to be a major cause of the streakiness before… the bristles seemed sharp and too thick!
I never really paid much attention to MAC nail polish (might be due to the bad reputation) but Shirelle is gorgeous. I think I need to get it sooner or later 😉
It has improved over the years, I think, but they’ve kept their brush for SO long – happy they changed it finally!
Those look lighter on the nail then in the bottle.
I think because the glossiness/shine comes through when you apply and it dries vs. wet in the bottle!
Rebel is nice!
It is!
I like all three! Sour Cherry is my kind of red, red and nude nails are usually what I gravitate towards.
😀
Two extremes 😉
Loving vampy nail polish lately.
What are some of your go-tos?
I must go by a MAC counter to check when the new formula comes here. I love all of the shades, so very pretty. I also feel a bit envious when I see your nails, they are gorgeous!
Aw, thanks, Helene!
Rebel is pretty. I’m glad to hear they improved the product and lowered the price point.
Such a rare thing!
Love both reds!
Holy high gloss shine, Batman! Now that’s what I like from my nail lacquers 😉 I think Rebel is my favourite here, but I love eating Sauerkirsche, so Sour Cherry gets points for that 😉
I love the shininess, too!
Rebel is calling my name! The brush is a welcome change for me too. Sorry if this has been asked elsewhere but does the polish match up to Rebel Lipstick?
Kind of – the rebel lipstick has a deeper color in a way, because it’s more matte!
Thanks 🙂
They’re all very pretty. I’m gravitating more towards the color of Sour Cherry, but my brain is telling me I need Shirelle because it feeds my secret desire to be in a girl group 😀
I loved all teh 3 shades here.. especially Rebel and Sour cherry 🙂
Woohoo! Will you be getting either?