MAC Bare Bling & Bosom Friend Lipsticks Reviews & Swatches
Bare Bling
MAC Bare Bling Lipstick ($18.50 for 0.1 oz.) is a light peach with warm undertones and a satin sheen. It had nearly opaque pigmentation in a single layer, though it didn’t apply as evenly as it could have, and separated along my deeper lip lines. It appeared slightly pinker when actually applied to me–I think that’s the influence of the faint translucency. The consistency was lightweight, creamy enough not to tug on my lips but not enough to slide around during wear. It stayed on well for three and a half hours and was lightly hydrating over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- MAC Bit of Bubbly (LE, $20.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty A/W '16 (Lip Color) (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Maybelline Nude Thrill (DC, $7.49) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- MAC Angel's Kiss (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever C103 (DC, $22.00) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (90% similar).
- Too Faced Melted Ice Cream (LE, $21.00) is less shimmery, cooler, less glossy (90% similar).
- MAC Myth (P, $19.00) is less shimmery, cooler, glossier (90% similar).
- Too Faced Melted Sugar (P, $21.00) is less shimmery, brighter, warmer (90% similar).
- bareMinerals Controversy (P, $20.00) is darker, more muted (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Moody Margot (106) (DC, $30.00) is darker (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$19.00/0.1 oz. - $190.00 Per Ounce
MAC Lipstick comes in a variety of finishes, and the pigmentation and wear tend to be dependent on the finish. The sheer finishes, like Lustres, tend to wear for only a couple of hours and have sheer coverage (as designed) and are non-drying.
Some of the original Matte shades have a stiffer, drier formula, while newer ones have a more velvety, silicone-feel to them, and the latter are creamier, more comfortable to wear, and easier to apply, but most Matte shades are quite pigmented and long-wearing, though some are drying.
The Amplified and Satin finishes tend to have good pigmentation, lightly creamy to moderately creamy consistencies with a bit of shine, and moderate to long wear with deeper, richer shades wearing longer. The Frost and Metallic finishes have the most variance between shades with coverage ranging from semi-sheer to opaque with average wear and non-drying to slightly drying formulas. All MAC lipsticks are vanilla-scented but have no discernible taste.
Browse all of our MAC Lipstick swatches.
Ingredients
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil , Diisostearyl Malate , Trioctyldodecyl Citrate , Lanolin Oil , Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride , Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) WaxCandelilla CeraCire De Candelilla , Octyldodecanol , Ozokerite , Silica , Hydrogenated Polydecene , Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 , Polyethylene , Microcrystalline WaxCera MicrocristallinaCire Microcristalline , Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract , Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract , Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) ExtractExtrait D'Orge , Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter , Tocopheryl Acetate , Squalane , Cholesterol , Ceramide 3 , Alumina , Tin Oxide , Linoleic Acid , Vanillin , [+/- Mica , Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77491) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77492) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77499) , Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090) , Carmine (Ci 75470) , Red 6 (Ci 15850) , Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850) , Red 28 (Ci 45410) , Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410) , Red 30 (Ci 73360) , Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360) , Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200) , Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140) , Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985)]
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Bare Bling
LELimited Edition. $19.00.
Bosom Friend
MAC Bosom Friend Lipstick ($18.50 for 0.1 oz.) is a light, rosy beige with subtle, warm undertones and a natural sheen. The consistency was lightweight, lightly tacky, and melted slightly as I applied it to my lips, so initially there was a touch of drag but not none after a few seconds of use. It had good color coverage that went on evenly and didn’t emphasize my lip lines; there was a smidgen of product that sank into my lip lines but not enough that it was noticeable from a normal viewing distance. It wore well for four hours and was neither drying nor hydrating on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- MAC Dahhlinggg! (LE, $20.00) is lighter, more muted (95% similar).
- Smashbox Phantom (P, $21.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Automatic (Left) (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Calm Heat (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Bi-ceptual (LE, $19.00) is darker (90% similar).
- MAC Pret-a-Pretty (LE, $17.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Maybelline Bare All (910) (P, $7.49) is lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Crème d'Nude (LE, $19.00) is darker, more muted, warmer (85% similar).
- MAC Hue (P, $19.00) is brighter (90% similar).
- MAC I've Been Naughty (LE, $22.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$19.00/0.1 oz. - $190.00 Per Ounce
MAC Lipstick comes in a variety of finishes, and the pigmentation and wear tend to be dependent on the finish. The sheer finishes, like Lustres, tend to wear for only a couple of hours and have sheer coverage (as designed) and are non-drying.
Some of the original Matte shades have a stiffer, drier formula, while newer ones have a more velvety, silicone-feel to them, and the latter are creamier, more comfortable to wear, and easier to apply, but most Matte shades are quite pigmented and long-wearing, though some are drying.
The Amplified and Satin finishes tend to have good pigmentation, lightly creamy to moderately creamy consistencies with a bit of shine, and moderate to long wear with deeper, richer shades wearing longer. The Frost and Metallic finishes have the most variance between shades with coverage ranging from semi-sheer to opaque with average wear and non-drying to slightly drying formulas. All MAC lipsticks are vanilla-scented but have no discernible taste.
Browse all of our MAC Lipstick swatches.
Ingredients
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate , Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 , Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride , Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides , Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) WaxCandelilla CeraCire De Candelilla , Pvp/Hexadecene Copolymer , Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate , Diisostearyl Malate , Polyethylene , Hydrogenated Polydecene , Polybutene , Cetyl Lactate , Synthetic Wax , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract , Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Extract , Triticum Vulgare (Wheat Bran) Extract , Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) WaxCera CarnaubaCire De Carnauba , Tocopherol , Tocopheryl Acetate , Ascorbyl Palmitate , Ceramide 3 , Cholesterol , BeeswaxCera AlbaCire DÂ’Abeille , Octyldodecanol , Synthetic Beeswax , Potassium Sulfate , Alumina , Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate , Calcium Sodium Borosilicate , Tin Oxide , Silica , Oleic Acid , Palmitic Acid , Cetyl Alcohol , Glyceryl Stearate , Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate , Vanillin , [+/- Mica , Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77491) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77492) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77499) , Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163) , Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090) , Carmine (Ci 75470) , Red 6 (Ci 15850) , Red 21 (Ci 45380) , Red 6 Lake (Ci 15850) , Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850) , Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410) , Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360) , Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200) , Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140) , Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985)]
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
These are both just way too pale for my liking, not to mention my skintone. I can see Bosom Friend being a nice one for very light or fair skinned folks, though.
Golly, these shades are so, so pale that you could easily end up looking so unwell when wearing them.
I would look quite sickly….
Me too!