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MAC Chen Man Love & Water Collection: Lipsticks Review, Photos, Swatches

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Christine |

MAC Budding Love Lipstick
MAC Budding Love Lipstick

MAC Chen Man Love & Water Collection: Lipsticks

There are two limited edition MAC Lipsticks ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) in the new Love & Water Collection: Budding Love (pale lavender) and Force of Love (vivid honeysuckle pink).

Budding Love is a blue-based lilac-pink with a lustre finish. The color coverage is semi-opaque; if you want a really sheer tint of color, it’s possible, as the color is buildable from sheer to semi-opaque. MAC Dress It Up is pinker. MAC All Styled Up is lighter. MAC Vanity Fair is brighter. MAC Pink Friday is brighter and a little lighter. MAC I Like It Like That is similar but a smidgen brighter.

Force of Love is a bright coral-pink with a hint of orange and has a matte finish. It has opaque color coverage. MAC Watch Me Simmer is similar but more orange. Laura Mercier Evening Pink is pinker. MAC Fusion Pink is much darker and redder. Wet ‘n’ Wild Hot Paris Pink is darker and redder. OCC Trollop is slightly less pink.

MAC Lipsticks are vanilla-scented but have no noticeable taste in my experience.  The wear depends on the formula and depth of the shade.  In general, I find lustres shorter-wearing (two to three hours) and a bit drying over time, while mattes are longer-wearing (five to six hours) and are neither drying nor moisturizing.  Force of Love is a creamier matte and doesn’t drag or pull on the lips when applied.

MAC Budding Love Lipstick
MAC Budding Love Lipstick

MAC Budding Love Lipstick
MAC Budding Love Lipstick

MAC Budding Love Lipstick
MAC Budding Love Lipstick

MAC Budding Love Lipstick
MAC Budding Love Lipstick

MAC Budding Love Lipstick
MAC Force of Love Lipstick

MAC Budding Love Lipstick
MAC Force of Love Lipstick

MAC Budding Love Lipstick
MAC Force of Love Lipstick

MAC Budding Love Lipstick
MAC Force of Love Lipstick

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layla Avatar
layla

this color is very drying to the lips….did not buy….a mac sales lady….in my area….gave this thumbs down for the finish and quality….FORCE OF LOVE IS CHALKY…AND NOT A WINNER FOR SOME…SHHH…its a secret behind the MAC STORE COUNTER…SHHH THEY GOT TO SALE 2 U AND MAKEMONEY$$…………….THIS COLOR HAD BAD APPLICATION AND is for paler tones suited better..but it was not good be honest ! 🙁

Roxana Avatar
Roxana

Christine, thanks for these! I just have a question and was wondering if you could help: If you search for “Chenman” on Google Shopping, the items come up as available on MAC’s website, but you can’t actually access them. Do you know if these are secretly available somehow?

Christine Avatar
Christine
Light Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. View Christine Full Profile

They’re available for PRO members – PRO members can purchase online about a week earlier than regular customers. I think they made this the policy given that PRO stores always launched collections a week early in-store (though anyone can buy).

Lucy Avatar
Lucy

Christine which lipstick do you think would suit me better if I have a pale warm skin tone and pigmented lips? Watch me simmer or Force of love? Also are they bright as each other? It’s really annoying because I was really excited for the chen man lipsticks and they’re so similar to other things 🙁

Miss J Avatar
Miss J

Hm, Force of Love…I was hoping I would see the pics and not like it, but I do. Thanks for the swatch pictures, Christine; very much appreciated as always!

Amanda O Avatar
Amanda O

Hmm…. I’m going to skip Force of Love. I can get a similar color from either building up Flamingo or doing a layer of Party Parrot and blotting and then topping with a layer of Flamingo

pLebiitah Avatar
pLebiitah

I <3 both lipsticks! I'm Light/Yellow toned skin, Which lipstick do you think would look better, "Force Of Love" or "Watch Me Simmer"?? Or are they different enough to have them both??

Carla Souza Avatar
Carla Souza

Force of love looks great. I just got flamingo and watch me simmer and I do have the impression that MAC is launching the same colors every collection with just the different finishes… Not sure if Ill buy something from this collection…Anyways, thanks Chris!

Joanne Avatar
Joanne

I have been searching and calling many MAC stores for Flamingo to no avail. Where are you located that you were able to find both of these lipsticks?

kate Avatar
kate

Funny, Budding Love looks like it would be more wearable than some of the shades it’s close to because it’s a bit sheerer. I find that intense blue-pink shades can look a little eerie.

Melissa Avatar
Melissa

Well now, Budding Love in the lipstick form is what I have been seeking. I’ve been searching for a dupe for I Like It Like That and this may very well fit the bill. I do look forward to adding this l/s to my vast collection! As for Force of Love, it does look a lot like Costa Chic and VG Nicki (I have both). I don’t think I will invest in this shade, although it does look pretty!

ellie Avatar
ellie

Hi Christine,
I hope you could do a look using both the force of love lipstick and lipgloss. I want to see if i really need to buy both. I’m on a budget right now after spending a lot on the past shop cook collection. Thanks.

Layla Avatar
Layla

Use mahogany or auburn or both , and blend out edges softly and also I recommend “so chaud lipstick it’s a coral but darker and it’s so pretty with either lip pencil and you will love it , your question was easy , I wear lip liner because it looks neater , holds my color longer and it looks prettier not sloppy or 1950’s style lips , as long as u blend it softly too! Xoxo

Yazmin Avatar
Yazmin

I have Watch Me Simmer and the new Nicki Minaj one…I love lipstick…do you think Force of Love is a must have being a lipstick lover? Or do you think its close enough to pass on it? I know you said Watch Me Simmer is similar but more orange. What about the Nicki Minaj one? Your swatches make the color look gorgeous!

Quinctia Avatar
Quinctia

Budding Love seems so much more wearable than some of the more similar colors out there.

I honestly don’t see myself in anything like either one of these. I love the brightness of the second shade, though!

JoeJoe Avatar
JoeJoe

I’m the same with no lip liner. Do you use a lip primer or anything instead? I’m thinking of investing in Macs Prep and Prime Lip but wasn’t sure if it’ll even do anything. You rock every lipstick color!!!!!!

Christine Avatar
Christine

I don’t! TBH, I very rarely need my lip color to last for 8-12 hours, so I generally skip! I’m often testing the wear of products, too, so I don’t want to fake the wear time by using lip liner, haha.

I’d rather use a lip liner than lip primer – haven’t found any that feel natural. They tend to feel more like concealer – so why not just smear a little foundation over lips instead?

Elsa Avatar
Elsa

I went to pre-order Force of Love in store at the MAC in 4th St. Berkeley…I was the first one to pre-order!YAY!
Bad news the only have 6 Force of Love lipstick! When they are gone they are gone. Even the MUA who was helping thought it strange, whats up MAC?

maria Avatar
maria

Hi Christine, except for the finish how does Force of Love (matte) compare to Mac Chatterbox (amplified creme)? is it worth getting if i have chatterbox?

p.s i love matte finishes .

Brittany Avatar
Brittany

Cannot wait to log on MAC PRO and order these. Force of love is just gorgeous. Definitely gonna pick this up since I missed out on Watch Me Simmer. Force of Love looks like it’s flattering on many skintones. It looks great on you Christine!

dzhenie o Avatar
dzhenie o

Hi christine. Do u know when this collection would be available in the uk? Really need force of love. Really sad I missed out on watch me simmer. Wonder why the iris apfel collection just vanished :'(

Layla Avatar
Layla

I have the Nikki lipstick and I’m Carmel skin tone , nc42 so it goes coral on me , much prettier , if u have any Carmel in your skin ladies , this will look like watch me simmer , which I have , I also have pink pigeon,candy yum yum, quick sizzle, and every limited edition lipstick that is pink or coral or purple that came out since 1995 and they all look so bomb on me cause I got that beautiful Carmel tan island skin ! That’s what’s up! Love it , this one is not needed in my 80 Mac lipstick stash , cause I have it : watch me simmer ! Ha!

Michi Avatar
Michi

Christine:

I bought both last night! Thanks for swatching. You have the most amazing lips and every lipstick looks so pretty on you!

Lucy Avatar
Lucy

I bought them both 😀 I bought force of love first then had to go back for budding love as I had to have it! It’s so moisturizing and smooth on the lips and gives a beautiful coverage. Definitely buildable. It turn’s slightly purple-pink on me, probably because my lips are bit more pigmented than Christine’s.
As for force of love, it is pinker than Watch me Simmer lipstick but I love that force of love and watch me simmer are two different finishes. If you work lightly with force of love you can give your lip’s a gorgeous pink tint 😀

Inês M. Avatar
Inês M.

Hi there Christine! 🙂

Hi was looking for watch me simmer in Portugal, but it already sold out!

Then, i saw this, the force of love… Do you think this one is a better dupe than the sheer supreme full speed? Wich one would you prefer?

Thanks a lot!!

grace Avatar
grace

If you had to choose only one, would it be force of love or watch me simmer? I really cant tell the difference between the two even though I look at the swatches you have provided..

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