MAC Cold Front, Royal Hour, Metal Head Lipsticks Reviews, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 12:00:00 +0000

Cold Front

MAC Cold Front Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a muted, grayish lavender with cool undertones and fine pearl. It had medium pigmentation, which was somewhat buildable, but it did not apply as evenly as it should have, so it was harder to wear it on its own but would perform better layered on top of something to add shine and coolness. The consistency was slightly more shimmery in feel, though I would not have described it was rough. This shade wore well for four hours and was neither drying nor hydrating.

The Metallic Lips collection features a new (and limited edition!) finish, Metallic, which is supposed to be “rich colour [that] melds with smooth pearlized chrome.” The range of shades is described as “vibrant, intense, [and] on-trend.” The coverage varied from shade to shade–anywhere from semi-sheer to semi-opaque–but many shades look like they’re more suitable for a subtle look or for layering on top of another lip product to add a more shimmery finish. The majority of shades featured finer shimmer, which translated to a more foiled, reflective look, but a few had some shimmer. The wear was between three and five hours, depending on the shade, and most shades had some slip but were not slippery overall, so they were comfortable to wear but not hard to maintain. They were vanilla-scented but have no discernible taste.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

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Bite Beauty Opal (LE, $26.00) is darker (95% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Isamaya (LE, $36.00) is less pigmented, warmer (90% similar).
Too Faced Unicorn Tears (DC, $22.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
Urban Decay Asphyxia (DC, $18.00) is darker (90% similar).
MAC Love & Cherished (P, $19.00) is less shimmery, lighter, more pigmented (85% similar).
MAC Sugar Cookies (LE, $17.50) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
Bite Beauty Violet Icing (P, $24.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
MAC Florabundi (LE, $19.00) is warmer (85% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Olivier (LE, $36.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (80% similar).
Sephora Werk It (69) (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (80% similar).

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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.

Cold Front

LELimited Edition. $19.00.

C+

7.5

Product

7.5

Pigmentation

7.5

Texture

8.5

Longevity

Application

78%

Total

Royal Hour

MAC Royal Hour Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a slightly muted, medium-dark purple with warmer, pink udnertones and cooler blue and violet pearl. It also had slightly larger violet sparkle, which gave the lipstick a more noticeable texture when applied directly from the tube (though it wasn’t painful or uncomfortable to use). It had semi-opaque color coverage, which applied fairly evenly, but some of the larger particles bunched up and made areas look “chunky” to a small degree. It wore well for four and a half hours and was lightly moisturizing.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

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Urban Decay Flashback (P, $18.00) is darker, more pigmented, less glossy (90% similar).
Urban Decay Plague (DC, $18.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
MAC Model Behavior (P, $19.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
Too Faced Pixie Stick (LE, $22.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
Sephora Cosmic Purple (105) (P, $14.00) is lighter, brighter, warmer (85% similar).
MAC Own the Look (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker (85% similar).
Urban Decay Mad (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, brighter, more pigmented (85% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Cardi (LE, $36.00) is less shimmery, lighter, less pigmented (85% similar).
Urban Decay Mad Hatter (LE, $18.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
Urban Decay Pallor (LE, $18.00) is lighter, more muted, cooler (85% similar).

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Formula Overview

$19.00/0.1 oz. - $190.00 Per Ounce

Browse all of our MAC Lipstick swatches.

Royal Hour

LELimited Edition. $19.00.

Product

8.5

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

4.5

Application

84%

Total

Metal Head

MAC Metal Head Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a muted, medium black with neutral-to-warm undertones and multi-colored, fine pearl. As it was semi-sheer in coverage, it tinted and darkened my lips but did not look like black as it did in the swatch–the end result for me was more like a muted burgundy with a hint of purple. The lipstick had moderate slip and was slightly thinner, and I wasn’t able to apply it as evenly as I would have liked. The color stayed on well for four hours with some settling into my lip lines over time. The formula felt slightly hydrating.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

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Formula Overview

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MAC Kling It On (LE, $19.00) is darker (95% similar).
Sephora It's Electric (57) (P, $8.00) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
MAC Black Night (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker (85% similar).
Too Faced Mermaid Tears (LE, $22.00) is more shimmery, lighter, glossier (85% similar).
Urban Decay Oil Slick (LE, $18.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
Maybelline Smoked Silver (P, $7.49) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
MAC Firm Form (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker (85% similar).
Make Up For Ever Edgy Black (422) (P, $23.00) is less shimmery, darker (80% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$19.00/0.1 oz. - $190.00 Per Ounce

Browse all of our MAC Lipstick swatches.

Metal Head

LELimited Edition. $19.00.

Product

6.5

Pigmentation

Texture

7.5

Longevity

Application

73%

Total

MAC Cold Front Lipstick

MAC Royal Hour Lipstick

MAC Metal Head Lipstick

MAC Cold Front Lipstick

MAC Royal Hour Lipstick

MAC Metal Head Lipstick

Temptalia

MAC Cold Front, Royal Hour, Metal Head Lipsticks Reviews, Photos, Swatches

Cold Front

Top Dupes

Formula Overview

Cold Front

LELimited Edition. $19.00.

Quick Shop: Ulta, MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Selfridges

Royal Hour

Top Dupes

Formula Overview

Royal Hour

LELimited Edition. $19.00.

Quick Shop: Ulta, MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Selfridges

Metal Head

Top Dupes

Formula Overview

Metal Head

LELimited Edition. $19.00.

Quick Shop: Ulta, MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Selfridges