MAC Cosmetics – Tendertones Review & Product Swatches

OVERALL, Tendertones are fun if you like this kind of product. It’s a sheer, ultra thick and glossy lip balm. These aren’t pigmented–if you have very neutral or low-pigmented lips, they might give you more color than the average person. All of the swatches are HEAVY applications; I basically dug a bit out of the jar so that you could really see the color, but upon actual application to lips, these would be a lot sheerer. Also, while I had all of these sitting on my hand for at least an hour, none of them left a stain of any sort for me (just in case anyone thought they might lend a stain kind of application).

My favorites were Sweet Tooth and Hush, Hush. I did not purchase any at this time, though. I have one from last time they launched, and I never wear it, so I figured I can probably pass on this launch!

Note: I think my store had Soft Note tendertone out instead of Honey Bare. I kept going through my swatches trying to figure out which one was Honey Bare, but none of them looked remotely close. And there is no lilac tendertone! Soft Note was a lilac tendertone that came out with last year’s launch of Tendertones–I couldn’t tell you why it was out instead. Hush, Hush *could* be Honey Bare, but I think Honey Bare is lighter – correct me if I’m wrong.

Be sure to check out the official color story and product photos here.

Check out individual product reviews,

• E-Z Baby is an ultra sheer, milky pink. It doesn’t have any noticeable shimmer or glitter, and I’m actually curious to see it on someone! I imagine it would make lips a bit paler.
• Take A Hint is a cute pop of pearly pink, kind of like a rosy pink, with a bit of blue undertone to it. I bought this one last year – I never reach for it because it doesn’t give me much color, it’s heavy so I don’t tout it around, and I hate sticking my fingers into lip pots!
• Pucker is one of the deeper tinted tendertones, and it is a sheer fuchsia berry with blue-purple pearl.
• Sweet Tooth is a lovely watermelon-coral kind of color, though it’s not as pigmented as Pucker. I liked this, because I find corals so easy to wear, especially alone.
• Hot N Saucy is a creamy red with no noticeable shimmer, very much the cherry red MAC describes it as. I’d like to see this on someone, to see how pigmented it actually appears.
• Sweet & Nice is a richer, deep berry-wine kind of color with soft iridescent pearl. It looks very pretty, and since it’s deeper and darker, it should leave more color on lips than say E-Z Baby.
• Hush, Hush is very pretty, because I’m attracted to warm golds and the like. This is a warm bronzy-gold base with gold shimmer. Might be nice over lipsticks (enough so that I’d remember to use it!).
• Deep Sigh is a luxurious warm brown with berry-wine shimmer. I’d really love to see this on!
• Honey Bare [not swatched] was not available for me to see, but from other swatches, it looks like a lighter, sheerer version of Hush, Hush.
• Tread Gently is this year’s Shush! color (why they didn’t just bring back Shush! is beyond me–at least I don’t keep mistyping Sushi instead of Shush, though!). It’s a shimmering warm, but light green with yellow/gold pearl and undertone.

Take A Hint (on lips)

(For reference)

Last year’s Tendertones…