MAC Cremesheen + Pearl: Lipsticks Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)

Christine — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:00:03 +0000

MAC Cremesheen + Pearl

Spring and Summer Linger into Fall

MAC Cremesheen + Pearl is a new collection now available online (and will hit stores on August 9th) that features eight lipsticks (all with Cremesheen finishes) and seven Cremesheen Glasses. All fifteen lip products are new, but here’s the surprising news: they’re also permanent! This post features these four lipstick shades: Coral Bliss (frosted light coral), Japanese Maple (frosted light beige), Peach Blossom (frosted cool nude), and Pink Pearl Pop (frosted midtonal pink).

Coral Bliss is a soft pink coral with a natural sheen. It yielded mostly opaque color coverage. MAC Ever Hip is slightly pinker and has a glossier/wetter look. MAC So Vain is darker. MAC Razzledazzler is slightly darker and less pink. NARS Bolero is lighter and matte in finish. Burberry Devon Sunset is darker and less pink. MAC Cut a Caper is slightly pinker.
Japanese Maple is a subdued beige nude with semi-opaque color coverage. MAC 3N is slightly pinker. Make Up For Ever #N40 is pinker. Tom Ford Blush Nude is similar but has a creamier look, giving it a thicker and lighter appearance. MAC Woo Me is pinker. MAC Naked Bliss is cooler-toned. Maybelline Born With It is similar but a smidgen pinker.
Peach Blossom is a soft rose pink with semi-sheer color coverage. It just barely has a cool-tone to it, and I don’t know if this is what most would conjure up when they hear “cool nude.” Chanel Emprenite is lighter. Guerlani Rose Ensoleille is pinker. Bobbi Brown Miami Coral is more opaque. Chanel Flirt is similar but a smidgen pinker. Guerlain Rose Desir is very comparable in color.
Pink Pearl Pop is a subtly blue-toned medium pink with soft lilac-pink shimmer. It has semi-opaque color coverage. This shade did not apply as evenly as the other three. MAC Venus is darker and not blue-based. Becca Valentina has more rose in it. Le Metier de Beaute Fiji is cooler-toned. Chanel Paradis is similar. Chanel Belgravia is more intense. Revlon Carnation has a stronger blue undertone.

Yesterday, I tested as many of the products for wear as I could fit into the day, and I will continue to test additional shades today (so you might see some updates or rating changes if anything performs significantly above/below past Cremesheens). Cremesheen lipsticks typically wear between three and four hours on me, with some of the really dark shades lasting up to six hours (think Hang Up). The formula is thin, barely creamy, and tends to deliver semi-sheer to semi-opaque color coverage. It’s supposed to be a hydrating formula, but they’re typically not drying or somewhat drying on me. They are vanilla-scented, like other MAC lipsticks, but have no discernible taste.

Coral Bliss wore for three and a half hours, while Pink Pearl Pop wore for three hours. Though not reviewed in this post, I wore Shanghai Spice as well, which lasted four hours. My lips felt a little dry after wearing these three back-to-back. Watch this space for any updates, as I plan to test a couple more shades later today.

Here’s some food for thought: why does MAC make all of these new shades permanent? Why not make some popular limited editions permanent? These aren’t even tested on the market, though I think they’re all general enough to work as everyday shades, so I don’t think they’ll do badly. I’m just surprised by what MAC will make permanent sometimes. I can’t be the only one who thinks this way!