MAC Cremesheen + Pearl: Lipsticks Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2)

Christine — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:00:09 +0000

MAC Cremesheen + Pearl

More Easy-to-Wear Lip Color by MAC

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: Pure Zen (frosted warm nude), Saigon Summer (frosted bright orange), Shanghai Spice (frosted neutral pink), and Sunny Seoul (frosted light warm pink).

Pure Zen is a rosy beige nude with semi-opaque color coverage. MAC Lazy Day is slightly grayer. Chanel Rose Dentelle is a bit pinker. Napoleon Paradis Havana is similar. Cle de Peau #129 is very similar, a smidgen less pale. MAC Angel is pinker.
Saigon Summer is a subdued mandarin orange with subtle gold shimmer. It’s semi-opaque applied to lips. Chanel Sari d’Eau is richer, brighter, more red-toned. Clarins Clementine is brighter, more orange/red. A lot of orange lipsticks have a stronger red base, and they appear more vibrant.
Shanghai Spice is a dirty rose with a hint of brown. It has semi-opaque color coverage. Revlon Pink Truffle is redder and several shades darker. NARS Montego Bay is similar, warmer. MAC Gem of Roses is a little pinker and darker. Bobbi Brown Heather Pink is darker and more opaque.
Sunny Seoul is a subtly yellow-toned medium pink with white shimmer and semi-opaque color coverage. If you feel like you just saw this color, you’re not crazy–this is the yellow-toned version of Pink Pearl Pop. The two are marginally different, and depending on your natural lip color, you may or may not see the difference. Tom Ford Indian Rose is darker, dustier. Becca Valentina is very similar. Guerlain Rose Ensoleille is a smidgen less pink. Guerlain Bloom of Rose. is much darker. Lancome Pink Sapphire is creamier.

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.

Of these four, I was only able to test Shanghai Spice yesterday, which wore for four hours. I also tested two other shades from the new launch, Coral Bliss and Pink Pearl Pop, which wore three and a half hours and three hours respectively. My lips were lacking in hydration after I wore these three shades in a row. All four shades applied evenly, though, so you’ll notice an increase in the pigmentation score. Watch this space for any updates, as I plan to test a couple more shades later today.