MAC Diva Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches
MAC Diva Lipstick
MAC Diva Lipstick ($16.00 for 0.10 oz.) is described as an “Intense reddish-burgundy [with a Matte finish].” It’s a medium-dark, warm-toned deepened red with a slightly muted quality–it is a lighter and brighter burgundy to me–and has a semi-matte finish. NARS Charlotte (P, $32.00) is glossier, slightly redder. MAC Hearts Aflame (LE, $16.00) is warmer. MAC Studded Kiss (LE, $16.00) is slightly warmer. MAC Fixed on Drama (LE, $16.00) is cooler-toned. NARS 413 BLKR (LE, $26.00) is slightly warmer. NARS Amsterdam (P, $26.00) is similar. MAC Deeply Adored (LE, $16.00) is redder. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
Over the years, I’ve had a lot of questions asking whether such-and-such new shade was like MAC Diva, but I didn’t have it to compare to–now I do! I’d love to include more reviews of MAC’s permanent range, but with so many limited edition products, I try to use the time between launches to focus on other brands and products. Diva had rich, opaque color coverage that applied evenly and smoothly. The consistency was lightly creamy; just enough that it didn’t tug much on the lips, but it still retained its more matte finish. It’s one of the brand’s more comfortable mattes, and it lasts for six and a half hours while leaving behind a reddish stain. It didn’t dry out my lips, but I wouldn’t call it a hydrating formula either. As always, MAC’s lipsticks are vanilla scented but have no discernible taste.
Diva
PPermanent. $19.00.
MAC Diva Lipstick
MAC Diva Lipstick
MAC Diva Lipstick
MAC Diva Lipstick
MAC Diva Lipstick
MAC Diva Lipstick
I think this will be my next MAC purchase! It looks stunning on you.
Thanks, Meghan! 🙂
Are you sure, that this is Diva? Mine is a lot more plum and darker. This doesn’t look like diva at all.
And I asked the girls on twitter and they agree with me.
Did they change the color completely?
Yes, I’m sure it is Diva. I wouldn’t have labeled the post as Diva otherwise – I am very careful and photograph labels, as well as make notes for swatches of shades as I do them. Your skin tone & undertone can influence shades like this – e.g. someone who is very fair can sometimes find that a shade like this may look almost vampy on them when they don’t look as drastic on me since I have a medium complexion. But this is how Diva looks like on me – I check my swatches in multiple lighting situations and as I edit 🙂
I can back that up, for sure. I’m pale and cool-toned, so compared to me it seems like whatever Christine wears pulls warm-toned. For example, MAC Rebel looks like a dark, vampy purple-magenta on me, but on Christine, it’s more pink and mid-toned.
It is always interesting to hear how color changes for lip color from complexion to complexion!
Diva looks a lot like this on me Christine! Dark but not vampy. Very nice for fall I think!
I agree – it’s nice for fall!
Christine is right! In her review of Studded Kiss, which is similar to Diva, it looked completely different to how it looks on me -on her it was a somewhat dark red, on me it’s almost pure black (I’m very very fair). This type of shade seems to change a lot depending on who’s wearing it.
Diva is darker on me too, but I know it’s just because my lips are more pigmented than Christine’s. Maybe that’s all it is..
It could play a role!
It looks like lingering kiss on me as I’m very pale
I’m nw10 btw if that helps
I completely agree with you. Not in the lip swatches Christine, but in the tube itself mine looks a lot darker as well. I think that’s where the confusion was 🙂
I’m so glad you decided to review this lipstick. I know I’m one of those people who have asked about this as a comparison to other shades. I have this lipstick, and I absolutely love it! It’s such a pretty vampy color to wear on my fair skin. Thx!
No prob, Melinda! Glad you’re loving Diva 🙂
I’m eyeing this shade for a while, and I still don’t know if I really need it.
But still I’m more than happy that you’ve finally swatched Diva. 🙂
It’s a nice color, but it seems like it’s been done a few times recently (at least, similar enough).
I don’t own anything that would be really similar, but I’m not sure if on my lips Diva would not lean too much brown. I should try at the counter, I guess 🙂
Oooo, this looks real nice on you! I’m a bit worried that it might be a touch warm on me; I’d go to the closest MAC store to try it but I was just there recently and they had a whole bunch of buff male models milling around to celebrate the Novel Romance collection and it was intimidating o___o
Hope it doesn’t go too warm on you, Vi!
Hehe, that sounds fun 😀 and awkward, lol.
Thankyou so much for reviewing this lipstick ! I have been looking for reviews and comparisions swatches of it as i dont have any mac lipstick or any other lipstick in this color so this will probably be the first i buy
Happy to help, Karla!
Love the shade but I have a problem with matte lipsticks. Love when you review permanent shades from MAC!
I don’t love all of MAC’s Mattes, but this one is definitely one of the nicer ones from them.
It is pretty!
It is!
Nice review but as a comment above mentioned it doesn’t quite look like Diva. I’m darker toned than you (NC42, NARS Barcelona, Indian Tan Medium) but it does look much darker on me and very much less bright (and I just purchased mine 3 days ago talk about timing !). But honestly, I think it must be because of the fact that my lips are also darker
Your natural lip color can influence color for sure – I have corpse-y lips so not much natural pigmentation which is a blessing and a curse, I guess! The batch date on mine is from 2012, though I bought it more recently than that.
For what it’s worth, I have deathly pale skin (Mac don’t make a foundation pale enough for my skin!) and Diva looks way darker than this on me, too. Mine is from a good few years ago, probably ~2010.
Oh this should totally be your signature look–that Tom ford palette plus a rich, deep red lip!! Looks amazing!!
Of course, you look great in brights, too, but I think this combo looks practically regal on you!
Thank you, Julie! 🙂
Diva has been on my want list for a while now, hopefully I’ll get around to purchasing it soon 🙂
I hope you can check it out, Jade 🙂
You look just beautiful in the photo! I adore this lipstick, which is more vamp on me due to skin tone variation. I find is a shade really does work on very fair skin to very deep skin. I get asked about this colour the most. MAC’s Beet lipliner works very well paired with Diva, even though it’s not a 100% match. Can (and did) last through a BLT sandwich with this combo without that dreaded red outline mouth. It’s like a party trick.
Thanks for the tip about the lip liner to use with it, Elena!
I just got Diva and it’s a lot lighter on me than it is on my sister (who is a few shades more tan, with more pigmented lips). I really like it, though, it’s so versatile!
It sounds like perhaps lip pigmentation plays a huge role since a few who said it was darker on them also mentioned they have more natural pigmentation!
yay diva! my favorite favorite shade ever. i know i’m also one of the people who’ve asked if other lipsticks compared to diva lol so i’m happy you’ve finally reviewed it! the color on me, looks like your swatches but maybe a tad bit darker so i’d definitely say this was on point with the color shade imo.
I feel like it has come up a lot, LOL! I kept meaning to swatch it – but it just always gets pushed to the back with all the LE stuff!
I like it. When I stand and look at all of the lipsticks at the MAC counter I just want to take them all with me.
I love all the MAC lipsticks I have, I will keep an eye out for this one, next time I stand there looking and longing.
They always look fun on the display!
Doesn’t look like Diva at all. My Diva looks ways darker and vampier.
All I can say is I take a LOT of steps to ensure color accuracy from color calibration, checking my photos across multiple devices, using blackout curtains wherever I photograph, in addition to just looking at the swatch in various lighting types while I do the initial photographing as well as when I do the editing. This is how it looks on me, which is all I can go off of 🙁
I think I’m going to have to see this one in person. I’ve considered this particular lipstick for a while, but was always worried it would be too vampy. I have a medium complexion as well, so maybe this won’t look so dark on me either? We’ll see.
Fingers crossed for you, Lisa!
I love diva it was one of the first few mac lipsticks I ever owned ❤️❤️❤️
Aww!
OMG how funny. I was googling Mac Diva swatches yesterday and your site kept popping up with people questioning if that lipstick you were reviewing compared to Diva lol. It kept saying you didn’t have it to compare and now today you did a review on it. Haha just found it funny and as always thank you for your review. I trust and value your opinion on beauty products.
My pleasure, Annie! 🙂
Diva is such a great lipstick! Another good dupe (at least for someone quite pale with not very pigmented lips, like me) is Mac’s Dubonnet; last year, I was talked out of buying Diva by a Mac assistant who said that it’s basically just a matte Dubonnet on me.
Thanks for the heads up about Dubonnet!
I love dubonnet. My first red lipstick 🙂 I will have to check out Diva. Thanks!
This is one sexy lipstick! It’s dark enough to add a little vamp but still light enough to pop against your skin tone. I love it on you! Makes me want to check it out lol
Thanks, Fancie!
That color is so beautiful on you! However as other commentators mentioned – it doesn’t look like the Diva that I own; mine is much, much darker and a lot more matte it seems. I have similar complexion to yours, but my lips are a bit more pigmented. Even in the tube it looks darker than on your photos.. Mine is from a few years back – but it makes me wonder if they changed it? 🙂
Kind regards, Esther
Mine is from 2012 (based on the batch number)!
Hope this isn’t a stupid question 🙂 where do you see the batch number? Is it the letter/digit combo on the bottom of the tube?
I guess it really just depends on pigmentation and complexion 😉
All in all it looks absolutely fantastic on you!
Yes, it’s the bottom letter/digit number! I know the last digit is basically the year #.
This lipstick color is a classic. Indispensable for any woman. Blends with any skin tone and transforms a makeup. This lipstick is must have.
I have and love it.
It’s amazing and wonderful lipstick.
It’s a nice shade!
I have Diva and I absolutely love it! 🙂 I too also love when you’re able to review MAC’s perm range.
Yay!
Great look for a dinner date! I wanna get this shade!!!
And it should last a bit through the meal, too! Always a plus 🙂
gorgeous! I like my red lipstick on the deeper end with these undertones. definitely a purchase for me! As always, thank you Christine!!
My pleasure, Dani!
So happy you reviewed this one, Christine! My sister and I collect Mac lipsticks and this one is by far our favourite. To everyone else saying it looks different, this definitely looks like Diva to me! We’re NC25-30 though. It’s my go-to lipstick during winter, when I want something a little more muted than a bright red lip. Love it!
At least it looks like this on a few people, lol! 🙂
What’s on your eyes? It looks great and I’d love to duplicate the subtle look for work.
Here you go!
THE MAKEUP LOOK
On face: Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation, Urban Decay Naked Loose Finishing Powder, Tom Ford Stroked Contouring Cheek Color Duo. On eyes: Tom Ford Nude Dip Eyeshadow Quad, Marc Jacobs Beauty Brown(out) Highliner.
Very pretty! I Googled for some images. It does seem the color depends on who’s wearing it (and maybe lighting). On some people it lookeddark red, others bright dark red, and dark and purplish on still others. I think this is one I’d swatch in the store to see how it would look on me personally.
I googled as well, and it didn’t seem out of the range of normal variation to me – I could google for virtually any shade and get at least a few differences since skin tone, lighting, undertones, swatch methodology – even how tight (or far) the crop is – can change the perception.
Very true. It’s a pretty shade, no matter what the variation, at least. 🙂
how does Diva compare to Roxo from Pedro Lourenco collection? Diva look absolutely beautiful on you by the way 🙂
Roxo is a lot less warm-toned!
If it helps, I have both of those lipsticks and on me (very pale) they look pretty much the same. On Christine they looked a bit different, with Roxo being a bit lighter and pinker.
I cannot tell a lie. I am constantly getting this one and Media confused. It’s not that they look the same, it’s that I forget which one is which colour. I’ll have to bookmark this post as a reminder what this one looks like…
Haha! You’re not alone. I get a lot of MAC’s berries mixed up!
This is my favorite red! It does look a lot darker on me but I’m super pale.
Glad you like it, Amber!
It’s really funny how lipsticks vary so much across skin tones and lip pigmentation. I don’t have Mac Diva but I have Nars Charlotte and it pulls a little darker and a lot more berry on me than you. I have also have Mac Sin, which is very similar on me to Mac Diva, so similar I didn’t think I needed both, and it is much darker and vampier on me.
Such is the world of make up 🙂
Haha, Sin is darker on me! Go figure!
hehehe! Do you have a photo of you wearing Sin? I searched the blog but I couldn’t find it. Sorry if it sound odd, I just wanted to compare to how it looks on me. 🙂
I don’t think so!
So gorgeous! Now go forth and find a cheaper dupe, LOL! 😉
Hopefully!
Ooh, this looks like the perfect autumn ‘bloodied raspberry’ for you! 😀 Pardon my shade naming, but that as the best I could describe what it made me think of! 😛
“What are you wearing?”
“Oh, just Bloodied Raspberry!”
Very pretty. I love deep, muted reds. This is part where I bemoan the fact that MAC’s lipstick tends to be drying on me. The darker shades do seem to be a tad friendlier toward my skin, though, so it may be worth a look anyway. 🙂
Poor lips 🙁
Just bought this today! How does diva compare to black dahlia from occ?
Black Dahlia is darker on me!
I really like the color, but I despise MAC lipstick… I’ve heard WnW Cherry Bomb is a good dupe, so maybe I’ll just try that one…
Let me know if that is better!
The color looks so gorgeous on you.. I am sure it will look much vampy on me but i love the intensity and finish of the shade… <3
Thanks, Poo!
Looks gorgeous, I will definitely try it!
Yay!
Absolutely gorgeous – thank you for reviewing Diva! I’ve picked it up several times while at MAC, but never purchased because I don’t like taking a risk on products which haven’t been reviewed by you yet 😉
This may be a long shot – but how would this compare to Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro #201? They seem somewhat comparable to me, but maybe 201 is a bit darker? Would love your thoughts if you have #201 by chance! 🙂
I don’t think I have #201 unfortunately!
No worries! I thought it was worth a shot to ask. I can always bring it in next time I’m at MAC to do a swatch comparison 😛
I LOVE this lipstick! I wore this mixed with MAC Ruby Woo for my wedding day (Indian brides traditionally wear red) and I loved how it added a little more richness and depth to Ruby Woo.
Oooh, what a great mix!
Thank you for swatching Diva, Christine. It’s the darkest lipstick I own and while it does look darker and purpler on me, it is helpful to see how it looks on you. Twice already I have bought a color that looked unique on you and when I got it home I was like–darn it looks just like Diva! Your skin tone is good for picking up the differences in darker colors. On pale skin (at least mine) they tend to all look the same. Now when I look at your other swatches I can (hopefully) determine whether a new color is going to look too similar to Diva on me. Thanks!
No problem, Ginny!
This is one of my favorite reds, so happy I picked it up. On me, this is darker, and actually kind of neutral. I am so excited to start wearing my fall favorites!
What are other shades are on your fall favorites list?
What a great color, I love the deep pigment!
True!
This review was definitely longggg over due! Love!
So sorry!
I think I’d go for Charlotte for the same look.
Sounds good!
I love how this color looks on you. Reminds me of the 90s for some reason. Guess I have another purchase to look forward to!
Thank you, May!
Diva is my absolute favorite mac lipstick!! I gravitate towards colors like these and cyber.. not so much the fuchsia campy colors. My only gripe about diva is that it bleeds and I hate it. Any advice on how to keep it from doing that?
You could try a lip liner, whether colored or invisible!
Bought this just few days ago! I am looking forward to wear it. On me it looks A LOT darker than that!!
Have fun!
Do you think this shade is close to fire down below by NARS? I have it, and don’t want to spend the money buying Diva, if they are close.
Sorry, I don’t have that shade!