MAC Enhance Me Casual Colour Lip & Cheek Colour x 6 Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Enhance Me
MAC Enhance Me Casual Colour Lip & Cheek Colour x 6 Palette ($40.00 for 0.21 oz.) consists of six cream-based shades that can be used on lips or cheeks. The Casual Colour formula is supposed to be a cheek and lip color with a “dewy” glow that’s blendable and hydrating. In general, I like the Casual Colour as a cream blush–pigmented, blendable, long-wearing–but it falls flat as a lip color, as there’s an almost powder-like feel once they’re on that makes the formula feel clingy and slightly drying over time. The best way (that I’ve found) to use them as a lip color is to apply them lightly on the lips and topped with a balm or sheer gloss as more of a subtle lip stain.
Enhance Me
LELimited Edition. $40.00.
Valiant
Valiant is a light, peachy beige with warm undertones and a fine pearl finish. It had medium, buildable color payoff that applied evenly to my cheeks. It seemed less buildable on my lips compared to when I tried it as a blush, though. The consistency was creamy, emollient without being greasy or tacky, and was blendable on the skin. It wore well for seven hours on my cheeks and three hours on my lips (but it was drying).
Top Dupes
- bareMinerals The Big Break (LE, $22.00) is more shimmery, warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
- NYX Soft Spoken (P, $6.50) is more shimmery, less glossy (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Romance (P, $10.00) is more shimmery, less glossy (90% similar).
- Zoeva Shy Beauty (P, $11.80) is darker, less glossy (90% similar).
- LORAC Unimaginable (LE, ) is more shimmery, less glossy (90% similar).
- bareMinerals The Spring Fling (LE, $22.00) is warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
- MAC Perfect Topping (2014) (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
- Tarte Trustworthy (LE, $29.00) is less glossy (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Flesh & Fantasy (506) (P, $42.00) is darker, less glossy (90% similar).
- Laura Geller Cantaloupe (P, $26.00) is more shimmery, warmer, less glossy (85% similar).
Valiant
LELimited Edition. $22.00.
Marvelous
Marvelous is a muted, medium peachy beige with warm undertones and a soft sheen. It had mostly opaque coverage, though it was incredibly blendable due to the lightly emollient, creamy consistency, so it was easy to get sheerer coverage out of it when used as a blush and fuller coverage when used as a lip color. It wore well for seven hours on my cheeks and four hours on my lips (no stain with this shade).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Mallrat (LE, $8.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- NARS Fame (LE, $30.00) is warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
- NYX Pink the Town (P, $6.50) is brighter, warmer, less glossy (90% similar).
- Black Opal Hibiscus (P, $8.95) is more shimmery, darker, more muted (90% similar).
- Bobbi Brown Nude Peach (DC, $30.00) is darker, more muted (90% similar).
- Too Faced Papa Don't Peach (LE, ) is more shimmery, less glossy (90% similar).
- Hourglass Dim Infusion (P, $40.00) is warmer, less glossy (85% similar).
- Chanel Espiegle (DC, $45.00) is darker, brighter, warmer (85% similar).
Marvelous
LELimited Edition. $22.00.
Heavenly
Heavenly is a bright, medium magenta with cool, blue undertones and a natural sheen. It had good pigmentation–nearly opaque–that applied and blended out easily on cheeks and lips. The color lasted for seven hours on my cheeks, and it lasted for five hours on the lips, though the wear on the lips was less comfortable and drying over time.
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Homie (DC, $8.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- ColourPop Pie (DC, $8.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- MAC Saucy Miss (P, $16.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- NYX Electro (P, $6.50) is more shimmery, less glossy (95% similar).
- Sephora I'm Shocked (09) (P, $14.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- MAC Bright Pink (P, $16.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- Surratt Beauty Se Pomponner (P, $32.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Savage (LE, ) is less glossy (95% similar).
- LORAC Unashamed (LE, ) is less glossy (95% similar).
- NARS Desire (P, $30.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
Heavenly
LELimited Edition. $22.00.
Contrary
Contrary is a bright, medium orange-red with warm undertones and a natural sheen. The pigmentation was mostly opaque, and it was buildable, so full coverage was possible with two layers of product. It had a creamy consistency that wasn’t too slippery, so it was easy to apply and blend out but did not slide around while worn. On my lips, the product felt thinner and somewhat drying over the five hours it lasted. On my cheeks, it wore well for eight hours.
Top Dupes
- MAC Adobe Brick (LE, $24.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- NYX Crimson (P, $6.50) is less glossy (95% similar).
- MAC All Year Red (LE, ) is glossier (90% similar).
- theBalm Cobbler (PiP, ) is glossier (90% similar).
- ColourPop Erotic (P, $5.00) is more shimmery, brighter, less glossy (90% similar).
Contrary
LELimited Edition. $22.00.
Fiery
Fiery is a medium-dark red with subtle, warm undertones and a soft sheen. It had good, buildable color payoff with a creamy, lightly emollient consistency that applied well to cheeks and set to a natural finish (not tacky, not entirely powder-like). As a lip color, the thinner texture seemed to emphasize the natural texture of my lips, which made them appear drier, and the formula felt clingy and drying, though it lasted for five hours. On cheeks, the blush wore well for seven hours.
Top Dupes
- MAC Glamour Feast (LE, $21.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Bite Beauty Cerise (P, $24.00) is darker (85% similar).
- NARS Seduction (P, $30.00) is darker, less glossy (85% similar).
- NARS Realm of the Senses #2 (LE, $30.00) is more shimmery, warmer, less glossy (85% similar).
Fiery
LELimited Edition. $22.00.
Petulant
Petulant is a dark plum with subtle, warm undertones and a soft sheen. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation paired with a creamy, moderately emollient consistency that was easy to blend out on the cheeks and spread across the lips. It did not seem quite as drying on the lips as other shades in the palette, though it was still a bit drying over the five hours it wore for. The color wore for seven and a half hours on my cheeks.
Top Dupes
- MAC Restores Dazzle (LE, $21.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Viseart Plum #3 (PiP, ) is less glossy (95% similar).
- MAC Fever (P, $24.00) is less glossy (95% similar).
- Tarte Does This Thing Really Work? (LE, $29.00) is lighter, less glossy (90% similar).
- Urban Decay TMI (DC, $26.00) is more muted, less glossy (90% similar).
- NARS Ferocious (LE, $30.00) is more shimmery, less glossy (90% similar).
- IT Cosmetics Magical in Mauve (P, $24.00) is cooler, less glossy (90% similar).
- Bite Beauty Biscotti (P, $24.00) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- ColourPop Pretty Thing (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar).
This isn’t so bad, although I don’t intend on buying it. I could see how these have a very nice glowy, yet not greasey appearance on the cheeks, plus a rather pretty stained effect on the lips. Thing is, I still have all those Revlon Balm Stains from when those launched 4 or 5 years ago. Need to remember to use those again!
I like ’em on cheeks the most!
Christine which brush do you use to apply these on the cheeks? Can we just use fingers?
You can use fingers! I used synthetic, stippling brushes.
This isn’t for me, as I dislike cream blush. But I like the colours!!
The colors are pretty!
I’m surprised — I really like all four of the darker shades! (As cheek colors; this kind of formula doesn’t really appeal to me as a lip color.) I’d like to swatch it on myself, though, because Contrary and Petulant might look a lot warmer on me. I kind of doubt my local Macys MAC counter will get this, but maybe I’ll get up to King of Prussia (how I long for the MAC store in Philly to re-open!).
Thank goodness you like ’em as cheek colors only 😉
I love this so much! I need to slow my roll though. After truly being more thoughtful with my purchases for months it’s like that one big Ulta haul flipped my crazy switch. On the other hand, I really love casual colors and get tons of use out of them. More likely than not this will be joining the Carmine lipstick in my cart.
How do you like to use the Casual Colour formula, Bonnie?
My favorite way is to use the elf small stipple brush. I don’t know why that particular brush works perfectly with the Casual Colors but it does. I just use it to pick up a small amount of product and stipple it on my cheeks. A couple light layers is super quick and the magic soulmate action between the CC’s and elf brush lays the color beautifully and there’s no need to blend. It just looks like a flush.
In a true OMG I OVERSLEPT sort of moment fingers work fine too.
For lips if you put on a layer, blot, do another layer you get much better payoff and it lasts on your lips longer too.
Beautiful colors, but quality seems to be marginal. I will pass, but then again, I don’t normally buy cream based palettes. I have too many phobias for that.
As a blush, they’re not bad, but they’re not great as a lip color!
I’m digging this palette! I love your eye look and I don’t see it listed. What are you wearing?
I don’t remember, sorry!
Heavenly is nice!
I’n not really a fan of cream blushes, so I’ll pass on this. That said, I did really like Heavenly. It looked almost scary, but it was lovely on the cheeks, and on the lips as well.