MAC is Beauty Lipsticks Reviews, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)
MAC is Beauty Lipsticks
This set of MAC is Beauty Lipsticks ($16.00 for 0.10 oz.) is more of a miss as all six in this post have a Lustre finish. This type of finish is characterized by sheerer color payoff and a shinier finish by design. Unfortunately, my experience with these (and Lustres in general) is uncomfortable, as they are drying. They’re typically shorter-wearing (two to three hours) and some can apply unevenly. If you normally find this finish hydrating, these may perform like past Lustres, as these performed consistent with past Lustres for me (I just don’t have good results!).
Call the Hairdresser! is described as a “rosy mauve [with a Lustre finish].” It’s a muted, rosy coral with warm undertones and a soft sheen. It had semi-sheer color coverage that went on fairly evenly. This shade wore well for almost three hours but was drying. Get comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Catty is described as a “light creamy pink [with a Lustre finish].” It’s a light pink with warm, yellow undertones and a soft shine. It had semi-opaque color coverage–more than you’d expect given the finish–but goes on a bit unevenly and is very prone to settling into lip lines. I experienced settling after initial application, which worsened as the color wore away in an hour and a half. It was also drying. Get comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
French Twist is described as a “light pink nude [with a Lustre finish].” It’s a muted, light-medium peachy beige with warm undertones and a soft shine. It had semi-opaque color coverage that went on fairly evenly but did have some streakiness. I had some settling into lip lines both initially as well as over time. This shade lasted for two hours on me and was drying. Get comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Highlights is described as a “very pale creamy peach [with a Lustre finish].” It’s a light, muted gold with warm, yellow undertones and a gold, frosted sheen. It had sheer pigmentation that highlighted every lip line on my bottom lip (this was probably the second or third shade I had even applied for swatching, so I was truly surprised at how dry this made my lips look!). The formula looked a bit uneven in places. This shade was gone within an hour of wear and seemed drying (always harder to tell with short wear like that). Get comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Notice Me is described as a “pale lilac [with a Lustre finish].” It’s a light lavender with a hint of pink and a luminous sheen. It applied unevenly and yielded semi-opaque color coverage. It wore well for two hours and was drying over time with some of the color settling into lip lines. Get comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Pure Vanity is described as a “pale peach nude [with a Lustre finish].” It’s a light-medium, peachy beige with warm undertones and a soft sheen. It is brighter than French Twist by a little bit. It had semi-sheer color coverage that applied fairly evenly but could have been better. It lasted for two hours on me, was lightly drying, and some color settled into lip lines. Get comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.
Call the Hairdresser!
LELimited Edition. $19.00.
Catty
LELimited Edition. $19.00.
French Twist
LELimited Edition. $19.00.
Highlights
PPermanent. $19.00.
Notice Me
LELimited Edition. $19.00.
Pure Vanity
LELimited Edition. $19.00.
See more photos & swatches!
MAC Call the Hairdresser! Lipstick
MAC Call the Hairdresser! Lipstick
MAC Call the Hairdresser! Lipstick
MAC Call the Hairdresser! Lipstick
MAC Call the Hairdresser! Lipstick
MAC Call the Hairdresser! Lipstick
MAC Catty Lipstick
MAC Catty Lipstick
MAC Catty Lipstick
MAC Catty Lipstick
MAC Catty Lipstick
MAC Catty Lipstick
MAC French Twist Lipstick
MAC French Twist Lipstick
MAC French Twist Lipstick
MAC French Twist Lipstick
MAC French Twist Lipstick
MAC French Twist Lipstick
MAC Highlights Lipstick
MAC Highlights Lipstick
MAC Highlights Lipstick
MAC Highlights Lipstick
MAC Highlights Lipstick
MAC Highlights Lipstick
MAC Notice Me Lipstick
MAC Notice Me Lipstick
MAC Notice Me Lipstick
MAC Notice Me Lipstick
MAC Notice Me Lipstick
MAC Notice Me Lipstick
MAC Pure Vanity Lipstick
MAC Pure Vanity Lipstick
MAC Pure Vanity Lipstick
MAC Pure Vanity Lipstick
MAC Pure Vanity Lipstick
MAC Pure Vanity Lipstick
Oh these did not perform well at all! Shame, call the hairdresser is pretty on you.
Lustres 🙁 They’re just drying when I wear them!
Really disappointed in the performance of these shades! I was excited about Call the Hairdresser, but upon seeing its performance, I think I’m going to pass on it. I agree that Lustres tend to be extremely drying, which is counterintuitive to me because they are so glossy that you’d think they would be more comfortable!
Right?? I have found a lot of these sheerer, lightly glossy formulas across brands are rarely that hydrating, though like you said, you’d think they would be!
I am slightly disappointed they are so drying. Call The Hairdresser is still my favorite!
I wish Lustres worked better for me!
I LOVE Call The Hairdresser, I’m disappointed that it didn’t hold up well to the test! It wasn’t too drying on me, but I always wear lip balm, so maybe that played a factor.
I also swear that mine almost looks like a different color – when I saw this review, I double checked my tube to make sure that I was reading it correctly! It’s brighter and more coral on me. Go figure!
I was sooo excited for this collection! So sad. Which one did you like better between Pure Vanity and French Twist? They are so similar, I can’t justify buying both.
I don’t like either! Neither is better than the other, IMO.
Thank-you!
Great review! 🙂 Is Mac trying to deplete their whole lustre inventory? Lol! I’ve noticed with most collections that have included both opaque and lustre lipsticks, the opaque formulas sell out fastest. So it’s baffling to me that they would dedicate almost a whole collection to them. I have a feeling when this comes out the matte and amplifies will sell out first, especially since they only made like 4 of them.
Don’t raise my hopes, LOL! “Use all the Lustre ingredients! Deplete!”
LOL!! Oh no Christine don’t say that! LOL! I LOVE Lustres (As you can tell with the word in all caps) But I do understand how they can be drying for some people. I have a few that are more drying than others so to counteract that, I use a good lip moisturizer and MAC prep and prime lip primer; it does help some.
Let’s put it this way… I don’t mind a sheerer formulation, I just wish it was better – more hydrating, a little longer-wearing, more even in application 🙂 We can keep the concept of a Lustre… let’s just make it better!
I totally agree with everything you said! 🙂
haha Christine! a girl can dream lol bye bye lustres 🙂
I’m hoping the darker colors perform better. I have my eye on Diva-ish. Lusters are drying, but sometimes I can suck it up if the color is pretty.
Let’s hope so!
I think I am going to pass on these. Lusters are not my favorite.
Same!
These look awful! Boo lustre finishes!
Booo!
Gosh, I do not miss MAC. I used to love it, but I gave it up a few years ago when they started selling to China and I never looked back. I feel like most of their products don’t perform well enough and I was only able to realize it when I was ‘forced’ to start using consistently only other brands.
What are your new go-to brands, Ellie?
I was worried about the sheer quantity of new releases MAC was springing on us this month, but the quality is low enough that it isn’t disastrous for my bank account at all.
I do quite like Call the Hairdresser though… I don’t know if I *need* it, but it’s pretty
It is a pretty shade – if only the formula was more hydrating!
Call the Hairdresser! ain’t that bad, but I get where you’re coming from. While I don’t find them drying on me, Lustres aren’t my favorite formula. 🙂
At least they’re not drying 😀
Ugh, 3 or 4 of the colors are so sheer that they look the same on the lips or I can barely see any color at all! And it’s drying and doesn’t last either? For $16, I can get 2- 3 Revlon Lip Butters on sale that have better pigmention and hydration. I think MAC needs to scrap this Lustre line and come out with a collection of lippies that is better.
Yep! Like a lot of the sheerer, shinier formulas, wear time is shorter, but the fact that they’re drying on top of that is a double whammy!
Yeah, I’m going to pass on those and wait for your review of the Too faced melted metallics. I think MAC has been releasing too many dupable products lately, I’m kind of disappointed in them.
I totally hear ya, Yashna!
When I saw your sneak preview I immediately had my sights set on Call The Hairdresser. And they’re still set after seeing this 😉 It’s just such a pretty shade!
Enjoy it!
Ugh these are all incredibly disappointing! They look so pretty in the tube 🙁
I don’t know if I’ve ever met a lipstick that didn’t look pretty in the tube, lol!
Very true! 😉
It sucks that these swatch and perform so badly because when the pictures first came out I was excited for many of the colors. Thanks for the review as always!!
My pleasure, Nina!
Call the hairdresser is nice but I’d rather have the Guerlain dupe.
So much more expensive, but SO much better.
I love Call the Hairdresser! Such a beautiful colour. I don’t have a problem with MACs lustre finish so I think this shade is definitely gonna be in my to be list 🙂
YAY!
I find it surprising to hear that these are drying! I always associate dryness with a lot of pigment. That’s a shame, Call The Hairdresser! looks stunning on you.
I have found so many of these shiny, sheer formulas drying, lol!
omg so sheer! why bother putting these on? only one worth anything is Call the Hairdresser but if its drying…might not be worth it!
I don’t think it is worth it 🙁
This is a shame because the colours are beautiful. If they were all in say satin, amplified, and some mattes they would most likely be absolutely stunning.
If only! I’d even take Cremesheen.
I’m kinda bummed because it’s always nice to find a nice priced and good quality lipstick. But, I am happy because it is saving room for the other stuff I want. Pass on all the above. Hope your lips are surviving!
Happy to report they’re doing A-OK! Brought out the big guns for bed time (Bite Beauty Lip Mask!).
Good to hear. I may have to try that lip mask since you recommend! I had a deluxe sample of the Baum de rose form By Terry and I have been thinking of caving. But,my wallet has refused to let me spend $60 on a funky smelling lip balm. It is the best I have tried. But, I cannot say anything miracle like. My lips still are dryish and we are out of super cold weather now.
I like it more than By Terry’s myself – it lasts longer and seems more hydrating/more of a treatment over time for me. By Terry has such a strong rose scent/taste, too. Malin + Goetz also has one that is good. Bite’s has a little sweet taste at times, but I normally don’t notice it. The pro/con of Bite’s is that it is pretty tacky, so it lasts awhile, but it is tacky! SUQQU’s is also very, very nice. SUQQU’s goes on really smoothly and doesn’t feel tacky initially, so you can spread it out nicely but then it gets tacky so it stays put.
Wow, you have even tried all the lip treatments out there! I guess I should have known that,lol! I ordered the Bite yesterday. I am glad you prefer it over By Terry because it is quite a bit less $! If it doesn’t do the trick, I may look into getting the Suqqu or maybe see about getting that for winter when my lips need the “big guns”:)..I agree. The ByTerry scent about made me vomit initially. I think I just got use to it and I only wear it at night. Thanks for all the awesome suggestions! Have you happened to have tried the Bite BB for lips? I am looking for a lip primer with SPF for summer.
Here you go! http://www.temptalia.com/bite-beauty-bb-lips-reviews-photos-swatches
Haha! I should have known..of course you have! You probably have tried everything! It’s apparently not a good primer! I actually had called Sephora and they steered me toward the line and Prime. But i have Occ and Urban decays clear pencils. I feel like it’s the same thing maybe. I am going to search to see if you have reviewed it. But otherwise, I’ll probably wait until I finish those pencils before I try another wax lip pencil. Seems like just layering an SPF balm may be the way to go! 🙂
Sorry MAC, but these lipsticks are uninspiring – plain, dull and unflattering on most complexions. The only one that looked a bit good was Call the Hairdresser – because it was a more vibrant colour.
They are definitely shades we’ve seen from MAC before!
Ugh, why do they have to be Lustres! I would love an Amplified or a Matte in that lavender shade! 🙁
That would have been fun!
Awww, what a shame – I had high hopes for these because Cockney, a lustre lipstick, is one of my favorites from MAC. I was hoping these pastel shades would look great with that finish, but apparently not. I can barely see Highlights and Pure Vanity, and Notice Me is a total misnomer!
Haha! Yes, Notice Me is amusing.
Haha! I had a feeling that, as soon as I learned these were lustre finishes, they wouldn’t perform well. Looks like I was right. I had high hopes that French Twist would be like Crème Cerise but nope. Thanks for the review, Christine. You certainly saved me some money on these. LOL! Call the Hairdresser looks great on you though; too bad on about the drying aspect though. 🙁
My pleasure, Whitney! 🙂
Thank you for the reviews and the swatches! These looked so beautiful in the bullets, but what a shame that they can settle into lines, be drying etc. Is it the lustre finish that makes them so disappointing?
For me, most Lustres have been drying, so that is always a ding, and then given their sheerer, more emollient (but thin) consistency, they tend to wear away faster than the average lipstick, another ding… so when you throw in color that settles, streaky/uneven color, it’s a big miss!
I have dry lips and I find them comfortable, but I wear chapstick under all of my lipstick so that might be it.
Oh catty is more than perfect I am in love with that colour
Awesome! 😀
Maiko, have you considered becoming a registered user so you can use CommentLuv? That will enable you to show your last blog post!
I hate that MAC made all these pretty shades lustres. I really wish Notice Me had a more opaque amplified or satin finish
Same here 🙁
What a pity these didn’t perform well. I really like some of the colours, but I suppose they’d be off my lips in 20 minutes and as they are drying, it’s a no no for me.
You just saved a lot of money for me 🙂
20 minutes! lol! Not worth $16 for 20 minutes of wear!
I am IN LOVE with the blush you’re wearing and overall makeup look <3333
Thank you, Eli!
I like Call the Hairdresser, but the rest are even worse than I imagined. Notice Me should be in the Gross Misnomer Hall of Fame.
lol!
I must be the resident weirdo :(. I really like lustres and glazes. At least the ones I have. I’m almost out of Supersequin (Super Sequin?). It’s one of my faves and I am very sad about it. I find them really comfortable. As I have large lips, unless I’m deliberately trying to make a statement I prefer a sheer lipstick because they’re not so in your face. Even with my naturally pigmented lip color.
Call the Hair Dresser looks perfect to me. I have a Bac2Mac to use. Maybe it will be on one of these, if it’s dark enough.
I don’t mind the sheer color of them (at least, not in theory – sheer has its place!), but it’s the rest of the formula (drying, uneven, poor wear time) that is underwhelming.
I’m so glad they work for you, though! 🙂 A few Lustres/Glazes have been OK for me.
I was expecting something better from Notice Me!
With a name like that, you would think so!
What is even the point of these shades?!?!? When I saw them in the tubes weeks ago, I was so excited, especially for notice me! But I’m definitely skipping these lipsticks. Oh well. More money for IMATS NYC!
Silver lining 🙂
Although most of these lipstick shades are quite benign, I have to tell you the “Call the Hairdresser” looks fantastic on you! Definitely one of the best lippies I’ve ever seen on you!
Thank you, Judy!
How does call the hairdresser compare to to viva glam cyndi? I tried to use the comparison swatch feature but VG cyndi won’t come up 🙁
Viva Glam Cyndi is pinker and a bit darker! 🙂
Thank you!!