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MAC The Matte Lip Lipsticks Reviews, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)

MAC The Matte Lip Lipsticks
MAC The Matte Lip Lipsticks

MAC Living Legend Lipstick ($16.00 for 0.10 oz.) is described as a “deep plum [with a Matte finish].” It’s a bold, deep dark berry with subtle warm undertones–it’s like a plummy-red as far as the undertones go. I think this may look slightly cooler against cooler complexions (more berry, less burgundy). The finish was more satin than matte, as there was a noticeable sheen that persisted for about an hour and a half of the total eight hours of wear. It wasn’t hydrating, but it wasn’t drying, so it wasn’t uncomfortable to wear. The color coverage was mostly opaque, and for such a dark shade, it did go on evenly overall but wasn’t perfect. I had a little bit of feathering that I noticed after the sixth hour of wear. NARS Ingrid (P, $32.00) is glossier. NARS Liv (P, $32.00) is glossier. MAC Lingering Kiss (LE, $16.00) is a touch warmer. Kat Von D Motorhead (P, $21.00) is lighter. MAC Instigator (LE, $16.00) is purpler. MAC Talk That Talk (LE, $16.00) is brighter. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Anita (P, $18.000) is warmer. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Black Metal Dahlia (P, $18.00) is more metallic, brighter. MAC Soulfully Rich (P, $18.00) is similar. MAC Prince Noir (LE, $16.00) is slightly cooler-toned. MAC Dramatic Encounter (LE, $16.00) is more muted. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Black Dahlia (P, $18.00) is brighter. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick ($16.00 for 0.10 oz.) is described as a “soft blue pink [with a Matte finish].” It’s a brightened, medium pink with very subtle blue undertones and a satiny finish. It turns more matte in finish after an hour of wear. The formula was richly pigmented, creamy enough to glide on and deposit even color, and it wore well for five and a half hours. Bite Beauty Sweety (LE, $24.00) is lighter, brighter. Le Metier de Beaute Fiji (P, $32.00) is more shimmery. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

MAC Pander Me Lipstick ($16.00 for 0.10 oz.) is described as a “soft peachy mocha [with a Matte finish].” It’s a muted, medium coral-orange with warm undertones and a satin finish (there’s too much of a sheen for it to really be a matte). It applied evenly with full color coverage. The color wore well for five and a half hours and was neither drying nor hydrating. NARS Jane (P, $32.00) is slightly darker. MAC Style Approved (LE, $22.00) is lighter. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Kimber (P, $18.00) is more orange, lighter. NARS Casablanca (P, $26.00) is similar. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick ($16.00 for 0.10 oz.) is described as a “dirty cement beige [with a Matte finish].” It is a muted, medium-dark brown with a hint of gray–almost like a very warm taupe–and a mostly matte finish. It had fairly opaque color coverage, and the consistency was smooth and lightly creamy so it applied evenly and without dragging on the lips. It wore well for six hours with little settling into lines towards the end but was not drying (or hydrating). MAC Shitake (DC, $16.00) is more shimmery, warmer, less pigmented. Maybelline Touchable Taupe (940) (P, $7.49) is lighter, glossier. MAC Nude (LE, $16.00) is darker, cooler-toned. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

The Matte Lip Collection is supposed to be online on October 2nd and in-stores on October 9th.

See more photos & swatches!

MAC Living Legend Lipstick
MAC Living Legend Lipstick

MAC Living Legend Lipstick
MAC Living Legend Lipstick

MAC Living Legend Lipstick
MAC Living Legend Lipstick

MAC Living Legend Lipstick
MAC Living Legend Lipstick

MAC Living Legend Lipstick
MAC Living Legend Lipstick

MAC Living Legend Lipstick
MAC Living Legend Lipstick

MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick
MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick

MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick
MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick

MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick
MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick

MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick
MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick

MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick
MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick

MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick
MAC Nouvelle Vogue Lipstick

MAC Pander Me Lipstick
MAC Pander Me Lipstick

MAC Pander Me Lipstick
MAC Pander Me Lipstick

MAC Pander Me Lipstick
MAC Pander Me Lipstick

MAC Pander Me Lipstick
MAC Pander Me Lipstick

MAC Pander Me Lipstick
MAC Pander Me Lipstick

MAC Pander Me Lipstick
MAC Pander Me Lipstick

MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick
MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick

MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick
MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick

MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick
MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick

MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick
MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick

MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick
MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick

MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick
MAC Styled in Sepia Lipstick

Makeup Look
On face:
  • Guerlain Parure de Lumiere Foundation
  • Urban Decay Naked Loose Finishing Powder
  • MAC Scone Bronzing Powder
  • Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Glow
On eyes:
  • Marc Jacobs Beauty Sunset Highliner Gel Crayon

159 Comments

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Elizabeth Avatar

Nouvelle Vogue looks like a perfect medium pink for me! I’m definitely going to see it in the store and pick it up if it is as gorgeous as in the pictures x

Ginny Avatar

I was thinking about Sepia, but it looks like it would be too gray for me. Great color though. Living Legend would look almost black on me, but I think I’m into that. It would be the only color I’d get from the line up.

Helene Avatar

Living Legend! It’s lovely. I have to see if I have anything like it, if not it will be mine!
I must try Pander Em, I love how it looks on you and I love the colour. I’m just not sure it the colour will love me back 🙂
Styled in Sepia also looks really good on you, Christine, I don’t think it’s for me, I do have Shitake and I can carry it off as it’s quite sheer.
I really like what we’ve seen so far of these lipsticks. Well done MAC!

Cindy Duque Avatar

Hi! I’ve never left a comment so please excuse if it comes out weird. I had Lingering Kiss, and I really like Living Legend. Which would you say is most matte and stays on longer? I like ultra matte and dry lipsticks because they stay put and don’t run the risk of smearing across my face. Of all the dupes. Included. Thanks in advance

GabiRM Avatar

Oh my! I’m in love with this color!I’m from Brazil and here Mac’s lips are twice as it cost in the US!But I have a friend of mine that is going this weekend and I can’t decide which should I get! Does Nouvelle seems like please me? And I’m really in doubt wether getting Living legend or Sin, I don’t have anything like that! I’m NC 15. What do you think, Christine? Perfect swatches and review as always!

Sae Avatar

Oo gurl. The colors I wanted turned out amazing in my opinion ㅡ pander me and styled in sephia! would you say that pander me is like a terracotta shade? I’m seriously on the fence about styled in sephia because I find it so beautiful but, do you think it’d match a very pale/asian skintone Christine? Thanks for posting these in advance as always!

Christine Avatar

Yes, kind of. Lighter and less red than true terracotta but in the family.

I believe one can wear ANY shade if you really want to – it may not be as flattering as XYZ shade, but you can make it look good 🙂 I think Styled in Sepia would be nice on fair skin, though.

fuji Avatar

Thanks for the review Christine! I love all of them, which I barely said that about a MAC collection. I think they really learned from NARS AUDACIOUS collections. Or they were manufactured in the same facility, lol. The consistency especially the swatch on your arm, looks very similar to NARS. Good for MAC, if they can keep the quality up like this. Now the bar has been set pretty high. 🙂

Kathi Avatar

Hey Christine,
I got so excited when I saw that MAC releases a collection with matte lipsticks. I love Pander Me and Styled in Sepia on you and I’d love to buy them, but I’m not sure, if the colours would suit me. How do you wear “difficult” shades like that? (I know, this sounds so stupid as it all depends on personal taste, but I couldn’t find any other words for it. ;))
Sorry for being curious now, but do you have german ancestors? Your surname sounds like german to me. 🙂
Best wishes from Austria. xx
Kathi

Kathi Avatar

That’s a great idea! 🙂 I hope that I’ll be able to get both shades to step out of my comfort zone and try something new and totally different for me!
You’re a quater German? That’s cool. 🙂 Do you speak a little German? (I know, I’m curious again and of course you don’t have to answer me. 😉 I speak German myself as it’s my mother tongue, that’s why I ask. :))

Megan Avatar

Nouvelle Vogue is such a pretty pink, I just wish it wasn’t matte! It looks pretty dupable, so hopefully I will have luck finding a similar color with a creme finish!

Johanna Avatar

I really like Living Legend and Pander Me, but they aren’t so special that I need to jump. I have OCC Black Dahlia on my wish list which I think I prefer more than Living Legend… but it’s such a lovely shade. I only recently started rocking vampier shades from time to time, and they are SO fun to wear!

Nicole O. Avatar

living legend is so gorgeous , but i have enough burgundy/plum shades . i’m trying to restrain myself . haha .

pander me & styled in sepia are interesting , but idk if i can pull them off .

i might just hold off until they’re in stores since i just bought 6 of the new nyx wicked lippies .

>__<

Rachel R. Avatar

Nouvelle Vogue is just so pretty! I really like Living Legend, but it looks like it definitely needs primer and lipliner. Great color, though.

The other colors are really nice, too. I’m glad to see they got good grades.

Alana Avatar

Living Legend seems like a very impressive color in terms of pigmentation. Usually lipsticks that are a deep berry shade can be very blotchy applied unless you wear a lipliner underneath.

Staci Avatar

I really wished I lived near a MAC. Ive bought a couple of their lipsticks and they always look so different on me compared to what I see online. I wish I could try before I buy. I have a few shades I’ll never wear. Such a waste of money.

fancie Avatar

Pander Me was nowhere near my radar at first but it’s really growing on me. It looks like it’ll be the perfect nude for WOC. I thought I was the only one who noticed how creamy MAC mattes are though. They’re definitely starting to feel more like satins. I kinda like it but I can see how it may be disappointing for others

Brian aka Roulette Avatar

OMG Styled in Sepia is amazing on you. It is totally that 90’s supermodel impossible to re-create nude that the greats like Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington were wearing. Love it on you!!!

anne Avatar

Ouh I really like pander me, it reminds me along the lines of mac peachstock & freckletone with similar warmth, and actually a much more wearable ver of nars jane. I swatched that in store, and though gorgeous i think it had a touch too much orange in it for me. I love sepia on you, im not sure i could pull that off on my skintone ;/

Sam Avatar

I really like the idea of living legend but i dont know if I could pull it off but it looks awesome on you. Again the same thing with sepia – I just feel like it would wash me out unless i wear it with super dewy, glowy face.

Autumn Avatar

I wonder how Nouvella Vogue compares to Yield to love… I think I remember YTL being deeper, but having a very similar tone. Might grab it if it’s different enough!

All in all, I am definitely grabbing Pander Me, Styled in Sepia, and Fashion Revival. I’m a sucker for dark lipsticks, but Living Legend looks like a very close middle ground for Prince Noir and Lingering Kiss, both of which I already own, so I’ll pass on that one.

Lovisa Avatar

Oh I just got 2 living legend cause I loved dafnes dramatic encounter and running out and Im a nc nw 10 15 lol. Also got those fluidline pens… I never owned a fluidline before… strange for a macnactic… I hope they are goood 😀
AND WHY DO YOU LOOK GOOD IN ALL LIPPIES AND BLUSHES

Hex Avatar

Styled in Sepia is soooo my thing. I have a NYX lipliner that will go so well with it. I’m also really loving Living Legend. That’s what I was hoping Sin would be, which I just got from the RHPS collection. Now I’m rethinking that purchase because I love how much darker Living Legend appears to be. Sin is like a fail attempt at a dark lip next to Living Legend in my humble opinion.