MAC Styledriven Pro Longwear Lipcremes Swatches, Photos, Reviews (Part 2)

Christine — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:00:40 +0000

MAC Pro Longwear Lipcremes

MAC Styledriven: Pro Longwear Lipcremes (Part 2)

MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme ($17.00 for 0.12 oz.) are a long-wearing lipstick with a “lightweight texture, creamy finish, and comfortable long-wear.” It claims to wear for up to twelve hours without feathering or transferring–and “helps lips stay soft and hydrated.” This formula originally debuted last year and again with Styledriven. You can read my in-depth review here, as I’m only going to summarize the finer points in this post. All shades from this collection are permanent. The shades featured in this post are: Prolong (clean red with blue undertones), So Very Good (mid-tone plum with pearl), Soft Sell (light yellow-pink), Soulfully Rich (deep dirty purple with red pearl), Till Tomorrow (mid-tone dirty mauve), and To the Future! (dirty neutral pink with pearl).

Prolong is a rich, blue-based red with ruby micro-shimmer and opaque color coverage. It’s similar to many reds (see the swatch gallery).
So Very Good is a darkened plummy red with a soft, frosted sheen and opaque color coverage. It’s a touch darker than Chanel Impertinente. Clarins Baroque is redder. It’s not quite as dark as MAC Cunning.
Soft Sell is a berry-tinted pink with a soft pink micro-shimmer. It’s mostly opaque in color coverage with more of a frosted finish. It’s less pink compared to MAC Offshoot and not quite as dark as Clarins Blackberry.
Soulfully Rich is a deep, dark berried brown with a rather glossy shine. It has more of a glaze or lustre-like feel, so it also goes on uneven and slips around more. It is a weaker version of MAC Prince Noir. NARS Train Bleu is purpler. Make Up For Ever #49 is similar.
Till Tomorrow is a pinky mauve with a creamy finish and opaque color coverage. It is similar to Chanel Stunt.
To the Future! is a peachy nude with a hint of pink. The pink keeps it from looking washed out. It has a soft, frosted finish but still has opaque color coverage. MAC Naked Bliss is pinker. MAC Naturally Eccentric is lighter. It is very similar to Guerlain Gabrielle and Korres #13 Natural Pink.

I don’t get close to twelve hours of wear with this lipstick; I get great wear and substantially longer wear than the average lipstick, but it’s not twelve hours. The darker shades–of course–wear longer and look better after seven or eight hours than lighter shades, but both do a solid job of managing to wear for six to eight hours and getting through eating/drinking. This is the major source of lost points for this product, because MAC claims up to twelve and in reality, I get up to eight (on average) before I feel it’s time to reapply.

The formula delivers most opaque color coverage with a creamy, glide-on formula that doesn’t feel too slick but never stiff or dry. Most shades have a semi-matte finish, so there is a little shine. These are vanilla-scented but have no detectable taste. Instead of your typical MAC lipstick, they’re more circular, which may take some adjustments in application; if you have thinner lips, it may be a little frustrating.

I wouldn’t say it’s ultra moisturizing, but after wearing one for eight hours, my lips feel about par for the course; not dried out but would appreciate some lip balm. I didn’t experience any feathering or bleeding lip color, but they are not transfer-resistant (I did the kiss test, no dice). There is less transfer than the average lipstick but still a fair amount.