MAC Styledriven Pro Longwear Lipglasses Swatches, Photos, Reviews (Part 1)

Christine — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:30:17 +0000

MAC Pro Longwear Lipglasses

MAC Styledriven: Pro Longwear Lipglasses (Part 1)

MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass ($18.50 for 0.06 oz.) is supposed to last up to six hours with lots of shine and color. There are nine shades released as part of the Styledriven collection, and all nine are permanent. This post features these five: Dark as Night (deep mid-tone purple with slight pearlized pigments), Driven by Love (red-blue with slight pearlized pigments), Full Speed Ahead (bright pink-magenta), Infinitely Likeable (light pink), and Lasting Achievement (mid-tone purple with slight pearlized pigments).

Dark as Night is a dark burgundy-wine with subtle gold and burgundy shimmer. It’s semi-opaque but this was one of the more difficult shades to apply evenly (I did not succeed). I can’t think of a dupe for this particular shade though; nothing I think of is dark enough.
Driven by Love is a rich red with gold shimmer. It’s a touch blue-based. This was the best performing shade out of the nine–not only is it intensely pigmented but delivers opaque color evenly. It is similar to several other red lipglosses, though.
Full Speed Ahead is a creamy bright pink with blue undertones. It’s mostly opaque and applies evenly if you’re patient. It is a touch darker than MAC True Babe. It is similar to OCC Pageant.
Infinitely Likeable is a light-medium pink with a good deal of milkiness to it. This one seemed thicker than the others; the swatch as shown is a single pull of gloss. It’s a bit darker than MAC Enchantee.
Lasting Achievement is a deep red with a hint of berry and gold shimmer. It has semi-opaque color coverage, but it goes on evenly. It is similar in color to Dolce & Gabbana Amethyst but more opaque.

These are long-wearing, and I do get a five to six hours of wear out of them–even the lighter shades (like Ready or Not!). The darker shades (like Driven by Love) look really good at six hours, while lighter shades (like Ready or Not!) are still noticeably on and give decent color but look faded compared to when it was first applied. They have a nice dose of shine in the finish, and the shine hangs on for longer than the usual gloss.

They’re thick and almost goopy, and they get sticky very quickly. The texture didn’t seem sticky when I swatched, but on lips, it feels akin to glue (the stickiness is emphasized by the thicker consistency of the gloss). They are more pigmented than your average gloss, but I had some issues getting even color because of the thicker consistency. If you smush your lips together, forget about even color, because the color will pull and drag and you’ll get unevenness.

Overall, the formula needs improvement. Some shades apply well and deliver both opaque and even color, but others have major issues with evenness. The ones that do apply evenly are rather high-maintenance; you don’t want to be pressing and sliding your lips together, because the gloss will move and look uneven.

I’m also frustrated at how little these tubes contain–0.06 oz. (which is as much as Dazzleglass–I’ve regularly complained about the amount in those, too) and yet how large they seem. They’re long, thick tubes with a pinched sponge-tipped applicator that doesn’t bother me. It doesn’t hinder or really help application. I can see it being too large and hindering application for those who have naturally thin lips.