MAC Styleseeker Nail Lacquers Review, Photos, Swatches
MAC Gadabout Girl Nail Lacquer
Three Nail Lacquers for Style Seekers
MAC Styleseeker Nail Lacquers ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) come in three shades: Gadabout Girl (blackened plum), Mean & Green (purple with teal multi-changing pearl), and Styleseeker (duochrome orange-red). Quick note: the press release indicates these are $16, and normal polish price is $16 at MAC, but online, these three are listed at $15.
Gadabout Girl is a deep blackened burgundy with a hint of purple. The color wasn’t completely opaque after two coats, mostly because it had some streakiness, so the color just wasn’t even everywhere. As you can see, there’s no real visible nail line, but it’s not opaque. The formula was thin. China Glaze Urban Night is lighter, more eggplant-purple. Rescue Beauty Lounge Recherche is cooler-toned. Rescue Beauty Lounge Atame is redder/browner in tone. Rescue Beauty Lounge Moulin Rouge is very similar but applies more opaque. Deborah Lipmann Single Ladies is redder. MAC Blueblood was rather close. China Glaze Velvet Bow is redder. Urban Decay Wrecked is a smidgen redder. MAC Purple Majesty is very similar. Zoya Anja is rather close. Rescue Beauty Lounge Drifter is also quite similar.
Mean & Green has a murky blackened olive base color with green and purple sparkle/micro-glitter. It has a duochrome, so it flashes from pink-purple to olive-green. This shade was originally released with Venomous Villains (which is the bottle I swatched here), and it has since been added to the permanent range. It wasn’t quite opaque after two coats. Orly Space Cadet is exactly the same.
Styleseeker is a rich orange-red with metallic threads of ruby shimmer. The duochrome on this is very subtle, and that’s partially because the colors are just so similar that it’s hard to see. It’s no Bad Fairy. There are some noticeable brush strokes, but they’re subtle, and it was opaque after two coats. It has a longer drying time. Nubar Bronzo is darker. I think Nubar might have a dupe of this, as they have several duochromes, but I wasn’t able to remember/find the shade that I’m thinking of.
Mean & Green is now part of the permanent range, so you don’t have to rush out to get it. Gadabout Girl seems extremely dupeable, so it’s not a shade that seems worth dealing with a thin formula for. Styleseeker was the best overall and the shade I couldn’t think of a great dupe for. I typically get a week of wear with no chipping and just minor tip wear with MAC’s formula. MAC’s polishes are more expensive than they seem they should be (for a mid-end brand), especially since you only get 0.34 fl. oz.
MAC Gadabout Girl Nail Lacquer
MAC Gadabout Girl Nail Lacquer
MAC Gadabout Girl Nail Lacquer
MAC Gadabout Girl Nail Lacquer
MAC Gadabout Girl Nail Lacquer
MAC Gadabout Girl Nail Lacquer
MAC Mean & Green Nail Lacquer
MAC Mean & Green Nail Lacquer
MAC Mean & Green Nail Lacquer
MAC Mean & Green Nail Lacquer
MAC Mean & Green Nail Lacquer
MAC Mean & Green Nail Lacquer
MAC Mean & Green Nail Lacquer
MAC Styleseeker Nail Lacquer
MAC Styleseeker Nail Lacquer
MAC Styleseeker Nail Lacquer
MAC Styleseeker Nail Lacquer
MAC Styleseeker Nail Lacquer
MAC Styleseeker Nail Lacquer
Thank you for the swatches Christine. When I saw the swatch for styleseeker it rang a bell for me. I wonder how it compares to the fall 2012 OPI Danke-Shiny Red. They look pretty darn close but it’s so hard to tell on the moniter. Your pics are always fantastic! Other sites sometimes their cameras don’t pick up the colors or their lighting is different from yours so it’s hard for me to tell. I’ve never had a problem choosing a polish from your swatches~ always true photos!
Thank you so much, Katherine!
I think Orly’s fall collection has something similar, but I haven’t swatched it yet so I’m not sure – and if nail polish brands are true to form, I wouldn’t be surprised if OPI’s was close, too!
Oooh I absolutely love the Mean & Green one! Good thing they’re permanent. I’m gonna need this… 🙂
Just Mean & Green is permanent 🙂
Curious..I noticed this yesterday: Why can I not see the Love it or Leave it on some of the posts? This is one where I cannot see, but I do see the details of other’s voting. Weird!
Love It or Leave It is only on review posts, and I saw it on all of the posts for past couple of days when I just checked except one that wasn’t categorized right. Do you share an IP? If so, then it is one vote per IP!
Hi Christine: It’s very weird because this is a review post and I do not see the Love it or Leave it buttons at all. I usually see them whether or not I have already voted. I do not share my IP. In this case, and the one yesterday, I see the stats on the voting, but the actual buttons are not on my screen whatsoever. Bizarre!
Hmm, I will let Shaun know. It’s the first I’ve heard of this issue, and if you see the stats, that essentially says you’ve voted. Thanks for letting me know!
Styleseeker reminds me of Deborah Lippmann’s ‘brickhouse.’ It’s not exact, but it looks pretty close to me.
I’ll have to check thato ut!
Well, definiteley I prefer the Orly fall collection and the amazing Germany collection from OPI. I do love M.A.C except for their nail polishes which are often dupable and not to pretty in fact.
Which is your favorite ORLY fall shade?
wow, first one is sooo pretty 😀 too bad the formula isn’t good.
the other 2 are cute and interesting
Not great, not horrible at least…
Yay! The polish I was thinking about did well! But now that I see the swatch I’m leaning towards not getting it.
I thought the duochrome would be more apparent, but I really can’t see it and it’s not good if I can’t see a duochrome in a closeup photo because then I question being able to see it in real life.
Ah well, thank you for the swatches. They’re helpful as always.
For Styleseeker? I’m assuming that one since the duochrome was hardly noticeable!
Gadabout Girl is so vampy, I love colours like that!
I guess that’s why they make so many versions of it, lol!
On Mac’s website, it says these are $15 not $16.
Hi Rachel!
Did you read the beginning of the post? I covered this – here it is copied & pasted for you: “Quick note: the press release indicates these are $16, and normal polish price is $16 at MAC, but online, these three are listed at $15.” Hope that helps! 🙂
Whoops sorry about that!
No worries! 🙂
I think the Nubar shade you might be thinking of is Arencia. Although I could easily be wrong :3
Thank you, Anna!
I love all three of these but already own dupes of them 🙁 For the price tag attached to them they really need to be more innovative.
I can totally understand, Liz!
I think Gadabout Girl looks like butter London La Moss
Thanks for sharing, Ayla! 🙂
Gadabout Girl reminds me of Essie’s Carry On and Wicked. Carry On is a bit more purple, and Wicked is a bit redder. But really, there are a gazillion vampy red/burgundy polishes out there.
Agreed — really dupeable shade. Pretty, but we’ve seen it many times!
Thank for the review, I was looking forward to Styleseeker but after seeing swatches, I’m not getting it.
My pleasure!
OMGGG. Your nail swatches look even more impressive! I love whatever you’re doing with your newer photos 😀
Thank you, Bernice!
Thanks for your swatches as always. I am pretty sure that “Deutsch you want me Baby” by OPI is a dupe to styleseeker. But I know you do no longer review Opis…
Thank you for sharing, Pishi!
Ooooooh, Styleseeker’s callin’ my name!
I loved the Mean & green Nail lacquer! I will try getting that!