MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches
MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick
MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick ($15.00 for 0.10 oz.) is described as a “pastel lavender pink” with an Amplified finish. It’s a cool-toned, lavender pink with a creamy finish and natural sheen. MAC Budding Love is darker. MAC Fresh Amour is purpler. MAC Quite Cute is a touch pinker. MAC Pink Friday is darker, pinker. MAC I Like It Like That is darker, pinker. MAC Blooming Lovely is a little grayer and darker. MAC Viva Glam Gaga is pinker and darker.
Viva Glam is by far one of my favorite charitable beauty causes, because it really does give back–the full selling price of the lipstick. It’s not just a gimmick where they give some unknown “portion of proceeds” or a dismal 5%. Viva Glam Nicki 2 is fully opaque and has good slip and glide. It didn’t pull or tug at the lips while I applied the color from the tube. When I wore it, the shade lasted four and a half hours, and it was neither drying nor hydrating during that time. This color did seem to make my teeth appear a little yellower.
Viva Glam Nicki 2
LELimited Edition. $19.00.
MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick
MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick
MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick
MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick
MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick
MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick
MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lipstick
Do you think this would look good with fair skin tones?
I think it depends on your perception 🙂 Some readers with fair skin tones love shades like these and others hate them!
That is very true 🙂 I’m just afraid it will make me look washed out – but thank you for the reply!
I think you need to have a deep shade in skin colour to pull this off. The contract would help this one pop instead of looking sickly on some people.
This is exactly what I expected, but DAMN I think this is a cool colour! I have St Germain, and I struggle to pull it off, so I won’t be buying this. But props to anyone who does! You go girl!
PS Christine – have you cut your hair?? It looks so cool!
I did! It was so heavy, it was giving me migraines, LOL!
Wow! How long was your hair before you cut it (if you don’t mind me asking)? Your new hair looks absolutely great on you, Christine. The color is also very beautiful.
I trimmed about 6″ or so? I just have really HEAVY, THICK hair. A LOT of it. My stylist did a lot of layering, too. My hair was still 4-5″ above my butt, lol, at its longest. For whatever reason, it really didn’t seem to grow much more after it reached a certain length.
Your new haircut looks great – very flattering!
Yikes! That would definitely NOT suit me!! 😮
Yup! That’s exactly what I said when I saw this. Boo 🙁
Pretty shade, unfortunately, it’s not gonna work on my skin tone. 🙂
Hi Christine, can you compare to snob at all in your opinion?
Snob is pinker and darker!
I think it’s a color that will flatter very small amount of people, it’s a shame because as you say Christine, viva glam has a great cause
Wish it was a more wearable color like the other viva glams so I can contribute but it’s Nicki Minaj so it’s not surprising. You, however, can pull off any shade of lipstick!
Christine, you can get away with anything but i have to say that this lip colour reminds me of chalk….sorry.
Yeah, I agree… I have no idea who’ll be able to pull this off. Christine looks awesome, but I wish I could recolour those lips, lol.
Oh God, no, just no. Extremely hard to pull off.
I SO wanted to like this shade because I do love this cause that MAC has. I did buy the first Lady Gaga one, and love it so I was looking forward to buying another one in the line. Who do you think this shade would suit? I do like the shade for being fun, but I’m very fair skinned.
If you like Viva Glam Gaga, you’ll probably like this shade!
I find that with colors like Saint Germain, Happy Hibiscus, Snob, Myth, and the like, to pull the color off you should line your lips with a color like MAC’s Oak lipliner, or Rimmel’s Natural. I was struggeling with the same issue. But because these are colors that have a white undertone to them you need to “contour” your lips as you would your face so it doesn’t look so one dimensional. I hope that helps. This is such a beautiful color with a beautiful cause so I will definately be investing in a tube.
This would look great in an editorial, but I’m not sure that it’s an everyday shade. However, I imagine it’d look nice blotted! I do that with Snob — on its own it doesn’t look great on me, but when it’s blotted or diluted with lip balm it’s lovely.
that is one color i would NEVER use!
This one is even less wearable than the last Viva Glam Nicki one. I bought the last one, but it’s already a bit too pale for my skin tone and I find the texture of the last one a bit drying. It really emphasised the texture of my lips. I don’t wear that one very often but when I do it’s usually during summer. I would never wear a colour like the Viva Glam Nicki 2 lipstick. Although I really like the Viva Glam concept and I usually buy something from the line, I won’t do it this year because I would just never use it.
I ordered this lipstick because I had thought it was lavender. In some photos and swatches it shows more purple and in others more pink. The one you have Christine looks more pink and white. I wish MAC could get their act together and when they say lavender they mean purple lavender and not milky pink lavender. I guess I will just layer this lipstick when I get it. Such a bummer. 🙁
I think it’s pulling a lot pinker on Christine since she’s quite warm-toned, and her lips are, too.
I think the Viva Glam cause is fantastic, but I can’t figure out who would wear this color and look good in it. Christine, you can usually pull off *anything* but this really isn’t your color 🙂 (Although your hair looks great!)
I haven’t seen a single picture where this lipstick looks good (or even okay-ish) on anyone. Really too bad, as I agree that the Viva Glam is a fantastic program.
I’m so annoyed that Mac discontinued the perfect and universally flattering viva glam cyndi for this hideous crap.
Totally agree! VG Cyndi is my all time fave lip colour. Sick of all these hideous VG Nicki things. They’re just horrible!
I think Viva Glam can pull off the outrageous unflattering causes because of what it stands for. And then there is me, for example, I will never ever wear this as a lip colour… but I am very fair and you can bet I am going to use this on my cheeks as a blush.
totally meant colours not causes ;___;
LOL most unfortunate typo ever. It’s okay!
Blush! Cool idea!
I am thrilled about this shade! Budding love is one of my all time faves and I was devastated that I couldn’t buy a backup. It’s a shame for most people as this will be a difficult shade to pull off. I bet this would look great with a darker purplely lip liner to get an ombre effect
SKIP
wow, would never wear this but the opacity is great!
I bought this over the weekend and love it! I am fair skinned with strawberry blonder hair. With a mauve lip liner this color was absolutely beautiful!
thats whats up..girl….tell all these gals..how to do it! this color is the sh#t!
Wow, that is a tacky lip colour. Honestly I don’t think anyone can look good wearing this.
I look good! 🙂
Amen- this is bordering on bullying. I find myself stymied by those who seem offended by this lipstick. What some of you may not know is that MAC was originally an innovator of color- they released shades to market saturated in “safe” shades. Many years later they are far more middle of the road, but their roots were innovative, adventurous and fearless.
I think saying that negative comments about the lipstick border “on bullying” is going too far. Worse, it minimizes or trivialises actual, serious bullying.
How are these comments criticizing how any one could look good, etc NOT bullying? I was bullied as a child, I was bullied in HS. I kid you not when I say I was bullied for my EYE shadow choices. The biggest bully in our school couldn’t find an easy way to intimidate me, so she went after that. As someone who has taught elementary and middle school for a number of years- this is what it sounds like. It’s not a simply phrased opinion- it’s a nasty value judgement based on someone’s appearance. There are phrases here that clearly sound like bullying to me. Bullying isn’t limited to children, by children.
I’m not seeing endless comments attacking people who would wear this and sneering at their appearance. I’ve re-read this thread twice and I just don’t see it. I see no comments about “trailer park trash” as someone noted up above. All I see are comments about how the colour is chalky or too pale for the poster to wear themselves. Some express disappointment with this as compared to other Viva Glam colours. A few just say thinks like “Eww.” But I don’t see any personal attacks on someone who may wear this with the exception of one comment about a “stripper.” That’s it. One comment. To me, that does not rise to level of the sort of bullying that makes some people commit suicide.
I understand where you’re coming from, especially given the personal experience that you’ve described. I merely have a different perspective on the issue given the comments that I’ve seen thus far. I’m happy to agree to disagree.
I was bullied all through HS and I don’t see it happening here. The fact is, this isn’t a universally wearable color, it’s not what I’d call a “popular” color, and a lot of people don’t like it. I don’t see anything wrong with people expressing that opinion and being creative in doing so. No one’s being personally attacked in this thread afaik, just lot of people who wish MAC had come out with something more wearable for them.
Hi Christine! Is similar to Saint Germain?
Saint Germain is pinker!
The color looks GREAT on you ! And LOVE your hair down !
All this lipstick needs is a lip liner of your choice. Christine shows us the color on its own (so we all know), but this color looks gorgeous with MAC Magenta or Embrace Me lip liners.
Or plum.. Or I’m trying to think of the dark blue purple DC’ed MAC liner I have. I’m NC 10 with black hair and I lurve these pastels! Makes me so excited for Spring and all its attendent Easter egg pastels. There was a beautiful Hard Candy color like this ,more purple, back when they sold HC at Nordstrom that was my HG lippie. With the right lip liner this one may come awfully close!
Quite possibly the worst color of lipstick ever….
This is SO my kind of color! It looks & sounds like a good quality lipstick, too, because these shades can be a bit chalky.
I have MAC Fashion Mews from the 2008 Hello Kitty collection and I wonder if they might be too similar…
I’d rather just donate the money. Btw, what foundation are you wearing? It looks great!
Giorgio Armani Maestro
I love this! I have macs beauty, do you think this is different enough to justify having both? This pulls more pink than I thought it would. I do love these kinds of shades though and wear beauty fairly often! Thank you!!
Beauty is a lot lighter/whiter!
im a mac artist and i put this in the centre of my lips with the nicki1 lipstick in the outer corners and created an ombre lip. using magenta lipliner under it, the lavender becomes a tad more purple and more “wearable” for every day. dont bash it until you try it!
Oh, I love that idea! I get a ton of use out of Nicki 1 just by itself, but this would be a cool going-out look. Thanks!
I bought the first Nicki lipstick and that was a stretch but this is just to unflattering a color….. uhg I want Viva Glam Cyndi back!
I LOVE IT! and I will definitely get it! 😉
I love purple lipsticks and I LOVE this color! Trying so hard to resist buying it online since there’s a MAC store near me and I’d like to test it out first, but honestly, it’ll probably be mine soon enough either way. It’s Viva Glam so it totally counts as selfless charity, right? :p
I’m scared with how bright and white this is. Reminds me of my Saint Germain that i bought last year, only ended up swatching, and never actually use it. Is this as bright or “white” as that, Christine? Should i get scared?
It’s lighter/cooler-toned than Saint Germain! So if you don’t wear that… I don’t think you’ll wear this.
This is quite possibly the worst lip color ever. Really folks? You like this crap? Christine, you’re a beautiful girl and this color makes you look like a bad cartoon.
It wouldn’t suit my complexion but I certainly don’t feel the need to call it “crap” and make others feel bad for liking it. Others have found ways to make it work for them :).
Heh, with your skintone, it kinda makes you looks like a gangaro girl.
It really reminds me a lot of St. Germaine which I wear when I’m going for an over-the-top retro 60s look with big hair, heavy black eyeliner, and pale lips. It looks to costumey to me for everyday wear.
Aah! I do love my pastel lipsticks, but even this is a bit much for me.
Nicki is the only one I can see pulling off this color!!
Really, really, really don’t like this. I think it’s a horrible tacky looking colour and I can’t imagine it looking good on anyone. I think it’s one of the worst colours I’ve ever seen!
Ladies for some of you that hate this color look on instagram . There are so many different pictures of ladies that have bought this lipstick and have worn it hundreds of different ways. I bought it with the magenta liner for an ombre effect. Or just try the gloss. I would not suggest wearing it alone but i have seen ladies that have applied it lightly. Dont walk around looking like you ate a bag of powdered donuts lmao.
I love colors like this, or anything with a lot of white in it – but I can NEVER pull them off 🙁 I wish they’d done something more universally wearable for this years Viva Glam, I haven’t bought one since Gaga2 and even then I could only make the gloss work. So sad I’m going to skip another year.
I wish i could wear this color! I’ll just stick to the original Nicki – it works for me.
D’lilac from lime crime is very similar but this from MAC is a little bit pink while the lime crime lipstick is more lilac on th e tone, but you can confuse booth heheheh
=**
How does this compare to lavender whip?
Lavender Whip is sheerer and pinker, I believe!
Nope. Just nope.
I like lilac pinks but I think they should do colors that are more wearable, because that will sell more lipsticks!
Totally agreed. There are more wearable shades of pinks, lilacs and purples… I cannot see the point in this colour.
Erhm, they sell a massive amount of these lipsticks despite them being trendy colors. Gaga and Nick would never have had boring lip colors, They had Cyndi Lauper and Ricki with the Red and Clear to cover that.
If its a cause you support, then it doesn’t matter what color it is, I LOVE Nicki, and have loved Pink Friday, and Nicki 1. Sure I don’t get to wear them every day of every week, but they are great additions to my collection, and I don’t mind forking over full price for one.
This is such a Nicki color, and I will definitely be picking one up soon. 🙂
I could never pull this off. Never in a million years. But BRAVO to MAC for their Viva Glam program as a whole. I wish more makeup companies would be that generous.
What I’d like to see for their next collaboration or Viva Glam face would be if they went to another group that they haven’t worked with yet: either Asians, South East Asians, Latinas, or Middle Easterners. Perhaps someone like Salma Hayek, Aishwarya Rai or Zhang Ziyi. There are a lot of possibilities, but I think it would be a lot of fun as a whole. Plus, it enable MAC to have a lipstick colour that may work well with those of us who have more yellow or olive undertones to their skin. 🙂
MAC picks their models based on who is affected the most by HIV and Aids. Black women and Hispanic males are most affected by this. This is why Nicki and Ricky were picked as spokespeople.
I have no issues with whom they’ve picked thus far and you’re certainly right about the statistics. But AIDS and HIV are a universal problem, and MAC seeks to have a message of inclusion. It can’t hurt, after all, this time to focus on other groups, especially as the numbers are rising in other parts of the world. 🙂
You seem to have a great attitude and I really enjoyed your idea for Viva Glam hosting celebrities of different races and logic behind it. I hope for something similar, now that you’ve suggested it. Get on it, MAC! <3
I actually like that idea, too.. I know people of different races have been the faces for viva glam, and the more the merrier. My favorite actually has been the Gaga pink one.. I am in no way a fan of hers lol I just love pink lippies. But I do end up buying at least one or two of these a year because it’s such a good cause
I’m out.
What an awful color. Very Nicki Minaj though…
Simply not an attractive colour at all. Certainly not a lipstick that women in the real world (as opposed to music videos) would find wearable.
i line my lips with nyx purple liner…or plum…..it makes this more wearable and then use also the viva glam nicki gloss that goes with this for a smoother look……
I was going to say the same 🙂
I didn’t get this yet
But I am sure combing it with darker lip liner will make it more wearable!
& I think mixing it with another colors specialy pink or purple shades will work too!
Ew yuck. That makes the lips look like they were dipped in sidewalk chalk. FAIL!
yout comment made me chuckle :’) so true
To those who seem to have lost their manners and imagination- it’s too bad that *you* aren’t able to wear this color. That is YOUR problem. Not mine, nor Christine’s nor anyone else who enjoys this color. You aren’t the style police, thank goodness, and companies like Illamasqua exist to prove you wrong. It’s one thing to express an opinion, another to be just that small minded and impolite.
I haven’t read every single comment here, but are you not allowed to say you dislike something now? Or that this is a shade you’re not able to wear? I get that it’s not your or Christine’s problem that I can’t pull off that color, but I still have a right to say I don’t like it. I think most people here agree that this is a hard one to pull off for MOST PEOPLE. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to wear it to work or whatever if that’s your style.
I do however agree that certain comments like “that shade makes everyone look like trailer park trash” or “that’s an extremely unflattering shade on you, Christine” are insulting and unnecessary.
I haven’t the slightest problem with people not liking the shade- it would be strange for us all to like the same things. But it is as you said, I have trouble with the “value judgement” comments. People should feel comfortable saying “no thanks” yadda yadda- it’s the nasty edge with which they are expressed that I take umbrage.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 100% agree with you! I dislike natural colors, especially bronzed colors b/c 1. They bore me 2. It just doesn’t sit right on my skin 3. It’s aging on me… But I don’t go out there and diss every “natural” color that is released! I accept its what a lot of people like and it’s fine with me that I like more “out there” colors. It truly annoys me when people start bashing bold colors and saying how disgusting it looks and that nobody should wear it >.>
I’m the same way with my colors 😉
Thank you for this. Reading this comment thread has been surreal; Temptalia reader comments tend to be much more positive in general. Why anyone would want to share those feelings here is beyond me. Liking it or not liking it is one thing, but comments like “Yuck!” and “Eww” add nothing substantive to the discussion. Nevermind the posts that attack anyone who might like and wear the shade, calling their taste/class/morals into question.
Makeup is and ought to be creative, and the creative process is subjective by nature. Discussion and criticism are born from interesting work, and can enrich the creative process, causing people to question and evolve their work and their opinions. But when criticism seeks only to destroy, it is no longer useful.
Freedom of speech protects everyone’s right to express themselves. But it does not absolve us from our personal responsibility to judge if our thoughts are worthy of being expressed, and whether they belong in a lively and fruitful discussion.
Very well put. I keep thinking of Sophie Lancaster, yes it is an extreme example but it is born of a zero tolerance policy for those who look different or make style choices different then our own. Years of hanging out with Punks, Rockabillies and Goths has given me a zero tolerance policy for this nonsense. I appreciate difference in opinions, but express it with respect or hold your tongue.
Well said.
I like it 🙂
Everyone has a right to voice their own opinion as long as it is in a respectful way. I dislike very much this color and have the right to say so, however I do believe it should be made, I absolutely do because there are people that will want to use it and love it. However the majority will probably dislike it because it´s an odd very unnatural looking color and when you need many sales for a good cause, you need more wearable, universal colors to increase sales, this I´m afraid is not universaly appealing nor flattering. So even though I agree with the idea of making unusual colors that will be a must have for a select few, when it comes to colors for charity you better make beautiful, universal colors that will increase sales, not dicrease them.
Love this comment. Everything is not for everyone, and that’s ok! It’s fine to not like things, but I always get bummed when I see something I love (Illamasqua Kontrol comes to mind) with a bunch of comments denigrating whoever might actually like the color.
Thank you! I wish people would realize that by calling this color “tacky” they are in turn calling the people who like it tacky as well. Are we not supposed to take personal offence?
It’s certainly a unique color, but I think with my skintone I’d look a bit dead. I really appreciate the idea of Viva Glam though
i love cool toned pinks but this one might be too much for me. that said it is a great cause <3
very pepto :/
not sure why they would use this color when the goal of the product is to sell a lot of it to raise money for charity….
honestly…what percentage of people can wear this other than a few days a year///
Hmm…while it’s not as pale as I was hoping it was going to be, it still looks like a very refreshing color 🙂 Will definitely check it out! Thank you for reviewing, Christine!
I usually stick to nude lipsticks, but I’m picking these one up. Any chance you can post what makeup ( foundation, highlighter) you wore on your face?
Just Giorgio Armani Maestro foundation and Guerlain Wulong to set.
Super pretty, I loved the last two anyway 🙂
I love that MAC comes out with such bold colours and I have no doubt that lots of people can make these shades work but for such an amazing cause such as Viva Glam I wish they would release something more mainstream. I’d love to contribute but it’s the second year I’ll be passing on the lipstick and lipglass 🙁
I think the ‘negative’ comments are just front people that are a bit disappointed. Just as people are allowed to say that they think a shade is amazing, they should equally be able to say they think it’s awful. It may be great for makeup artists but for those of us that don’t want to have to work to pull it off ( by layering lip pencils etc) this colour may not be an obvious choice.
Actually, I think if Christine blotted some of the lipstick and/or added some lipgloss, she’d pull it off rather well. I also think it would depend on the rest of the makeup – blush, eyeshadow, etc. I have a friend who is very pale and very much into colorful/retro makeup, and she also managed to pull this off by adding some warm pink lipgloss to tone down the coolness of the shade.
It’s a quirky, fun kind of color, and the permanent Viva Glam range already has quite a few neutral/classic shades, so why not offer a bolder one now?
Does this leave a stain on the lips like the first Viva Glam Nicki?
No.
I love purple, I love lavender, but I have a warm tone and I’d never be able to pull this off out of the tube. However, I’m quite grateful to those who have posted specific lip liners that help darken or warm up the shade! It’s changed the first view I had on the swatches. As someone who has always been fond of quirky lipstick, I’m actually going to pick up the color now and experiment with some of the suggestions. Many thanks to those readers who found the fun in turning up this shade!
Nay, there are way more flattering lipsticks than this one.
people please give this lipstick a chance I promise you through a lip liner in the mix and it changes this to the most beautiful color! I personally used Mac Magenta and it gave me the most unique barbie/barbie pink
How did you make this work? Do tell!!
I love it! My beauty philosophy definitely skews more towards “fun” than “flattering”, and this is a majorly fun shade!
I completely understand not being able to pull this color off, but I don’t understand the point of insulting other people for liking it. Personally, I don’t necessarily always go for what’s “wearable”, I like off-beat colors and feel comfortable in them. I bought this the first day it was out at cosmetics counters and I’ve already worn it twice. The quality is really nice, it lasted a decent amount of time, and I think the color is really neat.
I don’t really care, at this point, if people think I look “dead” or gross or ugly. I wear what I like, and I think other people should, too.
Yes if I hear ” I look dead in that shade” one more time, I’m liable to go nuclear. Not really but really? Very light colored lips are not what physically distinguish the living from the deceased. Then again I’ve whited out my lips and ringed my eyes in pink, red, orange- I don’t consider any MU look exclusively editorial. I subscribe heavily to the WWKA do? That would be Kevyn Aucoin and I believe he would say if the make up makes you happy- wear it proudly! Never mind convention if convention feels constrictive. I cannot bear to wear some of the most conventional colors, like I really just want to scrub it off immediately and forget the whole incident. But they are just cosmetics and if it makes you feel good, do it. Ironically I’ve been really understated for awhile due to lack of prep time and that actually makes me a bit sad.
It’s like we’re makeup buddies! Neutral-y colors makes me feel extremely uncomfortable, self-conscious, and just sad. I need some color somewhere! Even if it’s just a hint of pink on the lips or cheeks, or I just go nuts xD For me, I either wear nothing at all (which is 95% of the time) or there has to be COLOR. Colors makes me so happy<3
It's been awhile since I've been able to do a more elaborate look too b/c of school and medical reasons. I am determined to crank out some looks this spring break though! Hope you find the time to also do the same! I've missed my babies so much!
I’m 100% in support of wearing what you love – and I wear dark purple and black lipsticks occasionally, which I know aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.
I’m really glad you like this lipstick, and I’m glad that MAC is offering a shade like this, because more variety is better! But, for something like Viva Glam (where the profits go to an important cause), I think it would be better if they chose a more universally flattering shade, like Viva Glam Cyndi or even Viva Glam Nicki I – so they could sell more of them.
I am going to go look for more photos of people wearing this now & see if I can find some where I find it flattering, I would love it see that!
Such a wonderfully worded comment! I completely agree with you and am so glad you tried this color! I bet it looks great 🙂
I love lavender colors but most of them are cool toned and don’t look good on me because my skin tone pulls warm. Christine, do you have any recommendations for warmer toned lavenders?
The best you’re going to get is a pinker lavender, but lavender is generally more of a cool-toned color 🙂
This looks like a (slightly pinker) dupe for Lime Crime’s D’Lilac.
Do you know how this compares to MAC’s St. Germain and Lime Crime’s D’Lilac? Your swatches appear more pink than lavender and I really really wanted a light purple (ie. lilac-ish) lippie! Thanks!
Saint Germain is pinker! D’Lilac is purpler.
Color is definitely NOT my cup of tea, but it’s for a very good cause, so I will buy it. Sometimes goodness trumps unflattering. 🙂
Just realized this lipstick could be the icy lavender blush color I’ve been wanting for forever! Though still wishing it’s more lavender. Maybe setting it with a lilac powder would work! ^-^