Make Up 101: Introduction in tho the Cult of M.A.C (Part 2-Lip Sticks)

Hi Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

The M.A.C* attack of November continues as I launch straight into my make-up 101 on M.A.C lip Sticks!  My last post on M.A.C Face Products gave an overall look at why people (myself included) love M.A.C and the current products I own and enjoy. In this post I'm talking about the product that M.A.C is probably best known for--Lipstick!  Due to the complexity of this topic, I'm not getting into Lip liners, long wear lipsticks, or Lip glosses.  We'd be here for hours! For now, you'll have to accept this post is just about those iconic black bullet shaped lipsticks (and some other lip products are mentioned in there as well).  I hope this helps you out!

Photo byNanankkii.  I will gladly remove if asked!  She's a great blogger, check her out!

M.A.C Lipstick Finishes:
In order to talk about the famous and most sought after lipsticks, you have to talk about the different formulas (aka "Finishes"). Compared to other brands of lipstick, they are all very long wearing, comfortable, pigmented, and everything you would want out of a lipstick.

Matte: As the title would say, Matte has no shimmer.  Its mostly pigment so it lasts a long time and has a rich color.  It is also probably the most drying.  
Satin: It has a slight shimmer and is slightly more moisturizing.  However, your color pay off is quite good.
Amplified: While very close to the Matte lipsticks in terms of color pay off, the Amplified finsihes are much less drying.
Amplified Creme: High color pay off but quite moisturizing and has a glossier finish. They do not wear as long and you have to be careful about the color bleeding a bit.  However, they are very comfortable to wear!
Cremesheen: Creamy, glossy finish, and a shorter wear time.  That being said, it is very popular because it comes in so many shades and is very mosisturizing (creme=moisture!)
Lustre: A glossier and more sheer formula.  If you like more of a subtle lip look, head towards the Lustre.  They also tend to have a bit of subtle shimmer.     
Frost: High sparkle alert!  Want more dazzle?  This one is for you 
Glaze: The sheerest of M.A.C lipstick formulas.
 

Color Reviews:
As you read the reviews below you can see that I don't have a million M.A.C lipsticks (yet!).  While this might happen over time, I have really invested in the basics: 1) dark vampy color; 2) my lips but better; 3) classic red; 4) nude.
If you just are starting out I think these are great place to start!

Media-Satin
How much do I love Media** for the fall? Let me count the ways.
1) It is a deep red wine color that can really add edgy-ness to your look.
2) It is part of their permanent collection so never fear, it will always be around!
3) Paired with M.A.C's "Nightmoth" lip pencil (also permanent collection), you can get the same color as Rhianna's photo from her "RiRi Loves MAC" collection (featuring her "Talk That Talk" lipstick) for waaaay less that it is currently going for on Ebay.  And yes, totally sold out limited edition. *le-sigh*.  Nightmoth is a really dark almost brown color.  With Media, they become that sexy Rhianna color below! Hooray!

Media is a gorgeous rich color but can be intimidating for beginners.  To wear it (and other really dark/bold lipsticks, more advanced make-up techniques (such as use of lip liners, primers, and concealer around the edges) is really useful to make this color not feather around the edges and really make this look good.  Let me know in the comments if you want a post with details on wearing bold lipsticks!

Viva Glam V-Lustre
Vival Glam lipsticks are awesome because every cent of the selling price of of "Viva Glam"products are donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund to support men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS.  Very cool right?  So is the pink packaging!  I love "Viva Glam V" because it is a "my lips but better" color.  It enhances my natural lip tones and adds a very subtle sparkle.  It is one of those lipsticks you don't need a mirror to use.  It is fairly moisturizing and is really just a beautiful hassle free lip color.  I think it is a great starter color to get you used to wearing lipstick and looking gorgeous in seconds!

Prepare for Pleasure- Cremesheen
This is a limited "Divine Night" holiday collection lipstick.  But any red you love in the cremesheen finish is a total must have!  I'm a huge sucker for the black with gold packaging.  So pretty!  This color specifically is a true holiday and cheerful red.  It is is not cool undertoned or overly warm/orangey.  It is pretty much the most classic of bright reds that I can think of.  If you ask your local M.A.C representative, I'm sure they can find you a similar color from their permanent collection.  But if you can get your hands on this bright red, it will be a staple in your collection forever!

 
Velvet Teddy-Matte
The perfect nude for your skin tone.  It's hard to find so I suggest going into your local M.A.C store.  You want it to play down your lips but have enough color that you don't look like you are a sick zombie.  The perfect nude (in my opinion) is matte because you are trying to down play your lips.  Nude lips let you play up your blush and eyeshadow without looking like a clown.  If you love smokey eyes, you should get familiar with your perfect nude lip color as well.  If you want to make extra sure you don't over do the nude lip, a complementary matte lipgloss will add some shine to make them pop a little.  I really like M.A.C's "Underage" lipglass on top of "Velvet Teddy".

MAC Prep and Prime-Lip Primer:
Bonus review! While I will probably have a full post on wearing bold/bright/dark lipsticks, this review will also help you with that!   The prep and prime glides on to clean lips and provides a bit of moisture.  Then you apply your lipstick and then perfect your lines with a lip pencil.  That bold lipstick is going nowhere until you start eating or drinking.  And even then, if you do that carefully, touch ups will be very minimal.  This stuff really works to help fill in and make your lips perfect before applying any lipstick.  It totally works with your non-M.A.C lipsticks too!  I have tried a lip primer product from E.L.F before and it simply was no comparison to this.  The E.L.F one actually made my lipstick slip more! 






Pricing: As far as pricing goes, your typical lipstick is going to run you $15 USD.  This includes all of the standard finishes.  If you are buying from a special or limited collection, you are looking at about $16.50 USD.  $15 USD also buys you a standard lip pencil or lip glass.  The prep and prime is totally worth the $16 USD.  So as far as quality vs. price goes, I think it is excellent!  While it's twice or more what a drugstore product costs, the jump in consistently great quality is pretty significant.  While there are good drug store lipsticks, it is harder to find.  Pick up a M.A.C lipstick and you will be completely satisfied.  In contrast, Chanel and other designer brands have $50 lipsticks. I have no idea what those could do that M.A.C lipsticks couldn't. I can't say that I have bought any because I simply would rather have three M.A.C lipsticks than one designer.  

I hope you liked this M.A.C Lipstick post and please think about subscribing to my blog!  Thank you so much for reading!


 

Shine & Sparkle!
 
*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.
**Unless otherwise stated, photos of M.A.C products are copyright of M.A.C cosmetics.  I will gladly take them down is asked or someone throws a hissy-fit.

Make Up 101: Introduction in tho the Cult of M.A.C (Part 1-Face Products)

M.A.C. Attack!  Hi Shine and Sparkle Readers, it's M.A.C. November!

All of the images on this post belong to M.A.C cosmetics.  They are way better photographers of their products than I am.  Like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit.

Yes, this long post is just about M.A.C. face products*.  "Part 2-Lip Products" will be your second Shine and Sparkle Report later this month.

So call me late to the party, but I have finally come to understand the phenomenon which is known as "M.A.C. obsession".  Long renown for amazing lip sticks, full coverage foundations, and super pigmented and bendable eye shadows, M.A.C is a staple of make-up culture.  While their products are not as high priced as Chanel or Givenchy, their products are pretty pricey for those who frequent the drugstore shelves. I have recently done a lot of shopping at M.A.C.  Do I need more beauty products?  Absolutely not.  But as work rears its stressful head, M.A.C. has been the focus of my retail therapy (it ends up being the same as a few therapy sessions or a few months of yoga classes right?).

What makes M.A.C. such a cult?  Maybe it's because of it's long standing history of great products and awesome customer service.  While I have found this to be true,  I have to say it's also a result of good pricing for good results and GENIUS marketing.  Sleek, clean, and professional grade packaging for their core collections.  Absolutely stunning limited edition collections which feature new colors, creative packaging, and a wide range of themes and celebrity endorsements that keep people wanting more.  A great example is recent Rhianna's latest "RiRi" collection featuring rose gold packaging and bold pallets that sold out in minutes and crashed their website.  If you were lucky enough to get some of this coveted (in obviously purposeful short supply) collection you can mark up that $15 lipstick for $50+ on eBay.  Was I lucky enough to get any RiRi items?  Sadly no *cries*.  The whole M.A.C culture is completely ridiculous in a lot of ways, but I'm going to admit...it's addictive.  In fact, I'm currently so obsessed I'm going to break my one-image rule.  *Shock and awe!*
 
Maybe you are not quite as interested in spending hours at the M.A.C. store as I am and want some guidance on their products.  Maybe you have beauty voyeuristic tendencies and just want to know what I liked enough to buy.  Maybe you a looking for details and pros/cons before you think of investing in some M.A.C items.  Maybe you are just reading because you love me (thanks!)  No matter what your motivations, here is my recent purchases and reviews!  Quick Note: You'll notice that I kinda ding M.A.C a lot for not having really skin-loving ingredients.  This is because they tend to go for "great makeup" rather than "good for your skin".  I tend to use their products on date nights, special occasions, and events.  For daily trips to the office?  I'd go with something else for the health of your skin.

Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 ($27 for 1fl oz):  

My color is "NC (neutral cool) 25".  The M.A.C. sales girl matched me on the first try!  Being of Chinese decent, my skin has a gold undertone which is often hard to match.  This looks amazing and natural. 

• Pros: It is as M.A.C. claims: "A modern foundation that combines a natural matte finish and medium, buildable coverage with broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 protection. Applies, builds and blends easily and evenly. Comfortable and long-wearing, helps minimize the appearance of pores and imperfections, giving skin a smoother, more flawless look and finish."  I really do not think I could be any more concise than this description.  I love that this line has a HUGE range of colors. 
• Cons:  Unfortunately there a few things that are not the best about this foundation.  Number one has to be the packaging.  Open that black top and it's a big opening.  No pump.  This means you have to worry about bacteria getting into the whole product and causing break outs.  Mini-Tip: Tap out product onto your hand or a clean nonabsorbent surface (plate, ziplock baggies etc.)  Then apply with a clean brush, clean fingers, clean sponge--basically try not to touch the bottle opening to things that are not clean. Also, this opening is not large enough so that the product comes out easily.  Risk of too much product coming out is high, and tapping all the product to the top with the (cap still on) before hand is a must.  I'd say store it upside-down, but the curved lid makes that suggestion really obnoxious as well.  The only other con I have is that it is not really "healthy" for your skin.  There are no skin care ingredients, it contains talc, and parabens.  Just make sure your really thoroughly remove it and stick to a good skin care routine.  Hopefully, you wont have any problems.  
• Overall:  I would highly recommend.  Preforms like a $50+ Foundation for sure!

Mineralize Skinfinish ($30 for 10g):

I got the color "Soft and Gentle". Looks great all over my Studio Fix Fluid.  I was worried that the pinkish tint and slight shimmer would not look natural at all.  Lies.  It looked AMAZING!

• Pros: Works great to set your make up and the minerals really help absorb excess shine.  It also just give such a flawless finish that it looks like your foundation covered skin is 100% your natural skin.  Many powders advertise that your will look flawless and natural.  This one truly delivers.  There is also a great amount of product in this compact.  Even with daily use, this will last a good long time.  

• Cons: This particular color looks best on medium skin tones as an all over setting powder.  I think it might not look as natural on light skin.  I don't think it would do much for dark skin either.  It would be great as a highlighter or eyeshadow on light skin, but might look strange on very dark skin.  There is also a "Mineralize Skinfinish Natural" line that has less adventurous setting colors and an equally pretty, light coverage, mattifying effects.  I plan to check those out next.  This is a mineral powder so somewhat healthier for your skin in general, not great on the skin-care side.
• Overall:  M.A.C. skinfinsh products are a "must have" product. 

Bronzing Powder ($25 for 10g):

Also a generously sized product, I got this one for contouring/bronzing so I went with the "Matte Bronze" color.

• Pros: This is finely milled and has good pigmentation without being so pigmented that you have to worry that you are going to end up looking like a clown.  For bronzing, you can be somewhat casual about your application and it will still add a beautiful healthy color to your face.  For contouring it is very buildable and bendable, allowing you to create fabulous effects.  As any good bronzing powder, it does not make you look orange or unnatural at all! Hooray!
• Cons:  This really doesn't work at all on dark skin tones.  It actually is very subtle on my medium skin tone.  It probably packs the most punch on  lighter skin tones.  Also, like the Studio Fix Fluid, it really has no redeemable skin care value.  Talc, parabens, all that jazz.  M.A.C. is all about gorgeous make-up, they don't really cater much to the "healthy skin" crowd.
• Overall: While I really like this bronzing powder, I think for light skin tones it's a must.  For Medium it's a take or leave it (I probably will not repurchase).  And if you have dark skin, forget this product, you will be disappointed. 

Mineralize Blush ($25 for 3.5 g):

Photo by BeautyByT.  I will gladly remove if asked!  She's a great blogger, check her out!

I got the color "Warm Soul".  This is the only product that I think the M.A.C picture just doesn't reflect the actual color very well.  So I borrowed a better picture from a fellow blogger.  BeautyByT reviewed this blush as well and had a great image!

• Pros: This has beautiful uses on all skin tones.  When you get to very tan to very dark, I'd say this could be a really pretty highlighter.  As a blush this shows up different on every person. The sales girl with light skin had is show up more rose gold on her skin.  It takes on a dusty peach on me.  I love it as an every day blush, with or without highlighting/contouring.  It has a slight glow but does not look unnatural.  No huge chunks of glitter.
• Cons: If you bought this because you wanted real shine or heavy glow to your cheeks this is not for you.  Despite its glitzy appearance, it is a poor choice for your unicorn costume.  Also, I feel that the M.A.C blushes are a bit over priced.  $25 gets you 10g of bronzing powder and skin finish.  While you need less blush (at least I hope you aren't putting it all over your face) I still feel a bit sad its the same price as large powder products.
• Overall: This is a beautiful blush with a subtle glow for any occasion.  This is great if you have a variety of other more classic blush colors from other places in your collection and want the perfect color that stands out from the plethora of pinks and berry tones out there.  I mean really people, how many shades of pink can there be?  This one actually stands out.

  




Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.