MAC Lipstick Collection

My MAC Lipstick Collection + Lip Swatches

I remember when I got my first MAC lipstick. I spent a good 45 minutes at the computer, switching between the MAC website and Google image search trying to compare shades and figure out which one I would like best. I finally settled on Brave, which was and still is my favorite lipstick of all time. The formula of the satin finish lipstick was perfect for me - if I could make my own lipstick, it would pretty much be the same as a MAC satin finish lipstick. And the first color I made would probably be identical to Brave. The only thing I'm not particularly fond of is the classic MAC lipstick vanilla scent, although it has grown on me.

Left to Right: Brave, Finally Free, Twig, Craving

As you can see, I've used Brave a lot. I've never actually finished a lipstick before but I'm pretty sure I'll end up finishing Brave in the next year. And I will absolutely repurchase it. Finally Free is a cremesheen, and it was made with Caitlyn Jenner. At the time I purchased it, 100% of the purchase price went to the MAC AIDS Fund Transgender Initiative, which is the main reason I bought it (I do like the color though). I'm not entirely sure if that's still the case but I do know that as of when I post this it's still available. Twig, a satin finish, is actually quite similar to Finally Free but less glossy. Craving is an amplified finish, which is almost like a more pigmented cremesheen finish to me.

Left to Right: Russian Red, The Fashion Flock, "O"

Russian Red is a matte finish. It's my perfect red - matte, blue-toned, and intense. The Fashion Flock is a matte, and it was limited edition so it's no longer available, at least not through MAC. I don't think it's worth trying to get on eBay or a blog sale though, which I will explain in more detail in the lip swatch section. "O" is my newest MAC lipstick, and it's a frost finish. I would never have gotten it if I hadn't swatched it myself in-store, because in the tube it just looks like a shimmery dark brown, which is pretty but not what I prefer on myself. When you swatch it, though, it's really a lovely purple shade with lots of copper and gold shimmer.

Swatches

Brave (Satin Finish)

Like I've mentioned a couple times already in this post, and excessively in past posts, Brave is my favorite lipstick. If I had to choose one lipstick to wear the rest of my life, it would be this one. Brave is one of those shades that looks good on pretty much everyone. It's not quite a nude, but it's not quite a pink or purple either. It looks different depending on the lighting, but it generally looks like a mid-tone mauve.

Finally Free (Cremesheen)

This shade is another universally flattering one in my opinion. It is a bit more sheer than Brave is, though, so it may look different on you depending on how pigmented your lips are. When I bought it 100% of the purchase price went to the MAC AIDS Fund Trangender Initiative, but I'm not sure if that's still the case. You can still get it though, so if you like it then it's available as of posting.

Twig (Satin)

I wanted a brown lipstick, but I knew most brown lipsticks weren't all that flattering on me, so I went for Twig after seeing some swatches online. It's a lovely rosy brown color that I think looks nice on me. I don't wear it nearly as often as I should.

Craving (Amplified)

Craving is another one I don't wear as often as I should. It's kind of a plum shade, but a little more brown than I would expect from a plum color. I think it's a great fall shade.

Russian Red (Matte)

If you like blue-toned reds, this is for you. It's also highly pigmented, which is an essential quality for a red lipstick in my opinion. And it's matte, which is my preferred finish for bright and bold lipsticks so they don't bleed as easily. Those things as well as how long-wearing it is make this my favorite red lipstick.

The Fashion Flock (Matte)

The camera doesn't show enough detail for it to be obvious here, but it is in real life - this is the patchiest and streakiest lipstick I've used in a long time. And it's a shame, because the color is bright and eye-catching and gorgeous. Even if my lips are in perfect condition, no chapping or cracking at all, this lipstick clings to every tiny little dry patch. You will be able to see every little line and crack in your lips if you wear this. I was so disappointing by this one, especially because it looked like the perfect bright spring shade and I needed one. It was limited edition, so it is no longer available.

"O" (Frost)

I was at the MAC counter in the Macy's in a mall when I first discovered this one. I almost didn't even swatch it because it just didn't look like something I would wear, but I'm so glad I did. It looks like the average brown lipstick but with some shimmer if you just see it in the tube, but when you swatch it, there's way more to it. It's a sheer dark purple base that reflects a coppery-gold, and it shifts from more purple to more coppery-gold depending on how the light hits it. Most people would use this as a lipstick topper, and I'll probably do that too, but I'm loving it on its own right now.

Lipstick Swatches & First Impression

Kleancolor Madly Matte Lipsticks First Impression And Swatches

Yesterday I hauled these lipsticks, and I wanted to do a first impression including swatches. I will swatch them on both the inside of my wrist and on my lips! The shades are, from left to right, Orchard, Brick Rose, Arctic, Catalina, and Liberty. Orchard and Brick Rose are the most wearable shades in my opinion, and definitely the better quality ones, as you will see in the swatches. I haven't worn any of them for a full day yet but it's easy to tell from the swatches that some of them are better than others. I will say that these don't seem to be totally matte either - they range from satin to more of a glossy finish, other than Arctic which is pretty matte but also very patchy.

Orchard is a stunning blue-based dark pink that I can definitely see myself wearing a lot if I end up liking the formula. It's definitely not a really matte finish, it's closer to a satin, but that's what I prefer anyways.

Brick Rose looks more red on camera and in pictures than it does in person, but it does have more red in it than Orchard did. It's basically what you would get if you took Orchard and added some red to it, and I really like it. I think it makes red lipstick more wearable for everyday if red isn't exactly your thing. This one has more shine to it than the last one did.

Arctic is going to end up being a lipstick I use to lighten other lipsticks, because on it's own it's very clingy and patchy. It's also not all that pigmented unless you really build it up. I personally wouldn't wear this on it's own because I think it makes my lips look terrible but I think it will work to lighten other lipsticks. It has more of a true matte finish than any of the others, but that seems to make it patchy and very dry.

Catalina is a really pretty color, almost a blue that I would wear everyday if it were just a little more pigmented. I do have some blue eyeliners that might match this well enough to use as lipliners so that this lipstick would look more opaque, so I plan to try that out. As for the finish, it's closer to a satin than a matte, but I still like it a lot.

The last lipstick I have to show you today is Liberty, a dark blue. I kind of see it as a crayon blue, which ruins it being pretty to me a little bit, but I would still wear it for fun every once in a while. I would probably have to use a blue eyeliner as a lipliner so it would be a little less patchy, but as far as super cheap lipsticks in fun colors go, this isn't all that bad.

So my first impression is that these are worth it. You can get them for a dollar each from ShopMissA and they come in lots of other colors. The shade Arctic is one to avoid if you're going for something to wear on it's own, but if you just want something to mix with other lipsticks to lighten them then it's worth a try. It's hard to find blue lipsticks for drugstore prices, and these are only a $1.00 USD! So I would say that if you want some decent lipsticks and don't want to pay much at all and are willing to risk a few of them not being the absolute best quality, go for it.

MAC Haul

A Small MAC Haul :)

MAC recently dropped the price of their single pan shadows to $6.00 USD, which I think is a great deal so I had to take advantage of it. I believe it's a permanent change, as well! I don't currently have a Z-palette to store them in but I plan to get one after my birthday, so for now I'll just keep them in their cardboard packaging while I'm not using them. I also got a couple of lipsticks that I had been wanting for a while now because I've discovered that I love MAC lipsticks and I want to build up my collection.

I got to choose a free sample, so I went for the Strobe Cream because I already have a sample of the primer and I didn't want a mascara. I tend to prefer matte face makeup, but I'm willing to give this a try.

The first eyeshadow I got was Wedge, which is a very basic light neutral brown, perfect for a crease/transition shade. Before I made this order my only MAC shadow was Amber Lights but I love it and I wanted something I would use everyday.

The second shadow I got is in the shade Motif. It's described on the MAC website as a gold peach with pink pearl, and I think it's absolutely gorgeous. I wasn't expecting it to be as duochrome as it is but it's definitely a pleasant surprise.

The last shadow I got is Cranberry, because not only does it look beautiful but I also heard that it looks great on blue eyes. I'm already starting to love this one.

I got Russian Red! I wanted a classic cool-toned red and Russian Red seemed like the best option so that's what I went with. I only had MAC lipsticks with satin and amplified finishes before this, so I'll have to see how I like the matte formula. I've worn this once so far for about six hours and it wasn't too drying so I'm loving it so far.

This last product has been calling my name since I saw it when it came out a couple of months ago. It's a bright orangey-coral that I think will be perfect for the summertime. It's another matte finish, so I'm really hoping I end up liking the matte finishes from MAC. I originally also wanted the lipstick Among The Fireflies from the Faerie Whispers collection, but it seemed like it might be too brown to look flattering on me.

Makeup Collection: Lips 3

Makeup Collection 2016: Lipstick

I have far too much lipstick for one pair of lips, and yet I keep buying it. Lipstick is my absolute favorite makeup product of all time. This is an excessive amount of lipstick to have at once, but I love all of it and wear many of them often. Since lipsticks are more pigmented than glosses or balms, I included swatches.

This is the Tarte Lipsurgence Power Pigment in Flush, and it is my absolute favorite lipstick of all time. I even have a backup of it. It's a great product, plus the packaging is super cute. I think this color would look good on anyone.

I only have one of the Ulta Matte Lip Creams, the one in the shade Artistic, but I need to get more. They're relatively comfortable for a liquid lipstick, and they dry totally matte. This is a very pretty color as well.

This is a deluxe size of the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw. It can be difficult to apply, but it dries down completely matte and looks stunning. I would consider getting a full size one, but in a color I would wear every day.

I love the packaging on this lipstick! I haven't worn it much yet, so I don't know how good the actual lipstick is, but it's so cute that I have to keep it around.

These are my Rimmel Moisture Renew lipsticks in In Love With Ginger and Nude And The City. These are great lipsticks and they come in tons of different shades.

I have yet to really try out my Bite lipstick duo in Cafe (top) and Pepper (bottom), but they don't seem very pigmented until you layer them. That surprised me because I've heard people rave about how pigmented they are. You can layer them, though, so it's not that big of a deal.

This is my NYC Expert Last lipstick in Forever Fuchsia. It's not really a color I would wear often, but it's always good to have a couple of shades like that for occasions that you want a more out-there lip color. I don't think this is super flattering for my skin color, but it's not too bad.

I rarely use my Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid lipstick in Brazen Berry, but when I want a purple lip, this is what I reach for. It's really creamy, so it doesn't last very well, but it's not drying either.

These are all of my deluxe sized lipsticks. From top to bottom, I have a Too Faced La Creme in Naked Dolly, a Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie in Speak Your Mind, a Bite Beauty Luminous Creme in Palomino, and a Buxom Full Bodied in Menace. They're all great lipsticks, but I especially like the one from Bare Minerals.

These are my Essence Long Lasting lipsticks in Coral Calling and Nude Love. These are just a few dollars, and in my opinion they are comparable to some high-end lipsticks. They're not too drying and they last a long time too.

This is my NYX Extra Creamy lipstick in Castle. I love the color so much, and I can't wait to wear it as much as I can.

Next up I have a NYX Butter lipstick in the shade Pops. I love both the formula and the color. I'm thinking of using this as the lipstick I want to use up this year because I enjoy wearing it so much.

This is a Forever 21 Velvet lipstick in Natural. The formula is incredibly dry and it tugs at your lips as you apply it, so I assume it's drying, but I have yet to wear it for a full day.

This is my E.L.F. lipstick in Flirtatious. I don't wear it enough considering how pretty it is. It's a very nice pinky coral that I think would look good on me.

Last, but definitely not least, we have one of my all time favorite lipsticks - the Wet' n' Wild Mega Last lipsticks. They're a bit drying, but they're so pigmented and long lasting that it's worth it to be. From top to bottom, I have the shades Bare It All, Just Peachy, 24 Carrot Gold, Don't Blink Pink, Stoplight Red, Red Velvet, and Mauve Outta Here. I love every single one of them and I wear them all the time.

Finish Five

Finish Five by February: Mini Lippies!

I have another project pan! This time, I can purchase new lipsticks while I'm using these ones up, but I have to finish all of them by the 1st of February 2016. I've made it easier for myself by including glosses that can go over the lipsticks, and all of the products are deluxe sized samples rather than full sized products. I've included nudes for everyday and reds because that's a nice holiday color.

First up is this little Too Faced lipstick in Naked Dolly. It's a nice nude color that doesn't wash me out, so I look forward to using it.

Next is a Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick in Speak Your Mind. It's slightly nude but mostly pink and it also doesn't wash me out.

This product is a Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Color in Red Amour. It's just a nice, simple red that will be nice around the holidays.

I have another Laura Mercier lippie, a Lip Glace in Blush. I think it'll look good over the two nude lipsticks I included.

Lastly, I'm going to try to use up this Hourglass lipgloss in Icon by using it over the red lipstick.

Lippies Part Three - Lipstick

My Lippies Collection Part Three - Lipstick

This is the third and final part of my lippies collection, lipsticks! I also including a few stains and miscellaneous lip products that didn't really fit into any category. I hope you like it!

First of all, we have my biggest one-product collection, Wet' n' Wild MegaLast lipsticks. I use these a lot, so I have a lot of colors. I did a review and lip swatches of these a while back, if anybody is interested.

Here I have three random lipsticks. I got the one on the left from Dollar Tree, the one in the middle as a gift, and I forget where the one on the right is from.

Next are these Wet' n' Wild lipsticks. The packaging gets messy very easily and I couldn't be bothered to clean them, so they're kinda messy.

After that are these two NYC Expert Last lipsticks. I also have a review and swatches of these on my blog, if anybody is curious.

From left to right, we have a Rimmel lipstick, a Maybelline lipstick, one from NYC, one from Beauty Treats, and one from Burt's Bees.

Next I have two Milani liquid colors and an Essence longlasting lipstick. I got the Milani ones from Dollar Tree and the Essence one from Ulta.

Here are three Wet' n' Wild Natural Blend lip shimmers. I've been trying them out recently and I like them so far.

These are some of my lip crayons. The letters on the one on the outer left have worn off, so I don't know where it's from. The inner left one is from Wet' n' Wild, and the one on the inner right is from Revlon. The one on the outer right is my all-time favorite lippie, which is from Tarte.

Lastly are three e.l.f. stains. They work okay, and they last a long time, but they can be pretty unpigmented.