Hello everyone!

A few days ago, I wrote about the blues and greens from the recent Colour Rocker collection by M.A.C. To facilitate the ease of reading, I have split my review of this massive haul (my biggest to date from a single M.A.C collection) into two (going three) digestible parts. This second installment picks up where I left off and will cover the warms and browns.

Read the first part of the m.a.c colour rocker collection review here.

#7 Yellow You Dare?

Thanks to research and development, even the most unimaginable bright hues have evolved into commonplace liquid lipstick shades with decent coverage in recent years. But it wouldn’t be possible to make bright regular lipsticks a decent ago because fluorescent matte pigments are notoriously hard to formulate. Therefore, it was completely understandable that bright lip colours by M.A.C had always been in crappy, less-than-satisfactory finishes.

This year, M.A.C pushes the boundaries of cosmetic formulation with not one, but several fluoroscent matte lipsticks including a yellow and lime green. While awaiting the latter to reach me from the States, let’s discuss about Yellow You Dare?. A first matte yellow by the beauty giant, this limited-edition warmed yellow skips on the lips a fair bit at the very first swipe but builds to a decently-opaque coat of colour with multiple applications to conceal most of the gaps (and bleeding into the lip lines in the process). Its drying and chalky consistency, however, accentuates every wrinkle on the lips and I also dislike the fact that it does not fade evenly, leaving a patchy pout at the end of the day. Nonetheless, taking into consideration the difficulties in perfecting one, I would say this is a pretty darn good effort 😄

Before you write this collection off as one dedicated only to the adventurous and experimental, take a look at the muddy hues! With more than six tones of brown lip colours to choose from, there is no denying that M.A.C is trying to reinforce the notion that the ’90’s-esque brown lip trend is here to stay. Why wouldn’t it, anyway? Brown is such a universally flattering neutral that anyone would be able to pull it off, so long as you find the right one for your skin tone! Honestly, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t look good with earthy lips!

To get you started on the path to brown lip perfection, here are five (new) brown lip hues from this collection, starting with the lightest:

#8 Mud Wrestler

Let’s get dirrrty with Mud Wrestler, described as a creamy neutral beige with Matte finish. Classified as a warm hue, this limited-edition pale brown has a satin-like finish and goes on mostly opaque with a good slip and glide although it takes me a couple of passes before the colour finally becomes noticeable against my medium skin tone. It leaves a tacky and streaky consistency as well as a drying, crayon-like texture. On top of that, it does virtually nothing to reduce the appearance of my lip wrinkles. The true potential of this shade would probably be realised on light skin tones 😉

#9 Gritty Girl

Not too far off from Mud Wrestler on the colour scale is Gritty Girl, described as a light cool brown with Matte finish. In reality, this limited-edition shade is muted, slightly grey-tinged and goes on smooth and somewhat sheer (as my natural lip colour can still be seen) with a small degree of buildability which gives its lightweight and hydrating texture. It offers a fairly uniform spread of colour after several swipes, topped with a balmy finish and a soft sheen. All’s good except that it fares poorly in the longevity department as it fades away entirely upon taking light snacks.

#10 Cold Hard Cash 

If going by the rule of thumb when it comes to selecting the right shade of lipstick that we should pick a tone one or two shade darker than your natural lip colour, then perhaps Cold Hard Cash fits the bill for me. Described as a creamy neutral brown with Matte finish, the yellow undertones in this limited-edition shade complements my warm skin tone naturally without making exaggerated effort. Besides, there is a good amount of slip to ensure a smooth application. It lends an opaque colour payoff but has a slightly gritty and tacky consistency. This shade is neither drying nor hydrating.

#11 Secret #

If you’re already bored of safe neutrals, perhaps Secret # might just be what you need to amp up your lip game. Another limited-edition shade from this collection, it is described as a dark greyed brown with Matte finish and is ideal for seasoned veterans of the vampy lip look as well as those who are ready to take the plunge and go for something darker (that’s the spirit!). It applies creamy and effortlessly on the lips, leaving an opaque cool ash brown with excellent colour payoff. The grey tint catches light so it doesn’t look like a regular dark brown lipstick (it kinda looks metallic, minus the strong shimmer effect) but at the same time, it also somewhat emphasises the lip lines. It feels hydrating yet mildly tacky on the lips as it is, so some blotting would definitely help in removing some sticky residue (and make it more long-lasting).

#12 Digging It

Complete your grunge look while going a notch deeper with Digging It, described as a rich warm brown with Matte finish. Not for the faint-hearted, this limited-edition deep rustic brown lends a touch of allure and mystery to your bold makeup as it fills the surface of the lips smoothly with a thick and creamy coat of lipstick. Moreover, with its insanely-pigmented and opaque consistency, topped with a subtle sheen to enhance your sultry moue, it is guaranteed to make an impression. It is as dark as it can be on the second swipe not so this shade is not very buildable. Like most of the shades in this collection, it is tacky but feels hydrating on the lips. Well, at least it doesn’t dry the heck out of my lips like most traditional M.A.C matte lipsticks do!

And there you have it, my lengthiest review on a single collection with two more shades en route to Singapore! Keep your eyes peeled on this page for the next part 😊

Thanks for reading!

M.A.C Colour Rocker is now available online and at local M.A.C outlets.

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