REVIEW: MAC Red Red Red Lipsticks – Toxic Tale and 5 Alarm

Hello ladies!

Hope you’re soaking up the Chinese New Year atmosphere wherever you are! I’ve been eating too much goodies lately that I’m starting to feel under the weather. On the bright side, I’m glad to have fallen sick before CNY because I had gotten ill during the festive season once and the feeling sucked. With understanding colleagues who allowed me to take a day off from work during this hectic time of the year to recuperate from my fever, I’m sure I’ll be back up and running in no time! 🙂

I hate being sick. I don’t want to sit idle at home! So how about another lipstick review, hmm? 🙂

And speaking of the Chinese New Year, have you ladies chosen your perfect red lipstick to go with your outfit? If none of the lipsticks in my FAVOURITE list managed to entice you, hopefully one of the two I’m about to feature would! *fingers crossed*

I'm pretty sure this collection is targeted at those celebrating the Chinese New Year. Look, even the model in the promotional poster is Asian!

I’m pretty sure this collection is targeted at those celebrating the Chinese New Year. Look, even the model in the promotional poster is Asian!

And yes, I know the MAC Red Red Red collection was launched online like eons ago, and recently at Singapore MAC outlets. Please pardon my tardiness this time. If you’ve gotten your lipsticks, good for you! If you haven’t and are still undecided on what to get, read on! This post would only take 5 minutes (or less) of your time 😉

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Other lipstick shades not featured in this post are See Sheer (Grapefruit pink with Lustre finish) and Lady Bug (Yellow tomato with Lustre finish). This collection also includes a series of other eye and face products. Check out the full list here.

I only carted out Toxic Tale and 5 Alarm from this collection because the other two shades are already in the permanent range (i.e. they are available anytime). I also vaguely remember owning Lady Bug, just can’t really remember where I put it now. 😳

To be honest, all four shades look extremely gorgeous and wearable. They are versatile and not as striking as say, Ruby Woo or Lady Danger, and are suitable for all sorts of occasions. I’d highly recommend that you get all of them if you have the means. Otherwise, just pick any of the limited edition ones before they’re sold out!

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Lustre vs Satin

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5 Alarm and Toxic Tale

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Swatches! From left: Toxic Tale and 5 Alarm

Let’s begin with Toxic Tale!

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Toxic Tale is a bright coral with Satin finish

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Toxic Tale bottom label

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Toxic Tale swatch

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Toxic Tale before and after

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Toxic Tale is actually a re-promote from the Venomous Villains collection launched in 2010. Back then, it was only US$15.50 despite the more fanciful packaging with the Snow White’s Evil Queen face printed on it. Now, the price has gone up by 50 cents even though no significant changes was made to the packaging (except that the Queen’s face is no longer there). Argh, inflation.

But price aside, I’m elated that it’s back! I’m in love with this colour and it’s definitely one of the few corals that looks flattering on my skin tone. Other coral shades I wore appeared to be either too bright or too orangey on me. This one is just perfect! I’ve also worn this to work several times and I must say that I’m impressed by its longevity.

Moving on to 5 Alarm!

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5 Alarm is a soft orange red with Lustre finish

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5 Alarm bottom label

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5 Alarm swatch

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5 Alarm before and after (oops, sorry for the blurry image)

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Adding on to my favourite MLBB lipstick list is 5 Alarm, a nice semi-sheer lipstick with a luminous sheen. It is the only brand-new shade from this collection. I love it because it makes my lips look super hydrated (hides all the awful lip wrinkles) and healthy but like other MAC lipsticks with Lustre finish, it does not last very long on the lips, so be prepared for touch-ups every now and then. If you’re looking for something more subtle, this should do for you!

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Swatch comparisons!

These are what I got. What about you, ladies?

Share with me your thoughts in the comments below! 🙂

Psst.. all four shades are (surprisingly) still available online! Go grab them now before it’s too late!

Thanks for reading! ❤

REVIEW: MAC Lipstick in Hautecore

Hey everyone!

Sorry for the lack of updates once again. There was a delay in the shipment of my latest batch of lipsticks (purchased before Christmas last year) so this review comes a little late. But it’s better late than never, right? 😉

If you’ve been following my blog, you’d know how much I adore dark lipsticks. The darkest shade of lipstick I had was Film Noir, which I absolutely love by the way, and I thought that was the darkest MAC could go but boy, was I ignorant! To my surprise, MAC had previously launched a black lipstick back in 2013 on Black Friday that was bound to make dark and vampy lipstick lovers pulsate with excitement. Of course, I wasn’t aware of the release because I hadn’t gotten into the whole lipstick craze then. It was available exclusively online and for that one day only.

Last December, the folks at MAC decided to bring it back again (yay!). Likewise, it was only for a day (near-midnight of 16 December in Singapore) and still an online-exclusive product. Hautecore sold like pancakes and it was all gone within hours of release. Thankfully I got mine and I’m so eager to share my thoughts about it with all of you!

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Hautecore is a true matte black with a Matte finish

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Bottom label

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Swatch of Hautecore

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Before and after comparison

Hautecore is the ultimate black which goth wannabes would die for. If you’re into Halloween parties, you may also like this. But be warned.. you will definitely get weird stares from passersby with Hautecore on because black lips are just so rare. Go for it only if you’re comfortable with standing out from the crowd and being the centre of attention!

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Coincidentally dressed to match the lipstick!

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Line your lips with a similar shade lip liner to get plumper and fuller-looking lips!

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Put on a pair of shades and you’re ready to conquer the streets of Orchard!

It glides on well on my lips and despite having a Matte finish, it doesn’t feel dry at all. In fact it has a slight glossy feel which could possibly cause it to bleed (not sure about this as I haven’t tried wearing it for long hours). It doesn’t completely cover my natural lip colour so you can actually still see tinges of pink emanating from below the lipstick upon closer look, giving it a slight purple tint under sunlight. But I don’t think there is another shade that’s darker than this.

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Comparison with other dark shades I have in my stash!

Hautecore, however, is now sold out on MACCosmetics.com. If you’re interested, you may try searching for it on online marketplaces. But with such popularity, I’m sure this would be brought back again towards the end of the year. No promises, though!

Thanks for reading! ❤

FAVOURITES: 13 Red Lipsticks

Hello ladies!

Sorry for the lack of updates! I am into my second week of internship and my schedule has been pretty packed with work, events and other activities, leaving me with no time for leisure. Only managed to squeeze in time to blog today since my Mom made me dinner at home.

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It has been 4 months since my last FAVOURITES entry and I’m pleasantly surprised that the series has reached out to so many lipstick fanatics like myself! *waves* Thanks for the support, guys! And yes, I know I promised a continuation somewhere in my MLBB post. Well, this is it! It took a long while to be up because of my decreased presence at home, which had only allowed me to do shorter reviews like new M.A.C launches. To make up for the wait, I’ll be featuring 13 of my favourite red (any shade of red) lipsticks instead of the usual 10! Yay to more lip goodness! 🙂

Love dark lipsticks? Check out what top my list here! Or here if you’re into nude lipsticks 🙂

(Actually I just couldn’t choose lol)

If you’re still searching for a perfect red lipstick, look no further! For all you know, you could just find one right here 🙂 Even if you’re not a huge red lipstick person (like me), I feel that you should invest in at least one for special occasions like proms, weddings and your company’s Dinner & Dance!

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Overview. Do you own any of these?

If you’re surprised to see so many M.A.C lipsticks topping my list, you must be new here. I’m an absolute devotee of M.A.C so naturally more than 70% of my lipstick stash are from the said brand.

I’m gonna kick off the list with some recently-launched and reviewed-before M.A.C lipsticks just to create suspense.

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The first 3 (from left): MAC in Strange Journey, Oblivion and Stunner.

1. M.A.C in STRANGE JOURNEY

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Strange Journey is a yellowish brick red with Matte finish.

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The Halloween collection in 2014 did offer some of the best reds I’ve ever seen from MAC and one of them was Strange Journey. It wasn’t the most popular choice from that collection (sold out nonetheless) because according to some people, it’s too orangey? But look, it doesn’t appear like that on my lips right? 😀

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C’mon, it’s really not that orangey!

Read more about it here.

2. M.A.C in OBLIVION

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Oblivion is a vivid blushred with Amplified finish.

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As you can tell from my lips, Oblivion is slightly hydrating and opaque, a bit like lip tint. It’s my favourite red lippy at the moment.

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In fact, all the lipsticks from The Rocky Horror Picture Show collection are drop-dead gorgeous!

Read more about it here.

3. M.A.C in STUNNER

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Stunner is a clean red with Matte finish.

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One-third of the MAC x Nasty Girl collection and the least popular of the lot, it is no doubt a very dupe-able shade. MAC has a couple of colours similar to this. Hence, it took quite a long while to sell out (when the other two shades were already gone by the end of the launch week). But still, it’s still a very pretty shade of red, isn’t it? 🙂

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I find it to be very flattering on my skin tone!

Read more about it here.

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The next 4 (from left): MAC in Ruby Woo, Lady Danger, Russian Red and M.A.C Red.

4. M.A.C in RUBY WOO

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Ruby Woo is a very matte vivid blue-red with a Retro Matte finish.

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Like the other Retro Matte lipsticks I own, Ruby Woo tends to be a bit more drying, so multiple applications are needed to completely fill the lips. And while you’re at it, you’d feel like you’re colouring your lips with a red crayon (the dryness and inconsistency). It takes a little more effort to be removed.

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But it’s very long-lasting and it gives the perfect matte texture! This explains why it’s one of MAC’s best sellers.

5. M.A.C in LADY DANGER

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Lady Danger is a vivid bright coral-red with Matte finish.

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Highly raved and recommended by lipstick users and on beauty magazines around the world, Lady Danger has proven to be one of the best orange-red lipsticks in the market. Perfect for fall, it can be a little drying though (I think this is a common problem for the older MAC Matte lipsticks) but it’s not as bad as Ruby Woo.

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Looks better on fairer skin.

6. M.A.C in RUSSIAN RED

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Russian Red is an intense bluish-red with Matte finish

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Russian Red to me is like a cousin of Ruby Woo – both are the ultimate timeless red lipsticks that lovers of sultry lips would know for sure.

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But it’s better than Ruby Woo because it glides more smoothly and it definitely didn’t make me feel like my lips are peeling from the rough application.

7. M.A.C in M.A.C RED

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M.A.C Red is a vivid bright bluish-red with Satin finish.

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Another lipstick with a gorgeous sheen that leaves behind a lip tint-like stain after a few hours of wearing.

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It’s smooth and doesn’t feather despite it being creamy.

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The next 3 (from left): MAC in Chili and Viva Glam Rihanna, Chanel Rouge Allure in 99 Pirate.

8. M.A.C in CHILI

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Chili is a brownish orange-red with Matte finish.

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Swatched it on my hand before purchase and fell in love with it instantly (plus, MAC was having a collaborative sale with Sephora ION at that time!) It’s not your typical red – it’s a sophisticated red that doesn’t appear too “intimidating” like the others.

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Love it but don’t think I pull off the look. I’m sure it’d be very flattering on warmer skin tone 🙂

9. M.A.C in VIVA GLAM RIHANNA

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Viva Glam Rihanna is a blue-red with Frost finish.

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Rihanna is no stranger to the MAC community. Having worked with MAC twice (or thrice?), she has produced countless of incredibly gorgeous lipsticks (hate myself for not getting anything from her 2013 Holiday collection). This one I’m holding right here is no different. The frost finish leaves your lips looking moisturised and healthy.

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Andddd I love that it is not in the standard packaging too. *thumbs up*

Moving on from M.A.C…

10. Chanel Rouge Allure in 99 PIRATE

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99 Pirate is a blue-red with a beautiful sheen.

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Originally released in 2012, it was recently repromoted in the new Allure Rouge range with an improved formula that helps keep lips supple and protected. I saw it once on BoA (one of the pioneers in K-Pop) and thought it really looked pretty on her. Heh.

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The new formula also made it more pigmented!

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High-end brands differentiate themselves with their unique packaging. Chanel uses the push-to-open mechanism for easy handling.

Of course, being an ardent fan of Urban Decay, how can it not be on my list, right? 😉

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The final 3 (from left): Urban Decay in 69, F-Bomb and Bang. (yes, all the sexual connotations)

11. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 69

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69 is a bright red with pink undertone.

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My favourite red from Urban Decay, it’s very pigmented, moisturising and has a very nice cool undertone.

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It’s prettily bold and extremely emollient. LOVE IT TO BITS! (In case you’re wondering, Catfight is way darker and pinker, hence it does not qualify to be on this list)

12. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-BOMB

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F-Bomb is a classic red.

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Extremely creamy with a not-so-strong blue undertone, this is even redder than the reddest MAC lipstick in my stash. It’s probably called F-Bomb because it transforms the user into a bombshell with this insanely pigmented red. A mini version of F-Bomb is also included in the Full Frontal Lipstick Stash.

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Forget about red undergarments. This red lipstick is sure to bring you lots of luck and fortune at the gambling table this Chinese New Year 😀

13. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in BANG

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Bang is a bright orange-red.

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The “Lady Danger” of Urban Decay, it actually bears a stark similarity to the popular orange-red MAC lipstick but this is a tone darker. It is also more buttery and saturated.

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This bold colour will turn heads on the streets!

And finally, some swatches to conclude this post:

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Swatch of all the featured shades! Whoops, my poor planning led to the mess towards the end hehe. But yes, some of them are really dupes of each other!

And there you go, different variations of reds to choose from for a more glamourous look. 😉

What do you guys think? Feel free to share with me some of your favourite red lipsticks in the comments below! I believe there are some mention-worthy red lipsticks, or cheaper dupes which you can get from drugstores at half the price of those featured here.

That’s all for this post! Thanks for reading 🙂

Read also:
FAVOURITES: Top 10 Dark Lipsticks
FAVOURITES: Top 10 MLBB Lipsticks