MAC Cosmetics

REVIEW: MAC MACnificent Me Mattene Lipsticks – Personal Pick & Power My Spirit

/ Fiona Seah / Leave a comment

Hello everyone!

September saw a mammoth 3-part collection from MAC that launched quite a number of limited edition products. But if you have been keeping tabs on beauty news, you would have probably seen this coming.

MAC MACnificent Me (Ben & Ji Won)

MAC MACnificent Me (Ben & Ji Won)

A year ago, the cosmetics giant announced that they were looking for new faces to front their Fall 2015 collection. But instead of using stereotypical models, they selected six ordinary people (yeah, kinda like the Dove beauty campaign) out of the presumably thousands of participants of the MACnificent Me contest whereby they had to submit a photo of themselves and a 100-word life mantra. The contest was open to international entries from 13 countries across the globe including 5 from Asia Pacific (Australia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand). I remember feeling so bummed out that Singapore wasn’t one of the eligible countries (and I still wonder why?!) because I was really keen in taking part! I mean, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Any makeup lover would die to model for MAC Cosmetics, am I right?

Oh well, at least we get to lay out hands on this gorgeous collection (because MAC isn’t available in many countries)! But as you know me, I’m more interested in the lip products than anything else and this collection has seriously tons of them. Each part of the collection features either the Patentpolish lip pencils, lipsticks or Mattenes (alongside other eye and face products). Not wanting to live off bread alone for the entire month, I only purchased some Mattenes and lipsticks.

MACnificent Me Mattene

MACnificent Me Mattene

MACnificent Me Mattene

MACnificent Me Mattene

MACnificent Me Mattene

MACnificent Me Mattene

The MACnificent Me: Ben & Ji Won collection brings 4 new Mattene shades (in Personal Pick, Strutting Fabulous, Own The Look & Power My Spirit) as well as 5 Pro Longwear Paint Pot (in Stroke My Ego, Nice Composure, Frozen Violet, Stormy Pink & Imaginary), a Kohl Power Eye Pencil (in Feline), a Haute & Naughty Too Black Mascara, 2 Studio Nail Lacquer (in Simply Swinging & Blog This) and a 215 Medium Shader Brush. Not sure why the recent MAC’s obsession with purple but the Mattenes, cream shadow and nail polish are all in different variation of mesmorising purple hues.

Veteran MAC users would be familiar with the Mattene formula as they pop up as part of a new collection almost every year. But for those who don’t, basically Mattenes are Mattes with a creamier finish (maybe a blend of Matte and Cremesheen?) and they are usually packaged in those thin tubes shown above!

I will review the lipsticks on a separate post for easy reading. For now, enjoy my picks from the Mattene range 🙂

#1 Personal Pick

Personal Pick is a midtone cool rose with Mattene finish

Personal Pick is a midtone cool rose with Mattene finish (US$20)

Personal Pick

Personal Pick

Personal Pick

Personal Pick

Personal Pick

Personal Pick

Personal Pick

Personal Pick

Personal Pick

Personal Pick

The only Mattene in this collection that’s not purple, Personal Pick has a lightweight and semi-opaque texture which leaves the lips feeling very moisturised and not too overwhelmed. However, it does tend to accentuate the lip lines a little. For me, it was easy to apply but I found the colour to be not very buildable. Therefore, no matter how much I applied, it still appeared somewhat thin and sheer.

Personal Pick swatch comparison

Personal Pick swatch comparison

Personal Pick doesn’t appear to have a strong vibrancy when swatched on the hand but it does look rather bright on the lips.

#2 Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit is a deep black plum with Mattene finish

Power My Spirit is a deep black plum with Mattene finish (US$20)

Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit

Power My Spirit

The bullet of this lipstick came slightly ragged and based on the images that showed up on my Google search, it seems to be a common problem for this shade. Being partly Matte, it naturally harbours higher expectations from me but once again I was let down by the inconsistent and patchy payoff. Like Personal Pick, it is thin and emollient texture but this appears a lot runnier and harder to manage. When I pursed my lips in attempt to smooth out the colour, the unevenness became worse with an obvious ring around my mouth!

Power My Spirit swatch comparison

Power My Spirit swatch comparison

The poor opacity coupled with the uneven colour distribution of Power My Spirit is so comparable to Which Witch, I thought they were the same shade initially. But much as I disliked the latter (as you could tell from the largely negative review), it definitely performed a lot better than Power My Spirit in terms of colour payoff (more pigmented) and coverage (more opaque).

In conclusion, this purchase is downright disappointing. I had really high hopes for the Mattenes but these just won’t do. It’s so frustrating! The prices for MAC lipsticks keep creeping up but I don’t see the same for their quality :\

What do you think, ladies? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Thanks for reading 🙂

MAC MACnificent Me lipsticks (Mattene) are now available at MACCosmetics.com and at local stores.

REVIEW: MAC x Guo Pei Lipsticks – Zenith & Ethereal Orchid

/ Fiona Seah / 6 Comments

Hello everyone!

China’s most revered haute couturier, Guo Pei, had teamed up with MAC this season to create a collection that is inspired by her “garden of the soul” (the name she gave for this inspiration), merging vibrant jewel tones with rich neutrals and punctuated by deep graphite.

MAC X Guo Pei

MAC X Guo Pei

Virtually unheard of outside of her home country before this collection materialised, Guo is best known in the fashion world for her ornate and elegant gowns which style is influenced by traditional Chinese imperial court design. Hand-sewn, her creations typically take years and a lot of manpower to create. Her work has been featured in many significant events such as the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2015 Met Gala where Rihanna (in)famously donned in her most ambitious empress-style trailing yellow gown and spawned numerous food (e.g. omelette and pizza) memes. Nevertheless, Guo Pei is indeed an incredibly talented fashion designer (she just needs to pick the appropriate person to reinterpret her work)! I stumbled upon some of her runway pieces and instantly fell in love with them. Floral embroidery in oriental colours, the style is so me! If only they are made for normal everyday wear. But then again, it’s not like I would be able to afford them 🙄

MAC x Guo Pei Lipsticks

MAC x Guo Pei Lipsticks (packaging)

In their second collaboration with Chinese designers (after Bao Bao Wan), MAC rolled out a limited-edition collection that features 2 eyeshadow quads (in Morning Light & Night Sky, US$70), 3 gel liners (in Blue Fountain, Darkness of Calm & Palm Tree, US$17.50), 3 lipsticks (in Zenith, Ethereal Orchid & Brave Red, US$30), 3 cremesheen glass (in Bright pink Bouquet, Pale Moon & Love of Roses, US$28), 2 powder blush (in Lotus Blossom & Red Water Lily, US$40), a beauty powder (in Soft Moon Light, US$70) and a pair of brushes (213 Fluff Blush, US$32, & 129 Powder Brush, US$46). Every product in this line – even the brushes – is encased in gold, peony-illustrated fabric stitched along one side. So captivated by the beauty of the design! ❤

MAC x Guo Pei lipsticks

MAC x Guo Pei Lipsticks (casing)

Royally golden metal-like tube... kinda reminds me of Sun Wu Kong's Jingu Bang (Monkey King's golden pole)

Royally golden metal-like tube… kinda reminds me of Sun Wu Kong’s Jingu Bang (Monkey King’s golden pole)

The ingredient list is printed on a separate strip of paper and inserted into the box, just like how it was done for Giambattista Valli collection

The ingredient list is printed on a separate strip of paper and inserted into the box, just like how it was done for Giambattista Valli collection

Unveiling the gorgeous shades of Ethereal Orchid (left) and Zenith

Unveiling the gorgeous shades of Ethereal Orchid (left) and Zenith

Ethereal Orchid (left) & Zenith

Ethereal Orchid (left) & Zenith

I only picked 2 colours from the lipstick line because the third – Brave Red – is a permanent shade which I already have in my stash. Exorbitant is the word to describe the prices for this collection, which correspond to that of Prabal Gurung collection last year. If not for the pretty packaging (well, gotta give props to MAC for knowing how to strike their customers’ soft spots), I wouldn’t have given two hoots about this collection.

But rants aside, I’m sure many of you are curious about the lipsticks (both lustres, by the way like argh, I know right?!).. which probably cost as much as luxury beauty brands like Chanel and Dior *sigh* so let’s get down to the details!

#1 Zenith

Zenith

Zenith is a light nude with Lustre finish (US$30 / S$60)

Zenith

Zenith

Zenith

Zenith

Zenith

Zenith

Zenith

Zenith

Zenith

Zenith

As most of you know, I have a love-hate relationship with lustres…. ok, perhaps leaning more towards the hate spectrum. They are easy to apply but they normally are too sheer to show on the lips. They’re like lip balms with the humectant qualities and all, just more expensive. Zenith here fits perfectly into my perception of lustre lipsticks – very sheer yet lightweight and hydrating.  It glided on smoothly on the lips but provided little to no difference in the lip colour. But that could just be me because of my medium skin tone which unfortunately tend to camouflage nude shades.

However, unlike Lustres I own (and I’ve a box full of them), Zenith somehow manages to conceal my lip lines very well. Although I don’t really like the colour, I was pleased that it didn’t turn out patchy on my lips. The formula surprisingly surpasses my expectations! Whoa, was it me or did MAC improve the quality for this collection to match the steep price?

#2 Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid is a midtone dirty coral with Lustre finish (US$30 / S$60)

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

Ethereal Orchid

In another turn of events, I found myself enjoying the second Lustre lipstick tremendously. The colour is gorgeous and noticeably different (already received compliments from a friend on this shade) and the coverage is impressive because it doesn’t leave streaky marks behind. Furthermore, the soft sheen adds radiance to my dull lips and make it more healthy-looking and plump. It felt almost like the Huggable formula, just less clingy and definitely wouldn’t last as long.

Swatch comparisons

Swatch comparisons

You can probably find a cheaper dupe for Zenith but Ethereal Orchid is a unique shade for sure! At least for MAC. Still, much as I love these lipsticks (I thought they were going to be another disappointment like the Cinderella lipsticks but thankfully they’re not), I don’t think it’s worth the hefty price tag. I take consolation that I had actually paid for two designer lipsticks.

What are your thoughts? Share them with me in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

MAC x Guo Pei is now available on Maccosmetics.com and at Tangs at Tangs Plaza.

REVIEW: MAC x Brooke Candy Lipstick in Which Witch

/ Fiona Seah / Leave a comment

Hello guys!

Whenever MAC Cosmetics announces a celebrity collaboration, the beauty community would normally be in a complete hysteria. But when news on the collaboration with American YouTube sensation-turned-pop rapper Brooke Candy broke, it was largely met with perplexity because nobody knew who the star in question was, not even myself despite being relatively in tune with the latest trends in music and fashion.

Not really fond of those brows, though

Not really fond of those brows, though

But even so, this seemingly unknown artiste somehow managed to clinch a partnership deal with the cosmetics giant to launch not one, but two collections. The first which had released in late August was a miniature online-exclusive with two lipsticks (Mind Control and Which Witch, US$17 each) and a black liquid eyeliner (Boot Black Intense Black, US$21).

I’m always very excited about celebrity beauty campaigns because products that come out from such collaborations had mostly been phenomenal and one-of-a-kind, colour or packaging-wise. However, MAC failed to hype me up with this one. As a MAC fanatic, I was absolutely underwhelmed by the not-so-exclusive black eyeliner and the uninteresting choice of lipstick shades – a bright cherry red (..not another red..) and a deep plum. I had expected more from a collection that’s supposed to serve as a prelude to a bigger one that’s set to launch in 2016.

MAC probably realised that so they tried to mask it with a graffitied sleeve over the regular lipstick box to appease the packaging whores. Good try, but nope.

I might have been less upset if the graffiti was done on the tube instead

I might have been less upset if the graffiti was done on the tube instead

Obviously displeased with this collection but still eager to lay my hands on a limited edition MAC product, I carted out just one lipstick (as opposed to my usual ritual of buying all the shades if it’s a mini collection). Wanna make a guess which shade I picked up? No prize for getting the right answer, though.

MAC Which Witch

MAC Which Witch

Of course it has to be the deep plum! I’ve lost count of the number of times MAC has released another Russian Red-esque lipstick. The last time I bought a similar red MAC lipstick, I ended up selling it away. But how did Which Witch fare? Let’s find out!

Which Witch is a deep plum with Amplified Creme finish (US$17)

Which Witch is a deep plum with Amplified Creme finish (US$17)

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

Which Witch

There’s an old saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Here, I’ve provided you with four, and that’s more than enough for you to make your own judgement whether you should hunt it down (if you missed the launch).

Correct me if I’m wrong, but when did Amplified Creme become a Lustre clone? The finish for Which Witch is horrendous and nothing like the Amplified Creme lipsticks I already own. It got streakier and patchier the more I tried to build it up and it feathered upon application! It’s unbelievably frustrating. I wanted to use a lip liner to stop the feathering but with such slippy consistency, my lips would most likely end up with just the unsightly lip liner mark at the end of the day.

But having said that, Which Witch did leave a slightly hydrating and supple feeling on the lips and it may actually work better as a tint too.

Swatch comparison

Swatch comparison

In short, this small makeup collection was nothing short of a disappointment. But this could be a blessing in disguise because that means more money to spare for the Guo Pei collection! Hooray!

What do you think of this collection? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

MAC X BROOKE CANDY (PART 1) is a limited edition, online-exclusive collection and is no longer available on the website.