My MAC Lipstick Swatches & Reviews!

Mac Lipstick Swatches, €18.50 per lipstick. No press samples featured.

I’ve been a fan of MAC lipsticks since before I could afford MAC lipsticks. Most of the first shades I bought are gone, and thank God for that –  my teenage self picked some manky colours.

I’ve got a nice mix at the moment, and have swatched ’em all for your perusal.

So, a few housekeeping points. I didn’t use lip liner, because I thought that would interfere with the shade and opacity. The pictures were taken over a few weeks, so I have fake tan on in some and switched foundations a lot. All pictures were taken under studio lights.

That’s it! Onto the MAC lipstick swatches!

MAC Crosswires Lipstick Swatch (Cremesheen)

MAC describe Crosswires as a ‘clean pinky orange’. I think it’s more muted than that – a kinda tawny coral.

It’s a cremesheen, so feels moisturising and has a finish that is a little bit glossy. I tend to pair this with a liner, as its creamy texture doesn’t lend itself well to total opacity.

I think its longevity is average, just what you’d expect from a creamy lipstick. It won’t wipe off like gloss, but it will fade in around 3 to 4 hours.

MAC Snob Lipstick Swatch (Satin)

A proper sixties pink. It’s listed as a ‘light neutral’, but I think it’s got a pretty obvious cool, blue base.

Its texture, satin, is not as unforgiving as a fully matte product, but it can be a bit tricky. As it’s on the drier side and is in a very pale shade, it can make dry lips look drier and lines more prominent.

Its less creamy consistency increases wear time and opacity. I get a solid wash of colour with no need for lip liner.

 MAC Morange Lipstick Swatch (Amplified Creme)

My love! My true love! Morange is the bomb. I’m no oil painting, but I am guaranted compliments when I wear this. Its shade is transformative.

It’s almost true orange, but I feel like its base leans tomato red, rather than yellow.

Amplified Cremes are my favourite lads in the MAC family. Coverage is totally opaque, but the finish and texture is very creamy. You get the pay off and longevity of a Matte, with the comfort of a cremesheen.

MAC Impassioned Lipstick Swatch (Amplified Creme)

Impassioned sits on the fence. It looks one colour in some lights, and another in different lights. To my eye, it’s a watermelon red.

Again, its texture, Amplified Creme, is brilliant. Opaque, glossy and long wearing.

MAC Kinda Sexy Lipstick Swatch (Matte)

Kinda Sexy, the fancy office lady option. It’s a peachy pink, kinda rosy shade.

Its a Matte, so you get the best opacity and longevity. I’ve fecked up here, by not totally removing lip balm before I applied lipstick, so it looks more creamy than it is. Sorry! In reality, it’s fully matte with no sheen to speak of.

Comfort isn’t brilliant, but it’s not the most moisture-sucking matte lipstick I’ve tried.

MAC Play Time Lipstick Swatch (Cremesheen)

Play Time launched with the Quite Cute collection. It’s no longer available, but MAC always repromote limited edition shades, so keep your eyes peeled.

It’s a Cremesheen, but I feel like it’s more creamy and sheeny than the other Creamsheens that I’ve tried.

Opacity is low – it looks like a heavily pigmented gloss, not a lipstick. Its wear time is also shorter than the rest of the range, probably because it feels much, much more creamy.

MAC Ruby Woo Swatch (Retro Matte)

The Retro Matte range is to the Matte range as Coca Cola is to crack cocaine. It is intense. It is dry.

Application is a bit of a faff. It won’t go over lips that are too moist, and it drags in patches over lips that are too moist. You’ve really, really got to work with it. I know one woman who wears this every day, and I am in awe of her. It’s a commitment.

If you can get it right, it looks bloody gorgeous. It’s so matte that it looks cartoonish, like those weird 2D handbags that I still don’t think are real, but apparently are.

MAC Viva Glam Nicki Lipstick Swatch (Satin)

All of the profits from Viva Glam range go into the MAC AIDS fund, so I’ll always part with my cash if a shade catches my eye.

Viva Glam Nicki is fluro pink and has a Satin finish. Its texture similar to Snob (see above), but I find it’s a touch creamier. picture collage

MAC Relentlessly Red Lipstick Swatch ( Retro Matte)

While writing this review, I had to double-check the packaging. I was sure this was a Matte. It feels slightly less ARRRGH than Ruby Woo, but no, I was wrong, it’s in the same range – Retro Matte.

The same difficult application applies – it takes effort and lips that are in good condition.

The shade, like Impassioned, sits between proper colours. It’s not anything I can put my finger on. We’ll go with very pinked coral and get on with our lives.

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Have you got a favourite in the bunch, or a favourite you’d like to recommend? Also, if you’ve got any empties from back but aren’t sure about how to claim your free lippy, I’ve got a post on the Back2MAC scheme.

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