Beauty: A Small MAC Lipstick Collection

My MAC lipsticks are some of my most highly prized makeup items. They are the result of endless googling of swatches, then going into store, looking myself and immediately changing my mind and going for something different. I have a small collection by most bloggers standard, and very few ‘popular’ choices. Yet I love all the shades I own.

Plumful is probably the most popular shade I’ve bought, and ironically is that one I kind-of wish I hadn’t bought. It’s a lovely shade, I like the finish, but I do wear it less often than the others. It’s a luster finish, giving a sheer wash of color that can be built up. The sheerer finish means it’s forgiving on dry lips, but I wish the color had more oopf – more pink, more plum, just brighter.

Craving is similar to Plumful, but it packs that extra punch. A bolder finish that lasts for hours, this is pink, but with a good dark tone behind it. Not quite fuchsia, not quite berry, this is perfect all year round.

The other end of the spectrum is a shade I talked about a lot more over the festive season. Hot Tahiti is a glaze finish, offering a wash of red that is instantly teeth-whitening. It doesn’t have the longest of last-power, but doubled with a lip-liner can easily see through a good half-day. The color can be built up, but even a quick swipe offers a good base.

Another red I love is Mystical, from the Alluring Aquatic range last summer. I won’t go on about these too much as it was limited edition (and was extremely difficult to get hold of!), but it is perfect – slightly red, slightly nude, and so easy to wear.

Onto nudes, and this is where my shades really differ from the well-known favourites.

Creme in my Coffee is a darker shade, a brown-toned nude than offers a deep look without being too red, too bold. It’s finish and lasting time is similar to Craving, but the nudeness means it wears off more evenly.

Midimauve is a strange shade, but also my current favorite. Slightly mauve in tone, this is also a light peachy nude. It brightens my face, finishes a look, and is my go-to when I’m not quite sure what to use. It does show different depending on skintone and natural lip color (making it ideal to layer over different liners), but it’s well worth a swatch. Lasting power is the worst of my collection (just a few hours) but the uniqueness of the color makes it well worth it.

Now, I’m not convinced MAC lipsticks are 100% worth the money. The finishes are good, the lasting power generally above average. But anything special? Not really. However it’s so easy for me to find the perfect shade that I keep going back. And yep, my OCD means I quite like the effect of all my lipsticks being the same…

Are you a fan of lipsticks, MAC or otherwise? What shades are you in love with?