I walked into Urban Outfitters last weekend and saw a dress that looks exactly like the one I used to wear on first dates (with black combat boots, of course).
Summer is finally here, which means it's fair for you to start switching out your beauty routine. Here, lip inspiration straight from the spring runways—perfect for warm(er) weather days. August 23, 2017 August 20, 2017 by dandygal The MAC LE for the month of August is called Metallic Lips. In America this is already the second LE with such lipsticks, over here it’s the first one.
The ’90s are back! — and they’re haunting me, but, like, in a friendly ghost kind of way.
Also, this new MAC Metallic Lipstick in Silver Spoon from the new MAC Metallic Lips collection looks exactly like a shade I wore at that time. It was a grayish taupe metallic marvel that I wore with unblended dark purple lip liner, and yes, girl, I thought I looked like hot sh*t, LOL!
Lots of the lippies in this collection, which is available starting today through May 4th, look retro IMO. There are 18 of them, and they’re $17 each.
A new formula
It’s called Metallic, and MAC says it’s a combination of a matte formula and a traditional metallic finish. They feel like a matte, because they’ve got that weight and thickness, but they’re shiny, shiny, shiny!
While the MAC Frost lipsticks have a fine pearl, the Metallics have small and medium-sized pieces of glitter, and they catch A LOT of light. Very eye-catching and beautiful, particularly when you peep them up close.
They last about three hours for me and — surprisingly — aren’t drying. I’m serious, most of the time, matte and metallic lipsticks suck every molecule of moisture out of my lips, but these don’t, which is not to say that they’re moisturizing…because I wouldn’t go that far. I would just say that they aren’t very drying.
I sort of think of the collection as having three parts — the nudes, the basic bolds (your wines, burgundies and pinks) and your cray-cray colors (your greens, blues and “edgy” lip colors).
The nudes are rocking my world
Nude metallics can be tricky, because they can age you and make your lips look very dry when they settle into your lip lines. Thankfully, these are consistently smooth, so they don’t do that, and they aren’t patchy either.
Of the nudes, Pale Rose is my fave. It’s an opaque neutral pink that I can see working really, really well with lots of different skin tones. Definitely check it out.
I also like the bold shades, especially bright green Zerocool, which basically looks like you crushed a glittery shamrock and spread it across your lips. It’s sparkly, green and artsy-fartsy!
The bolds need a lip liner
My issue with the bold colors, though, is that they start to look funky as they fade. The Metallic formula hangs around the edges of my lips more than the center area. For instance, when I wear green Zerocool, it disappears in the center area of my lips after about 30 minutes, leaving behind a very distinct line between the bright green and the naturally pink parts of my lips.
It’s really, REALLY obvious, and not a cute look. I think it makes me look kinda villainous, LOL!
You can kinda diminish the effect if you use a lip liner to outline and fill in your lips first — in this case, with something like Urban Decay Ozone — but you know…extra work.
I like my lipstick to be easy, so I think I’ll be sticking mostly to the nudes.
The final verdict
Definitely check out the nudes, especially Pale Rose, and if you want to “go there” with the bold colors, plan on layering a coordinating lip pencil underneath.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Is it Friday yet? My body wants it to be Friday. I hope you’re hanging in there, girl!
In the past month, MAC Cosmetics released their Next To Nothing collection, as well as a new finish of lipsticks – they’re metallic. Both are part of the permanent line, so go ahead and take your time and look through these swatches and how well they fared for me!
Next To Nothing Collection
Description (from MAC’s press release): “MAC Next to Nothing Face Colour is an ultra-balmy fluid infused with nourishing ingredients and opalescent microspheres, bringing out skin’s luminosity whether worn under make up or alone… MAC Next to Nothing Pressed Powder offers a creamy, transformative, lightweight formula for long-lasting, high-comfort wear. The silky-soft texture boasts micro-light boosters that guarantee the look of radiant skin — no filters needed!”
Description (from MAC’s press release): “MAC Next to Nothing Face Colour is an ultra-balmy fluid infused with nourishing ingredients and opalescent microspheres, bringing out skin’s luminosity whether worn under make up or alone… MAC Next to Nothing Pressed Powder offers a creamy, transformative, lightweight formula for long-lasting, high-comfort wear. The silky-soft texture boasts micro-light boosters that guarantee the look of radiant skin — no filters needed!”
Next To Nothing Face Colour in ‘Deep’ (top) and ‘Dark’ (bottom). I love the formula of this tinted cream; it’s PERFECT for everyday wear. I’ve noticed that it adds a bit of dew to your face, which is really good when you want to look polished but don’t have enough time to do a full face of makeup. I’m currently wearing ‘Dark’ on my face daily, and I think ‘Deep’ is more of my summer shade. It retails for $31 (for 1.2 US fl oz) in all MAC stores and online.
These are the pressed powders in ‘Dark Plus’ (top) and ‘Deep Dark’ (bottom). I thought the ‘Dark’ shade looked a little too light on me in the pan, so I wasn’t sent a sample to try. I’ve been using the ‘Deep Dark’ powder over my Next To Nothing Face Colour and I really like it. It retails for $27 (for 0.35 US oz) in all MAC stores and online.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a tinted moisturizer + powder duo for ‘no makeup makeup days,’ this combination is perfect for you. Next To Nothing gives you a glow that lasts all day!
MAC Metallic Lipsticks
MAC has added eighteen metallic shades to their lipstick collection, and they are definitely worth checking out. There are so many light colors that are a great highlight over darker lipstick, or very ethereal on their own. Then there are the darker shades that really pop!
MAC has added eighteen metallic shades to their lipstick collection, and they are definitely worth checking out. There are so many light colors that are a great highlight over darker lipstick, or very ethereal on their own. Then there are the darker shades that really pop!
Here are some swatches:
L to R: Jupiter, In Lust, Disobedient, Digging for Gold, Pale Rose, Devotional, Modern Midas, Act So Cool
They’re definitely not like the recent liquid metallic lipsticks – I find them a little more subtle. The darker shades can be worn on their own, while I personally layer the lighter shades over nude lipstick. If you’re looking for something more bold, I would skip this collection, but if you like the subtle metallics, these retail for $17 at MAC stores and online.