MAC Lipstick Collection

Over the past year i've become really interested in MAC, and although i know they're a very controversial brand, creating a lot of conflicting opinions, i've actually come to love their products. I've bought everything from pigments to brushes, but today i wanted to share with you my lipstick collection. I've accumulated these over the past year, have tried a variety of their finishes and have actually come on a bit of a lipstick journey - learning what i like, what i don't like and what suits me.

Rebel is described by MAC as a 'mid tonal cream plum', and is one i really had to pluck up the courage to buy. It's one i admired from afar for a long time, deeming it far too dark and vampy for me to try. However, as i've grown and changed in the last six months, i decided to give it a go. I actually love the shade, and the way in which it changes any look. I feel so glam and sassy whenever i wear it as it's just so different for me. Satin isn't a finish i've come to love, but i don't think Rebel would suit anything but. It's so velvety and smooth, making it fairly easy to apply and it doesn't get everywhere. It's pretty opaque from first swipe, and it can also be blotted to leave a lighter stain. I look at Rebel as being a fuchsia based berry shade, and i would usually look at something like this as a Winter- only colour. Actually though, there's something quite bright about this one, so it's easy to wear all year round.

Plumful was actually an Essie Button influenced purchase, i'm sure like many others. I'd seen her wearing it for a long time, and thought of it as an easy every day colour so decided to take the plunge and give it a whirl. I think this was actually one of my first purchases, as i wanted to go for something wearable. MAC's description is a 'blossoming rose-plum', and i would probably go with that. It's like taking baby steps into the berry lipstick pool, with plum undertones but nothing too drastic. This could be one of those 'your-lips-but-better' colours for some but if you're dipping your toe into the world of lipstick it could be a start-out bright. It's a lustre finish, which is actually one of my favourites. It's glossy without slipping around your lips, with a sheer first application that can be built up.

Captive is a fairly new purchase, which i bought about two months ago. MAC describes it as a 'pinkish-plum', but i'd say it's got some deeper, brown undertones. This is quite a different colour for me, but there's something about this that i really love. It's completely out of my comfort zone but i see this as something quite wearable as i don't consider it to be a bright. It's fairly neutral, and you could wear it with a multitude of make up looks. You can wear this with a really neutral eye, but also if you've gone a bit heavier too. Captive is another satin finish, which i do find to be some what drying but i forego that for the colour.

I love Capricious; i bought this on my most recent trip to London, in the Covent Garden branch, where i was helped by a really lovely assistant. MAC describes this as a 'fanciful rose plum', and as you can tell i tend to go for the same sorts of colours, simply because i know i wear them. This, for me, is my perfect everyday, my-lips-but-better colour. Being another lustre, it's glossy without being shiny and although it's first swipe is fairly sheer i can build it up to be this beautiful mauve, pink shade. This is just so easy to wear, and i can wear it with everything from a smokey eye to my everyday champagne. Lustre finishes are so hydrating, and never dry out my lips. They don't last all day but the lasting power isn't horrendous, and i'm happy to touch up throughout.

Yet another lustre, Syrup is lighter than most of my other MAC lipsticks. It does appear slightly lighter on the lips than it's showing in this picture, but i just love the purple undertones this natural pink holds. MAC says it's a 'cloudy pink' which i think is actually a really good description. It kind of reminds me of pink lemonade, and again is another really easy shade to wear with everything. 

Described by MAC as a 'creamy mid-tone pink brown', Creme in your Coffee is actually quite different for me. For starters it's a cremesheen finish, which i used to be a little afraid of but is now my second favourite to lustre. It's so hydrating, not at all drying and completely opaque. Again, it's easy to wear slightly sheerer or built up and works great both ways. It's also about as 'nude' as i'll go on my lips. For me this is fairly brown, but with it's rosy undertones it makes it wearable for my fair skin. The problem i have with nudes is that i run the risk of having concealer lips, but because this is darker it works perfectly.

Similar to the cremesheen finish, but even more pigmented, the amplified lipsticks are super creamy, easy to apply and very hydrating. MAC describes Brick-o-La as a 'mid-tone berry' but i would say, on the lips at least it leans toward the red family. It's such a simple shade, but it's so effective. Although i don't generally wear this day-to-day, if i've gone for a neutral eye, i love using this as a pop of colour and keeping it subtle at the same time. However, if i'm feeling brave, why not wear it shopping? I actually bought this because the other red lipstick that i own, which you'll meet next, is quite in your face and i just wanted something that was a bit more wearable.

Next meet Cockney, my one and only true red lipstick. MAC says it's a 'sheer yellow red with multidimensional pearl', which is really bang on. Probably about one or two years ago now, i decided that my lipstick collection was missing a classic red. I'd heard of MAC's classic reds like Ruby Woo and Russian Red, but i just didn't know what to go for. So, i actually went ahead and got colour matched for this one. I told the make up artist i was after a red, and she talked me through the difference between warm and cool skintones and she matched me to this one. I actually hadn't heard of this one before, as i said before you always hear of MAC's classics but i was open to trying something new. When i got it home, i was a little apprehensive because when you look at it in the bullet it's packed with gold glitter but when you apply it, it just looks super glossy. It's actually the perfect red for me, it's a lustre so it's fairly sheer but can be built up so i don't feel like it's too scary. I'm glad i got matched because i actually think it suits me perfectly, so don't be put off from the bullet.

Next up is Craving, a 'burst of plum' which is kind of similar to Plumful but creamier and less sheer. The amplified lipsticks are opaque at first swipe, so they take a bit more precision than, say, a lustre but i love the creamy formula and how pigmented they are. Craving is a lovely pink shade for me, as i don't know why but i feel very strange wearing hot pinks. I don't own any, in fact my collection is bursting with berrys, plums and mauves, so this is a really nice lean towards the pink family for me. I feel like it makes my lips look fuller and really compliments my skintone.

Last, but not least, is See Sheer; a 'grapefruit pink' as described by MAC is a really new addition to my collection, and something i bought after watching Ellie from Ellie & Jared wearing a lovely sheer orange shade on her lips, with a an orangey/bronze eye. I have to say, i wouldn't personally describe this as a pink, to me this is a beautiful, sheer orange and i just love how it brightens my face, my skin and the rest of my eye make up. Another lustre, this one is fairly sheer but as you can see it can be built up to a lovely peachy, orange colour. It doesn't dry out my lips, or settle in any dips, it's just an easy shade to use and goes with with so many make up looks.

So, there we have it; my MAC lipstick collection, to date. As you can see, i do tend to sway towards similar shades but i'm really happy with everything i have now. Thank you for stopping by, and let me know your favourite MAC lipsticks ready for my next purchase!

K|xo