However when I got it on my lips, it was like.dry. Drier that Mac Strip Poker or Riot House! Some folks like the feel of an uber dry lipstick. And some like the chalky lip look. By itself it's not so bad. You do get used to it but I decided I needed to add a little something on top of it. I lined using Mac Cream'OSpice lip liner. Here are our dupes for Kat Von D Zero, which is a very cool-toned, very dark lavender with a satin finish. It is a limited edition lipstick that retails for $21.00 and contains 0.1 oz. MAC lip liner and pencils shape, line and fill in lips with creamy colour-true formulas that glide on fluidly with a long-lasting finish.
So this year MAC released another matte lipstick collection and this ones PERMANENT!! Quite a lot of new shades, and for those that obsess over Whirl Lipliner theres a matching lipstick. No need to run out and grab it asap, because these new shades are around to stay and there are some pretty amazing shades among the new releases, including two very unique shades that I am going to share with you today, as well as an amazing purple that any purple lover will just HAVE to have! I only got 3 but boy am I itching for a few more which have caught my eye.
This collection launched in the US quite a few weeks ago now and is set to launch in the UK sometime in July I believe, but I got mine from my US mailbox so I am ahead of the game so thought I would share with you incase you have some of these on your radar.
So lets get started, and why not start big with Matte Royal – an amazing true navy blue shade. Yes ladies, I did say navy blue. I have heard some people try to say its a blurple but to me there is no purple in there, maybe its like a lighter indigo but definitely BLUE!
Here are some pictures of it below – DISCLAIMER – the lipstick photo is from Temptalias post on these lipsticks, I wanted to credit her as the image is not mine – I did have images of my lipsticks before I used them but when I came to transfer them a number of files have been corrupted and I lost them. I wanted you to see the lipstick all shiny and new and so that is why I chose to use these images of the lipsticks close up for reference.
I will link Temptalias original blog on this collection as she is my favourite blogger when it comes to new MAC releases – if you search her blog there are 4 parts to the MAC matte lipstick collection 2015 – with lip swatches and arm swatches of all of the lipsticks included in the collection and her thoughts on all of them:
The swatches and comparison photos however are all mine. So disclaimer over, lets get on:
MATTE ROYAL
This lipstick is pretty WOW, I only have 2 other blue lipsticks to compare this with BUT what I will say is that this one was quite dry and appeared very patchy on the lips. It is an amazing royal blue though and worth the work. I cant wait to wear this with a simple but smoky eye with a hint of blue liner to match the lip.
My other 2 blue lipsticks are very different to Matte Royal – Kat Von D’s studded kiss lipstick in Poe is a deep dark true navy with hints of purple and blue glitter – its gorgeous and I love wearing this one – even though people cant stop staring at your lips when you do! The other comparison is Melt Cosmetics DGAF – and yes that does stand for don’t give a f***! this is a lot brighter, more of a cobalt blue – its creamy and opaque and a little less wearable than Poe.
I give this lipstick a 7 out of 10, its unique but a little dry and patchy – a must for any MAC enthusiast, collector or those that love a unique lipstick colour.
STONE
With all the hysteria over those brown nude lipsticks at the moment, brought on by lime crime Cashmere and that Kylie Jenner lip for the main part, MAC had to come up with one of their own. This one is great, its one of those grey beige, or as they call it greige colours – the perfect mix of a wearable brown beige with the coolness of grey. The other great thing is that this colour would work on ANY skin tone. Its opaque and feels nice on the lips, certainly not as dry as Matte Royal and with no patchiness.
This colour is not everyones cup of tea, but I actually quite like it – I have never tried to hide that I dont like that brown pink shade everyone loves so much – I just dont like the mix – but this, this I like. I cant wait to wear this with a taupe eye, another eye and lip matching situation that I think will really work.
I didnt have anything like this in my collection – Hot Chocolate was way too mauve and Lime Crime Cashmere definitely had a lot more warmth to it. I love that I have nothing like this and I doubt many people will.
MEN LOVE MYSTERY
And of course I saved the best for last…..
Wow, just wow! I love this colour and I am sure this will be a very popular addition to the permanent line. It is opaque and comfy on the lips and not drying at all.
This may be hard to believe, but I have nothing like this in my collection – its a hazy matte lavender that reminds me of the colour of thistles – it is similar to Up the amp, but is more purple as I think that Up the amp has a hint of pink to it that makes it a very wearable purple, and of course Up the amp is more glossy. For me Men love mystery is in the same shade family as Dodgy girl from the Kelly Osbourne collection, and if you loved that but found it wasnt wearable for you, then this lipstick could be for you!
I am also including a swatch for Instigator and Studded Kiss – they were released as part of the Punk Couture collection and are amazing, its nice to see they now will be permanent and easy to get hold of once mine are all used up – Studded Kiss is such an amazing deep blood red and Instigator is a more wearable version of Smoked Purple for me, it definitely has more berry tones but is dark and vampy and amazing on. I just wish they had added Punk couture to the permanent line – now that is an amazing shade… and how about a re-promote of heaux and boy from the Rihanna collection?!
Other notable mentions from the collection….
If you dont already have flat out fabulous and pink pigeon they are worth taking a look at to, and next on my wish list are D for Danger and Runaway hit.
What are you planning to get when this releases?
Lisa xx
Studded Kiss Lipstick
There are a total of four lipsticks in MAC’s Punk Couture collection, which was released the day after Christmas… I realize this post if a bit late but I didn’t even receive my products until earlier this week! Because I’ve received these lipsticks in different shipments, I’m reviewing them individually rather than as a group… I may start using this format anyway, so let me know how you like it!
For this post, I’m reviewing Studded Kiss… It’s probably the most wearable of all of the lipsticks in this collection, as in more people would be comfortable rocking this on a daily basis rather than the dark purples and black!
MAC’s Matte Lipstick formula is one of the most highly pigmented, long wearing formulas that they make. For this reason, Matte’s are my favorite! Because the drier, though still creamy texture, they really adhere to the lips and wear well without feathering or fading for an average of 5-6 hours. That’s a pretty good wear time for any lipstick, BUT you can make it last even longer! With a liner, you’ll add several hours of wear time, extending it to closer to 7-8 hours. The purpose of the liner is to keep the lipstick in place and also give it something even drier to stick to, especially if you line, then fill in around the edges and corners or even all over the lip. Another trick is to use a primer, like MAC’s Prep + Prime Lip, before applying liner and lipstick to add even more wear time and smooth out the lips for a super easy application.
The texture of Matte Lipsticks is dry, but still feels creamy and glides on without tugging on your lips. The benefit to this is an intense, bold lip without shine. I feel like when you’re going for a bold or bright lip, Mattes are perfect because sometimes too much shine and intensity can seem like it’s overdone. The only down side I can think of with Matte texture Lipsticks is that the drier texture can potentially emphasize chapped or dry areas on the lips… However, there’s a very simple solution for this! Once again, Prep + Prime Lip works as a lifesaver… It’s a color-free lip primer that gives the lips a tiny bit of extra moisture on in addition to locking in your lip’s natural moisture. On top of that, it smooths out the lines and texture on your lips so everything applies smoothly and stays in place. I’ve also found that when wearing dark, more intensely pigmented lipsticks, Prep + Prime Lip will help prevent staining!
The Lipsticks with the Punk Couture collection are all limited edition and were released on December 26th both online at www.maccosmetics.com and stores and counters and are now available IF you can find them… Unfortunately, these sold out insanely fast, so I can’t promise that your local MAC will have it in stock but there’s always a chance that the website and/or local MAC will have more for sale at some point, so keep checking! Like the majority of MAC Lipsticks, these sell for $15 and contain 3 g / 0.1 US oz of product. They have a faint vanilla scent but no flavor. There is also no special packaging with this collection, which is why they sell at the normal price (thankfully!).
Studded Kiss
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight.
Studded Kiss swatched on NC15 skin.
Photo taken indoors with natural sunlight + light from my OttLite makeup mirror.
For color reference, I’m a NC15 in MAC terms.
Studded Kiss: This lipstick is described as a “dark oxblood red” and has a true Matte finish. The color is a medium-dark, slightly warm toned red with some brown/burgundy undertones. Though it’s somewhat warm toned, it’s not the orangey type of warm, so it still works for all skintones. Although this is a Matte, it does has a slight, natural sheen to it for about the first hour of wear time. After that, it fades into a drier, true Matte lipstick. I like this because it makes the lipstick creamier at first and easier to apply. I easily got complete coverage and opacity with Studded Kiss, even with very little product used. As usual with Mattes, I got 5-6 hours of wear without a liner and 6-8 with one. This left behind a teeny bit of a stain, but that was kind of nice because it made it seem like it didn’t fade unevenly!
Some MAC Liners I would suggest using with this (in order of lightest to darkest) Cherry (for a brighter look), Brick, or Burgundy Lip Pencils if you’d like to stick with the red family… If you want to make it a little more vampy and darken around the corners and edges, try Currant, Vino or Nightmoth Lip Pencils.
Dupes: Diva is darker and has more wine-stained undertones but would probably be your closest match in the permanent line. Extended Play Pro Longwear Lipcreme (also permanent) is close, but is a bit more brown toned. Fixed on Drama is slightly deeper and less warm.
Mac Studded Kiss Lip Liner Palette
Overall Rating: 5 / 5
Application: 5
Coverage: 5
Color Payoff: 5
Texture: 5
Mac Studded Kiss Lip Liner Lipstick
Wear Time: 5
Packaging: 5