MAC PROENZA SCHOULER LIPSTICK MANGROVE (LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION 2014)

Hey y'all! I am dying of excitement to share my review of a brand new lipstick I bought this morning.  In fact my excitement is bouncing off the walls in my mind to the extent that I am not able to write a proper review. I have never posted a review along with pictures and swatches on the very same day as purchasing the product. I like to test out a product for a while before sharing my thoughts on it.  For this reason I am often too late in sharing my review of limited edition products.  

It seems like every time I blink my eyes, MAC releases a new limited edition collection.  I do not own very many MAC limited edition cosmetics.  These collections are difficult to keep up with - practically and financially.  Even though I adore the packaging of most MAC limited edition items, the actual product itself might not always be my cup of tea.  I cannot justify purchasing makeup for packaging alone. I purchased a lipstick and a blush from the Winter 2013 Divine Nights collection. More recently I purchased three lipsticks from the Huggables collection. This is the extent of my MAC limited edition makeup. 

Yesterday, Mr. Beau asked me what time I was going to wake up in the morning.  I told him bright and early. He asked me why. I told him that MAC Proenza Schouler collection is coming out.  He didn't understand. So, I explained to him that every time MAC releases a collection, it is like Black Friday at Walmart. Hyper women chasing after hyped makeup. 

I have never done this before. I reached the mall at exactly 9:50 a.m.  I was the first customer inside the Belk store. Honestly, I was a little let down that I didn't have to fight a crowd or stand in a line of women huffing and puffing, waiting to get their hands on the good stuff. I had imagined it to be a crazy experience. I had seen a preview of the collection on Temptalia, so I had my eyes set on the vivd coral-red lipstick called Mangrove. I paid about $24 and some change for this lipstick.  It costs a bit more than the permanent MAC lipsticks.  

Okay enough of sharing my experience. Let us move on to the actual review. I love this lipstick! I loved it before I even applied it.  In fact, I was hesitant to apply it at first because I didn't want to ruin the perfect hot coral-red-orange bullet. Personally, I think this is the best feature out of the entire collection.  I highly recommend this lipstick.  Although Temptalia mentioned that Mangrove is the most "dupable" shade out of the whole collection, I find that Mangrove is a very unique shade and a must-have.  

I have been searching high and low for vivid, bright, hot coral red-orange.  The formula is matte, but it feels nothing like a true-matte. I would describe it as a semi-matte because it feels much more comfortable and less rigid than the matte and satin formulas of MAC permanent lipsticks.  It glides on smoothly like a creme formula, yet does not have the slip of such an emollient formula. It is non-drying and does not emphasize lip lines or crevices. I hate matte formula that soak up all of the moisture and natural youthful look of lips, instead making lips appear parched and wrinkly. 

This is not such a matte.  This lipstick could not be any better - it is perfection as is! I have tried quite a few bright lipsticks, but was unimpressed by all because they appeared patchy, streaky, and stark on my lips as if I was trying to wear neon color mousse.  One swipe across the lips is enough for intense, opaque color.  All day today I have been thinking about purchasing a back up of Mangrove, which implies a lot because I don't have back ups of any products I use, except maybe shampoo and conditioner.  

I think the name of this lipstick is cute too.  Mangrove sounds tropical to me and makes me think of an area where colorful tropical fruits grow, like mangoes, pineapples, and papayas. As for the staying power, I would like to wear this lipstick a bit more and then report back.  The packaging is sort of tropical and festive too - reminds me of Mardi Gras beads, lush greenery, plantains, and a sunset on the beach. Can y'all tell by now that I am very happy with this purchase? 

Keep in touch with me via Instagram, where I post previews of upcoming reviews, hauls, and makeup looks. 

I hope this post was informative and helpful. Your friendly comments are much appreciated.  Come back soon. Thanks!

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MAC Huggable Lip Color in Fresh & Frisky!

Hey Y'all!!!

Ms. Naughty over here - well perhaps not really - bought another MAC Huggable Lip Color. Please take a look at my in-depth review of two other shades from this collection here. The two shades I purchased first are called Rusty and Rich Marron. I would call these my "comfort-zone" shades. 

I am not a fan of coral lip colors, whether it is a pink-coral or red-coral shade. It makes me look dated. I stray away from coral apparel and jewelry as well, but I think red-coral would probably suit me more than pink-coral. Very close to corals are peachy-orange and red-orange shades. 

I bought quite a few red-orange or orange-red shades last Spring and Summer. I have yet to find a matching lip color. I have also been on a hunt for a peachy-orange shade in both nail color and lip color that does not have yellow-undertones. If fuchsia, hot-pinks, purple-lavender, orange, and warm red lip colors do not suit you, then you and I are in the same boat. Oh! The plague of yellow-ness! 

As if I have not made it clear enough, I am quite excited about this shade because it is very unique to my personal collection. I tried my best to capture this shade as it appears in person, so y'all can understand my description of the shade. (I have noted that sometimes my images change a bit when I upload them here. Also, do keep in mind that your own computer browser could alter the color (or other characteristics) of the pictures I have posted.) 

Fresh & Frisky is a pure peach shade that looks different with change in lightening; This shade can look like a toned down neon, milky peach. It can also look like a subtly shimmery peachy-pink. The versatility of this shade is deceiving. Fresh & Frisky is not as pigmented as Rusty and Rich Marron. Rusty and Rich Marron gave off full color in one swipe, while Fresh & Frisky requires a few swipes. I would suggest dabbing it though rather than swiping it heavily across your lips. It is easy to get carried away because of the emollient, gel-balm, "huggable" texture of these lip colors, but this particular shade is a bit different. Continue reading to find out why! Although all three shades obviously have the same formula, I personally had a different experience with how Fresh & Frisky appeared on my lips. It still felt nice, but did not look like it felt. 

The formula of Fresh & Frisky felt different from the other two shades, Rusty and Rich Marron. I would not recommend this shade for people with dry and chapped lips. Being that it is winter right now and I keep the heat on very high at home, my lips are dehydrated. I had to exfoliate and moisturize my lips before applying this lip color because otherwise it did not look flattering. The mixture of the subtle shimmer in this shade and my chapped lips gave a "frosty" appearance. I almost regretted buying this one at first and thought to return it. However, once I treated my lips and dabbed this lip color on, it looked great. So, this one is a keeper, but slightly high-maintenance for people with dehydrated lips. In my review of the other two Huggable shades, I mentioned that I gravitated towards wearing these when my lips felt parched, but with this particular shade I would not expect the same. 

Overall, I adore this shade and am glad to have it in my treasure chest. Please treat your lips before wearing this shade, that is all y'all. I hope this review and my previous review are helpful. This is a limited edition collection, so if y'all like what you see, then go get yourselves one or a bunch before these are all sold out. 

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MAC Huggable Lip Colors in Rusty and Rich Marron

Hey Y'all!!!

Today, I would like to talk about a new limited-edition collection of MAC lipsticks. The collection is called Huggable. MAC has a description of these lipsticks on its website. The formula of these lipsticks was inspired by the formula trending in Asia. 

What are the claims? The collection includes 12 shades that maintain a bright and luminous appearance for up to six hours. Specifically, the glossy-finish is meant to be long-lasting. MAC suggests that these lipsticks do not compromise on shine for color. The formula is allegedly emollient and creamy, which makes your lips look smooth and sculpted. 

What is my critique? I am quite fond of the MAC Huggable lipsticks. I definitely think that MAC should add these lipsticks to its permanent line of lip colors. Also, I would like to see more color options. Although trendy and seasonal shades are quite exciting for makeup enthusiasts, I really appreciate variety more. For example, I am not a fan of bright lip colors, such as hot pink, fuchsia, magenta, pink-coral, orange-red, red-orange, etc. However, bright colors are the trend at the moment. Personally, subdued pinks and nudes with brown undertones and deep reds look the best on me. Fortunately, the Huggable collection had two beautiful shades that I thought suited my skin-color. Experimenting with a variety of lip colors has really brought me outside my comfort zone. A few years ago, I would have never imagined that I would wear as many shades as I do now. Perhaps, I might be a fan of brighter colors this Summer. I highly doubt it though! 

Packaging? I don't have much to say about the packaging. I like to provide you all with plenty of pictures so you all can determine for yourselves whether or not you all like the packaging and colors. The packaging is simple - a gunmetal gray tube. I like the gunmetal gray and rose gold tubes that brands have been using recently more than gold or silver tubes. Gold and silver tubes wear off over time and can get scratched up easily. On the other hand, black packaging is timeless and classic. I like that these tubes are sleek, rounded, and light-weight. I prefer rounded tubes to squared tubes.

Price? These lipsticks cost $20. For high-end lipsticks, I feel comfortable paying between $18 - $25. I think MAC has a reasonable price point for its lipsticks. I am only fond of MAC's creme-sheen, amplified creme, and satin (sometimes) formulas. I think $15 is a great price point for these excellent  formulas.  There are plenty of high-end lipsticks, which cost over $22 with horrible formulation, poor staying-power, dry texture, and odd scents. MAC lipsticks have a warm, yet clean, and very mild sweet scent. I am not sensitive to scents or fragranced products, but cannot tolerate wearing products that have an overwhelming chemical-like or plastic-like sort of scent. 

Color / Pigmentation?  The two shades I purchased have awesome pigmentation. One swipe is enough. I bought a light shade as well as a deep shade, but one swipe was enough for both. Rusty is a warm "rusted" red with chocolate brown undertones. I adore this color. It is so unique. It does not have orange or yellow undertones, but it is definitely a warm shade. I usually don't like to wear brownish reds because I feel like such shades make me look too mature for my age. However, rusty is age appropriate; it brightens the complexion of my face and its glossiness provides a youthful look. Rich Marron is a light pinky-brown color or the ideal nude for girls who have my skin-color and naturally mauve-toned lips. By comparison, the pigmentation of these particular shades is better than Bobbi Brown's Shine lip colors, which are also significantly pigmented. The pigmentation of these far exceeds the pigmentation of YSL Rouge Volupte or YSL Rough Volupte Shines. Can you tell that I have not had a good experience with YSL lip products thus far?

Formula / Application Honestly, I am in love with the formula of these lipsticks. Formulas that are comfortable, meaning that it does not dry out, irritate, or feel heavy on your lips, are obviously great. I think most of the lipsticks I have kept in my collection are comfortable. Sometimes though, very rarely, I find a formula that is more than comfortable, like these Huggable lipsticks. A more than comfortable formula makes your lips feel good, like a treat, but not necessarily a medicinal treatment for extremely dehydrated or chapped lips. There are days when my lips feel slightly dry, but are not cracked/chapped. On these days, wearing a formula like the Huggable lipsticks really helps. Anyways, these lipsticks feel lightweight, smooth, and did not absorb the natural moisture of my lips. I have yet to come across a lipstick or balm or gloss that is intensely hydrating, but this definitely made my lips look and feel moisturized. I found the formula of these comparable to Clarins Rouge Éclat lipsticks. The formula of the Clarins lipsticks is thinner and slippery. The Huggable lipstick formula does "hug" your lips and does not have the typical slip of other glossy lipsticks. This is definitely my favorite formula by MAC. I like the formula of these lipsticks much more than Urban Decay Revolution, Giorgio Armani Ecstasy CC, YSL Rouge Volupte / Volupte Shine, Bobbi Brown Sheer, and Marc Jacobs Lip Gels. 

Longevity If you do not eat, then these lipsticks might last longer than six hours. However, I ate three hours after applying Rich Marron and the color is gone. The color is gone, but the smooth feeling remains on my lips. The staying power of these lipsticks far exceeds the "lack of" staying power of the.  

Dearest MAC, please release more colors and replace the permanent collection of MAC Sheen Supremes lipsticks with these amazing Huggable lip colors. 

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