MAC’s latest is the Liptensity Lipstick ($21 each for 3.6 g/0.12 oz) which is an intensely pigmented lipstick with a satin finish. The pigment in these lipsticks is so good they are what I’d consider one-swipe wonders. If you’re like me and love the rich pigment and saturated color of matte lipsticks or liquid lipsticks but hate that dried out matte look, the Liptensity lip colors will give you that full coverage without looking fake or dry. There are 24 shades total, all with a satin finish and no shimmer. The range is quite impressive and they seem to have covered a large number of colors from neutrals, corals, plums, reds, pinks and some bold edgy colors. I lip swatched the ones I could see myself wearing and every single color performs well.Texture is smooth and creamy. They have a full coverage without feeling thick although they aren’t necessarily weightless. There’s no hydrating feel but they did not dry out my lips and feel comfortable once on. Lasting power is among the best I’ve tried and they stay put for a long time without fading as long as you don’t touch your lips.
I split the colors by color group for swatches. All except the last category have also been lip swatched (I just couldn’t bring myself to put on blue lipstick lol). In the photos I’m wearing the Prolongwear Foundation in NC35. (Still testing the formula to see if my skin can handle it.)
Neutrals include:
Driftwood which is a pale mauve nude pink
Doe is a light medium neutral beige brown
Toast & Butter is a medium brown
Medium Rare is a soft creamy pink
Smoked Almond is a medium peachy rose
By request I’ve brought back larger lip swatches but will also have side by sides at the bottom. Not sure that I will keep doing the individual lip swatch photos as they take up the entire page! I also feel self conscious that enlarging the photos allows you to see every imperfection on my skin
Next up are the reds and oranges. They’re similar with slight variations in undertone:
Lobster is an orange red
Habanero is an orange
Fireworks is a bright red
Life’s Blood is a blue-based red
Mulling Spices is a a deeper red
Next up are the browns and plums. These surprised me the most because they go on the lips different from what you see in the tube. These have a vamp feel.
Dionysus is a plum red
Cordovan is a reddish plum
Double Fudge is an intense brown
Burnt Violet is a deep vamp plum
Up next are the pinks and mauves. Even though I’m a neutral lip lover at heart I really have a soft spot for Claretcast and Marsala.
Gumball is a bubblegum pink
Eros is a cool-toned bright pink
Post Modern is a warm bright pink
Claretcast is a fuchsia mauve
Marsala is a mauve plum
Last but not least are the bold edgy colors. These are shades I could never feel comfortable wearing but arm swatched for reference.
Ambrosial is a vibrant fuchsia plum pink
Galaxy Grey is a grey lilac
Hellebore is a purple
Blue Beat is a navy
Stallion is a deep black
One last roundup and lip swatches side by side:
An impressive lipstick launch. The formula performs well and I love the sleek colorful packaging. The caps match the lipstick color and the lip product is one that fills the entire tube. I love that the tips are beveled which makes application easier than the flat top ones you see from some other brands. Most MAC lipsticks make my lips peel by the next day as they are a bit drying. I lip swatched all the colors in a single day and by the next day my lips were fully in tact without any peeling or dry patches. So while they aren’t necessarily moisturizing I do think they have a non-drying formula. If you have dry lips with patches you might want to consider using the MAC Prep + Prime Lip or Dior Addict Lip Glow Pomade as a base first. Both will smooth out the lip without making them too emollient where the lipstick will slide off.
Out of the ones I lip swatched I’m really hard pressed to pick a favorite because they are all good. If I had to narrow down my picks to 5 it would be: Doe, Postmodern, Claretcast, Smoked Almond and Burnt Violet.
Bottom line definitely worth checking out. You can find them now online at MAC and Nordstrom. (I spotted them yesterday at my local Nordstrom counter.) At this time I do believe they are limited-edition.
Have you checked these out yet? What colors did you end up getting if you bought these?
Many thanks to MAC for sending me all the shades to play with!