PINK, is it? (Part I lipstick)

Posted by: michellecuix on: February 21, 2010

• In: makeup | makeup product review | Makeup tips
• 12 Comments

Hello girls, just like I mentioned in my last post, today I will talk about five pink lipsticks that are perfect for Spring.

(WARNING: long, long post with multiple swatch pictures)

Pink Lipsticks

From left to right, they are: Angel, Snob, Saint Germain, VIVA GLAM Gaga, and Show orchard (the first three are permanent items at MAC, the last two are limited edition lipsticks).

I am going to talk about each lipstick and show you its swatch and lip swatch as well.

• Angel

MAC Angel (frost)

Angel swatch

Angel lip swatch

Angel is perhaps one of the best selling MAC lipsticks out there. We can’t deny the fact that Angel being Kim Kardashian’s favorite shade from MAC contributed to its sales, but there is a lot of more reasons to love this color. It is a frost finish, which makes it so easy to glide on, leaving your lips a moisturized, creamy look. This lipstick is in a subtle pink, — soft and no obvious undertone. I recommend this color to people who don’t have a fair skin, or their lips are a little pigmented. Because Angel provides a very good coverage. To certain skin tones, it even works well as a nude lipstick. The best word to describe Angel, is multi-purpose. And it is definitely an everyday-go-to color if you are unsure what to put on in the morning. I keep this lipstick in my makeup bag all the time because I know I can’t go wrong with it.

• Snob

MAC Snob (Satin)

MAC Snob swatch (lower line) comparing with Angel

MAC Snob lip swatch

Now this lipstick is a little tricky. Another very popular MAC lipstick, Snob has a satin (opaque matte) finish. My problem with Satin finish lipsticks are that they gather flakes on your lips very easily and are very drying. Satin finishes give a very good color-payoff, but I will need to use a hydrating  lip conditioner under it and a lip gloss on top of it to give it a more smooth finish. Snob is a very nice lady pink with a hint of lavender . If your lips are pigmented, the color may very well turn out to be more lavender-ish than pink on your lips. It is a beautiful pop of pink that goes well with smokey eyes or a fresh day-time look with a little bit of green on the eyes.

• Saint Germain

MAC Saint Germain (Amplified Crème)

Saint Germain swatch (the third line from the top) comparing with Angel, and Snob

MAC Saint Germain lip swatch

I’m not going to lie, Saint Germain is indeed a very dramatic Barbie pink. And you will need to be more creative on your overall makeup to match this color. It is a cool-toned pink; it is very creamy and the color doesn’t change much on your lips. I won’t recommend Saint Germain as an universal lipstick color. But it is so special and so pretty you are willing to slap it on for a night-out with girlfriends or clubbing. Just remember, if you want a dramatic or bold look, Saint Germain will not disappoint you. If you want a hint of pink, try some lipgloss on top of it to tone down the color a little.

• VIVA GLAM Gaga

VIVA GLAM Gaga (lustre)

VIVA GLAM Gaga swatch (the fourth line from the top) comparing with Angel, Snob, and Saint Germain

VIVA GLAM Gaga lip swatch

VIVA GLAM Gaga is a very pretty bubblegum pink color, which is perfect for spring. If you want a sheer touch, just lightly apply one layer on your lips; if you want something similar to the lip swatch, just apply a couple more layers. I personally like this color more than Snob and Saint Germain. It is much more creamy and hydrating than snob, ,more wearable than Saint Germain and it has a great color pay-off. If you are a fan of bubblegum pink, don’t miss out this tube. Last week when I went out, I decided to apply clear lipglass on top of Gaga, which makes it look very dewy and super shiny. If MAC has the same shade of lipglass, I would definitely purchase one!

VIVA GLAM Gaga with clear lipglass on top

Also, Don’t forget: Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM lipstick and lipglass will be donated to MAC’s AIDS fund to support AIDS researches. Go grab one for a good cause!

• Show Orchard

Show Orchard (Amplified)

MAC Show Orchard swatch (the fifth one from the top) comparing with Angel, Snob, Saint Germain, and VIVA GLAM Gaga

MAC Show Orchard lip swatch

Last but not least, Show Orchard, once was a MAC Pro color, made available for everybody in the Riveting Collection launched on February 18th. This vibrant hot pink color has the power to brighten up your entire face. You can be very subtle with your eyes, maybe just eyeliner, and apply Show Orchard and you are ready for a dinner date. The color might be too “edgy” for darker skin tones, but I say, go ahead and try it! I wouldn’t mind wearing it everyday paired with very subtle eye makeup. The finish is very creamy and long-lasting. When I purchased this color, I picked up True Babe lipglass (I will talk about it in the next ‘PINK, is it?’post) as well. A combination of Show Orchard and True Babe is like this:

MAC Show Orchard (amplified) with True Babe lipglass on top

It is again, a very long post…I hope I didn’t strain your eyes and gave you some idea on pink lipsticks. Just remember: Lipsticks’ best friends are lip conditioner (moisturizes your lips and block your lips from excess pigmentation) and lipgloss (tone up/down your lipstick color ). I shall talk to you soon in the next post!

Tags: MAC Angel lipstick, MAC Saint Germain lipstick, MAC Show Orchard lipstick, MAC Snob lipstick, MAC VIVA GLAM Gaga, Pink lipsticks