My Mac Lipstick Collection

                                      

                    


Surely not another girl with an absurdly large amount of MAC lipsticks?! I mean seriously this is ridiculous, who needs that many, most of them look the same anyway!

I know, I know. I'm not proud. Well, I kind of am. BUT...I have my reasons for acquiring so many. Firstly, I think most of us would agree that it would be very tough to find a makeup brand which offers such a wide arrange of shades and finishes. I'm undeniably in love with this aspect of MAC-if you can think of the colour, they will have it. Secondly, the constant stream of new product launches and limited editions means their products always seems fresh and exciting to me. Also, the packaging is so gorgeously sleek and compact.

I've amassed a fair few, 15 now I believe not taking into account a couple of duplicates, but I do feel somewhat justified when considering that it has taken me quite a few years to purchase them all, and I've worked hard to be able to afford each one. Also, my collection is quite varied so there should be something for everyone.

Hopefully the swatches will be particularly helpful for any fairer ladies out there, I made sure to take the pictures were in natural lighting in order to show the true colour. I'm very pale myself, and often find that online swatches show up differently in comparison to my skin tone. Also, it's always just fun to be a bit nosey and see if you would like to purchase any of the shades! I think that my favourite current finish would have to be satin, as it offers considerable longevity and little shine, but not at the cost of totally dried out lips.

With all of that in mind, here we go!

The Nudes/Pinks

As you can probably tell by the dwindling amount of lipstick in these bullets, I live for nudes. Especially these gorgeous shades:

Angel (Frost)- a medium baby pink with slight shimmer. This was one of my first MAC lipsticks, and it certainly manages to live up to its cult status for me. The finish is very daytime appropriate, and leaves a beautiful pink wash of colour on the lips- perfect for first  time lipstick wearers.

Close Contact (Amplified)- a peach nude with brown undertones. My Mum is a particular fan of this one. It has a lovely smooth finish, which you can expect from the Amplified formula.

Hue (Glaze)- a pale creamy pink. This shade is brilliant with a smoky eye, as it mutes the lips, but would also be a perfect everyday colour.

Modesty (Cremesheen)- a neutral dark pink with slight brown undertones. One of MAC's all round most wearable, and universally flattering lipsticks in my opinion. Suits any makeup look.

Faux (Satin)-a muted mauve pink. My all time favourite lipstick. Ever. Hands down. It's such a pretty and dare I say ladylike, classy colour. However, after swatching a few shades in MAC I would say that if you are darker skin tone than me, Syrup would be a slightly more flattering option to achieve that dusty mauve nude tone, which is very on trend at the moment.                                                   

In the bullets

L-R: Angel, Close Contact, Hue, Modesty, Faux

                 

                               The Browns                                                  

I am utterly in love with the 90s throwback bold brown lip, I hope it never goes out of  fashion. Even if it does, I'm still gona rock it. My faves are:

Taupe (Matte)- a muted terracotta. I'd definitely recommend this if you prefer warm brown tones.

Whirl (Matte)- a mid-brown with cool, almost grey undertones. Bizarrely, I never actually tried the ever popular whirl lip liner before the lipstick was released with the 2015 Matte Collection, but I adore it. This shade works really well for ladies with a cool undertone.
                      
Paramount (Satin)- a chestnut brown with red undertones. This is a really good shade for autumn/ winter. At first, I thought this would have to be one of those night time only shades, but with minimalist makeup on the eyes it's surprisingly easy to pull off. 

In the bullets

L-R: Taupe, Whirl, Paramount

The Purples/Berries

I used to think that I should only wear the following shades for six months out of the year during the colder months, because they're all quite dark and bold, but as I get older I think that if the lipstick suits you, just wear it girl! Don't be afraid. Makeup is all about self expression at the end of the day.

Up the Amp (Amplified)- a bright lavender pinky purple. Unfortunately, I slightly regret purchasing this one, simply because it's just so far out of my comfort zone. It's a stunning bright purple for spring and summer, but I can't help feeling that it would better suit someone with a slightly warmer complexion than me. Maybe it'll grow on me.

Amorous (Satin)- a deep cranberry. This lipstick is perfect for those times when you want to go slightly bold but not necessarily vampy, it's fab.

Hang Up (Crèmesheen)- a medium burgundy. I really appreciate that this lipstick isn't your standard dark matte, because the creamy formula allows much more freedom with application. In the past, when I was slightly more intimidated by these sorts of colours, I would dap this on my lips to create a stained berry effect. Or, if you're feeling brave, you can go all out with liner and a full all over application.

Media (Satin)- a dark red purple. Another lovely shade, and very similar to hang up, the only real difference being a less shiny finish. A perfect night out choice.

Smoked Purple (Matte)- a blackened purple with a cool undertone. Now, I hate to say this, but I do find this formula uncomfortably dry. I'm not averse to matte textures at all, but this one does tug slightly upon application, and as a result can take a few layers to create opacity. Despite this, it's a really cool colour, and makes you look like a sassy vampire lady. If you're up for very dark lips, and don't mind putting in a bit of work to make it look good, go for it.

In the bullets

L-R: Up the Amp, Amorous, Hang Up, Media, Smoked Purple

The Unique ones

The remaining two I've placed into a separate category as they can't really be classed as anything other than unique! You'd definitely have to be in a bold mood to pop these on.

Matte Royal (Matte)- a navy blue. This one is a very recent purchase; I was inspired to go for something completely different after watching youtuber Caitlin Rose looking absolutely fantastic wearing it. It's obviously a bit of a marmite colour, but if you want to get some looks this is the one for you. Clearly not for the fainthearted!

Gel (Frost)- a sheer metallic pale gold with lots of shimmer. This is the absolute definition of a  frosty lipstick, and it's surprisingly versatile. In the summer months, it looks great dabbed in the centre of nude lipsticks to create dimension, and sometimes I even place it on my cheekbones as a glowy cream highlight.

In the bullets

L-R: Matte Royal, Gel

                 

 What's your favourite MAC lipstick? Are you thinking of buying any new shades? Let me know in the comments :)

Thanks for reading,

Elle x