Today's post is going to be a guide to MAC's lipstick finishes.
There are 7 standart lipstick finishes (not including their special lipsticks like pro longwear, sheen supreme etc.) which are Matte, Satin, Amplified, Cremesheen, Lustre, Glaze and Frost. Before getting into more detail about each finish, I should probably mention that not all the lipsticks in their own finish will be the exact same. So f.e. not all cremesheens are going to be the very exact same formula as the cremesheens, they might vary slightly. But not let's get to the actual finishes!
Matte: As the name would suggest, these lipsticks are going to be matte. Matte lipsticks tend to be quite dry on the lips and if you have dry lips to begin with, I definitely recommend putting a lip balm underneath before applying your matte MAC lipstick. The good thing about this finish is that they are super pigmented and last on your lips for hours and hours. From my own experience I can drink and eat and the lipstick will still look fine without rubbing off or getting all over my face.
My favourite Mattes by MAC are Diva and Russian Red.
Satin: A satin finish will be quite matte but have a slight sheen to them and they won't be as drying as the actual matte finish is. I do still find them drying (my lips are very dry even without lipstick on) but with a bit of lip balm they work perfectly fine for me. They are very pigmented as well and will last on your lips for a few hours as well.
My favourite Satin by MAC is Rebel.
Amplified: Amplified lipsticks will have great colour pay-off and last for hours as well, from what I can tell they are not as long-wearing as the matte finish is but they do still last quite some time. But honestly the exact lasting power also depends on your lips, if you use lipliner or not etc. Also this finish has a sheen to it and won't be that drying on your lips.
My favourite Amplified finish by MAC is Vegas Volt.
Cremesheen: Cremesheens are probably my favourite kind of formula when it comes to MAC lipsticks. As the name says they are very creamy and comfortable to wear on the lips and have a slightly glossy finish. They are not as pigmented as matte or amplified lipsticks are but they are pigmented enough and are great for daily wear if you are not that comfortable to wear really pigmented lipstick since they also come in a big variety of nude/pinky colours (they do come in a lot of brighter colours as well though which makes it easier to rock brighter colours if you are only just getting into it). They do not last that long but they are easy to re-apply and you won't need a mirror to re-apply them during the day. From my experience they do stay on your lips if you drink or eat but rub off on certain areas. Cremesheen is probably the finish that has the most colours to choose from.
My favourite Cremesheens by MAC are Creme D'Nude, Creme Cup and Pure Zen.
Lustre: Lustre finishes have sheer coverage but you can build it up to being more intense and not just a sheer wash of colour if you'd like. They are not drying at all because they are very creamy and glossy looking so they won't be lasting on your lips as long as the other finishes I already mentioned.
My favourite Lustres by MAC are Syrup and Plumful.
Glaze: Those are the least pigmented from all the MAC finishes I'd say. They don't last that long but they are really easy to re-apply as well because of their sheer coverage and creamy/glossy texture you won't be needing a mirror to re-apply them either.
My favourite Glaze by MAC is Hue.
Frost: Frost finishes have to be my least favourite finish of MAC lipsticks. Frost lipsticks do have good pigmentation and are not that drying, their lasting power is a little better than on Lustre finishes I'd say. The thing with Frost lipsticks is that they have shimmer in them, just like the name says they look kind of frosty hence the shimmer. Not all Frosts are going to be the same though, I stay away from them because I'm not into shimmering lipsticks but as I said, not all of them are the same so maybe you can go to a counter and swatch them to see how shimmery the colour really is. I do only own one Frost finish which is Viva Glam Rihanna which is not that shimmery and just a perfect red if you just start out with red colours because of it's slight glossy look the shimmer gives it. But another popular Frost is Angel which is not that shimmery either.
My favourite Frost by MAC is Viva Glam Rihanna.
Hopefully this post can be helpful for some of you if you are just starting to get into MAC lipsticks and are a tiny bit overwhelmed by the big amount of different finishes MAC has to offer!
- Julia
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