Next up in the enable-a-thon: Those lipsticks!
Love Goddess: beautiful texture, has lasted me all day without any fading or change in moistness. Totally comfortable on my lips and forgiving in texture, even a bit moisturizing feeling. The color is quite unique and complex. People comparing it to Gesina (which I don't own) are probably the closest. It's like a more subdued Impassioned. Depending on the light quality, it shifts from reading more red (in shade) to more rose pink/fuchsia, but there is a very slight lean to the blue end of the spectrum, but just barely. MAC doesn't come out with colors this intricate more than a few times a year max, and it's just the sort of thing you can really tweak with a red lip pencil or gloss vs. a pink or plum one, so it's versatile. It's really not like Fire Sign at all (at least on me) - the closest thing I own to it is the bright pink mattene from last year's Posh Paradise, but this is still redder, more complex and more "lady-like" or sophisticated. Someone else who was a pale NW blonde was in trying it on - her lips were paler than mine and it read a lot pinker, but man, I thought it looked stupendous on her. In fact, she tried on all the lipsticks and my honest opinion was they're all particularly well tailored for blondes (of any skin tone). Remember, I'm insanely picky about reds for myself. If I had to pick one lipstick, it'd probably be LG, unless you are someone who didn't already get Scarlet Ibis, which is still one of the best reds ever, if you don't mind being daring.
BTW, this SI is the same as the Iris one, same color, same texture, fyi. No need to worry about it being different. Yes Sail la Vie is similar, but I've got both and I'd still take SI over SLV any old day - better texture and just richer and brighter.
Deeply Adored: OK, this is THE matte version of the original Runaway Red, so let's just get that out of the way. I tried a full mouth of DA, then a full mouth of RR then tried RR on the top lip and DA on the bottom AND RR on the bottom with DA on the top. It may read a fractional amount more brownish, but that is truly due to the difference in texture - remember a really flat matte will absorb more light than a glossier finish and thus, enhance the deeper undertones - whichever undertone is the closest to black. Hence it being a little browner, rather than actually darker (it's not darker than RR), since the whole beauty of this color is that it's made deep and rich by a balance of red, blue and yellow pigments, rather than simply darkened with black pigment. This is the sign of a truly complex and jewel-like color. Believe me, I don't think you will find another shade like this except possibly Chanel or Armani or other super-high end line that really gives a shit about reds. DA is also the good matte - it feels just as light on the lips as SI, and isn't drying. Also like SI, it's very forgiving of lip texture - it will hide the flaws, without needing a lot of prep work. And, it is MEGA MATTE, not half matte. A major winner, if you're not into something quite pink leaning like LG.
Charmed I'm Sure: Well, this one took a little bit of convincing for me, but only due to two reasons. First off, it's a more neutral red than I normally feel comfortable with, although it's definitely got more blue in it than yellow. On me, it was't that instant pop of pure love, even when checked in natural light. However, when I blotted it down, bringing out the bluer and pinker aspect, then I thought it was really beautiful. It also perked up on me with either of the glosses on top. Anyone who isn't as touchy about reds as I am won't be bothered by any of this at all. The other reason I didn't fall all over myself with CIS was that although it was close to being the "good matte", it was still a bit drier than DA or SI. It WAS as matte as DA, though, right out of the tube, so mega-matte, but it did play up some dry bits on the lip more than the others. I tried it on second after LG, and also tried it on at the end after I tried DA and RR in all those combos and it was a touch dry even the first time. Nothing horrible at all, but compared to DA, you could see the difference. It's lighter than DA and Runaway Red. It was a richer color than Fire Sign, although not drastically far off from it in neutrality. We also tried it compared to Russian Red and it's MUCH richer and more beautiful than that one and also a teeny bit more blue toned. If you like Russian Red, CIS is far superior in color and in texture, even if it is drier than DA. It's as velvety matte as a gal can hope for, so the tiny bit of prep you might need with it is worth it and of course, if you plan on wearing it blotted, it actually becomes much more forgiving that way, as a rich lovely stain - that's sure how I'm going to wear it!
