MAC Punk Couture Collection (December 26, 2013)

Spectacular

Spectacular

Well-known member
Wow, clearly Nordstrom is on top of things, maybe MAC could learn a thing or two on how to run a business
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LoveLo

LoveLo

Well-known member
If you girls don't mind me asking when did you decide to order? Was it right away or a day or so afterwards? I'm still processing... ughh.
 
ladyd12

ladyd12

Well-known member
My order for the 3 lippies has shipped! Now I am ready for my second order in Hautecore lipstick, which I already have! More HC for me lol
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liba

liba

Well-known member
pinkpaint said:
Thanks for re-posting this :) I wonder if I really need both Instigator and Punk Couture. I do want Studded Kiss now. And BGRR and Morning Rose seem similar. I think I may even prefer Morning Rose because of the finish. I'm realizing that I like my nude and MLBB colors to have some sheen but I like my bold colors to be matte.
Instigator and Punk Couture are pretty deceptive. They look more similar when swatched on the hand then when applied on the lips. PC is much more blue based while Instigator isn't too red, but is definitely less cool. What makes them so similar is they're pretty much the same darkness level, which is quite dark, so it's only after they're on your lips and the light is hitting in different ways that you really see the differences. I think they're both GLORIOUS so I'm getting 2x of each, wallet be damned.

BGRR is muuuuuuuch warmer and browner than Morning Rose - quite different colors there. I'll go on about that more in the Magnetic Nude thread tomorrow!


Quote: Originally Posted by erine1881


You're gonna
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over the quad! Damn you repromotes! They're so gorgeous all grouped together!
Click to expand...
That quad is very very pretty - Idol Eyes is such a cool color. I'm resisting getting it because I have 3 out of 4 already plus I'm really happy with my quad from Strength and the Rainy Day quad too, so I'm set.

True Chartreuse pigment, on the other hand, is really excellent! It's so opaque!!!! It's matte too! Most of the time, that sort of chartreuse color pulls too yellow on me and you can't see the green at all, but True Chartreuse reads GREEN for me, if applied in 2 layers (one layer is still more yellow, but that's actually nice - two colors in one, so to speak!)

OK now on to what you want to know:

- ALLLLL the lipsticks are labeled MATTE, not RETRO MATTE. and they're definitely mattes - the good mattes, like Riri Nude level good matte. Really beautiful smooth and even application. Hautecore is a touch drier than the others, but not so dry that it skips or drags on application or gets patchy. In fact, MAC has seriously perfected the effortless vampy lip color texture here. VERY high quality. I was impressed. I'm happy they're this way, since these colors are all dark enough, having that very slight satin quality, rather than extra flat retro matte, makes all the colors much more flattering, besides being so much easier to apply.

- The application on all of these is very simple! I'd say the best way to go is to just smoosh a healthy layer straight from the tube, then pat a little extra here and there to fill in any thinner parts. No need to be extra careful of letting one layer set before applying another, although I felt the trick of getting the lipstick well into the underside of the upper lip is still really helpful. Once they set up (in maybe 20 sec. or so), the color starts to really glow as it fuses with your skin. Then, they are SET. No crappy smearing onto the teeth or losing color around the lower lip. Also no bleeding around the edges - even when you apply the glosses on top. That was impressive. Just seriously high quality here.

- The glosses are also very high quality. They REALLY bring out the lipsticks to an eye popping level. I'd put on a lipstick and go "ooooo pretty" then would slap one of the glosses on and go "OOOOOOODAMN". They are way better than the glimmer glasses from Style Black. The sparkly gold and purple ones aren't much darker or more opaque than the Style Black ones, BUT the sparkle colors are muuuuuch more prominent, so the color really comes out way more, even when worn alone. The black one isn't opaque, but it IS more opaque than the black one from Style Black. It's less opaque than some other CSGs, but like the good CSGs, it goes on nice and evenly and doesn't settle into lip lines - just provides a beautiful black veil. Compared to some other sheer black glosses out there, MAC's version is LESS sheer. Another really nice thing about them; when applied over the lipsticks, they don't bleed or cause the lipsticks to bleed or get patchy - you can get a nice sharp edge around the lips that stays sharp, rather than getting globby or blurry or feathery and the color doesn't cause the lipstick to get patchy underneath. I am going to get 2 of each for sure - these are worth the money, imo. Excellent quality.

- Studded Kiss turned out to be vampier than expected. It's redder than FOD, but not by too much. I was feeling like I didn't really need it, since I have FOD, even if FOD has a touch of brown I'm not always in the mood for. But then, I put the purple gloss on top and whoa nelly - it was so rich and beautiful, I broke down and got one.

- Hautecore finally figured out how to do a black lipstick that isn't a pain in the butt. It looks amazing with the gold gloss on top - you see every sparkle. It's a very well balanced black that didn't make my skin look washed out or sallow. We checked it out on another gal who is darker than me, maybe NC35 or so, and it looked equally beautiful on her and didn't wash her out either. Instigator looked crazy good on her skin tone too - even better on her than it did on me, I thought. Instigator came more to life on me when I put the black gloss on top - then it was just amazingly beautiful. These glosses work so well and so smoothly with the lipsticks. Getting back to Hautecore, I did feel like my pigmented lips appeared to influence the color slightly when I applied it, but after a minute or two when it had totally set up, the black color became much more true and the slight purplish aspect it had when immediately applied, went all the way away. Definitely will benefit from carefully applying it just outside the lipline. The quality is so good, it honestly doesn't need liner to look really sharp, but it will certainly gain from going back around the edges with a lip brush dipped in concealer or a nude pencil, for that super chiseled effect.

- Punk Couture is the purple I have waited for for years. Same as with Hautecore, after a minute or so when it really sets on the lips, the color comes out in full force. Super grape color with a bluer inner vibrancy when the light hits it just right. Stupendous.

Really I can't say enough about the quality and refinement of this collection. MAC has really knocked it out of the park this time. Every lip product is well worth the money - even what I would call a bargain for the price. If the lipsticks were $26 each, they'd be worth it. This is the best of MAC for sure. If this is the direction MAC LE is going, I now officially am OK with the prices going up a dollar or two, because this is entering high end makeup standards, as far as I'm concerned, both in color and formula. No one who gets their hands on any of the lippies is going to be disappointed, although you may need to play with the application to get it just right and as smooth as a baby's butt. Just take your time and don't over-apply and give it a minute to set up before you make a final decision and you will be in lipstick heaven by the end of it!!!!


SWOON!!!!!
 
erine1881

erine1881

Well-known member
Now you say they're labeled matte. Is that the lipstick itself, or the box? Cuz remember, with riri summer the bottoms were all labeled matte, but the boxes were were labeled retro matte.
 
MACina

MACina

Well-known member
liba said:
Instigator and Punk Couture are pretty deceptive. They look more similar when swatched on the hand then when applied on the lips. PC is much more blue based while Instigator isn't too red, but is definitely less cool. What makes them so similar is they're pretty much the same darkness level, which is quite dark, so it's only after they're on your lips and the light is hitting in different ways that you really see the differences. I think they're both GLORIOUS so I'm getting 2x of each, wallet be damned.

BGRR is muuuuuuuch warmer and browner than Morning Rose - quite different colors there. I'll go on about that more in the Magnetic Nude thread tomorrow!


That quad is very very pretty - Idol Eyes is such a cool color. I'm resisting getting it because I have 3 out of 4 already plus I'm really happy with my quad from Strength and the Rainy Day quad too, so I'm set.

True Chartreuse pigment, on the other hand, is really excellent! It's so opaque!!!! It's matte too! Most of the time, that sort of chartreuse color pulls too yellow on me and you can't see the green at all, but True Chartreuse reads GREEN for me, if applied in 2 layers (one layer is still more yellow, but that's actually nice - two colors in one, so to speak!)

OK now on to what you want to know:

- ALLLLL the lipsticks are labeled MATTE, not RETRO MATTE. and they're definitely mattes - the good mattes, like Riri Nude level good matte. Really beautiful smooth and even application. Hautecore is a touch drier than the others, but not so dry that it skips or drags on application or gets patchy. In fact, MAC has seriously perfected the effortless vampy lip color texture here. VERY high quality. I was impressed. I'm happy they're this way, since these colors are all dark enough, having that very slight satin quality, rather than extra flat retro matte, makes all the colors much more flattering, besides being so much easier to apply.

- The application on all of these is very simple! I'd say the best way to go is to just smoosh a healthy layer straight from the tube, then pat a little extra here and there to fill in any thinner parts. No need to be extra careful of letting one layer set before applying another, although I felt the trick of getting the lipstick well into the underside of the upper lip is still really helpful. Once they set up (in maybe 20 sec. or so), the color starts to really glow as it fuses with your skin. Then, they are SET. No crappy smearing onto the teeth or losing color around the lower lip. Also no bleeding around the edges - even when you apply the glosses on top. That was impressive. Just seriously high quality here.

- The glosses are also very high quality. They REALLY bring out the lipsticks to an eye popping level. I'd put on a lipstick and go "ooooo pretty" then would slap one of the glosses on and go "OOOOOOODAMN". They are way better than the glimmer glasses from Style Black. The sparkly gold and purple ones aren't much darker or more opaque than the Style Black ones, BUT the sparkle colors are muuuuuch more prominent, so the color really comes out way more, even when worn alone. The black one isn't opaque, but it IS more opaque than the black one from Style Black. It's less opaque than some other CSGs, but like the good CSGs, it goes on nice and evenly and doesn't settle into lip lines - just provides a beautiful black veil. Compared to some other sheer black glosses out there, MAC's version is LESS sheer. Another really nice thing about them; when applied over the lipsticks, they don't bleed or cause the lipsticks to bleed or get patchy - you can get a nice sharp edge around the lips that stays sharp, rather than getting globby or blurry or feathery and the color doesn't cause the lipstick to get patchy underneath. I am going to get 2 of each for sure - these are worth the money, imo. Excellent quality.

- Studded Kiss turned out to be vampier than expected. It's redder than FOD, but not by too much. I was feeling like I didn't really need it, since I have FOD, even if FOD has a touch of brown I'm not always in the mood for. But then, I put the purple gloss on top and whoa nelly - it was so rich and beautiful, I broke down and got one.

- Hautecore finally figured out how to do a black lipstick that isn't a pain in the butt. It looks amazing with the gold gloss on top - you see every sparkle. It's a very well balanced black that didn't make my skin look washed out or sallow. We checked it out on another gal who is darker than me, maybe NC35 or so, and it looked equally beautiful on her and didn't wash her out either. Instigator looked crazy good on her skin tone too - even better on her than it did on me, I thought. Instigator came more to life on me when I put the black gloss on top - then it was just amazingly beautiful. These glosses work so well and so smoothly with the lipsticks. Getting back to Hautecore, I did feel like my pigmented lips appeared to influence the color slightly when I applied it, but after a minute or two when it had totally set up, the black color became much more true and the slight purplish aspect it had when immediately applied, went all the way away. Definitely will benefit from carefully applying it just outside the lipline. The quality is so good, it honestly doesn't need liner to look really sharp, but it will certainly gain from going back around the edges with a lip brush dipped in concealer or a nude pencil, for that super chiseled effect.

- Punk Couture is the purple I have waited for for years. Same as with Hautecore, after a minute or so when it really sets on the lips, the color comes out in full force. Super grape color with a bluer inner vibrancy when the light hits it just right. Stupendous.

Really I can't say enough about the quality and refinement of this collection. MAC has really knocked it out of the park this time. Every lip product is well worth the money - even what I would call a bargain for the price. If the lipsticks were $26 each, they'd be worth it. This is the best of MAC for sure. If this is the direction MAC LE is going, I now officially am OK with the prices going up a dollar or two, because this is entering high end makeup standards, as far as I'm concerned, both in color and formula. No one who gets their hands on any of the lippies is going to be disappointed, although you may need to play with the application to get it just right and as smooth as a baby's butt. Just take your time and don't over-apply and give it a minute to set up before you make a final decision and you will be in lipstick heaven by the end of it!!!!


SWOON!!!!!
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Thank you soooooooooooooo much, liba
bouquet.gif


I really cannot express my excitement for this collection
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BabyDzz

BabyDzz

Well-known member
Thank you so much Liba! I went from only wanting the lipsticks to wanting everything with that post!! My order also shipped! Yay! *jigs*
 
liba

liba

Well-known member
erine1881 said:
Now you say they're labeled matte. Is that the lipstick itself, or the box? Cuz remember, with riri summer the bottoms were all labeled matte, but the boxes were were labeled retro matte.
Click to expand...
I didn't see the boxes - they're all labeled matte on the tubes. I asked my friend about it. He said that when they were at update, they were told that even though it said retro matte in the book, everything was going to be matte.

They are definitely MAC new-style mattes in application, the way they feel on the lips (very light as a feather and not drying) and the very slight sheen. The good news is that if you blot them ever so lightly (super lightly to make sure everything stays even), that brings the finish down to a more matte look that looks pretty much like the way the retro mattes look, without the dryness and emphasizing lip texture - like the way Heaux looks on a good day!

I view this as a benefit, not a drawback, since it's so easy to matte them down another notch without muss or fuss. They are all very excellent - MAC lipsticks don't get better than this.
 
erine1881

erine1881

Well-known member
liba said:
I didn't see the boxes - they're all labeled matte on the tubes. I asked my friend about it. He said that when they were at update, they were told that even though it said retro matte in the book, everything was going to be matte.  They are definitely MAC new-style mattes in application, the way they feel on the lips (very light as a feather and not drying) and the very slight sheen. The good news is that if you blot them ever so lightly (super lightly to make sure everything stays even), that brings the finish down to a more matte look that looks pretty much like the way the retro mattes look, without the dryness and emphasizing lip texture - like the way Heaux looks on a good day! I view this as a benefit, not a drawback, since it's so easy to matte them down another notch without muss or fuss. They are all very excellent - MAC lipsticks don't get better than this.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. No biggie. I'm just curious cuz my friend said at their update they were told only Hautecore was changed to matte, and that was the only one they all changed in their books. The rest were left retro matte. Just double checking. Guess we'll find out in a few days when black boxes start rollin in! Either way, I'm happy with a matte lip!
 
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