Mac Flamingo Lustre Lipstick Review and Swatches

Okay, I know I said I hardly ever buy lipsticks and yet, I'm here reviewing another one, BUT Mac Flamingo lipstick was always on my wishlist. I didn't buy it when it first come out in a limited edition collection and always regretted it, so when it was recently added to the permanent lipstick line, I decided to finally pick it up, especially as I had some House of Fraser vouchers burning a hole in my pocket!.

Mac describes Flamingo as "light milky bright coral", but it also has a lot of pink in it. I'd say it's one of those my lips but better shades. It's a lustre finish, so it's not very opaque, it takes a few goes to get a good colour payoff. It's very glossy, but also due to the lustre finish it wears off really quickly. I'm lucky if I get 2 hours of wear out of it, and that's without eating or drinking. It's not drying at all and feels very comfortable when on my lips.

So was it worth the wait? I can't honestly say it was for me, but if you are after a nice subtle lipstick, this is a good one to pick up. It's a great colour for the summer, but also all year round. I now prefer more pigmented, more opaque shades, so Flamingo sadly didn't live up to my expectations.

Flamingo lipstick costs £15.50 and you get 3 g for your money.

See more pictures, including swatches after the jump!

Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pots Review and Swatches

Mac has released 8 "new" Pro Longwear Paint Pots this month, although only 2 of them are actually new shades, the other 6 are repromoted or even from the permanent line. I only bought the two new shades: Frozen Violet and Antique Diamond, because I already owned the other 6. Although mine are the original, "just" Paint Pots, I believe the formula hasn't been changed, they've just been renamed to Pro Longwear Paint Pots.

So I thought I might as well do a quick post on them and show you all the swatches. For once, these are actually NOT limited edition, so you can take your time to purchase the ones you like. Yay!

We have here Let's Skate from Glitter & Ice (2011), Chilled On Ice, Vintage Selection, Let Me Pop and Dangerous Cuvee from Cham-Pale (2010), Frozen Violet and Antique Diamond (new) and Blackground (permanent). All of them are glittery and/or frosty to some extent, some more than others. They are quite sheer, perfect for a quick wash of colour. I often use paint pots when I don't have time to do a complex eye look, just swipe one colour on my lids and maybe another one to highlight and that's it. These paint pots are brilliantly long lasting and they don't crease all day long (not even without primer underneath). Once they dry, they're not going anywhere. They are also very good as eyeshadow bases.

As you can see, most of the old paint pots are still in good condition, but my Let Me Pop has shrivelled up somewhat. I don't know why, I stored it just like I store the others (upside down with the lid tightly closed) and it's the same age as the other 3 Cham-Pale ones. It still works, it's not too dry, but I suspect it may not have too much life in it left. Oh well, at least I can repurchase it now it's permanent. Actually Let Me Pop isn't one of my favourites, it's a bit chunky and hard to get even. My favourites are definitely Vintage Selection and Dangerous Cuvee, but I also really like Antique Diamond.

Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pots cost £14.50 and you get 5 g of product for your money. It's nice to have some new shades added to the permanent line, but I would still like to see some bright colours like purple, blue, teal and green.

See more pictures including swatches and a look I did with Antique Diamond after the jump!

Mac Sequin Lipstick Review and Swatches

This is not a new purchase, but I wore it the other day and felt it was rather unappreciated in my collection, because it's actually a really lovely shade. I bought Mac Sequin lipstick with my Back to Mac empties a while (2 years or so) ago, but I've not really given it much love.

Sequin lipstick is a frost finish, so can be a little uneven, but two layers should sort that out. Mac says is "plum-pink with pink shimmer", but it looks more brown-pink on me. It's a nice colour and it's very suitable for my colouring. It lasted on me for an average 2-3 hours depending on whether I drank anything or not, it did not last through eating.

As with other Mac lipsticks it costs £14 for 3 g. Sequin is one of Mac's permanent lipsticks, so it is available to purchase at any time. Check it out next time you're at a Mac counter!

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Mac Hot Gossip Lipstick Review and Swatches

It's very easy to forget about what you own when you have a big stash like mine, and the other day I managed to pull out a lipstick that I bought, put in the container with the other lipsticks and promptly forgot about. I can't remember now which blog I was readingthat mentioned this lipstick and I though "ooh, this is pretty", only to realise I actually own it. That's bad, right?

But anyway, I put it on and I decided to review it on here because it is one of those rare Mac products that are permanent and you can actually purchase them any time, rather than having to rush to the counter on the day of release in fear of it selling out.

Mac Hot Gossip is a cremesheen finish and is described by Mac is mid-tone pinky plum which I guess is about right. I'm not an expert on Mac lipstick finishes, but cremesheens are supposed to be more creamy than lustres I think, and Hot Gossip is definitely creamy and feels really nice on the lips. It is well pigmented and lasts for a good 2-3 hours on me or even more if I'm not eating/drinking. I love this shade, it's just so flattering and I love the subtle sheen it has.

Mac lipsticks are £13.50 and you get 3 g for your money which is the lower end of lipstick weight (most are usually 3.5 g aren't they?).

See more pictures including hand and lip swatches and a picture of me wearing Hot Gossip after the jump!