MAC x Lorde = Pure Heroine

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE Lorde. She has so much talent and insight and I just can't get enough! When I heard she was pairing up with MAC for a collection, it was a no-brainer for me. Her mini collection, if there is such a thing, consists of Pure Heroine lipstick and a black liquid eyeliner. Whether you want to join Lorde's "Love Club" or scoff at the idea of calling her Queen Bee, you can't deny that this girl's lipstick game is MEAN! *finger wave* She's been seen in everything from a nude to a rich burgundy, but I perceive her signature lip color as a deep purple, which may have taken some of us by surprise if you grew accustom to her clean (but slightly edgy) makeup in her music video "Royals." Pure Heroine captures Lorde's signature lip perfectly in my opinion, think the lip color she wears at awards shows (a la Billboard Awards and the Grammy Awards). Pure Heroine is the ultimate deep plum lipstick. To me, Pure Heroine looks like the love child of Cyber and Rebel. Lorde's makeup artist mentioned that she mixes Cyber and Rebel to get Lorde's look, which makes sense that this lipstick is reminiscent of the two.  This is an amplified formula, which is very comfortable and creamy on the lips. I applied without a lip balm, and I did not feel any dryness after three hours! Now that I've talked this lipstick to death, let's get to the swatches, shall we?

[I am MAC NC50 for reference]

swatches from left to right: MAC Nightmoth lip pencil, Pure Heroine, NYX Deep Purple lip liner

**note: the next few swatches are without any liner***

I can't help but channel Lorde's music video, "Tennis Court" while wearing this. 

This lipstick doesn't look as dark on the lips as it does in the bullet, but it is still darker than I expected to be with the given swatches I've seen online so far. If you're still craving more darkness, just deepen it up by filling in the lips with Nightmoth lip liner by MAC seen below:

(Nightmoth + Pure Heroine) 

Speaking of online swatches, I CONSIDERED passing on Pure Heroine because I thought it looked like MAC Rebel lipstick online. Boy, was I wrong. 

Left to right: MAC Rebel, MAC Pure Heroine

I LOVE this lipstick, and I can't wait to wear the heck out of it this fall!...or maybe not since it's limited edition. I just wish the collection was a little bigger and included the softer side of Lorde's looks, like a nude or pale pink (a la "Royals" music video). I took care of this myself by purchasing MAC Faux lipstick. If you want more of a sheer pale lip from the video, try a wash of NARS Roman Holiday lipstick.

(Left to right) NARS Roman Holiday, MAC Faux

MAC Faux

(doesn't she look like a love child of Kylie Jenner and Cher Lloyd with natural makeup? I don't know what's up with me and love children today!)

Did you snatch up this beauty or let it pass you by? What MAC collaborations do you want to see in the future? Personally, I'm pulling for a Lana Del Rey collection! I can just see lipsticks named "Ultraviolence" and "Sweet Like Cinnamon," a navy eyeliner named "Blue Jeans" (my FAVORITE song of hers), and a eye shadow quad called "Shades of Cool." *sigh* I should be on someone's creative team. But I digress...More to come, my pretties! 

The Pink Pout: Top 5 Favorite Pink Lipsticks

Greetings Gorgeous!

I am definitely a pink lipstick girl, although I will rock a red lip every now and then. There's just something about the girly-ness of a pink lip that I can't get  enough of. Here are my favorite pink lipsticks in my collection:

From left to right: MAC Girl About Town, NARS Schiap, MAC Impassioned, MAC Candy Yum Yum, MAC Naughty Sauté 

Top to bottom, left to right: MAC Girl About Town, MAC Naughty Sauté, MAC Candy Yum Yum, NARS Schiap, MAC Impassioned (**note: I wear MAC NC50 for skin tone reference)

MAC Girl About Town: This is a bright fuchsia that looks great on all skintones. I love wearing this with MAC lip liner in Magenta. The texture is creamy and moisturizing as it is an amplified finish. Don't let the swatches fool you! This lipstick is bright (but not too bright) but compared to the other brighter pinks , this one looks like a berry color. Girl About Town is a classic and timeless pink that makes me feel instantly sophisticated when I put it on. If you like to wear pink lipsticks year round (like me!), this one is a good one to grab. Here is my look that I wore today featuring Girl About Town shown with MAC Magenta lip liner.

MAC Naughty Sauté: This lipstick debuted in the Shop MAC, Cook MAC collection. This is unfortunately unavailable, but I got my hands on it when I had my makeup done for my 21st birthday back in May. (Thanks Luke!) This one is a creamy, Pepto Bismol pink...literally! When Luke pulled this one out, I was SO nervous. But he lined and filled in my lips with Magenta lip liner and saved the day! Here was my 21st birthday look with Naughty Sauté:

The lip liner really made me feel more comfortable with the light color. This feels really comfortable on the lips since it is a creme sheen finish. I've grown to love this one!

MAC Candy Yum Yum: This lipstick is definitely one of MAC's most popular colors. This one is a cult favorite and when I tried it on for myself, I saw why! This lipstick is Gorgeous on the lips. Candy Yum Yum is a SUPER bright and vibrant matte pink lipstick, think Nicki Minaj. The matte finish is more drying, so I like to use a lip balm that is not shiny (i.e. Carmex) that will not interfere with the matte finish of the lipstick. Here is Candy Yum Yum with, you guessed it, Magenta lip liner:

If you love bright lips, this one is a MUST have! At least try it at your favorite MAC counter/store if you're on the fence. 

NARS Schiap: This lipstick has a special place in my heart. This was my first NARS lipstick, and actually my first product from the brand and what a great first impression it was! I thought Schiap and Candy Yum Yum were dupes of each other, but on my skin tone they definitely are not. Schiap is a nice, toned-down alternative to Candy Yum Yum if you want a bright lipstick, but not quite ready for the brightness of Candy Yum Yum. NARS describes Schiap's formula as semi-matte, so a lip balm is recommended with this one. Here is my look with Schiap with no lip liner:

In the pictures they look very similar on the lips, but there is a difference when you have them side by side. If you are a pink lipstick lover, you can justify having both.

MAC Impassioned: This was my first pink MAC lipstick, so this one has a special place in my heart too. Impassioned is an electric strawberry lemonade shade with an amplified finish. Impassioned is not for the faint of heart. If you are not a bold lipstick girl or at least confident when you wear it, this one will easily wear YOU, and we don't want that. This color comes in a lip glass, which is more wearable. I don't have a great picture of me wearing this lipstick (sorry!). I'll do a look soon wearing this lipstick, but for now the swatch will have to do.

Pink lips are by far my favorite when I want to wear a bold lipstick or add a pop of color to an otherwise simple outfit. What pinks do you rock? Have a fabulous week, loves!