Top 5 Mac Lipsticks

Let me present to you my top 5 Mac lipsticks and the only Mac lipsticks I own. Luckily they weren't difficult to narrow down. I have only a few vivid shades as on the everyday basis I like to stick with more neutral colours.

L-R: Viva Glam III, Heroine, Cream in your Coffee, Faux, Velvet Teddy

Mac lipsticks are one of my favourite. I like the simple but yet chic packaging, formula and scent. They smell like vanilla. These lipsticks come in a variety of finishes: matte, cremesheen, amplified, satin and lustre. In my collection I have matte and cremesheen finishes, so I can't say much about the rest. They retail for 20,50€ in Finland. You can find Mac counters at central Stockmann in Helsinki and Tampere. They also started carrying Mac products at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport duty free store and the selling price is 17,50€.

I have the following shades in my collection: 

Heroine - bold purple (matte)
Viva Glam III - brick red (matte)
Creme in your coffee - dark dusty mauve (chremecheen)
Faux - darker pinkish nude (matte)
Velvet Teddy - darker beige nude (matte)

L-R: Heroine, Viva Glam III, Creme in Your Coffee, Faux, Velvet Teddy

As you could have guessed my preferred Mac lipsticks are matte. They last forever on the lips and are non-drying. I am not particularly in love with the cremesheen formula, as it can be too creamy and your lipstick can slide outside your lips' contours. I would recommend using a lipliner in this case.

Mac lipsticks are far from being perfect and contain colorants, fragrances, synthetically derived ingredients, etc. I can't help it, I like the formula and immense colour selection. However, for those of you that have been thinking what ingredients to avoid, if you are looking for more natural choices, see the list below.

- methylparaben (toxic and may increase risk of cancer) 
- retinyl palmitate (may increase risk of cancer can and be harmful to pregnant women) 
- tocopheryl acetate (can cause itching, burning, hives)
- synthetic fragrances (among the top 5 allergens)

Overall, I can't fault Mac lipsticks, they do everything I want a lipstick to do. That being said, if you are searching for a lipstick with natural ingredients and safe synthetics, I would skip Mac and look into Lush. I will be surely testing out some Lush lipsticks, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Cheers,
Muffy.