Not once, but twice over the past week have I wondered aloud, “What is this exactly?”
The first time I was out getting dinner with the family.
Actually, it was during dessert (I got spumoni ice cream, which, who’d a thunk that cherry, pistachio and chocolate would go so well together?).
The second time was the first time I was trying the new MAC Versicolour Cream Varnish Lip Stains.
These creamy, shiny glosses are kinda different and cool. They have a non-sticky formula, and they fade over time to a matte lip stain. They come in a whole bunch of colors, too, for $22.
I think one of the reasons I like them so much is because they feel like my favorite MAC glosses…which I can’t recall the name of right now.
Dangit! What are those called again? I’m having a brain fart… They’re the moisturizing ones that feel thinner than a Lipglass? Something-something glasses?
Not Lipglass. Not Dazzleglass…
Wait! — CREMESHEEN GLASS! Aaah!
The Versicolours feel just like them, only thinner.
“Captivate with a lip colour hybrid that’s glossier, higher coverage and harder impact than ever before. Its watery-light formula glides on creamy and comfortable to impart long-wearing, saturated full coverage and an always-fresh wet finish. Find entrancement in its 12-hour, intense staining power – promising to last far into the day and night.”
When they go on, they’re VERY pigmented and shiny. It’s like, BAM! — color and shine. And that goes for all of them.
Over the next 10 minutes or so they start to feel thicker — almost like a liquid lipstick — and fade into a stain.
Even though I’m more drawn to the dark pinks and reds in the collection, I think the best shade of the whole bunch is rosy nude Bitten Babe because it doesn’t stain my lips unevenly like the other colors do to where I get a dark or bright spot in the middle of my lips, which then fades into a lighter stain toward the edge of my lips.
I guess that’s a high fashion-y lip look, but I’m partial to evenly stained color, a la Bitten Babe, which I’ve been wearing a ton. It starts as a glossy, rosy pink but turns into a nude pink stain by midday, where it lasts for about four hours.
More deets…
- They aren’t particularly moisturizing or drying…so they’re somewhere in the middle in terms of moisture.
- Unsurprisingly for MAC, they smell like vanilla, and I don’t detect a flavor.
- They don’t settle into my lip lines (yay!).
- The darker stains last longest — like 6-7 hours.
- The reds all kinda look alike on me… Go figure.
If I had to go with just one of them, it would be Bitten Babe, babe. It’s a winner. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Christine Beck-Millan says
December 3rd, 2018 at 8:35 pmIt’s interesting, MAC lately is into the lipstick-not-lipstick look, e.g., powder kiss lipstick and now this. I like how makeup has its own kind of “technology” that evolves. Or so marketing would make us think. 😉 Definitely appealing for a natural lip color.
Karen says
December 4th, 2018 at 2:46 pmYeah, I’ve noticed that too. Of course now that we have all these blurry lip lines the next thing in fashion will be hyper-crisp edges for lips, right?!
kellly says
December 4th, 2018 at 11:16 amMy lips are naturally very pale so stains are totally for me! I’m definitely going to go see about these. Because if I don’t apply something and have it last, I end up with my natural looking lips, which is definitely not a good look for me!
Karen says
December 4th, 2018 at 2:43 pmHi Kellly,
I think you’ll like any number of the reddish or darker colors. I hope the stain fades evenly on your lips, because it looks super pretty when it isn’t patchy.
Kim says
December 4th, 2018 at 11:29 amI really like the packaging. Too bad about the patchy fade to stain and the middle of the road moisture. Still, lots of nice colors! I always loved the spumoni with cherry, pistachio and vanilla. 🙂
Karen says
December 4th, 2018 at 2:39 pmI’ve never quite understood how someone came up with the spumoni combo because never in a million years would I pair pistachio with chocolate or pistachio with cherry. It works though, doesn’t it? Do you know of a brand that makes good spumoni? I only had it at the restaurant and would love to get a pint. Ya know, for at home use, LOL!
Janet Shepherd says
December 4th, 2018 at 12:27 pmOoh these sound good – I wonder what the formula is like compared to the Lancôme L’Absolu Lacquer, which is my new favourite thing at the moment. My lips (like the rest of me) are very pale so a gloss that fades to a stain is right up my alley!
Karen says
December 4th, 2018 at 2:37 pmHi Janet,
I haven’t tried that particular product but from reading the description it sounds similar. I feel like the MAC ones pass through the lipstick part of the phase very quickly!
Michele DiCola says
December 4th, 2018 at 3:10 pmI like the idea of the fading . I’ve akways liked a sort of non lipstick 💄 lipstick if you will .
Going to try several .
I’m going to be 70 in two days so it will be a treat .
And some Spimoni too !
Karen says
December 4th, 2018 at 3:24 pmHappy early birthday, Michele! I hope there’s some makeup in your future.