my mac lipstick collection! - review and swatches

 i absolutely love mac lipsticks. their formula and pigmentation is incomparable. but unfortunately, they're rather expensive to buy here in Australia, retailing at $36 AUD each. despite this, my collection has grown over time. i have 8 mac lipsticks, although i don't think i bought all of these (i got 2, i think, from back2mac). i feel that my collection has all the colours i'd need, and i'm not rushing out to buy anymore lipsticks now!

top row,  l-r: vivid imagination, speed dial, riri woo, rebel

second row, l-r: creme d'nude, shy girl, angel, ravishing

vivid imagination (limited edition) - this is a beautiful blue-toned pink. it's a limited edition, from the 2012 mac illustrated collection (i have a separate review on this here). it's very opaque, but still very creamy on the lips. it's a cremesheen formula, my FAVOURITE mac formula. i really love this colour, but i feel there are quite a few dupes for this shade in my collection.

speed dial - this is a beautiful bright pink shade, but not too bright. i find it's super wearable. also a cremesheen formula, meaning that it can be layered to make it more opaque. this is very bluetoned, making your teeth look whiter.

riri woo (limited edition) - this is very similar to ruby woo, but slightly more dark and blue toned. this is from rihanna's "riri hearts mac" collection, but it is not from the fall collection, hence the regular packaging. this is a retro matte formula, meaning it's not soft like cremesheens. it tugs slightly on the lips, and i find the easiest way to use this is to use a lipbrush. this does feather slightly, so i use a lipliner for this too. it's a gorgeous shade though, and i usually top this with a little bit of gloss so you can't see it settling in the lines in my lips.

rebel - i think this is my favourite mac lipstick, ever. it looks very scary in the tube, coming up as a bright purple, but it is the most gorgeous raspberry-purple shade ever. you can either wear it super opaquely or blot it to make it more of a stain. i'm planning on posting a separate review on this. this is a satin finish, so it's very smooth on the lips.

l-r: vivid imagination, speed dial, riri woo, rebel

creme d'nude - i believe this was my first mac lipstick purchase. it's a very nude lipstick, but is still darker than my skintone so it doesn't make me look like a corpse. cremesheen formula, meaning it keeps my lips very moisturised. i usually top this with a slightly tinted gloss so my lips don't just look invisible.

shy girl - a beautiful peach-toned nude. i really love this colour, but because it's slightly warmer toned it can make the teeth look a bit yellow. i find this is a great way to wear a nude without it washing you out completely.

angel - this is a frost formula, which is also quite moisturising on the lips. this is a soft pink, which is a great everyday colour. i use this as a pink-nude, and whenever i am stuck with lipcolours, i grab this. it's slightly cool-toned, also.

ravishing - i got this shade when i went to back2mac some old eyeshadow pots. i was stuck between this one, and vegas volt, which is a more bright/fluoro version of this shade. i ended up going for this because i found it more wearable. another cremesheen, and really nice on the lips. this is very very yellow based, being an orange, so i need to make sure my teeth are rather white when i wear this.

l-r: creme d'nude, shy girl, angel, ravishing

 i think for anyone who is really passionate about makeup, mac lipsticks are a must. even if its 1, or 8, or even 50, you need to try these at least once in your life. they have a delicious vanilla scent, which make them pleasant to use. the variety of colours, formulas and finishes are great, catering to everyone's needs. they are quite an investment, but if you want quality over quantity, definitely go for these.

what are your favourite lipsticks? favourite mac shades?

xx gabi