Ok, guys I am very excited! Accidentally I came by the huge newly built MAC counter in the local Kaufhof and saw that there is a new stand with lipstick bullets in a shape I had never seen. (Different shapes = different textures) So what kind of new stuff could that be as MAC has so far any kind of lipstick under the sun represented exceeeeept forthose new fluid lipsticks which dry matte and come in lip gloss tubes which I was desperately searching for forever.
Seriously! Germany and especially my region is such a tough market for cosmetics. Everything is divided under a few corporates. The high-end sellers take forever to adopt new stuff and drug store becomes cheaper everyday. Seriously they’ve taken almost all the good drugstore brands away from us (please, bring back the Revlon and Rimmel!) and replaced them with Essence and such crap which are not afraid to introduce new trends but they do it so a bad rep comes inclusive.
I had noticed ads on the internet with those kind of lipsticks from brands like Color Pop or Lime Crime for quite a while. The packaging looks kind of childish and cheap but when Youtubers used them…OMG pigmentation heaven but I was still skeptical. Then I saw audience members of US tv shows wearing those kind of lips. Honestly, they looked better than the host. So this was when I got sold seeing that regular people would wear these matte lipsticks over the course of a show taping and look good throughout. And believe me these tapings take forever and sometimes the audience is literally trapped inside the studio for the whole process.
Still it was impossible to get these lip products here as new brands don’t make it through. The closest I got was using my beloved MAC Ruby Woo. That certainly cuts the look but Ruby Woo is texture wise a photo shoot only lipstick in my opinion. There is no possibility to avoid the extremely drying wear without taking away of its great matte texture. I was ready to order Lime Crime samples from abroad then…Boom MAC launches this Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour. It’s only been a few days since they’ve come out. So far I have not seen very few German reviews which must mean that MAC keeps the release low-key (not that I understand).
The bullet. First I didn’t like it but now it makes sense. It’s a hybrid!
I bought the shade Feels So Grand, the closest to Ruby Woo. The price of 25 € is high but fortunately the quality doesn’t disappoint. The texture is like a velvety cream and I applied it right at the counter without any prep beforehand. I was worried that the lipstick would get stuck on dry patches but it really didn’t!!! The applicator is shaped different from regular glosses, it avoids pulling out too much product. Yes, I have that problem very often and it annoys me. It has a pointy tip which makes application very easy.
In general application went very smooth and without streaks. Remember when the first lipsticks in this direction came out years ago with Maybelline Lipfinity? They were downright unusable: very streaky, and started already drying through application. I always ended up with a patchy mess. They came with a glossy overcoat to prevent crumbling but shortly after, it would crumble anyway. Reapplication was downright impossible. You had to take the lipstick off and renew it completely. Not an easy task with stay proof lipstick on a night out. All this downsides don’t exist with the Retro Matte Liquid.
I was quite amazed by the results. First, the velvety opaque looked very nice, then it didn’t feel dry at all and there was no sticky feeling. If you are somebody who doesn’t eat, I could imagine a staying power like forever. I did eat a greasy dinner and it did come off on the inside of my lips but touching up was no problem.
I do recommend using lip liner beforehand or afterwards if you like that better. The shade selection is great and I was very torn between Feels So Grand and the deep plum High Drama.
Still I wish they had put out a true chocolate brown like in Kylies Lipkit. I am so obsessed about that color. (I have a dupe recommendation at the end of this post though.)
Before, shopping with mum and an absolutely bare face:
Three hours after application and loads of drinking (water, of course), including a big cup of to go coffee:
My lips after dinner (also notice how my face has changed in comparison with before, only using some highlighter on the cheeks additionally):
I seldom shell out on lip liner. The cheap ones do the job very well. I think Prince Cherry from Catrice will suit to Feels So Grand. And the Brown n Bold liner from Max Factor is my go to for a true brown lip. It is long-lasting but a little sticky.
Rosewater Saffron 