20 Mac lipstick swatched plus their dupes


My collection of Mac shades is very atypical. For one I only have three proper Mac lipsticks that are in the regular lines, plus I have one shade left from the Viva Glam range - Lady Gaga's version from several years ago, so I didn't include it here. The rest are all samples that I got from The Body Needs which unfortunately doesn't exist anymore. I have 19 of those, but two shades are already discontinued, so I excluded those, but they have been swatched before as have all of Mac lipsticks in my collection. I've been planning to reswatch them for a while, not just because I have a much better camera now, but also because I like seeing things organised and in one place, plus I have a feeling most of the shades are on their last legs, so this is probably my last chance. I included all the dupes I could find as well, I also have them in previous posts, so they might not be new to you. 

Just for reference for those who might be new: my skintone is NC/W10 - Fit Me 110 Porcelain or very fair with a neutral undertone. 

 My three proper Mac lipsticks: Myth, Hue and Creme Cup.

 My Mac samples. Starting from the left: Peach Blossom, Patisserie, Shy Girl, Please Me, Sunny Seoul, Coral Bliss, Impassioned, Relentlessly Red, All Fired Up, Dangerous, Lady Danger, Ruby Woo, Russian Red, M.A.C. Red, D for Danger, Rebel and Diva.


Myth 

Myth is a peachy, proper nude shade with a satin-matte finish. It can make you look dead for centuries if you don't pair it with the right makeup, so a smoky eye. Though on my pale skin tone, the peachiness keeps it from being completely draining. 

Similar shades I owned include E.l.f. Mineral lipstick in Natural Nymph (pink base instead of peach) and Gosh Velvet lipstick in Darling (again more of a pink base, also has a creamy shine). 

Hue

Hue is a milky pale peachy pink with a creamy finish (it's a glaze formula). It used to be my absolute favourite lip colour, but I since find it has too much of a white base and I prefer the more "vibrant" Peach Blossom.

I found an almost dupe in Seventeen Mirror Shine lipstick Beehive.

Peach Blossom

Peach Blossom is a pale peachy pink shade with a creamy shine. It's one of my favourite shades and it works with any look. 

The only similar shade I own is Jordana Matte Lipstick in Nude, but it's not a dupe and it's matte. Comparison is under Pattisserie.

Patisserie

Patisserie is a pale muted peach shade with some pink tones and quite big gold shimmer. It's popular for a reason - it's very easy to wear and very flattering on most pale, light and medium skin tones. I hear it's a popular wedding shade.

I don't have a proper dupe, but if you're looking for a shade that is a mix between this one and Peach Blossom, try Jordana's Matte lipstick in Nude.

Shy Girl 

Shy Girl is a pale peach shade with a creamy finish. It's a peachy version of Hue, but without the white base. This is a shade that will suit primarily warm skin tones.

Creme Cup

Creme Cup is a pale neutral pink with a creamy finish. It's a shade darker than Hue and with less of a white base. Mac's Angel is said to be similar, but I swatched both and I find Angel is cooler with frost.

Please Me

Please Me is a light warm pink with a matte finish. It's a great everyday shade for those who want a bit more colour than just something nude and neutral.


Sunny Seoul

Sunny Seoul is a light brightened pink with a creamy finish. It's a Cremesheen + pearl finish, so it's slightly different than shade like Creme Cup from Cremesheen, as it is has more shine.

Coral Bliss

Coral Bliss is a light peachy shade that on darker skintones than mine will look more pink. It's another Cremesheen + pearl finish, but has less of a pearly finish than Sunny Seoul.

Impassioned

Impassioned is a watermelon pink with a creamy finish. 

I found a dupe in Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic.

Relentlessly Red

Relentlessly Red is a bright coral pink shade with almost a bit of a neon base to it. It's a retro matte finish which makes it quite a dry formula and it starts to dry as the lipsticks gets old, mine can barely be used (it's a small sample). Ruby Woo has a similar texture.

All Fired Up

All Fired Up is a warm magenta with a retro matte finish. It's an easier formula than Relentlessly Red.


 Dangerous

Dangerous is an orange red with a retro matte finish. It's a more matte, a bit more red version of Lady Danger, but mostly they look so similar you can't tell them apart. If you're picking between the two, I'd choose Lady Danger because it's less dry.

Dupe is Wet n Wild Purty Persimmon, except it's a bit more creamy and not as vivid.

Lady Danger

Lady Danger is an orange red with a matte finish. A popular summer choice, I find it too orange for my skin tone. 


Ruby Woo

Ruby Woo is a bright red with a matte finish. It's a cult favourite, but the formula is like retro mattes very dry and the lipstick itself dries too. If your lips are dry, spare yourself the trouble, though the colour is a true stunner.

I found a dupe in Bourjois' lip liner in rouge Soyeoux, but I can't find it online anywhere, so I'm guessing it's been discontinued.

Russian Red

Russian red is a cool red with a matte finish. It's a tamer sister of the punchy Ruby Woo and another cult favourite. The formula is much smoother and easier to apply than Ruby Woo.

I have a dupe, however, it won't help you much because it was a strange limited edition, but it's an H&M lipstick, so they might still have a similar shade now that they have a whole line. My other red Jordana Modern Matte Lipstick 12 Matte Style is cooler, with a pink base.

M.A.C. Red

M.A.C. Red is a cherry red with a satin finish. It has a cherry base which makes is a somewhat pink version of red.

D for Danger

D for Danger is a deep pinky red shade. It's a retro matte finish, but it's not as drying as Ruby Woo. It's one of my favourite shades ever.

I don't have a dupe, but Colourpop's More Better is a more purple, vibrant version (comparison swatches in the post)

Rebel

Rebel is a pinky purple with a satin finish. It's a shade that tends to look a lot more pink if you aren't ghostly pale like me.

Wet n Wild Sugar Plum Fairy is very close, but more matte and purple on the lips.

Diva

Diva is a warm deep burgundy with a satin finish. It's a classic vampy shade, but there are so many similar colours.

I found a perfect dupe in Maybelline Matte lipstick in Divine Wine. I wore one on the top lip and the other on the bottom and there is almost no difference between the two, except Maybelline's is easier to apply. Often mentioned as a dupe is Wet n Wild Cherry Bomb, but based on my side-by-side comparison I can say that it's a shade darker and more purple.

Now that was a lot of work! I regret not having any of the currently more popular shades like Brave, Syrup or Mehr (though, I did used to own full sizes of Honeylove and Viva Glam V), but my colours were bought in another time, pre-90's revival. I hope you find it helpful and have a great day!

Two helpful links:

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