“Tabs…YOU ARE TOP CHEF!”
LOL! Wouldn’t that be a hoot? — Padma Lakshmi congratulating Tabs on his award-winning final meal on Top Chef.
I mean, even considering that he’s a cat, chances are Tabs would win Top Chef before I did because I don’t have that special something. Sure, I can follow a recipe, but I’m no wonder in the kitchen.
I do, however, have strong opinions on 💄 lipstick. 😊 If that counts for anything.
Regardless…
1. There’s a lotta lipstick in the MAC Padma Lakshmi collection!
The 17-piece release, which is coming to MAC counters Thursday, March 15th, has been released early online. It includes six lipsticks ($17.50 each) and a Cremesheen Glass ($21, which is an online exclusive). Four of the lippies are MAC Mattes, one is an Amplified, and one is a Cremesheen. Oh, and the Cremesheen Glass is glossy, of course.
2. The nude lipsticks are a go, ESPECIALLY for tan temptresses and darker divas.
If you have a toasty tan, you know how some nude lipsticks can be, right? Particularly pale pink and pale beige lipsticks? How some will wash you out? Well, I think you’ll have better luck with Padma’s lipsticks. The nudes in this launch are rooted in peach and brown, and they’re deeper than usual for pastel nude lipsticks. They’re generally very pigmented and overall brown-girl friendly.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why pale pink or beige nude lipsticks look wonky or weird on you, check out Padma’s collection if you can, because the nudes should work well with most darker skin tones.
My favorites of the six lipsticks are Sunset Rose and Nude Fudge. Mid-toned peachy brown Sunset Rose has a ’90s feel to it, but if you don’t like the brown matte look, you can always slick a little gloss on top.
3. The Cremesheen Glass is a go for most skin tones.
I love layering the Cremesheen Glass in Nefertiti ($21) on top of the other nudes. Nefertiti is a golden peach a lot like NARS Greek Holiday, but with finer (foin-er) opalescent shimmer.
Gorgeous!
4. The hot pink and red lipsticks are better than the plum.
There are three brights in the collection, and the standouts IMO are smooth, pigmented Mittai Pink (it’s like a warmer, yellower version of MAC Breathing Fire) and Blue Blood (which is like a slightly darker version of MAC Red Rock).
Deep plum Sumac, which, like the other lippies in the launch, has a good amount of pigment, applies a tad patchy in comparison to the other lipsticks. It’s the only lippie in the launch that I feel kinda iffy about… If you end up falling in love with it, it may help to layer it on top of something else (like a lip liner).
On the grand scale of patchiness, though, it’s not that bad. I’ve definitely encountered worse.
5. The collection launched early online!
The whole collection, including the lip products, arrives on counters Thursday, March 15th, but if you can’t wait that long, it’s available meow on the MAC website.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
