Kissing them Softly with new MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick Range

If you’ve ever smoothed a bright lipstick onto chapped or cracked lips, then you know how tragic the results can be. Even if the lipstick’s formula doesn’t further dehydrate lips, the color it deposits on your already ravaged pout will only draw attention to those scaly, chapped, cracked areas. For that reason, many companies have been focusing on infusing their lipsticks with moisturizing ingredients that hydrate and soothe lips while also coating them with high-voltage color. With that in mind, MAC Cosmetics recently introduced its new Mineralize Rich Lipstick ($22 at MACcosmetics.com) range, a collection of twelve colors infused with a 77-Mineral Moist complex that nourishes and hydrates lips.

The twelve shades currently available are:

 Style Surge: A tangerine-tinged coral color with a creamy finish

Luxe Naturale: A creamy light beige

Glamour Era: A frosted, mid-tone brown with warm undertones

Posh Tone: A creamy, soft nude with warm undertones

Lady At Play: A ruby red grapefruit red with a creamy finish

Lush Life: A deep plum with blue undertones

Dreaminess: A creamy, pale pink with cool undertones

Grande Dame:  A creamy, mid-tone neutral rose

All Out Gorgeous: A deep red with warm undertones

Everyday Diva: A creamy red

Elegant Accent: A creamy, mid-tone rose with warm undertones

Divine Choice: A mid-tone, lavender-tinged pink with a creamy finish

I had the chance to try three different shades: Divine Choice, Style Surge, and Lady At Play. I loved the Divine Choice and Lady At Play colors, but I found that they didn’t quite deliver the pigment punch that I got from Make Up For Ever’s Rouge Artist Intense lipsticks, Illamasqua’s lipsticks, or even Lancôme’s Rouge in Love lipsticks. Still, the colors were pretty and they felt delicious on my lips.

So what did I think about the Mineralize Rich Lipstick formula overall?

The pros: these lipsticks glide right onto lips, depositing color so easily that it’s practically a melt-on-your-mouth sensation. The texture is creamy and emollient and lips do, indeed, feel supple and soft when you wear any MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick. In fact, the Mineralize Rich Lipsticks even manage to soothe lips and disguise the appearance of any cracks, scabs, and dry patches. Plus, the packaging is sleek and functional: not only are the lipstick bullets themselves slightly larger, but they feature elongated caps that have cylindrical shape that tapers ever so slightly at the base and which snaps close via a magnetic system. This, of course, means you don’t have to worry about lipstick caps falling off inside your makeup bag.

The cons: even the brightest hues look a bit duller than you might expect when applied to lips so that, to some extent, it seems like you’re sacrificing color payoff in order to prioritize hydration. Also, even the deeper and more electric shades don’t last very long on lips so you will, indeed, need to reapply rather often.

Here’s a shot of me wearing the Divine Choice lipstick. As you might notice, this medium-toned bubblegum pink has cool, lavender-tinged undertones and the finish is creamy and delectable. The shade looks a bit softer on lips than it does when you initially swatch it, but it still packs some power. I ended up quite smitten with this shade, but I did, however, which the formula had been at least slightly more long-lasting.