I love a good lipstick. You love a good lipstick. Everyone loves a good lipstick. Even people who are not huge makeup wearer, love a good lipstick.
Lipsticks are a great gift and the holiday season offers a few bargain options which are great value for money and perfect for gifting. But even if you are all set for gifts this year they can be a nice good job this year pat on the back gift for yourself too!
I am ofcourse talking about the MAC Taste of Stardom Mini Lipstick Kit 2019 and the MAC Collector of the Stars Kit 2019 which we will look at in another post.
So without further ado, let’s get into the details.
Packaging
The MAC Taste of Stardom Mini Lipstick Kit 2019 comes in outer plastic packaging and the lipsticks themselves come in a nice cloth bag.
The bag is not heavily structured meaning you can bend it around but it still holds that nice typical go out hand bag shape.
The design of it can be a point of conversation. It looks cheap but it also looks nice so it can be a love-hate situation but I think overall it’s more positive than negative.
It can be nice bag to take on your night out, yes you can take your MAC bag on a night out, why not? It can also be useful for makeup or tools when travelling, especially for brushes or other longer type items.
The lipsticks come in a plastic holder which is pretty cheap but does the job. You are not supposed to store them like that although I have to admit, it’s tempting!
But let’s talk about the lipstick packaging. It’s absolutely gorgeous. It has the typical MAC shape but it is coloured and has some glitter on top of the lid. What more could you want in an end of year gift? Beyond the fact that they are super beautiful, they are also easy to identify because you can tell which lipstick colours they are, even though the packaging colour is not accurate compared to the actual lipstick colour. You will soon get use to the colours and know which one is which. It’s just so much nicer than the plain black MAC lipsticks which you can’t immediately identify.
Colours and Finish
The MAC Taste of Stardom Mini Lipstick Kit 2019 comes with 12 lipsticks all of different colours and finishes.
- Official Star – Metallic finish and has a silvery-rose-gold blend colour. Gorgeous for wearing on it’s own for a more etheral look or even for adding on top of other lipsticks. Exclusive to this kit.
- Kinda Sexy – Matte finish and is a pinky-brown nude. Permanent MAC colour.
- CB96 – Frost finish and is a glittery copper-orange colour. Even if you are not a fan of orange like me, this is one of the prettiest oranges you can get. Permanent MAC colour.
- See Sheer – Lustre finish and has a nude-darker pink colour. Permanent MAC colour.
- Chili – Matte finish and is a dark brown-red colour. Permanent MAC colour.
- Ruby Woo – Retro matte finish and has a darker wine-red colour with blue undertones. Gorgeous! Permanent MAC colour.
- All Fired Up – Retro matte finish and is a dark fuschia colour. Permanent MAC colour.
- Candy Yum Yum – Matte finish and is a bright pink. Permanent MAC colour.
- Nouvelle Vogue – Matte finish and has a nude, every day wearable pink. Not a permanent colour but has appeared in kits before.
- Extra Stars Please – Frost finish and has a glittery soft-mauve colour. Exclusive to this kit.
- Lost in the Stars – Dazzle finish and is a metallic-glitter dark purple colour. Exclusive to this kit.
- DIVA – Matte finish and has a dark purple brown colour. Permanent MAC colour.
I found it very interesting that my descriptions of the colours were different to MAC’s so here’s what MAC described them all as:
SHADE DESCRIPTION
- CB 96: Bright pinky-orange w/ pearl (Frost)
- See Sheer: Grapefruit pink (Lustre)
- All Fired Up: Bright fuchsia matte (Retro Matte)
- Candy Yum Yum: Neon pink (Matte)
- Nouvelle Vogue: Neutral pink (Matte)
- Kinda Sexy: Neutral pinky-rose (Matte)
- Official Star: Pink champagne (Metallic)
- Chili: Brownish orange-red (Matte)
- Ruby Woo: Very matte vivid blue-red (Retro Matte)
- Extra Stars Please: Frosty dirty mauve (Frost)
- Lost In The Stars: Sparkly reddish purple w/ pink reflects (Dazzle)
- Diva: Intense reddish-burgundy (Matte)
The colour range is good and it will suit many skin colours. There are only two similar colours, the two purples, Extra Stars Please and Lost In The Stars but other than that the rest are quite different to each other giving a nice range. Of course this kit doesn’t include every must-have MAC shade but it’s a nice start especially if you don’t own many lipsticks.
This kit contains quite a few overlapping colours with the MAC Collector of the Stars Kit 2019 (CB 96, Chili, All Fired Up, Ruby Woo, Diva) and previous MAC lipstick bundles so check carefully before purchasing.
Smell and Taste?
These products have a very sutble cosmetic scent that you will likely not smell at all.
I’ve added a taste category here too, but please don’t eat your lipsticks. The category is here simply because practically whether you want to or not, it’s not uncommon to lick your lips or somehow taste the lipstick off your lips while you eat or drink something. These products don’t taste of anything.
Longevity
The MAC lipsticks are one of the best in terms of longevity, perhaps because they are so pigmented and not very slippery. This does mean though that they are not the most moisturising out there but neither dry.
Depending on how you eat (whether you touch the food with your lips) these lipsticks can look almost flawless after eating or drinking. Especially the strong reds.
Price
One of the reasons why the MAC lip kits and bundles in general are great to buy is because they are value for money. Even though the MAC Taste of Stardom Mini Lipstick Kit 2019 contains 12 minis of 1.8g each it is still value for money if you compare it per gram of product, to a full size 3g lipstick.
This kit NOW retails for £65 which means £3 per gram whereas the full size individual lipsticks cost £5.83 per gram.
With that being said I can’t help but be dissapointed with MAC as I bought mine during the Cyber Monday 20% off deal and the kit cost £71.20 after the discount. Now 10 days later it’s even cheaper! What a rip off, this is a great example of how Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just a bunch of marketing lies.
MAC that is not ok and I’m not impressed.
Hydration
The MAC lipsticks are neither drying nor moisturising.
Practicality of use – user experience
These products are very easy to use, like any other MAC lipstick product. Nothing strange or new here.
Skin compatibility
The brand doesn’t specify a specific skin type for this lipstick range, it’s very rare for brands to do so for lip products anyways! Nevertheless, I’d say that these lip products are appropriate for all, even for dry lips.
There are also no skin type specific ingredients. However, never use cosmetics on broken or irritated skin.
Other
These products don’t have a last xM label but it is usually wise to not use lipsticks past the 1-2 year mark, depending on enviromental conditions and formulation.
Here’s what the brand says about this bundle:
“A kit of 12 cult-status mini lipstick shades in colour-matched glittery packaging.
FULL DESCRIPTION
Hitch your wagon to 12 stars: a constellation of cult-status mini Lipstick shades in colour-matched glittery packaging. Housed in a special-feature sparkly pouch for full-on cinematic impact.
KEY CLAIMS AND BENEFITS
Taste Of Stardom Mini Lipstick Kit
- Matte: creamy matte finish
- Retro Matte: completelyh matte finish
- Lustre: lightweight lustrous finish
- Frost: high pearl, semi-lustrous finish
- Metallic: semi-lustrous metallic finish
- Dazzle: semi-lustrous sparkly finish
USAGE
Ethics
It wouldn’t be ethical if we didn’t talk about the credibility of this section. It is very hard to impossible most of the time to verify the information or credibility of the sources, so please take this section with a pinch of salt unless stated otherwise. This section is not meant to be definitive and is most likely more about reputation around those subjects than credible information. If you have additional or more correct information please email: bondsofbeautymail@gmail.com
I love that these products are not specifically Christmas decorated as this respects everyone’s beliefs, of whatever religion, even if you just don’t believe in one.
Ingredients
These lipsticks are not meant to be skincare worthy but they do contain vitamins C & E! The ingredients mentioned below are for the avereage MAC lipstick, of course each shade will have slightly different pigments but the general formulation tends to be very similar.
To keep this article short, I am only listing the ingredients that are skin or hair nourishing or positive/negative, while ignoring the ones that only play formulation or dye purposes. For the full list of ingredients scroll down to the “full list of ingredients” section.
Ingredient positives for a MAC lipstick:
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil – Moisturiser and skin conditioner.
- Tricaprylyl Citrate – Skin conditioner.
- Isononyl Isononanoate – Skin conditioner which leaves a silky feeling on the skin.
- Paraffin – Skin conditioner.
- Phenyl Trimethicone – Skin conditioner.
- Ethylhexyl Palmitate – Skin moisturiser.
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – A skin conditioner and replenisher. Can enhance the delivery of vitamins, pigments and other ingredients.
- Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cera Carnauba/Cire De Canauba – Skin conditioner and protector.
- Ascorbyl Palmitate – Form of Vitamin C. Anti-oxidant, helps bind other vitamins. This form of vitamin C penetrates the skin faster. Collagen builder and free-radical scavenger. Anti-ageing. Works synergistically with vitamin E. For more details see post “Vitamins C & E – do they work in skin care?”
- Tocopherol – Refers to a class of compounds with similar activities to vitamin E. A skin conditioner, anti-oxidant and fragrance agent. Check out: Vitamins C & E – Do they work in skin care?
- Vanillin – A fragrance and anti-oxidant.
- Stearyl Stearoyl Stearate – Skin conditioner.
Ingredient negatives for the MAC lipstick:
N/A
Ingredients that can cause irritation to some:
This is actually really case specific, as different people have different sensitivities and allergies. Just because a compound has been reported by some to cause sensitivity, it doesn’t mean you will have an issue. “Sensitizer” compounds being present is not a negative in my opinion, as this is the case with pretty much everything out there and funnily enough I’ve seen products that are targeted specifically for sensitive skin, containing some compounds that have been reported by some, or are known to be, sensitizers.
If you have sensitive skin or you are prone to skin sensitisation and unwanted reactions, try a little bit of this at the back of your hand first and consult a medical doctor if you are concerned.
Check out: What is sensitive skin? What are the causes and what can we do?
The following compounds present in a MAC lipstick have been either proven or claimed by some to be sensitizers, irritants, allergens etc: Octyldodecanol, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate (might cause irritation around the eyes if you use the lipstick as a liner or shadow), Acrylates Copolymer.
Bear in mind that although most of the MAC lipsticks contain the same ingredients, they do differ in the dyes they contain. As a result, if you use a lip product that is fine for you and another that gives you sensitisation, it will be worth looking into the dyes and their amounts contained as well (which are ignored here to keep this post shorter), not just the above listed irritants.
Full list of ingredients:
Octyldodecanol, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Silica, Tricaprylyl Citrate, Ozokerite, Isononyl Isononanoate, Paraffin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Microcrystalline Wax/Cera Microcristallina/Cire Microcristalline, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cera Carnauba/Cire De Canauba, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Vanillin, Acrylates Copolymer, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Stearyl Stearoyl Stearate (May contain: Mica, Titanium Oxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxide (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Carmine (CI 75470), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 21 Lake (CI 45380), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Yellow 10 Lake (CI 47005)).
Verdict
This is a great gift for anyone of any age and makeup interest. It’s a gift that is value for money, provides many ways of usage and will last all year round. Not to mention that it has the wow factor and some of the colours contained are specific to this kit! Give yourself a pat in the back this year and get a treat!
I am not affiliated with any company or brand. These are my views and experiences.
Beauty is a very personal thing, we all have different skin, requirements and biological build which can influence things. What worked for me might not work for you and vice versa. Have you ever tried these products? Did they work for you? Let me know your experiences below!
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Very voluminous and informative guide, thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for reading and happy holidays x
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