My MAC Mini Lipsticks : Relentlessly Red & Velvet Teddy Review

Anyone who loves makeup has at some point, aspired to own even just a single bullet of the MAC lipstick. It took a while for me to purchase my first one since I dabbled with drugstore brands at the start. I currently own the iconic Ruby Woo (I'll save that one for another review 😉), and these two here, the Relentlessly Red and the Velvet Teddy.  They are both minis so they don't come in the usual black MAC bullet but are in brightly colored ones that roughly correspond to their respective shades. You can spot from the bottom labels that these aren't supposed to be sold individually because they are part of a set. I only purchased the shades that caught my eye: one nude shade and one bright red shade and I got them from a favorite seller on Instagram. I figured that since I am just trying out MAC for the first time, I will get the minis first and see how it goes from there. 

So how did my first experience with MAC go? Find out after the jump.

MAC Relentlessly Red

Shade description - bright pinkish coral

Formula - retro matte

Price - Php 1050.00 for full size (lazada.com.ph)

MAC Relentlessly Red swatch and when worn

MAC Relentlessly Red Review

Relentlessly Red confused me as I expected it to be red but it is in fact a pinkish coral according to the shade description on the MAC website. 😆 Most times I tend to pull the pink (hot pink even) and there times that it's the red. A reddish pink or a pinkish red? One thing's for sure, this shade is muy caliente and it easily emboldens the wearer. It comes in the retro matte formula, which in MAC speak means it's more matte than their regular matte line. Unfortunately, if you have dry lips, this could pose a problem because it is drying and my lips have certainly taken a beating especially during colder months. Prep those puckers like I did and do, even good ol' Vaseline will suffice.

Pigmentation and color payoff is great. If applied directly from the tube, you might feel a bit of a drag since the retro matte formula feels more waxy than other lipsticks. 

It transfers when freshly applied so I do the tissue blotting technique and then I use my pinky to press/spread the product to my lips. Sometimes I add another layer of it if I'm feeling extra. Because of its waxy feel, it has a good staying power and it resists fading even when I've sipped water or coffee. It only comes off when I've had something oily. 

MAC Velvet Teddy

Shade description - a deep tone beige

Formula - matte

Price - Php 1050.00 for full size (lazada.com.ph)

MAC Velvet Teddy swatch and when worn

MAC Velvet Teddy Review

I loved Velvet Teddy right off the tube! As you can see in the photo above, it looks great on my skin tone. It's definitely a good nude shade for me as it is not too pale that I look sickly and not too bright pinkish or dark brown to pass off as a nude. MAC's matte is actually akin to creamy matte so it's a comfort to wear. Like the Relentlessly Red, it transfers when freshly applied so I also do the trick that I mentioned above and  then it adheres to the lips. It's not drying like the retro matte formula but the staying power is also average. Despite the average staying power, this will be one of those shades that I will always remember as a point of reference in the future.

To wrap up...

I bought the Ruby Woo after trying these two out so, long story short, I loved the experience with MAC. MAC lipsticks are well-loved and iconic for a reason; the formula has been tested time and again. In the end, it really boils down to shade selection and MAC  has a myriad of shades to choose from. Between these two, Velvet Teddy is the shade that I will most likely rebuy. I've been reaching for it more often since I really prefer wearing nudes, especially in an office setting. But there are days that I am in the mood for something like Relentlessly Red, depending on the weather or how I wanna dress up. 

I am currently on a lipstick buying ban and I so badly want to consume all my tubes by 2022. Come to think of it, these are just minis and I am barely halfway through. No more lipstick hoarding for me: quality over quantity na dapat. It's a big feat but so far, I think I'm doing good and I promise to do better than I did in 2020.😆 If there would be another lipstick shade that I wanna try from MAC, it would be the Please Me. I'm still searching for the pink that's not too light, dark, hot or Barbie-ish and I have a feeling that Please Me is it. Maybe I'll deserve a full-sized MAC if I don't buy any lipstick this 2021. Walk the talk Cas, walk the talk. 

Xo, 

caRissa