MAC Gem of Roses Lipstick

I meant to do this a while back, ie on Friday, the day after I got this, but I've been feeling spread a little thin lately, so I figured I'd put it off a while. I hauled big time from Semi Precious, and the coming days are gonna be semi-saturated with posts on blushes and Mineralize Skinfinishes, so I hope you enjoy them!

Gem of Roses is a lustre finish lipstick, limited edition with this collection. MAC's Lustre finish lipsticks are some of my favorites: I find them very moisturizing and flattering. I know that some people have issues with wear on these, but I really don't. This goes four hours on me, easy, provided I don't eat.

Gem of Roses

This is a lovely medium-opacity shade. It's not full coverage by any means, but it's definitely not a barely-there sort of sheer. I skipped a bunch of MAC collections recently, so it was nice to see something a little different in their lipstick lineup. If you've been searching for a nice, warm-toned pink, you'll know what I mean: the general market is much more saturated with pretty blue-based numbers. They're nice, but it's annoying if you're looking for something else!

Gem of Roses swatched on lips

I really have nothing bad to say about this shade, and I'm completely satisfied with this purchase. I'm actually thinking about running back to the counter and picking up a backup of this one, because I've worn it three times since buying it last Thursday!

You can see me wearing Gem of Roses in yesterday's Flounder Inspired Look! It really is an easy-to-wear, toned down shade that also offers color; it's a nice soft color for a girl like me, who doesn't always dig the nice soft colors. I get the feeling you'll all be seeing a lot of this in my looks and things, since it goes great with an ultra dramatic eye!

I also think this'll work across a range of skintones, in terms of depth. While it's definitely warm, it's a medium tone that's easy to work with. I don't mean to imply that if you're cooler-toned you won't like this, though: I wear cool-toned lipsticks all the time. It's all about personal taste!

The Good:

• I love this shade. It's hard to find a nice, warm pink. It's really versatile, too!
• MAC's Lustre finish is one of my favorites; I find it extremely moisturizing and downright balmy.
• I like the pigmentation in this one. It's not opaque, but it's not really sheer, either.

The Neutral:

• The wear was fine for me: four hours is a bit less than my usual average, but it's hardly unacceptable, especially considering that this is neither a dark nor opaque color.

The Bad:
Not sure what to say. I was really, really satisfied with this purchase. I even want to buy a backup: something I never do!

Overall, I think this color is a total breath of fresh air considering that most medium-toned pinks are cooler. It may not be the most unique thing in the world, but it's definitely reasonably different from what I usually see from MAC. It's wearable, and I think it'll look great on a lot of skintones, including some cooler ones if they want to give it a shot. I like the moisturizing formula and the medium pigmentation, but if you're looking for full coverage, I'd recommend looking elsewhere!

This is currently sold out online, but it's $14.50 at MAC stores and counters.