MAC Russian Red Lipglass is like a secret lover

When it was time for me to go to college, one of the things that I was excited about was finally being grown-up enough to wear lipstick everyday. I figured that because I was no longer in high school and I was going to UP (known for its freedom), I could assert my adulthood by wearing lipstick to classes. Yes, it was that shallow :0  You see, I grew up in a very strict home (my grandparents raised me) and before UP I couldn't even lay claim to tinted lip conditioner.

Now that I'm a mom myself and earning my own money, I can be as kikay as I want to be. And while I can be quite comfortable walking around in the daytime sporting a smokey eye every now and then, I have yet to own up to red, in-your-face lips. And that is why my MAC Russian Red lipglass is being treated like a hot and steamy secret lover: in the privacy of my bedroom, I love the heck out of it and sing its praises. And yet, before I go out in public, I remove all traces of it on my lips and pretend that it does not exist...

Poor MAC Russian Red lipglass; what we have is so beautiful but I just can't bring myself to let the whole world know. Alas!

Ok, ok. I'm stopping the melodrama. On to the review, shall we?


About MAC Russian Red lipglass:
According to Temptalia's Christine, MAC released some lipglasses based on several of their bestselling lipstick shades like Russian Red, Girl about Town, Snob, Ravishing, etc. MAC lipglasses retail in the Philippines for P1000. I got the lipglass because I have been psyching myself up to wear red lipstick for quite some time now. I thought that starting off with lipglasses would be easier than wearing the fully opaque,  matte version.

MAC lipglasses come in transparent tubes with a spongetip applicator. They smell like vanilla but they don't taste like anything. They are very sticky and can be rather uncomfortable for some but I don't mind that, because they look very glossy, last longer than thinner glosses and can really make lips look so smooth. I don't find them drying. However, it's a good habit to wear a little lip balm underneath.



Typically, MAC lipglasses are rather sheer but the lipstick-based shades are more pigmented (aside from this one, I also have MAC Ravishing lipglass) so that they can be worn without any lipstick underneath.

How MAC Russian Red lipglass performed:
Off the bat, this lipglass looked very beautiful when swatched against my hand. The feel of the lipglass is very typical of the formula. Usually, I get three hours of wear out of MAC lipglasses. Unfortunately, I don't know how long this particular shade lasts because I always take it off prematurely.

This swatch was actually sheared out a little. Still pretty red though.

Some reviewers at the Makeup Alley said that it does not need any lipliner to keep from feathering but I needed it because I like pressing my lips together frequently. I didn't want to buy a pricey one since I thought it was going to be a waste (seeing as I'm too chicken to wear it outside) so I just picked a cheap Nichido pencil in Blaze. Surprisingly though, this P100 lip liner is pretty good: pigmented, does not tug on lips, and applies smoothly.

Nichido lip liners are pretty good, especially at a P100 price point. Too bad they only come in three shades: a  pink-brown, a rusty red, and a true red.

Nichido Blaze swatch at the top, MAC Russian Red at the bottom.

Pretty good shade match, wouldn't you say?

Looking at the pictures, I can't help but admire how well Russian Red photographs. This red really does love the camera. I just wish that I could feel comfortable wearing this shade for the whole day. I don't know why I love it in photos but not so much in real life.

with flash

No flash

But who knows, maybe one of these days, I'll finally own up to this beauty.

Do you have MAC Russian Red lipglass? Do you have any tips for wearing red lipstick? Do share!