MAC Cold Front, Royal Hour, Metal Head Lipsticks

Cold Front

MAC Cold Front Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a muted, grayish lavender with cool undertones and fine pearl. It had medium pigmentation, which was somewhat buildable, but it did not apply as evenly as it should have, so it was harder to wear it on its own but would perform better layered on top of something to add shine and coolness. The consistency was slightly more shimmery in feel, though I would not have described it was rough. This shade wore well for four hours and was neither drying nor hydrating.

The Metallic Lips collection features a new (and limited edition!) finish, Metallic, which is supposed to be “rich colour [that] melds with smooth pearlized chrome.” The range of shades is described as “vibrant, intense, [and] on-trend.” The coverage varied from shade to shade–anywhere from semi-sheer to semi-opaque–but many shades look like they’re more suitable for a subtle look or for layering on top of another lip product to add a more shimmery finish. The majority of shades featured finer shimmer, which translated to a more foiled, reflective look, but a few had some shimmer. The wear was between three and five hours, depending on the shade, and most shades had some slip but were not slippery overall, so they were comfortable to wear but not hard to maintain. They were vanilla-scented but have no discernible taste.

Top Dupes

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Too Faced Unicorn Tears (P, $22.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
Bite Beauty Opal (LE, $26.00) is darker (95% similar).
Urban Decay Asphyxia (LE, $17.00) is darker (90% similar).
MAC Love & Cherished (P, $17.00) is less shimmery, lighter, more pigmented (85% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Olivier (LE, $35.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (80% similar).

MAC Lipstick Cold Front

Cold Front

Temptalia

C+

Limited Edition

7.5

Product

7.5

Pigmentation

7.5

Texture

8.5

Longevity

Application

78%

Total

Royal Hour

MAC Royal Hour Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a slightly muted, medium-dark purple with warmer, pink udnertones and cooler blue and violet pearl. It also had slightly larger violet sparkle, which gave the lipstick a more noticeable texture when applied directly from the tube (though it wasn’t painful or uncomfortable to use). It had semi-opaque color coverage, which applied fairly evenly, but some of the larger particles bunched up and made areas look “chunky” to a small degree. It wore well for four and a half hours and was lightly moisturizing.

Top Dupes

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Urban Decay Plague (LE, $17.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
MAC Model Behavior (P, $17.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
MAC Own the Look (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker (85% similar).
Urban Decay Mad (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, brighter, more pigmented (85% similar).
Urban Decay Mad Hatter (LE, $18.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
Urban Decay Pallor (LE, $17.00) is lighter, more muted, cooler (85% similar).
Smashbox Vinyl (P, $21.00) is less shimmery, darker (80% similar).

MAC Lipstick Royal Hour

Royal Hour

Temptalia

Limited Edition

Product

8.5

Pigmentation

Texture

Longevity

4.5

Application

84%

Total

Metal Head

MAC Metal Head Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.10 oz.) is a muted, medium black with neutral-to-warm undertones and multi-colored, fine pearl. As it was semi-sheer in coverage, it tinted and darkened my lips but did not look like black as it did in the swatch–the end result for me was more like a muted burgundy with a hint of purple. The lipstick had moderate slip and was slightly thinner, and I wasn’t able to apply it as evenly as I would have liked. The color stayed on well for four hours with some settling into my lip lines over time. The formula felt slightly hydrating.