MAC Let’s Mesa Around, Life in Sepia, Natural Born Leader Lipsticks Reviews & Swatches

Let's Mesa Around

MAC Let’s Mesa Around Lipstick ($19.50 for 0.1 oz.) is a soft, rosy pink with subtle, warm undertones and a natural sheen with barely-there, fine pearl. It has a Lustre finish, so the semi-sheer coverage was as expected, but you’ll want to keep in mind that it allows a lot of your natural lip color to come through so if you have deeper color naturally, this shade may look significantly different on you. The texture was lightweight, thin, and emollient without being too slippery, so it applied comfortably. There was a smidgen of product that sat in my deeper lip lines but wasn’t noticeable from a normal viewing distance. This shade lasted well for three hours and was non-drying.

Top Dupes

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NARS Voodoo Lily (LE, $28.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
MAC Pleasure's All Mine (LE, $20.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
MAC Light English Red (LE, $30.00) is brighter, warmer (85% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Clint (LE, $36.00) is more pigmented (85% similar).
Givenchy Street Rose (04) (P, $34.00) is darker, more pigmented, warmer (85% similar).
Bobbi Brown Pink Cloud (P, $37.00) is less shimmery, more pigmented, warmer (80% similar).
Guerlain Gabrielle (DC, $58.00) is more shimmery, more pigmented, warmer (80% similar).
Maybelline Peach Poppy (745) (P, $7.49) is less shimmery, darker, more pigmented (80% similar).
NYX French Kiss (P, $6.00) is less shimmery, more pigmented, warmer (80% similar).
Estee Lauder Nude Reveal (110) (P, $32.00) is more shimmery, darker, more pigmented (80% similar).

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Formula Overview

$19.50/0.1 oz. - $195.00 Per Ounce

MAC Lipstick comes in a variety of finishes, and the pigmentation and wear tend to be dependent on the finish. The sheer finishes, like Lustres, tend to wear for only a couple of hours and have sheer coverage (as designed) and are non-drying. Some of the original Matte shades have a stiffer, drier formula, while newer ones have a more velvety, silicone-feel to them, and the latter are creamier, more comfortable to wear, and easier to apply, but most Matte shades are quite pigmented and long-wearing, though some are drying. The Amplified and Satin finishes tend to have good pigmentation, lightly creamy to moderately creamy consistencies with a bit of shine, and moderate to long wear with deeper, richer shades wearing longer. The Frost and Metallic finishes have the most variance between shades with coverage ranging from semi-sheer to opaque with average wear and non-drying to slightly drying formulas. All MAC lipsticks are vanilla-scented but have no discernible taste.

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Ingredients

Let's Mesa Around

B+

Limited Edition

Product

Pigmentation

8.5

Texture

7.5

Longevity

Application

87%

Total

Life in Sepia

MAC Life in Sepia Lipstick ($19.50 for 0.1 oz.) is a medium, taupe-brown with neutral-to-warm undertones and a satin finish. It had opaque pigmentation that applied fairly evenly, but the consistency seemed more prone to emphasizing lip texture and lines to a small degree. The texture was lightly creamy, more substantial but not heavy or thick on my lips, and had enough slip to glide on. It wore nicely for four and a half hours and was neither drying nor hydrating over time.

Top Dupes

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Colour Pop Strut (P, $7.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
Kat Von D Bow 'n' Arrow (P, $19.00) is lighter (90% similar).
Smashbox Safe Word (P, $21.00) is lighter (85% similar).
MAC Sweet Thing (LE, $21.00) is lighter (85% similar).
MAC Dearly Beloved (LE, $19.50) is darker (85% similar).
Kat Von D Ludwig (P, $19.00) is cooler (85% similar).
MAC Burnt Spice (P, $21.00) is lighter (85% similar).
Pat McGrath Lust Angeles (LE, $38.00) is warmer (85% similar).
MAC Love Me Lots (LE, $19.50) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).
Makeup Geek Rare (P, $15.00) is darker, more muted (85% similar).

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Formula Overview

$19.50/0.1 oz. - $195.00 Per Ounce

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Ingredients

Life in Sepia

A-

Limited Edition

8.5

Product

Pigmentation

8.5

Texture

Longevity

Application

91%

Total

Natural Born Leader

MAC Natural Born Leader Lipstick ($19.50 for 0.1 oz.) is a medium-dark, reddened plum with strong, warm undertones and a satin finish. It had rich color coverage that applied evenly and smoothly across my lips without tugging. There was a smidgen of product that sat in my deeper lip lines but wasn’t noticeable from a normal viewing distance. The consistency was dense without being too firm/stiff, so it was comfortable to wear but had good adhesion and stayed on well for five hours. The formula felt neither drying nor hydrating over time.