MAC Lipsticks and (Close) Dupes in Drugstore

So, I'd been creating a hype for MAC Dupe post for quite some time. One thing or other kept delaying this post. By the way, at this point, I don't think anyone will be paying any attention to what I may be writing here. I can reveal spoilers for series and movies in this section andnobody would even know :-P Everyone would have jumped right to the swatches and deets. 

First things first, these all "dupes" might not be 100% dupes. These are close enough options for those who might want backup for their MAC lipsticks and for those who want to take a baby-step before grabbing the MAC ones. When you call something a perfect dupe, it should have the same color, undertone, finish and even performance. Sometimes you cannot tick all those boxes, so keep an open mind looking at the swatches. Also, arm swatches in different lighting might alter the true shade a little. Sometimes these differences seem more in swatches, but look the same on lips. I'd try my best to tell the subtle differences and I hope you guys appreciate that.

The actual pictures I took for the post in better quality were somehow messed up. I couldn't use those and had to swatch these all again urgently. The light and picture quality isn't at my regular standards, but I chose not to keep you guys waiting any longer. Please excuse that and I will hopefully be doing a part 2 of this post soon enough with updated pictures ^_^

So, without further ado, let me take you to the stuff you REALLY want to see :-D

MAC RAVISHING

MAC Ravishing, MUA Sweet Nectar, Revlon Coralberry

MAC Ravishing, MUA Sweet Nectar, Revlon Coralberry

Starting with the lovely coral orange - Ravishing - it's probably a shade or two lighter than what my camera decided to pick up. Also, it's a Cremsheen finish. You'd need to swipe a couple of times for the pigmentation as shown in the swatch above. MUA Sweet Nectar is more satin finish and gives the above result in one swipe. It's more towards the orange undertone while Ravishing is milkier-peach. Ravishing looks lovely, but the milky-peach undertone does not flatter all desi skin tones, so beware. Coralberry is not an exact dupe due to the lack of pigmentation and fine shimmer in it. However, on my lips it looks similar to Ravishing when applied lightly. MAC lasts on me for about 3-4 hours. MUA stays on longer (due to its finish), but I feel more comfortable in the Ravishing. Coralberry stays on for the 3-4 hours, if layered up - though I don't find the very fine shimmer to be flattering on my thin lips. Coralberry is much more suitable for fuller lips wanting a tint of coral on their lips.

MAC PLEASE ME

MAC Please Me, Milani Fruit Punch, Color Studio Professional Gossip, Makeup Revolution Dusky, Revlon Elusive

MAC Please Me, Milani Fruit Punch, Color Studio Gossip, Makeup Revolution Dusky, Revlon Elusive

MAC Please Me is a neutral dusty-pink color in matte finish. It has brown undertone which makes it a great my-lips-but-better color for most fair-to-medium complexions. I love to wear it for a subtle day-time look. Milani Fruit Punch leans "pink" when compared to MAC. Milani has a satin finish which is comfortable to wear, although I hate the watermelon-y scent Milani lipsticks have. Color Studio's Gossip is drier and less pigmented than MAC Please Me, but it does flatter desi skin tone very well. It's a shade less "pink" than Fruit Punch, but looks the same when applied onto the lips. You do need to prep & exfoliate them for a nicer finish. Makeup Revolution Dusky is a creamy rose-pink shade. It glides very nicely on the lip, but essentially varies in its finish and color. Why I included it here, then? Because after a while when the lacquer/creaminess tones down, it looks like a semi-matte version of Please Me on my lips (plus, the price tag of PKR 250 hurts no one :D) Revlon Matte Balm Elusive has a creamy-matte finish similar to MAC Please Me, but the color is slightly vibrant and richer than the MAC lipstick. Those who find Please Me washing their complexion out can definitely opt in for Elusive for an almost-same outcome. The matte finish dupes definitely wear longer than the satin/cream versions, but the mattes may dry some lips out with a little flakiness & uneven coverage (if not applied properly).

MAC CROSSWIRES

MAC Crosswires, Medora Sea Pearl, Essence Coral Calling, NYX Fireball

MAC Crosswires, Medora Sea Pearl, Essence Coral Calling, NYX Fireball

With a perfect orange-coral balance, I love MAC Crosswires to bits. When applied on my lips, it leans more "orange" than the swatch against my NC20-25 skin. It's a gorgeous color that would flatter all us desis, regardless of the skin tone. This one I wore on my Baraat to complement the beige-gold ensemble. Its creamy finish feels comfortable on the lips, but it might slip a little too much on those who sweat a lot or have a habit of biting lips. Fret not, Medora Sea Pearl is a MORE INTENSE dupe of MAC with better pigmentation and longer wear time. On me, it looks EXACTLY the same as Crosswires (after a few swipes). Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Coral Calling is less pigmented than MAC and leans a shade towards coral-pink. NYX Butter Lipstick in Fireball is somewhat more orange than the coral-pink. On the lips the last two look 80-85% similar to MAC Crosswires, if not more. The longevity of these dupes are at par with MAC Crosswires, but Medora Sea Pearl definitely wins it for me with its better performance on a price tag of PKR 100 only!

MAC IMPASSSIONED

MAC Impassioned, Medora Stylista, NYX Little Susie, Milani Flamingo Pose, Rimmel 06, Medora Rose Candy

MAC Impassioned, Medora Stylista, NYX Little Susie, Milani Flamingo Pose, Rimmel 06, Medora Rose Candy

This color screams happy bubbly summers to me! Don't let the neon-coral-pink swatches blind you. It is indeed a wonderful hot pink color with strong coral undertones that will flatter your skin very much. It is that one bold lipstick everyone should have in their stash. If MAC prices are causing you trouble, here are some of the best dupes that you can find locally :) MAC Impassioned is an amplified finish that has the longevity of mattes and comfortable wear of the creamy lipstick. It's a beautiful bright pink color with orange undertones. Medora Stylista applies the same on the lips, but I feel it has more coral than pink in it. Contrary to it, NYX Butter Lipstick in Little Susie is more pink. It packs pigment as a lip butter, but it's definitely sheerer than the MAC lipstick. It's a plus if you're younger and want to pull this color off, the sheer butter finish tones it down perfectly. Milani Flamingo Pose and Rimmel Kate Moss 06 were two of my first picks when I started hoarding lipsticks. A friend commented that how consistent I am in my choice :-P Well, I guess she's right because all these dupes are from my stash :-D Okay, so Flamingo Pose has that watermelon scent which I don't like and it's a tad too coral on my lips. Since Rimmel 06 is slightly deeper pink (as shown in the swatch), it applies perfectly on pigmented lips to give the same shade as Impassioned on fairer skin tones. Medora Rose Candy is my love. How it differs from Stylista? Rose Candy is Semi Matte finish and it doesn't bring the bads of Medora Matte's texture. All in all, Medora picks are for 100 bucks each and NYX, Milani, Rimmel are less than a 1000 - so a win-win for all Impassioned enthusiasts ^_^

MAC CANDY YUM YUM

MAC Candy Yum Yum, Flormar L23, Jordana Pretty Pink, Makeup Revolution Life Is What You Make It

MAC Candy Yum Yum, Flormar L23, Jordana Pretty Pink, Makeup Revolution Life Is What You Make It

Despite my love for bolds, I would never have picked Candy Yum Yum if it weren't for oh-so-pretty bridal beauties I stalked at Natasha's. I was amazed by how pale neon pink can flatter a red, gold, or any ensemble with such elegance. I took the plunge and got his to wear with an Eid outfit. For my pigmented lips, I felt the need to line them with a shade or two darker or with those having mauve undertones - but still, I loved how this statement color can pick-me-up on a casual day out :-) It is definitely not for the faint-hearted. However, if you love this shade and want to rock it without having to pay the hefty price tag - you're in luck! These 3 dupes from Flormar, Jordana, and MUR are close enough! Flormar Long Wearing Lipstick is my FAVORITE! It is darker than Candy Yum Yum - which makes it more of a dupe for the LE Kelly Yum Yum released in 2014 by MAC. I did swatch that one once, so yep, these two do look the same. The deeper shade of Flormar makes it more wearable for those who think MAC will be too neon against their skin. In terms of longlasting, pigmented, and creamier lipstick - Flormar is a big fat win for me! Jordana and MUR Lip Power are good seconds, but I find both these formula sheerer and waxy. It takes them a few swipes to build the color as swatches. They're in-between the MAC and Flormar shades, but I tend to reach out for them less. Good news is, all of the dupes cost around/less than PKR 500!

MAC RUBY WOO

Wet n' Wild Stoplight Red, MAC Ruby Woo, Medora Red Fortune 

MAC Ruby Woo, Wet n' Wild Stoplight Red, Medora Red Fortune

Disclaimer: NOTHING can possibly dupe the perfection that is Ruby Woo. There's that. I have over 15 Reds in my stash and nothing looks worth comparing to the velvety Ruby Woo formula. It's the perfect retro-matte red with blue undertones that looks awesome on all skin tones. I am however sharing a couple of shades that did look somewhat closer to Ruby Woo once worn on the lips. Wet n' Wild Stoplight Red is a good long-lasting Red in my stash which has stronger blue undertones. Since it's a creamier formula, it looks 80% similar to Ruby Woo after the gloss dies down on the lips. Medora Red Fortune has pink underone and semi-matte formula which offers decent wear time. On my lips, it does look 80-85% like Ruby Woo red - even when my window light is washing the swatch up a little. If you're into reds, the MAC one is a must-have. If you're into experimental reds, then these two dupe-ish colors would do :-)

MAC VIVA GLAM RIHANNA

Medora G-816, MAC Viva Glam Rihanna, Medora G-807

Medora G816, MAC Viva Glam Rihanna, Medora G807

I admit, I am not the biggest fan of frosty finish in lipsticks. They tend to flatter fuller lips more, while I look like a street hiphop backup dancer in a flashy video wearing that. Viva Glam Rihanna was an impulse purchase that I do not regret. It's a beautiful frost finish in a more condensed muted red. In the blinding light of the window on my goosebump-ed arm, the color might look brighter. It's a lovely deeper red with a hint of metallic finish. I found two very close dupes of it from Medora Glitter lipstick range. Colorwise, the 807 is the SAME as MAC. Both of the Medora shades have glitter which is pretty coarse when you compare it with the very fine micro-shimmer in Viva Glam Rihanna. 816 slightly brighter with orange undertones and more obvious glitter - which I don't like. Longevity and pigmentation of all three shades are the same, but I do prefer the comfort of wearing MAC. It's still amazing how you can get a special edition MAC shade in Pakistan for 100 bucks - courtesy of Medora! ;-)

MAC REBEL

MAC Rebel, Medora Berry, Wet n' Wild Sugar Plum Fairy, Rimmel 30, Rimmel Dark Knight Waterl-oops,
Makeup Revolution Anticipate It

MAC Rebel, Medora Berry, Wet n' Wild Sugar Plum Fairy, Rimmel 30, Rimmel Dark Knight Waterl-oops,
Makeup Revolution Anticipate It

With the sloppy swatches like these, I feel I must apologize for the mess :-$ Sorry! I do hope these give you an idea of how close (or far) these dupes are from their MAC counterparts :-) IF you know me at all, you can tell that I am obsessed with Berry tones. All this started off with MAC Rebel <3 It's a pretty plum shade that leans deep pink to berry on desi skin tones. By the looks of it, these "dupes" might prove I am color blind :-P No, I am not. These are different. Rebel looks very dark plum on my lips, but on a friend's and my Mom's - it's a deep berry pink closer to Rimmel Kate Moss 30. I'm accounting for all such variations, so you can choose as per your liking :-) So, instead of going by the sequence - let me pin-point the things you should know. Medora has more dupes in similar plum shades than the one I shared, so do check out the counters at cosmetic stores for that. As for the Berry, I don't like it much because of the dry patchy coverage it gives. Yes, you can't beat the 100 bucks - but that's about it. Sugar Plum Fairy is a 99% similar dupe being acknowledged by bloggers worldwide. Makeup Revolution Lip Power has sheerer coverage and maroon undertones instead of the pink-berry shade. The Rimmel Kate Moss 30 is an excellent pick for those who want a darker lip without the "black" undertone which plum shades bring to pigmented lips mostly. Dark Knight Waterl-oops is my FAVORITE dark lip! One reason is its similarity to MAC Rebel. Other than that, it's a moisturizing formula with a BURST of pigmentation. It doesn't slip or fade easy either. When applied, it's almost too plum/dark one me. I usually blot it a little and repeat it a couple of times. The blotted color looks 95% like MAC Rebel. Sometimes I top it off with a darker pink gloss (very lightly). It photographs the most flattering plum-maroon shade against my complexion. LOVE!

Phew. Here you are! I hope my picks didn't disappoint you and you're able to find shades close enough to the MAC lipsticks ;-) Despite my love for MAC, I was really amazed to see how you can live without some of the shades due to the incredible dupes with a cheaper price tag! Yes, you might have to forego on undertones sometimes, but that's only fair, right?

Let me know if you'd like me to continue my search for dupes in MAC and other brands :-) Also, if you know any dupes, do share it in the comment box below. I am hoping you enjoyed this - despite the bad picture quality!

Cheers,

Bia