July 22, 2011

Review: MAC Gem of Roses Lipstick (Semi Precious Collection)

I hope this review doesn't come too late for you girls who are considering this lipstick.


Because Gem of Roses really is quite pretty.


Apologies, but I'm not sure why the colour isn't turning out exactly like in the tube. It's just a slightly darker shade of pink in person.

Some have described it as a medium-dark pink with yellow undertones, and I rather agree with that description. It's a lovely shade of warm pink that suits my pink cravings just fine right now, and this one makes me feel a tad more "grown-up", if I'm making any sense at all.

On my lips, it gives a lovely wash of colour without dominating the rest of my makeup. It's quite an all-rounder, this one. I can see it working for the office, a weekend stroll, for a date, and it'll even quite possibly go with dressed up eyes for a night about town.

Being a yellow pink, I think it'll suit warmer skintones better. It's creamy and semi-sheer, but can be layered for more colour.

It comes in the Lustre finish, which is my favourite for MAC lipsticks.

I always wear lipstick with a lipbalm underneath, so I've never had an issue of MAC lipsticks drying my lips out. If you're one to have this problem, you might want to really slap on some lipbalm before giving the lipstick a go.

At a glance, Gem of Roses also reminded me of Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle (another "grown-up" pink shade). So I decided to swatch the two together for comparison.


Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle (left) and MAC Gem of Roses (right).

Swatched, however, they look nothing alike at all! On my hand, Gem of Roses is sheerer and glossier, and a warmer shade of pink. Mademoiselle is more pigmented, less glossy and a cooler shade of pink.

MAC has recently increased the price of their lipsticks. It's now RM68 a tube.

Overall, it's a beautiful lipstick that'll suit many occasions. If you're in the market for a pink lippie, this might be right up your alley. If you want it though, best hurry as it's an LE product.

I'm quite taken with it, really.

5 comments:

AskMeWhats said...

Ahhh nice, I don't like it that its LE!!! I like it creamier and more pigmented! I'll go for Mademoiselle then!

Syen said...

Nikki: Mademoiselle is nice, but they really quite different on. =P

Diana said...

Hi there fellow malaysian~ thanks for the review~ I love roses' color

Syen said...

Diana: Hello! Thanks for stopping by. See you around more! =)

Sukie said...

Hello Syen!

I was contemplating purchasing this when it first launched but resisted (as I purchased 2 mineralize skin finishes from the semi-precious range) but now I regret not purchasing it as it has already sold out where I am! =( It's such a lovely colour, isn't it?