MAC Punk Couture: Lipsticks

Today, MAC released a new collection in-stores called Punk Couture, which was inspired by "punk's rebel spirit and revolutionary impact on high fashion." This collection consists of 17 products, of which eight are new and limited edition, and nine are permanent. Punk Couture sees the release of four shades of lipstick, three of which are new and limited edition and one of which is a re-promote. Each lipstick comes in regular black packaging, contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $18. These are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program at all locations.
Studded Kiss, Instigator, Hautecore, and Punk Couture
Studded Kiss, Instigator, Hautecore, and Punk Couture

Studded Kiss is a medium-dark brightened burgundy red in a Retro Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and cooler than Viva Glam I, and warmer than Diva.

Instigator is a blackened cool-toned berry plum with purple undertones in a Retro Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more purple than Media, and similar to Smoked Purple (PRO).

Hautecore is a deep dark true black in a Retro Matte finish. This is a re-promoted shade from this year's online Hautecore Friday launch. The texture is on the drier, stiffer side, so there will be some tugging or pulling upon application, and it can go on patchy. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent lipstick range; it is similar though more matte than Black Lipmix.

Punk Couture is a blackened blue-toned purple in a Retro Matte finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. The texture is on the drier, stiffer side, so there will be some tugging or pulling upon application, and it can go on patchy. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. There is nothing similar to this in MAC's permanent lipstick; it is much more blue-toned than Smoked Purple (PRO) and Cyber.

Fan of the super vampy lip? This collection's for you! While I do think Studded Kiss and Instigator are relatively dupeable, the other two shades are actually pretty unique. MAC has released shades like these before, but there's nothing quite like them in their permanent range. If you missed out on Hautecore this past Black Friday, here's your chance to grab it in-store now (it was launched on its own as an online exclusive shade for Black Friday), though there are several brands that carry true black lipsticks permamently that are similar to this one. Punk Couture is actually a really interesting shade that I haven't seen many brands offer before (the closest I can think of is Illamasqua's Kontrol, but this one is less blue), so if you've been looking for a dark purple lipstick, this one is worth checking out.

Fair warning, though: Dark lipsticks are extremely high-maintenance, and these are no exception. A lip liner is definitely recommended to keep lines clean and polished, and your lips must be smooth and exfoliated because these lipsticks are Retro Mattes (e.g. long-wearing but fairly dry) and they do show lip texture. Also, make sure your lips are completely dry (e.g. don't lick your lips or apply lip balm right before applying) before putting them on because they'll go on unevenly. Actually, I've found that the best way to apply these to make sure the colour goes on even and smooth is to line and fill your lips with a lip liner first. Within MAC's permanent range, Burgundy Lip Pencil would work well with Studded Kiss, and Nightmoth Lip Pencil matches Instigator perfectly. MAC doesn't technically make matching lip liners to Hautecore and Punk Couture, but their Powerpoint Eye Pencils (which are waterproof, smudge-proof, transfer-proof, and long-wearing) in Engraved and Permaplum, respectively, are excellent for this purpose.