MAC Casual Colour: Lip & Cheek Colours

Last Thursday, MAC launched a new and limited edition collection called Casual Colour. It features a total of 17 products —10 of which are new and limited edition, two of which are re-promotes, and five of which are permanent. Casual Colour sees the release of a new and limited edition product called Casual Colour, which is a "versatile, lightweight all-in-one colour for cheeks and lips" in a "creamy, super-blendable, barely-there formula that contains Vitamin E to help skin and lips feel nourished." It has a subtle vanilla scent, but is taste-free. Casual Colour comes in eight shades, of which four will be reviewed here. They are packaged in clear plastic pots with black lids, similar to the Lip Conditioner jars. Each pot contains 13 ml of product, and retails for $24 each.

Clockwise from bottom: Evening Stroll, Keep It Casual, Out For Fun, and Weekend Getaway

Evening Stroll, Keep It Casual, Out For Fun, and Weekend Getaway

Evening Stroll is a medium red-toned violet. It does appear slightly pinked when sheered out. The texture is soft and creamy, with a consistency that is not too thick or thin (think somewhere between a cream blush and a lipstick). It goes on smoothly and evenly, with medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out very easily. As a blush, it has a very dewy finish and doesn't seem to dry down. As a lip colour, it starts off shiny like a lip balm, but does dry down slightly, much like a Lustre finish lipstick. There are no dupes for this as a blush in MAC's permanent range, but as a lip product, it's less pink than Up the Amp, and lighter and more pink than Goes and Goes Pro Longwear Lipcreme.

Keep It Casual is a medium-dark raspberry red. It does appear more pink when sheered out. The texture is soft and creamy, with a consistency that is not too thick or thin (think somewhere between a cream blush and a lipstick). It goes on smoothly and evenly, with medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out very easily. As a blush, it has a very dewy finish and doesn't seem to dry down. As a lip colour, it starts off shiny like a lip balm, but does dry down slightly, much like a Lustre finish lipstick. As a blush, it is more red than Desert Rose, and lighter and less plum than Breezy. As a lip product, it is brighter and less pink than Craving, and warmer and less berry than Positively Dashing Pro Longwear Lipcreme.

Out For Fun is a medium tangerine-orange. It does appear more coral when sheered out. The texture is soft and creamy, with a consistency that is not too thick or thin (think somewhere between a cream blush and a lipstick). It goes on smoothly and evenly, with medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out very easily. As a blush, it has a very dewy finish and doesn't seem to dry down. As a lip colour, it starts off shiny like a lip balm, but does dry down slightly, much like a Lustre finish lipstick. As a blush, it's brighter and more coral than Peaches, and much less intense and less red than Devil (PRO only). As a lip product, it is slightly more orange than Crosswires, and brighter and more coral than See Sheer.

Weekend Getaway is a medium bubblegum pink with subtle cool undertones. The texture is soft and creamy, with a consistency that is not too thick or thin (think somewhere between a cream blush and a lipstick). It goes on smoothly and evenly, with medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out very easily. As a blush, it has a very dewy finish and doesn't seem to dry down. As a lip colour, it starts off shiny like a lip balm, but does dry down slightly, much like a Lustre finish lipstick. As a blush, it is darker and much brighter than So Sweet, So Easy Cremeblend Blush, and slightly brighter than Dame. As a lip product, it is brighter than Lovelorn, and slightly cooler than Chatterbox.

Casual Colour is a great product for those who are constantly on-the-go or in a rush. If you're one of those people who use lipstick on the cheeks for a quick fix, this is a fantastic option. It goes on very smoothly and can be blended out very easily, and likewise be layered for more colour. I would use either fingertips or a duo fibre brush (like MAC's 188). It does, however, give off a very dewy look (some might even say "oily"), so I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who prefers a more matte finish. That doesn't mean that those with oily skin can't use this, but I would definitely dust it with a transparent powder (like MAC's Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder) to keep it from slipping and looking overly greasy as the day goes on. As a lip product, it's somewhere between a lipstick and a really pigmented tinted lip balm. I don't find it particularly moisturizing, but it's definitely not drying and keeps lips feeling soft.