MAC Cremesheen Pearl: Lipsticks (Part II)

Last Thursday, MAC released a collection called Cremesheen Pearl, which features the return of "Cremesheen + Pearl, the shimmering twist on a MAC classic... that leaves lips luminous and decidedly lacqured." The formula is described as being "infused with pearlized pigments and a moisturizing serum blend" that has "foolproof colour coverage and gleamingly creamy gloss..." The collection includes a total of 15 products, of which ten are new and will be added to the permanent range, and five are re-promotes. Cremesheen Pearl sees the launch of ten "Asian-inspired shades" of lipsticks. Each lipstick comes in regular black packaging, contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $19. These are applicable for the Back to MAC recycling program.

Tokyo Tizzy, Obi Orange, Pretty Boy, Dozen Carnations, and Sweet Sakura
Tokyo Tizzy, Obi Orange, Pretty Boy, Dozen Carnations, and Sweet Sakura

Tokyo Tizzy is a medium muted yellow-toned orange with subtle gold pearlized pigments in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is lighter than Saigon Summer, less yellow than Tangerine Dream, and lighter and more yellow than Obi Orange.

Obi Orange is a medium muted reddened orange with subtle gold pearlized pigments in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is darker and more red than Saigon Summer, brighter and more orange than See Sheer, and lighter and more muted than Morange.

Pretty Boy is a medium-dark muted coral pink with subtle gold pearlized pigments in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is more muted than Crosswires, more pink than See Sheer, and more muted and more orange than Lady at Play Mineralize Rich.

Dozen Carnations is a medium-dark brightened warm orange-red with subtle gold pearlized pigments in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly warmer than Lady Bug, more orange than Cockney, and lighter and warmer than Sweet Sakura.

Sweet Sakura is a medium-dark brightened cool-toned strawberry red with subtle gold pearlized pigments in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and permanent shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque colour pay-off. It is cooler than Lady Bug, slightly cooler than Cockney, and sheerer and more muted than Everyday Diva Mineralize Rich.

MAC came out with a similar collection to this one three years ago (also named Cremesheen + Pearl) that included Asian-inspired shades that were then added to the permanent range (favourites like Pure Zen, Shanghai Spice, and Sunny Seoul were originally launched in that collection). Consider this the sequel. Ten new shades will be added to the permanent Cremesheen family. The main difference between the Cremesheen Pearl finish and a straight Cremesheen is, of course, the pearlized pigment (not to be confused with a frosted finish) that makes lips look glossier, fuller, and more dimensional. But I also find that these are creamier and smoother than the original Cremesheen lipsticks. The great thing about Cremesheen lipsticks is that they're more pigmented and less shimmery (and, for some, less drying) than MAC's Lustre lipsticks, but a little sheerer and more lightweight than Amplified lipsticks. They're often thought of as MAC's most comfortable finish to wear (in the original lipstick range), and also the most widely flattering range of colours. These shades are great for those who want easy to wear, cheerful pops of colour that aren't too bright or garish.