MAC Veluxe À Trois: Lipsticks

Today, MAC released a collection called Veluxe À Trois. It is exclusive to Hudson's Bay locations until August, which then will be released at all other MAC locations. The collection includes a total of 15 products, of which five are new and limited edition, six are re-promotes, and four are permanent. Veluxe À Trois sees the launch of four 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.

How Tropical, Pillow Talk, Flowerscope, and Quelle Surprise
How Tropical, Pillow Talk, Flowerscope, and Quelle Surprise

How Tropical is a light cool beige nude in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is lighter and more brown than Blankety, cooler and less peach than Creme d'Nude, and lighter and more beige than High Tea.

Pillow Talk is a light-medium warm brown beige in a Cremesheen finish. This is a re-promoted shade from 2011's Cine-matics collection, and is limited edition. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium-high pigmentation and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is lighter and shinier than Spirit, more pigmented than Jubilee, and more brown than Modesty.

Flowerscope is a medium-dark vibrant cool-toned fuchsia pink in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is brighter than Lickable, warmer and less pearlized than Show Orchid, and shinier and more muted than Pink Pigeon.

Quelle Surprise is a dark purple berry in a Cremesheen finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft and creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more muted than Rebel, lighter and more purple than Dark Side, and darker and more purple than Quite the Thing! Sheen Supreme.

Technically, the main focus of Veluxe À Trois is on the new Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow Trios, but they've released four new lipsticks to compliment the palettes and I actually think they're going to be more popular than the shadows themselves. How Tropical will be a nice nude for our fair skin friends who want something more neutral than MAC's many permanent offerings (indeed, all of the nudes within the Cremesheen range lean either peach or pink). It reminds me a lot of Viva Glam Gaga 2, so if you were looking for a replacement, take a look at this one. Pillow Talk will flatter virtually all complexions: on fairer skintones, it will be a nice muted take on the '90s lip trend, on medium skintones, it will be a soft everyday neutral brown shade, and on dark skintones, it will be a lovely nude shade without being too stark or ashy. Flowerscope is a fun, punchy fuchsia that's perfect for the summer and great for those who want something bright without veering into neon. The sheen also keeps it more relaxed and a little more muted so you can wear it in the day (maybe not in the office, though). Quelle Surprise, like Pillow Talk, will also suit all complexions, in the same way that Rebel suits all skintones. It's like Rebel's more relaxed, low-key sister, so that you get a great pop of colour without being too bold or vampy. The sheen also keeps it from being too harsh to wear in the summer.

For those who are sick of the matte lip trend right now, these will be a nice reprieve. The great thing about Cremesheen lipsticks is that they're more pigmented and less shimmery (and 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 regular range, so this does not include the Mineralize Rich or Sheen Supreme formulas), and also the most widely flattering range of colours. The four shades offered here are some of the better Cremesheen lipsticks I've tried: they're creamier, more pigmented, and much smoother than many of the shades in the permanent range. They even seem to be longer wearing; it's almost as if Cremesheens and Amplifieds had a baby. Not the most unique shades, mind, but I can see them being go-to shades for many. My favourites are Pillow Talk and Quelle Surprise — universally flattering and perfect for all year round.