MAC Dita Von Teese: Von Teese Lipstick

This month, MAC released a lipstick in collaboration with American burlesque dancer, model and costume designer, Dita Von Teese, to celebrate the launch of her new book, Your Beauty Mark. The lipstick is new and limited edition, and is an online-exclusive item. Each lipstick is housed in a special edition glossy black tube with Dita Von Teese's name written in red script on the side; the lipstick bullet itself is also embossed with her name. The exterior box packaging features a photo of Dita Von Teese wearing the lipstick, as well as her name in red printed on the side. As with all MAC lipsticks, it is vanilla-scented but has no discernible taste. Each lipstick contains 3 grams of product, and retails for $21.50. 
Von Teese
Von Teese
Von Teese

Von Teese is a medium-dark warm tomato red in a Matte 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 warmer than Russian Red, warmer and creamier than Ruby Woo, lighter and brighter than Viva Glam I, warmer and more matte than MAC Red, and more opaque and more matte than Lady Bug.

Believe it or not, Von Teese is actually one of the more unique red lipsticks that MAC has come out with, and surprisingly different than any of the matte reds in the permanent range. It's definitely in the warm red category (which is actually surprising in itself, because it seems like Dita Von Teese usually favours cooler, cherry reds), but not veering into orange territory. I find that MAC usually comes out with reds that are cool-toned (e.g. Russian Red, Ruby Woo, MAC Red), or totally orange-based (e.g. Lady Danger, Dangerous, Viva Glam Miley Cyrus 2), or not matte (e.g. Lady Bug, Cockney, Brave Red), so in a company that has seemingly launched dozens (hundreds?) of red lipsticks, Von Teese somehow manages to be worth getting — that is, if you're looking for a matte, warm-toned red. The formula is in-line with MAC's new matte shades; it glides on smoothly and lightly creamy with rich, opaque colour pay-off and a velvet-matte finish (versus Retro Matte, which is the flattest and driest of all matte finishes). Von Teese is an online-exclusive product, however, so if you have your heart set on getting it, I would make a list of other items to get so you're not paying for shipping on one item. That having been said, it was smart to launch this in December — it's the perfect holiday red.