MAC Select: Lipstick in So Select

This year, MAC introduced their new customer loyalty program called MAC Select. It was launched in the US in February and finally rolled out in Canada last month. MAC describes MAC Select as "our prestigious members-only program for the makeup-obsessed. The more you purchase, the more covetable privileges you earn and the higher you climb our three elite tiers." You can read all about the program and its three tiers here, but essentially, if you shop at MAC at all, whether online or in their free-standing stores, it's worth joining. It's free and the more you spend in a calendar year, the more perks you get. (Unfortunately, MAC Select is only available in the US and Canada right now, but it will be rolled out internationally over the next year.) A perk of MAC Select is that there will be "exclusive members-only products," which will all be limited edition. All you have to do to purchase these products is become a member. The first of these products is a new matte lipstick called So Select, which is housed in MAC's regular black and silver tube. It does come with a "MAC Select" cardboard sleeve to set it apart from their regular lipsticks. It was launched last week in Canada, and in April in the US. Each So Select lipstick contains a total of 3 grams of product and retails for $21.
So Select
So Select

So Select is a medium-dark neutral muted rosy brown in a Matte finish. This is a new and limited shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is lighter and more pink than Whirl, more brown than Twig, more matte and more brown than Fast Play, darker and more pink than Velvet Teddy, lighter and more pink than Verve, and similar to Half-Red Lip Pencil.

This is actually an ideal shade for MAC to have launched as their first MAC Select exclusive product; it's widely flattering and on-trend. It's the quintessential "Kylie Jenner lip" with the perfect mix of rose and brown, and it's matte, so it's the colour that everyone is looking for right now, while also appealing to those who swore by Twig lipstick in the '90s. (Actually, it's surprising that MAC hadn't already launched this colour in its permanent range, like, 20 years ago.) It's also not too light nor too dark, not too bright, and it's doesn't run too warm or too cool, so it really will suit all complexions. That having been said, however, it isn't necessarily a new or exciting shade, and you'll find fairly similar dupes of it from most brands (even within MAC's permanent range). But it is a nice and wearable shade for everyone, and I think it was a good choice as the first exclusive product for MAC Select to draw people into joining the program.