MAC x Nicki Minaj: Nicki Minaj Lipstick in Nicki's Nude and The Pinkprint

Last Thursday, MAC launched their collaboration with American rapper and singer, Nicki Minaj: "Nicki Minaj dominates fans’ hearts and hip-hop charts with her bravado and razor-sharp rhymes. With her unstoppable seductive power, the queen is set to conquer the world. Her latest tease? Revealing her custom-designed nude lipsticks for MAC. Get cheeky and take charge with Nicki’s two suggestive shades." This collection features a total of 26 products, 14 of which are new and limited edition, four of which are re-promotes, and eight of which are permanent. MAC x Nicki Minaj sees the launch of 20 lipsticks, of which two are exclusively created by Nicki Minaj herself. These two shades are housed in special edition pearlized shade-matched tubes with Nicki Minaj's signature on the side. Each lipstick contains a total of 3 grams of product, and retails for $22. Due to the special packaging, these lipsticks are not applicable as free products in the Back to MAC recycling program.
Nicki's Nude and The Pinkprint
Nicki's Nude and The Pinkprint

Nicki's Nude is a medium warm muted peachy coral in an Amplified Creme finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is slightly pinker and less matte than Kinda Sexy, more pink than Ravishing, lighter and more pink than Mocha, more peach and more pigmented than Peach Blossom, and lighter and more pigmented than Shanghai Spice.

The Pinkprint is a light neutral-cool baby pink in an Amplified Creme finish. This is a new and limited edition shade. It has a soft, creamy texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It is more pigmented than Creme Cup, slightly cooler and more pigmented than Angel, darker and warmer than Saint Germain, warmer and more muted than Snob, and lighter and more pink than Viva Glam II.

I wish that MAC and Nicki Minaj would've taken this opportunity to create a full collection rather than just collaborate on two lipstick shades. Not that these aren't nice, but Nicki has already collaborated with MAC on several lip shades — including Pink Friday in 2010, and her Viva Glam shades in 2012 and 2013 — and it would've been nice to see what other products she could've came out with. Though these new shades definitely fit Nicki Minaj's current aesthetic, I have to say that they best suit fair to medium-dark skintones. Those with dark to deep dark skintones might be disappointed to see how light these shades are; they can look chalky and ashy without the aid of a lip pencil or darker shade underneath. (Though, if you're willing to put in the work, Nicki's Nude pairs really well with Morning Coffee or Chestnut, and The Pinkprint pairs well with Absolutely It or Whirl.) That having been said, both shades here are creamy, smooth, and pigmented, as you would expect from an Amplified Creme finish. They're comfortable to wear and lightly hydrating, and wear about four to five hours before fading. There are a few dupes of these shades in other finishes from MAC's permanent range, so I would definitely see if you have anything similar in your stash first, but nude lipstick addicts and Nicki Minaj fans alike will find that these are right up their alley.