Another week, another lip product review for you guys; and this is one that I've been meaning to do for a while. Can you believe that this is my first - and, at the time of writing - my only MAC lipstick? I know, mental! I decided to treat myself at the back end of last year and splurge out on a shade that I'd had my eye on for a while, Dark Side. I figured that for my first MAC, I might as well pick something a bit special! I was after a dark, deep plum shade and I managed to hit the jackpot with this.



We all know what the packaging for MAC lipsticks look like, so I won't spend any time explaining it to you. There's something special about the packaging though, isn't there? I always feel a rush of excitement when I pick up a MAC lipstick, even when they're not mine and they're[bxA] just testers. A true classic if there ever was one. As we are also all aware, MAC's lipsticks come in a range of finishes, and this one is an amplified creme; offering fantastic colour payoff with one swipe and a soft, comfortable finish on the lips with some added shine to boot. Like mentioned previous, I was after a particular shade and my heart did admittedly skip a beat when I swatched it onto my hand. I hoped beyond anything that the colour translated onto the lips pretty much exactly as it appeared on my hand, and luckily for me it did. The colour is so opaque, that I can't imagine that it makes much difference whether you have particularly pigmented lips or not - what you see is what you get. That, coupled with a non-drying formula, makes it a winner in my eyes.



The one thing that I will have to say about this lipstick, is how much of a sod it is to photography accurately! The swatch on my lips below was the closest I could get, and I even had to tweak it a little in Photoshop to reflect a little more truthfully than it appeared in the image. It truly is a unique shade in my collection; a cool-toned plum with a hint of burgundy, although I've seen it described as wine red elsewhere. I can tell you now, that it most certainly is not! It is incredible "vampy" (If such an expression can be used) and really takes a lot of courage to pull off, especially during the day. I've only ever actually worn this once during the day; when I went to work on Halloween, I wanted a dark lip and this was the most obvious choice. That gives you an indication of how long it's taken me to write this review! Wearing this all day gave me the perfect opportunity really trial the product, and see how it wore over a period of several hours, with eating lunch in between - a daunting prospect, if I'm honest.



I'm not going to lie and say that this is an easy lipstick to wear - that it ain't. It requites quite a lot of care when applying, as the shade is so intense that any mistakes can appear ten times worse. I've swatched it just as it is, and you can see that it doesn't apply as smoothly around as I would like; this is down to the creme formula. However, with a matching lipliner, this problem is completely solved - no smudging or bleeding at all - and I have to admit that the wear time is impressive. For all its intensity, I expected to be topping this up every hour or so, but it managed a good couple of hours before I could just spot some signs of wear on the insides of my lips. This is me being picky though, and from a comfortable distance it was more like three-four hours before any noticeable wear could be seen. As it fades, it leaves a stain behind, although this does wear away a bit unevenly. I did have to eat very carefully whilst wearing this, and even though it definitely transferred off my lips and onto whatever I was eating (Grim, I know), it actually lasted surprisingly well and I didn't manage to get any of it onto my chin or give myself a Joker smile!

Final verdict: If you're looking for a true stand-out lipstick for a special occassion, then this is the one for you. Whilst not entirely season appropriate at the moment, in the cooler months it is definitely one that will get you noticed and everyone will ask what you're wearing!

MAC Amplified Creme Dark Side can be purchased from MAC counters, as well as online, for £15.