2012 Spring Pink: MAC “Force of Love” Matte Lipstick from the Chen Man Love and Water Collection (Swatches and Review)
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Very rarely do we get a new collection before it is released in North America, and today, I was THRILLED to see the ethereal Chenman Love and Water collection out in stores.
MAC has released not one but TWO fluorescent pinks recently; the Viva Glam Nicki Satin lipstick (fluorescent yellow-pink) and Force of Love Matte lipstick (fluorescent coral-pink).
Of the two, I much prefer Force of Love, because it contains a bit more pink/red and is therefore easier to wear for many skin tones. It’s still a warm shade; a cross between hot coral and fluorescent pink. I find Viva Glam Nicki to be just a touch TOO yellow for me.
A fluorescent coral-pink is not something you wear with tons of color on your face but it makes such a great statement. This lipstick also has one of MAC’s newer matte textures, silkier and more similar to Candy Yum Yum than Ruby Woo (retro matte) or Russian Red (satin-matte). This actually feels more like Revlon’s Matte lipsticks, which would be a plus to many.
For me, this is actually a minus, as I would prefer it to be just a bit more opaque and satin-feeling. The softer, waxier texture makes this hard to build up without shifting around, gunking up and getting uneven-looking over time. I also find this less opaque than MAC’s other mattes, so I have to get around that by layering it over a pencil. (Rimmel Exaggerate in 005 Pure is a great match for it, though slightly less bright.)
Still, the shade is totally gorgeous and quite unique as far as bright pinks go, so I highly recommend checking it out! (I expect it would look better on fair-to-pale, or caramel-to-dark skin tones, and if Viva Glam Nicki works for you, this would too.)
