MAC MONDAY | Give Me Liberty of London Lipsticks Swatches & Review

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Ahhhh, Give Me Liberty of London. As one of the first MAC collections I was able to scope out on counter, it gave me my first taste of that little thrill you get, playing with a limited edition collection, debating over whether you really need them and inevitably giving way to temptation! MAC's limited edition packaging doesn't come much prettier than this, in glossy white adorned with prints from the classic British brand, Liberty of London. I have a few pieces from this collection but as is often the case, the lipsticks are the standouts for me. Here are all four from the 2010 collection.

Formula Overview:

There are three different finishes in this collection, all with MAC's signature vanilla scent. Ever Hip is a Cremesheen, a sheer and evenly pigmented formula; Peachstock is a satin, a strongly pigmented lipstick with slight sheen. Blooming Lovely and Petals & Peacocks are both Amplifieds, strongly pigmented and semi-glossy. I didn't find any of these drying.

Ever Hip

Ever Hip is described as a 'creamy light coral' in a Cremesheen finish. This was one of my first major MAC lemmings! I was living in Hamilton when the collection came out, back before there was a MAC counter in Hamilton and on a day trip to Auckland I tried fruitlessly to find it at a few counters. A kind friend even called around the other MAC stores in Auckland for me but no such luck! It was rereleased in the Fashion Flower collection (2011) but the colour wasn't the same - nooooo! I tracked it down a few years ago but after all the hype, I think I'd built it up in my mind and I really wasn't that impressed. Don't get me wrong, the formula's okay - a touch streakier than some of MAC's other Cremesheens, but it was non-drying and lasted for almost six hours. Ever Hip just isn't the magical unicorn shade of coral I was expecting. I'm not entirely sure why it was the big seller of the collection instead of Petals & Peacocks or Blooming Lovely, it's quite dupable, really.

Peachstock

Peachstock is described as 'neutral peach' in a Satin finish. This is a colour I've never quite been able to get to grips with and consequently, I've bought it twice and destashed it each time. I really should just learn to leave it alone! I have no complaints on the formula, it applies smoothly with decent opacity and wears comfortably for five hours. I think it just pulls too yellow overall on me. Have you tried Peachstock? It's in the permanent range now, though at the time of Give Me Liberty of London's release, it was a pro-only colour repromoted for this collection.

Blooming Lovely

Blooming Lovely is described as a 'creamy greyed lilac mauve' in an Amplified finish. To be honest, that colour description sounded like it would be horrendous for my skin tone on paper and I only bought Blooming Lovely in the throes of bargain hunter and collector frenzy! Along with the other two limited edition shades in this collection, Blooming Lovely tends to fetch eyewatering amounts among collectors, but I was lucky to find this for around $15NZD, from memory. To my surprise, I absolutely love it! The colour is a warmer purple than the description would lead you to believe and I really like the way it looks on me (albeit not with those brows - what was I thinking?!). Blooming Lovely applies smoothly, has strong opacity and lasts for just under seven hours on me.

Petals & Peacocks

Petals & Peacocks is described as a 'creamy bright magenta pink' in an Amplified finish. Whoa, mama, this is what I'm all about! I'm going to be devastated when this runs out, even though I've got similar shades, nothing quite compares to Petals & Peacocks. It has strong colour saturation and applies and wears beautifully, lasting seven hours on me without being drying. Unsurprisingly, it is a stainer.