Did anybody else notice the new Cremesheen Pearl collection of lipsticks and lip glosses, that appeared out of nowhere on MAC website the other day? I’m not one to swoon over the latest MAC releases, but even I was smitten by the beauty of these colors and picked up two to try – Koi Coral & Little Buddha.
Cremesheen Pearl, the shimmering twist on a M∙A∙C classic, is back with a brilliant bang. Cremesheen Lipstick and Cremesheen Glass, both infused with pearlized pigments, are available in 15 new Asian-inspired shades. Prominent pinks, radiant reds and contemporary corals glow strikingly against all skin tones with a finish that leaves lips luminous and decidedly lacquered. With foolproof colour coverage and gleamingly creamy gloss, this eye-catching update to Cremesheen is the new yin and yang for your lips.
Koi Coral was the first color I took note of when I saw the promo images, so I added it to my wishlist because I just have to have all the nudes 🙂 It’s described as a pale peachy nude, but what MAC doesn’t mention is the glorious pink and orange microglitter that is also present in the formula. The glitter is practically invisible when applied fresh from the bullet, but it stays on the lips as the color wears off, and eventually you will be left with nothing but glittery flakes if you don’t usually touch up your lippies midday.
P.S.: Unfortunately, as soon as I twisted up the bullet to swatch it, I noticed that it was slightly tilted. When I ran it across my skin, the tip broke off and fell on the table 🙁
Little Buddha is described as a bright peachy pink, and to me it looks even a little shrimpy. The color has neutral undertones, but it leans a little cooler than I anticipated, while I normally prefer warmer shades, so I don’t particularly like how it looks on me [selfies will be added to the post a little later, I have a mountain of things to do right now and no time for editing them]. The color wears off gradually and evenly, and leaves a pretty bright pink stain behind, which makes the lips look nice even if you forget to reapply.
The bullet was nice and sturdy, and I didn’t experience any problems with it like I did with Koi Coral, so it has to be something with the softness of that bullet, as it did seem unusually buttery in comparison when I swatched them side by side.
Cremesheen Pearl formula is supposed to provide a touch of sheer pigment, but if your lips are normally pale, be prepared for some bright colors! Little Buddha in particular looks very very pink on me, for example. For comparison, check out this review, where Karen MBB posted a couple lip swatches and they look pretty sheer on her naturally pigmented lips.
Both of these lipsticks are unforgiving to any dryness or chapped spots, as they definitely accentuated all of mine. The color goes on a little patchy and evens out slightly with consecutive strokes. And in case you’re curious about the fragrance, the formula has a typical MAC vanilla frosting scent which is fairly strong but not overwhelming.
The wear time on me is roughly 2-3 hours, without eating or drinking, which is about right for sheer buttery lipsticks. I get about the same result with MAC’s Lustre finishes, which are also sheer and moisturizing, but unlike Cremesheen Pearl they don’t make my lips look drier than they are.
Swatch reference: My skin tone is between MAC NC15 and NW15 with yellowish hue and neutral undertones. Sometimes I can wear NW20 in the Summer. I thought this would be useful to know, since all screens show colors differently, and I also don’t have a studio setup with consistent lighting. Hope that helps!
Overall, I don’t think I’m a big fan of this particular release. Yes, the colors are beautiful, and I love the idea of Japan-inspired collection, but there were all these little things that made my experience not as good as it should have been. Koi Coral contains glitter that stays on the lips as the color fades, and it’s not mentioned on the site. If I’d known that, I probably wouldn’t have ordered this one and went for another nude shade instead [Nippon]. Also, the bullet felt very soft, which was probably the reason why it broke, so it seems like a manufacturing defect or just an odd formulation, or maybe both. And like I said, these shades are unforgiving to any dryness on the lips, showcasing all the little dry spots and gathering in them. For now, I think I’ll stick to my fave Lustres if I want to grab another sheer MAC lipstick 🙂
These colors are now permanent, and will be available at MAC stores and counters on July 23rd.
WHERE TO BUY: $17 USD for 0.01 oz. Available online at Nordstrom, Macy’s, MAC.
Disclosure: This post features products purchased by Glamorable and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
