I was going to just call it a night and save my review of "Toying Around" for tomorrow, but no. I'm going to plow through to the end, while I still know what I'm doing (lol!).
Some colors are winners. It's as simple as that. From the moment you put them on, you know that they're winners. You know you'll get a lot of use out of them, that they're what you've been looking for - that they make you feel totally confident whenever you wear them.
"Toying Around" is one such color.
I knew I wanted it from the start, and as much as my list changed between January and April, it was the only color from my initial list that stood put. I did take a risk in buying it - I love a lipstick that's a perfect balance between pink and orange, but most inevitably fall too pink, or too orange. You can see examples of such lipsticks in my comparison post here, where I compare "Toying Around" to an example of each.
That's not to say that "Toying Around" is perfect, because it's not. If you view it next to the other pinker colors in the collection - as I have swatched in my master post here - you'll see that it's more orange than pink. But still - there's just something, something about it...
Name: Toying Around
Net Wt.: 0.1 oz./ 3 g.
Price: $16
Finish: Amplified
MAC describes "Toying Around" as a "hot coral pink." Yes, MAC hit the nail on the head with this one, though be warned: depending on your skin tone, you may still fall into either treacherous territory of just-pink or just-orange. Corals are daunting in that way.
For me, though, for just this one time, thank goodness...
"Toying Around" is on the same plane of brightness as "Happy-Go-Lucky," and while writing this review all I could think was "Holy crap, that looks just like 'Dreaming Dahlia.'" Fear not - they are two completely different colors, no matter how much their bullets may resemble each other. I didn't need to compare the two in my comparison post, either, because all you need to do is see my "Dreaming Dahlia" review to know these two lipsticks aren't anything alike. Which is great news to me, because "Dreaming Dahlia" is a true tomato red on me with a good dose of orange. As for "Toying Around" -
It swatches an almost orange-ish red, doesn't it? Much like it appears in the tube. But trust me - there is a reservoir of pink hidden in there, as you'll see in just a moment. First, I want to tell you that this lipstick is a joy to apply and wear. It's so creamy and hydrating and glossy and is the equivalent of pure comfort on the lips. I wish there were more beautiful colors like this - outside of this collection - in such a luxurious formula. I love the amplified finish!!
And here, the moment we've been waiting for: behold the pink in "Toying Around." I won't lie - in some lighting, it does look more orange than pink. But in others, you get the perfection that is the right half of the above picture. It's the color I've been wanting, and I'm so glad it exists in one of my top favorite lipstick formulas ever. "Toying Around," "Toying Around"...no wonder it was the fastest to sell out.
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| Here it looks more orange. But that's okay, because I know it has the potential to look otherwise. |
Overall, "Toying Around" is a stunning, bright coral with tones of red, orange, and pink throughout that, on my skin tone, specifically has enough pink and orange to almost equally swing back and forth between the two. The amplified finish allows the color to go on comfortably with full pigmentation while making lips look full and glossy. If you couldn't tell already, "Toying Around" is my absolute favorite of the four lipsticks I purchased from MAC's Playland.
I feel bad that my other reviews for Playland weren't as enthusiastic as this one. So, with this being my last review for the collection, I want to say that truthfully speaking, I love this collection to pieces. I anticipated it for months and was beyond satisfied. Even the problem child of the collection - "Sweet Experience" - is a color I'm happy to have, and then the versatility of "Red Balloon," the fun, liveliness of "Happy-Go-Lucky," and, ultimately, the perfected play of colors in "Toying Around" simply make this collection one of the most well-rounded, gratifying collections I've ever seen from MAC.
"Toying Around" is sadly limited edition. If you love corals, definitely check online at MAC, Macy's, Nordstrom, Belk, and Bloomingdales to see if it ever restocks. And call up your local MAC counters, too. This color was the one that sold out the quickest, though it's no surprise it's so popular due to its excellent performance and gorgeous color.
And with that being said, I'm done reviewing the products I got from Playland. Phew. Five posts in one day, HAHA! As always, thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great rest of the week, and 'til next time. ('<>')>
~nikki
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