Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Lingering Kiss" (LE) [A Novel Romance 2014] + Comparison

PURCHASED

Hi everyone. I guess you could say I've had quite a rocky start to my new job, based on my last post. Then, this past Saturday, I caught the infamous sinus infection that I've managed to avoid for almost 2 years. I'm on a roll. I feel like my "strongest" week was two weeks ago...which was my very first week, when I was at the start of training.

This post - ugh, this poor post is so overdue. I'm sorry.

Today, finally, I'm reviewing the third and last lipstick of the three I picked up from MAC's A Novel Romance collection, "Lingering Kiss." I don't even know if this color is still available. It may be, but I'm honestly not sure.

Without wasting more time, let's move on to the review.




Name: "Lingering Kiss"
Net Wt.: 0.1 oz./ 3 g.
Price: $16.00
Finish: Matte

"Lingering Kiss" is one of the three limited edition matte-finish lipsticks from A Novel Romance. On MAC's site, the color is described as a "deep plum red." It's funny, because when I swipe this lipstick against a white surface, I agree with MAC wholeheartedly. On me, however, it looks much more like a burgundy. I can detect more brown before I begin to detect any purple. Strange how that works.

If you read my review on "Good Kisser," then you know I purchased mattes from this collection because I heard great things about them. "Lingering Kiss," much like "Good Kisser," is a creamy, comfortable matte with rich color payoff. If MAC's mattes continue in this direction, I will definitely be expanding on my matte lipstick collection. 

The level of pigmentation, and the smooth consistency, are apparent in the above swatch where, honestly, the swatched color looks identical to the color in the tube. It's like a deep, almost blackened burgundy with a slight hint of purple...slight...

Everything I said up until this point is why I die a little inside looking at the above picture. When I purchased my Punk Couture lipsticks last December, I thought it was the matte formula that made them so patchy. Well, I can now say that it's just these deep matte colors that suffer from the patchiness. And it's not even incredibly patchy - it's JUST the center of my bottom lip. Deep mattes just never seem to grab there, and I have no idea why. 

I mean, look at that! And I tried to doctor that part of my lower lip with multiple layers, too. 

Anywho, patchiness aside, "Lingering Kiss" is a bold, deep lipstick that, on my fair-to-light skin, takes some confidence to wear. The first time I wore it out, I felt like I had straight-up black lipstick on and was self-conscious for a bit. After a while, though, I decided: who the eff cares what insignificant people think. I love bright, bold lipsticks and actually enjoy exploring the deep, bold half of the spectrum. 

As for the comparison, I'll be upfront with you and say that I have no dupe. I'm sure one exists, but I don't personally own it. The following comparison I did because "Lingering Kiss" reminded me of this other lipstick in my collection. 

LEFT: "Lingering Kiss"
RIGHT: "Instigator"

Said lipstick - swatched on the right above - is "Instigator," one of the two Punk Couture lipsticks I mentioned just before. Next to "Instigator," "Lingering Kiss" looks especially brown and, vice versa, "Instigator" looks especially purple. The only things these two colors have in common are (a) red and (b) depth. They're also both mattes - may as well point that out. 

But, even though both formulas hate my lower lip, I will say that "Lingering Kiss" is noticeably more comfortable than "Instigator" and its cousin, "Punk Couture." 

...I guess there's no point in pointing out how one triumphs over the other formula-wise when they don't compare in color, huh?

Overall, "Lingering Kiss" is a beautiful, deep plum that may pull more burgundy or more of a blackened plum, depending on your coloring. The matte formula is wonderfully creamy and smooth during application, and the matte finish in combination with the deep color makes for an exceptionally bold lip, especially on those on the lighter half of the spectrum such as myself. 

With that being said, I personally think "Lingering Kiss" would look gorgeous on just about everyone. It all comes down to your expectations of the color, since it seems to pull brownish-red on some and purplish-red on others. I actually wanted it to be more of a purplish-red on me, but I'm flexible when it comes to lip colors, so it wasn't much of a problem that the color had much more brown than I had hoped for. Just something to keep in mind.

Would I repurchase this color? No. Do I recommend it? Yes, if it's the kind of color and finish you're interested in. It's a beautiful fall and winter color if you go by the seasons and, if you don't, it's a beautiful statement lipstick in general. It is limited edition, however, and it has been a while since the collection was released, so I don't know how easy it'll be to find this lipstick if you are interested in purchasing it.

I hope you found this review helpful, and thanks for stopping by. 'Til next time. ('<>')>

~nikki