Yes! The last review for this collection and I have 40 minutes to write it, if I want to get in just over six hours of sleep!!!
"Romantic Breakdown" is the last of the four limited edition lipsticks in the MAC x Bao Bao Wan collection, and it is the only lipstick in the lustre finish. I used to really enjoy the lustre finish by MAC - you can see my review of "Hug Me" here, the first lustre I ever reviewed. A lot has changed since then, though, as I discovered the amplified finish and MAC made their matte finish more comfortable on the lips. The lustre finish - and the cremesheen finish, while we're on the subject - have taken a backseat since then.
Don't misunderstand me, though. Lustres still have their place, and that place becomes evident with colors like "Romantic Breakdown."
Name: Romantic Breakdown
Net Wt.: 0.1 oz./ 3 g.
Price: $17.50
Finish: Lustre
This is the best: MAC online describes "Romantic Breakdown" as a "sheer nude." That is the most empty, useless, un-telling description I've come across from MAC, though I guess it's better that they give a meaningless description over a misleading one (there are still 'wanted' signs for the gold pearl in "Lavender Jade"). Yes, "Romantic Breakdown" is a nude, but more specifically to my eyes it is a peachy beige with pearl.
It's the nature of a lustre that it happens to fall on the sheerer side. Lustres are thinner, more moisturizing, and sheerer than other MAC finishes, and "Romantic Breakdown" is no exception. It's really like a lip gloss in lipstick form. This color in particular has a gorgeous opalescent quality to it from the pearl, which is why I feel like lustres still have their place with colors like this one. "Romantic Breakdown" ends up being a wash of subtly sparkling color.
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| MIDDLE: "Romantic Breakdown" |
Please forgive my confusion when I took all of the Bao Bao Wan collection pictures. I only took individual swatches for half of the lipsticks for some strange reason. I'll get into those other two colors in a bit but, for now, focus on the center swatch which is that of "Romantic Breakdown." There is definitely color to this lipstick - the peachy beige I mentioned before - but, as you'll see in the below lip swatch, there is only a wash of color once applied, unless you build it up with multiple layers. Please note that my lips are fairly pale, so I don't have trouble getting colors to show on me. In the same respect, this color may actually make more of a difference on someone with more pigmented lips, since it is more of a lightening color.
I used to pile some lustres on to get more color payoff but I've learned that doing so means that the product will feel gummy after some hours, so I try not to apply as many layers now (which means most lustres stay on the sheerer side). Because of the pearl in this color, it has a tendency to pool in my lip lines after a while, as you can see the beginning of in the above picture. It is, however, also the pearl that adds depth to this shade, so it's a bit of a double-edged sword.
I feel like I look most different in the above pictures versus the full-face pictures of the other lipsticks in this collection. The other colors are opaque and bold, while "Romantic Breakdown" is subtle and youthful. It's definitely a nude on me, and I find it to be the easiest lipstick from this collection to wear thanks to both the color and finish. With that being said, there is apparently more as to why I ended up loving this color so much. Let's talk about comparisons.
I reviewed one of the lipsticks in the above picture - the one on the far right to be specific. Can you guess which one it might be? Likely not, but I thought I'd ask anyway, haha.
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| LEFT: "Pure Zen" MIDDLE: "Romantic Breakdown" RIGHT: "Fleur D'Coral" |
Yup, another favorite of mine - "Fleur D'Coral" from the A Fantasy of Flowers collection released over a year ago for spring of 2014. That's why the bullet is shaped weird, LOL. I get a lot of use out of that lipstick.
Anyway, let's revisit the swatches from earlier.
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| LEFT: "Pure Zen" MIDDLE: "Romantic Breakdown" RIGHT: "Fleur D'Coral" |
I think "Romantic Breakdown" may have been inspired by "Pure Zen," on the left above, but either way all three of these lipsticks are different from each other. I wouldn't call any dupes - well, I might call "Pure Zen" a near-dupe for "Fleur D'Coral" (which is nice to know since it's permanent, although it is a cremesheen), but as far as "Romantic Breakdown" goes, neither of the other two can really act as substitute. "Fleur D'Coral" is a lustre like "Romantic Breakdown" bit it has much more peach/pink to it, while "Romantic Breakdown" has more beige.
On the lips, the differences aren't as stark as the swatches, however I do still prefer "Fleur D'Coral" over "Romantic Breakdown" (and "Pure Zen," quite frankly) so yeah. I couldn't call them dupes even in that regard.
Overall, "Romantic Breakdown" is a soft, wearable peachy beige/nude in a moisturizing formula that is a nice contrast to the other more opaque, bright lipsticks in the MAC x Bao Bao Wan collection. It's definitely sheer, so if you don't care for sheer lipsticks you'll likely want to pass, but if a wash of color is all you're looking for then you may find "Romantic Breakdown" to be a great option.
While I love the color, this may be the easiest for me to say I wouldn't repurchase, simply because it is sheer and I have other lustres whose sheer washes of color are better suited to my tastes. I'll definitely get use out of "Romantic Breakdown" but it isn't a color I can be excited about!
And with that I finish my reviews for my purchases from MAC's Bao Bao Wan collection! YAY! I want to crawl into a hole and sleep now, haha. I hope you found all of these reviews helpful, and thank you so much for stopping by, even after my hiatus. :) 'Til next time, which I'll aim to make sooner rather than later! ('<>')>
~nikki
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