MAC Lip Prep + Prime - Review

I recently shifted my home, and in that crazed meddle have misplaced my very tiny stack (read: 5 products) from MAC & MUFE. The irony is that I had wrapped them separately from the rest of my stash so that I could carry them with me. But in the crazed packing frenzy, my hubby threw the pack into some bag, & I can’t find them now. But the rest of my makeup that I didn’t give a damn about has all reached safe & sound. I know they are somewhere in the house, my only hope is that I find them in the next few days.

What it claims: A color-free base to wear under lipstick. Adds light moisture, smoothes and refines the lips. Improves the appearance of applied lip products.

Price: Rs. 1000 For 1.7 gm in slim twist up tube

Available across MAC Stores, permanent product

What I liked:

1.       I generally avoid using lip balms under my lipsticks coz it makes my lipstick very slippery. It reduces the wear to about 2 hours. But then I get chapped lips, if I skip lip balm.  Sticky situation for a person like me. This is the perfect solution, it is moisturizing enough – I never get chapped lips when I use this, but it won’t make the lip color slip.

2.       It does increase wear time for my lipsticks by a good 2 hours. Even through meals & drinks.

3.       I have pigmented lips which alters the way a lot of colors appear on me. This does help reduce the “interference” of the natural lip color to a certain extent. So MAC Capricious which earlier would be barely visible on my lips – now appears more vibrant. But at the same time, this doesn’t mean I can carry off lip colors like beige (Myth), which I couldn’t wear in any case to begin with. This of this like how an eye primer works.

Just like an eye primer it will make the color more vibrant & make it last longer, but if frosty eye shadows are your doom, no primer can make them look good on you. This works exactly the same way. It makes the lipstick look better on you.

4.       This is a white colored in the tube, but it goes on colorless on the lips. It doesn’t lighten the lip color at all.

5.       On an unrelated note – the packaging is really nice. The product itself is sold in a twist up slim black tube – but unlike other matt, bland, boring black packaging of most MAC products, this tube has a multi colored shimmery design on it.

What could be better:

1.       There are no instructions on “how to use”.

2.       It seems to work best with MAC lipsticks. Not that it won’t work with a Lakme or Revlon lipstick. But it just seems to give the best results when paired with MAC

How to use: the pack itself has no instructions. The MUA at the store asked me to follow the below mentioned procedure & it works pretty well for me.

Apply a thin layer on clean, dry lips. Leave it on for a minute; it is starts to feel a little tacky & gummy. Apply lipstick.

Would I re-purchase: Yes, if I don’t find my tube in the next few days, I’m getting another one of these. I love it! It works well as lip balm, makes my lipsticks last longer, appear more vibrant & even go on a bit smoother. This I think is one of my best buys from MAC.