MAC lip review: Syrup, Brave, Chili, Staunchly Stylish, Burgundy

MAC lipsticks and lip liners are some of the most revered make up products out there. After a bit of a lull concerning all things MAC in the land of beauty, the brand received a spark of attention after Kylie Jenner fessed up loving MAC’s Faux lipstick. It unleashed a run on the now infamous MAC lipstick and if anything, it certainly sparked my interest again. I went and decided I needed to discover some more MAC lipsticks. I had a great start when I found the fabulous combination of MAC’s matte lipstick in Mehr paired with Soar lip pencil. That tasted like more, so I went and purchased some new MAC lipsticks and lip liners to try out.

MAC Lustre lipstick Syrup
MAC Satin lipstick Brave
MAC Matte lipstick Chili
MAC lip pencil Burgundy
MAC Pro longwear lip pencil Staunchly Stylish

This review will include 5 MAC lip products and I can already tell you: all of these are complete aces. I don’t know how MAC does it, but so far I have only managed to purchase one or two flukes from their lipstick range. And those were flukes because I ended up not liking the color more so than not liking the lipstick itself. MAC lip products do not come cheap. At €19.50 a pop, MAC lipsticks aren’t as expensive as a Chanel or Dior, neither as cheap as a Catrice lipstick. Lip pencils retail for €15.50, while the Pro Longwear lip pencils are €19.00.

I went for three different lipsticks: Syrup, Brave and Chili. All three have a different finish, two of which I hadn’t yet tried. As always the lipsticks come in the iconic MAC packaging: a simple bullet shaped container. Because of the rounded tips, these aren’t best for storage and when you own a few MAC lipsticks it is hard to keep the different colors apart. These are well-worth the trouble of digging through your stash to find the right one though.

Lip pencil wise I’m a bit of a noob. Soar was one of the first lip pencils I bought in a long time. And it is something I want to get more into. So when I bought these lipsticks I asked the MUA what lip liners would be best paired with especially Brave and Chili. She recommended Burgundy, which is from MAC regular lip pencil line and Staunchly Stylish which is from their Pro Longwear line.

MAC Matte lipstick Chili
MAC Lustre lipstick Syrup
MAC Satin lipstick Brave

Let’s have a look at the lipsticks first. I picked up three different finishes and three different colors. Chili is a red matte, that is different from any other red lipstick I have yet tried. I really wanted to try a Lustre as well as I figured it might be great for throwing on for a quick day look. I went with Syrup over Patisserie as Syrup showed up more on my skin. Satin finishes were also new to me and since Faux isn’t necessarily my cup of tea, I opted for Brave instead. Brave is more pink than Faux and I figured that would suit me slightly better.

Chili – Syrup – Brave

The colors are, as you can expect from a MAC lipstick, opaque if the finish allows it to be so. Syrup is definitely more sheer and has a glossier finish. This is my new my lips but better shade as it makes my natural lips look more even and slightly more lush. Brave goes on opaque (it even covers my pigmented lips with just one or two swipes!) and has a hint of sheen to it. I love this for a more neutral take on Mehr. Chili is most definitely matte and an intense orange red that leans a bit more brown. It truly has the color of a red chili pepper.

MAC lip pencil Burgundy
MAC Pro longwear lip pencil Staunchly Stylish

Lip pencil wise I just trusted the MUAs opinion. Burgundy is a deep and intense shade that I think would not only go with Chili but with more of my darker red lipsticks. I have plenty of those and since darker lipsticks can be quite difficult to reappy once the start wearing off, using a lip liner with them is your safest bet to ensure the longevity of your make up look. Nude lip pencils are especially great if you want to enhance or change the undertone of the lipstick you put on top of it. It’s what I like about pairing Mehr with Soar: it makes Mehr a tad darker and vampier. I was hoping Staunchly Stylish could do the same for Brave.

As you can see in this picture, the lip liners are not an exact match, but as long as they are a great pairing I’m game. Burgundy is deeper and more berry toned than Chili and I expect it to turn Chili into a darker and vampier lipstick shade. Staunchly Stylish is more brown toned than Brave and will most likely deepen that as well.

Top: Chili – Burgundy – Combined
Middle: Brave – Staunchly Stylish – Combined
Bottom: Syrup

As you can see in the collage above, all of these lipsticks have a great quality. They cover my lips nicely, but each has its own effect as well. Chili is a bright color that I think makes for a great spring time red that is not too orange. I also own MAC’s Lady Danger and that is far more orange than this one. Burgundy is a deep berry shade. I found it a bit uncomfortable to apply: it is quite dry and patchy. Hence the sloppy application of that. Paired with Chili, it makes for a vampy red lip that is slightly deeper and more fall/ winter appropriate.

Brave shows up pink with a blueish purple undertone on my lips. At the same time, Syrup enhances my natural lip more, probably because it’s sheer. On my lips, I find that the two lipsticks on their own do look quite similar. I’d say Syrup is a bit more pink, but I pick one over the other based on what I want to go for that day. If I’m feeling like wearing something natural I opt for Syrup. If I want more coverage, I go for Brave.

Full Face: Chili – Burgundy – Combined

Full Face: Brave – Staunchly Stylish – Combined

Bottom: Syrup

Full face you can see the full effect even more clearly. Brave is turned more brown and less pink by Staunchly Stylish. On my complexion, it makes for an even more natural look. It is a bit brighter and uplifting on its own. Syrup is a nice glossy lip, that will look great with every make up look. Chili, on the other hand, is the bright fun shade that can be turned into a vampy lip color with the help of Burgundy.

Can you tell I love these? Ever since I got these, I have been alternating between Syrup and Brave as I have been much more about creating eye looks lately. I find, those two options work great for when you create a heavier eye look. Chili is my option for those days where I want a bit more oomph. I like how it is bright and a bit deep at the same time. It is the perfect shade that can transform itself depending on what other make up you wear it with. If I had to recommend one of these, I would have to say Brave. I have fallen in love with the Satin finish by MAC and I am looking to buy more.

What MAC lipsticks do you love?