3-in-1 lipstick review: Maybelline, MAC, Bourjois

When you buy 3 lipsticks from different brand, but they all fit the same look and feel, what do you do? Yes, you lump them together into one review. I did pick all of these up around the same time though, but just hadn’t gotten around to the review just yet. I bought these in London last year, but since the Maybelline and Bourjois lipsticks only made their way into our drugstores here fairly recently, I decided this was the best time to post.

3-in-1 lipstick review:
Maybelline Blushed Nudes Pink Fling
MAC Satin lipstick Twig
Bourjois Rouge Edition Souffle de Velvet Cherry Leaders

All three lipsticks fall into similar categories. The three shades are very similar once they are on the lips, even though they all look very differently in the packaging. I had been looking for a good natural lipstick at the time and so this review will highlight which of these lipsticks I like the most and will continue the use. Can you guess which one it is?

Maybelline Blushed Nudes Pink Fling

Maybelline’s Color Sensational lipsticks are a classic in the drugstore, but the brand revamps the line all the time. One of their more recent additions is the Blushed Nudes line. Pink Fling is part of that line and retails for €9.99. It is a very pale pink color with a bit of sheen to it. I am always trying these kinds of colors in the hopes they look flattering on. So far I haven’t been successful but I have high hopes for this one.

MAC Satin lipstick Twig

I had a few items that I could Back 2 Mac and in England you can, so I got this lipstick for free. Normally these lipstick retail for €19.50, so I was glad I could add this in exchange for 6 empties/ expired products. Twig is a browny toned pink that falls in the nude category. It was one that had been on my wishlist for some time and it was more flattering on me than Faux. So I picked Twig over that.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Souffle de Velvet Cherry Leaders

The Bourjois Rouge Edition liquid lipsticks are quite nice. I have a Rouge Edition Velvet that I used to love, but after trying more liquid lipsticks, I kind of stopped using it. When I spotted this new formula, I figured it would be worth a try. At €10 a piece these are as expensive as the Maybelline lipsticks and I thought this red color looked nice.

The Swatch

Maybelline | MAC | Bourjois

Swatches usually are quite telling. You can clearly see that the Maybelline and MAC lipsticks are far more opaque. Bourjois’ Souffle de Velvet is very sheer and looks more like a gloss than a lipstick. All lipsticks have one thing in common though: none of them are matte.

Shade wise you can see that Maybelline’s Pink Fling has a very white undertone and a hint of purple to it. Definitely something different. MAC’s Twig is a lot darker and deeper, but still light enough to be a nude. I was hoping the Bourjois lipstick would be a bright red. While it is certainly is, it’s sheer formula will probably not do much on my lips.

On the lips

Maybelline Blushed Nudes Pink Fling

Maybelline’s Pink Fling is a bit of a let down unfortunately. While pretty in the swatch it doesn’t sit nicely on my lips. It emphasises fine lines, barely covers my natural lip color and is just a little bit too pale for me. This will be stunning if you have very ivory toned skin. While pretty, I am also not a huge fan of how much shine this has either.

MAC Satin lipstick Twig

Now Twig is a far different story. This color glides on smoothly, applies easily and opaquely in one swipe. The color also suits me well: it is deep enough to cover my natural lip color and it has a warm undertone that livens up my face. I love wearing this instead of Brave which is a bit more nude on me. If you would like to see how those compare, I did a full MAC lipswatch video.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Souffle de Velvet Cherry Leaders

Last but not least is the Bourjois Souffle de Velvet lipstick. This lipstick is the biggest disappointment. Where I was expecting this to be a bright, cherry red shade, it sheers out into a pinky rose color. It looks flattering on, I have to say, but the texture of this on the lips is absolutely horrendous. This dries down into a sticky layer that feels like you’ve put glue on your lips. Not a great feeling. I like my lipsticks to either dry down completely matte or have a little bit of slip to them.

The Conclusion

I think you now know which my favorite is right? Yep, that’s right, MAC’s Twig is the winner here. It has everything going for it: the shade is flattering, the texture is nice and it applies evenly and easily. The other two either are just not very flattering shade wise or have a very unpleasant texture. Twig may be more expensive, but in this case, you’d be better off buying the one lipstick over the two cheaper ones.

What is your favorite of the three?