MAC Heroine Lipstick from the Fashion Sets Collection I did a Haul of Shame post about recently literally sold out in a few hours on the MAC website and very quickly at MAC stores and counters.

This is a shade that I’ve never worn before. As a new ‘lipstick convert’, I tend to wear more traditional shades like neutrals, but I have dabbled in (and loved) the super bright pinks and corals.

Although I’m very confident about wearing virtually any shade on my fingernails, when it comes to my lips, I was pretty self-conscious.

Wearing those louder shades on my lips made me curious about experimenting with other colours that I had previously ignored because I didn’t have the confidence to pull them off.

Purple is a shade I adore on others because it makes a big statement, and because, well, purple is one of my favourite colours.

(Green is my number-one favourite colour, hehe, if you couldn’t already tell from the many times I’ve gushed about green nail polish! But, I can’t say that I ever want to sport green lipstick unless it’s Hallowe’en. I’m not quite ready to go that far, even if I love goths who wear crazy lip shades!)

So you can imagine how nervous I was about MAC Heroine Lipstick. I’m happy to report that after this, I’m no longer too shy to sport purples. I really love how it’s an interesting and different shade – unexpected, actually! (At least it is on me.)

It makes a statement, but it’s not too crazy that it’s inappropriate for daytime wear. I just love it, and I think it suits my personality. Plus I seem to get lots of compliments when I wear it. That doesn’t hurt! 😉

I’m curious now to see how far I can stray from the ‘lipstick norm’.

MAC Heroine Lipstick Pictures

MAC Heroine Lipstick Ingredients

MAC Heroine Lipstick Swatches

Bare Lips for Reference

Natural Light Photos

Flash Photos

Claim: TRUSTED

• Bright violet/purple (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: MAC Heroine Lipstick
• Collection: MAC Fashion Sets Collection 2013
• Haul: Check out my MAC Fashion Sets Haul of Shame post
• Colours Available in the Collection: Heroine, Ablaze, Silly & Embrace Me
• Amount: 3 g (0.1 oz.)
• What I Paid: Nothing! (A guy I’m dating bought this as a surprise gift for me!) – Retails for $18 CAD
• Where to Buy: Sorry, but it sold out even in the first day of release at a lot of MAC stores, MAC counters & the MAC website. (You could try checking out The Bay, eBay, or MAC counters, but it’s tough to find!)
• Limited Edition? Yes!

MAC Heroine Lipstick Review

Colour

Heroine by MAC is a really pretty purple with the faintest hint of pink that keeps it from looking straight-up purple all the time.

You’ll notice that there’s a huge difference between the shade depicted in my Natural Light photos compared to the Flash ones. The actual colour on me is in between both, but I guess if you twisted my arm (oww!), I’d have to say it’s closer to the colour in the Flash photos. The finish looks more like what you see in my Natural Light photos, though. (More on that later!)

Although MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick from the Archie’s Girls Collection is my all-time favourite lipstick, MAC Heroine Lipstick definitely comes in a very close second (in terms of colour, not formula).

It’s safe to say that I’m obsessed with this lipstick, and I wish it wasn’t a limited-edition colour that sold out so fast. I feel like everyone should have a chance to test the waters with this unique shade.

This colour is feminine, but extremely edgy. At least that’s how I feel when I’m wearing it.

It’s great for the spring and summer, but because it’s such a dramatic show-stopping hue, I can see myself wearing this in the fall and winter, too.

Finish

MAC Cosmetics advertised Heroine as having a matte finish. But, when I wore it, it didn’t seem chalky or to leave my lips looking parched. It had a verrrrry slight sheen. There was a sheen more when I first applied the lipstick. Then, after a short duration, it looked more matte.

In the past, I used to wear mainly lip glosses, but now that I’m getting into lipsticks more, I’ve been appreciating the matte finish more. I find that it’s longer-lasting, and depending on the colour, having a matte finish can actually accentuate the colour you’re wearing more than if there’s shimmer or a sheen.

Application & Formula

If you look closer at my Flash Photos, you’ll easily see some patchy areas and drier sections.

At the time I wore MAC Heroine Lipstick and took those photos, my lips were indeed on the drier side. But I still photographed it because we don’t all have the time to exfoliate our lips and prepare them every single time we wear a lipstick.

I wanted to show you what it might look like on an average day when you’re just rushing out the door to head to work in the morning. So, no special lip care and no lip liner. This is how I typically wear my lipsticks because I don’t like to extend my morning routine.

Plus I think the photos illustrate that, although I love the colour, when your lips are not in prime condition, the lipstick can actually apply slightly uneven and even accentuate dry patches. This is really important to note.

In person, I didn’t feel uncomfortable wearing this, despite the less-than-perfect appearance. It covered well enough and the patchiness at a normal-viewing distance was acceptable to me.

And, although it was matte, it didn’t seem to dry out my lips. It also didn’t add any hydration, so if you have dry lips, you might consider adding some lip balm or lip gloss on top. However, doing so may mute or transform the colour a bit. (I loved this colour so much that I used it straight from the tube without anything on top. I wanted to get the most drama from the original shade as possible.)

MAC Heroine Lipstick didn’t apply as smoothly or evenly as MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick (another matte), nor did it last as long.

Heroine lasted around 3.5 to 4 hours on me until I noticed it starting to fade. If I drank, ate, or flapped my lips like a chatterbox, it would fade even quicker. Unlike Ronnie Red, I had to reapply Heroine if I wanted to make the dramatic colour last.

But, even when it fades, it’s a pretty colour, which is softer. (Hehe, but I wasn’t wearing Heroine for a soft shade. I wanted fun, bold lips!)

Pros Unique purple that’s great for a newbie who wants to try a bolder lip look Matte finish keeps the focus on the dramatic shade Matte formula wears decently well (3.5 to 4 hours)

Cons Limited-edition shade that sold out too fast Can accentuate dry patches Can apply uneven if your lips aren’t in prime condition

Final Verdict: 9.5/10

Even though MAC Heroine Lipstick didn’t apply smoothly and evenly on my less-than-stellar-condition lips, I absolutely fell head over heels in love with it.

The dramatic purple isn’t something I have a lot of in my lipstick stash, and it’s the first purple that I feel like I can pull off without feeling uncomfortable. (It has opened up a whole new world of lipstick possibilities for me!)

Also, the fact that this was a gift from a guy who I really care about gives this tube a sentimental quality. 🙂 Whenever I wear it, I think about how thoughtful he was to surprise me with it. And I’m also amazed that he was even able to track it down!

What’s the boldest lip colour you’ve ever worn confidently in public? Is there a lipstick colour you’ve been curious to experiment with? Were you able to snag any of the MAC Fashion Sets Collection lipsticks?