Product Review: MAC's Novel Romance Lipsticks

It's the collection that made women everywhere sigh. Probably -- for me, at least -- one of the most exciting releases that MAC's had in the line-up for a while, the promotional pictures of a six-foot-something bare-chested beast of a man, resembling something like Khal Drogo or Stephen Amell -- depending on your squint -- with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed heroine either made you laugh in hilarity or suggestively drawl, "Hello, sailor." Possibly both. Possibly neither. Either way, the line-up of lipsticks, glosses, eye shadows and pencils make it one of the more 'complete' collections that I've seen from them, if that makes any sense. MAC Maleficent had a lot of re-promotes, MAC The Simpsons lacks lippies -- it's understandable that MAC Novel Romance would draw a crowd.


MAC Novel Romance Collection

Or so I thought. Surprisingly, not all of these products have sold out -- perhaps they're too easily dupable -- perhaps everyone saved their pennies for the MAC Simpsons collection, which is completely sold out online. Whatever the reason, if you want to build your MAC lipstick collection, I think the Novel Romance collection isn't a bad place to start.

This collection doesn't boast any special edition packaging, which is as much of a blessing as it is a shame -- fancy packaging, after all, tends to come with a higher price tag. I could go on, but everybody knows what standard MAC products look like, so I'll get to the products themselves! I bought four lipsticks: Good Kisser, Hearts Aflame, Yield to Love and Lingering Kiss. I also bought one of the lipglasses: Talk Sexy.


Swatchy swatchin' of lipsticks.

Swatchy swatchin' of the lip gloss, plus when it's layered over a lipstick.

Good Kisser -- this is described as a "mid-tone fuschia. It's definitely pink, I can tell you that -- blue-toned, I'm inclined to say. It's a matte formula that sits comfortably on the lips and fades over time to a deeper, somewhat more natural pink. It's not necessary to exfoliate your lips before apply it, but it might help to apply a lip balm before you apply your makeup to soften up any dryness. As you'll be able to see from the photo, my lipstick came a little mangled-looking, but it's still one of my favourites. If you local MAC store is sold out, take a look at Temptalia's dupe list to see if you can get your paws on something similar.


MAC Novel Romance Lipstick - Good Kisser

Wearing Good Kisser

Hearts Aflame -- this is an absolutely gorgeous colour that's perfect for both night time in the spring and daytime in the autumn. It's a colour that I've been searching for for ages -- a deep brick-ish reddy-brown. I have gotten so many compliments whenever I've put this on -- one random guy rode past me on his bike a couple of weeks ago, doubled back and asked me for his number. This is something that never happens to me, so it was very flattering. I wonder if my makeup had set his... wait for it... heart aflame? (I promise I'll stop with the awful jokes now.) You will need to prep your lips beforehand, as this lipstick, though comfortable to wear, is a matte formula, so it definitely won't help if you have dry patches. This lipstick sold out online is what I think was half an hour, and I was lucky enough to nab one on the day the collection came out. If you missed out, Temptalia has, of course, an awesome dupe list.


MAC Novel Romance Lipstick - Hearts Aflame

Wearing Hearts Aflame

Yield to Love -- this was the online exclusive that prompted me to buy most of what I have online. On me it's a natural pink (does that make it a pink nude?), and it's delightful on the lips, being a cremesheen lipstick -- unfortunately, I think this makes the colour a tad sheerer compared to the others, and a little uneven when you apply it. I don't know if most cremesheen lipsticks from MAC are like this, but you might not be a fan of this one if you want a "one-swipe coverage" type of product. Of course, there are similar products out there that might give you better coverage, and Temptalia has them in a handy list.

MAC Novel Romance Lipstick - Yield to Love



Wearing Yield to Love

Lingering Kiss -- I really adore this lipstick, but I'm probably going to have to pack it away as we head further into spring. It's a really deep purplish-red -- not quite as purple as MAC Rebel, but leaning a bit more towards the MAC lip liner in "Currant". This too is a matte formula, and so much so that you'll definitely need to prep your lips beforehand -- it's not normally uncomfortable to wear, but it does dry our dry patches even further, which make for a slightly unpleasant experience as they flake off but stay on your lips (if that makes sense). I thought that this colour paled my skin a little but brightened my eyes -- I didn't mind this for a wintery look, but if you don't like your skin to look washed out, then it might not be for you. After a few hours, this faded into a somewhat more wearable deep purple for me. As always, I'd check out Temptalia for a dupe, as it's sold out online.


MAC Novel Romance Lipstick - Lingering Kiss

Wearing Lingering Kiss

Talk Sexy -- this lip glass is a dark purple with golden shimmer. As far as texture goes, I'd say it's about normal. Not too thin, not too sticky, it applies evenly... It's a nice sheer gloss. On its own, it looks a little strange on me, so I like to layer it over the top of another lipstick. My choice lately has been MAC Rebel. I don't know how possible it would be to find a really close dupe of this, but Temptalia's list might give you some ideas of what you could look for.


MAC Novel Romance Lipglass - Talk Sexy

Wearing Talk Sexy on its own

Wearing Talk Sexy over MAC Rebel

Overall, I adore these products. I love the colours and I'm really glad that I was able to get them. Unfortunately, most of them are sold out now, but the colours are dupable so it wouldn't be too difficult to find something similar if you did your research.

Padawan Product Rating: A

Have you tried anything from the MAC Novel Romance collection?

Sarah xo