MAC Lustre Twins Swatches

I trekked to my neighborhood MAC free-standing store today and tried out the Lustre Twins. I had one Pro LongWear before, but didn't exactly like it because of the color and how it looked and felt on my skin. Now, with the Lustre Twins, I realize that there is a unique and proper way of applying these. If you use it correctly, you will have gorgeous, budge-proof, amazingly pigmented lips for at least 8 hours or more. MAC is not kidding about the unbelievable staying power of this product. You need an oil-based cleanser to clean this off your skin, because it clings to your lips all day like a psycho ex-boyfriend.

I listened intently together with the other Lustre Twins apprentices as the Lustre Twins Jedi Master (the MAC MA) proceeded to instruct us how to properly apply this.

1. Start with bare lips. No lip balm, no primer, no nothing. The lips need to be stripped off of any oil or substance that can break down the formula of the Lustre Twins.

2. Apply the pigment-rich color first. It has to be a thin, even coat for best results.

3. Let dry. This is important. You need to let the colour completely dry on your lips. Otherwise, it will look nasty and will not last at all. You will know it's dry when your lips start to feel tight.

4. Optional: if you want, go ahead and apply lip liner. Some MAs however do not recommend applying lipliner as this may break down the formula/color of the product. I personally like to apply lip liner to prevent bleeding.

5. Apply the mirror-finish top coat. Re-apply top coat as often as you want during the day. Do NOT use any other lip gloss other than the top coat. Any other product will cause the product to break down and flake off your lips.

I got Custom Rose/Pink Virtue, and I intend to go back for a few more, but Custom Rose/Pink Virtue is my absolute fave.



Here are some swatches of the Lustre Twins. Here's how I applied them: I first painted the colour side of the product on my skin, let it dry a couple of minutes, then applied the mirror-shine top coat on top of the swatches. That way, you can really see how the two look together on the skin. These swatches were taken under natural light outdoors without flash. I am showing two different shots so you can see the nuances of the colors.





Aren't they pretty? I wanna try the darker colors next, although I am not really into really dark lips. These Lustre Twins however are beckoning me to try out the dark lip look, especially for fall.