April 15, 2014

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil Review & Swatches

This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencils

I’m surprised the MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil ($20) Collection didn’t launch sooner since the chubby lip pencil trend is well and truly on for a while now!

The new MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil will be available in a variety of shades this month for a limited time. I kinda dislike the fact it’s a limited run because if you really fall in love with these you won’t be able to pick up your favorite shade again. On the other hand knowing how much MAC loves repromoting products I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Patentpolish Lip Pencils.

What did I think of them?

Well, for one thing, they are kind of expensive especially since you have a wide range of drugstore lip pencils from brands such as Revlon weighting in at the same size of 0.08 oz or larger which will set you back from $6-$8 at drugstores like Harmons.

And of course, you also have Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm that set you back $17.

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil swatches

Revved Up and Teen Dream Swatches

The good news is I’d say MAC has created an entirely new formula with their Patentpolish Lip Pencils. They aren’t a duplicate formula and are quite unique in their texture.

According to MAC they have the color and shine of a gloss. Each is a swivel up design featuring a domed tip reminiscence of Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes. I, for one, LOVE the dome tip. It fits the contour of my lips very nicely! This is a unique shape for a lip pencil considering most brands prefer the precise point. Of course, if you line and fill with your chubby pencils this shape might disappoint as this is for shading only and can’t be used to line lips. They do not require sharpening as you may have guessed and have a faint, subtle vanilla taste that MAC uses on many of its lip products.

I find pigment varied in the two shades I tried. Teen Dream applied opaque where as Revved Up applied a bit sheer but still fairly pigmented. I feel like the formula has an unusual grip that hugs lips when applied which translates as a sticky or tacky feel. This isn’t a bad thing but it also means they aren’t exactly a lightweight texture. They do have considerably more glossiness than I’ve seen from many chubby lip pencils….not sure if I’d say it was gloss or more of a shine but either way it does appear as if you’re wearing a gloss of sorts on your lips versus a mere lip color pencil. I find the colors catch on my natural lip lines and kinda accentuated these areas so if you have drier lips these aren’t going to love you very much. You can smooth this out with a little clear gloss however, it does defeat the purpose of an easy to apply lip pencil when you’re also using gloss on top. I don’t find them particularly moisturizing as they aren’t a traditional balmy pencil like say Clinique’s version. I did feel they wore longer than most chubby lip pencils due to the tackiness of the formula.

MAC Revved Up Patentpolish Lip Pencil

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil Fotd

MAC Revved Up Patentpolish Lip Pencil

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil Teen Dream

MAC Teen Dream Patentpolish Lip Pencil

MAC Teen Dream Patentpolish Lip Pencil

Overall, there are far superior formulas available in the chubby lip pencil department and MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil are unfortunately not one of those formulas. I’d probably rate these a bit higher if they were a little less sticky and weren’t prone to clinging to every single line in my lips! The pigment doesn’t disappoint nor does the high glossiness of the finish! But the actual formula, although unique, isn’t exactly what we have come to have known from pencils like this.

Have you tried them?

What was your experience?

Do share!

Available now at MAC counters or online at Nordstrom.com.

This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Lily

    I think I will stick to Clinique’s Chubby sticks. I love the Curviest Caramel and Whole Lotta Honey.

  • Tracy

    I have tried Go for Girly and Fearless. While the color for both was great they clung to the tiniest of dry patches on my lips and also settled into lip lines after a few hours of wear. I ended up returning both.

    • Isabella Muse

      YUP! same problem tracy! they cling really badly…! A little clear gloss helps but defeats the purpose of the pencil!

  • Carly

    I absolutely LOVE Teen Dream on you! They’re both gorgeous colors! Sucks the formula sucks lol. I prefer Revlon’s Colorburst lip butters 🙂

    • Isabella Muse

      aw thanks carly you’re too kind 🙂 I do too! Revlon has a great formula!