GASP…MAC. I’m genuinely impressed. I haven’t been this happy about a MAC Collection since the Stranger Things collab. This collection is what I have been missing. This is old school MAC. The packaging is so cute; we have color and gloss! The only thing that would have gagged me more was if we got blushes too. Let me be quiet, though, because I am grateful for what we have.
I got everything but the lashes. I’m not a lash girl at all; they always seem to make me look like a pterodactyl. I’m also Muslim, and wearing lashes is haram (prohibited) so that’s that.
Too Cute, right? I recall a time when we would get lustre lipsticks in almost every iconic collection. For the MAC Barbie Collection, it was the Real Doll Lipstick. For Hello Kitty, it was Cute-ster lipstick. And the list goes on. So, it’s not surprising that Lustreglass lipsticks were chosen for this collection of bright colors. The Lustreglass lipstick formula is moisturizing and buildable, making it perfect for both beginners and seasoned veterans. Great for adding a bit of color or if you prefer a full-on application.
L to R: Minnie Woo, Gal Pals, and Upsy Daisy Lipsticks
L to R: Dress Up, Pink Polka Dots, Out on the Town
I must say, Minnie and Daisy look really good on the packaging. I’m also really proud that they’ve maintained their friendship after all these years. And despite the packaging having a cartoonish feel, it doesn’t feel childish. There is still a sophistication. Minnie and Daisy are definitely giving glam. The outfits and shoes on the lash packaging give to the aesthetic. In my mind, Minnie and Daisy are the friends that I go shopping with, stylishly suggesting ways to mix prints, and sweetly sassy enough to manipulate Donald and Mickey into submission… The colors of the packaging are also punchy and bright, so they could be given to a younger girl as a gift without too much worry of complaint.
Upsy Daisy Lipstick AloneUpsy Daisy Lipstick with Dress Up Lip glass on top
This collection was worth every penny. The lipsticks are priced at $29 and the glosses are $26. Minney and Daisy’s charm and personalities are exuded through the packaging and really represent a nostalgia that MAC has been embracing lately. It’s lovely to see them reaching back for the things that helped us fall in love with them initially: color, inclusion, iconic collaborations, and innovation.
They even threw in this cute bag charm from Baublebar with the purchase. Are you getting anything from this collection? My heart wishes the collection was bigger, but my bank account is at peace. 10 out of 10, I do recommend.
Mac Spite is an oldie but goodie. It is described on the MAC website as a muted plum taupe-brown. And that is an incredibly accurate description. Spite is a cool-toned pinky plum with taupey-brown undertones. It isn’t quite brown on me, but it isn’t pink either. Still, despite it not fitting within a distinct color category, it’s perfect and looks good on everybody. If I were to recommend a lipglass to purchase and not have to worry about it looking bad, it would be Spite.
Here, I have it lined with Makeup Forever’s Dimensional Dark Brown lip liner. It could suit both a warm and cool toned liner but I lean toward prefering cool tones so here we are!
What do you think? Is Spite a color that you’d wear? She’s a throwback baddie in a world full of newbies (aka lipglass air). And at this point in my life, I can genuinely appreciate a tried and true, something reliable and easy that I don’t have to do too much to make work. The world is really ghetto right now, and even wearing makeup feels like a hassle sometimes. It’s crazy to say how this lipglass helped me to feel grounded today. Take care of yourselves, baddies, even if it’s as simple as wearing your favorite lip gloss.
I didn’t get the hype at first, but the moment I tried one of the Rhode lip tints, I was like, “Okay, I get it.” Hailey Bieber’s brand, Rhode, which is newly acquired by the crusties over at Elf (I’m beefing with Elf right now), recently launched in Sephora. And I have to admit, I was excited.
Not because I love Rhode skincare (I think it’s overpriced and average; you can get better formulas with more affordable Korean skincare). Nor because I am a stan of Justin Bieber. I was excited because im addicted to lip balm and I just can’t get enough. I’m addicted and I just can’t get enough…I just can’t get enough. Sorry, ADHD just took me there, and I took a song break. My bad. So yeah, I’m badly addicted to lip balm, and lip products in general are just my steez.
Just A Little Controvers-tea
See that play on controversy; controvers-tea instead because I’m about to talk about Rhode a little. Just a little. I first purchased Rhode from their website a few summers ago. Their summer collection was cutesy. I had just gotten a new iPhone, and I started seeing a bunch of influencers on YouTube with an iPhone case holding their lip balm. All the videos I saw praised the products, talked about Rhode like they were Jesus incarnate, and I fell for it. So, I went on their website, bought a pink phone case, and five lip balms: Salty Tan, Shortcake, Espresso, Toast, and Ribbon.
At first, I loved my lip balms. They were genuinely long-lasting, made my lips glossy like lip gloss, felt good, and so cute in my phone case. But then something happened that destroyed my high: the lip tints that I didn’t use as much or take with me everywhere began to develop a weird texture. They became gritty and weird. Ooohh, I was pissed. But I noticed that my favorite at the time, Ribbon, which was always in my phone, had never gotten gritty. It began to dawn on me that maybe those peptides that made the formula so decadent were solidifying because they weren’t being warmed up by my phone.
So I went on TikTok, my number one source for product news. Unlike my experience on YouTube, I saw the negative reviews, as well as solutions on how to fix my $20 lip balms that were too expensive to break. It all really just pissed me off because why should I have to fix something that I paid $20 for?! I vowed to never repurchase from them again. I felt ashamed of being duped by social media.
However, I am making this post because, clearly, I bought more. The tea really isn’t too piping hot because Rhode acknowledged their mistake and reformulated their lip balms. And the new formula is precisely what I loved about the original, without the risk of cutting your lip from a sharp peptide ball.
I’ve tried Tower 24, Ole Henricksen, Summer Fridays, MAC, Juvias Place, Colourpop, Naturium, all of em. There’s just something about these that I prefer. I wish I could tell you precisely what it is, but the texture is just better than the others. The glitters just seem to sparkle a little more intensely, and they stay on longer than all of my other lip balms outside of my Squirt Balms from MAC.
As someone who routinely says that the brand as a whole is average, the lip treatments/tints exceed expectations. There’s a reason that people are tearing these Sephora stores up trying to get them. The color Jelly bean has a cult following, and I think I may be a part of it!
I am so excited that MAC saw fit to listen to the masses and give us this gem of a product back. I cannot remember the exact date it went away. I just remember wanting this product really badly and never picking it up because it was only available in 2 colors: Dim and Pale. And honestly, they wouldn’t have just erased my lips; they would have made me look like a hungry crackhead.
L to R: Dim and Pale
This is what Dim and Pale looked like. In MAC foundations, I am an NW47, so there was no way on earth that I could have gotten away with these without looking crazy. Especially how I wanted to wear them. If just to put products on top of to show their true color then cool, but I wanted to wear them as tinted lip conditioners and now I can!
Thankfully, thus far, 2025 has been the year of new and improved at MAC. And I’m proud of them, because I get to try this incredible, unique, and innovative formula in a color that actually matches my skintone. MAC was a trailblazer in diversity, but I must admit that there have been several collections and products that did not take deeper skin tones into account. And I get it, I’m not even mad, everything is not for everybody. Below is what the newer packaging looks like.
The lip erases sport thee classic MAC tinted lip conditioner container! I got the colors Deep Cool, Deep Neutral, and Medium Cool. I was thinking of going with a few richer colors, but they all seemed to pull a little too red on me.
Deep CoolDeep NeutralMedium Cool
Swatches
Deep CoolDeep Neutral (My Perfect Match)Medium Cool (Looks Like DC Mac Siss)
Review and Rating
The thing that I enjoy the most about this product is that it is so conditioning. They feel like a lip balm for real. They aren’t greasy, and they don’t break up on the lips. They feel light and can be used alone or under other lipsticks and glosses. They genuinely are comfortable, which I’m finding, I care more and more about as I age.
Opacity: 7.5 out of 10
Texture: 8.5 out of 10
Longevity: 8 0ut of 10
Price Point: 7 out of 10
Should You Get Them?
In my humble opinion, you should. These are an upgrade from the lip erases of the past. However, at $25, some may not find it worthwhile when you can achieve a similar effect with concealer. Yes, you can easily use your concealer to mute your lips, but concealers can be drying and can become really crusty. These lip erases won’t dry out your lips. I have been using these alone as tinted lip conditioner or with liner and clear lipglass to make simple lip combos. I couldn’t even wait to get my grubby fingers in them for long enough to take pictures for the blog. The only thing that would have made this launch more exciting would have been matching lip pencils and lip glosses. Will you be picking any of these up? I hope so, I don’t think they’ll disappoint.
I had a great deal of trouble deciding how to approach this post. At first, I thought I would do my top 10 MAC lipglasses. But then, I had to be honest with myself. Mac is not my favorite lip gloss brand. I honestly have several. So instead, I decided to focus on my favorite lip glosses across the board. I really love variety, and having a different lip product for every mood and outfit is a delight. I am a bold Aries for sure, and it shows in everything I wear. My whole life, I’ve struggled with my vibrance because I am Muslim and naturally not very demure.
But no matter how many glosses I purchase, these tend to be the glosses that I return to, use up, and buy again. And you are going to love that none of these are limited edition or discontinued!
The Goods
Buxom Dominique
10. Buxom Dominique: A Clear with Diamond Sparkle. Diamond is the color of my birth month, and it looks exquisite on me. It adds a touch of razzle-dazzle when I don’t want to do too much.
9. Revlon Pinkissimo: A straight-up ’80s pink, but on my pigmented lips, it looks gorgeous, not at all as bubblegum pink as it looks in the tube. My flash doesn’t do the color justice; it’s a lot lighter than it appears.
8. Fenty Frosted Buns: The name drew me in, but the sparkle keeps me wearing it. I would describe this as a midtone champagne brown with rainbow sparkle. Extremely pretty.
7. Elf Candy Coated: A beautiful pale pinky nude with multicolor glitter. This is giving Mac dazzleglass in sugarrimmed, which has been discontinued (Mac is foolish). I wear this alone or over my nude lipsticks.
6. Mac Oyster Girl: She’s a classic. A mixture of gold and silver shimmer in a pale pinky lilac nude base. Looks beautiful on all complexions, but I especially like it on the Caucasian girlies.
5. Pat McGrath Labs Sunset Rose: I initially got this lip gloss because I heard it was a dupe for Mac Pinkarat lustreglass lip gloss. Pinkarat was really that girl. The comparison picture is from Temptalia.com. As you can see, they are super close, but Sunset Rose is more pigmented, which I like.
4. Fenty Glow (Lip Oil): It’s beautiful. I don’t even know how to describe it, it’s like a honey-toned peach with green shimmer. The only other gloss that I can remember being remotely close to this was Mac Queen Bee from the Naked Honey Collection (est. 2009). I’m old. And if you notice, Mac is always the inspiration for my other colors. Because so many of the things that I loved were limited edition, I’m always searching for similar colors.
3. Mac Nymphette: This color is also an OG shade. It is a sheer rosey mauve with golden bronze shimmer. This is pretty enough to wear alone without a liner. I especially love it at the end of the summer and going into fall. Truly one of my most repurchased lip glosses. I have been buying it since I was 20.
2. Pat McGrath Labs Flesh Astral: Subtle but also a statement. She can be described as a peach with gold shimmer. I think I see a slight pink shimmer, too. Very similar to Mac Love Nectar, which was recently discontinued. I only wear this over nude lipsticks or with liner. Lined, it’s absolutely gorgeous and perfect for summer.
Mac C-Thru Lipglass: My Shayla! (Peeps from the future Google Tyrese and My Shayla, and it will make complete and utter sense). C-Thru was my first true love of lip gloss. I bought her with Nymphette and have not been without her for not one year since I was 20. I am 34 now. So that’s 14 years of C-Thru. She is a pale nude with barely there golden shimmer. She looks good on top of everything, but I most like wearing it to mute out my lips. I hope Mac never discontinues this color.
Swatches
L to R: Mac C-Thru, Fenty Beauty Fenty Glow Oil, Mac Nymphette, Pat McGrath Labs Sunset Rose, Mac Oyster Girl, Elf Candy Coated, Fenty Frosted Buns, Pat McGrath Labs Flesh Astral, Revlon Pinkissimo, Buxom Dominique
This was such a fun post to make. What makeup products can you not live without? Gloss is a necessity for me. Alright, y’all, it’s late and I’m tired. Hope you enjoyed! Sayonara. I am going to bed!
We are now heading into September, and I want to blog about this collection…I should have made this post a month ago! And although I am late to the party, these glosses are still available on the Fenty Beauty website. Sephora also has several of them on sale for $13. 50% off. You see how much they were originally?
Anyway, I love Fenty Beauty Lip Gloss. Ms. Riri and her team know exactly what they are doing. Because when I tell you I’m addicted to these lip glosses…I am an addict, borderline a crackhead. And when I saw the limited edition line released for summer, I had to have these too.
If you know anything about Fenty Beauty glosses, they have several different formulas: the Lip Luminizer, Heat, the Oil formula, Cream, and Ice. Today’s post will focus on the Ice formula. I literally have all 5 of these flavors, but could only find 3 for the post. Unfortunately, only one of these is permanent (Cold Heart’d), but I do hope Fenty will consider offering these FOREVER. Pretty please with a cherry on top!
What really makes these glosses special are their smells. All of the glosses are clear. Berry Jelly has maybe the slightest of a tint. They’re special because they smell exactly like their names, and they all have an incredible, minty, cooling sensation. I used these lip glosses all summer long and will continue to use them well into the wintertime.
Berry Jelly, Cucum’brrr, and Iced Pineapple
Fenty Beauty has one of the most nourishing lip gloss formulas on the market. I wear these to bed, top my lipstick with them, wear them when I work out, and put them on in the shower. They help your lips look healthy, and the gloss level is comparable to MAC (dare I say they are more glossy, less thick, and just as long-lasting).
These are so good that I was thinking about getting backups. Unfortunately, I am a makeup hoarder, and that would only exacerbate my habit. I see how these companies use FOMO to encourage us to spend more money! I won’t be falling victim to it anymore…or will I? That 50% off at Sephora has me feeling weak! Bye Girl, Just Bye!
What’s your favorite Fenty gloss formula? I think mine is pretty clear…Did you just see that double entendre?!
Signed
-Your Friendly Neighborhood Makeup Hoard… I mean, signed the Lipstick Diaries
I have a tiny haul to share. Two little lipsticks to be exact… Can you guess what they are?
Grunge Nude and Ghosted: Please Enter the Chat
These little lipsticks are a part of Melt Cosmetics’ new collection: Blushing Pinks. This collection launched on August 15, 2025 (clocking this for my peeps visiting from the future, hey friend!).
It features a total of 4 lipsticks and 4 lip liners. Since I’m a stickler for lip liners, I didn’t purchase any; they all seemed too light or red-toned for my complexion. I only bought the two lipsticks that excited me the most and that I pictured would look good on my skin tone. I have olive cool undertones, and anything too warm makes me look jaundiced.
Grunge Nude
Melt describes this color as a muted taupe brown. I would agree. It’s a brownish nude with some purple-pink undertones. I lined my lips with Elf’s Dark Cocoa to provide some definition without overpowering the color.
Ghosted 🙂
Melt describes Ghosted as an icy, shimmery pink. In my opinion, this lipstick is the star of the show. Very much a Millennial color. I again paired this with Dark Cocoa from Elf. Hear me out, with a pale nude lip gloss, omG…this would EAT.
Review
I have such a love-hate relationship with Melt’s lipsticks. I used to have a ton of them, especially when they were releasing their alternative colors, such as greens and blues. But they are so matte! I mean uncomfortably dry and heavy. However, these two were comfortable, which makes me wonder if Melt changed their formula. Either way, I give these two lipsticks an 8 out of 10. Ghosted is edging a 9 because it’s foiled! They are comfy, pigmented, and long-lasting. I cannot complain. Okay, Melt, I see you!
I am obsessed with Hello Kitty. I have Hello Kitty bedding, office decor, a mini fridge, and any makeup that I can find with her face or friends on it. My best friend recently bought me a little Hello Kitty rug and chile…I just love it.
My obsession started with Mac in 2009. I was 18 and not wearing makeup, but I wanted everything from that Mac Hello Kitty Collection. I couldn’t get it then, because I was broke and heading off to college, but I lucked out at a Cosmetic Company Outlet in 2011 and still have a lipstick from the collection as a keepsake. Stay till the end and I might show it to you!
But Anywhoo, this post is not about Mac, it’s about Pixi. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone talk about these specific products. The brand Pixi gained some traction a few years ago. Almost everyone on YouTube was talking about their glow tonic. But, you know what, in recent years, I haven’t heard much, which sucks because this brand has some cute, quality products. And they’re accessible.
I think these products don’t receive a lot of hype because they’re simple. Like the eyeshadow palette above, it is neutral, but I love using it for single-shadow looks. When I just need a little razzle without the dazzle, if you know what I mean. Some might even say this palette is boring. But hear me out: as I get older, I’m finding that boring is becoming more appealing. I’m no longer necessarily looking for bright pinks, oranges, corals, and the like. When I go to the drugstore or Ulta for makeup, I stick to what works and everyday products. This Pixi + Hello Kitty line hits the mark, while also allowing me to relive my childhood nostalgia. So let’s review some of these products.
Review and Swatches
Endlessly Silky Eye Pens
Ingredients: Alcohols, Perfluorononyl Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Polyethylene, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-DI-T-Butyl, Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol. May Contain (+/-): Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510).
Okay, so we are starting out with the liners. Only one of these is from the Hello Kitty Collection: London Fog. However, I thought I would post Black Blue (Blue Black is a typo, my bad) anyway, because it’s blue, and you cannot do a Hello Kitty look without some blue in it. So I picked it up along with London Fog. Both of these liners apply creamy and set. When I tell you they don’t budge, they do not budge. 10 out of 10, I do recommend.
Next up are the Glow-y powders. A subtle blend of blush and highlight, depending on your skin tone. On my melanated skin, these are certified highlighters. Which I love because they top blushes beautifully and have good longevity. I would describe Friendly as a light pinky coral with a shimmery hue. It’s not nearly as pigmented as Sweet Glow, which sports an iridescent pink shimmer that is truly pretty on the skin. As someone prone to acne, I tend to be cautious with these highlighters because they contain coconut oil. However, they have not broken me out yet, and I have been wearing them for quite some time.
The Lip Tone pH Reactive Tint
Prettiness is a lip balm, lip gloss hybrid. It does exactly what it claims to do: it goes on clear, but after a few seconds it begins to turn a perfect shade of pink. Look at my before and after. I don’t have a base on because my skin is in shambles at the moment… please pray for me.
I am probably late to the game, but I like this pH stuff. My lips are not naturally pink. They have a more brownish-purple hue. Take a look at how healthy and juicy this gloss balm makes my lips. Very, very impressive. 10 out of 10, I do recommend.
As Promised, My Nod to the Past
Mac Hello Kitty Lipstick in Cutester.
Mac Cutester Lipstick Circa 2009
It’s old, but it doesn’t stink, so I still wear it. DON’T JUDGE ME.
In Conclusion,
This Pixi + Hello Kitty Collection is a nice take on playful makeup for adult girls or boys. I could even see a tween starting their collection with some of these products. Look now…a little boring makeup here and there never hurt anybody. Corporate baddies…what’s up?
With names like Aliengelic, and Pale Fire Nectar, it is clear that Pat McGrath is a literal makeup genius. Her innovative style, which somehow still pays homage to the past, is what drew us makeup lovers to her brand. It is her artistry that we all love and respect. Despite the creative hold that Pat McGrath continues to have on the beauty industry, her brand, Pat McGrath Labs, appears to be struggling. Tanking in sales, tanking in creativity, and tanking in relevance 😦
So, what does it mean that Pat McGrath Labs is no longer matching the creative capacity of its founder? I recently read an article that both irked my spirit and saddened me emotionally. The article titled “What Happened to PatMcGrath Labs” describes how this once billion-dollar company has significantly reduced in financial worth, noting several unsavory and seemingly lazy business practices as the catalyst. Sadly, I had to agree. Why did it take the brand a whole year to release the product for glass skin when the look for the Margiela show literally took over the internet? It’s lost its moment and it shows a disconnect. For me, this is absolutely heartbreaking because it is so vital for Black beauties to have representation that is consistent, relevant, and respected.
Pat McGrath is a luxury, Black owned brand. And in 2025, where diversity is no longer the trend, so many Black beauty brands are going under. Ami Cole is another. I am exhausted and saddened because even when Black women are leaders in their industries, they are more likely to fail or be railroaded. In 2025 alone, 300,000 Black women lost employment in the United States. While I understand that the brand may have made poor business decisions, it still disgusts me to see the presence of Black beauty fade. It is also indicative of a lack of experience that has been forced upon Black people in various countries, due to politics and structural racism. Seriously though, Hailey Bieber’s Rhode, a company with mid products (sorry, that’s my opinion) and a lack of creativity, was just acquired by ELF for bookoo bread? AKA a whole lot of money. In contrast, Pat McGrath Labs, a brand founded by a makeup genius whose creativity is sought after by top fashion houses, is tanking. Make it make sense…
Thank you, Buxom, and RIP, Plushglass. Plushglass is one of many products that Mac had absolutely no business discontinuing. They were plumping, moisturizing, and the colors were bomb. Colors like Ample Pink, Fulfilled, Posh it Up, Nice Buzz, Wet Wild n Wonderful, and my favorite: Cushy White.
I got the picture of Cushy White from Makeup Alley, a long-time love of mine. I used to visit the website to read reviews before purchasing products, but it seems to be going extinct. And no tea, no shade, Makeup Alley was popular during a time when we were more concerned with a product being a quality staple, rather than the newest, celebrity or influencer-backed trend. In creating this blog, I hope to fill a niche, seemingly empty space that used to be so commonplace before; consumer opinion, sans influencer. A love for individuality, not popularity.
However, this post is not about the ‘buy more and keep buying’ culture that has become the norm. It’s also not meant to be about my frustration with influencer culture. But I am an Aries with ADHD, and I cannot forgo a good old circumstantial rant. Still, I want to give Gin Fizz its just due. And well deserved if I may add.
Gin Fizz is said to be beige, but honestly, does this color look beige to you? It looks straight-up white to me, just like Cushy White, but maybe a bit more opaque than Cushy was. It still looks pretty and natural on the lips, despite the scary white in the tube. I also tend to put more on than it probably needs because I love it so. It provides a cooling plump, it’s comfortable, and it makes the lips look juicy. It’s a color that I’ve purchased again and again. It’s effortless, unique, and allows me to relive my glory days.
The Nostalgia I feel for products that are no more…my gosh. Duping them is always very dialectical, both fun and frustrating, as I really would much rather have the original. Seriously, plushglass was amazing. But a close second isn’t bad either. So if you are like me, stuck in the past, mad at Mac for discontinuing your HG product, I hope this reaches you in kindness. I am still angry as H E double hockey sticks about plushglass being gone. But I want to thank Buxom for sticking around and being consistent. They have the same glosses that existed in the early 2000’s. I appreciate you and the beauty that is Gin Fizz immensely. Please don’t discontinue her.
The Lipstick Diaries 