Confection Perfection

I've found my new favourite lipstick: MAC Patisserie. I tried to limit myself to just two new MAC additions while on holiday in London, Patisserie and Plumful. While I'm a bit on the fence about Plumful, I have nothing but love for Patisserie. I wasn't expecting to be as delighted with it as I am. I feared it might be one of the following things: too light, too brown, too boring, too mature, too similar to existing colours in my collection, not right for my skin tone, and myriad other potential causes for disappointment. Turns out it's a lipstick crafted so perfectly that not only do I have nothing quite like it, there's nothing about it I would change.

l-r: Revlon Honey, Revlon Pink Truffle, Revlon Blush, MAC Patisserie, Sportsgirl Pretty Please, Face of Australia Sundae, NARS Biscayne Park

MAC Patisserie is the first Lustre finish lipstick that I've tried, and I think it might be my favourite MAC lipstick finish for everyday wear. I like it a lot more than Cremesheens which despite their name, I find are a tad drying and have a tendency to tug on the lips. The Lustre finish is very comfortable on the lips, sheer and glossy but very much buildable in pigmentation. Patisserie seems unassuming and nothing particularly special or unique, but it's the truest 'my lips but better' colour I've come across. It's a light (but not pale or pastel) nude with a bit of salmon pink and peach, and the faintest gold shimmer which isn't all that visible on the lips. It imparts a soft sheen that's not too shiny or reflective. Some people have described the colour as partly mauve but I don't see it. It's very neutral in tone, not cool at all and not particularly warm either.

I pulled out a whole bunch of shades that I was interested in comparing alongside Patisserie. Ultimately, nothing came close enough to being considered a dupe. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey is darker, more purplish/raspberry. Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle is the darkest of the shades I swatched and more of a brick red. Revlon ColorBurst lipstick in Blush is like a lighter version of Pink Truffle. Sportsgirl Pretty Please, which I originally thought might've been similar to Patisserie, is actually nothing like it — darker, more berry pink and opaque. Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon in Sundae is probably the closest match to Patisserie in terms of both colour and texture, but more brown, less blush pink, a touch darker. Finally, NARS Biscayne Park is a more pigmented peachy nude, not as pink, sheer or glossy.

Patisserie is the ideal lipstick for those that enjoy lipstick, but don't necessarily wear it a lot of the time. It's a virtually failproof option for the daytime when you want a little something on your lips that's natural, subtle and easygoing. It won't compete or clash with your existing makeup. It won't announce itself when you enter a room. It'll just make your lips look better. I liked this lipstick so much that when I began using it during my holiday, I seriously contemplated buying a backup. In the end, I talked myself out of it (Real Techniques Buffing Brush first), but I can easily see this as a perennial repurchase should I run out.