Review: MAC Hint of Colour Lip Oil

MAC recently released four Hint of Colour Lip Oils in Asia, to the moaning and hair tearing of MAC fans outside Asia. I managed to pick one up when I was in Seoul a few weeks ago, and after trying it out for quite a while now, I can say this: You don’t need to tear your hair out over this little tube. Read on for the MAC Hint of Colour Lip Oil review.

Without knowing anything about the lip oil, I snagged one of the four shades when I was in Seoul. I picked one of the darkest colours, hoping it would deposit at least some colour on my lips. (But wasn’t that hopeful after a swatch.) I paid 30.000 Won for it (about 24€). Quite expensive, but then there’s a whopping 11ml/0,37oz in the tube. It has a funny looking rounded flock applicator and the typical MAC vanilla scent.

First impressions

I chose the shade La La Love You, which looks like strawberry jelly in the tube. It has a very nice texture that’s neither sticky nor too slippy. Like I suspected, it colours my lips only minimally. But after reapplying it continuously, I saw the stain to appear. While the initial application just gives shine and a bit of colour to my lips, the stain is a nice natural pink. The finish is very very glossy, but if you saw Instagram pics in which the lip oils looked insanely glossy and reflective, forget about it. The magic of Instagram?!

When you hear “lip oil”, you’d think of something insanely moisturizing and nourishing. Well, this isn’t. If you’ve conditioned lips already, it’s nice. But I had seriously dry lips on the first day I tested the lip oil. Instead of helping to get my lips back on track, the lip oil seemed to form a layer over them. It never penetrated properly, and, you know, moisturised. It just sat on my lips. There’re a lot of products that actually are better for moisturising and nourishing, from good ol’ regular MAC lipglasses to my beloved Huggables to the best lip balm I ever encountered (Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask). This, I’m sorry to say, ain’t it.

Ingredients and packaging

So I peeled the Korean sticker off the packaging and had a peek at the ingredients list. I’m not an expert, but the first four ingredients are a form of glycerin, a thickener, an emollient and another emollient. THEN comes the oil (sunflower), another thickener, Castor oil and Jojoba seed oil. Well. Glycerin is actually a good humectant, but the ingredient list doesn’t read to me like something that’s a state of the art moisturizing oil. I’m especially disappointed that MAC chose sunflower and castor oil, which are about as cheap as it gets when it comes to oils.

Speaking of cheap: I feel that MAC should’ve invested in better packaging. When I took my pics, I noticed that when the tube is open, the oil will just slowly flow out. Eeeek! Imagine what would happen if that would happen in your handbag?!

You can easily layer it over a matte lip product though to make it more glossy and slightly more moisturising.

What is said about the product in the media

I resorted to reading infos about the Hint of Colour Lip Oils on blogs and other websites, because I can’t read MAC’s info on its Asian sites. What I gathered from them was that the lip oil is supposed to react with your body temperature and transform from sheer to saturated colour on your lips. Well, no. See the pics I took, it doesn’t. Of course, it’s also supposed to deeply moisturise your lips, what it doesn’t do as well.

Bummer.

I feel this is actually one of the most useless makeup products I’ve ever owned. It doesn’t do anything but to depart a slightly pinkish shine on my lips.

I’ve read conflicting info on how the Hint of Color Lip Oils will make it to the US/Europe. Honestly, if you’re living in an area where it isn’t available, congratulate yourself and spring for a product that works.