MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2

MAC's Viva Glam Gaga 2 collection was released today, so I picked up both the lipstick and the Lipglass while I was at work. When worn separately, they are significantly different shades. The lipstick is light beige nude in an Amplified finish. It goes on smooth and creamy with good coverage, though it does have a semi-matte finish and will emphasize dry lips, so I recommend putting on a moisturizing lip balm first (I love MAC's Lip Conditioner SPF 15 because it's emollient but not greasy). This does go on rather pale, and may seem unwearable to some; I would say this shade looks best on fair to medium skintones. I prefer to wear it with a lip liner (my choice is MAC's Subculture) to make it a little deeper. Comparatively, the Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipstick looks like a slightly deeper, less pink version of Creme d'Nude, or a lighter, less peach version of Peachstock.

I find the Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipglass to be more wearable in general. It's a semi-opaque light neutral beige with micro-shimmer. It's rather creamy, so there is some settling into lip lines, and the formula is slightly thicker as well, so it's more prone to streaking on the lips. That being said, it does look beautiful on the lips on its own, whereas the lipstick can wash out many complexions. It's definitely less pale than the lipstick, and it's very neutral as far as nude shades go, so both cool- and warm-toned complexions can wear it. I can't really find a shade within the permanent MAC range that is very similar to this, so if you're looking for a good neutral nude gloss, Viva Glam Gaga 2 is worth checking out.

With the release of Viva Glam Gaga 2, however, that means the original Viva Glam Gaga is now discontinued. Any remaining stock at counters and online will be sold, and that'll be it. Most counters, as far as I know, are sold out of both the lipstick and the gloss. But the counter I was working at today still had a few tubes of the Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass left, so I snatched one up. It's a semi-opaque, blue-based light pink with subtle micro-shimmer. It almost looks like a light bubblegum pink in the tube. On its own, it can be a little too cool or milky. Ironically, when layered on top of Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipstick, it looks really quite nice as it adds a nice pink tone to the beige nude, and the beige nude warms up the blue base of the pink. I can see this combination being a great go-to nude for many light to light-medium complexions. For those with medium to medium-dark complexions, I would start with a deeper lip liner underneath (like MAC's Soar or Spice).

I know I've mentioned it before, but keep in mind that every cent of what you pay for any Viva Glam lip product goes to the MAC AIDS Fund. Not the proceeds or profit, but the entire selling price. You pay $17.50, and that $17.50 goes straight to the fund to help men, women, and children infected or affected by HIV and AIDS. So, when you're deciding on a new lip colour, keep in mind that the Viva Glam lipsticks and glosses are always worth getting.