MAC Plum Lip Pencil Review

MAC Plum Lip Pencil Review

“Keep Calm and Wear Good Lipstick.”

Hi Ladies!

So, it’s winter and that’s mostly when my darker lip shades come out.  I have been wanting to review a MAC lip pencil that I own called “Plum.” I have had this for a while now, but barely use it as I’m more of a red or pink lipstick person now. However, it is the season when the rich wines and plum shades do the rounds, so thought why not share my views on this one as I have worn it a few times this season, otherwise this lip pencil barely sees the light of day.

MAC Plum Lip Pencil

Price:

$16
Product Details:

A pencil designed for shaping, lining or filling in the lip. Lip Pencils have a smooth, creamy texture that is perfect for lining the lips or filling them in. They available in a wide selection of colours that each work well with many different lipstick shades. MAC describes this shade as Potent Reddened Plum.

MAC Plum Lip Pencil

My Experience with MAC Plum Lip Pencil:

Now, as you can see from the pics, it doesn’t appear reddened plum to me at all, so I have no clue why MAC describes it that way. In my opinion, it appears more of a brownish plum than a purple plum as let’s say compared to the NYX Plum lip liner which is a more true plum shade. So in all honesty, I don’t agree with MAC calling this shade Plum in the first place and then describing it as “reddened.” They should have described it as Over-Ripened Plum (or Rotten Plum)…:)

MAC Plum Lip Pencil

Okay, jokes apart, the reason why I bought this shade was I wanted to buy some light brown shades of lipsticks at the time and had bought the Mocha and the MAC assistant suggested a darker lip pencil to go with this. I thought she was going to make me look like a clown but when she outlined my lips with Plum and then blended it in, it didn’t look like just a stark line, the light brown Mocha over it looked nice. Had I just outlined and then filled in with the light brown Mocha, I would have looked hideous!

Thing is I’m not into brown lipsticks anymore, so what do I do with this? Although this is more inclined towards dark brown, I wouldn’t wear this on its own as it makes me look gothic and evil. You can see that from my lip swatch.  So, I tried it with my Mehr lipstick and funnily it pairs quite well. I apply Plum all over my lips as a base and then Mehr over it and Mehr’s mauvy pinkness gives this a wearable mauvish brownish colour which is a decent shade for us Indians to carry off. (Refer to the swatch collage: left hand side is Plum on my hand, top right pic is Plum on my lips and bottom right pic is Plum coated with MAC’s Mehr lipstick).

Swatches with and without Mehr lipstick on top:

MAC Plum Lip Pencil

Plum being a confusing shade of neither plum, nor mauve nor true brown can be paired with almost any shade of brown, shades of dirty pinks or mauves and with some plum/wine lipsticks too. So, although I wouldn’t call it a real plum colour, the versatility kind of helps in avoiding buying too many lip pencils. But if you are looking for a rich plum shade, then don’t go for this if you know what I mean.

As with all MAC lip pencils, it is highly pigmented but the dark brown pigment isn’t my cup of tea.

Pros of MAC Plum Lip Pencil:

  • Highly pigmented.
  • Lasts long.
  • Applies easily and smoothly, hence doesn’t drag across lips.
  • Can be paired with browns and mauvish browns, wines or dirty pinks to an extent.

Cons of MAC Plum Lip Pencil:

  • Does not live up to its shade description as it’s more brown than reddened plum.
  • Actual colour does not even match the swatch on the MAC site if you notice.
  • Too dark and super matte and hence makes lips thinner and dry if worn on its own.

Would I Repurchase MAC Plum Lip Pencil?

Had I still been into brown lipsticks maybe I would but since I only wear reds and pinks, I wouldn’t buy this again. I’m just trying to use this up by pairing it with mauvey sort of shades to give a richer wearable colour for the winters.

IMBB Rating:

3.5/5

Conclusion:

On its own, it looks hideous on me, so will try and make use by pairing with other shades. However, if any of you can carry this shade off and love rich browns, then go for it!

Au revoir!

xoxo

MAC Lip Pencil Cherry
MAC Spice Lip Pencil
MAC Beet Lip Pencil
MAC Lip Pencil in Chicory
MAC Whirl Lip Pencil
MAC Brick Lip Pencil
NYX Lip Pencil in Ever
NARS Satin Lip Pencil – Lodhi
MAC Cremestick Liner – Cream O’Spice

IMBB RECOMMENDS

14 thoughts on “MAC Plum Lip Pencil Review

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *