MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches

A now lifelong make-up obsession, beauty blogging and a career can all be defined and traced back to one lipstick...

The very first MAC collection I ever invested in was Barbie Loves MAC, and by invested, I mean I skipped class and queued up outside, before the counter opened to get my hands on a few items. The rest as they say is history.

MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches

If you are new to the world of MAC beauty launches, the frenzied response that used to go hand-in-hand with certain product drops may have bypassed you. However as little as six years ago, certain MAC launches would result in near blind panic amongst the beauty community - I'm talking queues outside an hour before the store would open, servers crashing and even waiting lists.

The most memorable of said launches has to be the Rihanna Riri Woo lipstick; the hype leading up to the product being released was astronomical and as such the demand for the velvet-red lipstick was through the roof. I was so worried that I wouldn't get a tube to call my own,  I rescheduled a dental appointment just so I could stay at home and click refresh until I hit the checkout stage. Sad but an oh so true beauty moment in time and although I look back on said times fondly, I'm glad I'm no longer nearly as obsessive nor frivolous.

MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches
MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches

Sure I may no longer set alarms on my phone to snag the latest MAC launch but in some instances I will forever be nostalgic for certain items, especially those with the Barbie branding. Recently MAC have been teaming up with certain creators and icons to create various collections of lipsticks to form the MAC Maker range. One said name this time around was Barbie; the original influencer and I believe as a nod to her 61st birthday - I was beyond excited to see this all over Instagram but the kicker was this shade wouldn't be coming to the UK. 

In the past, I would've panicked and probably succumbed to a quick scour of eBay and risking not only paying over the odds but also a counterfeit product. Fortunately Fae kindly offered to order me a tube and send it over from Germany (full disclosure: I paid and this was before Covid-19) so I could relive the joy and excitement of Barbie Loves MAC all over again without jeopardising my education.

MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches
MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches

A quick look at MAC Maker/Barbie, the official shade name is @BarbieStyle and it seems I'm not the only one who has grown up around these parts. Gone is the shocking pink we all know and love from the brand and in it's place is a dusky, muted rose that is perfect for everyday wear, it couldn't be more up my street if it tried. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly @BarbieStyle is a matte formula but a soft one at that, it is not at all drying nor flat in appearance. Along with wearing it continuously, I will treasure this golden encased lipstick for as long as I can...or at least until it expires.

MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches

So friends and readers alike, that is the tale of how my MAC obsession began with one Barbie inspired collection and then snowballed into a monthly expense and later a beauty blog. Maybe make-up should come with a warning sticker after all?

What was your first (if ever) MAC purchase?

Isn't it funny how we treat this brand as a coming of age milestone and yet others don't get the same treatment nor tinge of nostalgia. I'd be hard pushed to tell you what my first Maybelline purchase was...