Review - MAC Lipstick in Up The Amp

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the fact that I actually put time into my appearance for work today, given how sick I am? It was really only because I've wanted this lipstick for so long and I really wanted to wear it since I just purchased it on Tuesday. I definitely looked a lot better than I felt - Thank God for makeup.

Up The Amp is a part of the permanent range and is described as a "lavender violet" with an Amplified Creme finish. It is a darker violet shade with some lilac tones, making it more muted than your average violet (think Violetta as your average violet).  This is the third (and most superior) Amplified Creme that I've purchased. Amplified Cremes are meant to have a sheen to them with intense color payoff and opacity. This delivered on both fronts; it had a nice creamy finish to it while giving me phenomenal color payoff and doesn't take a whole lot of work to apply opaque. 

My previous interactions with Amplified Cremes have been different across the board (Viva Glam Nicki 2 was opaque with no application issues, but had a very short wear time and Saint Germain took some work to apply evenly, even though it was opaque). This shade proved my theory that maybe the finish wears better in the darker shades. Up The Amp was not the longest wearing shade in my arsenal (the creamy finish made it wear off faster than my mattes of a similar hue), but it wore longer than my other Amplified Cremes did and faded very evenly. When this shade fades it sicks around color wise, but rather loses its vibrancy. As it fades, it transforms from a violet like shade to almost a purple toned berry; still very flattering. In a perfect world, the shade would stay vibrant, but I'd rather be left with a muted version of the color that is even rather than patchy, uneven color. I also did not experience any drying with this shade, which I rarely do with Amplified Cremes.

The reason I put off purchasing this shade for so long is because everyone and their brother in the blogging world swears that Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Berry Haute is a dupe for Up The Amp. In the above photo, I have Up The Amp on the left and Berry Haute on the right.

They are quite similar, I will agree to that. However, Up The Amp is quite a bit more opaque and vibrant with superior wear time as well. If you're looking for a budget option for the same type of shade, have at it, but its similar rather than exact.

Overall;

Pros:

- Intense color payoff

- Opaque

- Non-drying formula

- Fades evenly

- Only minimal staining.

Cons:

- Shorter wear time comes with the creamy finish.

Because this wore so well and could be worn with such vibrancy, I'm glad I purchased it (even if I do have Berry Haute). It was a comfortable, fuss free version of a bold shade; right up my alley.

9/10