Review - MAC Viva Glam I

Phew! Its been a crazy couple of weeks around here! Story is, now that everything is finalized - I got a new job! I've been officially working at it for a week now, along with my previous job, so now things are starting to settle into a semi-predictable schedule. I'm very excited to start a new endeavor, especially because it is something that I've never worked with before; home goods!

So long story short, I've been quite busy and somewhat neglectful; my apologies!

And...onward!

In the amount of time I've had this lipstick in my possession coupled with how much I adore it, I'm honestly surprised that it has taken until now for me to finally post a review.

The Viva Glam campaign, as many of you already know, donates every dime of the purchase price to the support of those living with HIV and AIDS. This shade was the one that started it all, released in 1994 and RuPaul was the face of the campaign - So fierce! There have been several additions to the line since this one - I've purchased two others; Viva Glam Nicki 2 and Viva Glam Gaga 2 (Lipglass, which I gave to my sister).

In all honesty, the charity is what drew me to purchase this product, but I ended up totally falling for it!

MAC describes Viva Glam I as an "intense brownish blue-red"; I feel that the brown tones give this that "brick red feel to it" and also keep it from getting super bright against my skin (Revlon Cherries in the Snow) or borderline vampy (MAC Diva). Its a great middle ground. This was my go-to holiday red lip for 2012 - It was just perfect for the Christmas season, I wore it to every single Christmas party I went to!

Viva Glam I is a Matte, which is one of my favorite formulations from MAC. Its 110% opaque and WILL. NOT. BUDGE. If you put it somewhere, its going to stay there all night, no matter what drinks or foods the night might bring (do you even know how many Starbucks I consume in a 24 hour period? I should probably be ashamed.) As with the norm for MAC's mattes, these don't dry out my lips at all. I've worn this most often without a lip liner and I still get hours of wear before I even have to think of reapplying - which is crazy for how obsessively I reapply my lipstick! 

Overall:

Pros:

- Long wear time.

- No feathering and minimal transfer.

- Non drying formula.

- Did not need a lip liner.

- Charitable donation of entire purchase price.

- Wearable on many skin tones.

Cons:

- Nada! I'm super happy with this one!

If you're looking for your "Perfect Red" Viva Glam I is definitely worth a look. Between its ability to flatter a large range of skin tones (me and a friend of mine whom are from two completely different complexions and ethnicities both look STUNNING in this!), its flawless formula and its long wear time - Viva Glam I is definitely worth a look! Plus, your money goes to help someone else through the purchase of the line and that, my friends, is probably the best part.

10/10 - Totally recommended!