 |  MAC Brick-O-La. I want to say custard pink because that's the phrase that springs to mind. It's a milky ochre pink, medium-deep, in a creamy Amplified formula. |
| As a longtime fan of the Nars Dolce Vita pencil (which I can't quite believe I haven't reviewed yet), I thought I'd pick this up as a more forgiving flanker to that übermatte, for those days when my lips aren't up to spec. Online opinion implied that they're pretty identical; I have to say that's not the case to my eye, even when allowing for their disparate finishes. The Dolce Vita Velvet Matte is a sweeter, lighter honey pink that leans warmer into yellow, with the suede-like texture pulling it further still from Brick-O-La. When I combine them on the lip, Dolce Vita tends to dominate, despite BOL's considerable depth. Separately, their effect is ball-park similar, but they're not dupes by any stretch. |  |
Here it is (above right) next to Nars Walkyrie Velvet matte (right squiggle) which is definitely more of a blood relation. Brick-O-La may not be quite as warm as you expect. Most of these tube shots were taken in direct sunlight, which pumps up yellow ochre undertones that are only a minor influence on the lip. The scuffed face turned toward the camera in that cactus shot (top left of the review) is quite representative, as are the swatches. Really, it has as much in common with MAC Mehr and Hot Tahiti (I was surprised by their tonal similarities) as it does with Dolce Vita.
Just like Mehr and DV, it's a great retro sweater-girl foil for a major cat or smoky eye.
Just like Mehr and DV, it's a great retro sweater-girl foil for a major cat or smoky eye.
  |  'Red pink' is tossed around in regard to this shade, to which I'm all ??? Red-pink to me is something like MAC Glam. BOL is definitely pink, just deeper and more organic than you might be used to i.e. more vintage/milk paint/plaster than Barbie. There's a lot of muted dirty mallow going on, to the extent that I'd almost call it a neutral. I like this quiet complexity. Below: here's Brick-O-La against an actual damn brick. Even on a warm afternoon, they're not related in any literal sense.  |
Because of the slight milkiness of this shade I had some concerns that it wouldn't sit very well on my dark mouth. The Amplified formula rides to the rescue, going on silky-smooth and pretty darn opaque, clinging to every millimetre of lip and settling down to a discreet and lasting medium shine. Brick-O-La is very comfortable to wear and, in the course of our short acquaintance, non-drying and non-bleeding.
Its clingfilm finish is slightly plumping to a thinner mouth, although the effect isn't so drastic that I would hesitate to recommend it to someone looking to downplay their lips, perhaps in a professional situation. It's a perfect alternative to all those boring, chalky-arse, SFW dirty neutrals. Verdict: all good.
Its clingfilm finish is slightly plumping to a thinner mouth, although the effect isn't so drastic that I would hesitate to recommend it to someone looking to downplay their lips, perhaps in a professional situation. It's a perfect alternative to all those boring, chalky-arse, SFW dirty neutrals. Verdict: all good.
L2R all MAC unless stated: Russian Red, Brick-o-La, Mehr, Del Rio, Verve, Hot Tahiti, Nars Dolce Vita Pencil
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