Some sounded a bit enraged by the MAC Maleficent collection, regarding it as a missed opportunity to indulge in some badarse packaging design but, to be honest, MAC and badarse design aren't really joined at the hip. Their promotions are aesthetically hit and miss at best. I don't personally give two flying effs for the whole Disney/Jolie thing myself (people, it's a crap misogynistic narrative, let it go) and I didn't pick up True Love's Kiss with any fangirling nostalgia in mind. What did prompt me was a lack of Amplified reds in my collection and well, what's a girl to do? Wave a fucking wand, bitch. *D'ijmar-kaboom-de-la-shazbutt* Lipstick -> doorstep. Works, but you have to do it naked at 3.33pm. That's what I was told.
Accusations of yawn and dupe-ability have been levelled at this shade but that's a pretty lazy response. Because how many true, clean reds are out there really? I haven't run into that many. They're almost always leaning brown or orange or pink, or they're frosty or stupidly glossy or whatever. True Love's Kiss is none of the above.
Accusations of yawn and dupe-ability have been levelled at this shade but that's a pretty lazy response. Because how many true, clean reds are out there really? I haven't run into that many. They're almost always leaning brown or orange or pink, or they're frosty or stupidly glossy or whatever. True Love's Kiss is none of the above.
| The shade lies somewhere between poppy, raspberry and crimson. If I had to pull a fairy tale allusion from between my buttocks, I'd point you in the direction of the classic poison toadstool- Amanita muscaria. That sort of red. It leans very slightly blue, though it's a subtle influence and not noticeable until you look at it beside something much warmer, like Ruffian Red. True Love's Kiss is super clean when compared to Russian Red, completely free of the latter's dirtier brown-leaning tones. Next to the recent Head in the Clouds, it's deeper, more saturated and more emphatically, classically red. | 
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It's relatively lightweight on the lip, staying out of most of my old lady lines, lasting a few good hours and maintaining decent colour distribution, but it's not a matte and you won't get 5 hours out of TLK. The trade off is long-term comfort and I think that's worth a reapplication or two. The fact that you can expect near-matte performance is a testament to its all-round quality. To summarise, I'd advise you pick this up if you get the chance, simply because there really aren't that many bright, pristine reds with no real performance issues out there. There's UD F-Bomb and that is awesome to be sure but not for everyone with its massive in-your-face factor. If you're a sucker for a classic ruby with a sheen, grab True Love's Kiss hard. Overpay if you have to. Did I say that? 
| You might be able to spot quite a bit of micro glitter in the pic to the left, but I'll be darned if I can see it on my lip except faintly in the strongest of direct daylight, so frost phobics need not run screaming. What you do get is a blendable application and an enduring medium gloss level. Amplified is a great finish, allowing you to achieve anything from a stain to full-on plastic tranny glamour; TLK sticks to the formula, stopping just short of full opacity (I'd rate it at 85% opaque). This translucence is both good and bad- on unpigmented lips it might be too much for some; keep the effect of a pale background in mind when consulting the swatches below. On my dark mouth it's pretty darn awesome, a tad brighter and more sort of woah-red that Just a Bite, which I also love immoderately. TLK is a tooth-flatterer too, an important consideration if, like me, you don't bleach, or maybe have some staining issues. As far as bleeding and wear go I don't have any complaints. The MAC Amplified formula seems to be going from strength to strength in respect to both stickability and colour delivery. 
L2R MAC Russian Red, TLK, Ruby Woo, Head in the Clouds, Ruffian Red. This is indoor sunlight, no flash, colours quite true here.
Same again, just in a more shaded indoor position, no flash.
Russian Red, TLK, Ruby Woo, Head in the Clouds, Ruffian Red. This is direct outdoor sunlight and I think it gives a good indication of TLK's vibrancy. Remember, 'tis a wee bit darker on the lip.
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Please respect my copyright on these pictures, ya'll. I put quite a bit of effort into them.
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