| I love self-coloured things. By that I mean shit that's the same colour all over and maybe rocks some sort of pattern but only in tonal variations of that same colour. Which is why I wish I could afford to pick up all of these MAC Giambattista Valli shades. Sadly, I am a writer and therefore perpetually impecunious; suppose I'll just have to console myself with being able to spell that word on a good day and sort of knowing what it means.  Let's not get too dramatic; Margherita will suit plenty of peeps straight from the tube; neutral-toned brunettes, platinum to light-golden blondes and a lot of Asian complexions; basically most people with lightly-pigmented lips. It's the sort of shade that can work spectacularly well on deeper complexions as part of an edgier look if you can overcome the technical issues that such high-contrast colours pose. The swatches will let you know if Margherita is for you. This look is so personal taste-dependant that it's really hard to generalise on its suitability.  |  MAC Margherita is a peachy-orange milky-crayon-pastel matte, with heavy emphasis on the pastel. It looks like straight Cointreau liqueur tastes to me...or sherbet, if that makes any sense to you. While it might appear far more traditionally orange in a lot of online pics, take a good look at the two images top and to the left there because they do not lie. It's not the smoothness of the new stick that's making it look all ice creamy- Margherita really is a white-based shade. Which equals problematic for a lot of us, pretty as it so obviously is.  I've alluded to possible technical difficulties and anyone with pastel experience (great band name) will know what this entails. They're a fantastic concept but so often total shite in their execution. Margherita is by no means the worst pastel I've encountered and even veers dangerously close to successful wearability right from the tube, but it's still quite patchy, catches on all the damn flakes and settles immediately into lip creases, which is just inevitable with a colour like this. A brush and primer can overcome some of these naughty tendencies and it's a little more stable as it dries down, but if your lips are anything more than medium-dark, you're looking at an uphill battle. The finish is more neo than retro matte in that there is a tiny amount of movement and comfort rather than wall-to-wall arid stodge. I do find it a bit drying after a couple of hours, though. |
While I can sort of/not really/fuck it I'm wearing it anyway get away with Margherita if I pat it on lightly, I really bought it to blend with my oranges and corals- gradients, or lifting the tone of things like MAC Lady Danger and Bite Zinfandel- infusing them with a new demure, icecreamy interest. So even if you know it'll look like arse on you straight up, consider its potential as an idiosyncratic amender.
L2R (MAC) Russian Red, Margherita, Lady Danger, True Red, See Sheer, Ablaze pencil, Taupe. top swatch is indoor lamplight, lower one is fairly neutral outdoor daylight.
  |  BELOW: L2R Russian Red, Margherita, Lady Danger, True Red, See Sheer, Ablaze pencil, Taupe. coolish outdoor daylight. |
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