RubyHue Lipstick Review: MAC Photo (satin)

Ironically, there aren't many good images of MAC Photo to be found when one looks around the internet for an idea of its true nature.  Brown is a bitch to capture technically and I feel like the attempts to describe it aren't much chop either.  We're very fortunate in our access to clear, clean outdoor light here and this review will be pic-heavy so you can judge the shade for yourself in a range of different settings.  

I'd call Photo an easter-egg brown, because it is just a plain true milk chocolate, really; medium brown with yellowish undertones.  It hovers around neutrality but can swing either way into warm or cool with very little provocation, depending on the light source, time of year and your own skintone.  You'll be able to see the extent of that ambiguity from the images below, taken in the morning on an early autumn day as the sun was coming round. 

< The lead shot is flashed and oversaturated and pulls uber warm, so don't trust that guy.

These two pics are probably a good median representation.  

It may not surprise you that on its own, Photo is a difficult wear for most people.  I can't begin to tell you how horrible and wrong it looks on me when applied conventionally, but that's mainly because my hair is a clashing shade of deep brunette at the moment; on the lip and just against my skin, Photo is... odd, but in a good way- interesting.  It drains the green from my mostly-green eyes and turns them cloudy bluish, which is kind of cool.  For those with darker skin I'd still sound the same note of caution.  The wrong undertone will make this stuff look just as no; the sneakier, less obvious elements of your personal colouring are what will make or break your relationship with this lippy.  Below are some cool/bluish light shots.

L 2 R (All MAC) VG1, Photo, Bittersweet lip pencil, Costa Riche eye kohl, Chili, Prince Noir
this is cool, indirect outdoor light/semi shade

If you live in urban high-rise shade sort of environment, or if you experience a lot of winter, this (above and left) is what you're going to get from Photo most of the time.  Cool light won't kill the yellow tone and even exaggerates it somewhat.  See what I mean about it being a difficult little madam?  Warm indoor light and a more summery environment will make it appear a tad more copper/red, as per right and below.  Not sure that it makes it any easier to pull off.

Texturally Photo is a nice, medium-thick satin with a moderate lustre and even pigmentation, with a 70% sort of opacity, but you can build it to almost-total coverage, especially on dark lips.  You can see the relative translucence in these warmer shots. 

I don't get any bleeding into lines, even on a bare mouth.  To summarise: in a lot of poorly exposed/cameraphone shots, Photo can look like that deep milky neutral you may have been after, but if that's your aim, go for MAC Del Rio or Nars Walkyrie Velvet Matte, because this shiz is straight-up unapologetic brown and that's... well, not for everyone.  

Photo *will* of course be a neutral on a narrow range of deeper complexions but like I said, just because you have a tan don't imagine it will friend your arse.  You need matching tones somewhere on your person, and for this reason, a certain group of chestnuty redheads might find it useful straight from the tube, too, particularly those who wear a lot of gingery freckles with pride.  You can see its affinity with my own.  Personally, I have to pat it on- to obtain a nice sheer caramel- or mix it with reds and neutrals to make it wearable, which is fine because it collaborates well and produces some really interesting mixtures.  Try it with Nars Mascate for a deep roasted nutty oxblood.

L 2 R (All MAC) VG1, Photo, Bittersweet lip pencil, Costa Riche eye kohl, Chili, Prince Noir
warm direct sunlight

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