MAC So Chaud

Oh. Snap.

Two posts in a row? What the what! 

MAC So Chaud was my very first bold lip color purchase. 

I bought it last year on a whim. I'll be honest, the color scared me. It was just so... bright and attention grabbing. I didn't know if I wanted to grab all that attention. It took me two trips to Macy's, several swatches on my hand, a few swipes of it on my lips, lots of staring at myself in the mirror and a bit of talking up by the MAC SA to convince me to buy it. Huh.. I guess that doesn't really sound like a whim, does it? Whoops.

Since then, I've only worn it about half a dozen times. Maybe less. But wait! There's more. Of those times, how many times have I actually worn it out of my house?

*Drum rolllllllllllll please* 

Once. 

Like I mentioned in my other posts, I'm not too keen on bold lip colors. I usually stick to rosy, pink colors that are close to my own lip color. But I'm attempting to break out of my comfort zone this year; I've obtained several bright shades and have been wearing them on occasion. Baby steps! 

So Chaud is a reddish orange, matte shade and it's a part of MAC's permanent line. When I first saw it at the MAC counter, I thought it was a bright red, but upon further inspection, it has quite a bit of orange in it. It's quite pigmented; I usually pat the lipstick on, rather than swipe the color on my lips. The lasting power of this lipstick is impressive. Because of its vibrant hue, it almost stains my lips. Even with eating and drinking, the color stays on my lips, albeit a little faded. It can be a bit drying though because it's a matte shade. I usually wear lip balm underneath so my lips don't dry out. In the pictures below, I'm wearing Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 under So Chaud, which is why it looks a bit more glossy than a matte lipstick. 

In natural lighting, So Chaud looks quite red, but with flash, it leans more orange. 

It really looks like a bright red on my lips in natural lighting. It reminds me of Mad Men lips. 

Like Betty Draper and Joan Holloway. It's such a classic look.

I love the pop of color it gives to my every day look. 

With the flash on, the orange hues are quite evident, don't you think? 

Overall, I think So Chaud is a lovely addition to my collection. It's unique and makes quite a statement when worn. It also fits in with this season's trend of bright orange and coral colors. I'll definitely be wearing it more often as the weather gets warmer!