Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Shy One

I only have a small number of MAC lipsticks, but it all started with Shy Girl. When I began to do a little more research into the different shades of MAC lipsticks, I made a note to put Shy Girl at the top of my list, as all the YouTube videos and blogs I'd read had sung its praises (especially this post by Evelyn and this video). At the Macy's MAC counter in New York, I picked up Shy Girl, tried it on my lips, and knew it was a must-have.






I'd describe this colour as a peachy nude with a slight silvery shimmer that's only obvious when the lipstick is taken off. Shy Girl has a subtle but noticeable sheen. In warmer light, it appears to border on a light coral. It's a Cremesheen lipstick which I've always thought was meant to be more moisturising and creamy, but I find it a bit dry and hard in texture. However, from my experience, MAC lipsticks, like Revlon, are generally quite forgiving on the lips, in that they can easily be applied straight from the tube and don't tend to settle into fine lines. Shy Girl is one of those effortless everyday colours that you can reach for without thinking. It's dark enough to not wash the complexion out, but peachy enough to not be a traditional brown-leaning nude. It's difficult to find a neutral lipstick that is the right colour and easy to wear. Shy Girl fits the bill.



l-r: MAC Shy Girl, Revlon Charm, Revlon Soft Nude, Rimmel Nude Delight, Face of Australia Iced Almond

It turns out that I have a few similar shades, but no exact dupes. The closest to Shy Girl is probably Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Nude Delight, which makes sense since Nude Delight is one of my favourite, though oft-neglected, nude lipsticks. Face of Australia Lip Quench in Iced Almond looks very similar to Nude Delight in the swatch, but on the lips it's actually more of a pale, slightly pinkish beige, with a very creamy formulation that I find difficult to work with. Revlon ColorBurst lipstick in Soft Nude is significantly lighter but still has that distinct peachy tone of Shy Girl. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Charm is the sheerest and palest, but it stains more coral, so somewhere between when it's first applied and when it stains the lips would be the closest approximation to Shy Girl. I've always loved the colour of Charm before it inexplicably changes colour, so finding Shy Girl means I can now happily wear that shade all the time.

41 comments:

  1. i am so loving all these colors and i think i should buy revlon charm because I can not get MAC in Pakistan.. nice review... MAC is looking to sheer to me.. is it so?

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    1. This is probably one of their sheerer lipsticks - I'd recommend their matte or Amplified Creme shades for more intense pigmentation :)

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  2. I have Shy Girl in my makeup bag too! My current shade ;)

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  3. I don't really care for Mac but I love that you listed dupes because the colour is really beautiful. I'm not much of a lipstick girl but when I do wear I use either neutrals or reds, nothing else. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous shade love. xx

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  4. Gorgeous! May have to invest in this one! :)
    xx

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  5. i love that u listed the dupes! mac can get a little pricy!
    thank u for this!

    www.makeupbydulce.blogspot.com

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  6. I always end up purchasing lip products that are so similar to ones that i already have and peachy nudes are at the top of the lists. I do however, like the MAC lipstick cremesheen formulation though and their vanilla scent :) Might invest during this christmas or when i collect enough empty containers for back to Mac :)
    Thanks for swatching and finding excellent alternatives xxx

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  7. This was the first MAC lipstick I heard of! I initially loved this and wanted it so much, and much preferred it to Hue which everybody seemed to favour, but then decided it was much too peachy-nude for my skin tone and pigmented lips. It looks GORGEOUS on you though! It's much rosier in your photos than the outright peach it can look sometimes. This is definitely more appealing now that I know it doesn't nude out the lips. I've heard mixed reviews about the formula of MAC lipsticks, but some shades are worth it! I'm still eyeing up Viva Glam V but I think I'll have to check Shy Girl out too! At $36 (gasp), I wouldn't get it from Australian MAC, because that's just unheard of, but maybe at the airport or something. I might try Rimmel Nude Delight to see if it can appease me for now. I'm such a Korres Pomegranate kind of girl though- I haven't tried any nude lipsticks! Starting out with them will be interesting.

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    1. My lips are really pigmented but Shy Girl definitely is opaque enough with 2 coats to override their natural colour. And it's not nude (in the brown/pale sense) like Soft Nude or Iced Almond (the worst offender), it is distinctly peachy but in a neutral way, not pastel or clashing against yellow skin tones. Highly recommended :) I don't know if MAC is cheaper at airports, I'm thinking probably not. Nude Delight is more nudeish than Shy Girl, but it's peachy and dark enough enough to be close. Try it at Priceline or something and see if you like it :)

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    2. Mine too! I just use lip balm most days because my lips are pretty pigmented. That's also why I don't like going for pastel pinks and the like, because I'm scared it won't work. :S But this sounds so promising! I don't think Brisbane Airport's big enough to have a proper cosmetics counter- we were stuck there for 9 hours last year (QANTAS!) and I remember wandering around and not seeing any decent shops. I'm hoping we maybe get some time during stopovers in Hong Kong and Beijing... Just maybe? Shy Girl sounds like a 'must have' of a shade. So keen! Are you doing an October Favourites?

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    3. Yeah, I don't tend to wear lipstick during the day. Only at night if I remember to put a lipstick in my bag. Sometimes I'll touch up with Korres during the day if I'm bored or my lips feel dry :p Pastel pinks don't really work for me, ever, but hasn't stopped me from buying a boatload of them lol. Ugh, I hope you don't have any plane issues on your China trip. Being stuck at boring/small airports without any decent shops doesn't sound like much fun at all! And yes, I am doing Oct favs verrryyy soon, though I don't think they're terribly interesting :p

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  8. Shy Girl has been on my list for ages but I feel as if I have similar things already. Yet at the same time not quite the same. xx

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  9. I almost got this last time but I picked up Hug Me instead :) I still think this is one I will end up with eventually. I love your comparisons, they make this post so so so useful. Thanks for another awesome post!
    x

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  10. So pretty! Will back to MAC for this one. xx

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  11. Oooh all those dupes. This is a very natural shade, cremesheen finishes are my favourite from MAC. I should get this or Rebel, totally opposite but lusting over both at the moment. :)

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  12. This is so pretty :) Although the others do compare, this one definitely stands out :)

    Laura xoxo

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  13. Have heard a lot about this. Like the name too. But somehow can't bring myself to get it because I am always after the limited editions, I have so many lipsticks I can't finish them.

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  14. I love shy girl! But I can't wear it with a lip liner that's a bit darker.. I love pairing it with MAC's Dervish lip liner.. That way I don't look too dead

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  15. I have always wanted this too, but with my penchant for brighter lips I have never picked it up! I think I have a B2MAC looming soon though, so this might be on the list for summer!

    Beautiful photos btw!

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  16. I have Nude Delight from Rimmel but it is too nude for me.. I really want to be able to wear that kind of nude, but always fails. lol
    Shy girl looks more peachy on your lips though! pretty color!

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  17. YAY, I'm glad Shy Girl is a winner for you! I've heard praises about this lipstick as well, maybe I should look into it soon. It looks fabulous on you, I can totally see that shimmer on your lips! :)

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  18. I've wanted to buy this one as well, but I eventually decided not to because I wasn't sure it would suit me. I've noticed that peachy tones don't really work with my skintone...

    Sandra from The Puzzle of Sandra's Life

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  19. this and my russian red are my only mac lipsticks i've used more than half way! pure love c:
    great comparison swatches!

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  20. shygirl is such a pretty shade!! But I simply can't afford MAC so I'll probably just try the revlon charm as it looks similar and price is on my budget ^_~

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  21. It's definitely a beautiful color! I did not know this color. Looks very pretty on the lips
    hugs!

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  22. Omg shy girl is on my list now, so pretty! I need to get it :D Thanks for the swatches!


    http://letskisstomakeup.blogspot.com/

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  23. My first MAC lipstick is on its way! However, I think I must add 'Shy Girl' to my list. It looks fantastic on you!

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  24. Super pretty color i love coral to death all color are extremly pretty but MAC, Face of australia and rimmel london won the race

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  25. Hi, Nice post thanks for sharing. Would you please consider adding a link to my website on your page. Please email me back.

    Thanks!
    Kevin
    kevincollins1012@gmail.com

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  26. this color looks fabulous on you. jealous!
    sadly i can't really pull off peachy colors with sheen.
    i have the revlon soft nude but it completely washes me out as well. i need to do some serious eye makeup to wear it. ;-/

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  27. Thank you so much for the mention! I'm so happy that you love Shy Girl as much as I do :) xx

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  28. I love peachy nudes and I can't believe I don't have this lipstick in my collection. I need to go have a look at it in a MAC store~

    Liz
    chewylove.blogspot.com

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  29. What a beautiful peach nude colour! It looks so good on your lips! I'll definitely have a look into these shades of lipstick :)

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  30. i'm so glad i have the similar ones you listed! following via the hop!

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  31. Such a pretty colour! I love how it's not one of those lipsticks that will wash out your complexion. Rimmel Nude delight is one of my favourite nude lipsticks as well - which reminds me I should buy a new tube soon :)

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    1. Nude Delight is one of those lipsticks where my love for it is reignited every time I put it on ... but I just never get around to doing just that :p

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  32. Was meaning to get that one a long time ago..such a classic! Likin your blog a lot and thanks for checking out mine! Would you mind coming back again...would love to win you as a follower!

    jezzdallasmakeup.blogspot.com

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  33. I love it when you do this type of post! the dupe swatches are so amazing :) i find it so interesting that there are alot of lipsticks out there that have similar shades. and i really like that shade from Mac, i don't usually wear nude/neutral lip colours because i'm afraid they'll wash me out but it definitely looks gorgeous on you! :)

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  34. ooooooooooooo i love this lipstick review post. I do have the Revlon soft nude but I sorta like the Mac one better, has more of a orange salmon tone you know? it def fits our skintone better :)

    great review as always!

    http://jennyjiin.blogspot.com/

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