I’ve been a long-time fan of MAC lipsticks – I still remember the first ones I bought when I was in high school. I had saved up for what seemed like forever to buy a few including Pink Glaze, Wuss and “O” (two of which I think are discontinued now). Many of the formulas are drying for my lips but the colors are so good I just can’t ever resist them. MAC just launched a new program called MAC Select which is exclusive to maccosmetics.com and MAC owned/operated stores. It’s a loyalty program where you receive a unique member ID number that allows you access to certain exclusives, early access and more options for tracking your Back to MAC items. All the details on the program tiers here and FAQs answered here – you can register online (that’s how I signed up) or in MAC stores. To celebrate this launch MAC released a new matte lipstick called So Select ($17 for 3g) which is described as a dirty rose. You have to be a member to be able to purchase it. I have a love/hate relationship with some of the MAC neutrals. Some look so so good swatched on the hand but then on my lips the color looks like death (ie Twig, Spirit, Whirl). Still there are tons of neutral options in almost every imaginable undertone so you’re bound to find one that works.
So Select is indeed a dirty rose color. It’s a neutral that has a slightly deep undertone. It’s exactly what I hoped Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita would look like on me (which is a bit too dark for my personal taste). I’ve pulled a few other shades to compare it to for reference since with MAC neutrals on a computer screen and also in person, sometimes they can all look the same in the tubes. I’ve found myself really loving So Select – it’s got some brown undertones but not too much that it looks like death, there’s enough rose and pink that gives it a bit of life. A few more shots of the color in different lighting.
Swatch comparisons to a few other MAC Lipsticks (l to r) Mehr, So Select, Velvet Teddy, Cosmo and Brave, also Kat Von D Lolita shown next to it for reference:
I didn’t reswatch KVD Lolita but you can see it lip swatched in this post here, the other MAC lipsticks shown above lip-swatched below:
I’m thrilled So Select is a neutral rose-pink-brown that works for my complexion. It’s dark enough on my skin that it’s not quite neutral, but it’s still light enough in color that it doesn’t look too vampy on my lips. As with other MAC Mattes, it has full coverage. If my lips are on the dry side, I do like to prep the lips with the MAC Prep + Prime first.
The MAC Select Program applies online and also in MAC stores but I haven’t checked to see if they carry this one (I usually buy MAC products online directly from their website or shop in store at Nordstrom) – if you’ve spotted this in store let me know in the comments.
Bottom line thumbs up! Have you tried this shade yet? What did you think?
