mac

We interrupt our regular schedule of dark fall lipsticks to bring you this important message about trees…

Wait — did I say trees? I meant twigs. 🙂 Rather, a twig, as in MAC Twig Lipstick ($14.50), today’s Unsung Hero and another one of my favorite transitional shades.

QUICK REWIND: What are “transitional shades”? They’re what I like to call colors that help bridge the gap between the vivacious shades you want to wear (yet might not feel ready for), and the shades you feel most comfortable wearing now.

Say it’s one of the dark, rich lipsticks we see a lot in fall, something like a full-on vampy red. If you feel the urge to go there but haven’t quit mustered the courage, an approachable lipstick like Twig could walk you a little further down the path to your ultimate destination.

It’s a little like Crème in Your Coffee (another great transitional shade), except a smidgen lighter and a little more pink than brown; I feel like Twig’s semi-matte finish gives it a slightly more formal, more conservative, vibe than Crème has with its subtle sheen.

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So maybe you’re tempted to try darker MAC lippies like Dubonnet and Paramount but haven’t worked up the courage? No worries. I totally get it. If you’re not accustomed to seeing yourself in dramatic lip colors, a bout with “transitional shades” could help. Somewhere between the bolder colors you eventually want to wear and the colors you’re already comfortable in, transitional shades can help you push your limits while easing you into something bold.

Say your game plan is to work your way up to fall’s darker browns, reds and plums. Crème in Your Coffee ($14.50) lipstick, today’s Unsung Hero, could be a great place to start.

MAC describes the color, which is part of the company’s Cremesheen lipstick line, as a mid-tone pinkish brown, and I think it’s that touch of pink that elevates it from a run-of-the-mill nude lipstick to something else (something more). The brown within it gives it a degree of intensity, but one that doesn’t cross the line into melodramatic, and the combined shade sits comfortably at the halfway point between barely-there and look-at-me lips.

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