MAC Finally Free Lipstick (and MAC haul)

~ stashy

I thought I’d post this up asap since this lipstick is a fairly new release and an online exclusive item – some people might be curious about how this looks in “real” photos.  Here is the lipstick in Finally Free:
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I purchased this the day it launched (April 7th – the same day that the VIB sale started! It was a busy day of online shopping) but it took 10 frustrating days for me to get my hands on the parcel (grrr courier services that don’t actually deliver!)

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For those who may not know, this lipstick is the collaboration between Caitlyn Jenner and MAC.  100% of the selling price ($21 CAD) goes to the MAC AIDS Fund Transgender Initiative.  I remember seeing this announcement on IG and witnessing some hateful comments directed at both Caitlyn Jenner and MAC.  Some people – I don’t understand and I guess I never will. Anyway, back to the lipstick, it is described as “Midtone rosy nude” in a Cremesheen formula.
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It is very much a MLBB type shade which adds just a touch of colour to my pigmented lips. The Cremesheen formula means it’s a little more sheer with a bit of shine – it’s very comfortable on the lips with a bit of slip.

And of course I had to compare them against other MLBB type shades in my collection:
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L to R:
• MAC Party Line: more berry toned, deeper (I knew this one wouldn’t be a dupe but I wanted to include it to show the difference)
• MAC Mystical (LE from Alluring Aquatics collection): this is almost a dead-on dupe. It’s ever so slightly lighter. I also realize that it’s no longer available, but if you already own Mystical, you may not need Finally Free (but yes, you actually should get Finally Free regardless)
• MAC Finally Free
• Elizabeth Arden Breathless: warmer and more sheer
• MAC Cosmo: deeper, redder, more opaque
• Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Rush: cooler toned, more opaque, deeper
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I’ve only worn Finally Free twice but I love the colour and formula – it’s very easy to wear and goes with just about any eye or blush colour. Unfortunately, this lipstick is an online exclusive and limited edition.  But I think for the lovely product and the cause, it’s worth making that extra effort to get this. 🙂

And, since I was placing an order anyway, why not pick up some other stuff? 😉  I noticed last month that MAC now offers travel version of their most popular brushes. These are denoted by the “SH” in their names (for “short handle”) – typically MAC has these SH brushes in Holiday sets but those are made in China. But these ones are all made in Japan, just like their full sized counterparts! I intend to take these with me on my trip.  I got:
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• 239SH Eye Shader Brush
• 217SH Blending Brush
• 129SH Powder/Blush Brush
I do already own the 2 eye brushes in the full size, but not the powder brush.

I also bought a few skincare basics:
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• Cleanse Off Oil – one of my top 3 cleansing oils
• Lightful Softening Lotion – never tried this before but it comes highly recommended (I just love that holographic box!)
• Strobe Cream (travel size) – had this before and really like it, the small size lasts me ages
• Pro Eye Makeup Remover (free 6ml sample)

Are you thinking of getting the Caitlyn Jenner x MAC Finally Free lipstick?

68 thoughts on “MAC Finally Free Lipstick (and MAC haul)”

    1. You’re right, there’s nothing terribly unique about this shade but I think it’d be universally flattering! I did wish that there was something special about the packaging… ah well, I still love it. I’m wearing it today!

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  2. I think I may just buy this lipstick! And I’m curious about your shipping experience… There’s a promo for free Express shipping on all orders right now.

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    1. I’ll email you. It’s about a courier service that you know a lot about. 😉
      And yes, you should get this! (and I realized that you had emailed me – I will email you back!)

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  3. Hmm, it seemed boring to me, but now that I see it swatched with your other lippies, I kinda want it! I don’t know how I don’t have Cosmo already, though 😀

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    1. Yes you need Cosmo. It’s an Amplified formula so it’s rich and saturated colour. I plan to get more Amplified lipsticks – perhaps I’ll Back to MAC for one next time!
      Finally Free is lovely – I was pleasantly surprised it’s such a wearable shade – based on the images I thought it’d be deeper.

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  4. I was about to say this looks great but really similar to Cosmo! Glad I saw this, as I was considering just getting it as I like the initiative, but I’m glad I saw this first, I just won’t reach for it if I have cosmo. The way it was being described it sounded like it had something unique about it!

    I do LURRRRVE that Lightful box, is the product equally as pretty?

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    2. I thought it’d be something really different too – I thought it’d be deeper / redder. But on the other hand, I’m really glad it’s just a wearable shade for me – I could see myself reaching for this often.
      Yes the Lightful bottle is just like the box!

      The whole line is like that. 😀

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    1. Yes you must try at least one in your life! They’re all around good. Not sure if they’re my absolute favourite but they had such a huge selection of colours and finishes, there’s certainly something for everyone.

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  6. Man, that is such a pretty shade! Too bad it’s not available in stores – I hate having to buy more stuff just so I can get free shipping.
    You should do a “what you’re bringing to Japan” post!

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    1. Yes, I fell for the trap of ordering stuff to get free shipping – once I started, I couldn’t stop… but I’m happy with my purchases!
      I will definitely do a post on what makeup / skincare I’m planning on bringing to Japan! 😀 I’ve already started a list.

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    1. Yes, I always gravitate toward shades like this, although since this colour was bought purely base on online photos, I thought it would have been a darker colour. But I don’t mind! I should try to find a drugstore dupe for this colour, actually! 🙂

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  10. I’ll probably get it because I like the charity it supports. Ms Jenner has NOTHING to do with influencing my purchase.

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  12. Finally Free looks super pretty! I like how you included other swatches from your collection so we could see the differences or similarities haha 😛 have you written a post about the strobe cream before? I’d love to learn more about it and your posts are always so informative and well thought out.

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    1. It is really pretty and I was a little surprised that it was SO similar to what I already owned. In my defense, based on the photos online and the description, I thought it would be a deeper colour!
      Hmm I don’t actually have a post dedicated to the MAC Strobe cream, but I did write about it in my Trash Stash post in May 2015 when I had it as an empty, here it is:

      Trash Stash: May 2015


      My main gripe about it is the fragrance – it’s quite strong!

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    1. I’ll do a post dedicated to comparing the full size and travel size – when I put them side by side, the handles and the ferrules were both shorter – in total about 3″ shorter.

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  14. Such a beautiful shade and for a great cause! I kind of feel like I need another MAC haul soon… but I just bought concert tickets a few hours ago which will require a trip to the states this summer so I better behave for a bit, haha! I’m going to live vicariously through your haul! 🙂

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  15. Lovely colour and it does look very similar to Mystical, I even had to do a double take on it just to be sure my eyes aren’t playing with me. I think the Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick 19 is a close dupe to this Finally Free lipstick, which is what I already own. It is a shame though that it doesn’t have much of a wow factor, but I can understand why one might go and buy it, other than a limited edition lipstick, but to support a charity. I don’t know if it will become available in Australia and even so, I don’t know if I would spend AUD$36 on a MAC lipstick that I know that I have a similar/dupe from a drugstore. I like how you have compared this to other similar lipstick shades, really well done! 🙂 x

    Caryl – http://carylalmelor.com/

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    1. Oh I don’t have Rimmel #19 – I shall look into that. I was wondering if there was a drugstore dupe for this shade. Obviously I seem to love these types of colours! 😛
      Yes, I had to order it sight unseen so I had no idea it would be SO similar to Mystical – I was really thinking that it’d be more red and deeper. I don’t mind since I know I’ll wear this colour but too bad it’s not more distinct, especially coming from Caitlyn Jenner. Ah well, I guess this shade would suit a lot of skintones. I still shake my head at the prices you pay there…!

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    1. In my defense, I had to buy this without seeing it in person so I THOUGHT it was going to be redder / darker. But upon getting it and swatching it… well, you can see how similar it really is to the other colours. I don’t mind, I’ll definitely get use out of it!

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    1. I’m telling you, cleansing oils will change your LIFE. I’ve repurchased the MAC one many times. It’s pricey but very effective and a good ingredient list. It smells like lemon cake too. 🙂

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    1. HOLA! Girl, are you never coming back to blogging? And I don’t want to hear BS about you being in medical school. psssh. 🙄
      And no, I haven’t heard of the shade Retro and I just looked it up – oooh I might need to add that on my wish list, it’s such a pretty WARM MLBB type of shade – I find many of them are quite brown or cool toned. Thanks for the rec! 😀

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    1. The wrist is ok – but, I’m hoping it will improve. I had my ergonomic assessment at work and it turns out my desk was set up ALL wrong! I was putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on my wrist, arms and shoulders. That was just on Friday so I hope the new set up will help improve over the next few weeks.
      Maybe it’s a good thing that MAC is so expensive there so you don’t get tempted. $21 for me is easy to get sucked in… but if it was closer to $40 I would think harder about buying it! 😛 For $21, what quality of lipsticks can you buy there… is it more like drugstore brands?

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      1. Ok at least you know now how you can help yourself 🙂
        Haha yes – maybe it is a good thing :p Yep..Drugstore brands like L Oréal and Revlon can go up to $25+ ..the more premium stuff you find in Sephora and department stores start at $30.

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  22. The stand alone 129 (long handle) is also made in China. *sigh* It shred like hell. I have 129 SH, set and the stand alone one. The most enduring is the stand alone 129SH (made in Japan). The 129SH from the set was ridiculous, the same wasn’t even the same.

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    1. Glad to know that the stand alone 129SH is good – I hate the full size one because it felt so scratchy, I never bought it. But when I saw that it was made in Japan, I was willing to give it a go. It’s such a shame MAC decided to cut corners in their sets… I know to stay away from those.

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