As I make my way through MAC's entire product line, there are some products that I liked, but they didn't blow me away. I used them for awhile and set them aside either because I got tired of them or because they got lost somewhere in the shuffle of new, incoming products in the big white box of beauty products with black shutters that we call our house. One of the products that I used for a while and liked but wasn't blown away by was MAC Lustreglass.


Product Details:

Lustreglass is a lip gloss that is a lot like its non-sheer sister, MAC Lipglass. It comes in the same type of packaging (clear gloss tube with a black cap), but there are a few differences. The most obvious two differences are that the applicator is a brush (as opposed to Lipglass' sponge-tipped applicator) and that Lustreglass is more sheer. But the two are still a lot alike in other ways, which I will get to later in this review.

Lustreglass comes in 24 shades, most or all of which are sheer (the shades I've seen at the MAC counter have all been sheer, but I don't think I've seen all of the shades). These colors can all be seen online at MACCosmetics.com and from what I can recall, the color swatches there are fairly accurate.

From MACCosmetics.com: Two high-powered effects - Lustre and Glass - in one new lip finish. This amazing ornamental finish shines the lips with hi-shine overlaid with various tones of pearlized glaze. Beyond sexy. Transcends all known shine.

There is .17 oz. of gloss in each tube of Lustreglass.


Ingredients (taken from packaging for Flusterose shade):

Polybutene, isocetyl stearate, diisostearyl malate, trimethylolpropane triisostearate, silica, shea butter extract, soybean seed extract, tocopheryl acetate, quartz, ceramide 3, tin oxide, calcium sodium borosilicate, synthetic fluorphlogopite, flavor, propylparaben. May Contain: Red 30 lake, mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, bismuth oxychloride, carmine, blue 1 lake, red 6, red 7 lake, red 28 lake, red 30, red 33 lake, yellow 5 lake, yellow 6 lake, yellow 10 lake.


My Experience:

Because I loved Lipglass so much, I was excited to try its sheer, shimmery counterpart. I chose Flusterose which is described as a "fabulously flustered mid-tone rose pink" on MAC's website. The swatch shows a light but not pale pink shade. When this product arrived, it looks like a shimmery light pink shade in the tube but it's actually so sheer that it has next to no color. The color comes from the shimmer particles more than the gloss itself.

I was disappointed that Lustreglass has a brush applicator. It's a small brush attached to the wand attached to the cap. I don't like brush applicators because they normally don't allow for precision application like sponge-tipped (or doe-foot) applicators do. They tend to splay all over the place and act unpredictable. Lustreglass' brush applicator isn't awful like some cheaper brands, but I would still prefer the sponge-tipped applicator.

The consistency of Lustreglass is a lot like Lipglass. It's thick with just a touch of stickiness to make it long-lasting. These products are both a tad bit sticky in a good way - not in a cheap, isn't-going-to-last-anyway kind of way.

I like the shimmery finish of my Flusterose shade. It has a touch of metallic-ness to it while still being shimmery. Like I said earlier, the color comes more from the shimmer than it does from the gloss. This gloss is too sheer for me to wear alone but it gives a nice glossy, shimmery, pink finish over lipstick. This shade would be good for those who want just a touch of shimmery color and would be a good choice for young women whose parents don't want them to look made up but will still allow them to wear makeup (my mom never let me wear dark shades when I was a teen). Those looking for a powerful punch of color AND shimmer will probably be disappointed by Lustreglass, as it's just not strong enough in either area.

The lasting power of Lustreglass is really good. I can get over an hour of wear from one application. My lips stay glossy and the color stays as well. The shimmer never migrates and while there is some shimmer left on my lips when this gloss wears away, it doesn't look awful.

Of course, Lustreglass has a great scent. To my nose, it smells like vanilla frosting. I absolutely love the scent of MAC's lip products!

Overall, I really like Lustreglass. However, I find myself purchasing other products first before I purchase a second shade of this product, because I am not a huge fan of sheer glosses, preferring more opaque glosses instead. But if I come across a great shade I can't resist, I won't hesitate to buy it.


Price and Purchasing Information:

Lustreglass costs $14.00. It can be found online at MACCosmetics.com and Gloss.com. It can also be found at MAC counters.

Recommended: Yes