The Lime Crime Chinchilla Experiment: Grey Lipstick Swatches, Mini-review and Look

[Pictured Left-to-Right: Lime Crime My Beautiful Rocket, Lime Crime Chinchilla]  

Some of you may recall a few months ago, I posted about Lime Crime's limited edition Chinchilla lipstick, which is the unlikeliest and most unexpected shade of grey.
Well what does a girl do on Cyber Monday while stocking up on staples like Great Pink Planet and Countessa Fluorescent? She drops an extra "experimental" lipstick into her cart for the heck of it.
Well that experiment took a long time to ship, but has finally arrived.
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When I opened the tube, I wasn't too sure what to make of it. The first thing I thought was, "This isn't really grey." Well, it is, kinda.
I would describe it as a smoky lavender. Equal parts purple and grey. So I compared it to my other purple lipsticks for reference. As you can see below, even NYX Power looks pink in comparison, so if you're not very comfortable with that shade on your lips, you will most likely not like this one.

Swatches from L-to-R: MAC Sheen Supreme in Asian Flower, Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn, NYX Power, and Lime Crime Chinchilla

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Now the important question: how does it look on the lips??
On its own, I wouldn't call it the most wearable lipstick around. The formula is great; very creamy and opaque, with that lovely vanilla scent. But it will take some getting used to when you look in the mirror for the first few times.
I definitely don't find it ugly, but I can't quite imagine this being too flattering on anyone who isn't at least medium-fair in skin tone. If you are deeper than about NW30-NC35, this might really look weird. If you are very pale with minimal or no ruddiness in your skin this is likely to look quite beautiful. In an odd way.
This is definitely a statement lip without having to be really loud.
With that said, here's a picture of a smoky, monochromatic look featuring Chinchilla on NC25 skin. I've found this lipstick looks more "wearable" with muted cool-toned shades like greys, charcoals, and deep purples as these bring out the purple tones of the lipstick. If you want it to really look grey, pair it with stronger, or warmer shades as the lipstick will look even more muted in contrast.
Topping it with a gloss will also make the shade a lot more wearable.
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Edgier Monochrome Look (above) -
On lids: MAC Crystal eyeshadow, Shale eyeshadow, and Grape pigment.
On lips: Lime Crime Chinchilla
On cheeks: TheBalm Bahama Mama as contour
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Softer Look (above) -
Add to cheeks: NYX Dusty Rose Blush on apples
Add to lips: Kiehl's Lip Gloss in Mahvelous Mauve dabbed on lightly
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Verdict?
Definitely interesting, but I'll just stick with my more "conventional" Lime Crime colors (neon orange and electric pink) for everyday wear, though I will be pulling this out from time to time, and wondering if I just might have the guts to wear it out.
The color is so unique as a lipstick that I can't really call the look beautiful or ugly. Maybe my mind can't grasp how lips could be that color, and is simultaneously attracted by the dusty lavender shade and repulsed by the alien-ness of the color worn on my lips.
Takes time to get used to, and definitely not for the faint of heart, because you will likely find yourself the only one who will really appreciate it. (The only word the BF could think of to describe this was "scary".)

Review and Swatches: MAC Asian Flower Sheen Supreme Lipstick and Dress It Up Pro Longwear Lipcreme

MAC Sheen Supreme in Asian Flower

I stopped by MAC with some gift vouchers and came back with two new babies from the latest Style Drive and Seasonally Supreme collections:

(L-to-R) MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Dress It Up, and Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Asian Flower

You'll be happy to know these two collections are now part of the permanent line, although for me, these were the two standouts.

Asian Flower is a strong super-glossy violet with a hint of shimmer, but it looks like a creme rather than a frost lipstick, which is great. It's actually very close to Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn in tone, but a touch less purple, more glossy and less opaque.

I'll probably keep buying this until I get too old to pull it off anymore.

(From top): MAC Up The Amp, MAC Asian Flower, and Lime Crime Airborne Unicorn

This is an extremely fun and comfortable violet to wear, looks even on the lips, and more flattering than you might think. I don't like pale Sheen Supremes because they tend to settle into lines and cake up where your lips meet, but this shade has not done that.

The second shade is the opposite in texture.
Being a MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme, Dress It Up is undoubtedly a thick, opaque, velvet finish after setting. I've been into mattes lately, and this shade keeps everything very modern and updated.

MAC Dress It Up Pro Longwear Lipcreme on lips.

The shade, however, is the standout for me.
If you don't have access to Snob lipstick, and don't like how patchy and sheer Revlon Pink Pout is, this lipstick is perfect. It's a creme finish, without any shimmer, and a beautiful cool toned nude-pink that isn't too pale (as compared to NYX Narcissus and MAC Saint Germain. If you are medium to tan skinned and want to try a cool matte lip, you might want to go to your nearest MAC counter and check this out.

 (L-to-R) Revlon Pink Pout, NYX Narcissus, MAC Dress It Up

The fact that you don't need to touch it up often is a bonus, as the lipstick will probably go a much longer way. However, the bad part about wearing one of these long-lasting finishes is that you can't touch up without removing all your lipstick. Attempting to layer on more product will just give you a gunky mess if you're not careful about it.