I’m starting to wonder if lipsticks are tested by people who don’t eat, drink, or talk for hours. I know brand claims can be out there, but I honestly don’t know how anyone is getting 6-hours of shine and 8-hours of color out of the MAC Lusterglass Sheer-Shine Lipstick.

The Lustreglass formula is a sheer (but buildable) lipstick and I do like it, but when stacked up against MAC’s claims, it falls very short. The formula is only sheer if you use 1 light layer. That is possible, but with 1 light layer, I don’t see much shine at all. I find that I have to use 2 or 3 layers to get it to look shiny. Then, unfortunately, the shine is gone about an hour later. As I’ve mentioned in my other lipstick reviews, I drink water and tea all day (no straw), so I do put my lipstick through a lot. I’m not expecting miracles, but if the brand claims that the shine lasts for 6 hours, I think it’s fair to be upset that it’s gone after an hour even if I had a drink. I do have dry lips, but I also have other lipsticks where the shine lasts longer. Propa Beauty Luminous Satin Lipstick is the closest lipstick I can think of that has a longer-lasting shine and can be sheer if applied lightly. Even the Dior Addict Lipstick (which I don’t think is worth $45), has a longer-lasting shine although it is more pigmented if you are interested in MAC Lustreglass for its sheer, buildable nature. You can get a medium pigment out of the MAC formula if you’d prefer more coverage. On the other hand, the Dior Addict isn’t as even when applied lightly, it kind of needs to be built up to its full pigment. I do have pigmented lips, so your mileage may vary on that.

MAC Lustreglass Sheer-Shine Lipstick in Business Casual, $26.00

MAC describes Business Casual as a warm red nude

After 3 hours, while there is still color on my lips and it looks fine from a distance, it does start to migrate into my lip lines. That is usually where I take the opportunity to touch up. When I don’t touch up, I can only see issues from up close in the mirror but the color still lasts for close to 5 hours (even if I eat lunch during that time). To me, with how much I drink, 5 hours of color is great, it’s just not the 8 hours the brand claims. On the upside, I do agree with the claims that the MAC Lustrelgass provides moisture and conditions the lips. Two formulas that I think do an even better job of conditioning the lips are the Propa Beauty Luminous Satin Lipstick and the Huda Beauty Cream Glow Lipstick. I know I reference these formulas a lot, but I like to give a point of reference to add context. I also get more continual shine from the Pat McGrath SatinAllure Lipstick and it needs a touch-up at about the same 3-hour mark, but the MAC Lustreglass formula is more moisturizing.

So would I recommend the MAC Lusterglass Sheer-Shine Lipsticks? Maybe. I have to be honest, despite how much I love the brand, MAC lipsticks have never been my favorite but I continue to go back to them because they always have flattering options for my skin tone. I think they are a decent lipstick if you are someone who doesn’t mind reapplying often to keep the shine. If you are looking for something that stays shiny for a few hours, based on my experience, I would look elsewhere. Considering that these are $26, I do think there are better formulas in the same range or cheaper. However, if you tend to like MAC lipsticks, chances are high that you will like these too.

---

Are you a fan of MAC lipsticks? What’s your favorite?

---

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around. You can check out my Brands A-Z index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.