14 Popular MAC Lip Liner Swatches + Possible Lipstick Combos

best mac lip liner swatches review - nude mac lip combos

A complete review of 14 popular MAC lip liner shades with swatches and possible lip combos – from Soar to Whirl, and from Half Red to Plum and Chestnut!

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Years before I started working as a retail artist for MAC Cosmetics in Paris, and then in London, I had already, deeply, unequivocally fallen in love with the brand.

I’d even go as far as saying that it’s the will to fleet around a MAC store one day that led me to go to makeup artist school, and to become a freelance makeup artist later on.

If the gorgeous matte MAC lipsticks are the one product I first came across, notably with Mehr, Whirl and Velvet Teddy, it’s actually the brand’s lip liners that, in my opinion, show just how crafty-crafty this brand is when it comes to makeup.

14 Popular MAC Lip Liner Swatches + Possible Lipstick Combos

Since the MAC lip liners are some of the most popular lip pencils to be found on the market, and since I collect and love them, I thought a complete review with swatches would come in handy.

Here’s how this review is structured:

What makes the MAC lip liners different from other brands’ lip liners
MAC lip liner swatches and possible lip combos
Final thoughts: buy again or buy something else?

popular mac lip liner swatches review - nude mac lip combos

Referenced and swatched in this review are the following MAC lip liner shades:

Whirl: Dirty rose
Soar: Mid-tone cool mauve
Beet: Vivid reddish pink
Half Red: Soft burgundy plum
Plum: Potent reddened plum
Stone: Muted greyish-taupe brown
Chestnut: Intense brown
Cork: Muted golden brown
Mahogany: Intense reddish brown
Auburn: Intense orange-reddish brown
Chicory: Soft muted peachy brown
Spice: Pink cinnamon stick
Stripdown: Creamy brown beige
Oak: Soft beige brown

MAC Lip Liners: What Makes Them Different?

At $25 apiece, the MAC lip liners are quite luxurious little pencils to have in one’s stash – it’s, hence, normal to wonder if they really are worth it.

At the very least, if there’s something that really does set them apart from more budget options, like the Kiko Smart Fusion lip pencils or the Barry M lip liners, which are two of my go-to ranges when it comes to outlining my lips.

The features I’ve noticed over my years using the MAC lip liners are the following:

there’s a wide range of colors, and there have actually been new additions to the MAC lip liners recently, including new nude lip liners and even a black one to match the Caviar lipstick
they’re very long, helping us be more or less precise when holding the lip liner
they’re waxy just enough that they drag only a tiny teeny bit on the lips, helping us draw an outline precisely or color the entire lips

Read: 9 Beautiful Fall MAC Lipsticks from Nude to Mauve

best mac lip liner swatches review - nude mac lip combos - mac whirl soar beet half red plum stone chestnut cork mahogany auburn chicory spice stripdown oak

14 Popular MAC Lip Liner Swatches

You will find above and below, all the swatches to the MAC lip liners I currently own.

I don’t have that many purple or red lip liners from the brand, as I wear more nude lipsticks at the moment (a lot of the Lustreglass lipsticks, I’m currently in luuuv), and also feel that MAC Cosmetics really masters nude lip products.

For the purposes of this review, I’ve swatched Whirl and Soar next to each other on purpose, and done the same with Half Red and Plum, Chestnut/Cork/Mahogany, Mahogany/Auburn/Chicory, Chicory/Spice, and Stripdown/Oak.

These are the MAC lip liners that often get mistaken for one another, or that, when looking on the website, can feel really (too) close in color – they’re not.

Read: Fall Makeup: 7 Drugstore Lipgloss Combos For Fair to Dark Skin

If you love the Stone lip liner, and all kinds of greige lip liners, MAC has recently released a lighter version, the Greige lip liner, which can be interesting to wear with desaturated lipsticks like Bronx from the Retro Matte range.

By the way, since I told you I’d share possible lip combos with the MAC lip liners and popular lipsticks from MAC, here goes:

Whirl: Whirl, Velvet Teddy, Honeylove, Viva Planet
Soar: Soar, Mehr, Velvet Teddy, Modesty, Cosmo, Sweet Deal
Beet: Faux, Brave, Mehr, Lovers Only, D for Danger
Half Red: Velvet Teddy, Mehr, Honeylove
Plum: Whirl, Velvet Teddy, Sweet Deal, Thanks It’s MAC
Stone: Bronx, Thanks It’s MAC, Mehr
Chestnut: Antique Velvet, Whirl, Ruby Woo, Viva Heart, Viva Equality
Cork: Cafe Mocha, Sugar Dada, Hug Me, Viva Heart
Mahogany: Marrakesh, Marrakesh-Mere (Powder Kiss), Cafe Mocha, Forever Curious (MACximal Silky Matte)
Auburn: Burnt Spice (Retro Matte Liquid), Cafe Mocha
Chicory: Honeylove, Brick-o-La, Chili
Spice: Burnt Spice, Modesty, Cosmo
Stripdown: Hug Me, Thanks It’s MAC, Bronx
Oak: Hug Me, Yash, Viva Planet

Read: 4 Must-Have Matte MAC Lipstick Shades for a Statement Look

MAC Lip Liners: Buy Again or Buy Something Else?

I think this is a question we all know the answer to – if given the opportunity to buy MAC lip liners again, I most definitely would.

I’m actually thinking of getting a few of the new MAC lip liner shades released a few weeks ago, especially the nude lip liners, as, well, they’re just awesome.

A good lip liner can make or break a lip look, just like the use of a good lip primer, and that’s not to be overlooked as both products, while they can seem futile expenses, bring more ease to the application moment, make the outline crispier, more precise, and, in a word, aesthetic.

Read: MAC Pigment Swatches: Melon, Golden Olive, Pink Pearl, Blue Brown

14 Popular MAC Lip Liner Swatches + Possible Lipstick Combos

While I love MAC Cosmetics, I sometimes like not splurging on the brand’s products as it’s hard for me to stop myself from slipping a few more bits and bobs in my basket when I’m in a MAC store.

But when it comes to the lip liners, they’re so pigmented, long-lasting, and with just the right amount of waxing agent inside that they’re one product I recommend everyone to try, use, love, and adopt.

If you’re tight on money, the three most popular MAC lip liner shades for fair skin are Whirl, Soar, and Spice – must-haves.

If you have medium to dark skin, then shades like Cork, Chestnut and Plum are three of the most popular, along with Burgundy, Vino, or Cyber World that I have not shown you today.

All that’s left to do, really, is just have fun – isn’t that, at least partly, what makeup is for?

Until next time!

14 Popular MAC Lip Liner Swatches + Possible Lipstick Combos

14 Popular MAC Lip Liner Swatches + Possible Lipstick Combos

MAC Lip Liners: What Makes Them Different?

14 Popular MAC Lip Liner Swatches

MAC Lip Liners: Buy Again or Buy Something Else?

14 Popular MAC Lip Liner Swatches + Possible Lipstick Combos

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