Don't get me wrong... I love MAC. But their lipsticks are rather hit and miss. There are the classics; you can find them on the Back 2 MAC lists or countless blogs. The staple lippies wont let you down but buyer beware for limited edition shades or more tricky formulas. Some can glide on with full coverage with barely a swipe and other drag like sand paper across your gob.
The great thing about MAC, and especially their lipstick, is the variety; both in culture and texture. It's so much more than just the run of the mill 5 different pink selections you find in other ranges. If you are looking for a shade that is a little out of the ordinary (or completely?) then MAC would be the way to go.
All MAC lipsticks have a vanilla scent that some people don't mind and others hate. It is nowhere near as strong as some other brands (I'm looking at you Revlon) but still detectable.
So I have a couple of these (roughly 15) and I really do love them. While I do agree that there are some Mac lipsticks that are a bit iffy I think it's all about finding your right colour and finish.
I personally hate glossy lipsticks. I never wear lipgloss and if I put on a lipstick that is a bit glossy I always blot it with a tissue to turn it matte. That is until I started using the matte Mac lipsticks. I personally think they are amazing. I completely forget I'm wearing them and they last a decent time. I work as a waitress so am working 4/5 hours before I get a break to touch up my lipstick and really I only do that to bring a bit more colour back. They are almost like lipstains because they last so well.
The new retro matte lipsticks seem to be a bit of a fail. I purchased a couple of them since I love matte but these just seem to tug on your lips so I would suggest skipping them and just sticking to matte ones.
Overall I would still recommend them to everyone and I know there have been a few times where some of my friends have borrowed them for town
Tips: Make sure you go into the store (if you live near one) to try the colour first. Try and wear it for a day and if you still like it go for it.
Also make sure you exfoliate and moisturise your lips before applying the lipstick especially with the matte ones as they can show dry skin on your lips quite a lot.
Ensure that you keep any lipstick containers that are empty and also eyeshadow ones (or just depot your eyeshadows into a palette) as once you have 6 empties you can go into Mac and Back2Mac them which means you can swap them for a free lipstick (one of their more populars lippies such as Russian Red and Morange)