Another Back 2 MAC Success: Glaze Lipstick in Hot Tahiti

Hi, everyone! It was last month when I realized I'd accrued one of the most covetable collections a makeup maven could ask for: 6 MAC empties! Of course I'm referring to the exciting and incredible Back 2 MAC program, in which you return 6 empty MAC containers and exchange them for a brand new lipstick or eye shadow of choice. The most glamorous form of recycling out there!

I tend to do about one Back 2 MAC exchange per year (a true outcome measure of my MAC consumption) and have always been quite smitten with the free lipstick I've selected. Last summer I chose the lovely Vegas Volt lipstick, which you can see swatched here. It really is the perfect vibrant coral lip for the warmer months; I received compliments within minutes of applying it. Truly! Two years ago, my Back 2 MAC trade led me to the girly and daring Impassioned, which I featured here. It  has been a staple in my lipstick rotation since.

This year, I wanted to select a shade not quite as vivid as the two I just mentioned; instead, I was craving something that would give a pop of colour to the lips, while still being subtle and versatile enough to wear daily. After loads of painstaking research (yes, even makeup research can be painstaking!), I chose a much un-hyped about shade, Hot Tahiti. And when I say un-hyped I really mean under-hyped. This shade should definitely get more attention!

MAC Glaze Lipstick in Hot Tahihi

Hot Tahiti is a slightly warm rosy red with a sheer but buildable finish and a soft sheen. MAC describes the shade as a "soft reddish-coral". While I see the warmth in the shade, I can't detect any coral undertones. Just a pretty, wearable rosy red! I'd categorize it as a "my lips but better, plus" shade, slightly punchier than a natural lip colour, but subtle enough not to fall into red, berry, fuchsia, or vampy category.

The packaging is that of a standard MAC lipstick, a sleek black bullet:

And here are some swatches of Hot Tahiti under slightly different lighting. In each, the left swatch is a sheer application and the right is swatched more heavily:

MAC Hot Tahiti swatched (L) lightly and (R) heavily on my NC15 skin tone

As you can see from the swatches, the Glaze formula makes for a slightly shiny, sheer but buildable finish. I love it! Its buildable texture really makes it quite a versatile lipstick.

One swipe of the lipstick creates a sheer, 'just bitten' finish like this:

MAC Glaze Lipstick in Hot Tahiti

And a few more layers creates a richer, more pigmented finish like this:

MAC Glaze Lipstick in Hot Tahiti

And here are a couple pictures of me wearing it, in the context of an entire look. It was difficult to get a good shot that day (mainly because of my dorky facial expressions, rather than the lighting), but hopefully you still get a good idea of what it looks like on!

Overall, I am super pleased with this shade. As I've mentioned, its sheer, but buildable formula makes it incredibly wearable and versatile. Though it is warm-toned, it's not overly so, making it suitable for both warm- and cool-toned skin. I find that it really brightens up my face and just makes my lips look great overall.

There have been several MAC lipsticks receiving tons of love in the blogosphere lately (for instance, Rebel (which I have and love), Brick O La, and Plumful). I really think Hot Tahiti should be among them! I definitely deserves some love :)

Have you tried this shade? Is it something you'd wear? Any other favourite "my lips but better plus" shades that you love?

And one final photo for you- kitty photo bomb! She really is soo nosy.