Mac 5 Alarm lipstick review

MAC Lipstick 5-Alarm // Swatch + Review

My little sister went on a college trip to New York last month and she texted me to ask if I wanted anything from MAC because it works out cheaper with the exchange rate.
I am a huge fan of MAC lipsticks so I couldn’t pass this up, I wanted to pick two but I had no idea which ones to go for. I remembered that See Sheer was definitely on my wish list but I was unsure of the second lipstick. I had an hour to reply to her text before she went back to the MAC store. 

MAC 5 alarm, mac 5 alarm lipstick, mac red lipstick
I went on the MAC website, browsed through the lustre finish range (can’t go wrong with lustre!) and spotted 5-Alarm, a beautiful sheer red/orange. It was a shade I hadn’t heard of before, so I googled for swatches and reviews, and I was happy with what I saw! 
5 Alarm is a beautiful sheer red lipstick from MAC
5-Alarm is part of MAC’s Red Red Red collection, and I’ve heard that it’s a limited edition but I’m not 100% sure on that. If it is limited edition, I’m going to stock up on a couple more before it discontinues!
5-Alarm didn’t look as red on the website so when I opened it up and saw how bright the bullet looked, I was initially worried that I might have made the wrong decision. 
However, I am so pleased I went for 5-Alarm in the end, it is a soft red lipstick with warm orange undertones which suits my asian skin tone so well. I don’t have the best of luck when searching for a red lipstick but I don’t regret the decision I made on a whim, I love it and have been wearing it loads since I got it!
A swatch of MAC 5-alarm red lipstick
5-Alarm isn’t a classic red lipstick and as you can see from my hand swatch, it is quite sheer with a slightly glossy sheen. On the second swatch photo, you can see that the coverage and the colour can be built up when it is applied on to the lips to give quite a striking red with orange undertones.
MAC 5 alarm swatch, mac 5 alarm lipstick, mac red lipstick
Normally, I don’t have a problem with MAC’s Lustre formula, I expect it to be sheer (and to some extend, buildable) and I’m aware that it doesn’t have the lasting power compared to their other lipsticks but with 5-Alarm, it is noticeably dryer than the ones I’ve tried in the lustre range. But due to how difficult it is for me to find a red lipstick that suits me, I’m willing to let that go. Lip balms at the ready!!
I’d say that if you’re after a red lipstick that you can wear during the day time, 5-Alarm is the one for you! It’s a soft, lustre, semi sheer finish so it’s absolutely perfect for a low maintenance red lip.
SHOP: MAC Lipstick in shade 5-Alarm
£15.50
Click here to read more of my MAC lipstick reviews including my Top 5 Favourite MAC Lipsticks.
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19 thoughts on “MAC Lipstick 5-Alarm // Swatch + Review

  1. Oh my, that is absolutely gorgeous on you! I've never heard of this shade but I'm sad that it might be a limited edition as I'm actively stopping myself from getting anymore red lipstick. I love orange-toned lipsticks for the warmer months and all of the ones I own are pretty opaque…so maybe I'm allowed to justify another purchase? 😛 xxx

    Daphne | subgenre of a dream | bloglovin

  2. This is such a Sarah shade! It's gorgeous.

    I thought, looking at it in the bullet, that it would look so very vibrant but it's so pretty swatched. That low maintenance but slick, classy look suits you so well. And I'm forever coveting your blush!

    x

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