MAC • Force Of Love - Matte • Lipstick

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PopHarlot on 6/17/2012 7:56:00 AM more reviews by PopHarlot

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I really had high hopes for this as it reminded me of Impassioned, one of my all time favourite shades. Unfortunately it turned quite neon pink on me without the depth or warmth that Impassioned seems to have, and while I like matte it doesn't work so well with a shade like this for me - I prefer corals and pinks to have a bit of sheen. I won't throw it away, but won't get a back up either.

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*TOP REVIEWER* lilinah on 5/27/2012 7:00:00 PM more reviews by lilinah

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

This is one INTENSE color! Not quite day-glo, but really strong and bright! It isn't the sort of color i usually wear, but i got it because i wanted to try wearing brighter lipsticks. Because it is so intensely colored, even as it wears off, color remains.
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I like it because it is a coral-ish pink, not orange, but not really pink. I still am not convinced it's good on me, but i keep playing with it and i am liking it better as i figure out the best "face" to go with it.
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FoL is matte, and matte lipsticks are often drying. So i sometimes apply MAC Prep+Prime Lip first.
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Other times i put Blossom Culture Sheen Supreme on first, then top it with Force of Love. Since the Sheen Supreme lipstick is moisturizing this keeps FoL from drying out my lips. Also, the pinky-orange of Blossom Culture (a pink that is more orange than FoL, but a much less intense color) moderates FoL so it doesn't look so crazy bright.
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Sometimes i top it with Force of Love Lipglass, also from the Chenman Love & Water collection. It is the same color, but far less intense than the lipstick, so that moderates it a bit.
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I'm also trying to find a lip liner to go with it - not necessarily match, but control and/or tone it down.
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I'm still experimenting with it because i am not used to wearing such bright lipsticks.

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lucypotamus on 5/21/2012 9:19:00 AM more reviews by lucypotamus

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This lipstick didn't live up to my expectations... it was extremely drying, and the colour was way too bright for me! Packaging and smell was nice, as always, but I did not enjoy this as much as I would have liked.

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*TOP REVIEWER* EmbalmerBabe on 3/24/2012 12:58:00 PM more reviews by EmbalmerBabe

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

A little let down on this one, I was hoping for it to be more vibrant like in the Chenman promotional images. I understand the images are photoshopped etc., however I was really dreaming for that vibrant shade on the model. The formula is nice and smooth, all thought it is somewhat drying. It's a pretty shade just not what I was expecting.
I would recommend this with a really understated neutral eye for day time wear, other wise it can look a little bit Barnum & Bailey (aka circus like).

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Sabriney on 3/24/2012 9:54:00 AM more reviews by Sabriney

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly   Eyes: Brown    

I love Force of Love! It's so bright and perfect for spring/summer. This new matte formula is actually creamy when I apply it if I exfoliate first and put a little lip balm on underneath. When I wore it I dabbed it on and it was the perfect wash of color. I'm looking forward to wearing it opaque with a white t-shirt and jean shorts in the summer.

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ahemstar on 3/21/2012 8:01:00 AM more reviews by ahemstar

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Force of Love is from the Chenman Love and Water Collection. I tried the tester in MAC but didn't buy it bec. it was kind of pricey for me. The lipstick itself is a good color for summer. Opaque. maybe I'll buy it if i have my mom around :)

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LAlexandra2005 on 3/19/2012 4:39:00 PM more reviews by LAlexandra2005

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I'm extremely pleased with this lipstick and this is coming from a neutral lipstick/gloss wearing NC-50 gal! I first saw this swatched online and thought that it would be a gorgeous color for women of color and for spring/summer.....and I was right! Yes, it's bright, but you can always tone it down with lipgloss and/or liner. I wore this lipstick for the first time this weekend with a black and white outfit and it was FABULOUS - it was truly a compliment to the black and white!! I toned it down slightly with Absolutely It prolongwear lip pencil (descibed as soft burgundy on the MAC site) and a little bit of Lovechild lipglass on top. But to be honest, I think it looked just fine on it's own. I will say that this is not an extremely drying matte formula as I've experienced with other lippies. However, it will work best on top of moisturized lips. When I put it on Saturday night, I put it on top of dry lips and the lipstick seeped into every crack that I had on my lips. So remember, a little moisture for the lips first, then apply Force of Love. This color is similar to Viva Glam Nicki, but FOL is more coral and VGN is more pink. Both are beautiful. FOL is definitely a stunning springtime/summer color for your lips. If you can still find one @ your local MAC stores/counters, grab one....maybe two!

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lovinvanilla on 3/15/2012 6:11:00 AM more reviews by lovinvanilla

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This looked very promising from online swatches and I knew it was going to sell out quickly, as this kind of bright coral pink has been very popular of late. So the minute it was available online, I ordered it unseen.


I had already had very high hopes for Viva Nicki, which unfortunately pulled very pink on me, not a hint of coral to be seen. Sadly, so does Force of Love. I have learned not not to trust the swatches on Temptalia anymore, as the colours ALWAYS look a lot darker in real life. Force of Love appeared like a creamy, almost pastel, light bright coral pink on Temptalia, but on me it was not milky or pastel at all. My lips or my skintone seem to swallow up any yellow or coral notes in pink lipstick.


This goes really well with Nyx's lipliner in Hot Pink. I played around with this a little and by topping Force of Love with a pale nude like Innocence, Beware I managed to achieve the pastel coral from the MAC promo picture. Sleek's Flamingo blush really compliments this colour and keeps my face nicely balanced with the very bright lips.


I might also try layering this with Watch Me Simmer, which pulled completely orange/coral undertones on me, without any pink. The mix might just be what I wanted this and Viva Nicki to be.


This is almost a neon medium fuchsia pink on me, but I have decided to keep it anyway. It's LE and it will look nice and fresh in the summer when I have a bit of a tan. I wouldn't buy this colour again, but it's still nice to have something fun and bright in my collection. The finish is very creamy and pigmented, which is lovely. I didn't quite know what to expect, since this is my first MAC matte, but I like it.


EDIT: Dabbed on lightly over a decent layer of lip balm this is a lot less neon and much more wearable for everyday, giving my look just a nice pop of colour. If I don't apply a fully opaque layer, the coral also comes out a lot more. Like this, I would even wear it to the office. Force of Love also looks lovely dabbed over a layer of Creme Cup for a medium pink with yellow undertones.

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dzehnie on 3/15/2012 4:31:00 AM more reviews by dzehnie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Totally in love with this lipstick. It's a gorgeous pink with a slight yellow-red tint to it. It is BRIGHT! But in a modern way. Prefer it to viva glam nicki. I can't talk much on the matte formula as this is my first mac matte lipstick but I didn't find it hard to apply and it didn't suck out the moisture from my lips a la ruby woo. I wear it during the daytime with neutral eyes and a black winged eyeliner and I've received compliments. It does resemble impassioned though and it's a touch or 2 deeper than vgn. Def recommend!

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*TOP REVIEWER* lovely520 on 3/8/2012 12:13:00 AM more reviews by lovely520

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Force of Love is one of the newer lipsticks that's out from MAC's Chen Man Love & Water collection. It sold out right away, like many of the lipsticks in the previous collections. Force of Love is another bright, colorful, pinky-coral lipstick from MAC--this shade and others like it seem to be in very high demand right now--they keep selling out. Force of Love is similar to Watch Me Simmer from the Shop MAC Cook MAC collection but it has a matte finish and on me, is more pink than coral. Watch Me Simmer also has a bit of a sheen to it. I would say Watch Me Simmer is more coral-orange but both lipsticks have that bright pinky-coral thing going on. I would say this lipstick is so bright, it looks slightly neon. But it's a beautiful spring color and I tone the shade down a little by wearing it with a darker pink lipliner and then rubbing my lips together to blend the color. The only negative thing I can say about this lipstick is as a matte, it's very, very drying on my lips. I'd recommend wearing a lip balm underneath or some kind of gloss on top to keep lips moisturized.

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*TOP REVIEWER* asporkin on 3/7/2012 10:29:00 PM more reviews by asporkin

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Love this. And love the MAC salesperson who never saw me before but, when I said I'd come by just for this, sold me a tube that was in the backroom (the store was offically out of this product). I've got lots of the MAC brights - Crosswires, Impassioned, So Chaud, etc. - and like them. Even with all of those, this is a fresh take on the bright/neon-y color that's showing up for Spring and Summer. The matte formula is light enough so the color isn't overwhelming. And the color is warm but not flashy; in a strange way, it's almost a Spring neutral. This can definitely make a statement but it's also a throw-it-on-and-go color. It's hard to find - sold out everywhere! - but worthy trying to find.

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blua on 3/6/2012 6:34:00 PM more reviews by blua

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

Just recently broke out of the neutral/lipbalm only routine and purchased this a couple days ago. I wasn't too inclined with 'matte' finishes because it over emphasized any flakes if my lips were too dry....but when my lips have been exfoliated/conditioned then I'm all for matte!

Such a lovely pink, almost flamingo pink but not crossing 'neon/hot'. It has a touch of orange too it that tones the color down a bit. But I think it really suits my skin tone (NC35-40 range) and even looked good on my mom's paler skin! The lasting power is okay, but maybe I'm always sipping on tea/water and eating so it fades alot quicker. The pigmentation is fantastic, and I'm interested in this collection (maybe looking to get something else? haha)

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BeautyDiva2006 on 3/4/2012 11:36:00 AM more reviews by BeautyDiva2006

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

Initially, I didn't want to purchase force of love because viva glam nicki didn't work for me so I expected this to not work for me as well. I opened it up and looked at it and was like, yup, just what I thought another bright red/pink/neon color that my highly pigmented full lips can't pull off. I put it away and thought oh well I guess I am sure I can swap it for something I can wear. Well I was in my bathroom with no makeup on and I got an itch to try it on. So, I took it out applied it with my lipbrush and about 3-4 swipes later. I looked at my husband and said LOOOK!! It actually looooks goood on me!!!! Haha, he was like yeah it's not bad (that's his way of saying it looks good btw:) I took a look at myself overall in the mirror and thought it was missing something, so took my dervish lip liner and outlined my lips so it looked more polished then I put my Smashbox clear lip enhancing gloss over it since it looked a little dry.

Ok so onto the color description on my NC35 skintone. . FOL is a matte reddish-pink with a touch of coral. When applied sheerly I get more pinky coral and less red.

Gets 4 lippies from me for the color and versatility but I knocked down one lippy due to the dryness since it is a matte lipstick Hence, you do need to wear lipbalm or gloss under or over it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* gconn on 3/3/2012 1:34:00 AM more reviews by gconn

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Straight   Eyes: Black    

I tried this on a whim, and I actually really like it!

It's really bright, but doesn't look garish on my skintone. I'm NC20 right now, very yellow with slight green undertones. On me, it looks like bright peach and really livens up my face.

Goes on creamy, but the finish can be a little chalky. I have to exfoliate my lips and condition them first. I didn't find this drying, but it wasn't moisturizing either.

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papagenax on 3/2/2012 7:42:00 PM more reviews by papagenax

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I really love Force of Love. MAC describes it as "vivid honeysuckle pink", which I rather like. Comparable to other MAC lipsticks, it is very similar to Watch Me Simmer, but FoL is noticeably pinker on my fair, neutral skin, and I like the finish better. The new matte formula is to die for- wonderfully creamy and not drying at all- and it wears for hours. I really wish that the lovely design on the box was on the actual tube, but I suspect this would have been rather costly. All in all, I'm considering buying a back-up.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rena10 on 3/2/2012 2:24:00 AM more reviews by rena10

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

force of love.....the most recent sold out lip color on the mac web site....Im only giving this 2 stars because first, they over did this family of tones in the last couple of most recent lipsticks and NIKKI lipstick is much more wearable and easy to tone down, and the APEL collection of lipsticks were pretty and smoother and...the lipstick....Watch me simmer...is very very close to this and smooth....and then...comes....FORCE OF LOVE....PRETTY...BUT VERY CHALKY....DRIED OUT MY LIPS AND IF you are warmer toned...nikki i think is a better pick...this is nice on pale skin.....but the QUALITY OF THE LIPCOLOR AND WEAR IS TERRIBLE!!! I LOVED BUDDING OF LOVE MUCH BETTER! IT FORCED ME TO GIVE IT A BAD REVIEW AND NAME! FORCED TO BE DRY LIPPED!! SMH! THEN YOU ARE FORCED TO LOOK LIKE A CLOWN! VERY CLOWNISH COLOR!

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Tiggerbear on 3/1/2012 11:46:00 PM more reviews by Tiggerbear

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Force of Love (matte) is one shade brighter than Mac Impassioned lipstick (amplified). It is creamier and applies more smoothly than Impassioned. The color is a bright coral pink which brightens my NC25 skintone. I feel young and sexy when wearing this shade.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No