On the Second Saturday of every month, I will throw two products, or product groups, into the ring to see which one comes out on top. It’s a knock down, drag out, fight to the death! Ok, not really, but it is a brutally honest comparison.
Tonight’s competitors:
MAC Viva Glam VI Lipstick and Lipglass Combo
vs.
NARS Lipstick in Damage, and NARS Lipgloss in Female Trouble

MAC Viva Glam VI lipstick, lipglass, and combination (left)
NARS Damage lipstick, Female Trouble lipgloss, and combination (right)
Everybody has one: a look that’s a no-brainer. It’s a look that works with any outfit and any make-up combination. It’s the little black dress for your lips.
I had a happy monogamous relationship with Mac’s Viva Glam VI for nearly four years. I could always count on it to make me look good: lip liner or no. Then, I was introduced to NARS, and I tried Damage and Female Trouble for another all-purpose look, and I could not resist temptation.
- Viva Glam VI Lipstick starts with a versatile color: one easily influenced by the color of the lip liner. It can take on brown, pink, red, or plum colors. Of course, it can stand on its own, but the color is very bland.
- MAC makes it a 1 - 2 combo with Viva Glam VI lipglass: the same versatile color with tons of shimmer added. Viva Glam VI lipglass is definitely able to hold its own. It looks fabulous with or without a color underneath. The coverage is flawless and the shine is deadly.

MAC Viva Glam VI
- The challenger: NARS Damage. Damage is a pinky color, that looks good, but not great. It’s a little on the sheer side. Like Viva Glam VI, it adapts to the color of the liner or gloss it is used with.
- Damage is followed by Female Trouble: beige-like gloss with a subtle shimmer. The depth of color deals a severe blow to the sheer MAC Viva Glam VI. Female Trouble’s weak spot: the color is dependent on a good liner or color underneath. Without it, Female Trouble just looks like a coating of tan nail polish. Coverage is not as smooth, but it dries faster than Viva Glam VI.
NARS Female Trouble

Glosses only! Viva Glam IV and Female Trouble

NARS Damage and
Female Trouble
MAC Viva Glam VI
On my skin, I prefer the faithful Viva Glam VI. It gives me better, more lively color. Most people agree: Viva Glam VI is the better shade.
THE WINNER: MAC’S VIVA GLAM VI LIPSTICK AND GLOSS
Live Gloriously. Live Glamourously.
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