Product Review: MAC Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balm in Pink Tinge

Isn't it almost a job prerequisite for a beauty blogger to be obsessed with MAC? Yes, yes, I fit that stereotype too. I don't quite worship at the altar like many, but if its any indicator of how much I spend there, I finished makeup school exclusively in order to be able to get the 40% discount at the Pro Stores.....

Nevermind my personal spendiness issues, I'm here to tell you about the Suntints. As many other reviewers have noted, these lip balms are extremely sticky (stickier and thicker than lipglasses, so that's really saying something) and contain almost no pigment. I mean barely anything. They do however provide three benefits which in my mind outshine all of that:

1. An SPF of 20, with UVA protection. I have searched high and low and have only found a handful of lip products with adequate UVA protection and believe me it's important. If you worry about thinning of lips, vertical lines, freckles, overall pigment darkening (or God forbid, skin cancer on one of the most sun sensitive spots on the body) and you aren't applying and constantly reapplying UVB and UVA protective products on a constant basis, you are shortchanging yourself. Those pesky UVA rays cause the majority of the trouble and as we all know, prevention is always better than correction.
2. A long lasting formulation: The ingredient breakdown will contain more details on the specific agents which create the semi-waterproof almost shellac-like texture of these balms. So not only does the product stay on the lips even after ingestion of some food/drink, but that means that your sunscreen isn't rubbing away either. In addition, it means that less moisture evaporates from the lip and for those of us with insane lip balm addictions, well we all know what that means.
3. High wattage shine: I am a lover of pigment, so I prefer to put on traditional cream lipsticks and then top them with this for that "porn-pout" look, which some of us against all sanity continue to love. I find it also helps lock in lipstick color, so there's less reapplication of that too.

If it isn't abundantly obvious by now, I will be buying more. To be incredibly honest, I'll probably just buy the other shades for fun, but my natural lip color is so intensely pigmented that the three colors show absolutely no difference. If you have the same issue, don't worry about choosing a shade, they're all ok.



Active Ingredients:
Octinoxate 7.5%: Highly effective UVB filter, unstable on its own and is usually mixed with other sunscreens
Octisalate 5%: Another UVB absorber
Avobenzone 3%: Highly effective UVA absorbent filter that provides the kind of broad spectrum protection which prevents some cancers, most wrinkles and all hyperpigmentation of the lip (if used properly)
Homosalate 2.9%: Another UVB absorber
Octocrylene 2.7%: One of the more stable UVB absorbers, unfortunately it doesn't provide a high protective index on its own.

Other ingredients:
Octyldodecanol: Used as a thickener and emulsifier, this is part of what makes the product apply so thickly onto the lip.
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate: Moisturizing film forming ingredient which increases hydration and lasting power of finished product.
Ethylcellulose: A water insoluble polymer which helps enhance water repellency.
Diisostearyl Malate: Emollient, enhances moisture
Butyloctyl Salicylate: Another skin conditioning agent, it is classified as an ester of the infamous salicylic acid, but provides no exfoliation in this form (if it did this would be an HG product for me!).
Dicaprylyl Carbonate: Extra velvety feeling emollient
Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate: Enhances pearlescence and sparkle of finished product
Caprylyl Glycol: Skin conditioning agent which is often also blended into preservative mixtures to enhance their efficacy
Hexylene Glycol: Used as a solvent
Tin Oxide: Whitish pigment to help clarity of other pigments
Linoleic acid: One of the buzzed about NMF moisturizing ingredients, meaning its naturally present in well moisturized skin and theoretically adding it to products could be highly beneficial. However, at this point we're dealing iwth very small amounts so I wouldn't make this the main reason to run out and buy this product.
Hydrogenated Dilinoleyl Alcohol: This isn't one of those drying alcohols, this is actually one of the hydrating ones (bless you chemistry).
Vanillin: Adds that signature warm vanilla smell of many MAC products. If enough of it were present you would  also be able to taste the flavor.
Phenoxyethanol: Formaldehyde releasing preservative (the amount in negligible compared to many other formaldehyde releasers so this one is actually a pretty good choice comparatively).
+/- Mica: That glitter and that shine is added in part by the Mica.
Iron oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499): Pigments
Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891): If there were a lot this would contribute to the sunscreen (I wish....) but in this capacity it exists to slightly enhance the coverage of the product. Since anyone can tell the product contains little pigment, we know there's very little in here.
Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163): Enhances slip, blendability and wear on skin but also enhances allergic reaction potential. However don't worry, there's very little present.
Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090): Pigment.
Carmine (CI 75470): Pigment.
Red 6 (CI 15850): Pigment.
Red 7 Lake (CI 15850): Pigment.
Red 28 Lake (CI 45410): Pigment.
Red 30 Lake (CI 73360): Pigment.
Red 33 Lake (CI 17200): Pigment.
Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140): Pigment.
Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985): Pigment.