The Best (and Worst) Shades in Marc Jacobs' New Lipstick Collection

Meet Le Marc—and see all 20 of 'em, swatched!

In case you haven't noticed, I've been on a real prestige lipstick-reviewing kick lately. NARS Audacious, Clinique Pop, Givenchy Le Rouge-À-Porter... you're probably sick of looking at close-ups of my mouth already.

But bear with me, because today, we're going to talk about yet another new collection, the new Le Marc Lip cremes from Marc Jacobs

Packaging is sleek and black and magnetic, which was annoying to photograph because the darned things kept sticking together. But pretty to look at:

The black and silver packaging of the new Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip cremes.

Now, I don't know for sure if these are replacing the Lovemarc Lip Gels, which were the original lipsticks in the Marc Jacobs Beauty range when it first launched in 2013. But it definitely looks that way, if Sephora's website is any indication. The Lovemarc page is a dead zone.

Probably because technology has improved by leaps and bounds in the past two years, they could replace them with Le Marc—a creamy, high-pigment, moisturizing lipstick with a weightless feel on your lips and 10 hours of longevity.

Plus, gel lipsticks are so 2013 (if I remember correctly, Lovemarc had a shiny, sheer-ish finish). Now, I think we're returning to full coverage and semi-matte textures, but with lots of hydration. Like these!

There are 20 shades, and in an act of extreme generosity, Marc Jacobs—the brand, not the person—sent me every single one. So, it's only fair that I show you, because, Marc Jacobs.

There are 20 unique shades of these Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip cremes.

As you can see, it's a red-centric collection, and (eeks!) there is a lot of brown. Whether that's a good or bad thing, I'll let you decide. Overall, these colours are very unique and not ones you'd see from most other brands. 

Each shade was named after a woman who inspired Marc Jacobs—the man, this time—at some point in his life. (Didn't Tom Ford have that idea first with Lips & Boys?)

Let's take a look:

200 Oh Miley!

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 200 Oh Miley!.

200 Oh Miley! is described as "strawberry spice" (and it's pretty obvious who it was named for). It's a bright red with a cool undertone, and thought I don't wear reds that often, I'd definitely reach for this. On the website, Marc recommends this one for people with warm skin (golden or apricot undertones) and blonde, silver or red hair. 

202 Goddess

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 202 Goddess.

202 Goddess is described as "deep maraschino." This is the classic red in the collection. It's similar to 200 Oh Miley!, but a fraction deeper and less cool. They suggest this one for warm skin also, but with brunette or black hair. I tend to agree because it was a bit "here come my lips!" on my fair colouring.

204 Amazing

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 204 Amazing.

204 Amazing is described as "candy apple red." This is a warm red, intended for people with cool skin (pink or rosy undertones) and blonde, silver or red hair. I found this one a little easier to wear than 200 Oh Miley!, but who the hell knows what my skin tone is. (I think I could go either way?)

206 Dashing

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 206 Dashing.

206 Dashing is described as "very cherry." We're back to cool again—this is yet another red with cool undertones. It's close to 202 Goddess, but with more berry in it. So I'm guessing this is for the brunettes. Still very classic.

208 Miss Scarlet

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 208 Miss Scarlet.

208 Miss Scarlet is described as "deep ruby." Here we go with the interesting ones! This is a deep brick red with warm undertones. I like it on myself for a dramatic evening look, but as Marc suggests, it's better for cool skin and brunette or black hair. 

210 Blow

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 210 Blow.

210 Blow is described as "dark berry velvet." Translation: burgundy red. We're seeing a lot of this shade on the red carpet lately, and I like that this one isn't too Gothic (although just you wait, there's a purple coming up). Marc recommends it for warm skin and brunette or black hair.

212 Rei of Light

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 212 Rei of Light.

212 Rei of Light is described as "toasted brick." Also known as "deep sienna orange." In a weird way, I'm down with it—talk about an unusual colour! It seems like equal parts orange, red and brown, and surprisingly, I think it looks good on. Marc likes this on cool skin tones with brunette or black hair.

214 Georgie Girl

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 214 Georgie Girl.

214 Georgie Girl is described as "cotton candy pink." They also call it neutral pink, but I don't think that's accurate; I'd say it's more cool-toned (and not good at all on my skin colour). I also had trouble getting it to stay put on the inner part of my mouth, which is never cute.

216 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 216 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

216 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is described as "baked rose" or dusty rose. I'm getting '90s vibes here, but I guess these mid-tones are going to come back. (If Marc does it, then it must be so.) I suppose it's not exactly unflattering... and I definitely don't have anything else like this in my massive collection. 

218 Clara

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 218 Clara.

218 Clara is described as "bold rose" and also "French rose pink." It's cool-toned, but a little more fun (and less blue) than a regular fuchsia. If you're into your brights, you'll probably like it—I do! This is a great summer shade.

220 Jolly Molly

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 220 Jolly Molly.

220 Jolly Molly is described as "bright bubblegum." But then on the MJ website, they say "coral pink." So which is it? I think bubblegum is more accurate; I'm not getting much coral here at all. It's in the same family as 218 Clara, just lighter and with a splash of yellow undertone. I like this one much better than 214 Georgie Girl, the other pale pink in this collection.

222 Boy Gorgeous

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 222 Boy Gorgeous.

222 Boy Gorgeous is described as "berry rouge" or "dark magenta red." It's a nice, plummy berry—kind of a go-anywhere shade, day or night. But probably best for warm skin and dark hair.

224 Magenta

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 224 Magenta.

224 Magenta is described as "grape sangria" or "dark magenta." It's sooo close to 222 Boy Gorgeous, but I prefer this one as it seems to look a touch more sheer on my lips, and not so creamy/heavy. 

226 Scandal

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 226 Scandal.

226 Scandal is described as "intense plum." More like purple or eggplant, and no, I will not be wearing this out of the house anytime soon. But if this is your bag, go for it! What's weird is that it actually wasn't the most unflattering in the collection... that one is still to come!

228 Infamous

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 228 Infamous.

228 Infamous is described as "soft peony." It's a muted warm pink, and a lighter variation on the 216 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang dusty rose. I don't hate it, but I don't love it. Although I will say that it's a vast improvement over those chalky nudes in some lipstick collections (and on the red carpet).

230 J'Adore

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 230 J'Adore.

230 J'Adore is described as "terra cotta blush." And nope, it's not quite the worst colour on me in this collection, but getting close. This mocha shade is even more '90s than the rose ones. I just... don't... want my lips to look like this. Sorry, Marc.

232 Mahogany

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 232 Mahogany.

232 Mahogany is described as "hot chocolate." And it makes me look positively ill. I swear it has green undertones, and turns my complexion totally sallow—what gives, Marc Jacobs? (It actually looks way better in the photo than it does in real life.) I'm sure this would work better on someone with very deep skin, but proceed with extreme caution! I'm not liking these undertones one bit.

234 Core Cora

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 234 Core Cora.

234 Core Cora is described as "brilliant coral." MUCH better. This is an orangey-red and one of my favourite shades in the whole collection, but then again, I am a creature of habit. Marc says to wear this one if you have blonde, silver or red hair and a cool skin tone.

236 So Sofia

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 236 So Sofia.

236 So Sofia is described as "electric watermelon." It's brighter and more red than 234 Core Cora, and I like it equally well. It's definitely a little easier to wear than a classic full red, since the effect here is more whitewashed and subdued.

238 Je T'Aime

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip creme in 238 Je T'Aime.

238 Je T'Aime is described as "rum raspberry." They also call it a "rosy red," but I think the raspberry description is more accurate. Just like 236 So Sofia is a softened, whitewashed bright red, this is the same effect on a traditional berry. I really love this one as well.

Where To Buy

Find Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip cremes at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Have Your Say

Have you tried any Le Marc lipsticks yet? Which shades are your favourites? Which ones would you never, ever wear?

Related Articles