MAC Marilyn Monroe Pure Zen Lipstick Review & Swatches

One of the most recently hyped collections from MAC, the Marilyn Monroe collection sold out in under an hour online.  eBay is insane with prices already.  I managed to get my hands on Pure Zen lipstick.  The deeper reds did not appeal as much to me as I already have a few shades of red that I love, but I rarely wear them.

Pure zen is described as a frosted warm nude. It is actually a repromote, so this isn't a new shade.

The packaging is sleek and has the image of Monroe with a signature.

I'm not a die-hard fan, so the packaging wasn't that appealing to me, but for fans, it is a tasteful image.

Pure Zen is a cremesheen finish.  I didn't find it drying.  It wore about 4 hours for me.  Less if I'm doing more talking and drinking.

This is a very heavy swatch.  One of the cons is that it isn't as pigmented as I would like for a lipstick that costs over $15.

Here is is with a flash.  You can see it does settle in the lines, so I recommend conditioning your lips first.

Above is without a flash (and truer to color I think).

Overall, would I buy this lipstick again?  Probably not.  I much prefer creme d'nude and innocence, beware! (also limited edition).  It's a nice tube to grab and put on without a mirror, but it's not overly impressive unless you are a fan of the packaging.