Lipsticks come and lipsticks go, but my love of MAC’s Velvet Teddy is eternal. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite matte lipstick of all time. It’s my perfect beige lip and I reckon it compliments me perfectly. So, seeing as this year is my 10 year anniversary of my first discovering this lipstick, I figured it would be fun to go through my collection of Velvet Teddy lipsticks and see how it’s changed throughout the years.
But first, a little history lesson. Velvet Teddy was first introduced back in 2004 as part of MAC’s Love Matte collection. This collection also saw the introduction of many iconic MAC shades such as Honeylove, Kinda Sexy, and Taupe. Now, 2004 was the era of the Glossy Lip. And the matte lip certainly wasn’t trending at the time of launch. Fortunately, Velvet Teddy did manage to stick around as a permanent part of the Matte Lipstick line. But that all changed in 2015. When reality superstar Kylie Jenner did an interview and said that her go to lip combo was Whirl Lip Liner and Velvet Teddy Matte Lipstick from MAC.
From there, Velvet Teddy’s popularity exploded. It sold out pretty much everywhere and it went on to become one of MAC’s best selling nude lipsticks for multiple years. Every makeup YouTuber at the time was doing the Kylie Jenner lip challenge. It really was the lip of the moment. My way in was actually Brittney Saunders. I remember how good it looked on her and I knew I had to have it. I picked up my first tube in July of 2015 and I’ve never looked back.
Sadly, I no longer have that original Velvet Teddy from 2015. It’s long since used up. But I have collected at least 7 different versions of Velvet Teddy over the years. Let’s get into it!
MAC SHADESCENTS VELVET TEDDY (OG FORMULA) – 2016
Well, this is officially the oldest Velvet Teddy in my collection. And it holds a special place in my heart for two reasons. One, see the first sentence. Two, this was my first ever Limited Edition MAC Lipstick. The Shadescents collection came out at the tail end of 2016. And it was an inhouse collaboration at MAC where they took 6 of their best selling lipsticks and created fragrances inspired by those colours. Now, the fragrance wasn’t my vibe at the time (bit too woodsy and tabacco-y from what I remember). I might actually like it now. But the unique packaging was something I had to have.
MAC MINI MATTE LIPSTICK (OG FORMULA) in VELVET TEDDY – 2019
This one I didn’t even mean to buy. It came as an addition to the one time I remember Mecca doing a mystery bag for Black Friday. But it’s cute and I’ll never turn down a mini.
MAC MATTE LIPSTICK (OG FORMULA) in VELVET TEDDY – 2021
And here she is, the icon herself. No bells, no whistles. Just the same beautiful beigey nude that took the world over all those years ago. I really do love it.
MAC POWDER KISS LIPSTICK in TEDDY 2.0 – 2018
2018 saw the release of the Powder Kiss Matte Lipsticks from MAC. From my reaserch, Teddy 2.0 actually wasn’t part of the original 16 shades to launch. It came sometime later. But it seemed like a wise decision to make a Velvet Teddy shade in this formula. It’s so cushiony soft on the lips. And has a slight blurring effect. Colourwise, it’s actually very close to the original. Teddy 2.0 is a little cooler in tone.
MAC MACXIMAL SILKY MATTE LIPSTICK in VELVET TEDDY – 2024
2024 saw the big overhaul of MAC’s iconic Matte Lipstick range. With the formula getting a total redo to make them wear longer and feel oh so silky smooth on the lips. And of course, Velvet Teddy was a part of that range. Colourwise, it is pretty much spot on to the Shadescents version. That iconic deep tone beige that we all know and love.
MAC MACXIMAL SILKY MATTE LIPSTICK in WARM TEDDY – 2024
But it turns out that MAC wasn’t just bringing Velvet Teddy in the new formula. They bought out Warm Teddy alongside her. And this shade is absolutely stunning. It is definitely different to the original. Much deeper and warmer in tone. MAC describes it as a Dirty Warm Nude. But it has a slight hint of rose to it. This would be gorgeous on deeper skin tones.
MAC MACXIMAL SILKY MATTE LIPSTICK in COOL TEDDY – 2025
And just when I thought I was all Teddy-ed out, in January, MAC launched their MAC Nudes collection. An extension of 19 new lipsticks to add to their existing lipstick lines. And out of all of the shades they launched, few excited me more than Cool Teddy. A Deep Cool Toned Beige to die for. I suspect on cool skin tones, this might read more neutral. But on me, it’s definitely got that cooler tinge. I haven’t been able to stop wearing this one behind the scenes. It’s a stunner for sure.
And that is all of my collection! Below are some swatches so you can really see the difference between all the shades. They are in the order I have them above.
Let me know what your favourite MAC lipstick shade is in the comments!
Cheers and love
Emily xo