MAC Hot 'N' Saucy Tendertone-Swatch, Review, & New vs Old Comparison

I've basically waited for years for the Tendertones to be repromoted by MAC and so when I went to the MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC Event (event pictures and recap here!) I had to pick one up. I went back and forth on which one to get but decided on Hot 'N' Saucy. I may go back for one of the other ones though, depending on whether I want to stick to a makeup detox for the month of February.

Hot 'N' Saucy is described as a "soft cherry red" and that's pretty accurate. Tendertones are sheer though, so don't expect to get tons of color payoff with the product. Out of the four shades being released with the collection, I think Hot 'N' Saucy was the most pigmented one. These retailed for $15 and have 6 mL or 0.2 oz of product.

Unfortunately it seems that Hot 'N' Saucy is sold out on the MAC website but I checked and you can still purchase it on Nordstroms and Macys!

To go with the MAC Shop MAC, Cook MAC theme, these came packaged with a matte pink gingham sleeve

and the back of the paper sleeve. I was hoping that they would be packaged in this versus it only being a sleeve, but I suppose I can't complain.

The actual box is shiny, with an opalescent Mother of Pearl-esque finish with MAC embossed on it.

The Tendertones come in a glass pot like the MAC Paint Pots with a black lid. I'll talk about the lid later in the post when I compare this new Tendertone to the old Tendertone I own. These also have a pleasant scent to them, I'd say a fruity strawberry kiwi scent. Very summery and one of the biggest reasons why I love Tendertones. My Tendertone from 2008 still smells fruity!

Lip Swatches Time! I did a heavier layer on my lips to show off the color better and this was taken in natural daylight.

Bare Lips

Hot 'N' Saucy Tendertone.

I also made a gif to better show the difference between bare lips and post application.

It is a heavier application but I do like the sheer coverage on my lips. It's got a real shiny finish to it that lasts for several hours (about 3-4 on my lips). I absolutely love it on.

I wanted to take this time to compare my old Tendertone from the 2008 Tendertones Collection to this new Tendertone that came out. I do wish I had Hot 'N' Saucy from the 2008 collection to do a better comparison but I only have Sweet Tooth so I'm going to be comparing the two for any differences in packaging and scent.

New Tendertone on the left, Old Tendertone on the right.

At first glance, it seems like the only differences are in the stickers. The new Tendertone has a larger black sticker that covers the bottom of the jar whereas the old Tendertone has a smaller white sticker that only partially covers the bottom. The jars are similar to the paint pot jars with a glass jar bottom and a black screwtop lid. I didn't notice a difference in the shine or scent, which was actually my biggest worry, I thought they might have changed the scent in between the 2008 versions and this year's version.

Now a big reason why I enjoy the glass jar with black lid packaging is because the lids feel substantial; when I unscrew the jar, it makes this pleasant, enjoyable sound as the lid slides against the threads of the glass jar and the sound is present in the old Tendertone packaging.

The new Tendertones come with a black lid that is virtually indistinguishable in appearance from the old Tendertone lid but it's actually lighter in weight and it feels like it was made out of a cheaper material. The difference in weight makes it so there's no satisfying sound when you open and close the container. As someone who enjoys the sounds and weight of the old lid, I'm disappointed that they switched over to one that feels like cheap plastic. The plastic has a much smoother/slicker feel to it versus the old one which almost felt like it had a semi matte feel to them.

I don't own any of the recent Paint Pots (which have the same packaging) so I can't comment on whether the change in lid is only present in the Tendertones or whether it's a change that they slowly implemented without any warning. I may explore my local MAC counter to check if there have been any changes and report back on that.

I'll admit, discussing the weight of the lid is rather nitpicky, but that's what I'm here for!

Packaging aside, my MAC Tendertone was everything I have been waiting years for. My only complaint is that they only released four colors. I'm hoping that maybe they'll come out with more soon! I did like the look of Tread Gently, which was a sheer green Tendertone that also came out. It really reminded me of Spring Bean Lustreglass which I believe is a long discontinued color. Ignore me! Rach from The Beauty Spot set me straight and it's actually permanent! Spring Bean is this green lustreglass than when mixed with your natural lip pigmentation, sort of turned itself into this gorgeous caramel color with green sparkle. I'm really thinking about getting it.

So get a Tendertone while you can!