This discontinued Ariana Grande lipstick from R.E.M. Beauty has become impossible to find.

This discontinued Ariana Grande lipstick from R.E.M. Beauty has become impossible to find. Then someone suggested there was a MAC lipstick that was nearly identical. So what did I do? I compared the shade and the formula. Join me in a little rabbit hole. Before we compare them, I think it's important to talk a little bit about why these lipsticks exist. You've Been Glindafied was released as part of the R.E.M. Beauty Wicked collection and the Glinda set in 2024. You couldn't buy it individually. It was exclusive to the Glinda set, which is probably why this lipstick alone can fetch up to around two to three hundred dollars on resale sites. Officially, R.E.M. describes it as a metallic mauve pink with a gold pearl. Gorgeous, which makes perfect sense for Glinda's aesthetic. It's soft, luminous, and a little magical without being overly sparkly, you know? And then someone recommended another lipstick that's very close. MAC Fabby. Now, I have never really used MAC before, so this was very interesting to me because MAC is a very gold standard for lipsticks, right? Fabby has been apparently part of MAC's Frosty finish lineup for years. The bullets do look pretty similar at first glance. From what I've researched, it's very recommended because of its soft frosted pink finish. Even though these lipsticks come from different eras, they're both chasing a similar frosted aesthetic. So let's swatch Fabby. Okay, so this is You've Been Glindafied and Fabby. Hmm. So I don't think these are identical. You can see that Fabby is clearly a more pink of the two. You've Been Glindafied certainly leans more mauve and has a little bit more depth to it. Let's try on the lips though. I just lined the lips with a cool tone brown. I'm gonna go in with Glindafied on this side. Stunning. And then Fabby on this side. I mean, they're different, but I mean, hello? Fascinating. I mean they are different, so if you're looking for exact color, I mean this isn't the exact one, but also color is only half the story. I became very curious into how these lipsticks were built because there is something very similar in the finish. R.E.M. builds this formula around polybutene and then puts its shimmer ingredients right at the top of the formula. Meanwhile, MAC's lipstick starts with castor oil. That might sound like cosmetic chemistry homework, but the first few ingredients are basically the recipe. Think of it like baking. Two people can bake cakes that look almost identical. One starts with butter and the other starts with oil. You still end up with the cake, you just get there differently. That's exactly what's happening here. R.E.M. uses more synthetic emollients that create a more cushiony glide. MAC relies on castor oil and wax that's kind of been the backbone for lipstick formulas for years. Here's the part that I think everyone notices without realizing it. It's not actually the base color, it's the finish. Both lipsticks use a golden warm pearl that create that soft, luminous, frosted effect. Even though the pinks aren't identical, they both catch the light in a similar way. So after comparing the shades and the formulas, I don't think MAC Fabby is an exact dupe for You've Been Glindafied. Fabby is brighter and noticeably pinker and You've Been Glindafied is certainly more mauvy. But I completely understand why someone recommended it. They're not built the same and they're not the same color, but they're absolutely chasing the same feeling. And it is on the lips, I mean, just fabulous. And to be fair R.E.M., if you would just bring this back into core line, we wouldn't have to leave the brand to find a replacement. Anyway, let me know if you're gonna give MAC Fabby a try, and let me know what beauty mystery I should tackle next.