MAC face makeup review

This is a review of the MAC face products that I have tried.

First is MAC Prep and Prime SPF 50. This primer is AMAZING and an absolute godsend in the summer. Summer always aggravates oily skin, which is really annoying in light of the fact that summer is also the time when you need to be extra careful about your sun protection: you end up looking like a shiny greaseball but still need to make sure that you have your sun protection. This product is the answer. It's the best mattifying primer that I've ever tried. When I use this with my EL DW foundation, I have to blot maybe once all day. It's really amazing.

My only complaint with this product is that, for $30, the product is quite small - only 1 oz., which is why I normally just reserve it for the summertime (also bc it's sooo mattifying that I don't need it in most of the other seasons). I would highly recommend this product if you are an oily skinned girl who wants a good primer with SPF.

Next is MAC Studio Fix Fluid, which retails for $26. It has SPF 15 and is a medium thickness liquid foundation that comes in a wide range of colors and provides medium-full coverage. This foundation did not break me out but also did not wow me.

I found it extremely comparable to Revlon Colorstay liquid foundation for normal/oily skin but not as good for twice the price. The Revlon provides fuller coverage and wears off more evenly throughout the day. I felt that the Studio Fix Fluid provided just medium coverage and wore off rather unevenly throughout the day and had a tendency to settle into my pores.

Overall, I wouldn't repurchase this and would recommend Revlon colorstay over this foundation. If you do choose to buy this foundation, though, keep in mind that the colors run dark. I am a C3 in their powder foundation and had to get a NC20 in the SFF.

The next product is their Studio Fix Powder foundation. This foundation did not work for me at ALL, which was extremely disappointing since I have a couple friends who swear by it. It makes their skin look FLAWLESS. On me, however, it oxidized really quickly and left me looking orangey, and clumped terribly when I tried to reapply. I returned this product quickly and would not repurchase. However, since I do know some women on whom it works so well, I would say that this foundation is just one of those you have to try for yourself before you decide.

The next product I've tried is their Hyper Real foundation. It's a pro item but it may have been discontinued - it was really hard for me to find even in pro stores. The MAC MAs explained to me that it was because it was being reformulated but I'm not sure if it's been reformulated yet. The South Coast MAC Pro store in Costa Mesa, California was all out when I asked last year and I had to get this one in the Vegas Pro Store. I use shade 200 but 300 would also work for someone with my skintone.

The foundation is very shimmery - it gives the effect you would get from mixing a medium coverage foundation with a shimmery highlighter lotion. It's not very good if you have a lot of acne or anything like that because it will highlight all the bumps and rough imperfections in your skin. It also doesn't have very heavy coverage so it's not that good if you need a lot of coverage. Generally, it's good if you already have pretty good skin and just want a foundation to even out your skintone and add a glow. I find it can be too shimmery sometimes so I always powder over it. It's wayyy more shimmery than the Revlon PR though, so if you think that's too shimmery, you don't even have to bother looking at this one. It doesn't last that long on oily skintones, but its lasting power is not bad. It's the 2nd to the left in the pic below:

The last product I have tried is the MAC full coverage foundation, which is the one in the middle in the pic below.
It has a hole in the bottom because the plastic insert on the cover fell out and got stuck in the product and I had to gouge it out with a pen. Pretty violent, huh? So the plastic insert is now scotch-taped to my case and, needless to say, my makeup case looks pretty homeless. However, the product itself is amazing. I use this product everyday as an undereye concealer since I think the pinkish shade (NW20) combats the blueness of the undereye circles and also because I personally am a big fan of using a lighter color underneath the eyes as a kind of highlight (Kim K style). I also use this as a foundation when I'm really pale and want SERIOUS coverage. It's great for photo shoots and a great way to apply it is to dab it on everywhere with the foundation brush, then use a stippling brush (like the MAC 187) to blend it into your skin. My friend used to work at MAC and told me this was one of the MA's secrets to a flawless complexion. If you want an enormous pot of concealer or a heavy duty foundation, this is a great place to look, and I would highly recommend this.

(first 3 photos are from MAC's website - maccosmetics.com)

concealers and full coverage foundations

Having dabbled in freelance makeup artistry, I have an obsession with professional cream foundations, like the ones by Joe Blasco, RCMA, Cinema Secrets, Ben Nye, etc. All my friends who are working professionally as MAs swear by them for photo shoots so I'm always on the hunt to get them all. Like Pokemon!

For the most part, however, I've been disappointed since they tend to be oil-based and do not work on my oily skin. They look great when freshly applied but tend to slip and slide around as the day wears on (even with a good primer and powder). I mostly just save them for occasions when I will be photographed a lot since they do photograph really well.

The latest foundation that I tried is RCMA. I had read on MUA that it had coverage comparable to KA SSE but that was NOT the case on me. I wear a MAC C3 in their studio fix and got the RCMA foundation in KO-2 which was a great match. It has medium-full coverage in my opinion. One of the advantages of these cream foundations is that they can be layered for heavier coverage but I still didn't find that I could get the kind of coverage with RCMA that I could get with any of the 3 concealer/full coverage foundations listed below. Compared to Cinema Secrets, it transfers a lot less (which was my main complaint with CS) and doesn't oxidize as much as CS did. It also imparts a more natural finish than my Ben Nye matte cream foundation. It is also not as greasy feeling as Joe Blasco's Ultrabase, so of these theatrical brands, I have to say that RCMA is my favorite but it's definitely not something I reach for everyday.

I've had no problems with breakouts from it, though, which is nice. The coverage is not enough for my under-eye circles during my hellish weeks of reading and library-ing, though, so I would still recommend a stronger full-coverage concealer if you have things to cover up (like I do). Below is a pic of the RCMA:

As you can see, it is very simple, no bells or whistles, just nice and practical.

The next products I'll be reviewing are pictured below:
L-R: CoverFX foundation in M30, MAC concealer in NW20, and KA SSE in SX07. Why is my MAC soooooo light? I use that almost exclusively for my undereye circles and I like using a cooler-toned, lighter concealer there because it not only counteracts my dark undereye circles but the lighter color also helps brighten the face/bring out my undereye area, which in turn makes my face look more "sculpted," especially when combined with contouring.

I purchased the CoverFX foundation on the recommendation of a Canadian professional MA who swore by it for all her photoshoots. Sadly, however, it has not quite worked out for me for everyday use. The color is a good match for me and it looks great upon initial application, but it tends to settle into pores and wears off unevely as the day wears on, so that I end up looking rather speckled by the end of the day. NOT a good look! Since this one is close to my actual skincolor, I use this as a normal concealer if I get a blemish or if I have a bruise or something on my body (I'm clumsy and run into things a lot!)

I actually purchased the MAC full coverage foundation on the recommendation of my old roommate, who was a MAC MA, and she told me that this foundation is the secret to a lot of the MAC MA's FLAWLESS looking skin. I am actually contemplating getting this in a darker shade for days when I want FULL full coverage but I have not had occasion to need such heavy coverage yet. If you want a truly flawless look with maximum coverage, I'd say this foundation is the best of the bunch. This compact will last you FOREVER too, since a little goes a long way.

My last one, KA Sensual Skin Enhancer, is also great for that purpose but it's a lot pricier at around $45 for that tiny jar. For that reason, I only use it as a concealer. It is a LIFESAVER when I get a really nasty blemish or have insane undereye circles. It has the most coverage out of any face product I've ever seen. People complain that the texture is too stiff, and yes, it is stiff if you're planning on using this as a foundation. But for a concealer, the stiffer texture is great since it keeps the product from sliding around your face and ending up in places other than where you meant it to be. The color is actually a little bit light on me, as this line runs VERY light. I love that the yellow tones run really yellow (since I'm really yellow) but I think it may be too yellow for girls who wear a NC something in MAC.

Overall, I'd say you can skip the CoverFX, get the MAC Full coverage for a great, cost-effective concealer/full coverage foundation, and get the KA SSE for occasions when you might need hardcore FULL coverage.

some of my makeup favs!

so... the all day at the library thing is not nearly as exciting as I had hoped. Here are some makeup pictures. These are my current favs for face makeup. I'm going to wait for some sunlight before I post more. :)

This isn't my entire collection btw. This is only part of the small percentage that I brought with me to school. :)

This is a closeup of the NYX Lake Moss trio. I used it over the weekend and it was ok - not as smooth as the Runway palettes.

My face makeup brushes:

L-R: Sephora angled blush brush, MAC 129, MAC 109, MAC 190, Sephora small blush brush (I think it's d/c now), EOB concealer and foundation brushes

Eye makeup brushes:

L-R: NARS #16 (HG, use this everyday), cheapo round brush, Scott Barnes crease brush (similar to MAC 224 but smaller), Sonia Kashuk small e/s brush, Sephora large e/s brush, MAC SE #266, fine e/l brush from the art store, Sephora round crease brush, MAC 217, MAC 219
My HG blushes!

clockwise from top left: (OMG this pic is so orange - I'll try to take a better pic soon) - NARS Torrid, MAC Fleur Power, Taupe (great for contour), Trace Gold, Dame; NARS Orgasm, Angelika, Madly, Outlaw, Sin, and Deep Throat
HG highlighters:

Shu P Gold 93D blusher (it just looks like glowy skin - Shu F&F is supposed to start next week!), WnW All over shimmer (I think it's d/c/), MAC Perfect Topping MSF

My Rock and Republic blush in Kinky!

LOVE the hot pink shade and the luxurious packaging. I keep the box because it's so cute!

Concealer/full coverage foundations:

CoverFX cream foundation in M30, MAC full coverage foundation in NW20 (only use this under eyes), Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX07 - amazing pigmentation

everyday face makeup (L-R):

The Face Shop BB cream (good for everyday)

MAC hyper real foundation in NC200 (imparts a really lovely finish but has only sheer coverage so I can only wear this on good skin days)

DHC Q10 cream foundation in yellow ocher (comparable to Revlon colorstay but better IMO)

EL Doublewear foundation in Sand (my workhorse foundation - lasts all day on my oily skin.)

Chanel glossimers! I ended up giving a lot of these away because I'm not in love with glossimers anymore (too thick) but I just love this pic because they are so pretty! You can click to enlarge to see the names of the colors.

an old pic of my UD e/s collection: I have a few more now, but this is still the bulk of it. My favs are blunt, midnight cowboy, and midnight cowgirl:

a better pic of some of my NARS. I got rid of that NARS e/s duo because it was really chalky but I still use everything else. My favs from here are the blushes, Night Clubbing e/s, and Thunderball e/s.

Hard Candy eyeshadow quads! (before they went to Wal Mart). These were really underrated and great quality for the price. My favs are the bottom 3. :)