MAC describe this foundation on their website as a liquid version of their studio fix powder which gives buildable medium coverage and flawless "natural matte" finish. They state the foundation is oil free. It also contains SPF 15. It comes packaged in a glass bottle with a rubberized black top, and this is all pached in the classic black MAC box. The packaging is very nice to look at but a lot of reviews I've read, and my own personal experience suggest that it is really best to purchase the pump in addition to the foundation. This prevents to foundation being exposed to air or bacteria from brushes or fingers, so the foundation will 'keep' for longer. I'm quite surprised that MAC don't provide a pump with the foundation already - the foundation alone costs £18.60, and the pump is around £2.50. I suppose it depends on your budget and how fast you get through foundation, as well as how you like to apply it whether you buy the pump or not - I've noticed that a lot of people who use their fingers to apply foundation on youtube tutorials prefer to just use the bottle as it is. I personally decided to buy the pump as it takes me ages to get through a bottle of foundation, and I like to use a brush usually (I also thought that the pump would prevent spills!). Some reviewers also worry about dropping the bottle and smashing/chipping it as it is made of glass.
The foundation itself is very thick, and needs shaking before use as it sometimes separates a little in the bottle. It also has a very 'distinctive' smell. This is apparently because it contains a lot of silicones... The smell is quite chemically and a lot of people find it very off-putting, but I find it fades very quickly, and it doesn't really bother me in the slightest. The silicone content is helpful in controlling oil, making this the foundation which MAC often recommend to people with oily skin.
Before; a little blotchy.....
After; more evened out, less blotchiness. I only needed to use 1 pump here.
I do think this picture makes it look very slightly too dark on me, (it actually matches really well in real life though...) even though I bought the lightest one, so I'll probably end up using this more in the summer time. Other than that though, I'm pretty happy with the coverage and the way it looks. Again you can play with it a little to get different effects. The foundation on its own is as MAC describe, a "natural matte", which is a nice effect and is natural enough for daytime wear. I sometimes apply it over strobe cream to get a more dewy finish, or mix with a little moisturiser to get lighter coverage, I usually don't find I need to set it with powder, as this looks a little cakey on me. I find the foundation on its own last really well though - I've worn this for a whole day at work etc and there has still been good coverage when I remove it with a face wipe in the evening. On my dry/combo skin this does make dry spots appear worse, so I wouldn't recommend it for girls with very dry skin. I also find that the powder tends to make it look a little bit darker on me, which I don't like...
Some people find, as with all foundations (but there seems to be higher incidence with MAC foundations) that this foundation causes breakouts or blackheads. Some people have even found it gives them cystic type acne. I haven't found this an issue so far, but would be careful to test it out for a few days if you have acne prone skin... I think with this foundation it's super important NOT to forget to take makeup off before you go to bed, and make sure you cleanse properly - I use a babywipe first then cleanse with L'oreal Demaquillage, before using my clinique clarifying lotion and moisturiser
So in summary, I think that this foundation works pretty well for me, and if you want a long-wearing liquid foundation then this could be the one for you. I wouldn't recommend it for the very pale or people with acne prone skin or very dry skin... This foundation seems to be one of the marmite products of the makeup world - ie you either love it or you hate it!
Hope this has been of help! All comments and any other questions about anything I haven't covered are more than welcome? I'm also interested in finding out about what others feel about it...
7 comments:
Great review! For me though it dosent give as much coverage as i hoped for and i find it quite oily:s but i'll try shaking it first before i use it again
xx
Another great review! Haha, marmite comment made me laugh, I HATE it but I still have it in my house for everyone else who loves it. Oh and I'll have to check out makuepgeek's blue and bronze look, thanks!
niceee blogggg . :)
Fantastic review as usual. Thanks :)
Love this product, and your review is even better. Silicones don't let the skin "breathe" so is really important move this before sleep as you say. Thank's
Ive tried this but unfortunately under natural sunlight it gives me orange undertones and really doesn't match my skin at all. However, I do like the texture, it stayed put all day on my oily skin and didn't cause breakouts (I wash my make up off well with a oil, then gel cleanser everynight). Now, I use Revlon Colorstay which I find similar to Studio Fix Fluid except Revlon's color I use is more true to my skin tone. Love this series you're doing. Great review!
This is such a great review!Your reviews are definately the most informative ones I've ever read. I've been using Studio Fix Fluid for about 1,5 months and it really works well for me, as it doesn't cause breakouts or blackheads (my skin is not really acne prone). I absolutely agree that it gives more medium to full coverage.
The only thing that I don't really like about MAC Studio Fix Fluid is that it has strong yellow undertones, just as you've said. I used to use NC25 and I think it's starting to look too dark on me as I'm getting more pale, so I ordered the same foundation in NC20.
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