Monday 27 April 2015

MAC Studio Fix Fluid ♡REVIEW♡



Way back in November, when I celebrated my 18th Birthday, there was one thing that was at the top of my Wish list, MAC! Also being so incredibly pale and picky when it comes to foundation and having found none which I absolutely love from the drugstore, I thought a foundation from MAC would be the perfect place to start.


I went into a MAC store so I could properly colour match the foundation to my skin-tone. I would completely recommend doing this as the swatches look very different in person than they appear on their website; I would recommend doing this even if you have purchased a different foundation from MAC previously as there are  variations in shades between their different face products (which I have experienced! but more on that in a separate post!)


After looking at all the foundations and swatching the lightest shades in each,  I decided to go for Studio Fix Fluid in NW10; the lightest shade (such a surprise, I know!) In terms of undertone I would say that from what I have read online and by looking at my skin I have a cool/neutral undertone however the lightest cool toned shade (NC15) looked very yellow in this formulation, which if I'm honest wasn't the look I was going for. Even though NW10 is a warm shade, because it is very pale it edges towards a neutral undertone as there is very little warmth in very pale skin tones; which means it actually a pretty  good match; the best I found so far anyway! Studio Fix Fluid comes in 39 shades, both with warm and cool undertones, so there is basically a match for everyone.


MAC describe this foundation as having a "natural matte finish" with a "medium-buildable coverage" (I would say that it is much more of a full coverage which I prefer, obviously depending on how you apply it- I usually use my Real Techniques Expert Face brush and buff it into the skin!) which I completely agree with in terms of finish; it almost has a liquid to powder finish giving the skin a satin/ velvet feel that feel just like skin and is not sticky of tacky in the slightest without making the skin look dry or dull, it literally makes the skin look as if it has been airbrushed as does eliminate the majority of imperfections and discolouration; this is down to as what MAC describes as "Soft focus powders to smooth out and minimize the appearance of imperfections"



Because it sets like a powder it has great staying power, even on my skin which tends to get very oily throughout the day. MAC claim at it has a “long lasting – up to 8 hours” and that it "absorbs and dispenses oil".which I would agree with and then some; I have worn this foundation on multiple occasions for long than this and it is still completely intact and looking flawless even without a primer and just a light dusting of powder where I tend to get extra oily across the t-zone and the tops of my cheeks. It also doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or dry after I have removed my make up thanks to the "Skin conditioning ingredients" it contains.


Even though this foundation does contain an SPF 15; which is obviously great for looking after your skin, SPF tends not to be so great if your found of taking the odd photo as that can sometimes mean serious flashback (no-one wants to be that "ghostly" face in a group shot!!!) However, I personally haven't found this a problem; there might be very slight flash back when using a "cheap" flash, but it's definitely not enough of a problem to stop me using it.  


Even though I love this foundation there are a few things that I'm not such a fan of. Firstly that this foundation does have a SLIGHT smell of paint when it is first applied; this is only really noticeable to me when I am blending on or around my nose (and my nose is very sensitive to smells) but quickly goes after being first applied. Secondly that this foundation sets fairly quickly down to the "powder" finish I mentioned earlier; this is only really a problem if you have to stop blending it in mid application. you can add more after you've completely blended what's on your face, you just can't blend what's ALREADY on your face once its set (I hope that makes sense).  Lastly you need to clean you brush after each application, I know I should do this anyway!!!This is because the foundation on the brush sets, so when you re-use the same brush it kind of pulls on the skin and doesn't blend the foundation out as flawlessly.


Overall I absolutely love this foundation and it is the best one I used to date. It isn't the cheapest foundation at £21.50 but you get 30ml; which is a pretty standard amount and a little goes a long way, you only need 1 pump to get a completely flawless finish. It is also worth noting that this foundation doesn't come with a pump so it has to be purchase seperately and costs £4 and is a must for me as otherwise I would end up wasting half of it, however, this only needs to be bought once as it can be re-used when you re-buy the foundation (which I will be!). 

Products Mentioned:


What other MAC Foundations would you recommended?, I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments below!

Jilly
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