MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation Review and Swatch NC20 NC35

 

Dream of having skin like “barbie-doll” where all the imperfections are covered up is the most gals’ dream. MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation was invented to make your dream come true.

Product Description

“A modern foundation that combines a natural matte finish and medium, buildable coverage with broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 protection. Applies, builds and blends easily and evenly. Comfortable and long-wearing, helps minimize the appearance of pores and imperfections, giving skin a smoother, more flawless look and finish.” 

Ingredients

See on the picture below.

Packaging 

The most complaints coming from clients are addressed to its packaging. The glass bottle with a black matte screw cap without a pump is “pain in the ass”. Such an inconvenience to take product out from the bottle. I often end up pouring too much product than needed and get a bit messy. The bottle is quite heavy, not travel friendly and also not helpful if you are in a hurry and want to deliver its content quickly. If you think you need the pump, you can buy it separately. 

Texture and Scent 

It is creamy and thick in consistency. It dries pretty quick and tends to look heavy if you apply it in a wrong way. The application method has an important role in determining the way of this product looks on the skin. Another thing that can cut the credits of this product is the smell. It has a strong chemical scent which personally i do not like it. I am not allergic to its fragrance but “the unpleasant smell” really bothers me. 

Finish and Coverage

This product gives medium to full coverage with matte finish. You can wear it without concealer to conceal minor blemishes. It is able to provide the coverage that I need which is covering up the spider veins on my cheeks area. The SPF 15 content is a bonus as I can skip applying sunscreen before make up. This product may not look good on some people, it oxidizes on the skin and it goes either too yellow or too cool.

Longevity

My face stays flawless for few hours wearing this foundation with or without primer. It keeps skin shine free and does not have to be retouched frequently. After a few hours it will be slightly faded but the coverage still good. 

Application

This MAC foundation can be applied using different techniques for desire result. For full coverage, use flat foundation brush. For natural look, you can go with stippling brush. If you do not like the “powdery” look it gives, you can mix your foundation with MAC Strobe Cream or If you do not have time to mix it, just spray setting spray after you set your foundation with powder. I use to spray "Make Up For Ever Mist and Fix".

Pros 

• It does not feel heavy on skin
• It provides coverage with a little quantity of product
• Long lasting
• The texture  is completely matte

Cons

• It does not have a pump or a nozzle cap
• The packaging is not travel friendly 
• The scent is unpleasant

Conclusion

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation is thick and creamy but surprisingly it does not feel heavy on skin. It has great coverage and long lasting.

Recommended for 

• People with combination or oily skin 
• People who like matte finish
• People who need to cover minor blemishes

Not recommended for 

• People with dry skin
• People who like dewy finish

Where to buy?

MAC counters. If you live in Jakarta you can find it in Plaza Senayan, Pasific Place and Grand Indonesia. 

More Pictures

 

For your reference, my shade is between NC20 and NC35

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MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage Review & Pictures

Product Description 

“An ultra-fluid lotion formulated with special-effect silicones. Calms and soothes the skin, blots away excess oil, and evens out skin redness. Improves the laydown and application of foundation or powder.”

Ingredients 

You can see the ingredients on the picture. 

Packaging

It is 30 ml black plastic bottle with a pump dispenser covered with a lot of tiny sparkles. The packaging is quite nice yet irritating. It is travel friendly and you do not have to worry if you accidentally drop it but in the other side, you cannot tell how much the product is left. It would facilitate user if the packaging comes in transparent bottle or tube. Well, in this case if you want to see the product that left inside, you can pry the bottom cap with bobbi pin. I will show you the picture how I did it below. 

Texture and Scent

This lightweight, unscented white lotion with shimmery particles blends out wonderfully and does not blur pores. It leaves skin feeling velvety and moisturized and gives a smooth base to apply make up. Although i have an oily skin, I do not consider the glitters as a big issue as they are very subtle and not overpowering nor obvious especially if you layer foundation on top of it, they will seem vanish into your skin. It gives a natural glow and dries quite fast. 

Longevity of Make Up 

This product claims that it evens out skin redness - in my experience, it does not really tone the redness down, it is just okay. It also claims that it blots away excess oil, I agree with that. It does but so so. I noticed that my face get oily after a few hours using it (especially in outdoor) but better or less oily than when i do not have a primer at all. It does a good job as primer which is prolongs the wear of make up.

Application 

Apply it before foundation. 1 pump is enough for the entire face and blend it out using foundation brush or if you prefer fingers make sure that yours are clean. 

Pros  

• Fragrance free  
• It blends out easily
• It dries fast
• It smooths skin, makes skin a perfect canvas to apply make up
  
• Travel friendly

Cons  

• It has no SPF 
• Oil control is so so
• Opaque bottle

Conclusion

MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage is a primer which creates a silky smooth skin as a perfect base for make up application. It enhances staying power of make up. 

Not recommended for

• Who are looking for primer which has brightening, skin correcting, or mattifying effect 
• Who are looking for primer with SPF

Price 

US$30.00 

What is your preference of primer? Do you like with or without any kind of effects such as brightening, skin correcting, illuminating, mattifying and so on? Have you ever tried MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage? What do you think of its performance? How does it compare to other primer products? 
Place your comments below...

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See More Pictures

 

Wearing MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage 

in bare skin without moisturizer or foundation

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Collection 2013 Review and Swatches

Drop Dead Gorgeous people wear Drop Dead Gorgeous lipstick, bright, bold, fiercely feminine, something that makes them stand out. Ruby Woo one of the most fabulous lipsticks from MAC becomes popular among them. Its texture inspires MAC to release Retro Matte Lipstick Collection 2013 that includes 7 new shades. From pale pink to dark burgundy red, these timeless colors will rock you in this season. 

The MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Collection 2013 is now available in Indonesia. Unfortunately, the collection is not complete yet. So far, they only have 5 colors which are All Fired Up, Dangerous, Flat Out Fabulous, Relentlessly Red and Ruby Woo. 

Packaging 

I do not think I need to explain it, i believe everyone knows MAC. MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Collection 2013 comes in the same packaging like the other MAC permanent lipsticks' packaging. 

Texture

This collection has a creamy formula which glides on lips good enough with a firm pressure. Its matte finish is slightly drying. The color is intense and solid with opaque coverage, when it fades it will leave a stain behind.

Application  

Since the consistency of this product is dry, you might want to exfoliate your lips and moisturize them by putting a lip primer or lip balm prior to application so your lips are free from drying and chapped. Using a lip primer will also help lipstick lasts longer. You do not want to mess up with this product because it leaves stain. To avoid the product dragged across the lips, the best way to apply it is to line your outer lips with lip liner first and fill the inside with a bit of pressure or you can use lip brush to make sure everything is in control.

Longevity and Removal

The dryness texture gives the product an ability to stay in place for about 6-7 hours without budging. To totally remove the product, all you have to do is pour oil cleanser on cotton pad, place it on your lips for a few minutes then wipe it off.

Swatches (see the pictures below)

All Fired Up 

MAC describes it as “Bright fuschia matte”. It is a medium dark, warm, reddish fuschia. It was kinda difficult for me to find the fuschia lipstick that meets my expectation, most of product I tried had purple toned on it. Finally I found the right one, All Fired Up is absolutely flattering on me.

Dangerous  

MAC describes it as “Orangey red matte”. It is a bright, warm toned, red orange. One of my favorite colors in this collection.

Flat Out Fabulous  

MAC describes it as “Bright plum matte”. It is a medium dark, blue based, fuschia plum. The color is super sexy.

Relentlessly Red 

MAC describes it as “Bright pinkish coral matte”. It is a super bright, yellowish pink red. It looks cool toned on me. If you are a lip colors collector, you might want to try this one because its shade is very unique.

Ruby Woo  

MAC describes it as “Very matte vivid blue-red”. It is a medium dark, cool toned red. There is no reason not to love this legendary Ruby Woo. Even it is blue based red, it also looks stunning on me whose skin tone is warm. Do not worry to wear red lipstick. If you find the correct one, it will help to brighten up your skin tone.

Price  

IDR. 230.000,-

Pros 

• Fragrance free 
• It has opaque color payoff 
• Staying power is amazing 

Con  

Its drying texture can emphasize chapped lips

Conclusion

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Collection 2013 has classic shades, super sexy, super pigmented, matte finish and long lasting. If you dream about wearing bold lipstick which does not budge or if you want to create a dramatic look then give this formula a try. If you can not deal with its texture, then it is not a right product for you. As a bold lip colors whore, I personally love this collection as I feel “secure” – not worried about the product dragged all over the placed when I wear it.

Do you like the Retro Matte finish? Which color from this collection that you want to pick up? Do not hesitate to comment!

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Read this article in Bahasa

Orang - orang cakep memakai lipstick yang cantik dengan warna-warna terang, berani, feminin, warna-warna yang dapat membuat mereka terlihat menonjol. Ruby Woo salah satu lipstick MAC yang luar biasa menjadi populer di kalangan orang-orang ini. Teksturenya menginspirasi MAC untuk mengeluarkan Retro Matte Lipstick Collection 2013 dengan 7 warna baru. Dari pink pucat sampai merah burgundy gelap, warna-warna abadi ini akan mengguncang anda pada musim ini. 

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Collection 2013 kini tersedia di Indonesia. Sayangnya, koleksi ini belum lengkap. Sejauh ini, mereka hanya memiliki 5 warna yakni All Fired Up, Dangerous, Flat Out Fabulous, Relentlessly Red dan Ruby Woo.

Kemasan

Saya tidak perlu menjelaskan hal ini, saya yakin semua orang tahu MAC. MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Collection 2013 hadir dalam kemasan yang sama seperti kemasan lipstik permanen MAC lainnya.

Tekstur
Koleksi ini memiliki formula krim yang akan menempel cukup baik di bibir apabila diaplikasikan dengan tekanan kuat. Hasil matte-nya sedikit mengering. Warnanya intens dan solid dengan coverage yg tebal, ketika lipstick memudar akan ada bekas noda warna tersisa.

Cara pemakaian

Karena formula produk ini kering, kamu mungkin ingin meng-scrub bibir dan melembabkannya dengan memakai lip primer atau lip balm sebelum memakai lipstick biar bibir kamu bebas dari yang namanya kering atau pecah-pecah. Menggunakan lip primer juga akan membantu lipstick tahan lebih lama. Kamu pastinya tidak mau main-main ketika mengaplikasikan produk ini karena akan ada noda warna. Untuk menghindari produk yang belepotan di bibir, cara terbaik untuk memakainya adalah garis bibir luar kamu terlebih dahulu dengan menggunakan lip liner dan isi bagian dalamnya dengan sedikit tekanan atau kamu bisa memakai kuas bibir untuk memastikan semuanya terkontrol.

Ketahanan dan Pembersihan

Teksturnya yang kering memberikan produk ini kemampuan untuk tahan di tempat sekitar 6-7 jam tanpa bergeser. Untuk benar-benar menghapus produk, yang harus kamu lakukan adalah menuangkan oil cleanser pada kapas, tempelkan kapas pada bibir kamu selama beberapa menit kemudian sapuh bersih.

Contoh warna (lihat fotonya di bawah)

All Fired Up
MAC menggambarkannya sebagai "Bright fuschia matte". Lipstick ini medium gelap, hangat, fuschia kemerahan. Agak sulit bagi saya untuk menemukan lipstick fuschia yang memenuhi harapan, sebagian besar produk yang pernah saya coba mengandung unsur warna ungu. Akhirnya saya menemukan warna yang tepat, All Fired Up sangat terlihat menggoda pada saya.

Dangerous

MAC menggambarkannya sebagai "Orangey red matte". Lipstick ini terang, mengandung unsur warna hangat, merah oranye. Salah satu warna favorit saya pada koleksi ini.

Flat Out Fabulous

MAC menggambarkannya sebagai "Bright plum matte". Lipstick ini medium gelap, mengandung unsur warna biru, fuschia ungu. Warnanya super seksi.

Relentlessly Red
MAC menggambarkannya sebagai “Bright pinkish coral matte”. Lipstick ini terang, berwarna merah pink kekuningan. Terlihat seperti mengandung unsur warna dingin pada saya. Kalau kamu kolektor lipstick, kamu mungkin ingin mencoba yang satu ini karena warnanya yang sangat unik.

Ruby Woo 
MAC menggambarkannya sebagai "Very matte vivid blue-red". Lipstick ini warnanya medium gelap, merah dengan unsur warna dingin. Tidak ada alasan untuk tidak menyukai Ruby Woo yang legendaris. Meskipun dia mengandung unsur warna biru, lipstick ini terlihat menakjubkan pada saya yang memiliki warna kulit hangat. Jangan khawatir memakai lipstik merah. Kalau kamu menemukan warna yang benar, warna merah akan membantu mencerahkan warna kulit kamu. 

Harga

Rp. 230.000,- 

Pro   

• Bebas wewangian
• Memberikan hasil warna gelap/tebal
• Daya tahannya luar biasa 
  

Kontra

Teksturenya yang kering bisa menonjolkan bibir yang pecah- pecah

Kesimpulan
MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Collection 2013 memiliki nuansa warna klasik, super seksi, super berpigmen, hasilnya matte dan tahan lama. Kalau kamu bermimpi memakai lipstick tebal dengan warna yang berani yang tidak bergeser/belepotan atau kamu mau menciptakan tampilan dramatis, cobalah formula ini. Kalau kamu nggak bisa berurusan dengan teksturnya, maka ini bukanlah produk yang tepat buat kamu. Sebagai pencinta warna-warna lipstick yang berani, saya pribadi suka dengan koleksi ini karena saya merasa "aman" - tidak khawatir apabila produk akan belepotan kemana-mana ketika saya memakainya.

Apakah kamu menyukai hasil warna Retro Matte? Warna apa dari koleksi ini yang ingin kamu beli? Jangan ragu untuk berkomentar!!!

See More Pictures

 

  

 

 

MAC 217 Alternative Brush (Coastal Scents Pro Blending Fluff 250)

The key of beautiful eye-makeup is perfect blending. When we talk about blending, it is always related to blending brush because we can not achieve the pretty gradation of blending without the good tool. It is important to own a good blending brush like the famous MAC 217. The MAC 217 blending brush costs 24 USD. The price makes some people look for an alternative brush which has the same quality and result like MAC 217 but cheaper. Many dupes of MAC 217 sold out there, here I want to show you one of mine which is Coastal Scents Pro Blending Fluff Brush 250 (price 4.95 USD).

Let’s compare these two brushes… 

 

 

From their appearance they looks similar with their black handle, silver ferrule and white oval shaped bristle, but if we pay attention in details, they actually are different. Both are fluffy but CS’s bristle is longer and more tapered than MACs. MAC's bristle is more denser and its handle is longer than CSs. In my opinion as long as you know how to use it, they both gives the same result for pressed eyeshadow application. They pick enough product, work well in applying product on eyelid, blend away harsh line easily and give a smooth blended finish. Unfortunately, when I tried them with cream eyeshadow, the MAC 217 gives a better performance. Cream eyeshadows tend to dry quickly and difficult to blend out, so we need a denser brush to work with. No wondered that in this case, MAC 217 is the champion.

After getting through million washing times, both bristle of MAC 217 and CS does not shed but the CSs splays out too much rather than MACs – it is not a big deal as you can use Brush Guard to reshape them. 

The thing that I do not like from them is their white colored bristle –  you know that white is easily get stained. And after several times it works with pigmented color, it is hard to make the bright white color of bristle back like before.
 

Overall, I like to use MAC 217 and Coastal Scents Pro Blending Fluff 250 to create soft diffused look in eye-makeup but if I want to create more definition I usually go with something more precise tip blending brush. MAC 217 is worth buying but it is also not a must have item for eye-makeup application. CS is not less good compared to MAC 217. I do recommend it as an alternative blending brush.

Have you try both of them? Which one do you prefer to work with? Do you agree with me that MAC 217 is worth buying and Coastal Scents Pro Blending Fluff 250 as MAC 217 alternative brush? Feel free to write your comments below...

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Kunci dari make up mata yang indah adalah pembauran yang sempurna. Ketika kita berbicara tentang pembauran, hal ini selalu berkaitan dengan kuas blending karena kita tidak dapat mencapai gradasi pembauran yang cantik tanpa alat yang bagus. Penting untuk memiliki kuas blending bagus seperti kuas MAC 217 yang terkenal. Kuas MAC 217 berharga 24 USD. Harganya membuat sebagian orang mencari kuas pengganti yang memiliki kualitas dan hasil yang sama seperti MAC 217 tetapi lebih murah. Banyak duplikat MAC 217 dijual di luar sana, di sini saya ingin menunjukkan salah satu yang saya punya yaitu kuas Coastal Scents Pro Blending Fluff 250 (harganya 4.95 USD).

Mari bandingkan kedua kuas ini...  

Dari segi penampilan mereka tampak sama dengan pegangan hitam, silver ferrule dan bulu kuas putih berbentuk oval, tapi jika kita memperhatikan secara seksama, mereka benar-benar berbeda. Keduanya berbulu lembut tetapi bulu CS lebih panjang dan runcing dibanding bulu MAC 217. Bulu MAC 217 lebih padat dan pegangannya lebih panjang dari pada milik CS. Menurut saya selama kamu tahu cara menggunakan keduanya, dua-duanya memberikan hasil yang sama untuk pemakaian pressed eyeshadow. Kedua kuas ini mengambil produk dengan kadar yang cukup, bekerja dengan baik dalam mengaplikasikan produk pada kelopak mata, membaur garis tegas dengan mudah dan memberikan hasil pembauran yang halus. Sayangnya, ketika saya mencoba mereka dengan eyeshadow krim, MAC 217 memberikan kinerja yang lebih baik. Eyeshadows krim cenderung cepat kering dan sulit untuk dibaur, jadi kita perlu kuas yang lebih padat untuk bekerja dengannya. Tidak heran kalau pada kasus ini MAC adalah juaranya.

Setelah melalui jutaan kali pencucian, baik bulu kuas MAC 217 dan CS tidak rontok tetapi bulu CS terlalu mengembang setelah dicuci dibanding bulu MAC 217 - ini bukanlah masalah besar karena kamu bisa menggunakan Brush Guard untuk mengembalikan bentuk bulunya seperti semula. 

Yang saya tidak suka dari kedua kuas ini adalah bulunya yang berwarna putih - kamu tahu kan kalau warna putih gampang kotor. Dan setelah beberapa kali digunakan untuk membaur warna yang lebih nyala/tebal/gelap, sulit untuk membuat warna putih bulu kembali kinclong seperti sebelumnya.

Secara keseluruhan, saya suka menggunakan MAC 217 dan Coastal Scents Pro Blending Fluff 250 untuk membuat tampilan make up mata yang terbaur lembut tapi jika saya ingin membuat "definisi" yang lebih, biasanya saya menggunakan kuas blending yang ujungnya lebih runcing. MAC 217 merupakan produk yang layak untuk dibeli tetapi juga bukan produk yang "harus dimiliki" untuk aplikasi make up mata. CS tidak kurang bagus dibandingkan dengan MAC 217. Saya merekomendasikan kuas ini sebagai kuas blending alternatif.

Apakah kamu pernah mencoba keduanya? Yang mana yang lebih kamu suka untuk dipakai? Apakah kamu sependapat dengan saya kalau MAC 217 layak untuk dibeli dan Coastal Scents Pro Blending Fluff 250 sebagai kuas pengganti MAC 217? Silahkan menulis komentar anda dibawah ini...