Monday, December 3, 2012

Best and Worst MAC Products

MAC has some truly amazing products, and there's a few that really don't impress me. I won't include brushes in this post, I'll just focus on the makeup.

10 Great products:

1. Blacktrack fluidline
I'm pretty sure this is my all time favoutie MAC product... and definitely in my top 5 of all time favourite makeup products. It's just simply amazing. Best eyeliner- so easy to apply, so pigmented, stays put, and is just so crisp. It also has the dual use of using it as black lid primer for a smokey eye. This is definitely something to purchase!

2. Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
I have this in medium-deep and use it as my setting powder. It mattifies my t-zone, can be layered without looking cakey or even showing at all, goes over foundation really well or can be worn alone, and gives skin a really beautiful and natural finish. I'll never be without.

3. Studio Fix Powder
My go-to powder. I just love it. Another item I'll never be without.

4. Eyeshadows!!!
I adore, adore, adore MAC eyeshadows. In my opinion, they're the best. I like my Urban Decay naked palettes but I'm obsessed with my two MAC palettes. I recommend picking up All that Glitters, Ricepaper, Nylon, Carbon, Saddle, Woodwinked, Electra and Bronze. ...and all the others. I want them all. Yup. I'm obsessed.


5. Easy Manner blush
This blush is absolutely gorgeous. It's currently out in stores with the latest holiday collection, so if you can find it, I recommend you pick it up. It's a satin so it has good pigmentation and a subtle but pretty sheen. I loved it so much upon first application that I went out and bought a back-up. It's a very natural and pretty pink and has made me want to try out other satin blushes. I do own some other great permanent-line blushes but I thought this one deserved the spotlight.


6. Cremesheen lip glasses
This is my favourite lip gloss formula ever. I've had a few of them and currently own Fashion Whim and Boy Bait. They're gorgeous nudes that just look creamy and perfect on the lips. I love the non-stickiness of the formula but am not a fan of how short they last on the lips or how little there is in the tube. Boy Bait, in particular, is a gloss I know I'll continue to repurchase.


7. Cultured lip glass
This is my go-to gloss. It's sticky, as are all the original-formula lip glasses, but it lasts and I love the colour. I always have to have one on me.

8. Lipsticks
I will always recommend MAC lipsticks to people. There's just always something for someone with such a huge array of colours and finishes. The vanilla scent is amazing and I personally love the packaging. My collection continues to grow but 3 lipsticks that I adore and think could really suit a lot of people are: Hue, Rebel, and Blankety.


9. Pro Sculpting powder
I have this in Shadester and it's just a great contour. I just wish it came potted.


10. Pearl cream colour base
I use this as a highlight under my brow. I like it so much better than using eyeshadow and I will absolutely continue to purchase this, as it's perfect for that task.



10 products I regret purchasing:


1. Face and Body foundation
I really like the natural and dewey coverage this gave. It also came in a very generous-sized bottle. I was not a fan of how sticky this felt and worst of all, this ended up breaking me out. I didn't want to believe it, so I tried multiple times, but sure enough every single time I used it I was left with some nasty spots.


2. Studio Fix liquid foundation
I just found this really cakey and unnatural looking.


3. Trace Gold blush
This colour was so sheer and light that it just did not show up on my cheeks. I layered and layered it on and it didn't even provide that "glow" to my cheeks that it supposedly is supposed to give.


4. Glorify Extra Dimension Skinfinish
It's just so dark and gold that it doesn't work as a highlight, and so sparkly that it doesn't work as a bronzer either. I like the formula, so I really wish I got this in Superb or Whisper of Gilt.


5. Retrospeck eyeshadow (and every other from the Lustre formula).
They just have no pigmentation. With barely any colour appearing, what's the point?


6. Mineralize concealer
This did absolutely nothing for me. I felt like I was wearing concealer but instead of covering, I actually feel like it EMPHASIZED flaws and gave me creases I didn't even know I had. This is probably the worst MAC product I've tried thus far.

7. Mascaras
When I just said that the mineralize concealer was the worst product I've tried, I completely forgot about their mascaras. I've tried several, and they were all disasters. I mean, clumpy, cheap-looking messes. I don't know how they failed so bad at these but at this point I've given up trying them because I already have too many full tubes in my back-to-mac pile. On the plus side, I guess they brought me closer to a free lippie. Stay away!

8. Bronzers
Just not a big fan of any of them. I found the pigmentation to be a bit blotchy and the colours to be a bit muddy. I would say they are pretty much all ideal for NC20, but not for my skintone. I much prefer what Sephora has to offer as far as bronzers go.


9. MAC concealers
I've been unimpressed with all the MAC concealers. The best one of them is the prolongwear, which I mention in the next category below. However, the studio fix I found way too cakey and like a worse version of the Bobbi Brown concealer. And the select cover-up was too thick for under-eyes and under-achieving at covering spots, leaving it useless.







And I haven't seen this done before but I wanted to mention some "neutral" products. Products that were neither great nor horrible. I'll continue to use them occasionally, but won't be repurchasing any of these either.


1. Fix +
Meh. That pretty much sums it up. It hasn't broken me out like many complain of,  it definitely feels refreshing, and it does help with cakey foundation. On the same token, it appears to separate foundation a bit because it becomes wet and then blotches. In conclusion, this works well for some rare occasions and areas of the face.

2. Prolongwear concealer
This concealer is raved about, and when I purchased it, the MAC girl even said "you'll never try another." Well... I have tried others... and liked them better. This concealer is good, does the job, but it's definitely not worth the hype. Worst part about it is the pump. It's so hard to control and you end up wasting so much product.

3. Penultimate eyeliner
This is a great eyeliner. However, after using it only a few times, I'm already seeing it dry out. I also think it's not much better than other cheaper liquid eyeliners.

4. Powerpoint eye pencil
I got this because it was supposed to be their waterproof eyeliner. It was ok... I much prefer the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on pencils.

5. Paint pots
Now, maybe this is only because I bought the two most boring paint pots, but I don't see the hype. I own Painterly and Soft Ochre which are so similar. I love how they both even out the eye and cover up the "veins" but I don't think they really work as primers. I don't see a difference with creasing or eyeshadow sticking. I much prefer the Urban Decay or Too Faced eye primers. I will probably repurchase only one of these since they are so similar, and possibly an interesting colour.


So there are my MAC best and worst. I ended up making that wayyyyy longer than I intended, but I hope there is some helpful information in there!

Until next time,
xoxo V

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