MAC Studiofix Powder Review

This product is my holy grail powder. It's the one makeup item that I always keep with me, no matter where I go. I think it's also my first purchase from MAC almost five years ago. I have purchased and tried other powders since then, but I always keep coming back to this jewel.

The Product

MAC describes this as: "A one-step application of foundation and powder. Gives skin a smooth, flawless, all-matte, full-coverage finish. Long-wearing: lasts for up to eight hours. A real all-in-one. The choice of pros, and a long time favourite of M∙A∙C fans. "

oppps, sorry for the dirty sponge:( I used it once and forgot about it already:D)

MAC Foundation Shade Selection

Before I start with the actual product review, I would like to discuss the shade selection and terms that MAC uses for its foundations. All MAC foundation shades are labeled according to the codes NC and NW. For non-MAC users, these are total alien terms. I haven't found the true meaning of NC and NW(hello MAC, why keep it a mystery?) but after spending hours and hours in the internet searching for the answer, I somehow learned that these labels pertain to the coolness or warmness of the skintone. And the numbering after these letters refer to the complexion, the higher the number goes, the darker the foundation will be.

Cool VS Warm

How do you identify your skintone? One way of knowing whether you are warm-toned or cool-toned is to look at the veins on your wrist. If you have bluish veins, you are cool-toned. If you have greenish veins, then you have warm skintone. Another way of identifying it is; whether you tan easily or not. Warm skintones generally tan without a problem, while people with cool skintones get sunburnt in no time and turn red instead. And finally, if you have pinkish undertone, then you are cool:) And if you have yellow undertones, then you are warm:)

Back to the NC & NW. NC is for people who have WARM skintone because NC=NOT COOL=WARM. And NW is for those who have COOL skintone, NW=NOT WARM=COOL. By the way, I did not invent these meanings myself:)

Again, NC=WARM and NW=COOL.

My Experience

Like I've already said, this is my favorite product of all time and my biggest favorite from MAC as well. It gives me decent coverage without looking like I have a mask of foundation on. I love that it keeps oiliness at bay and stays fresh-looking even after hours of wear. It comes with a sponge applicator which has its own compartment under the powder. I think that's a very good packaging from MAC as it keeps the sponge spotless and away from the powder. Although, it is useless to me because I hate sponges. I feel that it's really difficult to sanitize them all the time and re-using them when unwashed is just yucky because they absorb all the dirt and sebum. Gross, I know!

I use these brushes instead to apply it. The one on the left is TBS Bronzing Brush and the one on the right is MAC 182. I take the TBS brush with me for touchups and use MAC 182 for the main application.

before & after

My main concern is that I have large pores and uneven skintone. I also suffer from occassional acne attacks especially during those special days of the month:(. I have these hyperpigmentations from old breakouts too grrrrrrr. My skin is very oily and because this foundation is matte, it does a very god joob in keeping me from looking like a walking oil factory. Studiofix powder gives me an even complexion effortlessly. All I do is swirl the brush once on the powder, and apply it on my face in a circular/buffing motion. It hardly takes a minute. Although it doesn't cover up much of my pores, it doesn't accentuate them either. You can also increase the coverage by applying more product, but I like to keep it a bit sheer. You may notice that the powder shows a tad darker against my skin. It's because I am usually NC35, but six months ago, I went to vacation and spent most of the time under the sun and swimming. So I tanned a lot and I gave my old one to my sis which she happily inherited of course:). I bought a new one, an NC41 and now I'm back to my usual color. The difference isn't that noticeable in person, I actually like that it gives me a bit of tan:) But I make sure that I apply it on my neck and blend it properly along my hairline as well.

Is it the right product for you?

If you're looking for a foundation which is very easy to apply, gives medium coverage, fresh-looking and evens skintone, then I highly recommend this one. If you want high-coverage foundation, then this may not be for you. You might not like this product if you have dry skin because it accentuates flakiness and can make your skin look dehydrated and dull. But I still suggest it for touch-ups and for women who are always on the go.

Studiofix Powder is available at MAC stores and costs 150SR.

My Favorite MAC Lipsticks

I am listing my must-have MAC lipsticks. You may notice that the ones I chose are neither very opaque nor too bright. These are the shades that I usually reach for all the time. These lipsticks last around 3-4 hours on me, but I notoriously lick and bite my lips frequently so they might actually last longer if you can restrain yourself:) MAC lipstick retails at 92SR/pc.

Ravishing lipstick is a beautiful peachy coral shade with a slight orange tint to it. It's very creamy and is quite opaque. It looks a bit matte with just a slight sheen. Because of its creaminess, it can sometimes accentuate dryness on the lips, so make sure that your puckers are well exfoliated and moisturized before you apply it.

 

 Ravishing


See Sheer is a sheer, lightly coraled-pink lipstick. It’s not overly sheer and does give a noticeable tint and sheen to the lips. It's a gorgeous MLBB(my lips but better) shade because it's not a boring nude, it gives your lips a bit of an oomph without being overly "done".

See Sheer

Plumful is a pinky plum/mauve with berry undertone lipstick. It's very pigmented and has a slight sheen, more like a lipstick gloss. It's my perfect "on the-go" lipstick.



Plumful

  Note: Please excuse my dry, chapped lips:D

Do tell us about your favorite lipstick/s in the comment section:)
Til the next post! See ya<3

My 5 must-have MAC Eye Brushes

         
Brushes are great makeup tools. They can truly improve the outcome of your work. Whether you're a professional, a beginner or just another makeup addict like me, having the right tools and in this case make up brushes, is very important. There are many reasons why you should invest in brushes. First, blending is a tedious task without the bristles of a brush. It is almost impossible to achieve proper blending using your fingers or sponges. Second, brushes may seem expensive at first but with the right care, they can last you for ages, unlike sponges or those cotton-bud types that are available in market. And they're more environment-friendly because you don't throw them immediately:). Last but not the least, they are gentler unlike your fingers because they exert lesser effort against the sensitive skin around the eyes which is very prone to wrinkles and sagging. You might wonder why I chose MAC. It's because most makeup gurus refer to these brushes all the time and are somewhat used as the benchmark in the "brush industry". Of course there are other fabulous brushes by other brands but I'll talk about them in some other post. For now, let's see which MAC ones have made it to my list. Happy reading!

1) MAC 224(soft dome, tapered blending brush)
-Is a long, fluffy brush with a dome- shaped tip designed for seamless blending. (161 SR)

2) MAC 239(flat stiff,eye shading brush)

-It's a flat, slightly dome-shaped goat-hair brush. It is soft and dense to shade or blend eye shadow or emollient-based products. This brush has a tapered, rounded edge with smooth, firm, fine fibres.(139SR)



3) MAC 219(pencil brush)

-It’s a soft, fairly firm brush with densely packed bristles and shaped liked a pencil's tip, thus the name. It's designed for precision blending of color especially on the lower lashline and for smudging liners.(139SR)

4) MAC 226(small tapered blending brush)

-A limited edition brush. It is a small, slightly tapered, dome shaped brush that is especially designed for the crease. It is a fab tool especially for those who have small eyes and monolids(aka "east asian" eyelids).(Price is currently unavailable)

5) MAC 217(stiff dome, blending brush)
-My darling brush! This brush has fine, densely packed fibers that are arranged in an oval shape. It's great for packing colors, and blends colors like a dream. Definitely a must-have!(124SR)

Hope you enjoyed it! See ya<3

Ice

My Top 15 MAC Eyeshadows

A MAC store is a heaven for a make up addict like me. But with over 150 eyeshadows to choose from, not to mention the limited edition ones, choosing eyeshadows especially for newbies can be a trepidating task. I have compiled my top 15 eyeshadows so that it can serve as a guide if anyone is interested in building their own palettes. Picking only 15 is so difficult because there are so many gorgeous colors and I want to include all of them. I tried my very best to make it a variety of colors from highlighters to neutrals and to blues and greens. My list has some matte and shimmery finishes as well. All of these shadows have buttery texture, very easy to blend and have very good pigmentation. I hope you enjoy it! 

1st row L-R: Blanc type, Phloof, Ricepaper, Gorgeous Gold, Goldmine

2nd row  L-R: Silver Ring, Nehru, Black Tied, Woodwinked, Satin Taupe

3rd row L-R: Expensive Pink, Cranberry, Beautiful Iris, Humid, Freshwater

1) blanc type- a matte, very light beige color. it's great as a highlighter for a very dramatic look or an all-over lid color for a neutral look.
2) phloof- is a frost color with a bit of brownish and pinkish tinge to it. it's a gorgeous highlighter. it's also great as a lid color, i also love, LOOOOVVVVEEEE it as a highlighter on the inner corner of the eyes. It opens up the eyes instantly.
3) ricepaper-is a beautiful light shimmery peachy gold shadow. It's a gorgeous lid color and a wonderful highlighter as well.
4) gorgeous gold-a very unique and pretty greenish gold shadow.
5) goldmine- a lovely pure gold shadow, think 24k:).
6) silver ring- a medium to dark silver shadow with a bit of shimmer.
7) nehru- a matte dark color, like a cross between black and gray.
8) black tied- a true black shadow with a bit of silver sparkle.
9) woodwinked- warm,red toned brown with a metallic shine.
10) satin taupe-  a dark taupe with a hint of burgundy and a frosted finish.
11) expensive pink- a  peachy  gold color with just a tiny hint of pink.
12) cranberry-  a berried red with a frost finish.
13) beautiful iris-a soft lilac with a tiny bit of shimmer.
14) humid- greenish khaki with golden shimmer.
15) freshwater- a bright summer blue with a nice silvery sheen.

These beautiful babies are available in MAC stores. Each eyeshadow refill retails for 68SR while a single eyeshadow pan costs 86SR. The 15 pan palette costs 83SR.

What's your favorite MAC eyeshadow? See ya! <3

Ice