This is an ultra sheer foundation that in my opinion isn't very buildable. This "foundation" would be great for those who have flaw free skin or simply want the "coverage" of a tinted moisturizer. It has a natural finish and is long wearing. This product has minimal transfer and is good for combo/oily skin types. The lighest shade available to me is N1 and it was still too dark. :(

I tried this foundation about a year ago and didn't like it. I felt like the coverage wasn't what I wanted and threw it in a drawer. After trying multiple highend/drugstore tinted moisturizers, bb creams, and foundations I was ready to give up. My skin is dry, sensitive, acne prone, and pale yellow which makes it difficult to find something that can work for me. I was cleaning out my makeup drawer and rediscovered my Face and Body in C1. I LOVE this foundation. I use an oil free moisturizer, since the foundation is water based, and apply two-three layers of base then set with a very light dusting of Mac Mineral Skinfinsh in Light. The first layer I apply with my fingers and any additional layers I buff on with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush.The result is medium coverage, natural, glowy skin. There is no settling in my pores or clinging to dry patches. I know this process may sound lengthy but I've got it down to no more time than applying other foundations. If you have serious skin concerns, this won't be for you. I do get occasional breakouts and my under eye circles are quite dark. I use my NYX concealer/Bobbi Brown corrector for any problem areas I am having. Several bloggers made up charts to show how inexpensive this foundation is. If you compare price per ounce, this base is cheaper than most drugstore ones. I think this is a great lightweight foundation and worth a try.I think application is key to get the results you want. Don't give up if you aren't crazy about it at first, read some blogs or watch some youtube videos on how other people apply it.

**Tarte's brightening water based primer works great with this foundation! The foundation lasts longer and has a more natural finish

I really mostly got this to use on any minor body blemishes as it is to sheer and minimal coverage for my liking. The colour match is quite good, but personally I need more coverage then this. Would better suit someone wanting a very sheer finish with good skin. Consistency was also a bit thin.

I am in that funny space of nc50/nw45 and I always have issues finding a color that suits me. Basically I am orange and a straight nc50 looks ashy/sickly on me and an nw45 looks like I have a fever. This is where face and body comes in. I got n9 and I actually use in with my studio fix nc50 and my elf tinted moisturizer in almond because it really helps to warm them up a bit. I can wear n9 on its own but If I do I have to use my MSFN in dark to compensate for the additional warmth. I err on the oily side so wearing this as my sole foundation is a rare occurrence. Also I really can't stand the cap. It got really messy for me. I will probably albeit somewhat reluctantly buy it again because on its own, I could care less about it but in conjunction with other foundations it's actually really nice.

Mac Face & Body should be a foundation that I don't like, and that's the reason I kept away from purchasing it for so long. However, I wanted to try out a lighter base for spring/summer so purchased this in the N1 shade. This was a tad light for me so I moved to the shade N2 which is a much better match for my skin tone. But I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by this foundation. Granted it would be absolutely perfect for someone with great skin.....however I have redness, a few blemishes and very dark circles. BUT, I can still make it work and Iove using this just to even out my skin tone if I'm popping to the shops, or even if I just want a light foundation to wear indoors. It is quite a runny liquid foundation and is very sheer, and for me personally I need to use two or three layers to get it to adequately cover my redness. If you are looking for medium to full coverage this is not for you, but it can be built up to a medium finish. I like to apply one layer, let it dry and them pay on a second layer, the patting motion helps to get a bit more coverage on the areas if the face that need it. Staying power is good and of course I've got to mention the value for money - the 120ml bottle is so much better value than the 50ml bottle and there's only $6 in the difference. I will continue to use f&b on days when I just want a little coverage, however Mac Studio Sculpt remains my favourite foundation. continued >>

No better deal makeup-wise. You get a LOT of product for 30 bucks and the foundation itself looks amazing on anyone.

I have very oily skin but I set this with my urban decay deslick powder and it lasts a good 4-5 hours before I have to blot again. I put the foundation on and then let it dry for a couple of minutes while I curl my eyelashes and eyeliner and such and then I do another layer to achieve medium coverage.

I had to switch to this recently after some horrible experiences with cyclopentasiloxane, the ingredient that covers your pores with silicone to achieve that flawless finish we all adore. My skin is veeeeeery acne-prone and I have a lot of hyperpigmentation not to mention my hormones are out of whack so there's nothing I can do to stop the acne. This doesn't break me out and it covers well enough to cover all the redness which is basically all I need. OH and there's no SPF in it which is another huge plus because my sensitive ass grill also hates spf.

I have (had) super dry and (later in the day) super oily, acne prone skin.

I was working with a flakey red face pretty much every morning. To wash my face I only use the OCM, (Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Castor Oil, and some essential oils) My skin has cleared up A LOT since switching to the OCM a month ago, but I still had some break out issues. I fair skinned, but tan very easily to a warmer tone. I stopped tanning 8 months ago, and decided to embrace my pale skin. The only problem is, the whiter my skin gets, the more apparent my facial flaws are. Redness, breakouts taking weeks to fade away, a few light brown freckles, just overall splotchy looking skin. Again, my OCM has done wonders for my complexion, but I couldn't get rid of the flakes an small steady amounts of breakouts. I had to finally attribute to my previous foundation, MUFE in 115 Ivory.

Before switching to F&B
I had just started using the Beauty Blender Sponge during application. Even with the beauty blender making my foundation application look flawless, my MUFE still seemed to make the flakes on my (very pre-moisturized) skin appear out of no where.
In the past, I've literally taken off my foundation RIGHT after putting it on, just to lightly exfoliate those flakes away, and try again. :/ (even though I know I shouldn't exfoliate and apply makeup directly after) I could NOT walk out of the house knowing flakes were visible. I've even done the tweezer method too, tediously pulling the little flakes away :/

So anyways, I decided to start looking for a water based foundation, and decided F&B had enough good reviews to try out. I ordered N1, and when I received it, I was upset at the shade. I thought it was too dark when I applied some to my wrist. So, I went to Walgreens and got a much lighter shade (W1) of L'oreal true match (it's also water-based) so I could mix my own shade. BUT, it turns out that I didn't even need it, the N1 turned out to be the perfect shade! I've read in a few reviews that it looks dark, but dries a little lighter.

Either way, my first time, I put on 2 light layers of F&B and was so pleased at the results. My face had NO FLAKES. So I took my kabuki brush and lightly tapped some bare-minerals to set my foundation. I didn't want to add too much powder, because I thought that F&B did such a good job all by itself. BAD IDEA. If you have oily skin, try putting on a lighter application of your F&B, just to even out your skin tone, then make sure you REALLY set this foundation, otherwise you will look like a grease ball in less than an hour. (not the runny-makeup separating-grease look, just shiney)

I was pretty upset, assuming I would have to stop using my F&B because of the greasy look it gave a few hours into the day.(I live in Houston, so the humidity doesn't help)
BUT I gave it a few more shots with a different application technique.
The trick is, LIGHT application of F&B, concealer, and a nice even layer of powder. (F&B isn't good for oily girls if you feel the need to put more than 3 layers.) I blot my T zone once in the middle of my day, but let me tell you, I would rather blot 3 times a day, than stare at little flakes on my face all day.

My skin HAS NOT broken out, and my skin is much more moisturized, no more dry patches! I also used my skindinavia setting spray before and after applying F&B and it makes a HUGE difference for oily skin, somehow convincing my pores to chill out on the oil production through out the day.

I love F&B and I will def. be buying again. If you don't go get matched at MAC, and you order a shade too dark or light, I suggest getting the L'oreal true match shade to mix, instead of buying another bottle of F&B.
(you have to use another water-based product, if you don't, you'll run the risk of your mix separating on your face mid day...gross -_- I learned that lesson a long time ago)

I use my beauty blender spong to put on one light layer of just N1, and then mix a TINY bit of my true match, with 2 drops of N1, and use that as a highlighter, under my eyes, under my cheekbones(to make my blush application minimal), and the center of my face. So all in all 2 light layers of liquid foundation on my skin and a few taps of powder.
(I've previously been scared of my powder because it only highlighted flakes that the MUFE would make magically appear, so I only used it to lightly set.)

Sorry for the lengthy review! I wanted to explain in very lengthy depth for all the ladies with my type of combo skin (because I never seem to find any reviews from us)
:] Hope this helps! continued >>

My Skin:
I have seriously clogged skin with closed comedones all around my face and large cystic bumps occasionally occuring around my jawline and neck. Unfortunately when I'm stressed I pick at my skin too which made my skin both combination-oily but also as dry and thin as paper too. My face is overall covered with hyperpigmentation from healing acne. When I wake up my face looks dull, lifeless and covered with red marks. My skin color is somewhere between NC25-NC27. But I find NC's to be a tad bit too yellow for my skin.

This product and its comparison with other foundations I tried:
I bought this product thinking that I would use this on the days that I stay at home or want to feel less heavy on my face because I always heard that it's sheer. I normally use Revlon Colorstay everyday and although it covers my acne enough I now realized that it made my skin look very unnatural and cakey in certain lightings. When I applied it in my room under artificial light it was okay but when I went out to natural light I realized that it looked lifeless, cakey and on top of that it made my skin much more drier and flaky. clinique Even Better foundation was great but the color honey looked too dark on me and it looked very thick on dry areas.I also bought Shiseido's Sun Protection Liquid in SPF30 and in sp60 but it was too dark on my skin (stupid SA) and accentuated the dry parts on my face. All these 3 foundations I tried before made my 20 years old skin look old, very ridiculous for my age. Lastly I bought this in C3 WHICH MATCHES MY SKINTONE PERFECTLY!! When I applied this in one layer it was very sheer but then I took a duo fiber Mac Foundation brush and started layering it by squeezing some product on my hand. By 2-3 minutes I had attained as much coverage as Revlon Colorstay gave me -making my hiperpigmentation barely visible- and it looked so dewy and youthful! I think the natural look of this foundation is due to its water base. I checked it in natural light which I never dared to do with Revlon Colorstay and it still looked like my skin but without all those imperfections! Also now I can feel my face breathing unlike with Revlon, Shiseido or Clinique. Another point is that this product is 120 ml which means 4 times more product than Shiseido but it has the same price with it. If you find it too sheer and want to set it the Balm transluscent powder works with this perfectly making it more suitable for humid weather conditions. So if you have problems on your skin which you always find that other foundations accentuated buy this and you will find that they are blurred. I will update if I see any cons to this product.

After reading all the reviews and comparing price per ounce with a few other foundations, I decided to give this a go. I have pretty decent skin. Rarely get pimples, just have a little bit of redness by my nose and some uneven skin on my chin. The gentleman at the MAC counter applied this with a stippling brush and then dusted some mineralize powder over top. It looked great! My skin looked even and natural, minus the redness. I would almost say it looked airbrushed! I purchased it on the spot in C2 (NC25 in Studio Fix powder) and happily used it for about two weeks. I didn't notice any side effects or anything, so I kept on keepin' on.

The other day, however, while washing my face before bed, I found not one, but two painful cystic acne bumps. I was in shock! I then discovered three small pimples on my forehead and a few more by the corner of my mouth.

As I said before, my skin was not really an issue before using this. I should have known it was too good to be true. This really clogged my pores and made my skin freak out. I returned it. I really wish it would have worked out for me, but unfortunately no where on the packaging does it say, "Oil Free". I guess that's it's greatest downfall.

This foundation serves a very specific purpose. It's for people with few blemishes, dry or normal skin, and a skin tone on the warmer side of the spectrum.


This product is described as 'buildable', but that's only partially true. The best coverage you can get out of it is medium, no matter how much you cake on, For bad acne days, or days with a lot of redness, I put on primer, concealer, bb cream/tinted moisturizer, and then two layers of this to achieve decent coverage. Yeah, that's a lot of make up for my taste. The same effect can be achieved with Nars Sheer Glow and just primer. So, if you're never worried about imperfections, this product might be great for you. Otherwise, I'd consider something with a little more coverage, to save time and money.


Also, this product doesn't really stop shine. It needs a pretty standard amount of blotting or powder, even when worn on its own, or with just primer. I found it kind of annoying that such a light formula needed so much additional maintenance.


Finally, I think my skin colour is outside of the range of this product. I'm pale with a lot of pink undertones to my skin. In the store, I matched to N1, which is supposed to have a combination of pink and yellow undertones (as opposed to C1, which is more yellow). Still, after wearing it for a few hours, it made my face kind of orange. Didn't love that. It's weird, because I've never had this problem MUFE 110 and 115, or Nars Mont Blanc. So, it's either oxidation or a bad match to my skin colour.


This review sounds really negative, but this product is probably great for people with great skin and warmer skin tones. It just wasn't as all-purpose as I would have liked it to be. I definitely still wear it when I have a tan, and when my skin is behaving itself. The bottle is easy to use, and there's a lot of product for the price. I'd recommend getting a sample of this before committing to buying it.