MAC • Mineralize Skin Finish Natural - Medium Plus • Pressed Powders

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akkk on 1/30/2009 11:45:00 PM more reviews by akkk

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

The texture feels a little coarse at first when swiped with a finger, but the product seems to glide on with a few light taps of a brush. The MA at the counter I bought this from suggested using a light dusting of the product rather than buffing it in. This has seemed to work IMO-- I have been using this for the last 4+ months and I have had no breakouts from using this. For the record, I have rather temperamental skin.

The skinfinish does seem to cake more when used as a setting powder over foundation, but this can be fixed with some fix+ spray stippled on with a skunk brush. Used by itself over primer or moisturizer, this powder provides a satin finish with sheer coverage.

Color choices are good, though I started with a medium plus in the summer/fall and had to go back for another compact in medium when my summer tan started to fade. But I should have expected this.

These are not very cheap, but for skins that need little coverage, the skinfinish is a good finishing option, since it seems to do what its name promises.

The compact is quite solid and I have not had trouble taking this to work with me. I took it on a rather long trip last year as well and did not have trouble with the product crumbling. But that was just my experience, and yours might differ.

A brush is a must for using this powder. That, and the powdery-ness over liquid or cream foundations is the only reason I am giving this four out of five lippies...

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aizacity on 1/28/2009 11:37:00 PM more reviews by aizacity

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Skin Ref: Asian, yellow undertones, fair-medium, NC25/NC30, combination oily

I've been strictly using mineral makeup for about two years now, but have never tried any of MAC's mineralize line until now with the exception of their MSFs and mineralize blushes. This powder is excellent for setting mineral foundation, way better than the Everyday Minerals rice loose powder I've been using for over four years. Taking cue from the reviews on Makeup Alley, I hit a perfect match with Medium Plus for my NC25/NC30 skin. This mineral powder really did give a blurred/airbrushed effect to my face after using it to set my usual Pure Anada mineral foundation. I didn't expect it to do much in terms of covering my amazingly huge pores, but I was stunned when I saw the end result. I gave a lower rating for packaging just because I thought it would be nice to carry this around in my bag for touch ups on the go, but seeing how delicate MSFs are I'm not taking any chances and having it crumble in my bag...it's not like these things come cheap. Overall, I will definitely repurchase provided that it doesn't cause any breakouts. I've only been using this for a few days with no signs of irritations or whatsoever, so I will edit this review in the next coming weeks if it does.

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stinky303piggy on 1/28/2009 5:47:00 PM more reviews by stinky303piggy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

im in love this. i asian and irish and have alot of reddness on my checks and i also have undereye circles. ive tried everything from drugstore to highend. concelers to full coverage foundation and nothing looks natural. in order to cover the flaws i have to cake it on (which is not a good look). not with this product i simply prep my face using lightful serum and apply. its so fast and easy and it looks so natural and flawless. i will always keep this is my makeup case. i would repurchase in a heart beat.

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peachykeen on 1/14/2009 4:30:00 PM more reviews by peachykeen

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

after reading many reviews on this I finally decided to go for the Medium PLus. I tried the Medium on in the store and it looked too light on me. I also tried Medium dark and it was too Ooompa Loompah- ish on me . For reference I'm a NC 25-30 Asian, blk hair.

Medium Plus is JUST RIGHT. It blends beautifully and goes on smoothly and just melts right in. I love it. I've tried tons of MMUs and I was skeptical of all the rave reviews here. I gotta say this is one of the best mineral powders I've ever tried. Love it.

My face looks very smooth and finished. No flakeys or dry spots and it just evens out my complexion perfectly. Def. HG status.

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*TOP REVIEWER* neekolet on 12/1/2008 8:38:00 PM more reviews by neekolet

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Tan   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

this is amazing!!!! i love the mineralize powders because they give you awesome coverage and color without looking cakey. i'm nc40 and i was using medium until i switched over to medium plus (when i bought medium, medium plus wasn't available yet). though i loved medium, this color suits my nc40 skin waayy better. it is PERFECT!!!!

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xjennlee on 11/21/2008 10:21:00 PM more reviews by xjennlee

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Black    

I love MAC's MSFs in general so I do like this one too. However, I took one lippie off because of the limited choices of shades. I am an NC30 and don't think Medium Plus is my perfect shade. But Medium Dark made me look like an Oompa Loompa : ( so as of now, Medium Plus is the closed to my shade. I use it over my foundation to set it and also use it without foundation whenever I don't want too much on. Also, when using it on top of foundation, please remember to only use a little! The shade turns a little darker on top of foundation so I just swipe only once and then buff it with my 182. Overall, this is pretty decent. Won't say I love it but will continue to use it. I probably won't repurchase though; I'd rather use MAC Blot Powder to set the foundation.

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sashimigirl on 9/17/2008 8:23:00 PM more reviews by sashimigirl

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I don't generally use foundation because I hate the feel and look of liquid foundation on my skin, but got sucked in by the idea of MAC doing a mineral powder foundation. The quality! The color range! The MAC name! lol.

It's sold as a setting powder but I think a lot of people use it as a sheer-coverage powder foundation, and that's how I've been using it. It comes in a compact with a see-through lid. The powder itself is "domed" and has subtle glimmer swirled in throughout the product. There's no puff included, which is ok with me because I think you really need to use a brush, but I would have liked a mirror...

I've had this a few days and I really like the product -- I have oily, acne-prone, sensitive skin that usually breaks out in zits or a rash at the drop of a hat if there's one irritating ingredient in the product. So far my skin is liking this, even though it does have a chemical sunscreen in the formula. Interesting since I usually am allergic to those.

I use a kabuki brush to buff it on over my moisturizer and concealer in the morning. I have some freckling and usually some light acne scarring and this does a good job of giving sheer coverage and also diffusing light enough to soften the imperfections w/o looking like a mask. I prefer this sort of natural coverage, but you can build coverage. At the store the MA spritzed Fix+ on my face first *then* buffed on the Mineralize -- and this gave medium coverage.

Before I used this I only wore concealer and Sheer Select Loose Powder. Using the Mineralize it does seem like my skin is more "protected" from the elements -- less itchy and just less "reactive" overall.

It does look a bit chalky to me by itself so I spritz Fix+ after as suggested by the MA and that gives it more of a dewy look. I have oily skin and it doesn't control shine that much, but it doesn't make it worse either. My usual Sheer Select pressed powder seems to work fine for touchups.

The tricky part seems to be finding the right shade. I'm a NC35/40 Asian w/golden undertones and was first matched as a Medium Dark, which when first put on seemed like a good match. But because I have oily skin the stuff turned too dark and a little orange after a few hours. So I exchanged for the next lighter shade, Medium Plus and it's much better, especially once it's been on for an hour or so. So, oily gals might want to consider buying a shade lighter.

Edit 9/21/08 - spoke too soon! Gah it's too pink. I give up. I'm gonna go back and try StudioFix now. Too bad cause besides the shade issues I really liked Mineralize.

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mizsassy on 9/14/2008 4:29:00 AM more reviews by mizsassy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I take back what i said before, this thing is awesome!! Just be careful to get the right shade! I got Medium before and it was too white that's why it looked greyish and ashy on my face, and I posted the comment for Medium here! Sorry!! Now that I switched to Medium Plus the result is amazing!! Works wonders with Mac #187 stippling brush.

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babyslk7 on 8/21/2008 4:24:00 PM more reviews by babyslk7

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

Ok, come to conclusion now. I've tried light medium, medium and medium plus. I own the Dark for bronzer. I have medium skintone, asian with yellow golden tone. The result I like light medium and then medium plus come in 2nd place. I hate the medium, looks ashy and chalky greyish on my asian tone. I have very oily and acne skin, during warmer weather, my makeup always oxidize and looks darker. So, I will get the light medium back instead of this one. Medium plus come close to my skin, but tends more on olive side. Think of latina skin, Jessica Alba or Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez suit in this. I can wear this too when I have medium to light tan skintone. Since it's really sheer and I want something to brighten the face, I will go with light medium. I own a lot of bronzer, so I don't need anything that will darken my face. Overall, this is pretty shade and suitable for most skintones. Especially if you want a little color (Caucasian with light skin), you can wear this. It's a great shade.

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yglass on 8/12/2008 10:25:00 PM more reviews by yglass

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I am not sure if Medium Plus is now Dark because I bought my compact at a MAC counter and I bought Dark (which I can't find on MUA drop down menu).


I had high hopes for this product. For a natural-looking finish, it delivered. But as for color, it was bad. I am tan (use Tan in BE) and this made my skin look orange. If MAC would expand the color range for this product, I'd buy it again. I have oily skin and it did help me look dewy without obsessive re-application. It's a great product if you want your skin to look like skin and not a death mask. If the colors work for you, it's an HG product.

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AWILDA429 on 7/31/2008 5:54:00 PM more reviews by AWILDA429

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I love love love this product. I use my 187 skunk brush to apply my foundation mixed with my moisterizer. Then I use this to set the foundation with my Big blush brush.

OMG! It looks so natural and helps keep my foundation in place all day. Once the oils on my skin mix in with this product, I get such a great finish. Not too shiny and not too matte. I will be buying more of this when I run out.

I may buy a darker shade to use as a bronzer.

Only CON: It doesn't have a mirror. :-(

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ropey on 7/28/2008 12:54:00 AM more reviews by ropey

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I decided to try this after reading rave reviews about it on here. So far so good. Its a great light powder to wear over liquid foundation and also on its own. Doesn't leave that talc looking residue.
I wore it alone the other day when I was feeling ugly and hungover. My boyfriend kept looking at me saying I looked pretty. Thats good enough for me!
When I apply it alone i can't even see it on my skin, but after a few minutes it melts in and looks really natural and pretty.
The only downside to MAC is the price tag. I bought this powder and a Kohl pencil and it set me back nearly AU$80!
I would usually buy off ebay for 1/2 the price but I wanted it for the weekend. Oh well.

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bumbles26 on 6/27/2008 3:56:00 PM more reviews by bumbles26

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Where do I start?! This has got to be the best thing since chocolate cake! I mean...wow. :)!

Let me start by saying what my skin is like - dry to normal, relatively clear skin with a few blemishes around my chin...GGG complexion. Now, I like to keep my face routine pretty simple and use as less as possible on my face...I've been looking for something that provides sheer coverage and evens out my skintone but doesn't make me look dry or cakey...I've tried so many brands of mineral make-up and have reached the point of being sick of it as it always ends up looking dry on me or disappears into thin air!

I decided to try this based on the many rave reviews on it, and boy do I love it! I apply it with the MAC 187 or a kabuki and the results are lovely! I get an even complexion with a glow that comes from I dont know where! It's not shimmery or shiny..its just radiant. I use it on top of concealer, and then spray some evian mist on top and I'm all set. :)

I really recommend this powder, it can be used on its own, as a finishing powder, a darker one can be used as a contour/bronzer..very versatile and well worth the price! Would buy again in a heartbeat!

EDIT: THIS BROKE ME OUT!!! :( I never break out with products, and this did, really unfortunate :(

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c00ki312 on 6/22/2008 6:53:00 PM more reviews by c00ki312

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Before this shade was released I had to use MSFN in Medium as it was the closest to my NC30 tone. But it made my face white. I've also got a bit of yellow/beige undertones and didnt think even this shade would work but omg it is a godsend! the contrast between medium and medium plus is not even visible in the pan but on the skin it covers everything perfectly. No need for concealor. Just buff with MAC 180 brush and my skin just glows and I dont have that thick foundation feeling I hate! It is honestly the next best thing to foundation and anyone with similar colouring should get this shade.

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*TOP REVIEWER* harls321 on 6/16/2008 10:25:00 AM more reviews by harls321

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This is a great product. I like to use this as a finishing powder. It gives my skin a nice glow. I have also tried this as a foundation & it works great. Feels like I have nothing on. Looks perfectly natural. It is a wonderful multi-tasking powder.

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iwasntlazyinmay on 6/5/2008 3:35:00 AM more reviews by iwasntlazyinmay

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I can't believe I didn't review this yet! This is my favorite product from MAC aside from slimshines (i heart them) and lustreglass. I bought the studio fix powder/foundation first which I also love but hate when taking pictures. The talc has reflective particles which cause the camera's flash to catch it and leave you looking like a ghost. You could use liquid foundation but I prefer not to so I went to Mac and asked the artist what she recommends for a natural coverage that is buildable to medium coverage and that looks natural with pictures or just a "go to" powder/foundation. She suggested this and I am in love. I have used this in place of my Studio Fix foundation/powder everyday. I actually still use studio fix at times when I know pictures are not going to be taken but when I'm going to work or just the store, I will throw on this. It gives you the most natural coverage and with the right color and brush ( I use the MAC 182) you can really build the coverage or keep it sheer enough if you're having great skin days. This is a great product which is domed shaped and comes in a clear case. The only thing I don't like is that these don't come with a mirror like studio fix powder. I always carry my sonia kashuk retractable powder brush for touch-ups if I need it. This doesn't have spf which the loose mineralized make-up does however it can be used to set foundation or use for touch-ups. I have seen some people use this for bronzer if they get a darker color than their own. I think everyone should have this. It is great on the skin because it is mineralized make-up and doesn't clog pores. Get this when you have a chance or try it at a MAC counter. You won't regret it.

EDIT 6/18/2008: I always use this as a pressed powder now. It is my "go to" powder for everyday. Still using studio fix. But this doesn't need fix plus to get rid of the "powdery look." I also have changed brushes. I use my coastal scents paddle brush (which is the MAC 134-in a cheaper version) and its so lovely to set makeup. I use this to set my tinted moisturizer and its great.

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LadyVader on 5/14/2008 8:12:00 PM more reviews by LadyVader

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Other   Eyes: Brown    

I have a pale face and tan body because tanning your face gives you wrinkles:) An MA used this on my face for a photshoot to add some color with out using bronzer, She used face and body in C1 as a foundation, then this over as a sort of contour to bring up the tones from my tan to my face-I ended up buying both products! A good idea if you have an uneven skintone.

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*TOP REVIEWER* hicupcake on 4/20/2008 2:40:00 PM more reviews by hicupcake

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this when the N collection came out (January 08), and I have used it pretty much every day since! (It lasts a long time)

In the past, the powders that were "medium" were still too light for me, and dark was just way too dark. I can wear NC35, but sometimes it looks a bit too light. Medium plus is a great match! I like this product a lot, but at the end of the day, my skin is still oily, so that's why I took off a lippie.

The texture of this powder is great--silky soft! However, because it's so soft, a few swipes of a big brush is actually quite a bit of product, and it can make quite a mess if you're not careful. Due to the nature of Mineralize products, I DO NOT put this in my makeup bag and have it rattle around with everything else (they can break easily).

I frequently wear BE medium beige, and I use the Mineralize Skinfinish as a finishing powder instead of the BE mineral veil (this powder is supposed to have no color, but it looks really WHITE on me), and I also use it over other liquid foundations. In addition, I also load up my brush with powder and then spritz it with fix+ for heavier coverage when I want to use the powder as a light foundation. It does a pretty good job of covering the large pores on my nose and evening out my skintone, without making my face look perfectly plastic (a total plus).

I didn't get breakouts from this, but then again, my skin is NOT very sensitive to foundations and powders. I will definitely buy this again!

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Xiriah on 4/12/2008 4:51:00 PM more reviews by Xiriah

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

I really wanted to like this product. I liked the texture, the color, the finish, etc, BUT there is one big problem with it for me... It broke me out. :(

My skin is the best that it has been in years since I've started taking better care of it and found out what works for me plus since I started the pill, it cleared my skin up to the point where I only get a zit if I touch my skin too much, it's close to that time of the month or something irritates my skin. This gave me a huge zit on my cheek after a day of using it. Plus, after an hour or so, it looked oily on my skin.

The price is a bit much, then again it is MAC. I think I'll stick to Clinique's products. They suit my skin well and don't break me out. Sigh, but it is such a lovely powder...

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anglomania86 on 3/26/2008 11:29:00 AM more reviews by anglomania86

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I absolutely love this. I didn't think I could be swayed away from using Clinique foundations/powders but it seems I was wrong! I have been using this as a sheer foundation because it evens out my complexion yet looks completely natural. The colour is buildable though if you don't want to go too sheer. I use my 187 brush and that is what the MU used on me. Otherwise a buffer brush like the 182 would give you more of a coverage. The colour is perfect for me (I'm an NW25) and it seems to match my exact skin tone. It works really well on my oily skin too which is the most important thing when it comes to powders and foundations. I loved it so much that I bought medium deep to contour with too :)

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