MAC • Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50 • Primer/ Corrector

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*TOP REVIEWER* bloodymerry52 on 5/17/2013 8:51:00 PM more reviews by bloodymerry52

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I have the one w/o the SPF. This is a great primer. I use it in place of my moisturizer (good or bad?) and maybe it's just my skin being weird, but when I apply it, my face turns red for a minute or two after. It also leaves little sparkles on my fingers. I have noticed that my foundation & powder look nicer when I use this. I just like it because it makes a smooth surface for my makeup. A must have in my kit.

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TanniMH on 5/13/2013 4:00:00 PM more reviews by TanniMH

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This my favourite primer so far. It keeps my make up for a lot longer than other primers I have tried plus it just makes my make up look better. The fact that it is spf 50 is the main reason i brought it in the first place. It isn't too greasy for me but the consistency is a bit thick. I doesn't fill in the pores until they are completely invisible but it does do a pretty good job. It is a bit on the pricey side for me I think its currently £22.50 for 30ml, but I would say it does last a fair amount of time. I would recommend this primer.

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Songk on 4/11/2013 3:23:00 PM more reviews by Songk

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

The new ingredients like Avobenzone and Oxybenzone are chemical sunscreen ingredients. It makes the product aesthetically pleasing. But these are high hazard ingredients.

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nikeata1964 on 4/7/2013 10:49:00 AM more reviews by nikeata1964

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

Mac has changed the formula but after speaking with a Mac Artist who has done some photo work recommend that i apply my moisturizer, then apply the prep and prime spf50 then apply some blot powder before apply my foundation. I can say on my first day that it is working now and but after a few hours I had to use more blot powder. This is a tip for the new formula of prep and prime spf50.

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cherriesandpie on 3/28/2013 3:55:00 PM more reviews by cherriesandpie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Other   Eyes: Hazel    

Oh my god. This is GOOD. I bought it a couple of years ago but was let down as I didn't feel like it did much (I think I ws expecting it to superglue my makeup down...).

However, I pulled this out again; applied, it makes for incredibly smooth and poreless looking skin! It also does make my mu stay on a lot longer (not magically so but around a few hours more, and makeup still stays on much better in heat or by the end of the day with only gradual fading as compared to makeup evaporation!) HG

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*TOP REVIEWER* missmanic on 3/23/2013 3:29:00 PM more reviews by missmanic

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I've repurchased this time and time again. I love it. I happened upon this by mistake. Originally, I was using the Prep+Prime *without* the SPF, but an SA accidently gave me this instead when I went to get a replacement. Best mistake ever! My skin is very, very fair. This has protected my skin completely even in very harsh, direct, prolonged summer sun. I noticed a difference in the overall appearance of my skin within a month of using this. The SPF really protects. As a primer, it smooths my skin out and hydrates any dry spots I may have. My skin is very oily, and this helps keep my foundation in place much longer as well as provides much smoother application. A little bit goes a long way, and it lasts a decent amount of time. I end up cutting the tube in half and scooping out the left over product once it stops squeezing out. This does have a tendency to seperate in the tube, but I just rub the product back together in my hands before I apply. I am acne prone (cystic, clogs) and very sensitive and this has not bothered my skin.

EDIT:/ I have not tried the new formula...and now I'm heart broken...

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criscate on 3/15/2013 3:35:00 PM more reviews by criscate

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Oh, no, my favorite skincare product of all time has been reformulated with avobenzone as the new active ingredient instead of zinc oxide. The MAC website did not mention this reformulation so I slathered it on without looking at the ingredients--bad move as my face immediately started burning and even though I washed it off, my face and neck are now covered in itchy red spots from contact dermatitis. On top of that, it left a greasy film on my skin instead of a nice, smooth matte finish. I am so disappointed as I used this religiously for the past 10 years. My search for a new gentle, non-greasy sunscreen begins again...

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Sweetlady21801 on 2/26/2013 12:12:00 AM more reviews by Sweetlady21801

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

When I first purchased this product, I was concerned that it may be too greasy for my skin. As I have combination skin, it was important for a product to not bring my skin more moisture than it needed but I also needed the sun protection and the primer as I am a fatihful user of MAC makeup products. At this point, I have been use this product for a few months now and I must say that I love this product. It's not too oily for my skin, I have not had one breakout as a result. I also have noticed as a result of using this prep n prime spt 50 that my skin has become more even and there is an astounding reduction in my dark spots. I will definitely continue to use this product.

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Ladycutty on 2/22/2013 4:56:00 PM more reviews by Ladycutty

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

I am so disappointed with the new formula. I wish I could slap whoever decided it was a good idea to change the formula. This was my savior for years. It would matte my face and keep my makeup intact and oil-free all day. I refused to put makeup on without putting my prep + prime before. I thought I had picked up a defective bottle when I first opened a bottle of the new formula. It was runny, greasy and didn't help keep my makeup or get rid of oil. Definitely not worth my money anymore. I am so disappointed and I can't seem to find anything to replace it. I have turned to just constantly powdering my face with MAC's blot powder, which helps to take most of the oil, but is a nuisance to do so often. PLEASE let me know if you have found something that I can replace my prep + prime with. :(

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releets on 2/11/2013 11:52:00 AM more reviews by releets

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I should note that this review is for the new formulation, i never tried the old one.Ok. I am having a hard time coughing up the 52.00 (Canadian) for my absolute HG primer, hourglass mineral veil SPF 15, so I am giving this a go. ( 35.00 Canadian I think)
Pros: active sunscreen ingredient is zinc oxide which is great for my rosacea and it is not breaking my acne prone/combination skin out.
High SPF which will be great for the summer!
Applies smoothly as long as I apply a moisturizer first & once I apply my foundation; omg, my foundation, no matter if its low end or high end, does not budge for at least 10 + hours:)
Cons: No extra antioxidants or special benefits for my skin.
Very hard to wash off; probably need a better cleanser, I am currently using PCs hydralight cleanser ( I think that's the name, the one in the huge bottle with green writing....very specific, I know, lol! )
So all in all it is a fantastic primer with the added benefit of SPF!

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*TOP REVIEWER* fayeonaise on 2/1/2013 4:06:00 PM more reviews by fayeonaise

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

If I could do horrible things to the person who decided to change the formula of what was my HG primer...I would. I used to buy this 2 at a time just so I could have a back up on hand. The new formula is runny, oily and greasy. Makeup slide all over you face and you look like a hot mess. Old formula kept this uber shiny face at bay ALL DAY!!! And I was able to photograph well WITH Flash photography and studio lights with no white cast! I'm seriously ticked off by this. This replaced my HG Sofina Lucent and Shishiedo SPF 55. When you have very oily skin and you find something that works and DOESN'T break you out...its like the second coming. Thanks MAC for ruining all that is good!

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zimzaz on 1/26/2013 5:07:00 PM more reviews by zimzaz

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

I have been using this a primer and sunscreen since 2008. It used to work perfectly to control excess oiliness and make sure that the makeup stayed in place all day. It was so effective as a primer that I never had to use an eyeshadow primer before doing my eye makeup. The only difficulty was in removing because you needed a really strong makeup remover.

Now, the consistency is totally different. I thought my tube had gone bad because it deposits a weird lumpy white substance and a a cloudy liquid. Turns out, nope, formula has changed. Not cool! Why fix something that isn't broken?! Now it is way too drying on the skin...there is no way to combine the two separated substances AND it doesn't operate with the same hold as before.

I'm quite disappointed because now I have to find another primer with sunblock.

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valcita on 1/17/2013 3:10:00 PM more reviews by valcita

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

I’ve bought this product in Argentina. MAC here it’s not as cheap as in US, I could say it’s expensive. I thought as it’s a MAC product quality would be good, but after buying the cream, I read the reviews at MAC webpage, and comments were not good.
It’s a very heavy cream that the only thing it does is to control oil while not drying the skin, so make up stay in your face for more hours. Other good thing is the SPF 50, so you don’t have to add sunblock before makeup,but the smell is not good at all. It does not cover imperfections, nor have color.
I expected more from that cream. Maybe what Iwas looking for was a BB Cream instead of a prime and using foundation after that.

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chippergal on 1/10/2013 10:57:00 AM more reviews by chippergal

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This was HG.....it was seriously a life-saver at controlling oil. Nothing compared.....until they changed the formula!!!!!!!!!!!!! D*mn you MAC!!!! I thought I had bought a dud until I came on here and found what others were saying. I'm so mad! Why did they have to ruin a perfectly good product???? I will never buy nor recommend anymore. Does nothing for oil control and caused a severe breakout (like had to go to the derm and get back on Spiro). STAY AWAY!!!!

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lavelle365 on 1/4/2013 7:22:00 AM more reviews by lavelle365

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Straight   Eyes: Green    

I used this product from 2007 to 2012. It WAS once fantastic, then it was reformulated. Ruined. No warning and no information to tell us it had changed, but after using it exclusively daily for so long, when I opened the new tube, the change in formula was obvious from the texture and the fact it no longer mattified. Because the packaging is so dreadful, I have always decanted this into a small tub. The new formula separates into a gooey white paste and a slimy liquid. Disgraceful considering it was once an excellent product and there is no dupe and no equivalent product anywhere else in the Estee Lauder stable. This experience has really put me off MAC's product, despite their excellent eyeliner and quite good lippies. They should have withdrawn the old Prep & Prime if they could not manufacture it with the same formula rather than trying to sell new gunk under and old name. Grrr.

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mobsyf on 11/17/2012 4:58:00 AM more reviews by mobsyf

Age: 44-55   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

First of all, that smell!! What on earth is it? Which ingredient? Perhaps the sunscreen?

Secondly, and most importantly, this broke me out...really bad. I suspect its the Zinc Oxide but not sure. Definitely not recommended.

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kailingggg on 11/10/2012 1:24:00 PM more reviews by kailingggg

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This used to be my only solution to control my oily skin. It used to be great and kept my oil at bay all day long. BUT MAC HAD TO GO AND CHANGE THE FORMULA!

Initially i thought maybe the product had separated because it sat there too long and thats why it became runnier. I shook it up and mixed it around but to no avail. When i went back to the store, ALAS! They had changed the formula. The formula now contains oxybenzone which is really bad for you!, It smells just like sunscreen and worse of all IT DOESNT CONTROLS OIL ANYMORE!

I have no idea what to try now since this was the only thing that had worked for me. So disappointed. Let me know if there are any other primers that can help control oil :/

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candydoll on 11/3/2012 10:52:00 PM more reviews by candydoll

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly   Eyes: Brown    

Why did they reformulate this primer?! It was the one primer that controlled my oil all day AND had great sunscreen. I must have gone through 5 or 6 bottles of this stuff. It was fantastic. Then, about a couple of months ago, I bought another bottle and it was a completely different product! It was runny and smelled different. But the worst part of it was it no longer worked...AT ALL. At first I thought I got a bad bottle. So I went to a different store and asked them if the product had changed. The MUA swore it was the same product. I tried it again and still it was HORRIBLE. I'm really disappointed that they destroyed this primer. I don't know what I will find to replace it. I don't recommend spending money on this, as it is no more than a regular sunscreen and you can get that much cheaper. It does not control oil or prime the face in any way now. So sad.

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um3bosh1 on 11/3/2012 1:16:00 PM more reviews by um3bosh1

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I used this product religiously for years and years. It's true that the container was bad for the original product. The primer was thick and at the end I'd have to cut off the top of the bottle to get to all the product. It was worth it though, and I'd store it in another container at that point. However, the new formula, which I'm assuming was meant to address the problem of the thick product in poorly designed container, is terrible. Not only does it NOT WORK, it runs/leaks out of the bottle, leading to a lot of waste of the product.The solution to the old problem was a better container, not a reformulation of the primer. The only "good" thing I can say about the new reformulation is that is helped me realize how much I loved the old formula! I want it back!

EDIT: I had been using Mac's Prep and Prime Protect SPF 50 until the formula changed. I sampled multiple oil-control primers from Sephora (Murad, Roth, Clinique, Korres) and some drugstore brands (Boots, Cetaphil) from Target over the course of the past few months. I finally settled on Hourglass Veil Mineral and I love it. Interestingly, it has Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, two ingredients that, as I recall, were in the Mac Prep and Prime and removed and replaced by chemical sunscreens. Now I'm wondering if those sunscreen ingredients don't also have oil-control properties. None of the other primers I tried worked very well, and none of them had these two ingredients.

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milikam on 11/2/2012 2:36:00 AM more reviews by milikam

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

i had the old version of this primer and it was perfect, but a week ago i got the new formula and it sucks. every time i use it my face looks greasy and bad. also if you read the box the 3 main ingredients are sunscreens and nothing else. dont waste money on this.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No