MAC • Studio Careblend • Pressed Powders

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*TOP REVIEWER* Endit on 8/14/2012 4:50:00 PM more reviews by Endit

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

The previous MAC powder I tried was Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder and it was a small failure as it was too matte and felt like I had to use a lot to set things. I decided to try Careblend since it's MAC's newest powder, it claims to have a unique silky feel and finish (not powdery at all), it has ingredients that are good for skin in it, and it's what they recommend for dry skin.


PROS: Definitely takes away any product feeling and sets foundation. Not much coverage (pro in my opinion). The included sponge is good material.


CONS: The unique feel is nothing super special IMO. It's there and it's not bad, but it's not just not so worthy of mentioning. Also, while the powder feels smooth in the pan, if I run my finger along it and pull back, I can see little grains so it's not THAT finely milled. And while I appreciate the oils and hydrating ingredients, do they have any actual benefits in real life? I don't think so. Still a talc based powder that can leave the skin dry eventually. Another thing is that this powder can run out quickly. The silkyness can encourage waste since it can look/feel like you've used less than you actually have.


OTHER: Just like P&PTFP, MAC also labels Careblend "semi matte", but since it was different and for dry skin, I thought it would better. Nope. It looks fine/nice/ok you lightly apply it, but when I set my foundation ~to last~ that means packing on a lot of powder with a puff. Not overdoing it, but enough to get a good layer of product down so nothing moves for a long time. When doing that, this is much too matte/unreal looking for my tastes. NC15 is ok but it looks a bit orange in the pan.


OVERALL: I don't see what the hype is about. I almost feel like buying it again though because it got such high ratings, I want to make it work or see what everybody else sees.

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DSmith55 on 8/1/2012 12:19:00 PM more reviews by DSmith55

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Great product and it lasts for months. It provides just enough coverage and it doesn't change the colour of my foundation.

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sophlizz on 7/28/2012 5:23:00 AM more reviews by sophlizz

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown, Wavy   Eyes: Brown    

When i got my first MAC foundation, i asked the makeup artist if she knew a powder i could buy just to set my foundation & she gave me this one to buy. I've just run out of it & i've got to say it's nothing special. Yes, it does it's job, but i can't wait to purchase the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural because i've heard many more great things about that powder, now that i've finished my Careblend Pressed Powder. I don't really recommend it, as i would just buy the MSF Natural.

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nlakhani on 7/13/2012 9:28:00 AM more reviews by nlakhani

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

I bought this product a few weeks ago and came out in a really bad break out. I had developed small red bumps on my face from this product! I have sent it back to MAC to get a refund.
On the plus side, it did provide an amazing coverage and lasted all day without touchups.
Im just confused why I got such a break out. Has anyone else experienced this? Please let me know.

update: i discovered i am allergic to talc therefore explained the break out..however mac has such a huge great range for everyone, i discovered mac blot powder which is amazing so if you find careblend doesnt work for you, go for blot powder.

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12354 on 6/20/2012 10:31:00 AM more reviews by 12354

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Black    

I use this everyday for school and I think it's just magical! When I pat it on to my skin it basically melts into my skin and it's finish is just gorgeously dewy and natural. It also has a bit of color and offers a slight coverage whenever I apply it with the puff, but most of the time I just use a blush brush to my tzone or for setting my concealer. It's perfect for those who doesn't have oily skin and doesn't need that much coverage, perfect for everyday use because it has a lot of "mineral" oils according to mac that provides the skin care and nourishment which I love! + I love the smell! The only thing that I don't like in this product is its packaging because the tiny puff doesn't have a compact case unlike the Studio Fix.

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gracymacy on 6/2/2012 4:35:00 PM more reviews by gracymacy

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

perfect for setting foundations or matting down a moisturizer. i like that i still leaves a natural shine and is not completely matte. it never leaves my skin looking dry or flakey like some powders. and another perk is that this has a mirror unlike MSF (which i have not tried yet). i would most likely repurchase this of try mac's MSF. but definitely a great and reliable product

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sweettalk1994 on 5/29/2012 3:48:00 PM more reviews by sweettalk1994

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I h8 powders,but this 1 is ok its a sheer coverage. I wear this on the days i dont wanna wear foundation just 2 give me a kind of natural look + i spritz fix + right after this powder 2 give me a lovely dewy finish! My shade in this powder is light plus. I h8 the puff that comes with this powder its just a waste of space and crap lol.

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mlynde82 on 4/25/2012 10:55:00 PM more reviews by mlynde82

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

I spent quite a bit of money on this powder, so I guess my expectations were just too high. I felt like this powder looked so artificial and "made up" when I wore it. When I use the puff, it reminds me of my old high school days using Cover Girl pressed powder (before I knew anything about makeup)... using a brush, it goes on kind of streaky over foundation.

It's not horrible, but for the price I was expecting something magical... I won't purchase again.

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enydonus on 4/24/2012 12:12:00 PM more reviews by enydonus

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

The finish is nice, natural. It is initially soothing on the skin. Controls oil fairly well without looking chalky or masklike. I enjoyed wearing this over my primer and concealer during the day. Unfortunately, after a few hours my skin started itching, burning, and little red spots became visible all over. Tried it out for 4 days, 8-14 hours each. I must be sensitive to something in this powder, one lippy deducted. My skin is ridiculously reactive. If this works for you, go for it. It's a beautiful powder. Could have been HG.

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MartiniSmiles on 4/11/2012 1:43:00 PM more reviews by MartiniSmiles

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

My MAC shade is NW20 and I bought the medium-plus shade. This is a good setting powder over foundation and is great during the summer time. It helps mattify my face and doesn't look obvious that I'm wearing powder but I don't think its anything too special since I'd be able to get something equivalent to this from the drugstore and spend less money. I've hit pan but will not be repurchasing it again.

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gilldiva on 3/25/2012 3:17:00 PM more reviews by gilldiva

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

I see that lots of reviewers really like this powder. I am not one of them I'm afraid. I normally use MSFN and have been very happy with how natural that product looks. However, when going to buy another MSFN the sales girl at MAC recommended this powder. (I find it really annoying that the sales girls recommend the new products when they may not be the best product for me).
I dislike the finish of this powder. No matter how lightly I apply it, it leaves a powdery and obvious finish to my skin. I look like I'm wearing powder which is not how it should be.
The colour match is not great either. I am a nedium in MSFN and was told that the colours run the same on this powder however I have found it to be too dark for me. This makes the powder look even more obvious on my skin.
I won't be re-purchasing this and I am undecided as to whether to use it until it runs out or bin it.

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VictoriaHat on 3/25/2012 8:49:00 AM more reviews by VictoriaHat

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

This powder leaves a beautiful sheer, soft finish on my dry skin but the color, Light, is just too yellow to look natural on my NC15 complexion. I returned to my old standby, Clinique Blended in Transparency Neutral, which also leaves a sheer, soft finish on dry skin and, unlike Careblend, the color blends perfectly into my my neutral-warm skin tone.

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beautyadvices on 3/13/2012 4:45:00 PM more reviews by beautyadvices

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I love pressed powders, I love hd powders, I love MAC...so...it's simply perfect!
But if you don't wear any foundation and you want to try it "alone"...
...you won't see the real difference!
This powder, in Italy, is not so expensive (less than 30€)
(MUFE, BENEFIT, TOO FACED etc. are higher than 30€!!!)

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missyak92 on 3/5/2012 6:29:00 PM more reviews by missyak92

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

Sooo silky! Great coverage, I use this when I don't want to wear my liquid foundation and it looks great, I also use a tiny bit to set any concealer or liquid foundation if I am wearing it! It is great, very blendable, and light.

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itsjenna007 on 3/3/2012 9:12:00 AM more reviews by itsjenna007

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

This powder feels really nice in the pan but unfortunately it makes my skin look really dry. It also makes areas look cakey. I will still use it but very sparingly on my face. I have a rimmel powder that works better for me but I won't waste this product. I know it is not the most expensive powder but I don't think its worth the price at all.

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Annyutka on 3/2/2012 2:01:00 PM more reviews by Annyutka

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

Review of:
M*A*C Studio CareBlend/Pressed Powder
Shade: "Medium Plus".

Sorry to burst the bubble of happy reviews and go against the grain of this item but we all want honesty, amiright?

I am not impressed. The color match is just OK, slightly too yellowish for me. But the worst is that it makes my pores look GIGANTIC and I have really tiny pores, which are probably the ONE and ONLY thing about my skin that I don't have to fret over! Alas, not with this powder, apparently! It also makes my skin feel (and look) rather dried out and "crêpe-y".

All in all this product seems more on-par with Wet N' Wild, yet five times the cost. There's better options out there, especially at this price.

3.2.2012

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d0sam1 on 2/26/2012 8:43:00 PM more reviews by d0sam1

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

So...where to begin. I like this powder, I really do. It's different from all the other powders I've used, very finely milled and soft, feels like I don't have a lot on my face but whatever i'm used to it. But here's the thing, I don't like the pink tones in this powder :( why MAC whyyyyy must you make powder this color? When I go out at night, it looks perfectly fine, very beautiful, but when I put it on in the day time, it makes my face look quite pinkish. I always do my makeup by my window so i can get natural sunlight to hit my face and I've been noticing how pinkish it makes my face look. Btw i'm Medium Dark and I wish MAC had a better color selection! oh well, life must go on.

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dzcml88 on 2/13/2012 4:48:00 AM more reviews by dzcml88

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I'm definitely giving up MSF Natural after using this. I stopped setting my foundation with powders (such as MSFN) after I realised I didn't like the powdered-down look. MSFN also made me oilier than usual, and oxidised to make my face look more pink, which I hate. But I did need a setting powder. After considering Chanel Natural loose powder, and nearly going for it, I (thankfully) came across this!

It's absolutely wonderful. I live in the tropics and I don't feel anymore oily, or like i'm wearing anything extra. You can't pick up too much product. You don't need too much product (unless you harshly swirl it, which I think is a waste..... watched this girl on YouTube - she was wondering why it lasted her only 2 months. Doh!)

Overall,
Pros:
Feels light and smooth on the skin - Pretty finely milled.
Doesn't break me out or make me oilier than usual
Lasts for long enough
Great for setting foundation
Great finish (Although, it could just be my foundation, i'll still add it to the list though)
Does not cling to/ accentuate flakes!!!!! *YESSSS!!!!*
Affordable
Better packaging than MSFN - handbag friendly; comes with mirror

Cons:
The puff it comes with is a bit awkward. There isn't a place to put it. But I don't think I'll be using it anyway. Shall just bring a travel kabuki if I do intend on using it on the go.
Not a con for me, but for those who are looking for coverage, look elsewhere. This is a SHEER pressed powder and is best for going over foundation, or light powdering.
Probably not best for people with really oily skin.

Will repurchase. I'm an NC35. Was between Medium and Medium-Plus. After trying it on, I went with Medium to account for slight oxidation. Doesn't really make a difference anyway since it's so sheer.

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Chibi12 on 2/8/2012 8:58:00 AM more reviews by Chibi12

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

This is a great powder. It gives a nice finish to all the foundations I use, doesn't make me look matte, and takes away the tacky feel of some foundation. I use a large powder brush to sweep over my entire face. If you have combo to oily skin, don't expect it to keep you oil free - I find it doesn't do that at all, I'm more oily in the summer and find it doesn't help my foundation stay on. But its great for my winter skin and gives me a very nice dewy finish.

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Elif89 on 2/8/2012 7:14:00 AM more reviews by Elif89

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I adore this powder! It does not provide a lot of coverage, i use a fluffy face brush. But i like that. I'd rather use concealer on area's that need it. I use it over my BB tinted moisturizer, which on it's own makes me a greaseball within one hour. This powder takes away the shine but lets somekind of dewiness shine through. It also prolongs the staying power of my TM. I have used MSFN in the past and it made my face very greasy (i have combo skin).

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