MAC • Face and Body Foundation • Liquid

Where To Buy?

evakea on 4/1/2013 9:20:00 PM more reviews by evakea

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

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.

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Monseter on 3/28/2013 11:50:00 AM more reviews by Monseter

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

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.

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actionaction17 on 3/27/2013 5:45:00 PM more reviews by actionaction17

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

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!

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konapun on 3/26/2013 12:48:00 PM more reviews by konapun

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

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.

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*TOP REVIEWER* applecour on 3/25/2013 2:17:00 PM more reviews by applecour

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

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.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

RosesRoses on 3/22/2013 4:43:00 PM more reviews by RosesRoses

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

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.

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rose1234 on 3/21/2013 11:52:00 AM more reviews by rose1234

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

It is a sheer foundation that gives a super natural look. The problem? It is so very sheer.

Do I feel like it can be built up to medium coverage? No. I feel like it can be built to light coverage by using two layers. The first layer seems translucent. I would prefer something a bit stronger but still retains the feel and look of this one.

There are a lot of good things about this foundation and it might work for someone with younger skin and a bit less redness. I will use up this bottle and then might try some of the BB creams like Missha.

Pros:
Natural looking
Natural feeling
Washes off easily
Doesnt get too stuck in fine lines
Water based and non-irritating
Lots of color choices
Like the squeeze bottle (can control amount, hygenic)
Like the plastic bottle (not glass)
Can put on easily & quickly with fingers in the morning (no streaks)

Cons:
Coverage is too light
Expensive
Gets shiny durning the day (need to blot and powder 2x)

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luckyluke8 on 3/20/2013 9:51:00 AM more reviews by luckyluke8

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This foundation gives me a really natural look and does not give very much coverage, but it evens out my skin colour, which is really what I am after. For more coverage of specific areas, I prefer to use a concealer. I have tried to build it up the foundation for more coverage. The MAC artist told me to wait 20 sec. after first layer before I could apply a second layer, but I find that the finish looks and feels a little mask-like and the smell somehow bothers me. So for this foundation, I prefer a sheer layer applied with my fingers and a little concealer if needed. I sometimes add a very light dusting of powder to the nose and cheeks, which makes the foundation stay put better and gives a more even base for powder blush. I use C1, but I could maybe have used N1 - or a mix of the two - on my fair, but warm to neutral skin.
I recently watched a make up video on Lisa Eldridge's site featuring the renowned makeup artist Mary Greenwell who created a Cate Blanchett makeup look for fair skin. She used a mix of the MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1 and the MAC white base to get the perfect skin tone match, and I am a little tempted to try out something similar. I would really recommend the video too! I learnt a lot and felt quite inspired.

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linachu on 3/11/2013 11:06:00 PM more reviews by linachu

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Kinky, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is my foundation for good skin days. It is very sheer, but covers up minor redness in my skin and in general just evens it out for a natural finish. I have oily skin, all I need to do is lightly powder it and I'm good to go. I love the very natural looking finish, not dewy not matte. It does need to be shaken a bit before use. The texture is strange, it's watery at first but as you blend it it thickens and becomes a bit more difficult to blend, but still blends easily with fingers or a brush. I recommend fingers though. I will buy this again. My shade is N1 and I am NC20.

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ferrery on 3/11/2013 4:51:00 PM more reviews by ferrery

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan, Cool   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

this foundation is perfect for those with minimal imperfections seeing as it is not at all medium to full coverage, only a light coverage foundation. i wear c5 in face and body and 5.0 in matchmaster. i bought matchmaster first but since trying face and body as a sample soon after, it shortly became my holy grail. i went out and grabbed a bottle and haven't looked back. i reach for this way more than i do for matchmaster. matchmaster feels so thick and smells a little funny to me while face and body is so much lighter and just what i need for an every day face as well as for going out at night. looks great with flash photography since it has no spf to it. all i do is set it with rimmel's stay matte powder and i'm good to go. i really like how natural this looks on the skin as well. i love this foundation and i'm looking to buy the bigger bottle when i run out.

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arlenek on 3/8/2013 5:56:00 PM more reviews by arlenek

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

Love this foundation, great for everyday when I want something quick. Staying power is pretty decent too. The price is very reasonable considering the amount you get.

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IAmAmelia on 3/7/2013 7:44:00 AM more reviews by IAmAmelia

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Other   Eyes: Blue    

Love this foundation. The only fault I can pick with it is I get a bit oily throughout the day on my nose from using this. I wouldn't say this is a foundation for covering up blemishes, but it is amazing for evening out skin tone and looking natural, you could probably pass with having no makeup on. I would buy this again, I love it and think it's great overall. Holy grail!

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Elektraza86 on 2/28/2013 7:33:00 PM more reviews by Elektraza86

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

I gave this product a second chance. The first time I bought this it was just too yellow and I hated it. I bought n 1 the second time around thinking I needed to try this again. It's beautiful. NOT for oily skin. I have to powder the t zone. I don't have anything that needs covering either, so it just makes me look healthy. I dab some concealer under my eyes and that's it. If you have problem skin, it's not going to cover much. I learned to love it though! It's invisible and best applied with your fingers :)

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prufrock on 2/28/2013 10:10:00 AM more reviews by prufrock

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I thought Studio Fix was too much coverage, so the MAC expert suggested this because it's water-based. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan. I do like a medium amount of coverage, and she suggested I layer it to get my desired look. And in the store, I thought it looked okay; or maybe I was just too timid to disagree, I don't remember; those stores can be intimidating!

Anyway, the product is very thin and liquid-y, and I am not satisfied with the coverage, even though I have decent skin. I have a bit of redness that showed through after one layer; when I added another layer on the reddish area (it's not rosacea or anything, I just have Irish undertones), it ended up looking cake-y. Also I started getting breakouts after a few days of use that are not typical for me.

I love the packaging though, it's simple and in a travel-safe bottle (read: non-glass) which is sort of a progressive idea for higher end foundation packaging. Thumbs up to that.

I love MAC, this was just not the formula for me. I actually just started using Makeup Forever invisible cover which is thicker than this formula and still lets my skin breathe, covers more naturally than Studio Fix.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

taintedophity on 2/24/2013 11:40:00 AM more reviews by taintedophity

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

http://taintedophity.blogspot.it/2013/02/review-e-swatches-mac-face-foundation.html

Leggete Qui

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daynaaa on 2/20/2013 11:15:00 AM more reviews by daynaaa

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

At first I LOVED this foundation. It was light coverage like I wanted. This cleared up my skin, and made it look smooth/radiant.

The price is actually VERY good - at first I felt like it was a huge splurge ($40 for 120mL in Canada). But when I did the math, I realized I was paying MORE for most of the drugstore brands (I'd pay $20ish for only 30 - 40mL). So this foundation is actually better priced than the other ones I'd been using (per mL).

The colour is bit yellow-ey for my skin tone. I am SUPER pale (as in, I have blue veins visible along my jaw-line and under my eyes). So I have to be careful about blending into my hairline and jaw/neck, cause if I don't, I'd get a yellow/orange mask with MAC.

Overall, I'm still deciding if I'll buy it again or not - I've been breaking out recently, but I DO like the dewy-light finish it gives me.

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doris98 on 2/19/2013 12:03:00 AM more reviews by doris98

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

I'm an NC20-25 and C2 and C3 both work for me, but C2 is a closer match. I love Face and Body! I have rosacea, so I do need to layer more on the red areas, and/or add concealer, but the finish on this is so natural that I don't mind the extra work. I also love how this doesn't transfer, although I do have to powder over this as the finish is a bit dewy. I've tried this layered with either another liquid foundation on top and with a mineral foundation, and both ways work great.

It's also a great value for what you get which is I believe 4oz, 4x more than most others. I've had mine for more than 2 years and I'm glad mine hasn't gone bad yet. I do have to shake it up a bit before using as it tends to separate, but the scent hasn't gone off yet so I know it's fine.

I'd probably repurchase when I run out.

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Kaneve on 2/18/2013 12:05:00 AM more reviews by Kaneve

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Green    

Just perfect. Zero negatives. C3 is a dead on match for my winter color. I have NEVER had an exact match. I'm very yellow and always end up looking ruddy, grey, ashy, etc. I don't like sunscreen for that reason either.
As I apply this, my skin just looks magically better. Not like there's color being applied ON it. It transforms my actual skin into looking good.
I use a pink sponge that looks like a slightly larger, slightly firmer beauty blender. I dip it in the foundation, spread a quick film all over, and then "push" it in all over with the top of sponge. I was covering with powder bc it is very dewy, but I think I've come to realize that powder actually makes me oilier late in the day. Plus it just looks nice and glowy as is and I just love love love it!

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trogdelight on 2/16/2013 6:55:00 AM more reviews by trogdelight

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

It's lightweight, but you can easily build up the coverage. I'm NC30 with olive undertones and bought this in C3. It looks so natural and Dewey on me. My only grip is that it's too expensive :x

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liloomiah on 2/12/2013 5:40:00 AM more reviews by liloomiah

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I bought Face and Body in C4 on the website. I don't know what is my color in the other categories (probably something between NC35-40) but it looks good on me. The first thing I love about that product is that it's light but buildable. One or two layers, and the coverage is quite OK. I apply it with my fingers.The second thing is that it's water based and smells some kind of orange or something, which is not bad at all. The packaging is fine for me, even in plastic, i think it's convenient. Of course the price is expensive (plus, I bought the small version) but for me it's a really good foundation.

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