Studio Face and Body Foundation

This is my dupe for the Dior Backstage Face and Body. Gives great coverage and it dries to a semi matte finish on me. I was matched to C3-4 depending on which part of my body to match to. I love the squeezy application as I have good control on the amount of product to dispense. I like using either a brush or sponge to apply and blend. I like this more than the Studio Fix foundation.

It wasn't until I went to makeup school that I understood the hype of this iconic foundation, thanks to a classmate. At first I thought, it's dewy - so what? The trend right now is for dewy looking skin - surely, other foundations by now will rival or even surpass Face & Body. But the truth is, most of the dewy foundations out there (drugstore to high end) aren't actually better than MAC's Face & Body. I've tried a fair few and the problem with most of them is the longevity and coverage. F&B has a lot more coverage than most tinted moisturizers in my opinion, and because of the amazing film-forming formula, it lasts really well even in hot and humid weather in my experience. The closest foundation that could rival it in my opinion was MUFE's old Face & Body which was unfortunately discontinued a while back. I also really enjoy how glowy I look with this foundation on - it looks as if I had an amazing facial. It reduces the appearance of texture on my skin more so than any other foundation I've used, blurring my pores slightly - and the longer I wear it, the better it looks which is pretty incredible. It never separates on me personally. I apply with my hands only to get the best coverage - there is a little bit of waste if you use a brush instead and the finish will be sheerer if you do. On shoots this foundation is a must have. I carry 3 full sized bottles in the shades C1, C3, and C7 in my kit, and it makes the models look glowy in a "I woke up like this" way. It's also really good for mixing cream foundations together; I find that the silicone in F&B makes them easier to work with especially on drier skins. I do not like the packaging - the bottle leaks if you're traveling with this and the lid always gets dirty - but I'm willing to forgive it for the quality of the product inside. Pricewise - a little expensive, but worth it. It's a makeup artist staple for a reason.

What I like the most about this foundation is the packaging. It’s travel-friendly and not messy, which I love. I also like that you can squeeze out the right amount. Other things I like is that it’s light-weight, I can’t feel it on and it’s great for the summer or for anyone who doesn’t enjoy heavy products. I personally don’t like heavy things on my face or greasy products, the only time I wear something heavy is at night, such as moisturizing cream, but for the daytime, light-weight is what I prefer. I also like that this is sheer and very natural. If you’re someone who doesn’t like the heavy makeup look, then this is great, but if you need coverage then you may want to use Mac Studio Fix instead, that one provides full coverage and lasts all day, especially with light setting powder (Lancôme is good choice, that’s what I use). I don’t really need coverage, my skin is normal now, but when I use to have redness, MAC Studio fix works and a little goes a LONG way, or you’ll look like you’re wearing a mask. As for this foundation, I wear this sometimes when I want to look better. You can still see the skin through this, so don’t expect much, but it looks very pretty and makes you look better. It’s good for work days or summer days. I like to first wash my face, then moisturize, wait thirty minutes so everything sinks in and then I apply this with my fingers, that’s the best approach, this is water-based that’s why. It sets quickly and it’s runny. I also don’t use brushes actually since they irritate the skin, I like to use beauty blenders or my fingers, doing this keeps my skin clear. That’s another tip. Brushes cause exfoliation and that’s not good, though I will say brushes are sometimes better with certain foundations, but not this one! Think of this as a tinted moisturizer, without sunscreen or greasiness. This is semi-matte, not super drying and not super dewy, satin-like which I love. A little goes a long way too as it spreads easily using the fingers. Next, apply bronzer, blush or whatever you like. You will have a natural finish. If you’re wondering which moisturizers pair well with this, they are: Nivea soft Creme, olay Original moisturizing Creme, Nuetrogena oil-free lotion, and as for sunscreen if you are concerned with that, I say Nuetrogena Clear face spf 30. Just be aware that sunscreens tend to be shiny as the day goes by so you may want to add powder. With this foundation however, you don’t need to set it, it’s very light and doesn’t break up like others. I really LOVE Mac, I have tried many brands and Mac and Chanel are my favorite. I also like Dior. These brands may be pricey but their products stay on the skin without extra methods and powder. Also like I’ve mentioned Lancôme and their setting powders are good too, I don’t know about foundations since I’ve never tried them. Oh and another thing I also like that this product can be removed easily at night! Who wants to spend time removing makeup. That’s my other love. And the color range is amazing too. It also doesn’t break you out. It has absorbent agents which is good, too many oils will cause milia, no thank you. Pretty much this product is perfect EXCEPT that it’s very sheer so it’s not ideal for everyone or people that need coverage, but if you already have good skin and want to look alive, this is it!

There is no better way to apply this other than with fingers honestly. I have the shade C1 and is a little too deep for me(about a NC15 with warm olive undertones) and I can get away with it if I only wear one layer. F&B is easy to build up and always leaves the most glowy finish and has great lasting power on me(combo/dehydrated skin). Besides the lightest shade being too dark(I'm too lazy most days to bother mixing foundations), I found that it somewhat often feels sticky on the face. I only lightly set my face and I find some stray hairs will stick to my face, especially on windy days. I do have to say that it looks great on the body. I have dry and pale legs, and this made them look much more alive when wearing a dress at an event.

Ladies, the right way to use this after your primer is to dot your face with this foundation and ‘massage’ in circular motions for the foundation to sink into your face. I usually do this twice - after the first round of foundation dried down a little, dot more around the cheeks and again in circular motion, rub into your skin for a medium flawless coverage. This foundation gives a really glowy look, your skin but better, which some may feel look a little oily depending on your preference. Coverage is light, buildable to at most medium coverage. Able to cover mild redness and light spots too. Lasting power around 6 hours after setting with powder, longer with touch ups of course. However if you are looking for a full coverage finish and expecting this to hide most if not all of the usual pigmentation/redness/scars, this is definitely not the foundation to go to. All in all if I’m in the mood for glowy, natural makeup, I reach out for this.

I love the natural finish, looks undetectable. Applies easily and can be layered up to a light medium but requires some work for that. Stays on well throughout the day and doesn't crease into smile lines. The only real con is that unless if you have very even skin to begin with lots of concealing will be required. I only wear it on great skin days so it's not as versatile as a medium coverage foundation.

This has become my favourite in the last one month. Gives good coverage for people who are looking for a natural look. It s best suited for day time and in the night, can be worn when you are on a casual or semi formal evening when you just want a certain brightness without appearing fully made up. I mix Bobbi Brown illuminator along with it and the effect is amazing.

What a lovely foundation. I was quite happy with Estee Lauder double wear but thought I'd give this a try. Love this. The sheerness is great because while my own skin comes through, it is "my skin but better" and doesn't look cakey or anything. It looks like skin but glowy, perfected skin. Not "perfect" as it doesn't cover everything but at this stage of my life I am good with that rather than looking over made up or having heavy foundation showing up every line. C1 is a very good match. I don't find that foundation is pooling in my largish nose pores, it wears very nicely. I use Biore Watery Essence SS underneath and it's all good.

My makeup artist suggested that I wear this foundation on my wedding day. I usually wear Studio Fix so I was very nervous about wearing this foundation as I wanted full coverage for the photos. The foundation looked so natural and flawless on the photos and I actually considered switching over to this product. The only problem is that you need to build up this foundation to get the coverage you need which I don’t always have the time or patience for.

I don't get the love for this foundation at all - it's pretty much non-existent on my face and breaks down after a few hours. I knew the coverage would be sheer but this offers zero in terms of evening out my complexion. I have pale, rosacean, dry skin with some areas of large pores and minor spots. I knew I would have to cover my dark undereye circles and spots/pigmentation with a separate concealer, even so this is a big disappointment and I will be returning it. I tried it with a Beauty Blender sponge (dry + damp) and 2 different foundation brushes but all seemed to suck up the product - fingers are best with this. Looks especially bad on large pores after 2-3 hours. There are so many other better products offering sheer coverage (Giorgio Armani cc Color Control Glow is my go-to weekend foundation), the only nice thing to say about F+B is that you get a lot of product for the price.