September 8, 2014

MAC Matchmaster Concealer Review & Swatches

PR Sample
This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

MAC Matchmaster Concealer 5.0

MAC Matchmaster Concealer ($21) is my new favorite concealer of the moment. MAC Matchmaster Concealer gets launched this week (September 11th) but is already available online at maccosmetics.com in 12 shades.

I actually wasn’t terribly excited about this launch since I’m not a huge fan of MAC foundation, concealer, or mascara. I feel like MAC excels at color but I’m not big on their base products!

But Matchmaster Concealer, well, it could change my mind!

MAC Matchmaster Concealer comes housed in a chunky swivel up stick design. MAC uses the same shade intelligence technology in this concealer as they used in the Matchmaster Foundation SPF 15 so I imagine if you like and use that foundation you’ll be happy with the coverage the concealer provides.

MAC Matchmaster Concealer

MAC Matchmaster Concealer (5.0)

This contains Vitamin E and can be used to reduce the appearance of dark eye colors, fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, etc…! The formula is very, very, very thick and has an creamy emollient with a smooth, satin finish. Under drier eyes you’ll find it tugs a bit during application BUT if you prep well you should have no issue with it. I swipe it on the back of hand, I pick it up using my E.L.F. Studio Concealer Brush, and proceed to swipe it on under my eyes and pat it into place. It provides excellent coverage! I’d say coverage is comparable to Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer but also highly customizable as you can go heavier or sheerer depending on what you need.

Not only does it offer excellent coverage but I thought it wore incredibly. It’s been super hot the last few days and I was outside for much of it and this wore perfectly for solid 8 to 10 hours without creasing or fading. I didn’t find the texture cakey or two heavy even though it swatches that way. You just really have to know how to apply it correctly to appreciate it best. For me, starting with a heavily moisturized under eye area is key along with a good brush to thin out the consistency of the heavier, thicker creamy texture of the formula.

MAC Matchmaster Concealer swatches

MAC Matchmaster Concealer Swatches (5.0)

MAC Matchmaster Concealer swatches blended

MAC Matchmaster Concealer Swatches Blended (5.0)

I swatches shade five below but I had to mix shade 1 and 5 because the tester shades I got weren’t a great match for me. I plan on purchasing 3.0 as that will likely be the best fit for my skin tone but I have to see them in person first prior to indulging to be sure that’s a good shade fit for me!

Overall, MAC Matchmaster Concealer is incredible. It’s really a concealer that will work for you! Plenty of pigment, excellent wear time, and a mid-range price tag that won’t break the bank!

I do suggest checking it out for yourself when it officially launches on counters this week!

Already tried it?

Do share!

PR Sample
This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Stephanie C.

    The one and only MAC concealer I’ve tried is their Pro Longwear one- FANTASTIC, but sadly the packaging isn’t the best. This looks promising!

  • becky

    How do you think this will hold up on an incredibly oily skin type? Would you need to apply much less? Assuming it has good coverage, I would be curious how little is needed on the eyes!

  • Suzana

    Can you compare it a bit more with the cle de peau stick concealer? It is currently my HG, but its so expensive…
    In the pictures the MAC seams to be creamier and I am thinking that maybe it would crease more easily than the cle de peau…

    • Isabella Muse

      it’s not at all like the cle de peau stick suzana. This is very emollient and thick. I find the cle formula much much more creamier. The textures are vastly different.

  • Fancie

    I don’t care too much for MAC foundations either but I need to check out some of the concealers. This one sounds great!

  • yelena

    so i went and swatched at a mac store yesterday. let me say the texture is amazing and comfortable….BUT….no coverage :/
    If nothing else it feels great and might be a good primer for another concealer with more coverage. other than that this may only be a good weekend concealer for me :/
    did anyone else find that?

  • Angel

    I just bought this in 1.5 last weekend. I wish I’d made her try out 1.0 on me but you know those MA’s, she swore it was the perfect match. I dunno, it’s looking too yellow on my skin. I could kick myself for not swatching the lighter shade.

    On another note, I can’t get this to work for me. My HG concealer has been Tarte Creaseless for years. But it takes time to apply. I wanted something that I could swipe and go. The MAC looked all right in Nordie’s, but now that I’ve been trying it at home, it’s disappearing on me. I swipe it, blend it and it’s kind of gone. I can’t figure out why I’m not getting good coverage. I’ve tried it with fingers and a brush. Hmmm, I’m just frustrated. And it’s creasing in my wrinkles. Bah! Why is concealer so hard? And why is this working so well for others but not me? Muse, fix me lol…

    • Isabella Muse

      dusty (dustinhunter.com) said the same thing about matchmaster foundation and how he was scared the concealer would be the same. I didn’t have a prob thankfully! good match for me. I know what you mean about it being a pain to apply though. The first time I used it, it was PERFECT! But I used it the next day and suddenly it was too thick and it was caking up like crazy. I realized that first time I had used argan oil instead of eye cream. So, best technique, apply some sort of facial oil under your eyes, allow that to set, follow up with eye cream, and swipe your brush over the top of the stick and brush this on gently and build as needed. It ends up going on much much smoother this way 🙂 Hope this helps!? If all else fails, RETURN RETURN RETURN!

      • Angel

        Thank you so much Muse for taking the time to reply to me. I will def experiment more with the whole oil/eye cream thing. You have dry skin, I have oily, so I’m sure our experience is different because of this. I will try the Argan oil next and see if that helps. LOL at RETURN RETURN RETURN!

        Oh a happy makeup note (since I’ve been so grumpy lately), I bought two of the new Maybelline matte lippies yesterday. I bought the scarlet red and that spice one that looked so pretty on you. I really like them! They are super comfortable and the finish is velvety like you said. The spice is a perfect work shade. So even is the concealer bites, I have two new lovely lippies for fall 🙂

        • Isabella Muse

          oh no problem at all Angel! ODD! thought it would better for oily skin! I’m sorry! Let me know how you do. thank god for mac’s great return policy 😀 YAYYYYYY so happy to hear it. I hate mattes but these were lovely 😀 glad you loved!

          • April

            is it true that your concealer has to be lighter than your skin all the time>?