March 9, 2016

Loves It Or Leaves It: MAC Foundation

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mac foundation hate

I get asked a lot of questions on Musings of a Muse. “How do you afford all this?” “How big is your makeup collection?” “What’s your favorite lipstick?” “Did you watch last week’s episode of Antique’s Roadshow?” But the question I’m asked the most would be, “What’s your MAC Foundation shade?”

And I have no idea.

Why?

Because in a loves it or leaves it situation I’d total LEAVE MAC Foundation! I hate it. A majority of their formulas are too heavy for me but even if they aren’t heavy I never found the right match. When I go to counters they tell me I’m either a NC 30 or an NC 35 both of which are too dark, beige, and orange-y on my skin.

I just hate their range of foundation.

Although, P.S., I am curious about their new cushion!

But yeah, leaves it!

I’m not a MAC Foundation kinda girl.

How about you?

MAC Foundation: Loves it or Leaves it?

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I receive a small commission if you shop through my link.

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

  • Neda Mirza

    I worked for MAC for many years and really believe they have a foundation formula, and shade, for everyone! Over the years there was never a person for whom I couldn’t find a color match. I have no idea why on earth they would match you as NC30 or NC35 – I’m a medium toned South Asian gal with olive skin, and that’s my color!

    If I had to guess (most of your photos I’ve seen have flash so it’s hard to tell) I’d put you in the NW (not NC) color range, at either NW20 NW25. I’m so curious to know if you’ve ever tried those? Unfortunately, the 1-9 match master shade system was introduced after I left the company, so I can’t suggest a good match in the new cushion foundation. Please share if you end up trying it!

    • Isabella Muse

      Every time I’ve tried it’s always been either an NC30 or an NC35 which are both too orange and too beige 🙁 I haven’t tried NW25 or 20, now you have me curious, I’d like to see if those fit me! Thanks Neda!

  • Sienna

    I’ve never even bought a MAC foundation because I’m an NW10 (maybe even lighter than that) and they rarely produce that shade, at least not in a formula I’ve been interested in trying. I’d love to try their Face and Body foundation but the lightest shade is too dark for me.

  • Sara E.

    I used to really like it in my late teens and early 20’s. It does oxidize quite a bit, colors always are a little off between the different foundations. The Pro Longwear Concealer is always a favorite though

  • Danni

    I can’t really say if I like MAC foundation or not, I was given a sample (I’m sorry I don’t even remember what the particular foundation was) and it did oxidize very orange on my skin (I’m sure a different shade would be closer to my skin), but it ended up giving me an intense allergic reaction, one that took months to heal from. So definitely a leaves it from me.

  • susan

    I am an IT gal, love the foundation. The CC foundation is amazing.

  • holly

    I’m that same way with their concealer you think it looks okay and then it dries and gets super orange or I tried one that seemed like it never dried I don’t care for their foundation or concealer at all

  • breyerchic04

    I like Waterweight and Face and Body, and so far have matched really well to NW20. I like their price point vs real high end stuff, so I will keep trying their new ones that are a finish I like. The foundation I want to try desperately right now is the nars velvet matte skin tint!

  • Lauren

    Counters from all brands tend to match me too dark. I notice that on YouTube a lot of girls (usually caucasian girls) wear foundation that is WAY too dark for them too. I mean, I look at some girls and we wear the same shade. Not to mention, when they apply the foundation, it is far darker and more orange than their skin. Anyway, I don’t wear MAC foundations either. I was once a bridesmaid and the makeup artist used MAC foundation and I had horrendous breakouts afterwards. It was scary! I once bought a concealer and was sold NC 35, which is way too orange/dark. I guess I’m roughly an NC30 and use that shade to guesstimate my shades in other foundations and it works for me.

  • Chelsea

    The only MAC foundation I ever tried was Face and Body, which broke me out. I have rather fair skin, but that isn’t nearly as problematic for MAC as my having a really neutral undertone., so I don’t have a MAC shade. My go to right now is the Glossier perfecting tint, but I usually just do concealer where needed

  • Robin

    Allergic to MAC. Found out the hard way. The only thing I like from MAC is lipstick in the O shade. Still searching for a dupe. Everything broke me out.

  • blee

    I only own MAC blushes, brushes, lip liners, lipsticks, n paint pots, and a few eye colors . No foundation at all. Hummm don’t recall finding a good match.

  • Erica

    I’ve only tried one M.A.C foundation and I love it; M.A.C Face and Body Foundation. M.A.C is not one of those brands where you can find exactly what you need without assistance. I find that the M.A.C artists are very nice and complementary, however they can seem intimidating. I like the prices and range of foundations for each skin type/concern. For instance, I was looking for a foundation for dry skin that was light weight and light coverage; Face and Body was the perfect match.
    I don’t know, nor do I have much experience with the foundation range. I do find it incredibly confusing how they consider all foundations neutral (NC, NW), or how C (cool) is yellow toned and W (warm) is pink toned.
    Also, lastly, I completely agree with the statements about break outs from M.A.C. I personally have not experienced any, but, I find it very likely that this could happen easily.

  • Ami

    Before I even got to trying it their entire company turned me off. I don’t know how long before I stepped in they were putting massive (in amounts and size) limited edition collections at barely sub par quality in quantities that artificially created high demand by selling out instantly but it was pretty obvious within a few months of investigating them.

    While I do see their permanent line tends to be excellent quality, I couldn’t get into a brand that had such a market share being that terrible to their loyal customers. And I haven’t seen all that much improvement in the last 5 years. But I admit it would take a lot for me to do more than buy the viva glam products from them.

  • Shilpa Shetty

    Me too,.. I find it too heavy on my skin., I also dont get exact shade,..

  • Dora

    Years ago, I wore Mac Studio Fix Powder Foundation religiously. I have no idea why. I think someone recommended and I was in a stage where I didn’t experiment/shop for makeup so much (just repurchased the same things), so I just kept using it. It was SO heavy. And I was young and had good skin and did not need it. I think because it was a powder I had the idea that it was light? When I look at photos from myself back then, I look so made up. (I was also into very dark eye makeup and MAC Diva, but hey, it was the 90s.) Anyway, haven’t worn it for years and have never tried another MAC foundation. My feeling is that it’s all pretty heavy — meant for professionals and photos shoots. Love the paint pots and lipsticks, though.

  • Elise

    I am a “love it!” girl when it comes to MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation. I started wearing that particular formula years ago for a few reasons.

    First, I struggled mightily with skin issue which thank goodness over time have subsided (acne, oiliness). At that time the SFF was the only thing that did not further aggravate my skin as well as camouflage/even out my skin.

    Second, I am a mixed ethnicity and finding the right undertones and shades were very difficult years ago. Does anyone remember “Prescriptives?” It was the first line to tout a wider color range for women of color. Fast forward, now we have many many more options from many different brands. I have tried some higher end brands Lancome, Estee Lauder, MUFE…and find that I keep returning to MAC. For daily use, I keep application light and blend out the foundation with a damp blender sponge. For date night or special events, application may be a tad heavier for a full face look.

    At the drugstore price point, I love the L’oreal True Match line. And every now and again, I get the burning desire to sample & test other brands as there is a part of me that still thinks my “holy grail” foundation is out there. 😉

  • Rebecca

    I have a love-hate with MAC. I think Pro Longwear Concealer is the best concealer available at any price point (and I’ve used Cle de Peau, Armani, By Terry, all the Nordstrom brands, all the Sephora brands, etc. etc.). It’s a light liquid but covers completely, blends smoothly, and does not budge. Mineralize Skin Finish is a phenomenal product, the Pro Longwear powder and liquid foundation are outstanding, the primers are very good, they have a zillion lipstick colors and many great formulas, their prices are reasonable… the pros are legion, but the cons are big juicy zits, red itchy eyes, and a forest of whiteheads. Every single MAC product I’ve ever used, makeup or skincare, liquid, powder, or cream, has broken me out or irritated my eyes.
    Also, I don’t like MAC counters. The people who work there are often aggressively weird, in a hipster, you’re-too-old-to-get-it way. And they just don’t train their SAs in color matching. I’m NW15-20 and they always tell me I’m NC25 just because I’m a white woman with brown hair; the high turnover also means the SAs are rarely knowledgeable about any product that’s been out longer than a year, but that’s true of many lines in many stores.

  • Marika

    Mac studio fix fluid foundation cleared up my sensitive acne prone skin and it covers everything. Applied over Josie Maran argan oil it looks glowy and if used over a light moisturizer it looks matte but not dead. This foundation is magic for me.