Hey everyone!!
In case you didn't know Ulta is fucking killing it lately with all the new brands they're adding to their lineup.
The latest one was MAC Cosmetics, I was so fucking pumped when I found this out because I have never used any MAC makeup before, although I do use the Mac Fix + I've never even tried any of their makeup.
I had been hoarding all my Ulta points ever since the first time I heard MAC was coming to Ulta and it was fucking hard man, so many new things were coming out left and right but I did it and so here it is my first ever MAC Haul & First Impressions.
Since it's a first impressions all these opinions and reviews are based on only having used these products once.
You can also watch my MAC Cosmetics First Impressions and see these products in action.
MAC Studio Finish Concealer ($20)
I purchased shade NC15.
I bought this pot concealer specifically to use for my eyebrows and as a lid primer.
I've never really heard anyone talk about this but I use pot concealers everyday for my brows so it was a must try for me.
The formula was creamy and applied super smooth with a brush yet it wasn't overly creamy. Overly creamy concealers can tend to be more emollient which causes brows to smear, smudge, or run (similar to using a creamy lipstick without liner). This one on the other hand was creamy but not emollient and seemed to be more of a soft matte/demi matte. It carved the fuck out of my brows and left clean and crisp lines that started to softly set after a few minutes.
I also used this as my lid primer instead of purchasing the MAC Paint Pot because I tend to use concealers on my lids anyway due to my pale ass having veins and discoloration on my lids and also because it was cheaper and I could multi purpose this one. This worked just as well for my lids, was very full coverage, and didn't crease at all once set. The shadows blended perfectly over this and even though I originally planned on getting the MAC Paint Pot later but I honestly don't think I will now that I've tried this MAC Studio Finish Concealer. I see this becoming my daily go to for my brows and lids.
MAC Strobe Cream ($33)
I purchased the shade Goldlite.
This one was kind of an impulse buy. When I first squirted a tiny bit on my fingers it was white and looked exactly like lotion, the texture, the color, the viscosity, everything just screamed lotion (probably why it's called cream) but as soon as I blended it over my face (HOLY CRAP) it was magical. It instantly transformed into a sheer yellow gold and left a wet looking sheen all over my skin, you could see the radiant glow every time I moved my head and caught even the tiniest bit of light. Even after applying my foundation and concealer you could see the golden sheen coming through which made it look as though I just had some bomb ass naturally radiant skin, it was fucking crazy. I usually steer away from illuminating primers and bases but I layered this over my primers and had no issues with becoming oily. I will say that this did not react well with my Too Faced Hangover Primer which I used on the lower (drier) parts of my face, it kinda caused a little bit of balling up which I've never had happen with this primer before but I stopped rubbing asap and kinda patted it on over the Too Faced Primer and it didn't seem to cause any problems later on just be careful while applying over thicker primers.
I'm completely obsessed with this and think it would look so damn good on a "no makeup" makeup day showcasing your skin which is all the rage in the upcoming summer months.
MAC Studio Fix Fluid ($28)
I purchased shade NC20.
When I color matched myself it suggested the shade NC15 but since I always tend to end up buying shades that are slightly too light so I chose this one instead and it might now be the slightest bit too dark now lol, maybe I should have listened. The good thing is I have a bunch of lighter shades I can mix so it's not a problem but I chose to not mix it for this so I could get a feel for the formula. So yes, the picture below I look a bit crazy hahaha. I really liked this foundation but I will say it was more of a medium coverage in my opinion than the full coverage I expected because I could still see the two beauty marks on my face and one small dark spot on my cheek although it didn't look bad it should be noted. The formula was a little thick but in no way a mousse-y thick texture, it blended out really well and easily with a damp beauty blender, didn't set too fast to blend, and worked well with everything layered both underneath and over top. I will say that even though it's a medium coverage I wouldn't recommend layering this up because it will get cake-y and thick. One layer did not look cake-y but I did have the wearing foundation feeling though not too heavy that it was uncomfortable or anything. It also didn't cling to the drier parts of my face or accentuate the dryness at all.
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ($22)
I purchased shade NC15.
This was the perfect shade for me and was super brightening due to the full coverage of this concealer, it covered all the dark circles and hollowness of my eyes. Holy crap this stuff is no joke the tiniest bit went a long way and I had went super light because I already had heard that and it still went further than I expected. Once set this didn't crease or look dry at all on me but I don't think it's something I'd use everyday because although it didn't look cake-y or heavy it did feel kinda heavy.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural ($33)
I purchased shade Natural Light.
When I first opened this powder I was like fuck this looks literally white in the pan but it did not look like that once I put it on. It is color pigmented but it's more of a sheer wash of color which would work for a few shades both lighter and slightly darker than me, which makes sense now as to why they only have six shades. This powder definitely gave me some extra coverage when layered over the MAC Studio Fix Fluid and my face looked so good and felt silky soft after applying the powder but it also enhanced the heavy feeling on my skin which is weird because it looked fucking beautiful and did not look heavy at all. I think this looked amazing with the MAC Studio Fix Fluid but would be more comfortable with a lighter weight foundation or even a BB Cream which I plan on trying out because this powder was really beautiful and natural on the skin.
(L to R: Warm Soul, Margin)
(L to R: Warm Soul, Margin)
MAC Mineralize Blush ($28)
I purchased the shade Warm Soul.
(blush on the left in all pictures above)
I love this blush so fucking much it seemed to be lightly warmed up peachy nude. I always apply a super light layer of blush for just a touch of color, that's just my personal preference and this blush is so fucking perfect for doing just that. The formula was light and smooth while applying and went on as a sheer wash of color that also left a sheen with the slightest touchof gold on the cheeks, it was in no way shimmery or glittery it was a sheen that looked as though I was just naturally glowing and of course for those who prefer more color it builds up really well and even if you pack it on it never feels heavy or powdery. I am so blown away by this mineralize blush and it's not to be confused with highlighter-y blush toppers.
MAC Powder Blush ($23)
I purchased the shade Margin.
This blush was equally stunning when swatched and appeared as a slightly peachy rose gold with a super fine golden shimmer (not glitter). This was the only thing I purchased that I did not get to try because I chose to try out the other blush for the first impressions. The swatch was beautiful and didn't feel powdery at all and it seems to be a classic blush completely different from the previous blush but I'll have to update on this one later as I didn't get to wear it yet.
MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish ($33)
I purchased the shade Double Gleam.
Dude why the fuck did I wait so long to try MAC makeup. The formula on this highlighter was fucking stunning and left a wet looking glowing sheen on my face. The sheer buttery formula reminded me of my current favorite highlighter the Banc de Sable Palette by NARS. The color was kind of a silvery champagne and it worked perfectly in unison with all the other face products and they blended into to each other and left no lines. It was sheer perfection (get it? hahaha). I clearly have a type and love when products leave a radiant glowing sheen, it's almost like you don't even have to try with these and you'll still love bomb.
MAC Fix + ($24)
Repurchase.
This is the only MAC Cosmetics product I had ever used and obviously I love this stuff. I use it probably just as everyone else does: to add extra hydration before makeup, to foil shadows and highlighters, to take away the powdery-ness after makeup, to touch up makeup, and just throughout the day when I want a hydration boost.
The mist on this is super fine perfection. This is a cult classic for good reason.
(wearing all the MAC products except Margin blush as mentioned before)
Shockingly there wasn't anything I tried that I didn't like although the foundation and pro longwear concealer felt a little heavy they didn't appear to actually look heavy on the skin. I feel like many of the MAC products I chose really enhanced the look my skin and almost made it appear more natural and I mean who doesn't wanna look as though their skin is naturally awesome.
None of these products caused me to breakout, clogged my pores, or irritated my skin at all.
Catch up on last weeks post featuring SugarPill Pressed Shadows.
What are your favorite MAC products or things I must try?
Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on social media.
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Products Mentioned:
MAC Studio Finish Concealer
MAC Strobe Cream
MAC Studio Fix Fluid
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
MAC Powder Blush
MAC Mineralize Blush
MAC Extra Dimension Skin Finish
MAC Fix +
