Saturday 19 July 2014

Disappointing product #1: MAC Pro Longwear SPF 20 Compact Foundation

I usually do at least a little bit of research before buying a new product, and the very few times I don’t I know the brand really well and hope I’m not disappointed. Well, this time I should have been pretty safe about my purchase: it was a new foundation from MAC from a line I already knew and the reviews I’d read online were pretty good. But no, Pro Longwear Compact Foundation just doesn’t cut for me. Here’s why!

Mac Pro Longwear Compact Foundation
The firs time I applied it I used my fingers. The product blended really easily into the skin, and I was ready to like it. Then I had a look at the final result. A dull, lifeless mask. And I swear, I had applied the tiniest amount with my fingers. But the worse thing was that it had enhanced pretty badly some dryness on my nose. I had no dryness to begin with, it was all down to the product. I had exfoliated the night before and in the morning I’d applied my moisturizer and let it sink in as usual, so there really was no reason for such a bad look.

Then I tried it with the included sponge: it looked a lot less natural, even more dull, and the dryness was still emphasized. With a flat foundation brush? Better than with the sponge, but still less natural than with my fingers. With a buffing brush? No way better, and it was hard work to take the brush strokes out.

With primer underneath it looked slightly better, but let’s be honest. A foundation should work well on its own, and the primer can be used to enhance its longevity or make the application a little bit better, not to make it work in the first place.

How does it performs during the day? Well, from a long-lasting formula I expected a lot more. It moved around the eyebrow area and settled into fine lines, but not from being slippery, from being too drying even in the summer heat. I want to be able to wear foundation from early in the morning to late at night, and I expect exactly that from a long wearing formula.

It wasn’t even good as a concealer, as it creased terribly under my eyes and emphasized dryness so badly.

I really wanted to love this (the moment I heard about it being released I knew I wanted to try it) and I tried hard to make it work, but I just don’t like it.

Di solito faccio almeno qualche ricerca prima di comprare un nuovo prodotto, e le poche volte in cui non lo faccio è perché conosco molto bene la marca e spero di non rimanere delusa. Beh, questa volta sarei dovuta poter andare piuttosto tranquilla: un nuovo fondotinta MAC di una linea che già conoscevo e di cui le recensioni che avevo letto erano piuttosto positive. Ma no,  questo fondotinta Pro Longwear compatto proprio non fa per me. Ecco perché!

Mac Pro Longwear Compact Foundation
La prima volta che l’ho usato l’ho applicato con le dita, trovandolo molto facile da sfumare. Ero già pronta a farmelo piacere, poi ho dato un’occhiata al risultato finale. Una maschera spenta e senza vita. E giuro, ne avevo applicato una minima quantità con le dita. Ma la cosa peggiore era il modo in cui aveva evidenziato un po’ di secchezza sul mio naso. Non era per niente secco, era tutta colpa del prodotto. Avevo usato lo scrub la sera prima e al mattino avevo applicato l’idratante, lasciandolo assorbire come al solito, quindi non c’era nessuna ragione per un effetto così brutto.

Poi l’ho provato con la spugnetta inclusa: il risultato molto meno naturale, ancora più spento, e la secchezza era ancora evidenziata. Con un pennello da fondotinta piatto? Meglio che con la spugnetta, ma comunque meno naturale dell’applicazione con le dita. Con un pennello stile “buffing brush”? Per niente meglio, e le striature del pennello un incubo da rimuovere.

Con un primer sotto l’effetto era leggermente migliore, ma siamo onesti. Un fondotinta dovrebbe funzionare da solo, e il primer dovrebbe essere usato per prolungarne la durata o rendere leggermente più facile l’applicazione, non per farlo funzionare del tutto.

Come si comporta durante la giornata? Da una formula a lunga durata mi aspettavo molto di più. Si sposta nella zona delle sopracciglia e si inserisce nelle rughette d’espressione, ma non perché troppo emolliente, perché troppo asciutto anche nel caldo estivo. Voglio essere in grado di indossare il fondotinta dalla mattina presto alla sera tardi, e mi aspetto esattamente quello da una formula a lunga durata.

Non è nemmeno buono come correttore, infilandosi nelle pieghette sotto gli occhi in maniera terribile.

Volevo veramente farmi piacere questo fondotinta (nel momento in cui sentii che sarebbe uscito sapevo già di volerlo provare) e ho davvero provato a farlo funzionare, ma proprio non mi piace.

Products are bought with my own money unless otherwise stated with a *. All opinions are my own.
Tutti i prodotti sono stati comprati da me, in caso contrario sono contrassegnati con un *. Tutte le opinioni sono personali.
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20 comments:

  1. I thought I'd love MAC foundations in the same way that I love a lot of their other products but I didn't get on with any of the Pro Longwear range at all. I have oily skin but like you it emphasises dryness. Such a shame as with a brand like MAC you'd expect there to be no disappointing products!


    Jaq @ www.lazydaysbeauty.com
    xxx

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  2. The liquid foundation and the concealer are not my favourites but I kinda like them, this one was just straight up awful! I feel the same too, when I don't like a Mac product I'm really disappointed. Thanks for reading :) xx

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  3. Too bad Gyudy that it did not work. I have tried the studio fix powder which is okay but at times as you said looks less natural and emphasised my problem areas. Thank you for the review. xx

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  4. I really don't like to give bad reviews, but at least I hope people will try it properly after reading my review... I know MAC foundations are a little bit hit & miss but I really hoped to like this one! Thank you for reading :) xx

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  5. Oh no that's so disapointing :( I've never found a MAC foundation that works on my skin xx

    Gemma // Miss Makeup Magpie

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  6. I have heard good things about the concealer from the line but never tried anything else! I always find compact foundations to be too cakey.. and one always ends up putting up way more than required! One = Me! :P

    TheConscienceFund

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  7. Oh wow, what a bummer! I have never tried a MAC compact or powder foundation, only liquid ones - but I imagine that for me liquid is probably best. I find that powder just sits on my face and makes it look too dry! xx

    ANNESQUE www.laurieamedina.blogspot.com

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  8. I have liked some of their liquid ones but I was really disappointed with this one unfortunately... xx

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  9. Ahah, with the sponge is definitely a problem! I really applied the tiniest amount, it must have been magical to look so bad! ;) xx

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  10. Yeah, it's a brand I don't like to be disappointed by! xx

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  11. Unfortunately not all MAC products are the wonders we think admiring them from afar, but this is the first product that disappoints me so badly... Thank you! xx

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  12. I haven't tried it and I won't now. Thanks for the honest review!


    Mademoiselle-Lala.com

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  13. I just never seem to get on with Mac products, but I have really dry skin and I don't think they tend to agree with it, unfortunately. It's a shame this didn't suit you!

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  14. Hope I don't make you miss something that would work for you, but my experience was really bad! Thank you for reading xx

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  15. I think there are some of their foundations that could agree with a drier skin type (Face and Body, the Mineralize Moisture one), but this one definitely doesn't. My skin is pretty normal so I have issues only with really drying or really rich formulas, and this one was drying without a doubt! ;) xx

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  16. My skin hates MAC, but yet il find myself at the MAC stand in hope to find something that works for me...and it never does. Great review...sure to say I will be staying away from this product.

    www.mybeautyaddiction.co.uk

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  17. I love the brand and I love some of their foundations, but this one just doesn't work for me! I love their powders, blushes and bronzer though ;)

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  18. I've only ever used MAC's colour cosmetics (lipsticks, eye shadows, blush etc). Lately, I have been thinking of trying out some of their face products so thanks for your thoughts on this. I'm interested in the CC powders, have you tried them?

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  19. Wow, thanks for all of the information. I may end up checking them out at some point. :-)

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