Review: MAC Face and Body

I've been meaning to write this review for absolutely ages now, but I kept putting it off. I thought now would be the perfect time to get it up, since spring is officially here and summer is dawning on us and I think MAC Face and Body is a perfect foundation for these seasons.


What they say: (From MacCosmetics.co.uk) A water-based, water-resistant foundation that provides natural coverage for face and/or body. Ideal for all skin types. Face and Body Foundation provides sheer, natural looking coverage in an easy to blend formula. Available in a wide range of colours. Contains several emollients to help moisturise and condition the skin. It delivers professional looking results that meet the exacting standards of beauty photography and is ideal for perfecting the face and body.

Price: £23.50

Swatch:

MAC Face and Body in Shade N2

Slightly blended out. Hopefully you get an idea of how runny/watery this is.

What I Think: I absolutely adore this foundation! It gives a lovely, natural finish which looks like your-skin-but-better. It has low-medium coverage, but it is also build-able and can be layered to achieve a higher coverage. I've tried using a variety of brushes to apply this, such as the Sigma F80 and a regular foundation brush, but I really like using my fingers to apply this for a lovely natural finish. The foundation applies quite runny, but after a minute or so, it becomes tougher to blend in - Almost as if it has set or something. I have areas of redness around my nose and chin that require some extra coverage and although the foundation doesn't cover these up completely, I don't mind and a little concealer is all I need to sort it out. I just love how natural this foundation looks.

I am impressed with how well this foundation lasts. I set it with powder and it lasts pretty much all day. My cheeks tend to be quite dry, while my t-zone gets oily throughout the day, and I have found that this foundation is perfect for my skin. Since this is a water based foundation, it gives my skin the right amount of hydration.

Due to this being a water based foundation, an oil free moisturiser would need to be used with it, since water and oil don't mix. If you use a moisturiser with oil in it, the foundation will slip straight off. I didn't realise this when I first started using this and since switching to an oil free moisturiser, I have found that the foundation lasts longer. I wouldn't necessarily say this is a disadvantage, but it's something that I wanted to flag up.

One disadvantage of this foundation is the colour range. In comparison to the countless shades of foundations like MAC Studio Fix or MAC Studio Sculpt, Face and Body only has 13 shades. They are either warm (N) or cool (C). The MUA in MAC matched me to N2, which I thought was strange since I'm rather yellow-toned and usually wear NC15/NC20 in Studio Fix. However I have found that because this foundation is so sheer, it is quite forgiving if you do end up with the wrong shade or can't find one to match your skin perfectly and it will still blend in seamlessly regardless.

Another disadvantage (which I've not encountered myself, but have heard about from other people's reviews) is that the foundation can tend to separate. I understand that separation is inevitable, since the foundation is water based and you do get a lot of product, but I've had this foundation for about 6 months now and have not encountered any problems yet. Hopefully I'll finish it before it gets a chance to!

Although £23.50 is quite expensive for a foundation, it is worthwhile since you get a whopping 120ml of product! This works out at approximately 20p/ml (In comparison to Mac Studio Fix - £19.50 for 30ml and 65p/ml). It will last you for ages! I have used this pretty much every day (or at least 3-4 times a week) since I bought this and have only used approximately 1/3 of the bottle.

I would definitely recommend this to people that like sheer foundations and/or wear tinted moisturiser. I can see this being a foundation that I will always have a bottle of! :)

Have any of you ever tried MAC Face and Body? What did you think of it?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy