Corallista Makeup Blog

 

Hey everyone!

Its MAC Tuesday and today I’m reviewing the latest foundation from MAC and my current favorite ~ MAC Matchmaster Foundation in the shade 3.0.

Price : Rs 2100 for 35 ml

 

 

 

Ingredients :

 

 

 

 What MAC says about the product :

 

New Foundation technology using translucent pigments to enable a fully personalized finish influenced by the subtleties of your own skin’s undertone. Moisturizing demi-matte finish. Medium buildable coverage. Line-reducing soft-focus powders.

 

It is available in 14 shades : Check all shades HERE.

 

My take on the product

 

Packaging :

The New MAC Matchmaster foundation comes in a long glass pump bottle packaging with a pump dispenser system that does not need to be purchased separately unlike other MAC foundations. The pump dispenser can be twisted around to lock it thus making it safe for travel. The packaging is sturdy and convenient and the pump doesn’t dispense too much product. I typically need 2 pumps to cover my entire face and neck.

 

Texture :

The texture of this foundation is light but it has a bit of cushiony, creamy feel to it that makes it easy to work with. It gives light-to-medium coverage which can be built up but even on building up, it gives medium coverage and not the full coverage that the Studio Fix Fluid foundation does. I really like the medium coverage of this foundation because it gives a more natural, believable finish while the Studio Fix goes heavy like a mask on my skin. It has a demi-matte finish to it which again adds to the whole natural end result. I absolute LOVE this foundation and ever since I’ve started using this, I do not feel like using any other because NOTHING else gives that luminous, healthy glow to my skin! Even though it has medium coverage, it gives enough coverage to hide my pigmentation/spots and looks really great in photos.

The formula is best suited for normal/combination skin types. On my oily skin days, my T-zone acquires a shine in about 3 hours of wear but the days I’m experiencing a bit of dryness, my face stays shine-free for a good 5 hours. Dry skinned women would need to moisturize well before applying this as it won’t blend well on dry, flaky skin. MAC Careblend oils or Clarins Beauty Flash Balm would great as moisturizing primers underneath this foundation.

 

Shades :

One of the best thing about this foundation is that there is no confusion of NC/NW with this as the shades are numbered as 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and so forth making a total of 14 shades. I think the whole NC/NW concept created a whole of confusion. I have received countless queries from women asking me to determine their undertones by looking at their pics! I used to be NC40 sometime back but I always found it a tad too yellow/orange for my skin. I recently tried on NC35 in Studio Sculpt and found it a little dark for me so I guess I am now between NC30-NC35. I am using 3.0 in Matchmaster and it is slightly lighter than my skin tone but instead of looking ashy, it works like a brightener and adjusts to my skin in a few minutes of application. I am fairly neutral in tone so I find this shade working really well for me. I had picked up a sample of 3.0, wore it quite a few times and then picked up the full size bottle. I’d advise everyone to pick up at least 2 sample shades that appear closest to your skin, wear them a few times and then make the final choice because the price tag is not so small that a wrong purchase can just be tossed out! The MAC SAs are generally very helpful and would give you a few pumps of the foundation in a small jar to try out.

 

Application :

I have used this foundation with fingers, beauty sponges and a stippling brush. While fingers work great too, I have found that I get the best finish with a stippling brush. I use MAC 188 brush and this foundation looks amazing when when used with this brush. The texture is not heavy and doesn’t ‘set’ on the skin so there is enough time to blend the foundation.

 

Wear time :

It wears a good 9-10 hours on my skin after which is begins to fade off a bit. On my oily skin, I need a powder touch up on the T-zone after about 3 hours of wear but that is only in deep summers. When my skin is mildly oily-to-combination, I need a touch up after about 4.5-5 hours. The BEST part about this foundation is that it doesn’t melt in the sun and is water-resistant. I have been out in the sun with this on and it did not slide off my skin like most other foundations do. Even though it has SPF 15, it does not oxidize on my skin as it wears. It does not come off the skin during humid weather and does not transfer to the neckline of clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks a little ashy on my hand as my hands are much more tanned and hence darker than my face :

 

 

The GOOD about MAC Matchmaster Foundation :

1. Packaging comes with pump, no need to purchase pump separately as with other MAC Foundations
2. Workable texture, does not set on the skin and gives plenty of time to blend
3. Buildable medium coverage
4. Demi-matte finish
5. Gives a healthy, luminous glow to the skin
6. Does not look heavy/cakey
7. Would work on many skin types
8. Can be applied with fingers, a sponge or a brush
9. Has SPF 15
10. Does not melt in the heat
11. Does not oxidize
12. Does not slide off the skin in humid weather
13. The shade adjusts to the skin’s undertones to give a natural color
14. Wears for a good 8-10 hours

Here are a few different ways how I’ve worn this foundation :

 

With only MAC Matchmaster foundation (no powder) (foundation applied with fingers) :

 

 

Left : With Clarins Beauty Flash Balm underneath and powder on top (foundation applied with sponge)

Right : With MAC Strobe Cream underneath and no powder on top (foundation applied with fingers)

 

 

With no primer and a small amount of powder on top (foundation applied with Stippling brush) :

 

 

With Clarins Beauty Flash Balm underneath, MAC Strobe cream to highlight and powder on top (foundation applied with Stippling brush) :

 

 

 Overall Verdict

 

MAC Matchmaster foundation is a medium coverage, demi-matte finish foundation with SPF 15 that works best on normal to combination skin and gives a beautiful luminous finish. It has a light yet cushiony texture that allows one to work it for quite some time and it blends seamlessly with fingers, sponges as well as brushes. Even though it applies well with whatever tool you might use, I love using it with a stippling brush as it gives me the best coverage and finish when applied that way. The foundation does not melt in the sun, does not slide off in humidity and wears well for a good 8-10 hours. I absolutely LOVE this foundation and would recommend this to everyone! Dry skinned ladies, don’t forget to moisturize well before using this and oily skinned women must not forget to powder on top!

Rating : 4.75/5