We’re getting back to MAC today! This concealer is one that I have a love/hate relationship with and wish it worked better for me. I think it is a good formula but I also wish that it looked a bit more hydrated on me. In fairness, the Studio Fix 24-Hour Concealer is a natural matte finish, but I like to use matte concealers because it means I can typically skip setting powder. In fact, I can skip setting this with powder and it doesn’t compromise the wear.
While I agree with most of the claims on this concealer, one issue is that I don’t agree that it can be built to full coverage. It dries very fast and once it sets, adding any additional product on top causes it to lift and become patchy. So the best result I’ve been able to get is starting with as much product as I think I’ll need and blending with my fingers. The dry down is more manageable with finger application but even then, this doesn’t give me full coverage. If you don’t have dark circles or dark hyperpigmentation, you may find that this method gives you full coverage. However, for me, I really feel like I need a second layer and this formula just doesn’t layer well enough to do that.
I placed my order for two of the new MAC Skinfinish Sunstruck Bronzers when they were live on the MAC website a few days ago and they arrived today. I wanted to go ahead and share swatches of the two shades that I purchased. I’m not sure why they have disappeared from the website, but I’m sure they will return because some shades are already available at Belk and QVC.
UPDATE March 28, 2023: MAC’s Consumer Care Team has responded to me letting me know that the bronzer launch was delayed. I also contacted MAC again to ask specifically about the safety of using these products after a reader mentioned to me that she heard this product was being discontinued due to its smell. MAC has responded that these products are safe for use (see below for their exact wording).
UPDATE March 21, 2023: I talked to MAC’s online customer service and they informed me that these bronzers were released ahead of schedule. They did also say that I could contact the consumer care team to confirm, so I did send them an email. The bronzers are no longer at Belk or QVC when I checked, so I’m not sure how so many retailers could have launched something ahead of schedule all at the same time. If the information changes when I hear back from MAC Consumer care I’ll be sure to post an update.
The brush that was released with the collection is listed on the MAC website, so there is clearly something going on with this release. Some of the affiliate links below will only take you to the MAC homepage until the brand reposts the items. I know this may be slightly annoying, but it saves me from having to update the links later when they reappear. The QVC links at the bottom do take you to the product pages and you can purchase these items from QVC as of the time I am posting this.
If you are a MAC lover like me, then you may have noticed that Mac’s bronzer formula has been in their clearance section. Well today we know why, they have just released a line of Skinfinish Sunstruck Bronzers.
UPDATE March 28, 2023: MAC’s Consumer Care Team has responded to me letting me know that the bronzer launch was delayed. I also contacted MAC again to ask specifically about the safety of using these products after a reader mentioned to me that she heard this product was being discontinued due to its smell. MAC has responded that these products are safe for use (see below for their exact wording).
UPDATE March 21, 2023: I talked to MAC’s online customer service and they informed me that these bronzers were released ahead of schedule. They did also say that I could contact the consumer care team to confirm, so I did send them an email. The bronzers are no longer at Belk or QVC when I checked, so I’m not sure how so many retailers could have launched something ahead of schedule all at the same time. If the information changes when I hear back from MAC Consumer care I’ll be sure to post an update.
UPDATE March 19, 2023: I placed my order for two of the new MAC Skinfinish Sunstruck Bronzers when they were live on the MAC website a few days ago and they arrived today. I wanted to go ahead and share swatches of the two shades that I purchased. I’m not sure why they have disappeared from the website, but I’m sure they will return because some shades are already available at Belk and QVC. If you want to see these shades compared to the NARS Bronzing Powders in Casino and Punta Cana, click here.
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MAC Skinfinish Sunstruck Radiant Bronzer, $35, 5 Shades
The 143S brush was also released back in 2020 for their Summer Bronzer collection but that version had black bristles, so I do wonder how this might differ in function. This also has me wondering if the new matte bronzer formula will be the same, but there are no ingredients listed on the website to give any idea of what the formula will be like.
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Now, you guys know how much I love MAC, but I can admit that the brand has missed the mark with this eyeshadow formula. They really should have spent more time refining it before putting it on the market. The worst part to me is that they are still using this formula in palettes, so they seem to be running with it. There do tend to be inconsistencies in other finishes (from other brands as well, not just MAC), but given that there are only 10 dazzelshadow extreme shades, they really should perform more similarly to each other than they do. The shades that I have tried are Objet D’ Art, Couture Copper, Joie De Glitz, Celebutante, and Incinerated and between these 5 shades, they feel like 3 (maybe 4) different formulas.
L to R: Objet D’ Art, Couture Copper, Joie De Glitz, Celebutante, Incinerated
Objet D’ Art and Joie De Glitz perform the same in that they have a gritty texture with noticeable sparkle and a good amount of fallout. If you are someone that doesn’t mind doing your eyes first or cleaning up fallout, I actually would recommend these two. I’m not sure how anyone at MAC felt right describing Celebutante as extreme. It has a very soft finish, it looks much shinier in a swatch than it does on my eyes. I would say it is satin at best, there is nothing metallic or extreme going on in my experience. If you like a more subtle eyeshadow, I do think this one performs nicely and I had no issues with fallout. It just doesn’t deliver what it should since it is grouped under the dazzleshadow extreme finish. I did purchase Celebutant from the Cosmetics Company Outlet, so I guess it is possible that it was part of a bad batch that got sent to the outlet as overstock.
Couture Copper is smoother than Objet D’ Art and Joie De Glitz and doesn’t have a noticeable sparkle to it but does have more shine than the typical MAC finish you may be used to. It is also more finicky to apply than Objet D’ Art and Joie De Glitz, applying best with fingers. I still like and use Couture Copper, but there are better more user-friendly shadows. The reason I said there are “maybe 4” formulas is that while I think that the formula of incinerated is most similar to Couture Copper, it has a thicker texture that makes it the hardest of all shades to work with. Hopefully, there isn’t much more variation in the formula of the other 5 shades in this line, but at this point, I wouldn’t be shocked.
Have you tried this formula? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments section below.
I enjoy writing these posts because it is a chance to talk about some older products that still manage to take up permanent residence on the brand’s best sellers list. To keep it simple, I use the brand website’s best seller list rather than separate retailers. I have already done a best sellers posts on NARS, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, and Laura Mercier if you’d like to check those out.
While it’s a tough sell to say anything from MAC Cosmetics has been completely forgotten, there are a couple of products that I want to showcase from the brand anyway. Despite not hearing as much hype about MAC Cosmetics they are still a powerhouse in the beauty industry and I’d imagine that a lot of people have some everyday staples from the brand. To get nerdy on you for a quick moment, MAC and Estee Lauder led the Estee Lauder Companies’ makeup portfolio with a net sales increase of $337 million combined (according to the Estee Lauder Companies August 24, 2022, annual report). So again, MAC isn’t really forgotten by makeup consumers at large, but if you are tuned in to beauty news, I think the items I’m going to talk about today may be lesser known to you.
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MAC is also joining in on the Labor Day sales and having a buy more, save more event ($20 off $75, $30 off $100, and $50 off $150). There are some exclusions, so double-check the website for the terms** before you get too excited 😉.
Now that summer is underway, many of you might be looking to lighten up your makeup so it feels like a good time to talk tinted moisturizers. Whether you are looking for something with less coverage than normal or something that just feels lighter on the skin, there is a product here that would work for you. I’ll be talking you through my experiences with Mac Studio Radiance Face and Body Radiant Sheer Foundation (C5), Estee Lauder Double Wear Sheer Long-Wear Makeup SPF 19 (5W2 Rich Caramel), and Smashbox Halo Healthy Glow All-in-One Tinted Moisturizer SPF 25 (medium tan). For context, I have dry, eczema-prone skin so hydration is a huge plus for me as well as how complexion products sit on top of texture/dry patches. For shade reference, two of my best matches are Estee Lauder Double Wear 4W4 Hazel and MAC Studio Fix Fluid C8 and you can see me wearing them by clicking here.
Nikki From HR 