MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF35 - A Product Review

People have been raving about MAC's Concealer, specifically this MAC Studio Finish Concealer with SPF 35 because of its covering power. I really have not tried this product, and it is the first time I have purchased this concealer because face it, if people have been raving about it then it probably means that it's a great product.

Compared to my Bobby Brown Concealer, this concealer in a pot is more clay-ish and tough. They are both highly pigmented, but Bobby Brown's is more creamy and easy to blend. This Studio Finish Concealer takes forever to melt. I actually had to get a concealer brush, pat some product on the back of my hand to make it melt a little because otherwise, it would feel like I was putting BluTack on my skin. It is really like clay! I also sometimes put it using my fingertips because it melts better that way and blends better on my skin. There is no weird scent whatsoever.

Price: Good. This costs less than the Bobby Brown concealer, costs almost the same with my Revlon Concealer, yet costs more than my NYX Concealer in a Jar. What's great about it is that you could use this product for months. It takes forever to finish a pot! (Budget-wise = great!)

Shade-wise: I have tanned Asian skin, I ended up with NW 25 because it had the right amount of peach/yellow combined to cover my skin. I noticed that this has a tinge of grey or a white cast, probably because of the SPF ingredient. There are a lot of shades to choose from, so better ask the MUA in the MAC counters for an actual test on your skin.

Staying power: Alone, I would say, 7/10. I tried it on the beach without a powder to set and only sunblock and it melted on my face after a few hours. I guess putting on powder on the beach can look quite ridiculous, so I skipped the powder. I took a swim, snorkeled and played under the sun. It held okay, but I had to retouch after some time. It did not melt on my face right away.

With powder I would say, 8/10. This has a huge tendency to oxidize though (to turn ORANGE and darker than the original intended color) and I have yet to find a good setting powder for this. On a normal airconditioned day, this product lasts a while before it creeps into my mini-eye wrinkles (yes, I never realized I had them since I used this). I had to literally pat my undereye circles to blend the concealer in and retouch. When powder has been set, putting this back on is a nightmare. It will literally cake up because of its consistency. CLAY is one word to describe it really. (On a positive note: "clay" is the term I use for makeup that is thick and gives a full coverage!)

Ability to cover: It's an 8/10. It does cover well, provided that it is blended properly and set with a good powder. It is highly pigmented so just a little bit can cover a lot. It is good for acne scars, redness, etc. Not good for dark undereye circles though because it is very drying and it will really accentuate your minute eye wrinkles.

Overall, I would rate this product a 7/10. I still have mixed feelings using this. This is generally a good product but still not my HG concealer.

TO SUM IT UP:

• Great for covering up other imperfections (scars and the like) except for undereye circles
• Great for use in the beach because it does last a while even after swimming (there will be some product left as long as you don't rub your eyes as much; retouch when needed).
• Highly pigmented
  
• Has a huge tendency to cake and dry out
  
• Has a huge tendency to accentuate your mini-wrinkles (moisturize well before using)
• Has to be melted first before using, otherwise product becomes too tough and hard to blend
  
• It tends to accentuate the pores when not blended correctly
  
• Has SPF so it has a slightly whitish cast (not good in photos!) but a positive point for protecting your skin
  

I am halfway through my pot (which I have been using for more than 6 months now) and I still have not figured out a good setting powder to use it with that will not oxidize this concealer. So far I only used Maybelline's Clear Smooth powder to set it. If you have a suggestion, feel free to comment!:)