Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Product Review: Mac Face & Body Foundation


Mac F&B

I’ve been reading about Mac Face & Body for years but it wasn’t until this summer that I decided to try it. My continued use of the St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse necessitated a different shade of foundation. Add that to the fact that I like to use a much lighter foundation during the summer than in the winter and things were ripe for a change!

Since I have never used this product and since it has been years since I’ve had any kind of tan on my skin, I ventured to my closest Mac counter at the local Nordstrom. I”m “normally” an NW20 in Mac foundations but Face & Body uses a different methodology for naming colors. Since I wanted to cover both my face and my neck/chest (which I do on occasion), the counter associate matched me to C3 and C4. It turns out that either color on its own, or a mixture of the two colors works great as my fake tan fades. To give you an idea of my coloring without the St. Tropez tan, I believe my match would be either N1 or N2 in F & B.


F&B bottles C3 and C4

swatches 2
C3 and C4

One of the great things about Face & Body is its consistency. It’s very thin and watery, which makes it ideal for summer. Not only can it be applied in thin, buildable layers, it doesn’t sit in pores so the skin looks smooth and luminous. F & B is moisturizing and lasts extremely well in the summer heat. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in Arizona in 110 degree heat and I’ve been going in and out all day. I didn’t even set with powder and while my skin is definitely not matte, it is luminous and the finish is still great!

“Buildability” is what Face & Body is all about so I took some pictures without makeup, with one thin layer of F & B and then with two thin layers of F & B. In each of these pictures, I’m wearing a coat of mascara on the top lashes and a neutral lip gloss. I am NOT wearing any powder and when these pictures were taken, I was literally in the desert where temperatures were over 100 degrees every day. As a result, my face is more "glowy" than normal. It is not oil but it is due to the heat!  Here are the results:


Before F&B No makeup

1 layer F&B
One layer of Mac Face & Body in a mixture of C3 and C4

2 layers F&B
Two layers of Mac Face & Body in a mixture of C3 and C4

Mac F & B 3 ways
No makeup, one layer Face & Body, two layers Face & Body

You can see that my face is luminous and natural looking, even with two thin layers of foundation. I haven’t applied more than two layers yet, but I would imagine you’ll get subtle increases in coverage with each additional layer. In these pictures, I’m not wearing any concealer (a review is coming on my favorite Mac concealer) but, admittedly, I have very good skin (with a few minor discolorations at the jawline and maybe a blemish every so often). If you’re looking for a high coverage foundation, Face & Body is not your answer. But for those of us who appreciate the positive impact that a sheerer foundation has on aging skin, this one’s a keeper!!!

Mac Face & Body is available in two sizes: 1.7 ounces for $27 and 4 ounces for $33 (holy cow---great value!!!). I got the smaller size and this stuff will last me for a looong time! You can find this product at your local Mac and Nordstrom stores or online.

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

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