MAC Studio finish SPF 35 concealer review

Hi all, I purchased the MAC Studio finish concealer about a month ago after a friend recommended it but warned it was very thick and a little cakey for everyday so I bought it with the intention of using it only for nights out etc yet I have actually ended up using it everyday since then. Here is my review of the product. I use the shade NC15 and brought it from the MAC website for £15.50, buy it here http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/157/314/Products/Face/Concealer/Studio-Finish-SPF-35-Concealer/index.tmpl

MAC  description
A lightweight, creamy, discreetly opaque concealer. Provides a smooth, long-wearing invisible coverage for all skin blemishes. Water-resistant, fragrance-free and non-blemishgenic. This emollient-based, lightweight concealer is so concentrated that a tiny amount can provide opaque coverage of the skin's imperfections and discolourations. It effectively covers dark circles, blemishes, moles, tattoos and birthmarks. Enriched with antioxidants (derivatives of Vitamin A and Vitamin E), it also contains Silica to help adsorb the skin's oils. Concealer has an SPF of 35 and is available in a wide range of colours. It can be applied with a medium to firm fibre brush (try the 242 Brush), a latex sponge, or the fingertips.

Coverage:

This concealer really does provide the best coverage of any I have ever used, It covers up all my blemishes and under eye circles, occasionally I task it with covering a face scratch my kitten has given me and it manages that too. If redness is the main reason you are after a high coverage concealer I would recommend going for one of MAC's 'NW' shades, as the pinkish tones in NW (not warm) will help cover up any redness. If dark purplish bluey under eye circles are your issue like mine then the yellowy tones in the 'NC' shades will help with this.

When I use this concealer for everyday make up looks I use my finger to apply it as this warms the product up and makes it much easier to blend seamlessly into your face, it also gives a more natural finish.

For a night out I apply it with a stiffer concealer brush to ensure full coverage, yet it is slightly harder to blend this way, I just use the very end of a beauty blender sponge to blend the edges of the area I have covered into my face. 

Texture:

This concealer is very thick and can be tricky to apply, like I said before it does provide great coverage around my eyes but I always have to use very little concealer and set with powder as it can crease around the eye area. I have used a little too much some days and it can look very unnatural if not used sparingly around the eyes, which really isn't too much of a problem as you need so little product anyway. I really wouldn't recommend for anyone with dry skin as it does cling to any of those dry flaky patches.

Lasting Power:

MAC are not wrong when they describe this concealer as 'water resistant'; it really does last all day and can survive sweaty work outs or tearful Marley and Me movie nights. It is also pretty transfer resistant which is a rarity in thick, high coverage products.

Price:

I was a little put off at paying £15.50 for such a small concealer initially, but I do feel now that it is easily one of MAC's most reasonably priced products, considering how little product is required for the amount of coverage it provides. I have had mine for a month, used it every day and have still only made a little dip in the pot.

Drop me a comment or message me at sandersonemma@outlook,com if any of you have also used this concealer and let me know what you think

Thanks for reading, Emma xoxo

How to clean make up brushes on a budget

Washing our make up brushes is one of those terribly boring tasks that we must do to avoid spreading bacteria all over our faces. ewww. I have friends who don't wash their brushes for months at a time, and although I am far from a clean freak, that is one thing that seriously grosses me out! For those of you who skip rinsing your brushes on a regular bases here is a little debrief on why it is so important, every time we spread product onto our faces with a brush, dead skin and the bacteria along with it gets stuck in the bristles of our brushes and festers over time, the more you do this without washing your brushes the layers of dirt and grime are then spread back onto your face and it can easily cause break outs. I do have spot prone skin so for me to keep a clear complexion washing my brushes regularly is essential. 

here are some of my dirty brushes before a good scrub

You can buy professional brush cleaning solutions (Mac and Sephora both do good ones), I have tried these in the past but I find Shampoo does just as good of a job and is much cheaper. I keep a bottle of Aussie shampoo to wash mine in, yet any gentle shampoo does the job. I've also find Asda's baby shampoo is really great for it too.

1. Dampen your brush with some lukewarm water first

2. Squirt a little bit of shampoo onto the end of the brush and then gently rub it  into the centre of all the bristles, adding a little bit more water if necessary to give it a bit more of a lather

3. Squeeze out the excess product from the bristles, rinse your brush under the tab and voila! watch all of the shampoo and foundation disappear down the plug hole (you might need to repeat steps 2 and 3 if you have left your brushes for a little too long)

4. Then after you have admired your wonderfully clean new brushes you can lay them out to dry, make sure you lay them down flat over a towel and don't pop them back upright until they are completely dry to avoid the water getting down into the very base of the bristles as over time this can loosen the glue holding them all in.

and afterwards, lovely and clean!

Denser brushes like this powder brush and foundation brush usually take a bit more of of a deep cleanse!

Interestingly my more affordable brushes like real techniques are usually a lot easier to clean,  my mac brushes (such as this sparkly blusher brush) cling onto the product a little more.

Thank you for reading, and happy brush scrubbing!

Emma xxx

MAC Look In A Box - All About Plum Review

I recently purchased the MAC Look in a Box- All about plum kit for £42. It is described as 'cool lilacs, soft pale pinks and silvery warm greys' and includes:

6x eyeshadows
2x powder blushes
2x lipsticks
 and 1 duo handled eye and lip brush

The main upside to this set is it's size, it is very compact, not much bigger than my Iphone. Meaning it can actually fit inside a reasonably sized make up bag or a clutch bag on a night out unlike most palettes. Yet thankfully it still has enough of a variety of shades inside you can literally take it away for a weekend and create a variety of looks with it.

The majority of the eye shadows are super pigmented (swatches are below) with just two falling a little short for me, however, as always with MAC they all blend beautifully and compliment each other very nicely.

A downside for me is that for a more subtle day look, both of the lipsticks are a little too bold so for day time I have been pairing mine with a Soap and Glory Lipstick in Perfect day, yet for a night time more glam look the lipsticks are fantastic and last for a good five/ six hours.

These are the Powder Blushes in (L-R) Lesson in Love and Style Cast

The eyeshadows in (TL-TR) All Races, Elementary Pink, and Lingering Dusk

and (BL-BR) Fashion Beat, Stormy Sunset and Black Board

and finally the lipsticks in (L-R) Dress to Impress and Up the Amp

So overall I really really would recommend this set, and if any of you have purchased this set or another Look in the box let me know what you thought with a comment.

thank you for reading

Emma xx