Everyone needs a fix every once in a while....
Written: Dec 12 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Perfect, flawless coverage, long-wearing, huge spectrum of shades
Cons: Takes practice to learn how to apply, a bit pricey
The Bottom Line: Excellent, long lasting coverage with a velvety soft finish. Takes time to master application, but well worth it!
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| Cutie_pi's Full Review: Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus |
Sunday, September 21st, 3:07 p.m....
I'm sitting in a chair at the Clinique counter, anxiously awaiting the consultant (with whom I had an appointment) to finish chit chatting with her friends so she can do my makeup. Now I'm rarely one to demand a salesperson's attention -- I'm patient, so I typically don't mind waiting. However, on this particular day, I was running late. For a very important date. My wedding, to be exact, was about 2 hours and 53 minutes away, and I needed to get gorgeous!
A couple more minutes went by, and yet she still had yet to acknowledge me. I was too nervous to sit idly by, so I slinked out of the chair and hurried away, saying something over my shoulder about "I'm going to go look at some earrings....."
Frazzled, and nearly panicked, I glanced around the cosmetics department to see if there might be ANYONE else who could glamourize me for my big day. Ah HAH! The M.A.C. counter! I might just be in luck!
Light at the end of the tunnell!
There were 3 consultants in the M.A.C. area, including a platinum blonde rocking the retro pin-up look. PERFECT! With the dress I'd just purchased, and my hair in loose curls, I knew she'd know just the look I was going for.
We spoke briefly, I explained my time-crunch, and she swiftly sat me down and started to work. I explained to her that this was an outdoor wedding, on the water, so I needed my makeup to be sweat-resistant (and streak proof!). Enter M.A.C. Studio Fix!
For my face, she used a mattifying gel, dotted on concealer where needed, and then finished my whole face with Studio Fix. The end result was simply flawless. My skin looked airbrush perfect, and had a matte finish, but didn't appear chalky, or dry.
The wedding itself went off without a hitch (pun intended), and in spite of the balmy temperatures and high humidity (and yes, I did sweat -- and CRY!), my face held up to it all. I did notice minor transfer when I blotted my face with a tissue, but it didn't streak, nor did the coverage look any less perfect.
What the marketing people have to say about it....
The product description from M.A.C.'s website is:
"Studio Fix is a powder and foundation in one that combines good coverage with ease of application. Designed to be used dry, the powder and pigments create a matte, velvety texture. It contains Silica, which helps to maintain a matte finish by absorbing oils on the skin, as well as Talc to provide a smoother, less reflective, matte finish. The talc has been milled to a microscopic size to provide a beautiful texture while allowing the skin to breathe. This product is long-wearing. It is available in a wide range of colours. It can be applied with a brush, sponge, or a powder puff."
Back at the ranch....
But what about when you don't have a professional make-up artist around to apply it for you? Therein lies the challenge.
I purchased the Studio Fix (and a few other products) in the shade that the consultant used/recommended. A couple days later, I attempted to use it on my own. Now I'm typically a liquid foundation (or tinted moisturizer) user; I've simply had bad experiences with powder foundation in the past (in that they can tend to look like a mask), but since the results on my wedding day were so good, I was determined.
Studio Fix comes in a rather large, matte black compact, containing 0.52 oz of product. The compact contains a mirror, and the powder itself is in a tray, which when lifted, reveals a make-up sponge applicator. It has no discernible scent or odor, and has a smooth, velvety feel to it. I have rather fair, olive skin with yellow undertones; my shade is NC35.
The consultant had applied the Studio Fix with a brush, so my first attempt was to also use a brush. I swirled a fluffy brush in across the surface of the powder, and noticed it picked up quite a bit of powder in only one swirl. I tapped off the excess and swirled it onto my face. Hmmm... kinda thick, kinda cakey. And it appeared much too dark. How could this be? This is the same shade she used on me only a few days ago?
The next day, I tried again. I tried to tap off more excess, and attempted to "buff" it in, as you do with loose powder mineral makeups. Nuh uh. Still too thick. Still not the right shade. Crestfallen, I packed it back up and pondered going back to Belk's to exchange it (she had, afterall, chosen the shade for me, and it was wrong... or so I thought).
If at first you don't succeed....
Later that week, we were in Vegas on our honeymoon. We were in a hurry to meet family for dinner, and I needed to get gorgeous in a hurry! I couldn't find my liquid foundation, and I wanted more coverage than tinted moisturizer. So I thought I'd give the Studio Fix one more shot.
This time, I opted to try using the enclosed make-up sponge. I dabbed it into the powder and patted it on my face, one area at a time. Hmmm..... not bad. I dabbed and patted some more... Hmmm... pretty good. When it was all done, I blended with the sponge, and was amazed to see my skin looked PERFECT. Equally amazing was that it was neither cakey NOR too dark.
Since that day, more than two months ago, I've used Studio Fix religiously. While I've never mastered application with a powder brush, application with a make-up sponge works perfectly for me, giving me an airbrushed smooth, flawless face. The coverage is long lasting, and can be adjusted (sheerer or more coverage) for day into night use.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Cutie_pi
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Natasha
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Reviews written: 84
Trusted by: 120 members
About Me:
~ Mrs. G ~ (Enjoying newlywed bliss)
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