Product Review: MAC Face And Body Foundation

I have always read rave reviews of Mac's Face And Body foundation ($32.50), so-not surprisingly, I decided to give it a go and try it out for myself. I have been using this foundation for almost a month now. I believe it's a reasonable time to let you all know what I think of it.

(click all images to enlarge)


MAC Face And Body Foundation-C2



Swatches of MAC Face And Body Foundation in C2
Left: Un-blended, Right: distributed


I stopped by my nearby MAC counter and a very lovely sales associate helped me. She had me take off the foundation I was wearing at the time of the visit and then she applied the MAC Face and Body foundation in the shade C2 (perfect color for me-spot on match). It contains yellow tones in it which is perfect for me because not only do I have a yellow undertone to my face, but I find that the yellow really helps even me out by cancelling out the redness that may pop up every now and then on my face. Score! She applied the face and body foundation to sections of my face in patting motions using the MAC 191 Square Foundation Brush ($32.00). She mentioned that it was best to apply the foundation in patting motions to achieve more coverage, as the Face and Body foundation provided light coverage. When she was done applying the foundation on me, I LOVED what I saw in the mirror. My face looked healthy, it had a a dewy look to it, and I found the coverage to be quite nice for my liking. I was sold. This foundation had to come home with me.

Now onto the review...

First,  I really love the fact that you get 4 oz worth of product. For me, this helps justify the price. You definitely get your money's worth, and I am sure this foundation will last a pretty long time. I really like the packaging as well. The plastic bottle contains a thin, squeeze hole that lets you dispense the amount of foundation that you desire. But be careful though, because sometimes you can squeeze out a bit too much if you squeeze with a lot of pressure. Overall, I think the packaging looks very sleek, and it's super practical for travel. The consistency of the foundation is pretty thin/runny, but definitely easy to work with.






Initial Thoughts/ Application

I initially wanted to try the Face And Body foundation because I read that it provided really natural looking coverage, without looking cakey. And I definitely support this fact. When I apply it on my face, it goes on smoothly, does not draw attention to my flakes and dryness, and it looks really natural on. Like I mentioned before, I like the fact that the shade C2 contains a great amount of yellow in it that really helps even out my skin tone. When I first apply this foundation on my face, it feels cooling and really comfortable. This foundation does contain a scent. I don't really mind it much. But for me, it dissipates after a few minutes. I want to mention that after application, this foundation looks oily, and feels a bit sticky on. But not to worry, because after 3 minutes or so the foundation 'sets' and it somehow looks like your skin-but better. I am left with a soft, dewy (not oily looking) appearance. Love!

OK, I really want to chat a bit with you all about how to determinine which is the right brush/method when it comes to applying the Face And Body foundation. The makeup artist at MAC applied it on me with the 191 square foundation brush, but it's not really a brush I desire to invest in right now. I tried applying this foundation with a normal flat foundation brush- An Essence of Beauty Foundation brush from CVS ($9.99). I found that the brush pretty much absorbed all of the foundation! I could not properly transfer the foundation on my skin. I needed to find a brush that would not absorb the product, in order to apply the foundation properly. I know many love applying this foundation with their fingers, but I just prefer applying my foundation with brushes-that's just my preference, though. Hey, if you can make Face And Body foundation work for you by applying it with your fingers, more power to you girlfriend! Next, I tried applying it with a stippling brush-MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush ($34.00). I really liked how flawlessly it applied the foundation. And best of all, the brush did not soak up the product. The stippling brush works really great at applying this foundation, but I have found that it requires a bit of extra time to work it into your skin and blend it out properly. If I have the extra time in the morning, I wouldn't mind this one bit, but usually I am always in a rush and I need to work fast when it comes to applying my makeup in the morning.

Finally, I think I found the brush that works best for me-not to mention gives me a faster application. I apply Face And Body foundation with my Bare Escentuals Handy Buki Brush ($20.00). It helps buff in the foundation easily, and the brush is dense enough that it allows me to achieve a nice amount of coverage, and best of all-it does not absorb the foundation either.

Coverage/Lasting Power

As far as coverage goes, I feel that this performs as a light-light/medium coverage foundation. I believe that if you have loads to cover, this won't be enough coverage for you. But if you have minimal skin issues, uneven skin tone, and minimal acne/acne scars, then you may be happy with this foundation. I do suffer from dryness, and acne. I get huge, red, painful bumps on my face-especially when it's that time of the month. I have uneveness on my face, and I have some old acne scars. On my good skin days (which thankfully, I have been having frequently), I find that this foundation does a nice job at evening out my skin tone and hiding my acne scars. But sadly, I tend to skip this foundation when I have painful pimple flare-ups and I go for a more heavier coverage foundation. I like applying two layers of this foundation for a bit more coverage. I love how you can layer and layer this foundation on, and your skin won't look cakey one bit!
Lasting power is OK-but not the best. I have pretty oily skin, and It's about 3-4 hours before I start to get a bit oily on my T-Zone area. I make sure to carry a powder with me for mid-day touch ups. That seems to do the job.

Conclusion/Overall Thoughts

Overall, I think this foundation is great for those of you seeking a lightweight amount of coverage. This foundation has not irritated my skin, or caused any breakouts. I really like this foundation and I would definitely repurchase when I run out. Something I want to mention is that after having this foundation for 1 week or so, I started noticing a demarcation line on the foundation bottle. I can assure you that the line is not an indication of how much of the product I used. The product left in the bottle is way above the line. I read that this foundation does tend to separate, so maybe that's what this mysterious line is about? I make sure to shake the bottle up really well before use. I am not sure if the separation affects it's performance, but for me it's not really a bothersome factor. The foundation still applies the same and works fine.


1 week later...demarcation line appears



What do you all think of MAC Face And Body Foundation? Love it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments section Lovelies! 


Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned above. I purchased the products mentioned for my personal use. 

21 comments

  1. This is one of my favourite foundations for sure. Whoa you went through a lot of it in one week though, it is totally layerable though. And ya coverage is light in my opinion, it's great for those that want a little bit of coverage as you say. I wear N1.

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  2. Is that what that line is? LOL! Oh my, I have used too much hehehe. I am glad you like this foundation Justine :) Have you tried the MAC blot powder? I just bought it today. I heard it's great for controlling oily skin. Let's see how it works for me. I will be sure to report back!

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  3. Thanks for doing this review. Like you stated I've been looking at the foundation for a while because it provides a light non cakey coverage. Now I know for sure that I will be purchasing it along with the brush you mentioned : )

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  4. You're very welcome Danielle! I hope that this foundation works for you, and you get to really love it :) Make sure to let us know how it worked out for you.

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  5. Hey Justine, I want to mention that the demarcation line is not an indication of how much of the foundation I have used. I put the bottle against my window and the sun-shade lets me see how much product I have left through the bottle. And I am nowhere near where that line is. So, I really don't know what that line is all about...Just wanted to put it out there. I knew I couldn't go through that much foundation in one week LOL!

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  6. I really do love mac foundation, but i would of never thought of purchasing this particular one.

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  7. Hey Bettzy,

    What are some of your favorite MAC foundations? I love pro longwear. It really is long lasting! :) would this face and body foundation be one that you would want to try someday?

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  8. I'd really like to try this foundation! I like every foundation I've tried by MAC so far and I want to try one with lighter coverage, for everyday use.. so I'm hoping I'll like this one as much as you do! :) Thanks for the review!

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  9. No problem, Ida Carina! I am glad you found this review helpful, and I hope this foundation works for you :)

    What other MAC foundations do you like? I am tempted to try the Studio Fix Fluid again, but I am scared it may break me out like it did last time :( But that was many years ago, maybe my skin can handle it now?

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  10. I am very tempted to get this, but I don't wear foundation very often and hearing about the separation issue from numerous different reviews kind of puts me off. Thank you very much for your informative review!

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  11. Hey Connie,

    You are very welcome, girl! I am very happy to hear that you found this review helpful :)
    What I have been doing lately to deal with the separation issue is, I have been storing the face and body foundation in my refrigerator. I remember reading that tip somewhere. So far, so good. besides, when I take it out of the fridge and I apply it on my face, I get a nice cooling sensation.

    If you decide to try this foundation, come back and let me know how it works out for you, okay? :)

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  12. I've used this foundation for years and I've always been happy with it.

    The only thing you left out is that it changes colour significantly over time. I find it's a full shade darker in a month or two. I constantly have to bring it down a shade with the white face-and-body.

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  13. I haven't really noticed it changing color on me. I probably just haven't noticed. Hmmm, I will surely be on the lookout for that. Thanks for the heads up! :)

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  14. hey what mac foundation would you recommend for good coverage with oily tzones that will last long, im crrently using mac studio fix but wondering if theres a better one thank mel

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  15. I would suggest trying the MAC Pro-Longwear foundation. It gives a semi-matte finish, and it did pretty good when it came to controlling my oily t-zone. Check out my review of it and see if its something you may want to look into.

    http://www.makeupmoment.com/2010/11/mac-pro-longwear-spf-10-foundation.html

    I hope this information helped!

    Please, come back and let me know if you decide to try it, and if it worked for you :)

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  16. brilliant review, new follower :)

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  17. Thank You so much, Laura! Welcome aboard :)

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  18. Great review! Thank you very much. I really would like to try this foundation now. The only foundation that worked for me so far is the Mineralize SatinFinish because my skin is very dry and this foundation gives a dewy finish. But I think this face and body one would be good for my dry skin too.

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  19. Thank You, Ina! I am glad you found this review helpful :)

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  20. This sounds sooo lovely and that's sooo much product! I don't know how long it'd take for me to finish it. I like how the consistency looks so silky and smooth! I'd definitely always been patting on a good powder throughout the day because what I always do! Thanks for the super in depth review!

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    Replies
    1. So glad you found this review helpful, Sharlynn!

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