I was never a Studio Fix wear-er since I'm dry, I've probably put it on hundreds of customers though. I liked something that felt as silicone-y smooth as possible. So Smashbox would do well with it, or MAC Matte creme, etc. Here are the full descriptions of the Mac P+P primers. Mac P+P+Matte A lightweight mattifying spray that refreshes skin while instantly controlling shine and oil on the surface without disturbing makeup.
Recently, Michelle responded to a reader question about getting rid of oily skin that I read with sympathy because, girl, that is my life. Sometimes my face gets so shiny that you could hurt your eyes from the glare.
![Best Best](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126443979/546636100.jpg)
That post covered the long-term solutions for treating the underlying causes of sebum overproduction, as well as how to lighten up your skincare routine—but today, I want to talk about fast fixes. By that I mean what you should use when you just need to degrease RIGHT NOW. I've finally cultivated my perfect shine-eliminating makeup regimen, and I'm willing to share my secrets.
In my experience, there is no single mattifying product that works for everyone. Since my skin swings from dry-normal in the winter to outrageously oily in the summer, it takes about six different products to soak up the grease. Luckily for you, that means I've probably found a product that will be your shine-eliminating grace.
I've split up the products into everyday wear and the ones I'll pull out if I'm going on, say, a 15-hour outdoor date in July. Some of you might find this overkill, and others might want to wear every one of these products every single day—you do you!
Everyday Products for Matte Skin That Lasts a Regular Workday
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Laura Mercier Secret Finish Mattifying Gel has been my HG mattifier for years. It immediately eliminates shine on any area it's applied to (especially my nose, which has the tendency to shine like a lightbulb). I trust no other product to uphold a matte finish on my skin for hours on end. I use it as a final step after applying makeup in the morning, and sometimes I also re-apply midday. It only takes a tiny blob (think half a Tic Tac) applied with my fingers in light, circular motions for instant mattification. Note that this is a silicone-rich product, which some of you will hate.
For a silicone-free option, try BECCA Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector. I haven't actually tried this one, but Michelle swears by it and you can read her review here. It's a gel that's best used for spot-treatment of oily areas (either under or over makeup) because it can be very drying... which is what you want!
![Fix Fix](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126443979/480619087.jpg)
MAC Blot Powder is my saving grace for areas that get outright sweaty, like my upper lip (so gross, I know). I load up an eyeshadow blending brush like the MAC 217 and dust a bit on the areas that need some help. A small brush gives you greater control, so you can really target your powder application. Note that powder can get cakey fast, so don't go packing it on areas with large pores (for me that's on either side of my nose).
If you find your whole face gets oily, try a blotting paper to absorb the oil without adding more product to build up on your skin. Blotting papers only go so far on me, but Shiseido's Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Paper has the longest-lasting effect of any I've tried—about a half hour for me.
Best Primer For Mac Studio Fix Color
For a budget-friendly blotting option, try Starbucks' napkins! Something about their recycled, scratchy texture is a total grease-magnet.
When using blotting paper, make sure you pat it on your face—don't sweep it. You shouldn't see any of your makeup smeared on the sheet, only the satisfying translucence of sebum.
Extra-Fancy Products for Matte Skin That Lasts Well Into the Night (and Possibly the Next Morning)
Then there are days where I'm not only concerned with shine, but also with having my makeup simply melt right off my face. If you think you might get sweaty or you live in a hot climate, and you have things to do beyond a regular work day (two counts of your-life-is-way-more-fun-than-mine!), here are some products I consider a wonderful luxury to have and use.
To get my makeup to last from day into night, I'll spritz on Urban Decay's De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray as both the very first thing to touch my skin after cleanser, and the very last thing after applying makeup. I find that its slight stickiness (which disappears after a few minutes) helps my makeup really grab onto my otherwise bare skin. And as a finishing touch, it seals all my mattifying work into place.
If I'm desperate to keep my makeup on, I'll double up priming formulas by adding a layer of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. (It's also SPF 15, but that's not enough and you never rely on makeup to be your sun protectant.) As a primer though, it is ah-mah-zing. Hourglass is a new brand to me, but I've quickly learned that they have mastered makeup that lasts. (Seriously, their Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick stays on my mouth—which eats, drinks, and talks endlessly—ALL DAY.)
The Hourglass primer is an unexpectedly runny texture, which somehow keeps my foundation from dissolving into an oily mess after eight hours. The one substantial peeve I have with this is that it leaves a white cast on my face before I cover it with foundation. (When will beauty companies recognize that 99 percent of people's skin tones aren't printer-paper white? If you're in the 1 percent, no offence meant... I'm just bitter that thousands of beauty lines forgot my skin tone exists.)
Usually a combination of these luxury base products plus my must-have everyday products are enough to keep my face shine-free for a work day and evening drinks. That said, I have one final trick reserved for days when I find myself giving a presentation in an unventilated room: powder foundation.
I'm a longtime fan of MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, which I swirl all over my face using a kabuki brush, making sure to blend well. This final step locks in all the aforementioned products, keeping the shine off my skin for hours. It's my go-to finishing touch when I don't plan on looking in a mirror for 24 hours.
It's pretty obvious that this is a lot of makeup, and not a routine I would personally advocate for daily wear. I think spot-treating your skin is definitely the way to go for oily areas, and in general it's better to focus on reducing sebum production rather than just hiding it.
That said, when the shine just won't quit, it's nice to have a few options stashed in your purse. Now that you know my magical elixir for perfectly matte skin, let me know which products YOU rely on to keep shine at bay!
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Do you, too, have oily skin woes? Have you tried any of my favourite mattifying products? What's in your anti-shine arsenal?
When I was a makeup noob and had just discovered the wonders of beauty blogs, I saw that many foundation reviews and mentions had the initials NC and NW followed by a number. I didn’t understand what they were so I did a quick online search, and that was how I first learned about the MAC foundation shade coding system!
If you’ve ever tried to shop for foundation, you’d know how hard it can be to find a product that matches perfectly with your skin tone. Shade names like Caramel and Golden Beige aren’t helpful either as they often look different from brand to brand, or even with different products of the same brand. The MAC foundation system makes finding your exact match a lot easier because it’s developed to match varying degrees of skin tones as well as differences in undertone. Basically, if there’s one makeup brand that you’re absolutely certain to get a match of your skin, it would be MAC! To find out more about why their system works so well (and to help me find my MAC shade), I talked to MAC events artist Ryan Wong and MAC product specialist and makeup artist Beny Reginaldo about the products that set their brand apart from the rest.
What is the difference between NC and NW? Which one is right for me?
“At MAC Philippines, foundations and concealers are mostly categorized into NC and NW. NC stands for Neutral-Cool and has yellow undertone, while NW is Neutral-Warm which has pink undertone,” Ryan explains. “An easy way to determine if you are yellow or pink toned is to see whether your skin has a rosy or golden tone. If your skin is naturally rosy, then your skin has a pink undertone. Likewise, if your skin has a naturally golden tone, then your skin has yellow undertone.”
If you’re still not sure which group you fall under, a MAC specialist will help you out. Beny tells me that part of a MAC artist’s training includes being able to quickly figure out what a person’s skin tone is, just from one look! Even though I was experiencing some redness and looked flushed from my commute, he immediately pinpointed me as having an NC shade.
Which shades are the most common or popular among Filipinos?
Locally, the most popularly worn MAC shades are NC30 to NC40. Beny explains that most Asians have NC undertones because of our warm coloring, and that in countries like Thailand, the people are so yellow-toned that MAC had to create a purely C line for them! There are about 20 shades (including NW options) available in the PH to suit most Pinoy skin tones, but the actual number of all available MAC foundation shades is past 30. Aside from the C shades, there are pure N and pure W shades, too. That’s why beauty gurus and lovers alike usually reference MAC shades when describing foundations and skin tones.
Editor's note: These are swatched on NC35 skin. I use NC35 comfortably, NC30 is too light on me when blended. - Liz
What formulations are available? Which one is right for me?
You know what’s harder than finding your shade match? Choosing the right formula to get! MAC has so many liquid, powder, and gel foundations that I felt a bit intimidated. I counted about 11 different formulas in the store! Ryan explains that MAC has so many product options because they’re dedicated to making sure that foundation looks like real skin.So here’s a tip to keep you from getting confused: just match the formula to your skin type! If you have combination to oily skin, the non-hassle option would be to get a powder formulation while those with dry skin might want to get a liquid formulation.
MAC doesn’t limit the options there though. If you’re oily-skinned but prefer a liquid foundation, you can go for Studio Fix Fluid (P1,900) and just set it with a finishing powder like Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (P1,800). If you have dry skin and want to keep things matte, Studio Fix Sculpt Foundation (P2,150) is a gel-type formula that dries to a powder finish. To cop the Korean dewy skin trend, get the new Studio Waterweight Foundation (P2,200),which is designed to work for any skin type. For heavy coverage, try the Pro Longwear Foundation (P2,150) or Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation (P2,200).
How does a foundation-matching happen in a MAC store?
It all starts with the MAC makeup artist getting to know your skin. They usually ask about your skin type, how much coverage you want or feel comfortable wearing, the kind of formulation you want to try, and the type of finish you prefer. Based on your answers, the artist can recommend the product that they think will suit you best but you can also request to try any product that strikes your fancy.
When you’ve decided on a product to try, the artist will get three shades of your preferred formulation: one that looks closest to your skin tone, a shade that’s a step darker, and a shade that’s a step lighter. In my case, Beny figured that my skin looked closest to NC37, so he got NC35 and NC40 (there was no NC39 for the particular foundation I chose) to compare.
All three shades are swatched on your jaw line to see how they blend with the color of your (bare) face and that of your neck. This is very important because the two can actually have different skin tones! If your neck is much darker than your face, the artist will find a shade that lies between the two so that it blends more seamlessly. It’s never a good idea to base your foundation matching on swatches made on your hand or arm! Unless you’re lucky enough to have a completely even skin tone all over your body, chances are they’ll end up looking quite different when applied to your face.
After giving the swatches a minute or two to settle on my skin, Beny’s first pick proved to be my exact match. To be absolutely sure that it was right for me and so I could see how it would look when worn, he applied NC37 all over my face with a stippling brush.
Should my concealer be the same as my foundation shade?
It depends on what you’re trying to conceal. Ryan says that because concealers are used to cancel discolorations like dark circles and pimple marks, you have to use a concealer shade that will make the area blend better with the rest of your skin.
Beny used the Studio Finish Concealer Duo (P1100~) to cover up the remaining imperfections. He neutralized the bluish tones of my under eye area with an NW30 cream concealer that was lighter and pinker than my skin to give it a brightening effect. For my acne, he applied a slightly lighter NC35 concealer because the marks looked dark.
After my MAC shade matching session with artist Beny Reginaldo
It was really fun finding out my MAC foundation shade, and the experience is just worlds away from going to a department store stall and having to figure out what shade would suit me amid poorly-managed testers and unflattering store lights. The MAC store had well-lit mirrors, clean brushes, and a knowledgeable professional to help me out! You can also find out what your MAC shade is simply by going to any of their stores and requesting for a free consultation. If you want to get actual makeup lessons though, they offer paid classes wherein the fee is consumable with MAC products. Sounds like a great deal!
Have you found your MAC foundation shade? Which formulation is your favorite? Share your own MAC-matching experience in the comments!
Visit the MAC website and Facebook page for more information.