Today I wanted to post my review on the Matchmaster foundation from Mac. This was just released December 26th, 2015 and is a cushion style foundation. If you are curious what a cushion is, I would read here! Since the release of the famous IOPE cushion, many western brands have attempted to create their own version of this iconic Korean product. And yes, I say "attempt"! L'Oreal just released a drugstore version here and brands like YSL, Dior, and Maybelline will be launching their cushions early in 2016.
So...on with the review....Mac is calling this cushion "Matchmaster Shade Intelligence Compact" and comes in 12 shades. Mac's website states that this is a sheer to medium buildable coverage foundation. The color I purchased is 1.0 which is the lightest shade available.
Stats:
Oil Free
Provides hydration and controls oil
Instantly blurs lines and wrinkles
Instantly reduces appearance of pores
8 hour wear, sweat, humidity and water resistant
Non-caking, non-settling, and non-streaking
Won't Oxidize
Made in Japan - Nothing against Japan, my fiancé is Japanese :) However, if you are trying to compete with a iconic Korean product that has been extremely successful, wouldn't you have it manufactured in Korea?
Ingredients:
Comparison:
I did not mention in my review of the L'Oreal cushion here about the actual foundation sponge, but I want to talk about this important aspect!
As you can see from the pictures above, the sponge that holds all the foundation is drastically different. On the left is the Mac cushion and on the right is a cushion from Innsifree. I will note that the Innisfree cushion is about 40% used. However, the Mac (and the L'Oreal) have very different sponges...the Mac looks like a kitchen sponge :( The cushion is also filled up too much and because the sponge is not super dense. If you close the flap lip and move the compact around it will leak....there will be product on the lid flap. I did a short clip of this on my Instagram here. The packaging states it has 13g while the Innisfree and IOPE both have 15g. For me, that means it's a issue with he density of the sponge.
Many readers on Reddit have been talking about this cushion and how Mac is telling their customers to apply using a brush! Really people?! It's a cushion compact!
Assuming you would apply using the puff as in every other cushion compact there are some differences to mention. The size of the puff is slightly smaller than the average Korean cushion compact. Personally, the size of the puff does not matter that much, but the quality is what truly matters. Although I am happy to report that the Mac puff faired better than the L'Oreal puff, it is still not near the qualities of the Innisfree or IOPE puffs.
Case:
Again, I happen to like the case and as compared to the IOPE and Innisfree, the Mac is slimmer and more sleek
Here is where the real problem begins....the color match
Top to Bottom:
Mac 1.0, Innisfree Long Wear #13, IOPE N21
Left - Indoor Lighting
Right - Indoor next to window lighting
Here can see the Mac cushion has a peach, orange hue.
Top to Bottom:
Mac 1.0, Innisfree Long Wear #13, IOPE N21
Outdoor lighting
Pale girls unite :-) You can clearly see just how fair I am from this photos taken outside. The right picture above is the swatches lightly blended. The IOPE in N21 is slightly too peachy for my neutral to cool skin tone, but the Mac cushion is WAY too peachy! The color is so much better than the L'oreal I tried and reviewed, but still not a color I would pull off, ever!
Coverage:
Left: Two layers - indoor light
Right: Two layers - outdoor
I am still battling with these damn acne scars and overall the Mac did a fairly good job covering them. My skin itself is pretty smooth....just color scars and not texture scarring. The photo above is which two coats and about 1-2 minutes wait time between layers. Although this does offer decent coverage, the foundation was very cakey and accentuated my drier areas. The finish is definitely more matte yet it almost made my skin looked dehydrated and felt heavy on my normal/combo skin. It was also very hard to blend, did not blur shit, and settled into every little nook and cranny. The worse thing about this foundation was that it transferred like crazy!
Needless to say I am not a fan of this foundation and I would not recommend it unless your skin is perfect, like a smooth, even canvas which mine is not hahaha! I am very curious to read what others think about this foundation so if you have tried it, please leave me a comment below. I unfortunately cannot find anything good about this cushion aside from the case itself....thank goodness for Nordstrom return policy :-)
Stay Beautiful ❤️
When you want to look and feel your best, sometimes you need a little help from one of the best skin care products on the market. Skin care products The right way to dry the skin is by gentle pats.
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