A Comprehensive Guide to MAC Foundations
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MAC has created a lot of varieties in its foundations that (1) give a particular coverage and finish you desire and (2) to match the different skin shades and skin undertones people have. Now before buying any foundations, be it from MAC or any other brand, it is imperative for you to know your skin type, skin undertone, skin shade and the kind of coverage and finish you want. Don’t know what all of this means? Worry not and just read on.
COVERAGE AND FINISH:
One of the first things I do when applying foundation on my clients is I check their skin type and ask them about the coverage they want. That’s because you don’t want your foundation to look ‘out-of-sync’ with your natural skin type and the occasion you’re applying it for. Imagine wearing a full coverage foundation daily at the workplace? Yes, that’s horrendous! For a daily wear, you would want to go for a foundation that will give you a fresh yet a natural look which can be achieved by using a light to medium coverage foundation.
So MAC has Light, Medium and Full coverage foundations and they come in Satin, Natural and Matte finish. All these descriptions are pretty self-explanatory but for the makeup newbies out there, let me explain: a 'full coverage' foundation will do exactly that; fully cover your major skin imperfections such as blemishes, acne and discolorations whereby giving a flawless, opaque look all over and it will always be heavier than the average foundation. A 'medium coverage' foundation will be lighter than the full coverage but heavier than light coverage foundation. Obvious much? Haha! Basically applying a medium coverage foundation will help you achieve an even skin tone but some of your major imperfections will show through, unless you build a few layers of it and then you will be able to get certain skin problems fully covered. A 'light coverage' foundation will give you a natural, fresh look and will make your skin appear like skin rather than covered with makeup. Just like medium coverage, it will even out your skin tone however it wont cover major skin problems as it is quite sheer for that.
Secondly, the finishes: a foundation with a 'satin finish' will give you a dewy-glowy look but oily skin types might want to refrain from this finish and go for the 'matte finish'. Foundation with a matte finish has a formula that has no shimmer or dewiness in it and it will give you a look that is shine-free. A 'natural finish' foundation is a balance between satin and matte finish and it will feel lightweight on your skin because of which it is recommended for everyday wear.
Okay so are we on the same track till now? Awesome!
Now below I have made a table which shows the above mentioned descriptions of *some* of the MAC foundations. Please refer to it to find which one of these foundations will give you the desired coverage and finish:
Alright, so decided on the coverage and the finish? Let's move on to the next big thing which is to find your skin shade and undertone.
SHADE AND UNDERTONE:
Skin shades are always light, dark, very dark or something in-between. Undertones are either yellow or pink and *skin types are normal, oily, dry, sensitive or a combination. While selecting the perfect foundation shade for yourself, always do this test: stand in natural light and test the foundation shade by applying a little bit of it on the side of your face or neck. If you see that the shade is blending completely into your skin, then voila! You have just found your perfect match.
As for undertones, check the underside of your wrist; are your veins blue or green colored? If blue, you have a cool (pink) undertone and if green, you have warm (yellow) undertone. All of these are the first things I teach to my students in my makeup classes and when I tell them to check their undertones, they get confused with what the color of their veins are! So please check closely. However let me tell you, most people have warm undertones and that is especially true for us South Asians.
*If you do not know how to determine your skin type, please let me know by posting comments on my Facebook page so that I make a separate blog entry regarding that.
PERSONAL ADVISE:
I recommend that people who wish to buy MAC foundations should try to personally visit a MAC store because the makeup artists there will do the work of finding you the right foundation(s). I own a variety of MAC foundations in my pro kit as I get clients with various skin types, shades and skin conditions and only after checking all of that, I select the right foundation for them.
However, if going to a MAC store isn't possible, you can find your perfect foundation(s) by visiting the following link:
I hope that my guide helped you in understanding the various types of MAC foundations that are out there and how you can select the one which will give you the desired benefits.
Have a good day! :)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Graduate of a renowned makeup academy in London, Tooba Shah works as a freelance makeup artist in Karachi, Pakistan. She takes skin care very seriously, appreciates people who are meticulous about their beauty regimes and is a strict follower of skin care regime herself. Numerous people ask for her beauty and makeup advice on a daily basis and this blog is a result of that.
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