MAC is one of those makeup brands that makes great products in beautiful packaging and you simply cannot resist. Working as a MAC girl, I’ve had the opportunity to experiment with a good share of their products in the past years. Since I have acquired a good knowledge of the brand (plus some tips and secrets), I wanted to write a MAC cosmetics review post.

As it happens, I needed to stock up on a few of my favourite items, so this post is not only a haul, but I’ll also reveal some of my favourites from the Canadian brand, and a few secrets about the brand.

MAC makeup haul

Let’s start with the haul before diving into the MAC cosmetics review!

I purchased:

• Studio Fix powder foundation in NW22
• Mineralize Skinfinish powder in “Medium”
• Prep+Prime lip primer
• Face and Body foundation in N2
• Waterweight SPF30 Foundation in NC35
• Pro Longwear Lip Pencils in “More to love”, “In anticipation”, “Oh honey!”
• Eye Shadow palette in “Warm Neutral”.

MAC cosmetics review and must-haves

1. The Pro Longwear Lip Pencils. These are WAY underrated: they are very long-wear and are so pigmented that I sometimes wear them alone as a lipstick!
2. The Waterweight Foundation. BY FAR my favourite foundation from MAC: I always recommend it to someone who doesn’t like to wear a lot of makeup yet wants some coverage. It has a very natural finish and leaves the skin looking flawless.
3. The Face & Body Foundation. Can be worn alone for a barely-there coverage, or mixed with any foundation to create a sheerer finish.
4. Eyeshadow Palette X15 in “Warm Neutral”. Very versatile palette and it looks great on all skin tones! It can be used to create a softer look and a shimmery smokey eye.
5. Mineralize Skinfinish powder in “Medium”. This finishing powder has such a soft and delicate texture! It sets any foundation without leaving a ‘powdery’ finish. If you choose one that’s a few shades darker than your skin tone, it is a perfect bronzer!

I also reviewed MAC’s Studio Fix 24h Smooth Wear concealer, have a look!

A few MAC secrets

• The pro long wear lip pencils are SO MUCH better than the regular ones! Better texture, more pigmentation, and by far more long-wear. A must!
• Lipsticks are fantastic, but the Retro Matte finish (the dryest texture in the bullet lipsticks) is way too dry to be applied directly from the bullet…
• A lot of people wear the Studio Fix liquid foundation (the one with the highest coverage at MAC) but it is not right for their skin type and/or they don’t need that much coverage. It is a mattifying foundation, so it’s perfect for normal to oily skin, but it will dry your skin if it is dry or combination. And, TBH the foundation smells bad…
• Are you new to makeup or looking to improve your makeup stash? Invest in a large palette (the X15 ones): they are priced at 85CAN$ but each individual eyeshadow is worth 19$. I’ll let you do the math 😉
• The best powder to set your foundation with the most natural finish is by far the Mineralize Skinfinish powder. Thank me later!

-xox- Marika