Here's the thing, I never really felt the need for long-wearing makeup before. But then I became vainer started working long hours and the weather got pretty hot, so I started seeing the need for long-wearing foundation. I used to have the time to remove all my makeup and start again, but now that my life is a little bit hectic, I don't even have the time to plant myself into a mirror, much less wash my face and re-do my makeup.
I tried samples of Esteé Lauder's Double Wear Foundation (changed my life, forreal), but I wanted to use that as my "special occasion" foundation. Double Wear made my skin look near perfect, and I didn't want my skin look flawless every day. Yes, you read that right. My reasoning? Well, I don't want my face to be an illusion. I'm not trying to get too deep here, but I don't want to wear a mask every day. So I started looking for a foundation that was long-wearing but didn't provide absolutely flawless coverage and MAC Pro Longwear seemed to fit the bill.
(blended slightly)
From MAC: A long-wear foundation that gives up to 15 hours of wear in any environmental condition. Lightweight and creamy, applies smoothly to provide sheer to medium coverage. Even in hot and humid conditions, controls oil to keep skin fresh, natural and flawless. Provides everyday SPF protection.
Firstly, I would say that this product provides medium coverage. It has a thicker consistency than Esteé Lauder Double Wear, it doesn't run down the back of my hand at all. I purchased the shade NC25, which is my normal shade; it's a tad too light for me at the moment because my skin is still holding on to the last vestiges of my summer tan. As you can see from the photo above, it's definitely too light for my hand. That's because I have the privilege of having my body be a completely different colour than my face. Ever since I was a child, my body has been darker than my face :p.
I love that this foundation comes with a pump. It locks in place (see above photo) and when you click it to the left, it unlocks. Perfect for traveling! The pump also dispenses the perfect amount of product, which was something I was worried about because I've heard the Pro Long Concealer dispenses a lot of product.
The texture of this foundation is quite nice. Despite its consistency (similar to Revlon Colorstay), it doesn't feel thick on the skin. It does dry fairly quickly though, so you need to work fast in order to blend it out. It has a bit of a powdery finish, which accentuates drier areas a bit.
(taken immediately after application)
As you can see, it doesn't really even out the skin enough, unlike Double Wear. My face didn't tan evenly during the Summer and I have darker areas around my chin, so I definitely have to wear concealer on those areas on top of the foundation. Also, because of the powdery finish, it tends to cling to the little dry patches I have.
So why did I bother with this foundation? Well, despite not evening out my skin the way I would like it to, it does make my skin look quite nice. After a few hours of wear, my skin takes on a more natural finish and that's when Pro Longwear really excels. There's a bit of dewy-ness that comes through, but I do find myself needing to blot after a few hours. I guess that's why I'm on the fence about it. I wish it provided a tad more coverage so that my skin looks more even, but on the other hand, it makes my skin look lovely after an hour of wear time. I do know that once my skin has evened itself out (i.e. once my tan disappears), this foundation would be perfect for me. Perhaps I'll revisit this review once that time has come...
Pro Longwear Foundation can be purchased at freestanding MAC stores or MAC counters in The Bay for $36.50 CAD.
Are you a fan of MAC's Pro Longwear Foundation?
Have any tips for me on how to make it perform better?
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