Hello beauties!
Have you wondered what are the Best MAC Makeup Products?
MAC Cosmetics is one of the biggest names in Beauty Industry and has a huge, enormous line of products which can be overwhelming even for the most MAC makeup addict.
I’ll help you swim through the see of makeup by going through my TOP Must-Haves from MAC Cosmetics. By reading this post you will start making intelligent shopping choices and not feel overwhelmed by the millions of products when you’ll enter the store.
U.S. / UK / International – Now at MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, ULTA, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Harrods
The Best MAC Makeup Products
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation SPF15 – $30.00 / £26.00
It has an oil-control formula that offers a matte finish. It’s incredible high coverage so it will cover acne, blemishes, dark circles and skin imperfections. You can sheer it down very easy by mix it with a moisturizer or illuminator and get a gorgeous dewy, luminous skin.
It makes skin looks perfect like you’ve just been photoshoped and even though is SPF 15 I never had a problem with flashback. Suitable for every skin type, even those with skin problems or sensitive types. Is the foundation I’d recommend also to brides because it’s super long wearing but also to models or makeup artists for any studio work or photos.
MAC Prolongwear Paint Pots – $22.00 / £16.50
Is a long-wearing cream shadow that can be worn alone or with other products. This is the holy grail of eyeshadow primers and comes in a lot of colors. This stuff is like paint, it completely color corrects the lid, covers redness, capillaries, doesn’t crease, transfers or rubs off. Your eyeshadow will last longer and sticks to this like glue. I’m also using it to cover my blemishes, curve out my brows, use it on my lips.
MAC Prolongwear Concealer – $24.00 / £18.50
This is by far the liquidy, lightest and thinnest concealer with a high coverage coverage that you have ever used. I like to use it with a fluffy blending brush underneath my eyes to correct any dark circles, redness or to prime my lids. You can use it on your face to correct any imperfections.
A little goes a long way so make sure to press the pump gently and get the tinniest product as possible so you won’t waste too much. It sets quite fast so make sure you work fast when applying it because it dries down like paint and once it is on it won’t come off (use waterproof makeup remover). Make sure you prime your eye area very well before using this.
MAC Lipstick (Matte Formula) – $18.50 / £17.50
It’s a cream rich lipstick formula with a high color payoff. I’m referring strictly to Matte Formula and not Retro Matte which I feel is a harsh matte, too drying and harsh for the lips. MAC matte formula lipsticks still feel creamy and have a light sheen. Velvet Teddy is an universal shade, a neutral pink that looks good on everyone no matter how pale or dark you are. It’s just self-adjust on everyone, looks very flattering and has a very nice, creamy comfortable formula.
One of the other iconic shades are Russian Red, Candy Yum Yum for pink fanatics like me, Lady Danger, Honey Love.
RELATED: MAC Candy Yum-Yum Lipstick Review
MAC Blush – $24.00 / £19.50
MAC Blushes provide a fantastic color, they adhere well onto the skin, blend easily and they can be intensified in 2-3 layers if you want more pigmentation. An universal flattering shade would be Desert Rose, a pink with hints of rose, brown and coral in a matte finish. It’s suitable for every skin color, from pink skin to deep skin and olive skin. Honestly I’ve seen so shades on so many different skin tones and looked beautiful each time.
MAC Desert Rose Blush will just make you look radiant, healthy and gives you that overall youthful look, leaving everyone wondering what’s on your cheeks. 🙂
MAC Strobe Cream – $34.00 / £25.00
It’s a moisturizer (50 ml / 1.7 fl oz) that boosts the look of dull, flat and tired-looking skin. It comes in 5 shades to suit all skin tones and has a very subtle iridescent particles. The best part is the formula which is packed with antioxidants and beneficial ingredients for your skin like vitamins and green tea.
This is the secret product that will make you glow from within if you’ll use it as a primer before your foundation to revive your skin. You can mix it with foundation as well, use it on top of your makeup as highlighter, there are so many ways to use this baby. It doesn’t smudge, stays put and enhances the effects of light on the skin.
MAC Prep+ Prime Fix + – $27.00 / £19.00
The simple way to describe it would be… a lightweight mist of water packed with vitamins and minerals, infused with a blend of green tea, chamomile and cucumber to gently soothe and refresh the skin. That was the short version trust me because it is a multi-use product, the holy grail of hydrating mists, working well with any product.
Who hasn’t tried MAC Prep + Prime Fix + (100 ml / 3.4 fl oz)(Review) yet, should definitely go for it. It comes as a mini size as well and in different scents. I’ve used it on my face to set my makeup in place and just give that skin effect back especially when I wore matte foundations, blushes, but it’s also great for touch-ups during the day to refresh your makeup. It unifies and blends your makeup beautifully, erasing signs of cakeyness. You can use you on your hair to give a bit of freshness, especially during the Summer you can spritz it on your body throughout the day for a cooling and hydrating effect.
RELATED: MAC Prep + Prime Fix + New Summer 2019 Scents
MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish – $35.00 / £25.50
This one is a must-have if you are into highlighters, all over glow, a subtle sheen or a beaming glow. It’s a liquid powder highlighter that gives the perfect glow to your skin due to its prismatic reflections that will sculpt and highlight your face. It has a creamy consistency, applies on smoothly, can be sheered down easily or built up in just 2-3 layers.
I don’t know how many of these I bought through the years as the shades are pretty much permanent but I just love the limited edition packaging and patterns they are coming with all the time. A recent addition is MAC Dima’s Glow Extra Dimension Skinfinish (review, swatches) but you can still find the limited editions of MAC Snowflushed & Oh Darling (review, swatches).
RELATED: MAC Whisper of Gilt and Beaming Blush Extra Dimension Skinfinishes Reviews
MAC Eyeshadows – $17.00 / £14.00
MAC Eyeshadows have a great pigmentation, apply evenly and blend easily. They have a huge variety of shades and textures to choose from. You can combine them into your customized palette or just simply find a MAC Eyeshadow Palette that has your favorite shades. One of my favorites is MAC Kabuki Doll Eyeshadow Palette (review, swatches, makeup look).
RELATED: MAC Dimension Foil Eyeshadow Reviews
MAC Brushes
Last but not least I couldn’t complete this post without adding some of my all time favorite MAC Brushes. If you want to invest in quality and long term use then MAC Brushes will be a wise choice. Some of my MAC Brushes are from 11 years ago so I still use them because they are in great condition.
MAC 217 Brush ($24.00 / £21.00) has the perfect density and shape for shading or blending powder and creamy products. It has soft, densely packed fibres that are arranged in an oval shape. It’s my most time favorite (and used) blending brush. I have 3 of these brushes and my oldest one has 11 years and still does the job perfectly.
MAC 224 Brush ($32.00 / £23.50) is a synthetic tapered blending brush ideal for sheer application and blending. It’s the brush you’ll need for a soft smokey eye, super smooth and soft makeup looks as it will diffuse the eyeshadows beautifully. This brush has soft fibres that taper to form a medium-sized dome shape.
MAC 138S Brush (£40.00) is a tapered face large brush of ultra-soft fibres featuring a slightly pointed tip with chiseled sides. You will want to splurge on this one even though the price is high because it’s a multi purpose brush.
It has the perfect density, shape and is rounded enough at the end work for highlighter, blush, bronzer and contouring. I’ve actually used this brush to apply all of those products and is the only face brush that I’m taking with me when I travel. The only product that wouldn’t work with this brush is foundation, but the rest work perfectly.
U.S. / UK / International – Now at MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, ULTA, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Harrods
2 comments
Thank you Tavia, this is a great guide to purchasing the best of MAC, which can sometimes be either really fabulous or a total miss. I really like their skinfinish blushes/highlighters the best.
Hi Genevieve! I admit it was hard to make a choice for Best MAC products. They release so many products all the time and come out with new formulas that can feel overwhelming. These are my most favorites but the list would be a little longer, because there will be at least 4-5 more products to add. 🙂