Review: MAC Studio Finish Concealer (in a pot!)

Hey Everyone!

Along with your foundation, concealer is probably the next best thing to covering up flaws. Actually, it is THE thing. It’s like tangible photoshop and with a simple pat of your fingertips, a much aggravated blemish can seemingly dissapear. As my guy friend put it, “it’s like magic!”. Correct. It’s simply the key to looking flawless. It’s the “lie” behind make-up but nonetheless a necessary life-saver.

So, this is a review of the MAC Studio Finish concealer. This concealer is no doubt my all time favourite, my holy grail, and the magic behind my seemingly flawless complexion (that really isn’t). Trust me, I really wanted to zoom up on my zits and acne scars just to show you how bad they were and display it in all its glory, but I couldn’t let myself subject you to that much horror so I decided to give that opportunity a miss. It’s quite unecessary but I have shown you the after picture and hopefully you’ll take my word for it that it really is unedited.

Packaging:

Probably one of the reasons why I love this concealer is how small and handy the packaging is. It comes in a circular case that’s probably identical to the MAC eyeshadow cases and you just click and flick it open to reveal the product. It’s small enough to fit in any makeup pouch or even pocket. The only gripe I would say is that it’s a rather deep well after you get into really using the product, your nails might dig into it a little, making it a bit unsanitary. With this sort of size and portability, it’s a gripe that can pass.

I really did tell you that it was small! I happen to have unaturally small hands as well.

How to apply:

I would say hands down the best way to apply this product is with your fingertips. Because of the consistency, being a cream and balm based product, it tends to stiffen up when it’s cold and warm up too much when it’s too hot. I would know since I’m in Melbourne and it gets freezing and then when I’m in Singapore, the product changes into a whole nother consistency. This is probably the reason why people say that this concealer cakes up throughout the day or doesn’t blend well – I’m guessing that they’re coming from a colder country – because the balm is quite unblendable when it’s cold out.

Best way to avoid this? Skip the brushes (or if you are a clean freak (no offense) then you can use a small synthetic bristled brush – suggesting EcoTools for that – they make great ones). And use your fingertips. Your fingertips will be able to warm the product up before application and then you would simply pat lightly onto the places where you need to cover and slowly blend the edges away so it is no longer visible. If you’re in a rush, small strokes with your fingertips also do the trick.

Let’s do a product test shall we?

As stated earlier, the reason why I’ve used the back of my hand is because I really don’t feel like showcasing to you my zits and blemishes. I can tell you right now that I don’t have perfect skin but I don’t feel obligated to show you every acne scar and blemish that I have so I won’t. I’m sure you’d be thanking me for this anyway.

Step 1: Start with a bare canvas. Alright I know there’s nothing much to hide here, but I’m going to try to hide that mole dot thing in the middle. Yeah, that one.

Step 2: Use your fingertips and acquire the product and pat it on the area you want to cover. This keeps the coverage and doesn’t spread it out but prevents it from looking overly cakey as well.

Step 3: Blend the edges and ta-da! Bye bye mole, spot thingamabob!

Overall Product Review:

It works, and it works well. It lasts throughout the day and it covers really well. It’s not too expensive, in the thirties and one lasts you about a year or so this concealer is my favourite. I love it because I can bring it whereever I go in case something happens and it somehow fades away. I like how blendable it is and easy to apply with my fingertips in the morning because a brush isn’t necessary. Most of all, the coverage is great. Pat-pat and the magic makes your blemish seemingly dissapear.

But, there are cons to this product. The packaging is a little unhygenic as you use your fingers and make a small well into the product. It’s like a lip balm pot really. It gets messy after a while and it for sure gets messy when the weather gets hot. It also tends to appear when you’re sweating so it’s not flawless when you’re excercising.The color combinations that MAC provides aren’t exactly suitable for all skintones. This concealer appears too yellow at times on me.

The most essential thing to keep to what I’ve said is that you’ve set this concealer with a powder – like you always should after your foundation and concealer. The staying power amps up double fold this way and you keep the concealer from running as well.

For your entertainment, this is me with a very light mineral makeup on with the studio finish concealer. Not edited, trust me, and without the powder. Pretty good right?

Beauty Tip: If you have a big zit or blemish and you’ve just put concealer on it and find that whenever you dust the powder ontop, it removes a bit of the concealer – use a skunk or stippling brush like the MAC 187 to stipple lightly the power to set the concealer that way. It’s a much lighter sort of application that can’t ruin the masterpiece of concealing that you’ve just created. One of my favourite techniques actually.

It’s always important to set so I’ve used the Mineralized Skinfinish Natural to set the concealer with a MAC 134 or a big powder brush.

Is it for the Under-eye Dark Circles?

I don’t recommend this for undereye circles. You need something a lot lighter in texture and weight for that particular purpose – something like the YSL Touche Eclat does very well. This concealer would be too heavy for the undereye circles.

I hope you liked this review! I love this concealer for it’s ease of application and coverage despite it’s cons.

What do you think?

Love, Roseanne

Quick Note: I’ve just bought a domain! You can now use www.roseannebeauty.com to reach this blog. How cool is that? :)

24 comments

  • amyrleex

    Great review, will b sure to check this out nxt time I m at Mac..

  • the makeup blogette

    It is a great concealer, though not my fave, I still have tubs of them in various shades lying in my drawer. Great for cover zits. Thanks for sharing! :)

  • zandre

    Your post has me wanting to go out and get one in an NC shade!
    I got mine in NW to cover dark circles and I got a studio sculpt NC30 for the blemishes. I love how thin and almost oily it gets when warmed up, it makes it so much easier to applier on my (dry) skin.
    The studio sculpt one is a little too thick for my liking. I’m not sure if it’s just cause I don’t take enough time and care to apply it though ;P

  • eclecticsatire

    I have not tried this concealer before, however I have tried the Studio Sculpt one. I reckon they r both rather similar, because I have had the same problems when I used the product in colder places. But it blends awesomely once warmed with my fingers. :) Think I shall try the Studio Finish Concealer once I’m done with my Studio Sculpt. Thanks for the review love! :)

  • icyabstract

    I use this every single time I put on makeup, I do like it but I’m looking to try their Studio Sculpt concealer once I’m done with my Studio Finish!

  • everbluec

    I dont use concealer often, but I do love buying/trying it(lolx) and I find that this concealer seem to nice coverage.
    Same as Sara.. I’m going to try studio sculpt once I finished this(which take forever to finish it!)

  • roseannetangrs

    @amyrleex: thanks love, yes do! it’s a great concealer
    @themakeupblogette: i agree, great for covering things and perhaps the various shades help with the color :) no problemo, my pleasure really!
    @zandre: i heard the studio sculpt was too thick and creamy as well, like this one a lot better :)
    @eclecticsatire: yes do try the studio finish, heard the studio sculpt was creamier and a little more harder to control? no problemo :)
    @icyabstract: i use it everyday as well! heard the studio sculpt was a lot heavier, the SA told me to get this one instead so do a review if you get the chance ;)
    @everbluec: you’re so lucky, I totally need concealer! All of you are making me want to try the studio sculpt now haha

  • zandre

    I was told that the studio sculpt one is waterproof/sweatproof and with better oil control if my memory serves me well (which it’s known NOT to do ;P) the MA recommended studio sculpt more than studio finish, I think for the undereye area esp but they ran out of my shade. Thank goodness, otherwise I wouldn’t have tried the studio finish one.

  • roseannetangrs

    haha, i think generally the reviews favor the studio finish more than the studio sculpt from what I’ve read :D

  • EyelynerFreak

    This has been my HG concealer for a long2 time.. easy on the wallet but fantastic in terms of covering up.. I do use it for my undereyes and even find it good as a base for my eyeshadow.. if you find it abit yellow, u shld try in a NW shade… im an NW30 and it matches me to a t.

  • roseannetangrs

    haha awesome :) I shall try NW but I’ve always felt Im an NC :(

  • linnera

    I have to agree with you.. I love this concealer… Great color range and totally cober up my zits and all… :)

  • roseannetangrs

    yep linnera! great coverage! :D

  • eclecticsatire

    @Roseanne: really? LOL i don’t really know the difference between the 2. however, i find that my studio sculpt fades away after a couple of hrs. :/

  • miwitch

    Its also one of my Holy Grail!! LOVEEE!!~ =DD

  • dooey89

    (: i use this to cover my birthmark!

  • roseannetangrs

    @eclecticsatire: haha I’ll have to try it out I guess, just heard from the MAC SA ;p
    @miwitch: mhmm!! I love it too!
    @dooey89: nice :) it really does cover everything!

  • Cendana K

    Ooh definitely a concealer I’d look into when I badly need to cover up any acne!! =)
    At the moment I’m just loving the Maybelline Mineral Power concealer, creamy and nice coverage hehehe… use it for both under my eyes and other blemishes or redness! lol! Not bad for a drugstore ^__^ but something in me still itches to try a MAC concealer… hahaha

  • roseannetangrs

    ooo heard good things about the Maybelline mineral power, may check it out :D

  • VintagePixie

    Thank you sooo much your review has been so helpful! i was thinking about getting it and now i will! My last concealer was the maybelline mineral one and it wasnt great. good for undereye use but otherwise only a 6/10 xxxxx

  • Mia

    This has been in my makeup drawer for so long. This concealer is way too think and cakey on me. You are right, no way to use this for undereye. thanks for sharing..

  • Pingback: How to Conceal Pimples, Zits, Acne & Blemish Prone Skin | roseannetangrs

  • Paloma

    Hi!! I was wondering if you have ever tried to fit the concealer pan in a pro-palette. I am in the middle of two shades and have both of the studio finish, but I would like to have them together (since I never use them on their own). Have you ever tried depoting them? Thanks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *