MAC Face and Body Foundation in C5


As the title suggests this is not my first run in with MAC Face and Body Foundation, I believe it was two years ago when I first crumbled and bought into the hype only to be disappointed. Yes the foundation lives up to the sheer and natural claims yet it can be built for fuller coverage. Great on paper but sadly it did not quite pan out that way for me.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in C5
MAC Face and Body Foundation in C5

Let's start with the pro's shall we? Unlike a few years ago the MAC Face and Body Foundation formula is now available in two sizes and unless you are using it religiously or on large areas the new smaller 50ml size will last you some time. Unlike some MAC foundations this does not require a pump to make the most of the product rather it is dispensed via an inbuilt nozzle reducing mess and of course offering some control. It is available in 13 shades but unlike any other foundation I have owned in the past you can actually get away with purchasing a shade deeper for those tanned days as it is so sheer. It can be applied on the body to disguise scarring, as a self tanning product and to generally even the skin tone not to mention that although it offers light coverage you can built it in layers for a higher form of coverage and for most (not me) it doesn't highlight any faults on the face. 

MAC Face and Body Foundation in C5

Although this is not a positive review by any means the shade I wear (if you can call it that) is C5 and I typically wear MAC NC35/37 when it comes to their other foundations. It is also worth noting that the texture is very, very light and liquid based due to the high water content. I have included swatches below with my mole as a reference point so you can see how well it covers.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in C5
MAC Face and Body Foundation in C5
MAC Face and Body Foundation in C5

And that is where the pro's finish as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't matter how I apply this with a sponge, with my finger tips, with a brush, with a primer, without a primer it won't set on my face. It simply remains tacky and a little sticky not to mention instead of giving a glowing complexion it makes my face look greasy...sexy I know. No the finish wouldn't be a problem if it would work alongside a powder but oh no as soon as I apply a powder over the top the tacky substance congeals and looks frankly terrible. Much like my application process there is not a powder I own that I have not tried this with - loose, pressed, baked you name it I've tried it. Adding to the insult to injury it collects within my enlarged pores and makes them appear ten times worse. On occasion I have tried to put up with MAC Face and Body Foundation without a powder hoping that after an hour or so it would somewhat settle and I could understand the hype but no as the hours ticked away this simply made my skin look shinier with each passing second. It is a shame as the level of coverage is great - light but enough to disguise uneven skin without feeling heavy on the skin or masking the complexion but my goodness am I done with this formula. 


I throw in the towel, sorry MAC.
But hey on the plus side it didn't break me out and it oddly works rather well on my legs so I guess all is not a complete loss!

MAC Face and Body Foundation 50ml/£21.50 via MAC - link