MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty


Can you believe that despite being one of the biggest "MAC addicts" around that I have never tried a MAC Pro Longwear Blush, well up to now that is.
My main excuse is that my local MAC store (it's not really a store, it is a concession stand) doesn't stock such line and well you know the saying out of sight, out of mind.

MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty
MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty
MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty

There is not much to say in terms of the packaging as it is exactly the same as the regular MAC blushes,
a round plastic swivel top compact that comfortably fits in the palm of my hand, with a large transparent window to easily view the product inside. Unlike eyeshadows I prefer to buy and keep my blushes in the full sized packaging as they are easier to transport and in my experience the MAC style of packaging can take a good few bumps without destroying the product inside.

MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty
MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty
MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty
MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty

Since going back to blonde (I'm already toying with the idea of going back to the dark side) I have found that light, bright pinks work rather well with my complexion (a personal favourite is Illamasqua's Tremble Blush).With that in mind I purchased MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty which is officially listed as a "light, bright, blue pink" all of which I agree with but would say that the blue undertone is not at all noticeable and doesn't really ring cool, meaning most skin tones could easily wear this shade. In terms of dupes I would say that the closest I have is Illamasqua's Tremble blush but it is a little more brighter overall.

MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty
MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty

The MAC Pro Longwear Blush line is relatively new to the permanent line up and promises to be "A lightweight blush with extreme colour perfection and non-fading, eight-hour wear. Ultra fine, silky powder glides on and blends easily to provide a moist, flawless, natural finish or with layering, a brighter, more dramatic look." Sadly I don't agree, the texture is not at all moist rather it is fairly dry and prone to fall out, it does feel different from the regular MAC blushes in that it is soft and almost velvet like I give you that but in my opinion it does need some fine tuning. Those used to the typical MAC pigmentation levels may be a little underwhelmed by this formula as it has been designed to be sheer and mimic a natural flush of colour which it does rather well. However as they are sheer those with medium to dark skin tones may struggle to gain visible colour pay off and despite the layering claims from MAC I'm afraid it doesn't build up all that well. With each layer it becomes more ashen and looks caked on...never a good look. However as the colour pay off is so light it does not emphasis pores or fine lines and the wear time when primed is fairly decent at around 7 hours on my oily skin (just shy of the eight hour claim). 

I'm firmly on the fence with this formula - for a sheer day time look on pale complexions it is great, otherwise I'm afraid it is a skip!

MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty £20/6g via MAC - link