IS IT A DUPE? | MAC PRO LONGWEAR CONCEALER vs. MAYBELLINE MASTER CONCEAL

I feel like it’s be a hot minute since I’ve done a dupe post! But boy, oh boy, do I have a great one for you today!

So today, I feel like we’ve got the “mac”-daddy (a little pun intended) of all dupes. We’re duping the cult classic, makeup artist favorite; MAC Pro Longwear Concealer!

With everyone and their mother raving about this concealer, I had to try it for myself – so off to Macy’s I went, looking for the MAC counter.
I was color matched in store (though I think he gave me the wrong undertones) to NW15 and NW20 (back in the winter) and sent home with samples. I’m still working through them, jussayin’.

While I was testing it out over the course of a few days, I noticed that it was super similar to something I already had in my collection – the Maybelline Face Studio Master Conceal!

Could it be? Could the cult fave have a drugstore cousin? Keep reading to find out!

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MAC PRO LONGWEAR CONCEALER ($21 / maccosmetics.com)

While my samples are in a little plastic pot with a screw-off lid (hello, unsanitary!) the full size, which contains 0.30 fl oz of product comes in a glass tube with a pump – while a pump is typically the more desirable in terms of packaging for hygienic reasons, I’ve heard that it can tend to spew out too much product, making it wasteful. And who the hell wants to waste high end makeup?! Not me!

This concealer comes in 16 shades – NC is used to describe skin with warmer undertones, and NW is used to describe skin with cooler undertones, and the number is your ‘level’, if you will. For reference, I’m an NC15 in the winter, and right now (mid-July) I’m about an NC25/30. The associate matched me under fluorescent lights in a Macy’s, and got my undertone wrong (I’m fair with yellow undertones), but it’s alright – fluorescent lights are hardly forgiving.

In terms of formula, this concealer claims to be medium to full coverage, matte, water and transfer resistant coverage for up to 15 hours. Whoa. It’s also made with a built in technology for priming your eyes (one of my fave ways to use it!), but it can be just a little on the heavy, drying side, which is ok for someone with combination or oily skin, but someone with normal to dry skin may find it too drying, as it sets matte rather quickly, and can tend to cling to dryness if you don’t exfoliate and moisturize prior to use.

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MAYBELLINE FACE STUDIO MASTER CONCEAL ($8.99 / drugstores)

The packaging of these concealers couldn’t be more different – while the MAC one comes in a glass vial with a pump, this one comes in a plastic squeeze tube with a twist off cap, which in all honesty, I prefer. There is far less wasted product, because you can control the amount that comes out. And since you’re essentially using less, the 0.4 fl oz will last you quite some time!

This one only comes in five shades, however they are neutral in tone, and I’ve never had any trouble finding my match – I use ‘Fair’ in the winter, ‘Light’ in the spring and fall, and ‘Light/Medium’ in the summer. They adapt to skin tones incredibly well, which is quite impressive for drugstore concealer, and more specifically Maybelline, which tends to run cooler/pinker in undertone.

The formula of this concealer is incredibly similar to MAC, claiming to be a full coverage, high-resistence concealer with an undetectable finish. I absolutely believe that this is everything it claims to be. The only difference would be that this one takes a bit longer to set, unless you powder it right away, which can make it appear a bit dewy after you’ve blended it out. Personally, I set every concealer with a powder, whether it’s recommended or not, just out of habit – #oilygirlproblems. The upside to this one is that I have no trouble with it clinging to any dry areas on my face, with my problem spot being the creases on either side of my nose.

So, is it a dupe?

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I absolutely recommend trying the Maybelline concealer if you’re in the market for something full coverage and similar to the cult classic from MAC, but just can’t see yourself “makin’ it rain” for a high end concealer. They’re both great products, and MAC is definitely worth the buy, but if you’re being budget-conscious, then the Maybelline is a perfectly acceptable dupe!

Have you guys tried any of these concealers? Which one is your fave? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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REVIEW – URBAN DECAY NAKED SKIN WEIGHTLESS COMPLETE COVERAGE CONCEALER

Hey guys!

No, no, I haven’t disappeared! There’s a lot going on, and I’ve been unbelievably busy, but I have all intentions on getting back to a normal schedule in the coming weeks.

I have a review for you today, on the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer ($28), obviously. In the beginning, I had such a love/hate relationship with this product, which I’ll get into shortly, but I realized that as much as I’ve been using it lately, I had yet to review it!

Clearly this isn’t a new product, as it’s been around for like, what? Almost two years now? But it’s certainly a very popular one! Let’s see what Urban Decay has to say about their product:

Hide even your most scandalous flaws. Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer gives you buildable, even coverage with a luminous, demi-matte finish. Ultra lightweight, this high-tech formula melds like a second skin to give you full coverage in an instant. For complete coverage, just keep building; no matter how much you apply, Naked Skin Concealer always blends beautifully and NEVER settles into fine lines.

We loaded Naked Skin Concealer with lots of ingredients that are good for your skin. Matrixyl 3000 contains anti-wrinkle peptides to improve skin’s youthful appearance and elasticity. Japanese green tea revitalizes and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines. Litchiderm™ (derived from lychee fruit) protects against dehydration, resulting in a brighter, more radiant complexion. And sodium hyaluronate helps skin attract and retain moisture.

Let’s get started!

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PACKAGING

With this concealer you get 0.16 fl oz of product, which isn’t a crazy amount of product when you compare it to other concealers.
Part one of my love/hate relationship with this concealer lies with the packaging; while I like that it’s very sleek, with it’s silver twist-off cap, and large, flexible, flat applicator wand (which dispenses the perfect amount of product with one dip), I believe the actual bottle containing the concealer is glass – I could be wrong, but it sure feels like glass, which makes me reluctant to put it in my bag and take along during the day, God forbid travel with it.

FORMULA

The formula is very fluid and lightweight, almost gel-like in it’s consistency. This concealer comes in 11 shades, but I highly suggest getting color matched in store. The shades run incredibly light, and if you’re fair to medium skinned, it can be tricky to find your perfect shade. Searching reviews and forums isn’t much help either, so as a reference, I’m roughly an NC15 (fair to light with warm undertones) and I finally settled on the shade Light Warm, though I was matched to Fair Neutral. Fair Neutral looks like white paint in a tube.

APPLICATION & WEAR

The most common method of application I’ve seen used with this concealer is the highlighting method; you know what I mean, under the eyes, the forehead, nose, cupids bow, and chin. Pretty standard.
I can use this to highlight, however because it’s so close to my natural skin color, I can also  slap it all over and wear it as a “foundation”, if you will, which is usually what I do.
The best way that I’ve found to apply this is with a damp sponge. Typically, a damp sponge will sheer out your product, but because this has such a high level of pigmentation, I find that I get a solid medium to full coverage on the first pass. For particularly stubborn areas like blemishes, I simply go back and add a little more (it really doesn’t get cakey, so I love that about it!) and then dab over the top and around the edges with a concealer brush like the e.l.f. Flawless Concealer Brush, or even my Morphe M173. If you have dry skin, you probably don’t have to worry about setting this with a powder, but for the sake of not finding out the hard way on my combination skin, I usually set it with my It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Silk HD Micro Powder on a fluffy brush, and it stays put all day.
One of the most notable features of this concealer is that it’s really quite comfortable and hydrating, while having a demi-matte finish. Something that I appreciate. As any surface oil starts to peek through, it just looks like dewy skin, not an oil slick, and it doesn’t break apart on me like most concealers do. And so far, it hasn’t broken me out – win!!

No foundation, just this concealer 🙂

Overall Rating : 4.5/5
(.5 off for packaging and shade selection) 

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Have you guys tried this concealer? What are your thoughts? Do you have any other favorites? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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REVIEW – NYX GOTCHA COVERED CONCEALER

 We all have days where our regular concealer just can’t quite hack it. You know exactly what I mean; Flo’s on her way to town, hormones a’ plenty, and suddenly your face erupts into one huge pimple, or even several. And unfortunately, the concealer that you rely on on a daily basis for highlighting or concealing minor redness is nearly useless. It laughs in the face of your ‘Mt. Vesuvius-esque’ companion. And of course, it usually happens right before a big event….go figure.

I have a go-to heavy duty concealer that I know I can rely on to cover literally anything. But browsing around in UTLA one day, I was drawn to the NYX Gotcha Covered Concealer ($5.99/ULTA) (it was also ‘buy one get one 50% off’, so that helped).

Here’s what it claims;

Gotcha Covered Concealer by NYX Cosmetics always has your back! This full coverage, waterproof and long-lasting concealer effectively covers up discolorations and imperfections without creasing or caking. Infused with coconut oil, this highly blendable concealer also leaves your face with a healthy looking glow.

So, how does it perform? Keep reading to find out!

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PACKAGING 

 

 This concealer comes in a black squeeze tube with a twist off cap, the name of the product printed on the packaging, as well as transparent gaps in the black, allowing you to see the shade of the product inside.

FORMULA

 

 The texture of this product is extremely thick; this is actually probably the thickest concealer I’ve ever used! I notice no unpleasant smell, which is nice, and even thought it contains coconut oil, it’s not ‘coconutty’ in the slightest in terms of scent. It comes in 10 shades, and I find myself having to mix ‘Ivory’ and ‘Light’ to get my ideal shade.

APPLICATION & WEAR

I’ve applied this both over foundation, and by itself, and one thing that stands out aside from the thickness, is that it’s a super emollient formula with a very dewy finish. I see this being ideal on someone with very dry skin, combination skin (on your drier spots), or normal skin.
When I purchased this, I was drawn in by the three most important claims (at least, in my opinion); full coverage, waterproof, and long-lasting. Well it’s definitely full coverage. Waterproof and long-lasting? Eh….
I applied this to the very inner corners of my eyes where my darkness is at it’s peak, the sides of my nose, my chin, and a few blemishes, both small and large. When applied to flatter areas with minimal texture, just to cover some redness, it’s not bad at all, as long as you set it with a powder like, immediately. When it comes to covering blemishes, it just doesn’t stay put. I’ve tried with a primer, without a primer, powdering right away, blotting with a tissue and then powdering; nothing seems to keep it in place over a blemish.
No matter what I do, I just can’t get this to work for me; at least, not for the purpose of which I purchased it.

Overall Rating : 2/5

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I really wanted to love this concealer, honestly. But sadly, it isn’t happening. Considering I bought two of them (because of the sale) and I no longer have the boxes they came in, I’m kind of stuck with them, so maybe I’ll keep working with them. But I’ve been trying these out off and on for several weeks and I’m not having the greatest luck.

Have you guys tried this concealer? Do you have any tips or tricks to using it to it’s full potential? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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REVIEW – REVLON PHOTOREADY AIRBRUSH EFFECT MAKEUP

 Hey guys! I’ve been on a ‘foundation kick’ lately, trying to find something that minimizes my pores, but doesn’t cling to the newfound dryness that’s become an issue for my skin, thanks to the extremely dry and frigid air we’re experiencing here in New England.

Since I’ve loved Revlon cosmetics in general for such a long time – especially their foundations – and have had such a super duper love affair with their PhotoReady Perfecting Primer, I was curious to try out the Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Effect foundation. It’s a little bit on the pricey side for a drugstore foundation, averaging right around the $14 mark at most retailers, but I’ll be totally honest, I was really drawn in by their pretty spectacular claims, as follows:

Revolutionary formula with Light-Filtering Technology delivers a poreless, airbrushed look. Soft-focus pigments create a luminous finish. your skin has never looked so flawless.

• High Resolution Shades
• SPF 20
• Medium to Full Coverage

Now, I was a little iffy about the whole SPF thing, because as most of us know, SPF can tend to cause flashback in photos, especially the higher it is. It struck me a little odd that they would put SPF in a foundation that is clearly meant to make you look flawless in photographs, but hey, I decided to roll with it – I’m no chemist. Also, there’s only 8 shades to choose from – which seems extremely limited, in my opinion, as opposed to their ‘ColorStay’ line, which has 12.

 

 So is it as great as it seems? Let’s find out!

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PACKAGING

 

 This product comes in the same style glass bottle as both the ‘Perfecting Primer’ and the ‘Color Correcting Primer’, which means it has…..A PUMP!! If you’ve been a longtime drugstore foundation user, you know that this is hard to find (though I hear Revlon will be putting a pump on their new ‘ColorStay’ packaging, so queue the happy dance, folks!). It’s a clear glass bottle with a black, plastic pump, and a smokey clear/black plastic cap.

FORMULA

 

 This has about the same consistency of their primer, which is similar to a thick lotion, which helps is provide that medium to full coverage they say you’ll get. It’s creamy as you can see by the photo on the right, and blends out nicely. Again though, they only offer 8 shades, which is a bit off-putting to me. But it didn’t stop me from trying it out.

APPLICATION & WEAR

Ok, so I applied this in three ways – with my fingers, with a brush, and with a damp sponge. All three ways applied nicely, however I found I got the most natural application with the sponge. I would definitely call this a medium coverage, as it suggests. As long as it’s done carefully, it could easily build to full coverage without looking too cakey.
The shade I selected was ‘Vanilla’, because my trusty findation.com suggested that and well, it hasn’t done me wrong yet! The shade match was alright, but I probably should have gone one shade lighter, because ‘Vanilla’ had the slightest warm undertone, almost orangey, and well, mama likes her neutrals!
So here’s where things went from ‘ok’ to ‘oh hell no!’….this foundation has glitter. GLITTER. Not shimmer, not sheen, freakin’ glitter. In regular, indoor lighting it was pretty prominent, but when I stepped out into natural daylight, it was like BAM! I looked like I came from a casting call for the next ‘Twilight’ movie….uh uh. Nope. Not happening.
Additionally, I suspect that the glitter may have had something to do with the fact that within minutes, my skin was itchy and tingly – I couldn’t even keep it on long enough to get a photo for you guys – and when I removed it, I was red and blotchy, and the next morning had some serious texture going on around my eyes, nose, mouth, and just under my chin, as well as a nice big cyst that popped up overnight on my chin. Yuck.

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I really, really, really wanted to love this product – I’ve seen it get some really great reviews – but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. The glitter, the reaction my skin had, I just can’t get on board with this stuff. Which is a shame, because as I said (and you know if you’re a loyal blog follower) I absolutely L-O-V-E the ‘PhotoReady Perfecting Primer’ – it’s one of the only drugstore primers that doesn’t break me out or irritate my skin in the slightest.

Have you guys tried this? What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment and let me know! I love to hear from you!!

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LOTS OF LOVE!!