Price: $18 for 7 grams
 Boy, MAC sure had a boatload of people up in arms when they discontinued their Studio Scultpt Concealer, but luckily, they replaced it with a new & improved version- MAC Studio Finish Concealer, (and its sidekick SPF 35!) Studio Finish Concealer has since become a basic must have in the makeup world, but I think the best part of these stories are always the beginnings!
Wanna know where MAC Stuido Finish Concealer came from? Keep Reading....
Once upon a time there was a foundation. Let's name her MAC PRO Full Coverage Foundation. She was only allowed out to play on the most special of special occasions, like for a wedding or for going onstage. She lived a very lonely life, always thinking that the next time she got to come out, that would be the time that everyone realized they couldnt live without her and they would keep her in their bag, but it never happened, and back in the drawer she would go. She tried so hard to be good. She always gave the most perfect coverage, and anyone who took pictures while wearing her looked beautiful, but, everyone would always tell her that she was too heavy (she did weigh an ounce) , and once again, they would leave her all alone in her drawer Then one day, she met her knight in shining armor. You see, after living in the drawer for so long, Full Coverage developed a horrible sensitivity to the sun, she just wasn't used to it anymore! There was only one man who could help her escape the drawer and come in to the light while shielding her from the sun's awful rays, and his name was Titanium Dioxide. After dating for a few months, Full Coverage and Titanium consumatted their relationship. Full Coverage forgot to protect herself from her protection & she became pregnant. [However long the imaginary gestation period is for makeup] later, she gave birth to a baby, named MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35. MAC had their back against a wall when deciding how to handle this little love child, but then, someone pointed out that it may have a very solid purpose; you see, Studio Finish inherited every quality of its mother, Full Coverage Foundation, except that it weighed in at a perfect 7 grams, AND it had inherited a sun protection factor of 35 from its father Mr. Titanium Dioxide... Studio Finish would never be successful if it was marketed as a foundation, (although it CAN be used as one), but as a concealer, it would make the perfect addition to the line up MAC had at the time, and that's exactly what they did! Genetic Similarities? If you happened to read through my whole little story, I'm really impressed! If not, the moral of the story is this: MAC PRO FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION + TITANIUM DIOXIDE= MAC STUDIO FINISH CONCEALER I read a review a few years ago on Makeup Alley where the writer said that they "didn't see the similarities" between the two. That's just crazy. They are the same formula less the Titanium Dioxide. For those who are unaware, titanium dioxide is approved by the FDA for use as a pigment & as sun protection. It has no notable impact on the formula itself. Now, because titanium dioxide IS a pigment, you must expect that even in small amounts it will have SOME impact on the shades, (even 1/10th of a drop of red food coloring in a cake batter will show up), however the actual impact is minimal in every shade I have compared i both products. Shades: I actually have it in 4 or 5 shades (which I have had since before Mac started selling in China, back when they were cruelty free), and I still have at least 70% of every shade left! I'll be honest and admit that I personally do prefer Estee Lauder's High Cover in N1 Very Light, more than I prefer any single shade of Studio Finish, BUT, I prefer Studio Finish in NW15 mixed with either NC20 or 30 (depending on the season), more than I like Lauder's shade. Does that make sense? I know its crazy. FYI, I can get an almost exact match to any shade if I mix the corrector shades in the Mac Pro Corrector Palette with the appropriate shade! Anyways, the shades themselves, will run very light if you have dry skin or normal skin. Why? Because those of us with dry skin are much less likely to have to set this with powder than those of us with oily skin. Because it is emollient based, Studio Finish will not oxidize or get darker much on its own, but as with any product, it will darken if powder is added. Just keep this in mind if you're ordering online, and those who expect to set it buy a shade lighter than normal, those who expect to wear it alone, get a matching shade for your skin which will likely be one shade darker than your normal Mac shade! (For example, I'm NC15 on a tan day, but I wear NC15+NC30 or NW15+NC30 or NC20 if I'm being lazy! If you have used Mac Pro Full Coverage Foundation, you will probably be the same shade in Studio Finish and likely won't notice any difference between the two unless their side by side! Application & Performance: You will definitely get a whole day's wear out of this as long as you apply it properly for your skin type. What does this mean? If you have oily skin, SET IT, if you have dry skin, DON'T! Use a brush and not your fingers to apply it in a natural looking way which will still accomplish full coverage. You can however, use your fingers to warm it up so that it blends easily. It is not a stiff formula, although it will look like it is initially, but it will warm up and be wonderfully blendable. It's a great twist on a classic, its not too slippy & greasy, nor is it too stiff or draggy. It may crease under eyes after a while, but all emollient concealers will and that's the alternative to a drying formula which will force you to deal with cracking & caking! Price & Copycats: Studio Finish is a great concealer. I would maybe go so far as to say spectacular. It is a favorite and the reasons why are plentiful. Last but not least, it is absolutely one of the cheapest cream/emollient/concentrated concealers you can buy via drugstore or counter. It costs $17 for 7 grams (about $2.50/gram) which is exceptional. Compared to CoverGirl's Smoothers Concealer Stick which is $8 for 4 grams (about $2/gram) or Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer which is $24 for 1.4 grams (about $16/gram), and you can see that it is definitely a bargain, especially for a high end product. I will point out also, that this has become such a popular hit that Mac's parent company Estee Lauder wanted to steal it to market it to their demographic, so they released their Double Wear Stay in Place High Cover Concealer SPF 35, which is the identical formula as Studio Finish, but again, is more expensive and Estee Lauder is charging $23 for 2 grams ($11.40/g). Estee Lauder's shade range does vary slightly from MAC's as far as this concealer goes, (I have posted the pictures here if you want to compare), but keep in mind that you can easily buy 2 shades of MAC studio Finish to mix & you will walk away with 1/2 ounce of concealer for $32! $32 will buy you 3 grams at Estee Lauder, so stick with Studio Finish unless convenience is worth paying 4x the price!  |
| MAC Studio Finish Concealer Swatches of Shades NW15, NW20, NW25, NW30, NW40, NW50, NC15, NC20, NC30, NC35, NC42, NC45, NW35 |
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| MAC Studio Finish Concealer Swatches of Shades NW15, NW20, NW25, NW30, NW40, NW50, NC15, NC20, NC30, NC35, NC42, NC45, NW35 On the right is Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place High Cover Concealer W1, N1, & Resilience Lift Cream Compact W1) |
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| MAC Studio Finish Concealer Swatches of Shades NW15, NW20, NW25, NW30, NW40, NW50, NC15, NC20, NC30, NC35, NC42, NC45, NW35 On the right is Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place High Cover Concealer W1, N1, & Resilience Lift Cream Compact W1) |
Hi, amazing post I have just found your blog and have been enjoying reading through it
ReplyDeletethe baby story was priceless loved it.
Very in depth review and swatches
Thanks and keep up all the hard work you are doing.
Hello! I never comment on blog posts, but this one was so exceptional that I decided to comment. Thanks so much for your honest (and hilarious) review! I really appreciate all of your swatches, too. Your story of the conception of Studio Finish is pure gold.
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