MAC Pro Longwear Foundation; Review & Swatches of Shades

Mac Pro Longwear 15 Hour Foundation;

Price: $31 an ounce

MAC's Pro Longwear Foundation promises 15 hours wear and a few other things. You know what, I'll just post their official claims
"A comfortable, long-wearing foundation that gives up to 15 hours of wear in any environmental condition. Lightweight and creamy, applies and blends easily leaving the skin feeling soft and free to breathe all day while controlling oil. Specially treated micronized pigments help give a smoother, more flawless, natural finish with stay-true colour.
30 ml / 1.0 US fl oz"

It all sounds very technical & sciency with terms like micronized pigments, so did MAC create a makeup miracle or are they just trying to find a deceive the average consumer?

I always say that brands try to keep a few staples in their arsenal; a cream foundation, a light weight water soluble foundation, & a long-wearing (as in water proof, transfer resistant, oil controlling formula), Pro Longwear Foundation is Mac's version of the latter, a water proof long wear formula, with a weightless feel; the perfect solution for those with oily skin and the summer season.

In a sense everything Mac claims is true, but on the other hand their claims are somewhat misleading.

Yes, Mac Pro Longwear will stay on your skin for 15 hours, but it won't necessarily provide flawless wear for that long (no foundation will.) if you have oily skin, it may start to fade after a few (4-5?)  hours and you will have to touch up or powder certain areas to control oil.

 If you have dry skin, it will likely absorb the little moisture in the foundation & begin to get patchy if you don't re-hydrate your skin & foundation by either using a moisturizing spray or applying a moisturizer underneath.

The trick with ANY foundation, but especially with long-wearing or emollient foundations, is to do everything you can to bring the foundations potential out. I call it makeup math, and what it is is quite simple, you take into account the formula you want to use, your prepping/touch up methods/products, and you factor in your skin type. 

 Some formulas will take a few different tries to find the perfect balance and what may be perfect on one day, may change slightly the next; dependent of course on what you're doing, if you're sweating, the weather, etc. I spend more time deciding my makeup for the day than I do my clothes, but I'm always trying out new things, overall I probably have 4 staple routines for the year.

Keeping everything I said in mind, Mac Pro Longwear is a beautifully formulated foundation who's formula bears a striking resemblance to parent company's Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Makeup,. What makes these two long wearing formulas unique, is the omission of isododecane. It helps long wearing formulas "set" in their typical manner and its presence is usually all but mandatory in formuas like this. 

I'm not sure what ingredient replaces it, but whatever it is, it is present in both Estee Lauder Double Wear & Mac Pro Longwear. Both formulas are liquid and on the thinner side which gives you more play time before it sets and allows you to build coverage gradually to achieve desired results.

Chances are, if you have dried Double Wear and have formed an opinion, that opinion will likely apply to Mac Pro Longwear, except you may have a shade match in only one of the two foundations. Both lines have beautiful options for shades, but they do vary slightly. 

Mac has more than 20 options which accommodate two undertones, whereas Lauder has 31 options in 3 undertones. That being said, I generally like Mac's shade options better.

I wear NC15 in Pro Longwear and I love it. its one of the best shade matches I have for any foundation and it really doesn't oxidize, which is a rarity for long wearing formulas as they always tend to turn a distinct olive or orange after a while. does this mean it has specially formulated pigments? who knows, but they're effective.

All in all, would I repurchase Mac Pro Longwear? Yes, if Mac stops testing on animals. In the meantime, I will hoard the bottle I have. if you feel that you HAVE TO HAVE THIS, don't panic, there are ways you can without sacrificing your beliefs & sense of morality!

For a cruelty free option, try Smashbox Stdio Skin Foundation which is also Lauder owned and a nearly identical formula!
(*I'm not sure if the shade labeled NW42 is really NW43, so please keep in mind that it could be!*)

Mac Pro Longwear Foundation & Concealer Swatches of Shades
Concealer NC20, NC25, NC30, NC42, NC50
Foundation, NC15, NC20, NC25, NC30, NC35, NC40, NC44, NC45, NC47, NC50
Foundation, NW15, NW20, NW22, NW25 NW30, NW40, NW42, NW45, NW47,
Concealer, NW15, NW20, NW25, NW30, NW35, NW40, NW45, NW50

Mac Pro Longwear Foundation & Concealer Swatches of Shades
Concealer NC20, NC25, NC30, NC42, NC50
Foundation, NC15, NC20, NC25, NC30, NC35, NC40, NC44, NC45, NC47, NC50
Foundation, NW15, NW20, NW22, NW25 NW30, NW40, NW42, NW45, NW47,
Concealer, NW15, NW20, NW25, NW30, NW35, NW40, NW45, NW50

Mac Pro Longwear Foundation & Concealer Swatches of Shades
Concealer NC20, NC25, NC30, NC42, NC50
Foundation, NC15, NC20, NC25, NC30, NC35, NC40, NC44, NC45, NC47, NC50
Foundation, NW15, NW20, NW22, NW25 NW30, NW40, NW42, NW45, NW47,
Concealer, NW15, NW20, NW25, NW30, NW35, NW40, NW45, NW50

Mac Pro Longwear Foundation & Concealer Swatches of Shades
Concealer NC20, NC25, NC30, NC42, NC50
Foundation, NC15, NC20, NC25, NC30, NC35, NC40, NC44, NC45, NC47, NC50