Foundation failure - MAC studio fix fluid

Condemning post title aside, this post is purely based on my own experiences with this particular foundation and I shall tell you all exactly why I was so disappointed. 

I can assure you this wasn't a 'trialed once and then thrown aside' job. I was VERY determined to make this work for me and actually wore it out a lot. After paying neigh on £20 for a foundation one doesn't back down easily. I wanted this foundation to work for me so badly, but it just didn't.

I put this down to a number of factors. Firstly, the shoddy shade range. This is the palest in their range. Now in previous posts I have informed you all of my foundation trials and tribulations being a very fair skinned lady. I was matched to this shade by a sales person at the MAC counter in my local department store. Either their store lighting was seriously off or they were just determined to make a sale and compromised.. a lot. 

Admittedly blame has to go to me for buying the thing but it was my first experience getting matched and I  had the "Well the professional says it fits me, so it must do" outlook. I shall not be quite so trusting again!

You'll also probably notice this foundation is extremely  yellow-based. I have quite a lot of pink undertones in my skin so this was definitely not the right shade for me. There was no 'NW' range in this foundation and like I said this was their palest. Now I'm not an expert on other MAC foundations so their shade ranges could be a lot more accommodating but this one wasn't great.

The next fault lies in the formulation itself. If you are someone with dry patches in their skin, dry skin generally or combination skin I would advise you to stay wellllll clear of this foundation. It is extremely difficult to spread and clings horribly to dry patches, emphasising them and leaving a very unattractive finish. I have a friend with quite oily skin who absolutely loves this foundation so if they stock your shade and you've got oily skin you may well love this, but it just was not for me. 

The foundation also oxidizes pretty significantly meaning it get's darker after application. I would advise you to get a sample of this foundation and make sure you're happy with the change in colour if you're considering a purchase.

The next aspect that annoyed me was the absence of a foundation pump... I really hate bottles without a pump! it's a particular pet peeve of mine. I hate having to whack the bottle of my hand to get it out and then being annoyed at the stuff left in the bottom that I can't get out! 

Now if the foundation inside was great (Like Revlon Colourstay foundation) I would overlook it but, already unimpressed, it just made me more annoyed. 

My final qualm was the smell.. it has a horrible very heavy 'make-upy' smell. It's quite strong so if you're funny about the fragrance of products I would tread carefully..

Here you can see the disastrous shade match... and as I'm not going for the 'Satsuma dry patchy face' look this foundation has found it's way into the 'Makeup ornament' dresser section- the stuff that lies there unloved and unused.

I would love to know if any of you have tried this foundation, what's your opinion? What experiences have you had with other MAC foundations?

Much love, 

               Natalie xxx