I’m fickle when it comes to foundation. It’s hard to resist the claims and promises that come with the recent onslaught of new foundation releases. There are so many new bases out at the moment. But, as much as I like to try the latest, more often than not I revert straight back to the one of the greatest. Enter MAC Face and Body foundation – that I use solely for my face – it’s a classic.
If you have steered clear of this base because of it’s name, let me clear that up first. This isn’t some sort of on-set, costume party, special effects body makeup reserved for makeup artists. This is a simple, sheer foundation that happens to cling to the skin very well so that it won’t transfer onto clothing – hence the body part of it’s name. You can apply it to arms or legs – or more commonly the décolletage – to even out the skin tone or blur imperfections and once the foundation sets down your clothes should remain relatively clear of makeup – and your bank balance free of dry cleaning charges.
However, almost everyone I know who is a fan of this foundation simply likes how it looks on their face. Available in two sizes of travel friendly, squeezey bottles – think Glossier Skin Tint but bigger, this is my go-to sheer, skin-like, everyday foundation. It’s what I wear when I don’t feel like wearing makeup but still need to face the world, or when my skin is acting up and I know other bases will cling to texture and dry patches. It’s also my pick for when my skin is at it’s best, and I don’t need that heavy layer of foundation to cover things up. Good skin, bad skin, it’s a staple.
If you’re a Face and Body novice, the first application might throw you a bit. I find it’s best blended with fingers as a brush tends to soak up a lot of product. As you massage the light fluid into your skin, you’ll feel the product start to ‘grip’ whereby it loses it’s flexibility and begins to set in place – don’t worry, it’s sheer enough that you won’t be left with patches of pigment you can’t blend in. In fact, it’s one of the most undetectable foundations on the skin that I’ve come across. If one layer is too light on coverage for you, just wait until the first layer has set and you can easily build this up to a light medium coverage. While I’m applying this foundation it doesn’t look like it’s doing much but once I step back, I’m always surprised by how good my skin looks in the mirror from an easy application of a light fluid base. If this foundation needed a catch phrase it really would be your skin but better.
As always it’s best to head to a counter for shade matching but for fair skins I recommend checking out N1 or C1 depending on your undertone. While N1 is a closer match to my skin, I find that C1 knocks back some of the redness in my cheeks – winning. Face and Body leaves a beautiful dewy effect on the skin – glowy and hydrated. No, it’s not going to cover acne or pigmentation entirely, but you can easily go in with a creamy concealer or foundation stick in the areas you want a little more help.
If Chanel’s latest Water Fresh Tint and Glossier’s Skin Tint are too sheer for you, but you don’t like the thick feeling of a tinted moisturiser, this might be your jam. If you’ve struggled to find a foundation that doesn’t look cakey or cling to dry patches on your skin, give this a try.
In the fickle world of makeup addiction this is one foundation I revert to time and time again, and will always keep in my beauty bag. The next time you’re in the market for a new sheer foundation, I seriously recommend giving Face and Body a chance. As marketing claims go, what more do you want in a base than skin-like, reliable, easy to apply coverage. It’s just good looking skin.
Find at MAC