I used to shun the use of foundation, because most of the foundations I see on a lot of women are either too heavily applied, which gives them a very cakey look, or the foundation itself is too thick. After I came back from Japan, totally “Japanised” (i.e. cannot live without makeup, that kinda thing), I nicked Mum’s Shiseido foundation, and tried it on. I found it too thick; anyways, according to Mum, it’s supposed to have an added moisturising effect, thus the extra richness in the texture. Not that I’m against moisturising foundation (I say bring it on!), but the one from Shiseido really was a no-no for me. 

A dear friend of mine recommended MAC foundations, as she was using it then too. I figured, why not, might as well give it a go. I sampled it at the MAC counter, and found it to be pretty light, which was what I was looking for. That was my first foundation – MAC Select SPF 15.

It’s a water-based liquid foundation, which combines medium coverage with SPF 15. A good thing about it is that it’s non-oily.

I bought MAC’s NC35, which really suited the colour of my skin. I was told by the salesperson that the “C” in NC35 meant that it’s for Asian skin. I used my fingers to blend the foundation onto my skin, and then a makeup sponge to even it out. I normally dust a light layer of loose powder on top of the foundation. For a more dewy look, you can skip the loose powder.

When I ran out of the Select SPF 15, I bought the Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15. According to the salesperson, it does the same job. I bought my usual NC35, but when I went home, and tried it out the next day, I found that the Studio Fix Fluid’s a tad thicker than the Select SPF. Worst of all, the NC35’s darker than the one of the Select SPF’s! It gave my face a bit of a tan, which was fine when I go outdoors, but indoors, well, I look a little more tanned than usual. But coupled with blusher, hey, I look like I just came back from a holiday (it’s quite a nice healthy glow) 😉

Application-wise, I think I prefer the Studio Fix Fluid. It looks better on my skin. The Select SPF was good, but I prefer the Studio Fix Fluid, in terms of texture.

Ladies, a lesson to learn – remember to always test the colour out on your skin before purchase (on foundations, loose powders, etc). Just because it states similar skin colour, it doesn’t mean that it actually is the same.

I can’t really recall the actual price of the foundations (both are similarly priced by the way). A bottle is about RM100 something. A bottle could last you over 6 months, which is not too bad.

By the way, the first time I purchased the Select SPF 15, the salesperson actually provided the pump with the foundation, which was really good, because it’s a lot more hygienic to dispense the foundation using the pump, then exposing the foundation to air every time you need to use it. However, when I bought the Studio Fix Fluid, I was no longer given the pump; I was told that the pump’s only for sample bottles (???). It was a good thing I kept the pump. Anyways, if they do give you that nonsense about the pump, it’s perfectly fine to kick up a fuss, because they DO have extra pumps in store (bagged and sealed). Just a tip 😉

What I like about it: Good, light texture, non-cakey feeling, contains SPF

What I didn’t like about it: A tad pricey due to the overhyped brand name (seriously, it really isn’t all that), skin colours of the same name do not match for different types of foundation.