Product: MAC Select Moisturecover concealer in NW 25
Use: To cover dark circles
Price: $15.50 for a tube
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B
This weekend I finally picked up some MAC concealer, Select Moisturecover in NW 25.
Select Moisturecover is the latest addition to my concealer arsenal. I’m a concealer junkie, and currently I’m rotating Make Up Forever’s Lift Concealer in Dark Beige 2 with Biotherm’s Forget It Concealer in 30.
I decided to try using a pink-toned concealer because at the MAC seminar I attended a few weeks ago, the instructor told us that most people (even those with yellow undertones) should wear a pink-based concealer underneath their eyes. Also, in this month’s Allure there’s a brief feature on Bobbi Brown, and she suggests wearing a pink-based concealer underneath a yellow-based concealer.
I really like the color of Select Moisturecover concealer on my skin. I was afraid that the pink tones would make it look obvious, but the pink tones really seem to cancel out the dark circles. It has a good consistency — not too thick, not too thin — and I like the doe foot applicator. Plus, when I blend it in with the 252 Large Shader Brush it looks great!
However, the looking great part doesn’t seem to last long. Unlike Biotherm or Make Up Forever’s concealers, which don’t budge and can last throughout a sweaty dance class, within a few hours I Select Moisturecover starts to slip off my face. Ugh! My concealer quest continues.
The fact that I can make it work when I layer one of my other concealers over it saves this concealer from a lower rating. I plan on keeping it because I like the color so much.
If your skin isn’t as oily as mine you might really like this concealer. And if you’ve got dark circles then you might want to try a pink-toned concealer, I think it really works wonders.
Hi you. You seem like a rather knowledgeable MAC junkie so I hope you could help me with something. Why’s it that when I’m using NW25 Select Cover-up concealer (for undereye and other parts of my face) and then using the Studio Fix NC35 over my entire face, I get grey areas on my cheeks that scare the living daylights out of me?! This problem happened so many times and I’m seriously irritated. Just today, I cleaned my entire face 4 times because of it! Before, I was using NC30 Select Cover-up concealer and NC40 Studio Fix and there didn’t seem to be that problem (or at least I guess I didn’t notice)? Those grey areas seem to be at the interface where I’ve applied the concealer and where I haven’t. I don’t use any foundation, I just use MAC’s Studio Moisture Fix Lotion before the concealer.
Hi Sylvie,
Without seeing a picture of you, I’m guessing that the grey cast could be due to a number of things. My first guess is that you’re using colors that are too light for you. Have you recently been out in the sun lately? I know that after I get a tan I have to switch out my concealers and powders – I can’t wear my MAC Blot in Medium Dark and I’ll switch out to the MAC Couture Mystery Powder, which is a deeper tone, otherwise the Blot looks too ashy. It could also be your sunscreen. Some contain titanium dioxide, which is infamous for leaving a grey cast on darker skin tones.
Another possibility is that you may also be using the wrong type of concealer on your face. I recently read in Allure magazine that you should use a thicker concealer, like Studio Finish SPF 35, Studio Stick Concealer or Studio Touch-Up Stick for pimples and other skin imperfections.
Are you using a brush to apply your product? You may want to invest in one to make your concealer look flawless. If you have brushes play with different ones to see which gives you the most natural looking application.
If you’re on a budget you could also try a few things to make it work. One is to try applying the products in natural light. If I put on my makeup in the bathroom I use too heavy a hand because the lighting is dark, but when I put makeup on in my living room, which has a lot of natural light, it usually turns out just right. The heaviness of application of the product does make a difference.
Another thing you could do is to get a trusted friend to come over and give you an honest opinion of both concealer and powder combos. I recently went to the cosmetics counter looking for an undereye concelear, and the very nice makeup artist pointed out I didn’t need one, and reminded me that the things we perceive as flaws are often just what we make them out to be because we’re always staring at ourselves and critiquing how we look.
If it turns out that all your friends are guys who know nothing about makeup and you have access to a digital camera then take pictures of yourself in natural light of the different combos and compare them to each other. Which combo makes your skin look more even? Which do you think you look prettier in?
If all else fails I’d either: 1.) go back to the old combination of NC30 Select and NC40 Studio Fix or 2.) go back to the MAC counter and get some hands on advice. Makeup is all about trial and error, and I have to say that I’ve failed many times when it comes to concealers and foundations, so I feel your pain. Good luck!
I tried this concealer and had the same problem of it slipping. I love the consistency of it though and I didn’t want to compromise texture for better coverage. So after a lot of experimenting with different combinations I landed on a half and half mixture of Studio Finish SPF 35 and the Select Cover-Up. When you mix the heavier Studio Finish with the liquid Select Cover-Up, you get the blendability of the liquid with the coverage of the cream. It’s great. It disappears right into my skin and lasts all day. I use my fingers to apply because the heat helps it melt together. I recently featured the combination on beautycall: http://bit.ly/fYm9m
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Set it with powder! I like the benefit powderflage to set it with and it stays on much longer!