{Foundation War} Best MAC Dupe/Alternative

Hi Beauties,

I hope you all had an amazing weekend?

So you may (or may not) have seen my post Beautiful at What Cost?  I used to be the biggest MAC fan, actually addict to be be completely honest, for the longest of time.  After I posted about my views on animal testing and made the decision to use only cruelty free products, I have to admit that the biggest sacrifice I had to make was giving up on a foundation that worked well for me.  I almost immediately went onto a search to find a replacement for the MAC Studio Fix fluid, now unfortunately I wasn't blessed with perfect skin, my skin is alright, but I have freckles, pigmentation marks, acne scarring and I'm still struggling with the occasional bout of adult acne/break-outs.

Suffice to say I need a foundation that will do a proper job at not only hiding these flaws, but also giving me the perfect finish.  Foundation in my eyes is the most important cosmetic product in my bag, think of your face as a canvas, and foundation primes your face so you can create the perfect picture with eyeshadows, blushes etc.

I tried and tested 3 products, some days were awful especially when I used a product that just didn't work well for me, but I'm happy to report that indeed I found the perfect match :-)

Woolworths Face Longwear Max Cover Foundation SPF24 in Ivory (R109.00) - 30ml:

 

The consultant "matched" this for me in store, she only used my chin area, and when I tried this at home, I realised that the shade was at least 1 - 2 shades too dark for me, it also has a very orange undertone, so needless to say I ended up looking like I was wearing a mask.  The consistency is really lovely with a satin texture, it dries really fast but with an oily finish.  I have combination skin (normal cheeks with oily t-zone), I waited a while to see if it would go more matte, but unfortunately it didn't, I had to use quite a lot of powder to set it, but generally this foundation was just too oily for my skin.  However, I do think this would be really great for someone with normal to dry skin.

 

PROS:

 

~  Cruelty Free

~  No harsh ingredients and approved by a toxicologist

~  Excellent Coverage

~  It truly is a longwearing foundation and lasted until I removed it at night

~  Love the packing and the squeeze tube which helps to use foundation to almost the last drop

~  Good value for money

 

CONS:

 

~  Consultant did not match my skintone so the foundation was 1 - 2 shades too dark

~  The finish is too oily for combination skin, even with using copious amounts of powder to try and set it

 

Overall:

 

Although it's a really good product for someone with a different skin type as me, it just didn't give me that flawless and beautiful finish I like.

 

Stila Stay all Day Foundation & Concealer in Beige 4 (R395.00) - 30ml:

 

Last year Stila products finally came to South-Africa, and I'm quite ashamed to say that it's taken me this long to try one of their products ;) and I thought what better one to pick than a foundation right.  Needless to say, I had slight heart palpitations at the price of this LoL, and I thought long and hard before I bought this, read so many online reviews and finally gave in.  I also reckoned that with it containing the foundation and concealer ultimately I'm getting two products for the price of one.  I had such high hopes and expectations, when I invest a foundation that is rather expensive, I need it to work like a charm.  Again, the consultant "matched" my skintone, it wasn't 100 % and at least 1 shade too dark for my skintone.  Which is so disappointing, what I also feel these companies are missing is giving samples to clients especially on products that are more costly. 

 

The foundation offers medium coverage, but I don't like the applicator at all, it's very fussy and messes foundation, so when you screw the bottle back on, it oozes out on the side.  The texture of the foundation I found really amazing, it's a mousse-like texture, which feels very light, it rubs into the skin easily and has a very satin like finish.  It doesn't dry matte, but instead of having an oily appearance it has more of a glowy finish.  If you like the dewy look, you might want to give this foundation a try.



PROS:

 

~ Cruelty Free

~ Buildable coverage

~ Full coverage concealer works really well to hide under eye circles and general blemishes (very creamy)

 

CONS:

 

~ It's expensive!

~ Fussy and messy applicator/lid

~ Does not dry matte but leaves a dewy look

~ The consultant did not match my skin very well, so I have an expensive foundation a shade or two too dark

 

Overall:

 

If this was in the right shade and dried into a matte finish, I'd probably invest a foundation like this for special occasion, if you do like a dewy look and have the funds, this product may work very well for you.

 

Gosh X-Ceptional Wear Long Lasting Make-Up Light Reflecting in 12 Natural (R140.00)* - 35ml:

 

Gosh products is another cosmetic line that hit our shores last year, I must admit that I was very sceptic about trying this foundation as I've been trying two products that just didn't work, and I honestly started questioning whether I'll be able to find a dupe/alternative for the MAC one, but I am so happy to let you know that this little beauty pleasantly surprised me, and we're now BFF's!

 

So here is all the information you want to know about the winner of the best dupe/alternative for MAC Studio Fix!

 

Although the lovely people from Gosh hadn't seen me in person, they managed to perfectly match my skintone!  In MAC I used to be NW20, which was still slightly too dark for me, there just wasn't a perfect shade for my skintone, 12 Natural is the best shade that perfectly matches me.

 

The foundation has a very liquid substance, I use my Sigma Flat Kabuki brush to tap and blend it into my skin, almost immediately it dries into a gorgeous matte finish, but here's the best bit, it doesn't make my skin look dry, it's the perfect balance between matte and glowy (without looking shiny) - Yes indeed, I never knew this was possible.  It only offers medium coverage, but is totally buildable and I use two layers just on my cheek area, it still looks very natural and skin still shows through, so don't be worried that you'll have the caked-on look.  I don't need to use a powder due to the finish, so I just lightly dust on a thin layer to set it all.  My skin looks amazing and other people have noticed the difference too.



PROS:

 

~ Cruelty Free

~ Affordable and you get 5ml's more than the above two foundations

~ Beautiful matte but glowy finish

~ Medium Coverage but buildable

~ Natural looking but hiding all your flaws and blemishes

~ Stays put for 12 hours+

~ Love the packaging and the squeeze bottle ensure that you'll use the foundation until the last drop

 

CONS:

 

Nothing!  There is not one thing I dislike about this product, and I think it is clear why this has been my pick of them all.

 

Overall:

 

After nearly giving up that I'd find a foundation that gave me exactly what I wanted, this gem fell on my table (well not literally but you get my drift hehe).

 

Have you tried any of these foundations and what were your thoughts?