Review: MAC Select SPF 15 Foundation

I don’t know about you guys, but I believe foundation is one of the best makeup products a girl could ever have. A great foundation can cover up uneven skin tones, blemishes and dark circles, and MAC Select SPF 15 Foundation certainly fits what a great foundation should be.

The shade that I happen to have is NC20, which is the second lightest shade out of the 18 available. Here’s what its description is on the official site:

Our water-based liquid foundation. Combines medium coverage with SPF 15. Provides a fresh, natural matte finish. Layers up, lasts long: helps protect the skin all day. Non-oily. 18 shades. Best way to baby your skin

Appearance: It comes in a pump-dispensable container with a clear, glass body and a black plastic pump top. The picture below shows the product without its first cap (there’s two, one for the product and one for the pump). To use the foundation, you simply take off the cap of the pump and push down; the pump releases a pea-sized blob that is more than enough to cover your entire face area.

I personally like to take a little bit of the foundation with a clean finger and dot my face, paying attention to my forehead, nose, chin, cheeks and eye area. I then spread it evenly with my finger (or a makeup sponge) until I can’t see any discrepancies.

Performance: The foundation is very light and makes your skin baby-butt smooth to the touch, and it does a great job at covering redness, dark circles, uneven skin tone and blemishes. Acne scars do show up a little bit, but aren’t noticeable from a distance. The 30 ML lasts for a really long time, because you only need about half to one pump for full coverage, depending on your face size.

It dries slowly enough so that you have time to make sure everything looks even, but quickly enough for that five-minute rush to school or work. The SPF 15 is a little add-in bonus that I enjoy, particularly because I like protecting my skin. This shade is flexible enough to match the skin tone on my hands and my face, so I was very happy about that.

Comments: While the product itself isn’t oily, your skin will look shiny if you have an oily complexion, especially around your T-zone. The foundation can also bring attention to dry areas, so make sure your skin is moisturized beforehand. One coat of foundation lasts me from 5AM, when I prepare for school, to 5PM, when I shower, but I’m sure it can last longer if you take late showers/baths. Layering up the foundation can be good for covering small acne scars, but it can be prone to cracking if you change your expression or move your face a lot.

Overall: I’d recommend this product for people who have uneven skin tones, dark circles or blemishes. If you have acne, this would cover up a lot of the redness that comes with some breakouts, but still shows acne scars at a close range. At $27 for a 30 ML bottle, it may be expensive, but it lasts for an extremely long time and performs very well.

Score: 4.5/5

If you wish to purchase MAC Select SPF 15 Foundation in NC20 or any other shades, click here.

Disclaimer: I purchased this product for personal use. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.