I found a way to screw up concealer too??

[CantAffordMAC]

Well everyone...I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I finally got a concealer a few weeks ago and its Studio Finish. The MA at MAC tells me to use a "fluff brush" to apply it and I thought I had something similar to the one she used. So I tried my "fluff brush" and it was a little too fluffy IMO.

So I used my adesign small concealer brush

And it seemed to work fine. But I've been noticing that my makeup looks like shit lately. I use moisturizer, then I apply the concealer underneath my eyes, to all my ugly spots and it seems to cover them just fine. Then I take this brush

to apply my Studio Fix. I was using disposable makeup sponges to apply it before but I figured the powder brush would be better.
Anyways I don't understand why my makeup looks so bad. Like it doesn't give me a flawless look. After applying my makeup, it looks like I'm not wearing concealer and my powder is 8 hours old.

My face gets oily after a long busy day but usually its combination. I'm patiently awaiting my rice powder primer, and I'm hoping that that will make a difference in the way my makeup looks.

Can you guys tell me what I'm doing wrong? I apply moisturizer, concealer, then studio fix. And my face looks like shit. To the point where I want to reapply concealer and foundation a few hours later. I can't get it to look like when the MA covered up my bags and acne marks, she did such a good job. Is it the brush???

 

[redambition]

what kind of motion are you using to apply the concealer? if you use a patting motion you'll get better coverage. also try doing it in thin layers. if you apply a heavy layer it's harder to blend, if you do thin layers you can add a bit of extra coverage as needed.

you also need to try and avoid swiping the powder on once you've applied the concealer. again - pat it on all over your face, leave it to sit for a little while (20 seconds or so) and then gently brush off any excess. by patting it on you're not rubbing off the concealer you just applied, the leaving it sets the concealer and the gentle brush off should help avoid the caked on look by removing any extra powder.

i find my makeup always looks better if i take the time to pat on the powder as decribed above. when i'm in a hurry and just swipe i can really see the difference.

 

[Girl about town]

wHY don't you try the 190 brush, Are you using the powder brush to put on the foundation? as this might not give you much coverage meaning it will wear off quickly. Maybe try a oil free primer for under you make up to control any excess oil!!! xx

 

[Girl about town]

oh also try applying the concealer after your foundation and before your powder , i used to put concealer on first but i found i was wiping it all off when i put on the foundation xxx

 

[newagetomatoz]

This may be irrelevant, but how long are you waiting after you apply moisturizer before you apply your makeup? I know for me, if I apply my makeup too soon, it gets kind of funky.

 

[Kiseki]

Studio Fix in my opinion hasn't performed like it used to in years.

Try and white around 10 minutes after you apply your moisturizer before applying your foundation. Also, I found Studio Fix to be too harsh for the delicate skin under the eyes and avoid setting concealer with Studio fix.

Your skin could be oilier due to any hormonal changes or extra stress, what is your skincare routine?

Also, I'm not a big fan of Studio Finish, so I wouldn't know if there's anything else I could suggest. Hope this helps in some way.

 

[Beauty Mark]

I'm not a MAC foundation fan. I found it did horrible oil stuff to my fairly dry skin.

Did your skin change because of the cold weather? I used to be able to wear Benefit's mascara and now it's a smudgy mess. I think it has something to do with the humidity and heat inside.

 

[CantAffordMAC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by newagetomatoz This may be irrelevant, but how long are you waiting after you apply moisturizer before you apply your makeup? I know for me, if I apply my makeup too soon, it gets kind of funky.

I wait like 5 minutes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiseki Try and white around 10 minutes after you apply your moisturizer before applying your foundation. Also, I found Studio Fix to be too harsh for the delicate skin under the eyes and avoid setting concealer with Studio fix. Your skin could be oilier due to any hormonal changes or extra stress, what is your skincare routine?

I don't have a good skincare routine but my skin has always been pretty regular except for an occasional bump or so. Now my face has been breaking out in the past couple weeks, probably due to my diet (even though my diet has always sucked, and I'm actually drinking more water now..weird) Anyways I use cetaphil to wash my face and an aveeno moisturizer. sometimes I use a clean and clear astringent but usually I don't. I know I need to get some quality stuff but I don't really have good experiences with any skin care products. My skin only gets really oily after I've been doing a lot that day (like a saturday at work). Otherwise its pretty normal, oily around the nose and in some other areas, and then dry in some areas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauty Mark I'm not a MAC foundation fan. I found it did horrible oil stuff to my fairly dry skin. Did your skin change because of the cold weather? I used to be able to wear Benefit's mascara and now it's a smudgy mess. I think it has something to do with the humidity and heat inside.

Maybe thats the problem? I don't know...it has been extra cold lately but I never really thought about it. Does that mean I should switch foundations or..switch something else??

 

[CantAffordMAC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redambition what kind of motion are you using to apply the concealer? if you use a patting motion you'll get better coverage. also try doing it in thin layers. if you apply a heavy layer it's harder to blend, if you do thin layers you can add a bit of extra coverage as needed. you also need to try and avoid swiping the powder on once you've applied the concealer. again - pat it on all over your face, leave it to sit for a little while (20 seconds or so) and then gently brush off any excess. by patting it on you're not rubbing off the concealer you just applied, the leaving it sets the concealer and the gentle brush off should help avoid the caked on look by removing any extra powder.

I kind of just wipe it on lol. I've tried patting it but then it seemed likeit wasn't covering enough. I go back and forth, for some areas I'll pat, and some I'll just get it on there. Its really hard to pat the concealer with that brush I showed though. Its small and skinny...but I think I have a bigger one in my set.

How do I pat the powder on my face with the brush though? Its pressed so I'm just wondering how easy that would be. That makes perfect sense though, because it seemed like I was wiping off the concealer. But then I had to try and blend the concealer so maybe thats why I thought it'd be a good idea to swipe the powder.

Would it be a good idea to apply concealer before or after foundation?

 

[fingie]

Like someone else said, I put my concealer on after my foundation (although I use SFF) and then gently pat on a teensy amt of loose powder to set it.

Maybe try the waiting longer between moisturizing + putting concealer on after your SF? I can't really help you since I've only used the fluid vs reg studio fix. Good luck though hun!

 

[fingie]

Oh, and when I put on the powder, I usually don't use a brush..I just use one of those little puff/spongey things. (The ones that usually come in compacts) I pat it on lightly with the applicator and then if some parts are too powdery for my liking, I use a brush to lighten it up a little. If that makes sense?

 

[redambition]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CantAffordMAC I kind of just wipe it on lol. I've tried patting it but then it seemed likeit wasn't covering enough. I go back and forth, for some areas I'll pat, and some I'll just get it on there. Its really hard to pat the concealer with that brush I showed though. Its small and skinny...but I think I have a bigger one in my set. How do I pat the powder on my face with the brush though? Its pressed so I'm just wondering how easy that would be. That makes perfect sense though, because it seemed like I was wiping off the concealer. But then I had to try and blend the concealer so maybe thats why I thought it'd be a good idea to swipe the powder. Would it be a good idea to apply concealer before or after foundation?

if you're using a powder foundation you definitely want to apply the concealer before the foundation. if you're using a liquid foundation, apply it after applying or it will get wiped off as you apply the foundation.

try using a bigger brush for the concealer with the patting motion and see how you go

the genreal rule for concealer is pat on to apply, swipe to blend. when patting - if it doesn't look like there's enough coverage, get a little more concealer on the brush and go over what you've done - that should add another layer.

in regards to patting powder on... you'd load up the brush with some powder, and then use a dabbing motion to apply it to your face. once it's had time to sit then you can gently swipe at it to smooth it out if required.

 

[CantAffordMAC]

thanks so much everyone. I'm gonna try this out tomorrow and see how it works.

 

[Girl about town]

i have found the 187 is fab for putting on my powder it applies really light so doesn't rub all my foundation off.

 

[Kiseki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CantAffordMAC I wait like 5 minutes. I don't have a good skincare routine but my skin has always been pretty regular except for an occasional bump or so. Now my face has been breaking out in the past couple weeks, probably due to my diet (even though my diet has always sucked, and I'm actually drinking more water now..weird) Anyways I use cetaphil to wash my face and an aveeno moisturizer. sometimes I use a clean and clear astringent but usually I don't. I know I need to get some quality stuff but I don't really have good experiences with any skin care products. My skin only gets really oily after I've been doing a lot that day (like a saturday at work). Otherwise its pretty normal, oily around the nose and in some other areas, and then dry in some areas.

I definitely think that Studio Fix is responsible for making you break out, I can get away with using it sporadicly, but if I use it everyday I'm going into breakout hell.


Try not to wear Studio Fix for a week or so and see if your skin improves.
I'm not a big fan of MAC foundations, the only I can tolerate is Select Tint but you should consider to save up for a good quality foundation. Sometimes the bucks you save for buying something of a lower quality will damage your skin and make you spend more in the end. Although you seem to be a powdered foundation fan, I would advise you to get something like Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer (Oil Free), it would give you enough coverage for what I've seen in your pictures and would suit your combo skin better.


But, at least try not to wear Studio Fix for a week or so to see if it's causing you to break out. And make sure you remove your makeup thoroughly every day, or you could be clogging your pores.

Hope this helped.

 

[CantAffordMAC]

well if I were to switch foundations, would I have to switch concealers, too? I just bought a brand new concealer from MAC but I'm running out of studio fix. Would I have to completely convert (foundation & concealer) to a new line?

 

[lethaldesign]

You shouldn't be using a powder brush like that for powder foundation. It will not give you any coverage really which is why I think you are having that problem. I find that the disc sponge that comes with the Studio Fix compact provides the best coverage. You can buy additional sponges to use. You could also try using a brush like the 190. Or a kabuki brush to buff the powder foundation into your skin. The brush you are using is more for blush or loose powder.

 

[Kiseki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CantAffordMAC well if I were to switch foundations, would I have to switch concealers, too? I just bought a brand new concealer from MAC but I'm running out of studio fix. Would I have to completely convert (foundation & concealer) to a new line?

No, if you're happy with your concealer, you shouldn't have to switch it just because you're changing your foundation. As long as it's a good match, you can keep your concealer. What was the concealer you bought?

 

[CantAffordMAC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lethaldesign You shouldn't be using a powder brush like that for powder foundation. It will not give you any coverage really which is why I think you are having that problem. I find that the disc sponge that comes with the Studio Fix compact provides the best coverage. You can buy additional sponges to use. You could also try using a brush like the 190. Or a kabuki brush to buff the powder foundation into your skin. The brush you are using is more for blush or loose powder.

I had a feeling I shouldn't be using that brush. I dunno, I just thought it would work for the foundation. I was using sponges before and I noticed some fading butnot as much as I did now. Hmm maybe thats been the problem this whole time? (I'm such a retard) I bought the brush set and I guess I got a little too excited lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiseki No, if you're happy with your concealer, you shouldn't have to switch it just because you're changing your foundation. As long as it's a good match, you can keep your concealer. What was the concealer you bought?

I bought studio finish concealer. I know a lot of people don't like this but this is the only concealer that has covered me. I looked online at some of the Laura Mercier foundations (and even nars and smashbox) and honestly, I'm just not willing to spend $40 on a foundation. My whole reason for getting the Studio Fix was because I would rather have a powder foundation because its less messy and it doesn't make my face feel greasy or too caked up.

 

[redambition]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lethaldesign You shouldn't be using a powder brush like that for powder foundation. It will not give you any coverage really which is why I think you are having that problem. I find that the disc sponge that comes with the Studio Fix compact provides the best coverage. You can buy additional sponges to use. You could also try using a brush like the 190. Or a kabuki brush to buff the powder foundation into your skin. The brush you are using is more for blush or loose powder.

it depends on what kind of coverage you are after

i quite happily use a 187 to apply powder foundation - but then, i only want a light coverage. i have also used a powder brush and been happy with the results. if you're after a heavier coverage then no, the powder brush probably won't cut it.

CantAffordMAC - I also use and love studio finish concealer.