Foundation Face-Off!

M.A.C Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation  v Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

In the Red Corner we have the newest edition to the M.A.C Foundation Family "Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation" and in the Blue Corner we have longstanding heavy weight "Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup".

Both boast staying power and whole host of other wonderful benefits from flawless coverage to humidity resistance, but only one can win the title of AllisonWonderland's inaugural

 

FOUNDATION FACE-OFF! 

 

Red Corner:
M.A.C Pro Longwear Nourishing
Waterproof Foundation

 

 

 

Blue Corner:

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

 

 

Are You Ready to RUMBLE??

  

First up, let us set the categories for comparison.

 

1. Colour Match and Consistency

2. Blending and Coverage

3. Wear and Tear

4. Brass Tacks

 

Round 1 : Colour Match and Consistency

 

M.A.C

A relatively liquid consistency, not too runny so as to waste or drip all over the place like a boxer in his last round, and not too thick to make to make you think that said boxer has gone one too many rounds of the kitchen. There are 16 shades to choose from so you should meet your match.

 

NW20

 

 

"A tenacious waterproof formula that can be used as a foundation or concealer, wearing for an unprecedented 24 hours."

www.maccosmetics.com.au

 

 

 

 

Estée Lauder

 

This foundation, although liquid, is a very different consistency to M.A.C. It's a lot more....liquid... Although not enough to drip like our friend the boxer. You don't need to go back to the pot very often with this one. I think for a light to medium coverage, a dab to each part of the face would suffice. Rinse and repeat if desired. Insofar as shade choices, there are also 16. I'm not sure they go as dark or light as M.A.C, but I would probably need to go in store again and inspect closely. For me, Cool Bone is pretty good, but perhaps a little more towards the yellow undertones compared to M.A.C as you will see from the pot photo.

 



Cool Bone





"15-hour staying power. Flawless all day. This worry-free, long-wearing makeup stays fresh and looks natural through heat, humidity, nonstop activity."

www.esteelauder.com.au

 

Winner of Round 1:

I'm sorry, it's a draw. The colour of M.A.C versus the consistency of Estée Lauder makes it hard to find a clear winner. I love the colour of M.A.C but I'm finding that the pot of Estée Lauder is almost bottomless...

Round 2 : Blending and Coverage

Let's talk coverage... whilst both can cover their territory light a lightweight boxer, Estée Lauder does require a little more help if you want a more 'made-up' look. Problem with this is, without extreme care, you can accidentally end up being a little heavy handed on the second pass. On the other hand, M.A.C is a little less needy in this domain. It can also act as the double agent and pass as a concealer. That is a big plus in the wallet department and gives any opponent a bit of a psych-out.

Blending... Again, Estée Lauder is great first up and, true to its name, stays in place and doesn't pull any punches. This means that it can be hard to blend highlighters and even a second layer after the first has set. It's a fast little one! Great if you want no fuss, light/medium coverage, not so great if you like to add other products on top. M.A.C on the other hand just seems to be the consistent hitter in this domain. Buildable and doesn't surprise you when you come to use a highlighter or other products.

M.A.C

Estée Lauder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winner of Round 2:

M.A.C is the clear winner for me here. I like that I can work with the foundation, not against it. And I can skip on the concealer if I need to.

 

Round 3 : Wear and Tear

This is going to be a very tough round as it is highly subjective, so I am going to outline the other points I look for personally in a foundation.

Comfort :

As previously mentioned, I have super dry skin and was warned off the M.A.C foundation when I first went to the counter as it could possibly stick to dry areas throughout the day. Going into Winter, I had started experiencing extreme dryness under my eyes so I was a little put-off when the SA mentioned the drying effect. I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised. CAVEAT : I am going to throw in a little pitch for Clarins as I recently changed my exfoliant to Bright Plus HP Gentle Brightening Exfoliator, and eye crème to the "Special" Eye Contour Balm Dry Skin. I have found they really help with those dry areas. If you have dry skin, I think that exfoliation and moisturising is key for both products. 

 

I wear my makeup for around 12 hours or so a day, and don't experience excessive dryness at the end of the day with either. Sure, it doesn't feel like I'm wearing nothing at all on my face, but that is also a reality of wearing a full face of makeup the whole day long.

SPF:

I usually look for a high Sun Protection Factor in a foundation due to my aforementioned dry and pale skin. I work in an office environment, but I do like to know that I could go to the beach for a couple of hours and not have to wear sunscreen beneath my foundation. Although the Estée Lauder foundation only has an SPF of 10, that is 10 more than M.A.C., which I find a bit disappointing. Something to take into consideration.

 

Meltdowns :

No, I haven't turned this into an episode of "Toddlers and Tiaras", but the melt factor is an important one for me. I try to go to the gym 3-5 times a week at lunchtime to get me away from the desk. Although unseemly, sweating is a common side effect of exercise. I don't sweat like our friend the boxer, but I do get a sheen and sometimes a slow drip if I'm pushing it on the bike. Although I really reluctantly use the shower at the gym (yes, I remember the Comedy Company jingle from the 80s about the woes of showering at the gym ...) I really don't like having to wash everything off my face and start again as that would probably double my lunch hour and my skincare/makeup stocks. Therefore, it is good to have a foundation that can pass the sweat test. Both are pretty good in this domain, they don't seem to change colour (which my Studio Sculpt had a tenancy towards), go a bit blotchy (again, Studio Sculpt, I'm looking at you) and don't rub off all that easily. The only place where M.A.C seems to have the upper hand is around the forehead hairline. Both require a little blot powder on the nose and chin after a workout, but I think that is probably fair enough.

 

In the past month I have pushed both foundations to the brink, as in application at 6.30am and cleanse off at midnight. I am leaning a little towards M.A.C for the staying power, but realistically I don't think most people would expect that much from their foundation. It is certainly a plus though.

 

Random Photo Moment:

Don't you just hate it when, for example, you start a new job and they want a photo of you for their intranet? It happened to me recently and it's so not fair to have one bad photo encapsulated as your work image until the end of time...OK maybe I am being a bit melodramatic, but I really hate that photo.

 

I did a few tests on these foundations for their ability to cope under photographic pressure. I think I had mentioned that a few reviews of Estée Lauder indicated that it can make you look a little ghostly in photos, so I have taken a couple of both foundations in low light, normal light with and without flash.

 

Low Light

 

 <  M.A.C

 

 

 

 

OR

 

 

 

 

Estée Lauder>

 

 

Normal Light, No Flash

 

 

 <  M.A.C

 

 

 

 

OR

 

 

 

 

Estée Lauder>

 

 

 

Normal Light, Flash

 

 <  M.A.C

 

 

 

 

OR

 

 

 

 

Estée Lauder>

 

 

I think both contenders do quite well with a flash and not a ghost to be seen... As for low and normal light, well, there is not much I can do about being in my mid 30s except for sticking to my skincare regime. As for the dark circles, I am going to say what any normal working mother would say - I need more sleep! And possibly a weekly trip to the day spa...
  

For photos, I think I am leaning slightly towards M.A.C, but I think they are fairly even. Please let me know what you think.

 

 

Winner of Round 3:

 

So, if we add up the winners of the subcategories in this highly subjective round, we have a draw, Estée Lauder, M.A.C and a bit of a lineball (sorry, couldn't find a boxing term for that one, so I resorted to tennis).

 

 

Round 4 : Brass Tacks 

  

Well, it looks like this is going to be a bit of a barnburner! And that was boxing terminology. I know cos I looked it up. Estée Lauder is really going to have to pull up its socks here.

 

What else do we look for in a partner... ahem... sorry, I meant foundation? I would say $$ is probably on the money.

 

M.A.C

Price : AU$54

Size : 25ml

AU$216 / 100ml

Container : Tube 

 

Estée Lauder

Price : AU$50

Size : 30ml

AU$166.50 / 100ml

Container : Bottle

 

Clear winner? Maybe, or maybe not. You see, bottles can be really hard to squeeze out those last few drops so the extra 5ml you get with Estée Lauder may end up in the bin. Evened out at 25ml each, Estée Lauder is saved by the bell by a cheap $4 punch to M.A.C's chin.

 

Winner of Round 4:

 

If it all comes down to dollars and sense, Estée Lauder is our clear winner here.

 

 

And the winner is.....

 

This has certainly been no walkout bout, and I don't think I can declare a knockout. I think the deciding round is probably the most subjective. Whilst I might be steered toward M.A.C, I could be swayed by Estée Lauder by a good Gift with Purchase if it comes up at the right time, and Estée Lauder certainly knows how to fight dirty in that ring. 

 

But who said this was going to be a good clean fight?  

 

Thank you for accompanying me in the very first Foundation Face-Off. Now, who do you think the rightful winner is?

 

xo AllisonWonderland

 

PS. Ironically, If you purchase a product online from M.A.C Australia, your invoice will be from Estée Lauder Pty Ltd.