A few of my old never-fail products - and yep, they're all MAC.

I'm sure most of us makeup fanatics have a few products in our makeup stash that you can consider your "never fail" products. They are the often neglected, but never forgotten products that you know you can use, and they'll never let you down. You may not use them every day, but once you run out, you know you have to purchase another to replace it. Maybe it's a certain eyeliner or a particular blush. Maybe it's one item in each category. I'm sure I have a few more than I'm mentioning - but I wanted to dedicate a post to these few that stood out to me and always have a warm place in my heart: MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation, MAC Studio Finish Concealer and MAC Select Cover-Up.

It's a complete coincidence that they're all MAC products - and it's even a bigger coincidence that they are some of the first MAC products I ever tried.

I remember my first trip to MAC like it was yesterday. I was a senior in highschool and it was my first time ever buying non-drugstore makeup. I purchased (George purchased it, actually. We just started dating at the time!) Studio Fix Fluid in NC40, Blot Powder in Med-Dark, Select Cover-up in Peach, Paint in Bare Canvas and Eyeshadows in Gorgeous Gold, Moons Reflection and Aquadisiac. Aside from the shadows, I continue using all of those products till this day.

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MAC Studio Fix Fluid 

Studio Fix Fluid is basically everything I look for in a foundation. It has a very nice, creamy consistency that blends easily, medium to heavy-medium coverage, has a satiny finish and is long-lasting. The colors are spot on for my golden-yellow complexion and no matter what kind of skin day I'm having, I can always rely on Studio Fix Fluid to make my skin look airbrushed. I always make sure to have a bottle on hand, and it's probably my most re-purchased makeup item ever. *Side note: I always make sure to set with a powder when wearing this foundation as my skin can get shiny after a few hours.

Blemishes - They will be camouflages for the most part, but if you have dark or very red blemishes, you may find that using an additional concealer may be necessary for full coverage. Minor blemishes should be covered.

Application - My favorite application method for this foundation is using a duo-fiber brush for the most natural finish. I also like using a flat top brush, but in order for it not to look too heavy on my skin, I'll usually moisturize skin beforehand or spirtz my face with water. With this particular foundation I don't like using my fingers because it can look too heavy/porcelain. I think the way this foundation looks really depends on your application method. 

Often complaints are - It causes breakouts, it has a chemical smell, it's too heavy/cakey, the shades are either too yellow or too cool - there isn't a good in-between. 

In the past, I did get a pimple here and there when wearing Studio Fix Fluid on a daily basis, but with a proper skincare (cleansing and exfoliating) routine, I don't have anymore breakouts when wearing it. But it might also be because I usually don't wear it for more than a few days in a row (I have way too many foundations to stay loyal to one). Everyone has a different sensitivity to certain products, so this may or may not irritate your skin. I highly recommend washing your face well at night to avoid break-outs. 

Studio Finish Concealer

Studio Finish Concealer is one of my - if not my favorite cream concealer. I often search for new concealers because I get bored easily with using the same products all of the time, but this concealer never fails me. It's not too dry, and it's not too creamy. It's a good in-between so it spreads easy, yet it doesn't move around. Often cream concealers can be too emollient, causing the concealer to crease, cake up, transfer and look shiny throughout the day, and some drier consistencies can look dry and flaky throughout the day. I think MAC has the formula down pact on this one. It works well for the under-eyes and it also works well at covering blemishes. I usually have it in a few different shades - one that matches my face (NC) and one with peachy-pink tones that will counteract my dark under-eyes (NW). I'm never without this stuff in my stash.

Select Cover-Up

Not too many people talk about MAC Select Cover-up, but it's definitely one of my favorite liquid concealers. It's creamy (not watery) - not too thick and definitely not heavy. It provides a good light-medium coverage, so in conjunction with a medium coverage foundation, this concealer is really all you need. It's not going to provide opaque coverage for those with severe darkness, but for those with minor to average dark under-eyes, this should do the trick. It has more coverage than Moisturecover (that stuff just does nothing for me) and just does a fabulous overall job of brightening my under-eyes. 

Here's a few photos to show my under-eyes without concealer, and with Select Cover-up and Studio Finish. You can see that with the Select Cover-up, almost everything is concealed, but a little darkness still peaks through. In the photo wearing Studio Finish, little to no darkness is peaking though. 

What are some products you always keep in your stash? Let me know in the comments!