I figured it’s about time to update the posts for these palettes. I made the original post back when these were released for PRO only, but things have changed since then! The product is still the same, but it’s been available at MAC stores and has been part of the permanent Studio line for some time now. My apologies that these are a bit ugly and used… These are the second round of palettes that I’ve purchased, so they’re pretty new, but they’ve have been put to work in my kit… I had to redo the photos because I have a MUCH better lighting set up and know how to use my camera better now, so these are a more accurate representation of the colors!
Originally, these were designed with the professional makeup artist’s need in mind and released through MAC PRO only, but they’re great to have for personal use as well. Since there are a variety of colors in each palette, it makes it easy to find the right match, either by using them individually or by combining them to create the perfect color. For personal use, these are nice to have because so many people have fluctuations in their skintone between seasons, so you will never run into the “oh no my concealer is too dark/light” dilemma! You can also use these to contour and highlight with if you prefer creams.
The Studio Conceal and Correct palettes are the same size as the Pro Lip Palettes and eye shadow quad palettes. They fit easily into any makeup kit or travel bag and contain a total of 6g / 0.21oz of product… That’s 1g per concealer/corrector, as opposed to the 7g / 0.24oz you get in an individual Studio Finish Concealer. PRO Conceal and Correct Palettes sell for $40. That may or may not seem like a great value to an everyday consumer, but for us professional makeup artists, these are worth every penny due to the convenience factor! These are eligible for the MAC PRO discount as well. You can purchase these at any MAC store or online at www.maccosmetics.com.
Studio Finish Concealers are SPF35 and packed with nourishing antioxidants. They are highly pigmented and have a creamy consistency that is easily blendable. While they’re suitable for all skin types, if you have a dry under eye area, just make sure to use a lightweight eye cream before you apply your concealer (usually 30 minutes or so prior to doing your makeup)… That will prevent it from looking too dry or emphasizing lines. When I apply concealers or correctors, I like to put on my primer, then put on my foundation, THEN concealer… I know a lot of you may do concealer, then foundation, which is fine too, but you’ll actually use less concealer or corrector if you do it AFTER foundation! This is because when you apply foundation over your concealer, you may be wiping it away or thinning it out, giving you less coverage. If you wanna give it a shot applying your foundation, then concealer/corrector, just be sure to use your foundation brush with whatever product is leftover on there, or beauty blender sponge, gently patting over the concealer after you put it on to blend it in!
You can apply these with natural to full coverage, depending on what type of brush you use. For heavier coverage, you can use a flat concealer brush like a MAC 193, 194, or 195 brush, or a MAC 287 duo-fibre brush… For a lighter application or for more blendability, you can use a fluffier brush like a MAC 217, 222, 224, or my favorite, the 286 duo-fibre brush.
There are four concealers in each palette and two correctors at the bottom. The correctors are made to counteract redness (yellow toned) and to brighten dark areas, like under the eyes, around the nose/mouth, and any scars or spots from blemishes (peach/orange tone).
These wear best when they are set with some type of powder after application… I like using a translucent or transparent finishing powder, such as MAC’s Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder or MAC Set Powder in Invisible. When set like this, I get at least 8 hours of wear before any fading or movement occurs.
For a brief explanation of how MAC names/codes their products:
W = Warm (typically more pinkish undertones)
NW = Neutral Warm (beige mixed with pink/salmon or red undertones)
N = Neutral (very neutral beige with no apparent pink or yellow tones)
NC = Neutral Cool (beige mixed with yellow/olive undertones)
C = Cool (yellow to olive undertones)
Photo taken outdoors in natural sunlight.
Concealers and Correctors swatched on NC15 skin.
Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5
Application: 5
Coverage: 5
Color Payoff: 5
Texture: 5
Wear Time: 4
Packaging: 5
NC45
NC45: This concealer is a medium dark, cool beige with yellow/olive undertones. Because it’s pretty neutral, it will work for both an under eye brightener on some skin tones, as well as a concealer for blemishes and such. NC45 is also available in the NW40/NC45 Studio Finish Concealer Duo and by itself.
NW45
NW45: NW45 is a dark, warm toned brown with orange/red undertones. This color is perfect for correcting dark areas such as under eye circles and any dark spots around the mouth and nose, or even dark spots caused by blemishes or scarring. It cam be used as a highlighter, so long as you have a warm skin tone slightly deeper than this concealer. You can also buy NW45 individually if you like, or you can get it in the NW45/NC50 Studio Finish Concealer Duo.
NC50
NC50: NC50 is a dark sienna brown with mostly cool, olive undertones, and only a hint of orange undertones. While this color is typically too cool to use as an under eye concealer (though you can give it a shot), it works very well for highlighting some areas of the face, or for covering blemishes. This concealer is also available to buy alone, or as part of the NW45/NC50 Studio Finish Concealer Duo.
NW55
NW55: This concealer is a deep, warm brown with reddish undertones. It’s a wonderful under eye concealer and highlighter for deeper skin tones. You can also use this as a contour, especially on dark to deep complexions. NW55 is also available to buy by itself.
Ochre
Ochre: Ochre is a dark, cool, mustard yellow corrector that’s meant for cooling down areas of the face with too much redness or warmer types of discoloration. It can be used under the eyes to correct for some people as well, but will definitely need a skin toned concealer applied over it. You can also mix Ochre with other concealers or cream foundations to cool them down a bit. Ochre can actually be purchased individually from MAC PRO in refill palette form… If you purchase it that way, you can pop it into one of MAC’s two, four, or fifteen pan palettes that most people use for eye shadows.
Pure Orange
Pure Orange: This corrector is a dark, vibrant orange that’s amazing at covering and correcting dark areas of the skin… Like other more orange toned correctors, it’s perfect under the eyes, around the mouth and nose, and at covering dark spots from scarring or blemishes. You may mix this with other concealers to warm them up as well. Pure Orange, like Ochre, is also available in the form of a refill pan from MAC PRO.
Filed under: Makeup Tagged: Conceal and Correct, Concealer, Concealer Palette, Contour, Corrector, Highlighter, MAC, MAC Studio, palette, PRO Palette, Studio Finish, Studio Finish Concealer, Studio FInish Corrector
