Review of MAC Prep and Prime Skin Protect SPF 50

January 6, 2009 |

Author Amy

I don’t do a lot of reviews on products… But when I do, you can be sure that I’m in love! I’ve been scoping this out for a long time and I finally bit the bullet not long ago and made the purchase. One of the major draws for me was the whopping SPF 50 this primer is packing – it’s hard to get a high SPF in a moisturizer and ordinary sunscreen tends to cause breakouts or irritation on the face. A high SPF for fair skin girls like myself is essential year round so I went for it, without even really considering the primer aspect.

I’ve never really used a primer before, so I didn’t know what to expect…

Let me first describe the… erm… odd bottle design. It almost looks like MAC accidentally manufactured the bottle upside down. By that I mean the bottle stands on its cap, but the MAC logo and product name/description face from the cap downwards, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

On to the product itself… It is creamy in texture, much like a moisturizer, and there is no need for excessive application. I apply a slightly larger than pea-size amount to forehead, cheeks, chin, nose. I was relieved that even though this product controls oil, it did not dry out my skin (my skin tends toward dryness as it is). My face felt slightly “tighter” at first, but it really wasn’t drier, I think I was getting used to the feeling of wearing a primer.

My foundation applied VERY smoothly over the prep and prime. I was amazed that at the end of the work day and beyond even (12 plus hours), my foundation hadn’t budged one bit. A big plus: my skin feels very soft and I haven’t had a single breakout.

Today I used some of the primer under my eyes to prime for my undereye concealer. I love my Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Stick, but it always ends up somewhat settling in my fine lines after a few hours. To my utter amazement, the Prep and Prime kept my concealer from settling in the fine lines ALL FRICKIN DAY!! I’m totally won over.

Prep and Prime Protect SPF 50 comes in a 1 oz container and costs $28. A little pricey but well worth it. This isn’t like applying a moisturizer so a tube should last you a good while.