Review: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NC15

I've mentioned before how little sleep I get here in Korea (an awful habit I formed after assimilating to a culture that has an incredibly active nightlife) and, naturally, dark circles come with the territory. Some days are really bad though, and my trusty Etude House Surprise Concealer Kit simply doesn't cut it, so I decided to go high-end and got the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer at my local department store. The makeup artist/ sales woman tested two shades under my eyes and we both decided the NC15 was perfect as it was a shade lighter than my skin tone (which is what I look for, because I want to brighten up the under eye area.) I paid KRW26 000 for 9ml, and with me, high price equals equally high expectations.

What it promises:
A lightweight fluid concealer that provides medium to full coverage with a comfortable, natural matte finish. Colour-true formula lasts up to 15 hours. Helps conceal and correct the look of under-eye circles, and discolorations. Comes in a clear glass vial with a matte black pump.

 

Packaging:
I love the glass vial this product comes in- it just looks and feel so much more luxurious. But, sadly, that's where it ends. I have some major issues with the pump dispenser. It dispenses way too much product per pump and I swear, I have tried and tried to control the amount of product that is dispensed, but nothing works and it ends up being a big mess all over the bottle's neck. Ugh, no. Seriously. You'd think that a brand like MAC could at least come up with quality packaging, because it's such a waste of expensive product and it's so unnecessary. I've seen products less than a quarter of the price have better dispensers than this. So yeah, not cool.

Texture and scent:
Okay, I have a little more ranting to do before I get to the good part of this product. The scent of this concealer is not nice at all. It has a musty odour that lingers a good while after application before it (thankfully!) disappears. It was a bit of a shocker to me, as I've become rather used to makeup being delightfully fragranced here in Korea and this was just plain ugly in comparison.

As for the dreamy, creamy texture, I am sold. It dries fairly quickly, so you need to work fast, but you can use a variety of tools to apply this concealer and it always looks good. I've read about many people experiencing a bit of tightness after application and I experienced this myself, but I find that it's only when my skin is particularly dry or when I haven't prepped my eye area well enough. True to it's claims it really does feel very lightweight, despite it's amazing coverage.

My thoughts:
This baby was designed to compete! It effortlessly covers up my dark circles and I only need the tiniest amount of product to achieve perfection. It brightens up the eye area, making me look fresh and awake and it really does stay put forever!  On numerous occasions I've worn it from 7am-10pm without having to touch up, so I'm super impressed with its longevity. 

I've also used it on my blemishes, but it does tend to exacerbate flakiness, however it covers the marks from healed blemishes and other pigmentation just fine. I do find that it slightly rests in the creases under my eyes if I don't prep my eyes nicely during winter, but highly doubt that I'd have that problem when summer rolls around. While I have many gripes with the dispenser and scent, I can't deny that this little vial is a powerhouse! I can definitely see where my money is going in terms of its performance and will definitely be repurchasing.

xo