Mac Studio Fix Foundation vs Fanny Serrano Two way cake foundation: dupe?

You should invest in good foundation above anything else in your makeup kit. But price doesn’t always guarantee best quality, right?(although, it’s applicable most of the time).

According to some bloggers and other users, Fanny Serrano is a good dupe for Mac Studio Fix Foundation. Being a curious blogger, I decided to try them out and see if FS will be a good dupe for Mac Studio Fix Foundation.

I started using Fanny Serrano back in my early years in college. I used to love it but then I suddenly stopped using it because I found a good and cheap alternative to it and it was Elf foundation in Beige. As years passed by, I became more curious with other foundation and decided to try them out.

Recently, I’ve been hearing great reviews about Fanny Serrano two-way cake foundation. Since it was long time ago since I last had it, I repurchased it to test it out and to see if it’s really a good dupe for Mac Studio fix foundation.

Packaging:

Mac Studio fix foundation has a nice simple looking packaging. Black is a great color because it’s classic! It goes with all ages and for any occasions. 

It has a mirror and a separate compartment for sponge. The sponge included in mac has a nice quality for makeup application although, it was a bit thinner than I expected. Nevertheless, it was a soft sponge.

Fanny Serrano is totally different from Mac studio fix. They opted for a clear plastic with a logo label on top. 

The mirror is located under the foundation which I find a little inconvenient during application. Like Mac, it has a separate compartment for sponge. The sponge included has a good quality too and applies the makeup evenly on skin

 Price:

Mac is (again!) overpriced here at Php 1,700 while FS foundation priced at Php 399  (which is quite affordable for foundation). Both have a net weight of 15g.

Shades:

I saw this shade reference from http://aestheticallysavvy.blogspot.com

I’m NC30 at Mac and Organza (has more yellow tone) in FS. I was surprised with the S.A in Fanny Serrano booth because she gave me an exact shade of foundation for my skin. Usually, I don’t trust S.A is malls. Good job for that!

Anyway, the shade is almost close to each other though FS has more yellow-undertone than Mac.

 (Left: Mac, right: FS)

 Application, finish, Coverage and staying power:

-I tried swirling my Beauty Cosmetics foundation brush onto the powders (like 4-5x maybe)

And here is the result!Tada!

The FS foundation is pretty powdery and goes everywhere in the container.

 Surprised! Mac foundation will surely lasts you a very long time

-Mac studio fix foundation feels smoother on skin than Fanny Serrano.

-Both offers full coverage but Mac offers a better coverage than fanny Serrano.

-On my skin, both blend perfectly well. However, fanny Serrano looks flat on face while Mac brightens up my skin.


-Both FS and Mac help control oil, however, Mac stays longer and much better in keeping oils at bay.

I’m not a huge Mac cosmetics person. But I honestly think that in any aspect I mentioned above, Mac is still a lot better. Yes, both offers full coverage but it doesn’t mean they’re a good dupe. One of the biggest differences of Mac from FS is the oil control. Mac is just amazing in oil control and FS is just so average. 

Clarification, it doesn’t mean that people who are telling that they’re good dupe are not telling the truth. Each person is different, like what I always say. In additional, I’ve tried other foundation that is, for me, a much better dupe for Mac Studio fix foundation. Remember my in2it foundation? It’s the closest dupe that I could think of in terms of oil control and coverage. For me, Mac and in2it foundation are the best dupe! But no matter how great the product is, if it’s not for you… it’s not for you. Unfortunately, both (in2it and mac) broke me out so badly. If you have sensitive skin like mine, I don’t recommend Mac studio fix foundation nor in2it. Then, at that point, you may try FS because I find it a little skin-friendly than the other two products mentioned. However, I cannot guarantee you 100% no breakout with FS since I broke out with FS too. But not as bad as my skin with Mac studio fix foundation.

Hope you gained something from this post! 

Everything I said above were based on my own honest experience and opinion.

Thank you and keep voting on my page what reviews would you like to see next on my blog! 

Have you tried Fanny Serrano two way cake foundation? Share your thoughts too!

Until then! 

Appreciate, do not hate! 

January Haul

Hi lovelies! I'll be busy with school probably until March. However, I will still try to update my blog once in a while. 

Secondly, I am also planning to do another giveaway. Stay tuned! I'm still in the process of gathering sponsors. If you know company/store that offers sponsorship for bloggers, please let me know. 

Moving on. Since I have a little time tonight, I will share with you my January collective haul. These are the things I got from my allowance, my sister, boyfriend and friends!

My sister, Evelyn, sent these for us! Xbox is super cheap in Singapore according to her. She also gave her itouch to me! Yay! 

Since Mac is a bit cheaper in Singapore, she  sent some goodies to me and my other sister, Emmeline.

I forgot to take a separate pic for Mac Studio Fix Powder plus Foundation (NC30). Nevertheless, that foundation is really amazing. Just last December, I purchased Fanny Serrano two way cake foundation because according to some, it was a great dupe for Mac. I'm sorry to tell you this but I disagree. I don't think it was anything like Mac foundation. Yes, both offers full coverage but it doesn't mean that FS is a great dupe for Mac  (at least for me). Mac has a brightening effect once applied. I haven't seen that effect on my FS. Moreover, FS isn't as great as Mac in oil control. The closest dupe for Mac that I could think of is my highly raved IN2IT FOUNDATION. Great coverage, superb oil control. Sadly, both broke me out! 

Mac Eyebrow Crayon in Spiked- the color is quite darker than my recent eyebrow pencils, however, I use Etude House Color my Brows on top to make it look lighter. I've been really loving this pencil because it is super sleek and thin, thus, more precise in creating a well-shaped eyebrows. I haven't seen anything as thin as this before, so if you girls know a dupe for this please message me! 

Mac Lipstick in Cherish. This is probably my most used lipstick for the month of January. I like wearing peachy lipstick for everyday because it brightens up my dull face.

Mac Lipstick in Cherish is a peachy-nude shade, perfect for that natural everyday lip color. 

Mac Lipstick in Pink Nouveau - one of the best sellers of all time! According to Mac addicts, this shade is always out-of-stock(slash rarely available) because celebrities were hoarding it! 

This is definitely not my go-to-shade. It is a bright purple-pink barbie lipstick that may look washed out if use without eye makeup. Mostly, I use this for corporate attire day and special occasions. I love pairing it with a well-defined eyebrows and thick eyeliner. 

Revlon Super lustrous Lipstick in Smoked Peach- it was recommended by my college schoolmate. It is a beautiful peachy coral shade, perfect for everyday and even for special occasions. This color is very wearable for most skin tones. The only reason why I don't use it is because it is fcuking drying on lips. It accentuates my crocodile-ish lips. I just hate using it. I don't think I would purchase anything matte on Revlon line ever again. It's my 3rd lipstick from this line and i'm always disappointed on how drying and not long lasting these were.

Disney lipglosses- this was given to me therefore, I don't have any idea on how much these were. The packaging is super duper cute! Reminds me alot of kikay kids. However, i do not recommend them. These lipsticks are super sticky on my lips. 

Ever Bilena in Mauvey- it is a great dupe for Maybelline Watershine in BM31. However, compared to Maybelline Watershine (lustre finish), Ever bilena in Mauvey  has a matte finish. EB in Mauvey is a very pretty and wearable pinky nude lipstick. It is not creamy, therefore, you have to drag it several times to see the real color on your lips. Most bloggers have been raving about how great and affordable this lipstick is, but it is definitely not for me. I don't think I would repurchase again. I hate lipsticks that are very drying on my lips, so, I surely hate this one. 

Nail polishes from Avon. I haven't tried these yet.

Bunch of eyeliners from Avon (glimmersticks). I'm not a huge fan of their eyeliners because these smudge like crazy on my eyes. But it is a great eyeliner if you're aiming for a smokey eye-look. 

Avon True color blush - probably one of my favorite blushes of all time. Great pigmentation and color.

A simple makeup bag for me

Olay Moisturizer

Avon Lotions. I don't like lotions with fruity scent, really. But i've been really loving cucumber and cherry blossom scent alot! 

The best way to make your perfume lasts whole day is through layering (Lotion plus perfume). Cherry blossom is my super love since it's very fresh and mild, not too fruity/sweet.

Mac lipstick in Cosmo. Another perfect shade for everyday, and for work. I will do a separate review on this. Stay tuned.

MUD Cream Foundation- this is so far the best cream foundation I've tried! It blends on my skin like my second skin. Conceals blemishes without looking too unnatural. It's quite expensive (Php 1,200) but definitely, a great buy for people with budget. Can't wait to have time to make a review on this. Goodness, I hate school. LOL. Just kidding. 

Purchased my 4th Maybelline Pure Pack Mineral foundation. 

Avon lipstick in Island glow - I got it from my friend who needs to sell Avon products for their marketing. It is a pink lipstick, pinkier and brighter than Nyx Tea rose. It has a watermelon scent like Maybelline moisture extreme (US Version). I don't like the scent because it is too overpowering that's why I rarely wear it.  

Avon lipstick in Tangerine- a bit brighter and orange-y than I expected it would be. It is like a sheer reddish orange lipstick with shimmers. Definitely not drying. I like the scent of this one than Island glow because it has a mild scent to it. 

Things I failed to blog (beauty-related)

Remember before I told you that I still have alot of things I need to blog and promised that I will do a  blog post about them really soon. Guess what, I failed! I tried, but I couldn’t find time to blog everything (one at a time). So I decided to do a group review. However, I can’t give you a comprehensive on all the products. Nevertheless, If you want me to do a thorough review on some products in this post, just leave a comment so I would know what are the products you are most interested with. (you can also tweet and messaged me on facebook)

PRIMERS:

Dr.Oil Solution Anti-Shine Dual Primer – Price: 498 – I don’t like it. It doesn’t do anything on my face.

The Body Shop Skin Primer Matte It – Price: ?? – Great primer especially if you have dry skin. But it works for people with oily skin too (or combi). Oil control is great but not superb. Amazing primer if you have flaky/dry skin, makes makeup glides easily with it. Yet, it’s quite pricey for the amount of product that I was able to get. Nevertheless, I still love it. It’s my saviour. I have a combination skin, (oily on tzone and really flaky on cheeks) and I use this on my cheeks to smoothens that surface for better makeup application.

Faceshop Pore Minimizer Cover-up – Price: ?? – Pricey for something that does nothing special. Hard to apply on face due to thick consistency.  Though it works for filling up the fine lines and pores.

Nyx HD Studio Photogenic Primer- Price: Php 650 – AMAZING! SUPERB IN OIL CONTROL!!!!! A must buy for people with oily skin (and combination). Brightens up complexion due to its color (white). The consistency is rather liquidy. However, make sure that your face is totally dry when you apply this or else, you’ll find it hard to blend it on your face.

FOUNDATIONS

Fanny Serrano Two way cake foundation in Organza - Php 399 - I haven't tried it enough yet to do a review. But the staying power is decent and coverage is good. 

Faceshop Phytogenic Infinite Foundation - Good foundation. Quite expensive, though. One pot wouldn't last a month if used for everyday.

LIPSTICKS

Covergirl Lip Perfection in Heavenly - Php 395 - The formulation is good. It doesn't make my lips dry but lasts really long. The shade is definitely not nude as described in other reviews. It is slightly brighter (pinkier) than Nyx Tea Rose. However, it does oxidize on me. 

Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick in Coral Pink - Php 299 - The formulation is average for lipstick, not drying and good pigmentation. The shade is pretty, great for everyday.

Etude House Look at my lips in 10 - Price: I forgot again. It's around Php 300- is a nude lipstick with peach undertone. The pigmentation is quite sheer, it doesn't makes my lips dry but do not lasts long.

LIPBALMS

Venus and Mars Lip Butter Tints in Wine Pearl - Php 180 - very moisturizing, nice shade. Great lip tint. People who hates lipstick (drying) will love this.

Mary Kay Lip Balm in Mango - Php 600 (something) - EXPENSIVE! And not moisturizing. The shade is pretty but I don't like the formulation. It accentuates the cracks and lines on my lips. The smell and color are nice, though.

Nivea Soft Rose Lip Balm - less than Php 100 - another disappointment! i don't like it, not moisturizing.

LIPLINER AND GLOSSES

Etude House Soft Touch Automatic Lip Liner - no need to sharpen. Affordable. The shade I got is very close to my lipcolor, thus, appears nothing on my lips. Staying power is so so.

Wet n Wild Lip Liner - I love the formula. Very Affordable, one pencil will lasts me forever. Glides smoothly on lips.

Avon Lip liner and color - Great formulation, great staying power. 

Careline Lipgloss - the best among all the most affordable lipglosses. I love it. great pigmentation, staying power, all! Who says you can't have the best of both worlds?

BLUSHES

Avon True Color Blush in Rose Lustre –Great blush!! Color is pretty. It’s pigmented. Good staying power. Not chalky. 

In2it Blush in CW 03 Sensation- The color is beautiful! It’s a peachy shade on me. Good pigmentation. Average staying power. Not chalky.

Sansan Mousse Blush in Rosy Blush – I apply this before my Ever Bilena blush and it’s gorgeous! gREat staying power when use alone (set with powder) or use as base for blush.

Elf Blush in Peachykeen- Php 250- the shade is to die for. But it doesn’t appear pretty on my cheeks!!! Seriously, it’s like a shimmers with gold (not gold with shimmer lol) on my cheeks. Very chalky and staying power is average.

Prestige Blush – the shade is beautiful (pinky coral). Staying power is great and not chalky. It is pigmented enough.

Ever Bilena Blush in Honest - Php 150- the packaging looks good. The blush is really pretty (coral). The staying power is great. Overall, I highly recommend it

EverBilena in Pink Petal - I don't like the twist-up packaging. The blush is pretty but not as pigmented as EB Blush in Honest. 

Elf Blush in Glow - Php 120- the color is gorgeous, a coral blush with gold shimmers. However, the packaging is very cheap, the powder is not as pigmented as I want it to be, it is very chalky too. I wouldn't repurchase again.

Eyebrow Pencil and kits

Elf Eyebrow Kit in Light, medium, dark - Php250 each - good buy. Comes in 3 shades, quite affordable. The packaging is cute and handy. Stays until the end of the day. The wax in the kit is good enough, the powder is pretty chalky. 

Modelco Designer Eyebrow Kit - Php 1400 - expensive. Comes with 4 stencils (very fine, fine, natural and full), 2 angled brushes, spoolie and tweezer. The wax is really good. The powder is pretty chalky. The angled brushes are perfect for filling the hairs, spoolie is small but useful and the tweezer is good. Overall, a great eyebrow kit but overpriced (for me!)

Etude House Easy Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown- I love eyebrow pencils from Etude House. It works really well on me. This one is a pointed eyebrow pencil, you need to sharpen it. Dual ended. Comes with a brush. The shade is not really dark brown. It's lighter brown, perfect for people with black hairs but wanted a lighter eyebrow. 

MASCARA

The Faceshop Extreme Volume Mascara - my HG non-waterproof mascara. The only mascara I used for everyday. It doesn't smudge on me but can be removed with soap and water. It doesn't give me a panda eyes when I accidentally rubbed it off my eyes. I like it so much

Revlon Beyond Natural Mascara - good waterproof mascara. It does lengthens my eyelashes. Hard to remove, though. Perfect for special occasions.The applicator is easy to use for upper and lower lashes.

Gel Liner

Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Gel Liner - Php400 something - I got mine on sale (Php 314). The gel liner is as creamy as Mac Blacktrack. The brush that comes in the liner is pretty good, but I use angled brush since it's alot easier to use. It doesn't last forever on my eyes but lasts longer when sets with black eyeshadow.

Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack -Here is my first review on Mac Fluidlne. Yes, it smudges like it's crumbling. It doesn't lasts long when use alone (lasts longer when sets with black eyeshadow). However, I had this for a year now and I can still use it! Amazing, right? It's expensive but really worth it! 

Liquid Liners

Tony Moly Easy Touch Brush Liner - Php 458 - One of my biggest disappointments this year. I was looking for a waterproof eyeliner. The SA recommended this to me so I purchased it. And yes, the hell, it's non-waterproof. It's quite pricey for my taste.  I used it once and never ever used it again. What a waste of money. When it dries, the color turns to be gray rather than black. 

Fanny Serrano Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner - Php 198 - the cheapest felt tip liquid liner I had. It does stays long on my eyes, but not forever. Can be easily removed with soap and water. Great liquid liner for the price (really). 

Eyeshadow Palettes

Clinique - The purple is gorgeous, (perfect for everyday, work/school and even occasions). The definer (dark brown) is perfect as crease color. The dual ended brush is decent for touch ups.

Avon  Quad  - Another gorgeous color combi in a palette. The colors are quite pigmented and not chalky. The packaging is identical to the blush.

Avon Quad - great for everyday and work. I love all the colors, honestly. 

Nyx Glitter Cream Palette - I got it for free when I won a giveaway from this store. The first three colors are really beautiful, but the two colors, does not appear really well on me. 

Almay Quad-  favorite quad among the rest. The 1st color is gorgeous as highlighter or if you want to brightens up areas of your eyes (or even face). 

Elf Quad - very pigmented. Great for smokey eye look. I don't like it though since it is very chalky.

Sk

FACIAL WASHES

D & G light Blue and Benetton Paradiso and Inferno

Benetton Paradiso and Inferno is a cheaper alternative for D & G Light Blue (has more citrus scent). However, D&G stays longer on me.

Venus and Mars La Chica

Smells really good and amazing staying power!! Seriously, you should try it.  

Goody Stayput (200php plus)

Quite expensive but it is definitely a slide-proof clips.