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MAC Prep + Prime Beauty Balm SPF 35 Launches


MAC Prep + Prime Beauty Balm SPF 35 Launches

Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm SPF 35 in three semi-translucent shades covering extra-light to medium skin tones. Blending SPF protection, creamy emollients and optical pearl pigments, this face-priming, colour-perfecting formula protects and evens the complexion for flawless results.

Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm SPF 35 ($30.00 U.S. / $36.50 CDN)

  • Extra Light Pale alabaster
  • Light Pale ivory
  • Light Plus Light beige

Brush ($33.00 U.S. / $39.50 CDN)

  • 191 Square Foundation

Availability: August 16th, 2012 (North America), September 2012 (International)

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121 Comments

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Becca @The Beauty Sample Avatar

It was only a matter of time…still, I’m curious. Though I do think it’s utterly ridiculous that they are only covering extra light to medium skin tones. I know it’s more “authentic” of them, but come on–if you’re going to release a BB cream in the U.S where you’re a prominent brand, why the heck WOULDN”T you release more shades to cover all skin tones?!? 

Becca @The Beauty Sample Avatar

Christine (Temptalia) lol yeah it’s definitely a step up–but obviously if they’re re-releasing it then they know how popular it was. They also released 2 extra shades for a reason–ppl obviously asked for more shades…but they still stopped short at  Medium?!? 

blueraccoon Avatar

xamyx again, why should women have to *ask* for it? There’s a market for dark-skinned women that the cosmetics industry is not serving. My best friend says she’s tried every store around her, which includes two grocery stores, three drugstores, a mall, two Sephoras, etc. and can’t find a foundation that fits her. And as darker skinned women go, she’s not even all that dark, but there’s just NOTHING out there. The market exists, and isn’t being serviced, and I don’t understand why it should be on the consumer to make them realize this. White women don’t say “Hey, make more makeup for us”, so why should women of color have to say “Hi, we exist, give us some cosmetics”? All you have to do is walk down the street in any relatively large city or urban area and realize there are a ton of skin tones out there. Why makeup companies persist in not seeing that, I do not know, but it isn’t the consumer’s fault.

xamyx Avatar

Actually, several stores in my area are no longer carrying pale foundations, or even the deeper shades. Again, my guess is that the sales just aren’t there. I’m quite sure MAC looks at what sells, and goes from there. In fact, there was a time MAC produced foundations *paler* than NC/NW 15, but they were discontinued, but again, the numbers probably didn’t justify the costs. Any company, regardless of product, is going to produce what sells. Ferrari isn’t going to mass produce it’s cars, because not enough people are going to buy them; the same can be said for cosmetics companies. I do realize these examples are extremes, but the idea is the same. There could also be the fact that they haven’t figured out a way to add such a high SPF to deeper shades without it looking “chalky”, and therefore just haven’t released them yet, or this is a trial and if these shades do well, they’ll add deeper shades. I’m not generally a fan of MAC, and believe me when I say I find fault in *alot* of what they do, but given their attention to diversity *and* their strong desire to turn a fast buck (even at the expense of quality control), I have to take a “wait and see approach” on this one. You’re correct in stating a consumer shouldn’t *have* to ask, but at the same time, if a company tries to put a product on the market, and it doesn’t sell, should they continue, even if the expense is passed on to other consumers, just to please a small percentage? That would, in turn, possibly cause them to lose more consumers, who move on to a less expensive line, costing the brand more revenue.

jktoml Avatar

xamyx “if a company tries to put a product on the market, and it doesn’t sell, should they continue, even if the expense is passed on to other consumers, just to please a small percentage?” Aren’t very pale makeup users also a small percentage?

xamyx Avatar

Apparently, not. From what I’ve read on other blogs, many pale women were very upset that MAC discontinued their very pale foundation shades. There are also many videos & tutorials on how to lighten the palest MAC foundation shades. I never said there were *no* WoC who wouldn’t want a product like this, but given the high SPF content, I would think this would appeal to paler skin tones. Also, there *are* similar products, albeit from other brands, that carry more variety in the deeper tones, and really leave the pale tones out. Again, I’m by no means a big fan of MAC, with the primary reason is they’re willing to put out *anything* if they think people will buy it (regardless of functionality), so if they thought for one moment there would be a large market for deeper tones, it would stand to reason they would produce it. I really *do* understand deeper shades tend to be left out, but paler tones are, too. Many of us pale gals are just happy to be represented, as well. Has anyone tried to contact MAC to find the reason for the omission? Perhaps they plan to introduce deeper shades?

jktoml Avatar

xamyx I’m going to have to stop replying to your comments and others in general in this post– I just want to say that discrimination is NEVER ok, and this range should be more inclusive.  And for responses that say “aren’t pale people discriminated against too in makeup”… well, that’s a kind of white privilege (and misunderstanding of discrimination) with which I have no interest in engaging.

xamyx Avatar

Wow, not *once* did I use the word “discrimination”. I merely stated that *every* skintone cannot be represented in *every* brand/formula, and we all have to shop around and/or blend shades. Think about it; if MAC thought they could turn a profit by creating deeper shades, don’t you think they would? What company *doesn’t* want to make money? As I’ve stated *many* times over, I really don’t care for MAC as a whole, and have been waging my own personal boycott for a few years, now, and the fact that Io’m willing to back off of my principles to try a product that may possibly suit me, kind of proves that I’ve not been able to find a comparable product among the myriad of other brands out there.

Mariella Avatar

I’m willing to give it a try (I’ll probably get a sample) but why the heck is it $6.50 MORE in Canada.  This is becoming more and more irksome!

18thCenturyFox Avatar

Mariella- I agree it’s rotten that MAC has been shafting their compatriots for ages. That being said, I will gladly ferry cheaper goods in order to curry favor with someone who can get me citizenship! Lol

Kiss and Makeup Avatar

I’m always a bit sceptical when it comes to BB products. All-in-one products are great for certain situations, but I actually don’t mind taking my time for my skincare and make-up routine. It relaxes me 🙂 I don’t think I’ll be buying/trying this.

xamyx Avatar

I’m not the biggest MAC fan, but these have piquéd my interest. The high SPF, combined with the shades on the fair end of the spectrum, make for a combination that may work well for me.

Fitrah Avatar

I know it’s impossible not to leave some skin tones out, but I feel like having a light, medium, and dark would have excluded way less people. Having having a light, light plus, and extra light makes it seem like MAC really went out of their way to exclude as many people as possible.

Sarah Avatar

@Fitrah are you forgetting the fact that REALLY light foundations are about as rare as unicorns? I know it took me 5  years to find a foundation that matches my one shade off paper-white skin.

forgotton0memory Avatar

@Sarah I second this. I’m super fair and have never found a foundation I don’t have to mix with a white one. I hope it won’t take long for them to make darker shades, though. As BB creams (both american and asian) tend to be lighter, I’m not surprised it might take them longer to formulate darker colors.

Fitrah Avatar

@Sarah No, I am not forgetting that. As I meant to get across in my previous post, I know it’s impossible to have a range that matches everyone, which is why I think the best policy is to try to include as many people as possible in a range of three colors.

jktoml Avatar

@Sarah Are you forgetting that DARK foundations (let alone kind of dark, really dark, and even darker) are about as rare as unicorns too?  Sure, brands occasionally throw out one dark shade… but when has one pale shade fit every pale person? Why is one dark(ish) shade enough for all darker skins??

jktoml Avatar

@Sarah And there are a multitude of brands that carry pale shades.  But one or two very pale shades won’t match everyone, or won’t be pale enough… same with deep shades.

blueraccoon Avatar

@Sarah And there are a number of brands where I live that carry multiple pale shades. I don’t understand why we’re defending one extreme at the cost of another. It’s hard for both pale women and women of color to find makeup that suits them, can’t we just agree on that? Why does it have to be that “Well, I can’t find makeup for me” when we’re acknowledging that a lot of brands don’t carry makeup for women of color? My best friend and I talked about this last night and she said that in twenty years of wearing makeup she’s *never* found a foundation that works for her. Her mother has found *one*. I get that it’s hard for pale women to find makeup, believe me, but why are we making this sound like we can only have one at the expense of another? It shouldn’t work that way.

blueraccoon Avatar

jktoml *blushes* aw, thanks. I think I have to disengage from this conversation, though. There’s too much privilege being asserted and it’s making me more frustrated and upset than I want to be.

Sharon Lynn M Avatar

Like others I don’t get why MAC is only introducing shades for light skin tones. I realize they are likely planning to phase in darker skin toned BB creams later, but this collection leaves out a huge percentage of the population in North America. Will wait for reviews before considering any purchase…

Laura Avatar

So, is this reformulated from the one they had last year with the same name?  I looked back through my MAC orders, and I ordered one on 5/29/2011.  That one is shown as sold out on the site, though.  The name is the same but the packaging looks slightly different. 

Kas Avatar

First Bobbi Brown with the 4 shades that won’t work for deeper tones and now MAC? Then why bother at all, especially when they are known for having so many shades for so many unique skintones. What happened to the All Races, All Ages, All Sexes mantra they preached earlier? This is so frustrating – as it is the Asian BB creams prevalent in my country never ever work (Greyness Galore) – now these too. *falls facefront in a tub of flour instead* 

18thCenturyFox Avatar

Ha ha ha “falls face front in a tub of flour instead” that was hilarious. MAC seemed to have had a giant brain fart because I don’t see a whole lot of pre planned brilliance on their part recently. I still can’t get over the giant hike on their lousy nail polish. They used to have an awesome formula, and apparently abandoned it in the pursuit of ?

18thCenturyFox Avatar

Ha ha ha “falls face front in a tub of flour instead” that was hilarious. MAC seemed to have had a giant brain fart because I don’t see a whole lot of pre planned brilliance on their part recently. I still can’t get over the giant hike on their lousy nail polish. They used to have an awesome formula, and apparently abandoned it in the pursuit of ?

Gracey13 Avatar

This looks promising! The shade range is awful, the lightest will hopefully match me though even a mac nc15 is too dark for me. Only going up to medium is ridiculous! Will you be doing a review of this once it’s out?(:

cynthia Avatar

WOW. I can’t even…… just WOW. MAC has always been one of the brands that I have trusted that tries to make sure that us darker skinned customers are included. They don’t have one foundation line, or concealer line for darker skin, I trust that I will always be able to find my color in all formulas. But now this, is SO DISAPPOINTING. 

Kellie Avatar

People with skin color forget how hard it is for us REALLY whites to ever find something that will match. BB was originally a Korean product that helped people get whitening benefits. IE-make you even whiter.Which is the one I buy. All of the ones in the USA are too dark. Mac probably sees a hole in the market that they are seeking to fill.Dont be offended that you are being excluded-be glad there are other formulations that have a match for you!!!

Kas Avatar

@Kellie I totally understand your comment but the “other formulations that have a match for you” is not always applicable. Where I live, there are a plethora of skintones from the very very fair to the very deep – but only in recent times are we getting deeper shades of base makeup from newly arrived brands like Laura Mercier and Burberry Beauty. Still, brands like Estee Lauder, Chanel, Lancome bring in Asian-shades which dont suit the rest of the medium to deep range of skintones. It’s very frustrating also to know that a brand makes over 20 shades of foundation but we often get less than half. MAC and Bobbi Brown have always been seen as the most inclusive so it’s shocking to think that the BB cream shades created are so minimal. All the people upset are only saying that it would have been fab if MAC had created the BB creams in the very fair shades as they have done, as well as the rest of the shades. Why should anyone be excluded at all? 🙂

xamyx Avatar

I typically use DS foundation, but where I live, all of the lighter shades are being phased out, and I live in a large city. In order to find foundation, I will either have to go HE, or search all over Los Angeles to find something pale enough. I think brands & stores go with what sells. Yes, there may be a handful of those with deeper shades who want to try this, but there are other brands, like NARS. Unfortunately, for me, NARS won’t work, as Finland is too light & pink, and Alaska is too dark & yellow. Not being a fan of MAC, I’m actually hoping this will work for me.

blueraccoon Avatar

@Kellie that’s like saying “Don’t be offended that you can’t buy X car, there are other cars suitable.” Why shouldn’t someone be offended at the complete lack of inclusiveness for skin tones lighter than light-medium? That makes no sense. Yes, congrats, it’ll be light enough for you. And me, too, but I’m not happy about it. If they can make three light shades, they can make three dark shades. 

xamyx Avatar

So, a BMW should cost the same as a Honda? People should *not* be offended if they can’t afford the car of their choice. In a “free-market” society, there will be companies that put out products that *will* exclude some, while other companies will exclude *others*. If one can’t find a product that’s suitable, for whatever reason, within a brand, they can find a product within another. That’s how commerce works; a smart company will try to fill a void, where there is a demand, not put out products that are prevalent, or where there isn’t a strong demand.

blueraccoon Avatar

xamyx I’m disengaging from this conversation because clearly we see this differently. I don’t think that including one end of the market should come at the expense of excluding another segment and you apparently do. I don’t want to argue this because I’m only going to get more frustrated. You don’t seem to think women of color should be entitled to representation in all areas of cosmetics, the way white women are, and that’s just not a point of view I can understand or agree with, so I’m out.

Kellie Avatar

blueraccoon you missed the part where I am excluded from a lot of things being SO WHITE.   Its more offensive for dark skin to be excluded than white skin???  You arent making sense.

blueraccoon Avatar

@Kellie I never said that, and you’re not understanding my comment. I think by saying “Don’t be offended that you’re excluded” is condescending, honestly. Yes, you’re excluded, and so am I, but there ARE options for us. Tell me, if MAC had made three dark options for this cream would you be okay hearing “Don’t worry white women, there are options for you” from anyone in the conversation? I *never* said it was okay for either end of the spectrum to be left out. I said that we shouldn’t be saying “But it’s not fair to me either” when acknowledging that women with dark skintones got left out of this launch. Why can’t we just say MAC should have a wider shade range and leave it alone instead of tyring to justify one extreme at the expense of another? 

Kellie Avatar

blueraccoon If MAC had made 3 dark shades only, I would be saying “I will have to find another formulation in my color”.  Like I always do.I am not being condescending, I was just glad that someone finally thought about the other end of the spectrum.You seem to be loking to have a fight, for reasons I dont understand.

ashtraygirl6 Avatar

@Kellie BB creams are actually a German product, but never been popular as the blemish balm was invented by dr. christine schrammek way back in the late 1960s for her ‘green peel’ patients. so the bb cream was mostly known amongst schrammeks patiets, till today no one knows how the ‘word’ spread over to Asia, but the Koreans went crazy for this kind of product and developed the widest variety of BBs on the worls market. Sorry, but I had to mention it 😉

bulletwitch93 Avatar

I understand the need for really light shades but I also understand the need for really dark shades as well. As a person of medium complexion, I never really had a problem finding something to match my skin but for them to leave out a large amount of skin tones seems stupid and disappointing to me. I would like to try MAC’s BB cream just as much as someone darker or lighter than me and for the option not to be there is a little disheartening. 

VickWalker Avatar

I don’t doubt that really light shades are hard to find, but they are just that…able to be found. I’m sure I could go to any drugstore or counter and find shades within the range for very pale women. When releases come out for new foundations there is one, maybe two that are worlds apart. Ask most WOC they have to usually buy two colors to mix, so you are paying even more in the first place. It is no secret that companies just don’t care or chose to ignore women of color.

xamyx Avatar

Yes, pale colors are able to be found, but this is a fairly recent thing. I’ve always had to mix shades, as all the pale shades I found were too pink. Then, yellow was introduced, which was wrong, as well. All the “neutrals” were grey/ashy. So I understand the difficulties of having to mix 2 or more shades. Until the last few years, I had to mix foundations with white, not the easiest shade to find. I’m by no means trying to minimize your plight, but we pasty gals have it rough, too.

Gracey13 Avatar

I have extremely pale, almost translucent skin and I have tried countless foundations from the drugstores and swatched all of them before and there have been one or two which weren’t perfect but they worked, but even then I wasn’t a fan of the formula. This BB cream will be my first chance to try MAC liquid face products as even an NC15 or their lightest tinted moisturiser is too dark or too yellow/orangey on me. I really wish they had shades for women of colour though. Though MAC has a great range in their foundations, so al least they dont always leave out those shades.

jilliant Avatar

@Blacktundras so it’s ok to discriminate against pale people? (which btw most brands do – i can only wear illamasqua, and i’m excited to see a mac foundation product that may suit me)

Quinctia Avatar

Yeah, I’m fortunate enough that the Asian BB creams are fair enough for me.  I hoped for two things with the type of product getting launched via western brands–more exposure to a great formula, and more color options for less homogenous population.Western BB creams aren’t anywhere near the same type of formulation–I find Asian BB Creams to be more pigmented than some foundations–and none of them are even releasing darker options.  What’s the point?  :(I mean, I know it’s hard to find some pale options, I’m not super pale and many lines don’t even make tinted moisturizer light enough for ME, but…seriously, Extra Light, Light, and Light Plus?  That doesn’t even include a Medium, for crying out loud!

Denise1234 Avatar

I’m not sure if the term ”Beauty Balm” is correctly used by MAC, this is more a tinted cream I think (as the french translation says on the packaging) or a face primer. I’m a little bit disapointed of this as I love BB cream and MAC! For sure, the range of color is poor, they should have made an effort for the darker complexions, to have at least a medium shade. 

zaara Avatar

Denise1234 i thought the same thing, these are being marketed as BB Creams, when in essence they’re more like primers or light tinted moisturizers. Pass.

Sarah Avatar

It’s a shame that there are no colours available for people with darker skin tones. I for one have fair skin though, and I find that most “BB creams” don’t come in shades light enough for me- they are usually too dark and have an orangey pink hue, so maybe one of these shades will work for me. Fingers crossed!

StylishStudent Avatar

Oh man I for one am SO glad that they have 3 LIGHT shades! I am between NW 15 and NW 20 and often have a bit of trouble finding my shade without having to mix. Having 3 pale shades, one of them should definitely be my exact color! 🙂 

allinicole Avatar

Here’s my opinion on the color range:1. You have to think about the general population. The majority of people in the US, Europe, and Asia are fair-skinned. These are also the areas of the world that are most likely to have MAC counters or stores and have people that are able to buy their products. It is also a fact that most industrialized civilizations have people with light to medium skintones. So it would make the most sense to large cosmetic companies to make shades that will actually sell. Which means they wouldn’t make a shade range that included mostly darker shades (although I do agree that they should have included at least a medium-dark shade).2. Also people with darker skintones, in my opinion from having many darker complected friends, tend to not have as many skin imperfections as fair-skinned people do or if they do it is generally a lot less noticeable. So they, in turn, are less likely to need to use foundation.I hope this doesn’t upset anyone, I was just stating my opinion.

xamyx Avatar

I’m so glad someone pointed out the elephant in the room. I’ve been going in circles trying to address this issue without offending anyone. I, too, have had many friends, classmates, coworkers, etc, that were WoC, and I honestly don’t remember any of them wearing any foundation, nor did they need too. I’ve also seen “ethnic” lines shut down, I’m assuming due to lack of sales, as every other counter remained. I grew up in Oakland, CA & Los Angeles, so these are markets that serve a wide spectrum of skintones. My guess is that MAC just doesn’t think this product will sell to women with deeper complexions. I get that many WoC are feeling left out, but I also wonder how many of these same women would actually purchase this product, were it available in a suitable shade, and how many are just upset on principle.

blueraccoon Avatar

xamyx Um…isn’t it possible that the WoC women weren’t wearing foundation because they couldn’t find it in a suitable shade? Women don’t *have* to need to wear makeup in order to want to wear it – just because someone has perfect skin doesn’t mean she can’t or shouldn’t wear foundation on occasion.

xamyx Avatar

I’m just pointing out observations I’ve made over the years. I’ve also seen brands specializing in deeper skintones close counters, I’m assuming due to a lack of sales, being as, with the exception of foundations, many brands offer cosmetics for all skin tones. I would *think* foundations would be a big draw, were that an issue. As for not finding a “match” as being the reason for not wearing foundation, based on conversations I’ve had, it just seemed to be a product the women I’ve known were not interested in. Honestly, if I had flawless skin, I wouldn’t bother with it, either; I would just apply all of the money I’ve spent trying to find a foundation that matched to other products. I’m probably the last person to defend MAC, but I believe they just don’t think enough people with deeper skin tones would buy it to make it cost effective.

Walker29 Avatar

Actually many women of color deal with hyper pigmentation, dark circles, darkness around the mouth, uneven skin tone, acne, etc. the one thing you may see less of is redness, though it can still occur, because most of it is hidden by the deeper pigmentation. The thing to point out is that there are women fair & dark who don’t wear makeup and those who choose to as well. WOC also need sun protection and a BB cream (the Americanized versions anyway) would be perfect to even out skin imperfection more naturally than a full foundation. Most WOC fear foundations because a lot of brands still haven’t gotten their shades right and they turn ashy and grey on deeper skinned people. There are definitely some brands that don’t even bother trying to cater to anything past a Medium skin tone (….ahem, Neutrogena) but MAC usually isnt one of them. I assume the Medium-Deep Dark shades to follow in the future. Unfortunately women like me will just have to wait.

Lynn561 Avatar

They aren’t wearing it because they cannot find their shade is a possibility. Au natural can be better than mis matched foundation. And some sort of foundation, even if it is a tinted moisturizer is usually an improved appearance for most women, including WOC.

jktoml Avatar

@allinicole 1. The general population is not fair-skinned, especially this pale.  Whites are not officially the minority in the US, only northern and central Europeans are white, and only northern Asians are light skinned.  Also, there ARE people in many countries in Africa who buy makeup.2. Darker skin is more likely to be thicker skin– IE more prone to hyper pigmentation. The whole point of beauty balms in the first place was to treat skin imperfections such as acne and pigmentation.

jktoml Avatar

@allinicole Also, this isn’t a foundation, so the comment that women of color tend not to have as much acne (not categorically true by the way) doesn’t really apply to something that isn’t high coverage.

queen_frostine Avatar

@allinicole But not even all white people in Europe and North America are as pale as Light Plus.  I might take your point if they stopped at Medium, but Light Plus is going to be too light for many especially in the summer time.I fall between Light and Light Plus so this shade range is fine for me, but I don’t know how I feel about anyone darker than me being too dark for a product.

Kas Avatar

@allinicole i’m sorry but your comment about “areas of the world that are most likely to have MAC counters or stores and have people that are able to buy their products. It is also a fact that most industrialized civilizations have people with light to medium skintones” – are you serious? What kind of theory links skintones to industrialised civilisations? It’s almost akin to saying those with fair skintones are smarter, more hardworking and richer. No matter how I try to read your comment, it really doesn’t make sense. I don’t mean to offend you either. 

Rachelcarlene Avatar

@Kas I think she was trying to note that there are more industrialized cities in north america, asia, and europe than in south america and africa.

blueraccoon Avatar

I”m pretty pale, so one of these shades would probably suit me (no idea which). But my best friend is black, and wouldn’t be able to wear ANY of these, and I’m staying away on principle. Why should I support something that’s purposely excluding over half their market and *any* WOC? I’m not against them having shades for extra-fair–believe me, I get it, it’s hard for me to find foundations and concealers too, but just pretending women of color don’t exist isn’t right.

Miss J Avatar

I don’t have a problem with having the extra-light, light, and just a bit darker than light…but…what about medium, medium plus, dark, deep, etc. I know there is never going to be an exact match for each and every person, but there should be enough in undertone and range that people can at least mix for f***s sake. What the hell can ya mix out of light, lighter, and lightest? LOL. 

Angelcat47 Avatar

The first thing I thought was why nothing for darker tones..how exclusionary and what a message to send(I am white and light skinned).The second? I don’t think the product matches the model’s skintone(look at her ear and compare it to her face).How deliciously ironic!!

jktoml Avatar

Wow. I am not going to support MAC anymore after seeing this shade range. YES EVERYONE, pale colors are hard to find (I’m NW10).  But dark ones are JUST AS, if not MORE, difficult to find.  Yes, BB creams are usually too dark for many.  But they are too light for many as well.  Honestly, very pale people always go on and on about how many different shades of pale there are– yellow, pink, neutral, etc.  Yet they don’t realize that it’s the same with darker skin.

xamyx Avatar

Speaking only for myself, and from experience, I *do* realize there are those with darker skin who have a tough time finding foundation shades that are suitable, but we pale women have it just as hard. The biggest difference, though, is that many brands over the years have launched lines for WoC, but I can’t think of one that was exclusive towards pale women; this is actually a first. Unfortunately, many of the lines launched for WoC didn’t last, for whatever reason, but I feel many on this board are resenting this launch. In the area that I live in, many of the drugstores are doing away with the pale foundations, and unless I scour different areas of the city, I’ll have to go HE, which I don’t want to do, or order online, again, something I’m not looking forward to. I think it’s fair to say that *every* skintone has some degree of difficulty, for whatever reason, and we all have to work around it.

Carly Malm Avatar

I really hope that they expand the shade selection because that limited range which only caters to pale people simply isn’t acceptable.

Eriin Foley Avatar

maccosmetics.com will have a 2 month preview before it goes to stores. Even though there’s only three shades, the “Light Plus” is pretty dark, and I would probably end up wearing that on myself(I usually wear Medium Dark). MAC is known for having a very extensive shade range in their products and I’m sure they will work on shade extensions for this line.

queen_frostine Avatar

If this was an Asian release I’d totally get the color range.  Apart from being fair to medium complected, it’s fashionable in Asia to strive to be paler than you are.  Whitening ingredients are all the rage over there and all of the BB creams are light in color.But for an international release?  Yes, I get that there are a lot of white people in the European and North American markets and that the really dark foundation shades don’t sell as well, but light plus (at least if it’s the same shade as Light Plus MSFN) seems like it could be too pale even for Latinas and Southern Europeans.  

rachelmarie Avatar

There could be a lot of different reasons.. maybe there isn’t enough of a market for dark skintones, maybe the ingredients don’t work well on darker skintones..they are traditionally supposed to be lightening ?

uzilolita Avatar

Coming from a dark skinned african american girl that loves high end cosmetics. Im used to this… as is alot of WOC. I just want to know one thing: Why cant companies make skin colors for all woman (or men) and not pick one and exclude the other??

xamyx Avatar

Believe me, if MAC thought they could turn a buck by making this product in purple or green, they would. For whatever reason, they don’t think they can make enough profit by offering this in deeper shades. Maybe they don’t think the high SPF will appeal to those with deeper skin tones, or it doesn’t work well with deeper shades? I don’t think anyone is saying WoC are an “unmarketable” demographic.

Jessica Avatar

It’s funny to me that anyone would think that women of color aren’t a
marketable crowd. MAC always seems to make shades for darker skinned
women, so obviously they make a profit off of these people. MAC, it
seems to me at least, is always the main foundation black women like to
wear!  Every time I go to Wal-Mart or Target (in Las Vegas), the foundation I do wear, Revlon Colorstay in caramel for oily/combo
skin is ALWAYS sold out, and if it’s there, they usually have 2 or 3
bottles, tops. So there is definitely a market in deeper shades.
Northern/Central European whites  and East Asians may be light skinned
and do account for a sizable share of the consumer public, but most people
in the world are darker than the shades this BB cream comes in
(Hispanics, Indians, Africans, Blacks, Southeast Asians, Southern
European whites, Middle Easterners, etc). It’s still a strange departure from how MAC usually operates.

Walker29 Avatar

More than likely MAC is in the process of formulating darker shades. Adding pigment to products can get tricky and the last thing they would want to do is release a formula too fast that turns WOC grey or ashy. Since MAC prides itself on being all inclusive I have to believe that they are working on it. So why not just wait and release them all together? Well in a business sense I think MAC had to jump on the BB bandwagon while the craze is still going hot.

zaara Avatar

i honestly think mac’s version of BB Creams is a marketing gimmick. These do not seem to be skincare + makeup qualities like traditional bb creams. there’s nothing in the description about anti-aging properties, or blemish control. its just emollients + spf. and w/no color range…..PASS.

18thCenturyFox Avatar

I realized I have completely been song these as tinted moisturizers- which really isn’t what I want! I’ve been using Dr. Jarts & EL. What’s a good example of a BB that actually performs a service to the skin? I’m feeling like such a rube.

Rachelcarlene Avatar

BB creams are supposed to brighten and whiten complexions. I wonder if they would even work on WOC? And if there is a hole in the market for light shades of BB cream then I am not offended by MAC trying to fill it. There are tons of medium shades in other brands of every price point.

Rachelcarlene Avatar

@Kas perhaps mac already knows they won’t “color perfect” or “even out skin tone” on darker skin and thats why they didn’t make them? Its possible the ingredients aren’t strong enough to work on more pigmented skin.. just brainstorming 🙂 

Kas Avatar

why is everyone getting it the other way? NO ONE IS SAYING MAC SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE THESE FAIR SHADES. All that is being said is that MAC SHOULD HAVE MADE MORE SHADES TO COVER A LARGER SPECTRUM OF SKINTONES; that’s all. The argument has needlessly degenerated into “its unfair and fair to so and so”

KarmaCCBBarbie Avatar

I completely understand everyone’s point of view on this topic. In my own Opinion, I understand that MAC is trying to jump on the BB cream trend while its hot, however even if they are in the process of formulating one for WOC, they ALL should be released AT THE SAME TIME, is how I feel. 

Alex Avatar

I’m a NW40-45 and at first glance felt insulted that MAC only offered 3 shades in this particular product. I have always been able to rely on them when it came to products for my natural or sun kissed tone during the summer. However I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t care and that with MAC I have nothing to be insulted about because they have always delivered in the color range arena and as long as this situation is a one time offense then I will be happy to remain a MAC consumer. Lastly, lets not make this a color issue. It is hard for people who are fair and those who are dark to find their appropriate foundation.

Sarah Avatar

Wow, maybe finally a non-Asian brand will have a light enough color for me (I’m a little leery of buying from ebay). I’ve wasted a bunch of money on BB creams made by Garnier, Vichy, Boots, etc. already. They all look medium orange on me. BTW I think it’s silly to seek validation from a brand (especially one that does in fact offer a wide range of colors in many other foundations). If I went by that rule, I would’ve sworn off 90% of the brands I’ve tried foundations in!

MACArtistBoy Avatar

What is it?
Tinted moisturizer with a built in primer and sunblock protector!

Difference between P+P Beauty Balm and Studio Moisture Tint?
P+P BB Creme is meant for more Oily combination skin and someone with sensitive skin, while the moisture tint is more for someone with dryer skin.

Love this product, but bummed that it only comes in 3 extremely light shades! At the counter majority of the customers are Light Plus I rarely use the other lighter shades! But in all honesty it’s an amazing product! I’m an nc40 in MAC foundations or a C4 in Face & Body foundation and I mixed the light plus with and it creates such an amzing finish!!!! Although, these products may not suit my coloring or other deeper tones, you can customize them by using a concealer/foundation to suit your coloring!

Key Claims: reduces sebum by 10%. Enhnaces the wear of your foundation up to 8 hours. Evens out skin tone.

Naapio Avatar

How did this discussion become such a war zone?

As far as I know this is the same product that used to be available in only one colour. Now there are three. What I don’t understand is why is everyone so upset about this? The one colour solution did not match all. Nor do these three shades. But three matches are better than one, right? Now less people are being excluded than before but still some people apparently manage to see it as a direct attack against them that they were the ones that were excluded.

Also for me MAC nc15 is too dark so a launch with pale shades is very good news indeed. I have noticed that many women complain that physical sunscreen with ingredients like titanium or zinc oxide leaves a white cast to their skin. This was never an issue for me because, hey, I’m just that white. But I think this is the main reason companies are having such a hard time coming up with darker colours in their BB creams.

I’m currently sitting at home testing extra light on one side of my face and light on the other and I honestly can’t say I see much of a difference between them so not much pigment at all to speak of.

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