MAC Pro Longwear Concealer Review, Photos, Swatches
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
The Mysterious Case of Tired Face
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ($16.50 for 0.30 fl. oz.) has been a product I’ve felt compelled to test for the past two weeks straight. I don’t like to review a product until I have a good handle on how I feel about it, and I’m not big on reviewing anything that I’m waffling over.
Admittedly, I’ve been sleeping a lot less and not nearly as well as I usually do, which is good news for concealer-testing purposes, given that my under eye circles are more prevalent this week than they normally are! Often when I’m running on low sleep, I suffer from a phenomenon I’ve named TIREDFACE. The primary symptom is tightness around the eye area (at least for me). So, one of the things I’ve had going on has been this feeling of tightness when I’ve been wearing this concealer, and I wasn’t sure whether it was due to the concealer itself or more to the exhaustion. For about three days, I wore concealer under one eye and none under the other. The concealer does contribute to some of the feeling of tightness.
The concealer does last a miraculous twelve hours, though, without creasing or budging. It is a very dry product, and if you have a lot of dryness around the areas you’re trying to conceal, I think this may emphasize those areas rather than hide them. I felt like it pulled a little underneath my eyes (which is where I used it most of the time), which is why I felt that tightness despite no discernible dryness in the area. It conceals good, though for the heaviest of dark circles, it may not be enough, and it’s difficult to layer this product for additional coverage due to its fast drying time.
It has a creamy feel when dispensed, and it’s not too thick–there’s a good consistency to it, but it dries quickly, so you’ll have to work just as quickly. I actually recommend doing one eye at a time, because if you don’t move fast enough, it can be difficult to blend out! I also liked using a flat concealer brush like the 195 for application; the 217 seemed to sheer it out too much. I have noticed that it will settle a little into fine lines if you don’t blend out the area first. Once you’ve blended it out, though, it won’t creep back in.
I originally tried this in NC30, but it’s definitely a little on the orange side. I received a sample of NC20, so I figured I might as well give that a shot, though I’m ultimately thinking that NC25 or even NW25 might be the best match for me (I am NC25). NC20 seemed like a pretty good match, but next time I’m at the counter, I’m going to grab samples of NC25 and NW25 to see if either of those is a better match.
I was incredibly frustrated by the inclusion of a pump that–wait for it–pumps out enough to cover half your face in concealer. If the technology is not available to create a pump that easily distributes just enough for the product’s purpose, why use something inferior? It is certainly possible to get just the right amount out, but after two weeks of use, I couldn’t do so consistently. Sometimes I got just enough, sometimes a nice blob that went down the sink. If you’re having pump troubles like I have had, I recommend pumping once or twice into a small sampling jar. No need to pump it all into there, just whatever excess–that way you can go back and use that during the week and not let it go to waste.
All in all, this concealer does last all day long for me. It doesn’t crease later on during the day, and this is a big deal for a lot of us. I do feel a little tightness around my under eye when I wear this, though, so I probably won’t wear this every day. It’s definitely worth trying out for its long-wearing prowess–but if you can, grab a sample, so you can find your shade and decide if you like it without having to purchase from the get-go.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! 🙂
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 2/5
RECOMMENDATION: If you have really dry skin that you’re looking to use this concealer on, I think this may be too drying and end up just looking cakey on you. The wear of this is fantastic, and the coverage is good for light to moderate under eye circles or blemishes. If you have really heavy under eye circles, this might not be enough coverage. Overall, it’s worth a try, particularly if you’re able to grab a sample.
AVAILABILITY: Nordstrom
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
NC30: smoothed out, swatched heavily, one pump’s worth
The scary bare eye!
NC30 patted on — orange!
NC30 blended out
Bare / NC30
NC20
NC30 vs. NC20
This is what happens if you don’t blend the areas near fine lines first
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
I like it. I try to pump a little bit by pressing the pump down a bit a few times. When I do that, a little squiggle comes out eventually.
I returned it for a couple reasons.
1. Pump is awful.
2. NW15 was too dark for me, and there wasn’t a lighter option. The NW15 in Select Cover-Up works much better for me.
I probably would have returned it even if the color had been right though. The pump just wasn’t worth the trouble.
I did hear, at least with the foundation, that when NW15 was too dark, NC15 was perfect.
The MAC lady who was helping me with samples gave me two shades. I’m an NC35 but she also gave me NC30 because she said this concealer tended to dry darker. I also got samples of the select cover up in NC35 and honestly, the NC30 in pro longwear was almost the same shade as the NC35 select when it dried.
Ehm…can you actually return a product even if you opened/used it? I don’t think that is possible here…
Anyway I want to try this. I use select coverup in NC30. Too bad MAC shades are always too yellow (NC) or too orange (NW) for me 🙁
Yeah, I’ve never had a problem with it. I mean, they can’t sell it again (at least that’s what I assume and hope), but they’ll take it back/exchange it.
I got a sample of this and loved it. It’s now my Hg concealer. I use studio sculpt mixed with a little strobe cream all over my face and then the pro long wear concealer to cover the redness on my cheeks. Since trying this people have been saying my skin is really clear and glowing! I am going to pick the full size of this up tomorrow along with the 195 brush and the purple pigment from the Disney collection which launches in Ireland tomorrow woohoo
Nothing for me to try, then. (I have dry skin.) Thanks for saving me the purchase! 😛
i got a sample of this to test drive before i made the actual purchase. used it a few times. glad i got a sample.
it DOES last! it lasts forever. but i didn’t like the “tight” feeling you’re talking about. it made me very aware that i had something on my face. i felt like i had two bags of cement under my eyes all day – uncomfortable to the point of almost painful.
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who felt it… I was like, ergh no!
raaaa I have been suffering from tired face too! Yours isn’t nearly as bad as mine ^^ I picked up an NC20 last weekend over the counter and I really like it! I have psychotic combination skin that will go from combo/superdry to combo/oily, but it worked well for me while my skin was going insane this week. For the coverage and wear I thought it was easy enough to work with.
When I was at the counter, though, they said they didn’t have NC25 (I’m NC20-25) but the NC20 worked well on me as it seems this range runs a bit warmer already. Are NC25/NW25 even available? They seemed to suggest it went from 20 to 30! Hmm…
LOL! Tiredfaces unite!!
I can’t believe they don’t have NC25. WTF.
I think it makes your eyes look great in both colors! I wish I had your eyes, I have the most terrible dark circles ever. I am curious what mascara you use? Your lashes look really long!
I’m constantly testing out new mascaras – I think this is Fresh Supernova!
oh I am looking forward to your review!! This is on my list for next mascara purchase when mine runs out because of all the hype on you tube but your opinion would seal it!! 😉 (plus I love the pretty tube).
I LOVE Fresh Supernova! It’s awesome – get the small size from Sephora if you can and test it out. I’ve been using it for several years and it always go back to it if I happen to get curious about another mascara and stray. To me, it’s creamy and does not dry out my lashes or make them crispy.
looks nice! ^^
I just got this in the mail yesterday and it already went back today :/
I just doesn’t work with my skin.
And it smelt musty (you know like a wet dog smell lol) I don’t know if it was just the one I got or they all have that. I couldn’t get it off of me skin fast enough.
Nice finish–I might try out a sample next time I’m at MAC. Not like I don’t already have 50 million concealers in my stash…lol.
Christine, do you remember what mascara were you using in this review? It looks amazing!
I think it was Fresh Supernova, but I’m not really sure!
I agree with everything you said, the pump is a bigggg pain. I found that this concealer has a pretty unfortunate smell to it, which doesn’t bother me because its coverage makes up for it, but i think it might irritate some people. Kind of reminds me of old wet towels or something.
Yeah, it does have a bit of a chemical-y scent. Reminded me of Studio Sculpt foundation, which I couldn’t use, ’cause it STUNK!
Ahh, I totally smell the old towels thing! I thought it was my brush so I cleaned it, then I was smelling my hands thinking it was that, when I realized that the concealer was the culprit!!
I have very dry skin and I use this with no problems or flakeyness dryness and ive used it a good month now
I still don’t know how to feel about this product. I’m still hunting down my holy grail of undereye concealers. I’ll try it on this Sunday, but I need to know more before I invest $$$ into it.
I love the way NC30 looks on your skin. The fact that it has more orange means it’ll conceal darkness better. I think I’ll just try to get a sample on my next outing.
It looks really obvious, IMO! It’s like I tanned under my eyes, LOL.
I’m tempted to try this even with the annoying pump. I have been searching for years for a good concealer. Still can’t find anything with enough coverage.
Christine,
Which concealer would you say is your favorite so far?
theBalm’s Time Balm or Eve Pearl’s Salmon Concealer!
I really like the product, but not the pump so much… I’m always scared that I’m going to pump too much, but end up not pumping enough!
Do you think this would work for oily/combination skin? sometimes i notice that foundation, concealer, primers, etc still move around after so many hours. :/ Thanks Christine! 🙂
Yes, I do!
thanks for posting this! I’m trying to decide between NC20 and NC30 as well. MAC doesn’t make the pro longwear concealer in NC25, do they?
Apparently they don’t 🙁
Oi…staying far away from this one. I hate annoying pumps. (see: stay don’t stray) *shakes fist*
An NW concealer is best for under the eye. 🙂
Not for everyone – sometimes it can be too pink and give a gray cast 🙂
Oh that’s what I’d always been told. My bad.
i will be checking this out!
I hope you get your sleeping back to normal soon. I know how stressful it can be if aren’t sleeping well and then this feeds into the problem. Try watching TV with the lights turned off or dimmed with a warm non caffeinated drink. Know its a little bizarre but has helped me!
I just need to be better about bed times! Argh!
Thanks for the great tips about applying on one eye at a time & saving the overage in a sample jar. After reading your review I’m definitely going to ask for a sample before committing to full size. I did get a sample of the foundation NW20 so maybe I should wait and try the two together …
I had the same experience – the shades were noticably darker and more orange on me than corresponding shades in Select. I’m still testing it to see if it will replace my Select, but off the top of my head I doubt it will.
the pump IS awful!!! i’ve wasted so much of mine because some days i can get the right amount, other days my unsteady hands just bloop out way too much.
but, love the product.
I love this concealer I have oily upper and lower lid It matches my skin color perfectly and I don’t have that tight feeling your having I would buy this again,
love the post FAQS!
wow Christine, that works really well on you – it looks so natural, I can’t tell anything is there, which is unusual for a concealer. it’s a keeper! btw the NC 30 makes your skin/under eyes look the brightest and happiest :).
Thanks, Ashley!
Christine, you have absolutely no dark circles, you’re soooo lucky, im NC35 & ive had horrible dark circles since i can remember, ive tried a million concealers, the prolong is the only 1 that stays put for a long time & covers them 🙂 i use NW35 mixed with NC35 & just use a tiny bit on the circle, then i put mac prep&prime powder. when i got it i used a lot & it caked. Also thanks for the idea of placing the concealer in a sample jar, because the pump sucks.
Genetics play such a big role for dark circles 🙁 I’m very fortunate, but my sister has huge bags and large under eye circles (admittedly, though, she probably gets less sleep than I do, and has been on that less-sleep-is-more cycle for years now).
Yup, and for you, it could be even more convenient to just mix your NW and NC35s in a separate jar, that way you don’t have to mix them both every time. One pump is sooo much!
Mixing the 2 colours in a sample jar is a good idea but do you think it will dry out in the sample jar?
That’s why I mentioned to just do a little at a time – so you don’t let it sit for too long 🙂
I tried this in nc30 and felt it was too orange. It was also terrible on my dry skin. I did like the coverage though so I’m bummed it didn’t work.
If you haven’t returned it, you could try mixing a lil’ moisturizer with it when you apply it – might help!
I bought this product and have been trying to make up my mind on this. I think it is too drying for me. Agree with Christine on everything said. You must work fast with this product. It definitly pulled and dried the eyes for me and I am older. I did not like the plasticy smell to it either. It lasted a long time which for me is amazying and I sweat a lot. It did a better job at covering up my dark circles which my other mac concealors did not do. I am an NW20. I seems to go on so liquidy so fast but then it dries so fast.ugh……………
so ive been using this for about 2wks too…i actually like it better if i mix it with my moisturizer to make like an at home tinted moisturizer and it worked better that way…then after that was apply i would hit my dark circles and any blemishs and that help even it out..i agree i hate the pump too
I heard that this runs darker… and NC30 looks really orange.
Should I get NC25 instead of my usual color NC30?
Probably NW25. Apparently they don’t make NC25.
i love this concealer (also the matching foundation)! i find it doesn’t look cakey when applied with a sponge and as always moisturizing is key.
You DO NOT have dark circles!! So luckyyy!
I tried this concealor and was not fond one bit. It made my undereye area look gray
I got the NC-15 concealer and I am really pleased with the coverage. I have thinning skin around facial veins due to some medications I’m on and it covers all of the damage up! I do get what you mean by the tightness, but I think that’s a plus in my case. I haven’t had any problems with the pump, but since of the face damage I have to use a lot. Overall, I like this concealer a lot more than other cheaper finds.
wow you’re a lucky girl.. you don’t need concealer at all under your eyes, you barelly have bags!!
Thank you, Isa!
i wear nc35 in studio fix i do have awful dark circles under my eyes i have tried everything so now im going to try pro long wear should i use the nw20 or nw25
NW25
Currently this is my hg concealer. Good coverage and it lasts. The MA gave me a sample of fast response eye cream to use before applying the concealer and I love it too.
This concealer is a great alternative to select cover up because i feel select tends to not be very flattering to dry skin under the eyes and pro long wear goes on alot smoother and doesn’t give as much of a “sandpaper” look. Great on the upper eyelid before a paintpot to give you that extra hold and create that blank canvas if you’ve got a big night ahead! Also if your finding its a little dry and it’s a little tight mix some fast response eye cream with it to give you a little more blending time or a little strobe to give you a little bit of a glow (wouldn’t recommend for everyday as strobe is very rich). Also try out the NW colours if you have more purple tinge under the eye the warmer tone tends to conceal better even if you maybe a NC foundation 🙂
christine; the NW range is more appropriate in the case of under eye concealers as said by one mac MUA; and that advice seems to work for Karen over at MBBB
I love this concealer, I find it does not smudge when I rub my eyes amd it wears beautifully!
Hi Christine. I really want to try out this concealer. I’m an NC25, but in concealer I wear select or studio finish in NW25. I’m not sure if I should order NC20 or NW 25 or both and mix?
P.S you have the most beautiful eyes!
I would say NW25!
Christine, I hope you read this (as I know it’s an old post now). I just bought this concealer last night from MAC online (I was suckered by the free overnight shipping, haha). I’m almost regretting this purchase because although I know that I’m an NW20 in foundation, I don’t know about this one. I read all of the comments and from what I gather, they don’t carry this line in all of the regular shades and it seems almost too dark for some people? Would you say that this concealer is true to color in comparison to the other concealers and foundations?
It seems to run a touch dark!
I really can’t say that MAC Prolongwear concealer is my favourite – it creases LIKE HELL under my eyes! I tried applying it so many different ways, meaning: with fingers (while blending), with fingers (while tapping), 187 brush, concealer brush, sponge, setting with translucent powder, with MSFs, applying moisturiser or under eye serum before it – nothing works. Anyone else having the same problem? I hoped this would be an amazing concealer – not really.
Thanks for the article. Most people swear by M.A.C. I purchased two bottles because they did not have it in my shade. I used a combination of NW 40 and 45. I applied the concealer under my eyes about 8:00 a.m. by the time I got to the office the concealer had dried to an almost cakey look. Thus, it showed lines I had know idea I had. By noon, it began to burn a bit under my right eye. I spoke with a M.A.C. consultant which stated to add moisturizer. I did this and the product turned black. By 5:00 p.m. I had racoon eyes. I was disgusted. I think M.A.C. is overated.
NC30 is definitely too dark for you. The whole point of under eye concealer is to brighten the area and in your case the NC30 is making it darker and orange. I feel it also dries my skin very badly and on a long term it’s probably very bad for your wrinkles.
You don’t even have undereye circles, you silly. You should see mine. You’d freak.
I like this product a lot but the pump drives me insane. I gotta find a sampling jar so I can take your suggestion.
I’ve got dry skin under my eyes but I love it and I don’t think it’s dry at all o_O
My skin is oily, acidic and acne prone skin. Do you think I can use it as foundation to cover under eye circles, discoloration, acne/pimple marks without being oily, cakey, thick or greasy? Will this last all day or at least 10 hours? I tried Revlon Colorstay Oily/Combination Foundation but after 6-10 hours my under eye circles and acne marks are visible.
@charjoyfebre I don’t have oily skin, so I can’t tell you based on experience – sorry!
hi christine 🙂 i just bought the studio finish concealer a few days ago in NW30, i wanted more coverage for my blemishes..does this work well on scars too? btw, should my foundation match my concealer? i’m new to MAC face products..and i’m clueless about how to match it…when i first bought the concealer, it seemed too dark for me, but it seemed fine in store..help?
@cookies george Usually people go maybe 1-2 shades lighter, and sometimes they go with the opposite tone – like if you’re NC, you might go with NW, and if you’re NW, you might go with NC. But people do stay within NC and NW if that’s what they are. The Studio Finish is better for scars, I believe!
@Christine (Temptalia) thanks for the reply! 😀 i’m a big fan and i always check out your posts…i can proudly say that i gained my confidence to walk into makeup stores (MAC) with enough knowledge (just so they wouldn’t bully me into buying extra stuff!)..i’m currently thinking about purchasing the real techniques brushes and the sigma ones too..it seems like a cheaper alternative to MAC..i just bought the eye blending brush a few weeks ago, it was pricey though. which brush brands do you prefer most? i’m sorry if i seem a little excited..haha..makeup is my new hobby 🙂
@cookies george Sonia Kashuk, ecoTools for some budget-friendly options. I like OCC’s brushes as well. I’ve heard good things about some of Sephora’s brush line, too 🙂
The brand I use and prefer most is MAC – I do think they’re good quality and have a good variety of shapes/sizes available. I’m not well-versed enough in brushes to definitively say they’re the best on the market, period!