My Newest Winter Makeup Love!

My most recent articles have been very DIY-oriented and I think it is about time I get back on the review train.  I know I have previously mentioned that I am trying to stay away from spending money at Sephora and department store makeup counters until after Christmas, but only a few weeks ago I found myself at the MAC counter and I couldn't resist the urge to splurge!  Luckily enough for me, the product I bought has turned out to be a really great investment.  Let me introduce you all to MAC Fix+!

This may seem like glorified fragranced water masquerading as a makeup setting spray in a pretty bottle and, well, that's exactly what it is!  A DIY Fix+ would be extremely simple to make, but as with any DIY product, I think it's always a little more fun to try the real thing first.  It's better for comparisons that way!  The main ingredients are water and glycerin, which is what makes this formula so easy to mimic.  However, MAC's Fix+ does contain a few more skin-loving ingredients that would be a little harder to come by, such as panthenol (vitamin B5), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), and arginine (an amino acid).  I've used this both before and after I apply my makeup, and I prefer to use it before.  The name is a little bit deceptive as it doesn't really make your makeup last any longer, but it is a fabulous primer.  I titled this article "My Newest Winter Makeup Love!" because the moisturizing ingredients work wonders on flaky patches around my nose and chin that seem to come from nowhere this time of year.  I spray this on my face right after getting out of the shower and let it dry.  I hardly need any moisturizer after using it, which is a miracle in itself; but then it also creates a pretty great base for other products I use that day.  My skin is still a bit oily so using it after I have applied my makeup creates a dewy look that I'm not a huge fan of.  However, to those of you who have dry skin, this would look beautiful on top of your makeup!  Additionally, I have also sprayed it on my eyeshadow brush before applying my eye makeup and it increases the color payoff quite a bit, as you can see below!

The swatch on the left was made with a dry eyeshadow brush,
whereas the swatch on the right was made with a brush sprayed with MAC Fix+

One word of warning to those of you with sensitive skin is that MAC Fix+ does contain butylene glycol.  This ingredient is cosmetically safe  (read more about it here), but may cause minor irritation if you have very reactive skin.  But until you have actually tried it, I wouldn't count this product out just yet!