MAC Prep + Prime Skin Smoother Review

The MAC Prep + Prime Skin Smoother is MAC's new offering - a makeup primer in a compact.  It has been touted as a product similar to the Mally Poreless Face Defender. They might be similar at first glance, but having tried these two, I'd say they are different. The MAC Prep + Prime Skin Smoother is supposed to be a skin perfecting primer that fills in fine lines and wrinkles, evens skintone and mattifies. Kinda like your gel silicone primer in solidified form and housed in a compact. The Mally Poreless Face Defender is more like a touch-up product that mattifies the skin and perfects makeup. So in essence, the MAC Skin Smoother is marketed as a product one uses before applying makeup, while the Mally Poreless Face Defender is applied after application of makeup.

Of course you can switch them and apply the Face Defender as a primer and the Skin Smoother as a touch-up product, but I do have a problem with that because their textures are very different. The MAC Skin Smoother is in solid form, yes, but when the product touches your fingers, your body temperature melts it, thus giving a very emollient, creamy texture. So it really just becomes a melted product that looks like the makeup primers we've often used. The Mally Poreless Face Defender is more dense, not emollient and doesn't melt in your fingers. Think of a deodorant - that's how it looks like, but in a compact:


Mally Poreless Face Defender

Why am I comparing these two products? People say they are pretty similar, but I beg to disagree, since they are marketed with different uses- one is a primer and one is a touch-up product.

As for the MAC Prep + Prime Skin Smoother, MAC recommends that fingers be used to apply the product, which is icky if you think about it, especially if you need to use it while traveling. However, I kinda prefer it for regular mornings at home, because I always wash my hands prior to makeup application anyway. The warmth of your finger helps to make the product easier to apply and blend on the face. It does make the pores appear smaller and it mattifies my oily T-zone, creating a flawless canvass for the makeup. It applies and performs like the Smashbox Photo Finish face primer in my experience, but the MAC Skin Smoother makes me look less oily as the day goes by. As for staying power, this product made my skin look great for at least 7 hours. I had to touch up on the 8th hour, but that's not bad at all. When I say touch-up, I only used oil-blotting sheets, and my makeup looks fresh and good again.

The only downside for me is that a day after I used this product, a really angry and painful cystic zit popped out of my right temple. I hope the Skin Smoother wasn't the cause of my break-out, but the timing is uncanny.

This product retails for $30 and contains HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Silica, T102, iron oxides, and MAC claims it also contains anti-oxidants.

The Shades Of U Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Note: Media sample was provided by a representative of the brand for consideration. All opinions are completely mine.