Skip to Content

MAC Concealer review: is this the best concealer ever?


Are you looking for a concealer and wondering if the Pro Longwear concealer is worth buying? In my MAC Concealer review we’ll have a look at if it’s worth your precious money.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

Before I was a certified make-up artist I didn’t know how I could camouflage my dark undereye area. So I went to a MAC Store to ask for advise. 

To keep a long story short, they basically told me MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Concealer is the best concealer to buy if you want the most natural coverage

MAC Concealer before & after blog
Is this the best MAC concealer ever?

Why is it the best MAC concealer?

The MAC ProLongwear Concealer is considered as one of the best MAC concealers because it’s a great lightweight fluid concealer with a natural finish. Especially when you have skin discolouration and under eye circles.

Claims:

  • Long-wearing, 24 hours
  • Non-setting/non-creasing, non-streaking, non-caking
  • Water-resistant
  • Sweat and humidity resistant
  • Transfer-resistant
  • Mouth mask friendly 

Right now, the Pro Longwear Concealer is 1 of my favorite concealers. It is a great product and easily blends with my skin tone. 

Where can you buy this MAC Concealer?

You can buy MAC Pro Longwear concealer at:

Mac Pro Longwear concealer review
This is 1 of the most popular MAC products: the Prolongwear Concealer

“A lightweight liquid concealer that provides full matte coverage for up to 24 hours. This pro concealer gives a smoother, flawless look to skin.

Long-lasting full-coverage formula with a comfortable matte finish. Helps to conceal blemishes, dark spots and undereye circles.”

Mac Cosmetics

It’s available in 16 different shades with a cool or warm undertone:

  • C = Cool (more yellow undertone)
  • N = Neutral (yellow and pink balance)
  • W = Warm (more pink/red undertone)
  • NC = Neutral Cool (yellow, golden or olive undertones)
  • NW = Neutral Warm (pink, rose, red skin undertones)

I ended up buying NC42 after I was advised to buy this color. They told me it’s a great color match with my golden yellow skintone.

Pro longwear concealer NC42 swatch
This is 1 pump which is enough for my needs. By the way: never test a concealer on your hand, because the color of your hand almost never matches your face. Therefore, the color NC42 does not match the color of my hand either.

I have a combination skin with some dry patches here and there, especially when it’s cold outside. Still, this concealer performs well during fall and winter season.

According to MAC Cosmetics this concealer is also a good match for sensitive skin, because it’s Dermatologist and Ophthalmologist tested and free of:

  • Fragrance and gluten.
  • Oily Ingredients.
  • Microplastics.
  • Parabens, sulfates and phthalates.
  • Alcohol, acetone and ammonia.
  • Kerosene

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer review

I mainly use this concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes. It’s very lightweight and because it gives a medium to full coverage, I don’t have to use a lot. Just a small amount of concealer and I’m good to go. 

It’s practically invisible and what I love about this MAC product is that it doesn’t crease under my eyes. Also, it has a perfect natural matte finish without looking cakey.

MAC concealer before
Before without any concealer or make-up

Although the Pro Longwear Concealer comes in a small glass bottle, you don’t need much product. A little goes a long way because you only need a thin layer. 

I only press the pump dispenser once and the amount of concealer I get is enough. Again, the MAC Pro Longwear concealer is very fluid and gives you a fully buildable coverage. So you only need a tiny amount in most cases.

If you have skin discoloration you’ll probably need more than 1 pump. Also, I’d advise you to use a color corrector before using a concealer.

MAC recommends the following usage:

  • Apply to blemishes with a concealer brush (preferably the 242 Synthetic Shader Brush).
  • Use a tapping motion for fuller coverage.
  • Set with the powder of your choice.
  • Apply to undereyes with a blending brush (preferably the 217 Synthetic Blending Brush).
  • Use a circular motion for a softer, diffused look.
  • Set with the powder of your choice.

If you prefer you can also use a beauty blender to perfectly blend the concealer with your skin.

MAC concealer review
Left side face: without concealer | Right side face: with 1 pump of concealer

My negative Pro Longwear Concealer Experience

This MAC concealer comes in a clear glass vial. This gives you a good opportunity to assess the various shades. However, the glass packaging is also one of the downfalls.

The issue I have with the glass vial is that it can break easily when you accidentally drop it on the floor (imagine bathroom floor tiles). Sadly, I experienced this just after buying a new concealer. Horror! 

Another drawback of the Pro Longwear Concealer is the pump dispenser. If you ask me, it has 2 disadvantages:

  1. too much concealer comes out. Also very quickly.
  2. You cannot unscrew the matte black pump. So when there’s still some residue left you won’t be able to get it out.

Edit: I came across this video that shows a hack to remove the pump. This might be useful to some of you:

MAC has been using this pump dispenser for some time and people have been complaining about it for years. Until this day it doesn’t seem they’re planning to change it any time soon.

Is this a reason you shouldn’t buy this MAC product? No, absolutely not. Especially when you look at all the other benefits:

  1. it gives a natural look,
  2. it’s long lasting,
  3. doesn’t crease and set into your fine lines,
  4. it’s lightweight
  5. and suitable for sensitive skin.
MAC pro longwear pump
I think it’s a shame that you can’t remove the pump of the Pro Longwear Concealer easily.

Is this the best concealer ever?

In summary, the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer is currently one of my favorite MAC products. It stays put and doesn’t set in fine lines.

When I’m wearing it on my face, It’s very liquid and easy to distribute. It doesn’t get cakey and people don’t notice it all, due to the natural matte finish.

Yet, this concealer isn’t a good choice for everyone. In some cases you’re better off using a different product or even different brand:

MAC_Cosmetics_concealer pro longwear before and after.jpg
The result looks very natural. It doesn’t look like I’m wearing any concealer. That’s how I I prefer it. If you want more concealing power, add a first layer mixed with a correcting concealer. Also add a second layer of pro longwear concealer.

Ingredients

Cyclopentasiloxane, Water\Aqua\Eau, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Peg/Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Tribehenin, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Methicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Laureth-7, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sorbic Acid, [+/- Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499)] <ILN36644>

Others also read

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.