Hey, everyone! I'm finally ready to present to you my two favorite powder foundations which I've used for a year now. They're both almost empty so you can see I've used them well enough to make this review and comparison. Are you ready?

Presenting... from the imaginary blue corner at the left side, weighing 15 g, made in the U.S.A., a one-step powder and foundation that provides a smooth, flawless, all-matte, full-coverage finish; claims to be long-wearing with velvety texture that allows skin to breathe, and available in a wide range of colors... MAC STUDIO FIX POWDER PLUS FOUNDATION!


And from the imaginary red corner at the right side, weighing 15 g, made in Taiwan, a high quality cake foundation which can be applied wet or dry, containing Vitamin E that nourishes and softens skin, with UV-protection and oil-control... FANNY SERRANO TWO-WAY CAKE FOUNDATION!

Are you ready to rumble? Let's do this!


I was matched to an NC30 for the MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation and I find that the Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation in Chino blends and "disappears" on my skin. I hit the pan with the MAC one after having used it almost daily for 5 months straight and I hit the pan with the Fanny Serrano one in just 2 months of continued use! From then on, it should take roughly 1.5 months until it's completely empty I think.


I hardly use the sponge that came with these two compacts and it's only when I want to blot out my face and I happen to have the compact with me. Take note that I use my favorite Sigma F80 Kabuki brush when I apply this on my face. I need medium to heavy coverage because of my acne and blemishes. Sometimes I spritz some water onto the brush before taking some powder.


Both of these compacts are marked with their  batch/production code/numbers at the back. The MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation I got reads AC2, which means that it was a first batch run (A: first batch, B: second batch, and so on...) from a production in December (1: january, 2: february, 3: march, 4: april, 5: may, 6: june, 7: july, 8: august, 9: september, A: october, B: november, C: december) in the year 2012 (the last digit represents the year of production). I bought this MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation at Rustan's in Ayala Cebu last March 2014. For the Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation, there's the LOT# as well as the manufacturing date of April 30, 2013. I actually bought this first back in October 2013. When buying makeup (or any product for that matter), remember to always look for batch/production codes to avoid buying counterfeit products or fakes.


As you can tell by their packaging, these two products are very similar in appearance. But when you swatch the products, here's where the difference is pretty obvious. Even though both of them are finely milled, you can see that the Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation is not quite packed or "pressed" as the MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, which is the reason why I think I hit the pan with it quickly because there is a major tendency to take a lot of the product out and with me using a brush all the time, well, it's not the most economical method, is it? Anyway, both of these products are buildable and when applied right you can layer it on without looking cakey. Just remember to blend, blend, blend...

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NC30

Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation in Chino

Now for the price. You can get the MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation for only $27 plus tax in the U.S. but here in the Philippines, Rustan's retails them for Php 1,800! You can also get it from online sellers starting from Php 1,500. On the other hand, if your budget just won't allow it, the Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation is the perfect dupe and also comes in various shades to complement the Filipina skintone (from pink to yellow undertones!). The compact sells for only Php 399.00 at SM! And best of all... it also comes in refills!




But here's the deal breaker for me now that I have fully tested these two products. The Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation is what I reach for when I'm off to a quick errand, when I'm going to buy some groceries or go to a doctor's appointment, or even when I bring my son to school. After application without face primer, it lasts approximately 3-4 hours (depending on the humidity) until I get shiny. (Note: Oily, acne-prone skin here!) However, if I want a long-lasting base, like when I know I'll be out and about for more than 6 hours or if there's a special event I'm going to, then I have to use the MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation because even with my oily skin there is absolutely no need for a retouch. I just blot the oil and I'm good to go. Even without primer! You can most likely extend the hours of use of both products if you use a makeup base or primer.

Bottomline: I would use the Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation during the daytime (since it has SPF!) and the MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation at night because it is more flash photography-friendly. No white cast whatsoever!

And now for some selfies and #FOTDs...

Using MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation because it’s not just so you can hide your imperfections but it’s something you can use to bring out the best in you… So you can be who you want to be and become who you are meant to be.

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NC30

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NC30

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NC30

Probably my worst breakout *EVER*! Using Happy Skin ZZ CREAM, Naturactor cover face, and Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation in Chino

Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation in Chino

Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation in Chino

Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation in Chino

Depending on the ambient light, it looks like my skintone changes. But I'm actually using the same shade of powder foundations and it really blends well with my oily skin. Note that the Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation actually contains parabens. Some people believe that may increase your risk of breast cancer, but then again parabens have been found by the FDA to be safe for use in cosmetics, and it also says that, based on the weight of all the current scientific evidence, there is no reason for consumers to be concerned about the use of products containing parabens, because after all these prevent the growth of microbes in cosmetics. It can, however, be absorbed by the body. So yeah, just a word of caution for all those who may be concerned. I would love to go organic and all natural if I could, but that means shorter shelf life and more expensive products. I guess I'll take my chances. Tee hee.

Both MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation and Fanny Serrano Two-way Cake Foundation contain talc in the ingredients which can clog pores. So at the end of the day, JUST BE SURE TO REMEMBER: ALWAYS WASH YOUR FACE OR CLEAN IT before hitting the sack. :)

I hope you find this blog post helpful and please leave a comment if you have any makeup products you would like for me to review or make comparisons of. Thanks for reading and dropping by my blog!



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I woke up today with a lot of things to do. Actually, I woke up to the sound of my dad's voice calling us for lunch and since our fan got busted while we were sleeping, it was pretty darn hot in the room although I could see the skies were pretty gloomy outside the window. Noodle Boy and I hurried downstairs and halfway through half-awake chewing, I listened to a news bit tuned on TV as a familiar name kept being mentioned. So I asked after swallowing hard a mouthful of juicy grilled tuna belly, "What's up with Steve Jobs?" He resigned from Apple 6 weeks ago, the iPhone 4S has been launched, so what could the commotion be about?

My dad spoke in a very matter-of-fact way, "Namatay na." (He's dead.) NO F*CKING WAY! I had to hold back my tears, rushed to finish my meal, and ran towards the nursery where my baby boy, the Little Mao, was waiting to be fed. As I was about to start breastfeeding, Noodle Boy handed me my iPhone saying, "I think you need this. Your idol has passed away." Good God! I still refused to believe it. I didn't know what he wanted me to do with the phone really and obviously, I wasn't prepared for the waves of tweets about Steve Jobs' death.

I took the iPhone, laid down beside Mikko to feed him, and launched HootSuite to read the news. Steve Jobs was ill, everybody knew that. I just didn't think he'd be gone this soon. Tweet after tweet, it was confirmed. Then the hot tears started streaming down my face. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME? I don't know the guy personally and we're not related. SO WHY THE F*CK AM I CRYING?!?!?

Noodle Boy wrote his condolence on my wall. That did it! I bawled like I lost a dear friend or an uncle. Mikko was oblivious of course as he was drifting to sleep but I was sobbing like a mad woman whose latest LV bag was just snatched.


I'm sad. Very, very sad. No amount of words can explain how sad I am... as sad as all the Mac evangelists and Apple fanboys and fangirls out there. I could hear the rain pour tremendously outside and I guess the skies were also pretty sad about the news today. Noodle Boy asked what we should do... Umm, apparently, saying a prayer is all there is. And yes, as a gesture of thanks and sign of respect to this great man, I said a prayer for Steve and turned off all my iDevices for an hour. Truly saddened by his death. :(


I asked Noodle Boy to play his guitar as we sang "LET IT BE" and "IMAGINE" by the Beatles. Truly a sad, sad day. It's dusk and I haven't done anything but read about Steve Jobs, cry some more, watch videos, and wonder if there will ever be another innovator like him. Ironic that Einstein died in 1955, the same year Jobs was born. So maybe this year, 2011, someone will be born to be this generation's genius, hero, entrepreneur, technologist and visionary, master inventor, master marketer, business magnate, rock star CEO, and so much more.


Still, WHY AM I SO FREAKIN' AFFECTED? We're not even remotely related! I don't know the man personally, I haven't seen him in real life, and he will never know who I am! This is crazy...!!!

But speaking of crazy, it was Steve Jobs who once said, "Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”



So what Steve Jobs really do to change my life? Well, he made me believe in crazy really. They say there's a fine line between genius and insanity, so I tend to entertain ideas that are really far-fetched and try to make something out of it. Creativity, in other words. Especially when using Apple products, like the Mac. There is simply no limit to what YOU can create it. (The evangelist in me speaks!) But I'm not going to convince anyone anymore. ALL my friends have seen what it did to me... and now they're all switching!

Thank you, Steve! Your legend will live on...

P.S. Tonight I'm going to watch the Pirates of Silicon Valley. In memory of my idol, Steve Jobs.

xoxo,

Around Christmas time last year, my friend Claire asked me to get her a white Macbook. I told her it wasn't a good time to buy it because there's a new model coming out and well, if you're familiar with Apple, you know what happens when there's a product upgrade. Cheaper prices, much better features coming up next, etc... so she waited.

Summer came and she asked me again if prices have gone down or if it was time to buy one. I told her... "Wait for it..." 

Then a few days ago I told her about the education promo and told her it was such a good deal. So we finally bought one.

With all the waiting and anticipating, I present you Kleng and her new macbook (which she hasn't given a name yet!)...





That's an ear to ear smile she got there! See what I mean? Oh, the joy! And the unboxing scents... ahhh, it's heaven. I just love the smell of Apple products first time out of the box. I mean, doesn't everyone? ;)



It's the new model, almost the same specs as my Mickey! And better battery life, too! Booo!



Oh, the pleasure of helping out somebody make a switch to Apple. HAHAHAHA! (Spoken like a true fangirl?)


I just love showing people the way of the mac. I should work as an Apple Genius. Really. I must admit I am a convert, all because I think that a mac makes everything so easy and you get to finish your work faster... and boy, does it unleash creativity... ^_^ Plus, you gotta hand it to them. It's a work of art... it's just beautiful.

End of blog post. Time to work now. Ciao!

This is officially my last blog via Maki. *sniff*sniff* (Drama mode!)

I really hate goodbyes. But nothing lasts forever. We all know the constant thing in life is change (death and taxes being unavoidable, the latter though a little debatable) and you know, I don't really lose hope. I've always been the optimistic kind... most of the time anyway. That as long as we have life, there is always that light at the end of the tunnel.

I cried my eyes out last night while backing up and deleting files. How corny is that?! I'm being sentimental. So give me this chance!

Either that or I'm just a wee bit worried my external drive wouldn't have enough space. :P

It's actually a mixed emotion. I'm happy as well because it's time to move on. Meaning there will be a lot of new stuffs to look forward to!

Anyways, what I'm really trying to accomplish here is prioritizing things in life. I'm starting my New Year's Resolution early so yeah, this is basically like cleaning out my closet once more. That is, getting rid of all the things that will just set me back from becoming more financially responsible. So out with the old...

I'm predicting that in 2010 there will be quite a lot of fireworks in my life. :) And the major reason of it all: Noodle Boy is coming home! Time to declutter and conquer my mess! Bwahahahaha! And I have less than a month to get everything in order... Sheeesh.

But hang on a minute, why do I feel like I'm having a garage sale of all my gadgets? Maybe because... I AM! The material girl in me is screaming like hell right now. But I shall not be bothered. This is for my own good. I got to stop (if not tame) the shopaholic in me. Gotta curb that impulse! We already have so many projects outlined for next year, and in order to succeed I need to get rid of all the negative vibes especially the things I can live without.

I can sum up everything in my mind right now in one word: REALITY. And yeah, it bites.

But there is one thing in my life though that's very dominant now that I cannot live without... and there's no way I'll be letting that one go. Hmm... You'll have to tune in to find out! ;)

Coming soon.