MAC’s New Studio Radiance Serum

Jul 07, 2023

By Kara McGrath

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In a beauty industry that’s become a whiplash-inducing cycle of ephemeral trends and constant churn of daily new product launches, I’ve found myself desperately searching for brands that seem determined to slow things down. Although no one could accuse MAC of being anti-trend, the brand has some core formulations that it's stuck with for years, including the Studio Fix Fluid Foundation. It’s a classic for several reasons: full, long-lasting coverage, a sizable shade range, an oil-free formula that’s great for the acne-prone. But today’s makeup lovers, if they’re searching for foundation at all, are often looking for something sheer and lightweight that gives them a natural-looking glow.

Enter: MAC Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation, Studio Fix’s brand-new baby sister. It’s the brand’s first new liquid foundation in 10 years and, after testing it for a few weeks ahead of the launch, Allure editors (and some of our expert friends) have deemed it worth the wait. So much so that we’re naming it a One to Watch product, a title reserved for the products that get our entire office buzzing.

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This foundation launch follows a recent trend of brands that are known for matte products introducing new, glowier offerings. (Take, for instance, another One to Watch winner: Tarte Shape Tape Radiant Concealer.) “We’ve mastered matte with Studio Fix,” explains Teny Kureghian, global head of product development at MAC. “We leveraged our deep-rooted expertise in complexion to diversify our portfolio with Studio Radiance Serum Powered Foundation.” This diversification, she notes, was necessary to meet consumer demand for “glowing skin and a more natural, radiant finish.”

The biggest difference between this and other foundations, the brand says, is that it was formulated as skin care first. “A typical development would be you create a foundation, make sure it works as a foundation, and then you start to slowly introduce the skin-care ingredients until the formula is functional and then you stop,” says Kureghian. “We did it the opposite way. We developed a serum with our hyaluronic acid solution … then slowly started introducing all of the pigments and pearls to get it to become a foundation.” All of this backward engineering took over five years to complete, she says.

As one of those consumers who’s lost a taste for full-coverage, matte foundation, I was very happy to find that this formula was precisely what I expected it to be. (“Fingers crossed I like it!! It sounds like my exact type of foundation, so I think I will,” I messaged to the editor who asked if I would give the new launch a try.) Its texture is slightly thicker than a standalone hyaluronic acid serum, but it still easily melts into your skin, easily stretching a tiny pump of foundation to cover a large surface area. (I used three to four drops for my entire face.)

In keeping with MAC’s reputation for wide shade ranges, there are 56 “artist-curated” shades for this launch. As is typical for any self-respecting foundation these days, the product ranges not only from fair to deep but also offers a variety of warm and cool undertones at every shade level.

Studio Radiance’s length-of-wear claim is 12 hours, half of Studio Fix’s 24, which shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who’s familiar with glowy makeup: It looks great, but tends to require more touch-ups than something matte. Still, this stuff stays put relatively well; I can attest to at least 11 of that 12 hour claim.

As you’ve probably guessed — and Kureghian confirms — this formula is best for normal to dry skin. “If you’re very oily, this probably isn’t the one for you,” she says. If you’re hesitant because you get shiny in your T-Zone, know that this stuff plays well with powder, so you can always tone the glow down in the center of your face. Kureghian also notes that the brand tested the foundation alongside a dermatologist to ensure it worked well for all skin types. “Testing does show that it’s appropriate for sensitive skin and does not clog pores,” she says.

A bonus: The bottle can be brought back to a participating MAC counter for recycling via the brand’s long-running Back to MAC program.

Let’s get into that skin-care base, shall we? “[Studio Radiance] is powered by an 80% skin-care base,” Kureghian says. “It has 33 skin-care ingredients.” Of those 33, the ones the brand repeatedly points to are the 10% hyaluronic acid and olive and jojoba oils — all very familiar ingredients in the world of moisturizing skin care.

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Cosmetic chemist Amanda Lam tells Allure that the formula contains two different types of hyaluronic acid — sodium hyaluronate and hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate — with two different molecular weights, which is a good thing. “The combo of different molecular weights can be beneficial in boosting skin hydration,” she explains. She’s a fan of the high-in-fatty-acids olive and jojoba oils (“perfect for maintaining skin moisturization,” especially after you wash your face) but also calls out the PEG/PPG/polybutylene glycol-8/5/3 glycerin, “a glycerin-derived emollient” with humectant and emollient properties and “an excellent non-sticky feel.” That means your skin will feel nice and moisturized but not weighed down.

Lam also calls out the “plethora of silicones” MAC has included, which is why the formula offers such a nice, smooth finish that is resistant to creasing.

All this said: Don’t skip your usual skin-care routine just because you’ve bought this new, HA-packed foundation. Lam notes that it’s “questionable” that skin-care ingredients can have much benefit in color cosmetics “due to film-formers and pigments 'blocking' penetration ability.” However, consumer perception studies conducted by the brand seem to confirm that, at the very least, this stuff feels really nice on your skin. “I think MAC has done a nice job providing data to demonstrate the benefits of its product,” Lam says. (And, for what it’s worth, she’s personally a big fan. “I’ve been using the foundation every day and it has quickly become a favorite,” she reports.)

While 56 shades is nothing to scoff at, if you’re a superfan of Studio Fix Fluid, you might have noticed that this new launch has six fewer shade options. This, Kureghian says, is because Studio Fix Fluid has a more opaque base, which “impacts stretchability … so it requires a larger breadth of shade.”

With names like NW5 and NC38 (that’s Neutral Warm 5 and Neutral Cool 38) it’s a fairly straightforward range to navigate, especially if you already know what you typically wear in other MAC complexion products. While the sheerer base might mean you need to go a shade lighter or darker than your usual MAC foundation number, you’ll probably be pretty close. For instance, if you’re an NW45 in Studio Fix, Kureghian says you’re likely an NW44 or NW45 in Studio Radiance.

The dewy glow comes from “a cocktail of micro pearls” in varying combinations of silver, champagne, and gold depending on the depth of the base shade. “From NC5 to NC30, it’s silver pearlescent forward,” Kuregian says. “NC35 to NC65 is gold pearlescent forward.” She notes that this is because silver “really imparts radiance” on lighter skin tones, while gold imparts a warming radiance on deeper ones.

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Karol Rodriguez, a New York City-based makeup artist, confirms this logic is legit. “I use this approach to tailor highlighting on my clients,” they explain. “For lighter clients, I’ll opt for a more neutral or cool-toned highlight and for deeper clients I want to bring in that richness, so I’ll opt for a rich gold or even copper highlight. So I love this approach from MAC; it’s very artist forward which is kind of rare these days with makeup innovations.”

Although the formula is quite hydrating, Rodriguez suggests applying it on just-moisturized skin for the full glow potential, so I followed their instructions and put the foundation on ASAP after my morning skin-care routine. (Since, unlike Studio Fix, this formula doesn’t contain any SPF it’s particularly important to lay down your facial sunscreen first, too.)

Shade NC 14.5 was extremely close to a perfect match for my skin tone, but since I’ve gotten a little (just a little!) summer sun, I warmed it up by mixing in some NW15. I blended a pump of each shade together on the back of my hand, then swept it over my face with The Complexion Brush from Ami Colé (a dense-but-flexible angled brush very similar in design to the MAC 170 Brush that Kureghian says the brand’s artists have been recommending to use with the new foundation).

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Rodriguez also suggests using a large, fluffy brush if you’re going to apply the foundation with a tool, but notes that it goes on great with just your fingers too. “To avoid streaks when applying foundation with your fingers, always finish by tapping your face with the length (not just the tips) of your fingers,” they advise.

MAC Studio Radiance is marketed as a medium-coverage foundation, which I think is accurate: It definitely got rid of the red undertones in my skin, but still let my darker birthmarks shine through. “This foundation is very, very buildable, which makes it perfect to be your on-the-go foundation, your everyday foundation, and your going out foundation,” Rodriguez says. It is also G L O W Y — a look I personally love, but, as I mentioned earlier, you could easily tone down some of the shiny spots in the center of your face with a touch of powder if you prefer.

Studio Radiance played well with my usual undereye concealer (Huda Beauty FauxFilter Luminous Matte Concealer, to be specific). I tried it with both a powder and cream blush; both worked totally fine, but I preferred how the cream texture was more similar to the foundation’s finish.

I can confirm that it stays put all day, just like Kureghian says. On my first day testing, I applied it around 9 a.m., then wore it through the whole work day and to a sweaty, hour-long dance class in the evening. When I went to wash my face before bed — almost 12 hours after applying it — it was still pretty much intact.

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I am not a foundation person. The slightest bit of base makeup makes me feel like "something" is on my face that I must wash off. This serum-powered foundation melts into my skin like moisturizer, but has enough pigment to make my skin tone seem more even. I'm even able to layer a bit extra under my eyes to make my dark circles less obvious. I used the very dense Flat Top Brush from Wet n Wild to apply it.

The color match is also just what you'd expect from MAC, a brand that has been serving brown girls since the '90s. NW47 was it for me. Although I will say that the shade numbering system was a bit all over the place, so one number up or down was drastically too dark or too light. [Editor’s note: MAC says this is likely because the shades are named and organized by undertone as well as shade. For instance, NC55 is slightly lighter than NW45 on the shade assortment chart.] But once you find the right one, it's oh so right.

By Aliza Kelly

By Varuna Srinivasan

By Kara Nesvig

I'm not a foundation kind of girl. In fact, I'll go to great lengths to avoid the stuff because it's often too heavy and too full-coverage for my needs. If I'm going to put a complexion product on my face, it needs to feel like I'm wearing nothing while simultaneously having juuust enough coverage to balance out the redness on my cheeks and chin, plus the slight darkness under my eyes. And it needs to be quick and easy to apply with a brush or fingers. And it can't be too matte. And it can't slide or crease throughout the day. And it has to play well with all my other makeup. And it can't look obvious to the naked eye. It's a nearly impossible bar to meet, I know, but MAC's new foundation casually leapt right over it like an Olympic high jumper.

All I have to do is place one or two pumps onto my face, dip into it with a fluffy-but-firm foundation brush, like Danessa Myricks's Yummy Face All-Over Complexion Brush, and lightly tap it everywhere I want it before setting my problem areas — under my eyes, the creases on the sides of my nose, and my upper lip — with the tiniest bit of translucent powder. And that's really it; the first time I applied it, it literally took the span of a single Katy Perry hit. It's light-coverage enough that it doesn't require me putting other stuff like blush or bronzer over top (it lets just a little bit of my naturally rosy cheeks shine through, so it's like built-it blush for me), but you can do that, too, if you want to. As I write this, I think I might take back what I said at the beginning of this review... maybe I'm a foundation girl after all…

By Aliza Kelly

By Varuna Srinivasan

By Kara Nesvig

Lately, I’ve been skipping foundation altogether and opting for a decent-coverage, hydrating concealer instead. And when I do want an all-over base, I’m usually reaching for a skin tint. Light, breathable coverage, coupled with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, is a winning combination for me. Serum foundations, as you can probably tell, are also up my alley.

I was definitely impressed by the fluidity of this MAC foundation. It wasn’t too serum-like to the point it was running down the back of my hands and making a mess, but fluid enough to apply and blend in with my fingers before perfecting everything with the Orce Cosmetics Beauty Sponge.. (In my opinion, the bare-finger application gives an overall more natural finish.) It also did an excellent job covering dark spots on my nose (my biggest area of concern right now) after I gently tapped on additional layers of product with my ring finger. The finish is fresh but not overly glowy, which my shiny T-zone is thankful for — a true my-skin-but-better finish.

With a price tag of $46, Studio Radiance is slightly more expensive than the rest of MAC’s foundations, including its sister product, Studio Fix, which costs $42 on the MAC website. According to Kureghian, the slightly higher price accounts for all the skin-care ingredients this new launch contains. Still, this under-$50 price point aligns it with other popular, premium foundations sold at the same retailers as MAC.

MAC Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation is available now at MAC and Ulta Beauty, both in stores and online. It will launch in Macy’s on September 6, then expand to the rest of MAC’s retail partners — like Nordstrom and Dillard’s — on September 7.

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