If You're Searching For Instant Radiance, Look No Further
Brittany Stewart is a beauty journalist and podcaster with an extensive collection of red lipsticks that look the same but definitely aren’t. When she’s not hosting beauty podcast, Beauty Island, you’ll find her searching for the best frizz-fighting, curly hair products and the face mask that will solve (all) her problems.
Your nights out may be limited to the couch rather than the club these days, but that doesn’t mean we'll stop trying to achieve the holy makeup/skincare goal - ultimate glow. You could do yoga six times a week and swap wine for green smoothies… or you could find the perfect product(s) to do the job for you. Radiance bottled, if you will.
Here Me Out - I've Got A Shortcut:
Meet M.A.C Fix+ Magic Radiance. It’s from the same family as the multi-purpose product that many makeup artists have long reached for: M.A.C Prep + Prime Fix+. Or just Fix+ to its friends.
First up, your mini M.A.C Prep and Prime Fix+ review. This high-achieving staple is beloved at home and backstage. The light, hydrating mist refreshes skin by adding moisture and radiance - it can be used as a makeup setting spray to get more from your face, or as a refreshing spritz to cool down.
Fix+ Magic Radiance is the cult product’s latest glow up. It’s not the first time it’s been tweaked (remember Fix+ Goldlite? Sparkly!) but this is something a little different.
What Exactly Is It & Why Do I Need It?
In the literal definition of tried and tested, Magic Radiance is the creation of Netta Szekely, a M.A.C Global Senior Makeup Artist from Israel. Working backstage on models, she needed to give them magical skin whether she had 30 minutes or just five. So she whipped up her own twist on Fix+, using the original as a base and adding softening lotion and essential oils. Labelled “Magic Mix” in her kit. Seeing that - and the results - soon had many of the other artists curious.
Luckily for us, she worked with the M.A.C product development team to bring her magic recipe to the masses - and this was the result.
“It should be the first thing that hits skin as a piece of skincare - like a mist-on moisturiser,” says M.A.C's Manager of Education, Ocea McKenzie.
“If you want to save time, you can skip serum and moisturiser and use Magic Radiance as a one stop shop, so it’s also perfect for travel.”
For best results, spray 2-3 pumps onto your hands, rub, then massage into your skin like a moisturiser. Or, just hold a few inches from your face and spritz all over. Then gently massage. Pressing it onto your skin will give you that radiant and coveted almost plastic-like finish.
“Skin prep is so important. What happens under the makeup is even more important than the makeup. If skin is looking beautiful everything goes on better,” says McKenzie.
She recommends massaging in products to get circulation happening in the skin so it looks full, lush and plump.
Wait... What's In This Magic Potion?
The original Fix+ contains glycerin to help maintain the skin’s moisture levels and prevent dehydration, caffeine to reduce inflammation and invigorate tired skin, while chamomile soothes and cools angry skin.
Fix+ Magic Radiance has all those and more; Vitamin C for a pick-me-up and a boost radiance in the skin, hyaluronic acid to increase moisture and plumpness for a dewy appearance, plus essential oils of chamomile and grapefruit.
How Do You Know Which To Use For Your Skin?
While Fix+ Magic Radiance can be used to to refresh makeup, you’ll get the most using it on clean, bare skin. It’s your facial in a bottle for instantly hydrated skin; perfect for travel or the time-poor.
If it’s a M.A.C setting spray you’re after, use the original Fix+ (or matte version if your skin tends to be more oily) to elongate the life of your makeup. As the name suggests, M.A.C Prep + Prime preps, sets and refreshes.
While other setting sprays can rely on dehydrating your face in order to keep your makeup in place for longer, Fix+ prioritises hydration as well as longevity and skin comfort.
“Dry skin lacks moisture so your skin will drink up all of the water properties from your makeup and ends up looking patchy,” explains McKenzie.
Hydrating with Fix+ helps prevents that from happening. Both formulas are powder suspended in solution, so make sure you shake to activate. Hold 12 inches away from the face, pump 2-3 times and let it absorb. Oh, and if you live in the tropics, pop your Fix+ the fridge for an extra refreshing burst.
Fix+ Tips & Tricks:
If all of the above wasn't enough to convince you that Fix+ original and Magic Radiance should be in your makeup collection - maybe these hacks (courtesy of Ocea) will.
- For dry skin, spritz Fix+ onto a makeup brush and apply to the T-Zone as you would a traditional powder to prevent makeup from going patchy.
- Mix Fix+ with loose pigments to increase the intensity of their payoff and glide onto your eyelids with fingertips or a flat brush. You can also use this trick to make highlighters pop.
- Apply Fix+ to a spoolie and brush through your brows to flatten and set for an almost brow lamination-like finish
- Use Fix+ to sheer out your favourite foundation for lighter coverage
- Or use it in place of water to wet your makeup sponge to allow for easier blending
