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“Why, yes, Ryan Gosling, I am wearing something new. How nice of you to notice. It’s the new MAC Matchmaster Foundation ($32.50; available in 14 shades) in shade 5.0, and I’ve been wearing it for about a week…”

Okay, no, Ryan Gosling did not actually remark upon my makeup regimen, but I sure wish he had. I think he might find the technology behind MAC’s new liquid foundation almost as fascinating as I do.

Almost?

You see, it’s all about those spheres we talked about last week. For the new foundation, MAC encapsulated pigments in translucent spheres that they say allow Matchmaster to cover imperfections while still looking like real skin.

So does it work?

Well, that depends. Shade 5.0 definitely evens out my skin tone and covers everything I want it to cover, from the post-acne discoloring along my jawline (dang hormones have run amok!) to the light spots on my cheeks, but it doesn’t look completely natural to me.

I almost don’t even care, though, because of how much I love the lightweight feel and how long it keeps the shine on my forehead at bay (for hours). Unfortunately, I think it’s almost too good at washing out the natural variations in my skin tone and texture that would keep it looking real. I think my skin looks more natural when I wear Chanel Mat Lumiere, my current favorite foundation. With Matchmaker, I feel like I have to pay closer attention to my contouring with bronzer, lest my skin look totally flat.

It may have something to do with the shade I’ve been using… 5.0 isn’t a perfect match for me; it’s a little redder than my usual NC 42, but it was the closest shade I could find in the range to my skin.

I do notice that the reddish tones in 5.0 mellow out a bit after a few hours of wear and let through more of my natural skin tone, so maybe I just have to be a little more patient.

A few other notes…

No breakouts!

Knock on wood, but so far Matchmaker hasn’t triggered any breakouts on my combination oily/dry/acne-prone skin (read: generally fussy), so that’s a big plus.

Dry skin

Matchmaker doesn’t even flinch at oily skin, but it’s not as confident around the dry stuff. I can see it clinging to the few flakes I have on my cheeks.

Application

Almost like a gel. That’s how Matchmaker feels to me. It’s thicker than most liquid foundations and can apply a little streaky. I tried it a few different ways, and I think I got the most natural looking results when I applied it with a skunk brush and pressed it in with my fingers.

From the left: 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0
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I have mixed emotions about Styledriven’s MAC Pro Longwear Lipglasses…

As a longtime Lipglass fan (10 years plus!), I expected to fall hard for these super pigmented, ultra shiny, long-wearing glosses, but beyond a few similarities — a sticky consistency and a light vanilla flavor and scent — they’re quite unlike their older cousins. As for pigment, MAC increased the dosage. They also thickened the formula, cranked up the shine and replaced the traditional doe-foot applicator with a paddle in the shape of an hourglass.

Pro Longwear Lipglasses, $18.50 U.S./$22 CDN each, from the left: Lasting Achievement, Infinitely Likable, Full Speed Ahead, Driven By Love and Dark As Night

Pro Longwear Lipglasses swatches from the left: Dark As Night, Driven By Love, Full Speed Ahead, Infinitely Likable and Lasting Achievement
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