Mac Undereye Concealers: Matchmaster Vs Studio Finish

I know I’ve mentioned before that one of my main skin problems is my under eye area.  I am constantly on the look out for a miracle cream or concealer that will get hide those bad boys for good.  I am yet to find this holy grail, but my current routine did involve a mixture of Benefit’s Fake Up (which I have now lost) and Mac’s Studio Finish concealer.  That is until I realised my handy little pot had passed it’s 3rd birthday (and still has tons left by the way!).  I thought it might be time to scour the Mac counter and find something new.

Although Studio Finish is the closest a product has comes to covering my dreaded eye bags, it’s not perfect.  It does sink into the creases under my eye a little and I worry because it was a little thick that I am dragging my delicate under eye skin when I apply it.  I was recommended Studio Finish concealer and colour matched by a Mac staff member at the Kings Road store as the solution to my problem, and its has been a staple in my makeup bag ever since.

So imagine my confusion when last month a staff member at the Meadowhall Mac store said she wouldn’t recommend this concealer for the under eye at all!  In fact she seemed pretty horrified, she quickly sat me down and applyed Mac’s newest offering on me, Matchmaker.  She explained that Studio Finish was far to matte for the under eye and that Matchmaker would be much more moisturising and should look more natural.   I had actually wanted to try out Mac’s Select Cover-Up as I’d heard good things, but I left swinging my bag, happy to have a new concealer in my life.

And how do I l feel a month later?  Well first of all I am confused by the colour match.  Take a look at the picture above, baring in mind these were both matched to me by Mac professionals.  The reason I stopped using Mac foundation was because they didn’t have a shade that matched my skin properly, but these two colours are pretty far apart!  The Studio Finish was always a little too light, but I put this down to my eye needing brightening, although my sister did once tell me it look like I had highlighted my under eye!  The Matchmaker however seems way too orange for my skin tone.  Blended under my foundation I can get away with it but I have to say I’m not too happy about this. 

The main difference in these products, comes down to the consistency.  Studio finish is thick but build-able, not drying, but not moisturising either.  Select cover is more moisturising and leaves a more dewy finish, but isn’t as easy to build the coverage.

As for the actual concealer, I’m still favouring Studio Finish, but now I almost feel guilty about it!  The  Matchmaker just doesn’t cover as much as I would like.  I do however, feel it is better for my skin and would maybe look more natural if I had the right shade, and I am now trying to use it under my eyes and my Studio Finish elsewhere on my face.  Even more confusingly the Mac website states that Studio Finish can be used under the eye, consider me confuddled.

So, my hunt continues.  What’s your favourite under eye concealer?