There's a new MAC foundation called the Studio Radiance Serum Foundation

There’s a new MAC foundation in town – the MAC Studio Radiance Serum-powered Foundation

5th September 2023 | Author: Victoria Woollaston-Webber

For the first time in what feels like a long time, there’s a new MAC foundation joining the MAC base range called the MAC Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation

UPDATE: If you’re a MAC fan, the MAC Advent Calendar 2023 is now on sale! The details are as follows and you can see the full list of what is in the MAC Advent Calendar 2023 here.

Price: £170
Value: £468
Release date: 20 September (waitlist); 25 September (general sale)
Size: 25 days – 21 products are full-sized
Where to buy: MAC

Click here for more beauty advent calendar 2023 recommendations.

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Original MAC Radiance Serum foundation continues below

MAC has been pushing increasingly into the skincare market in recent months – following the launch of the MAC HyperReal range – but now it’s taken this a step further with the release of a new skincare-based foundation.

In what is part of the wider skincare-makeup trend, the new MAC Studio Radiance Serum Powered Foundation contains 33 skincare ingredients alongside pigments that offer medium-full, buildable coverage.

Or as MAC puts it, “to fuse the science of skincare with the power of makeup.”

Below we explain everything you need to know about the new MAC foundation, including its shades, finish, and formula.

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MAC Studio Radiance Serum Powered Foundation

MAC

What is it? The MAC Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation is the latest foundation in MAC’s wider base product range.

It is also the first to feature such a high amount of skincare ingredients.

So much so, the brand claims that the formula is 80% skincare.

The Studio Radiance Serum-Powered foundation promises to repair and protect the skin while also smoothing texture, evening out skin tone, and blurring fine lines and wrinkles.

Price: £39
Finish: Radiant
Coverage: Medium-full
Base: Oil
Release date: The new MAC foundation goes on general sale on 22 August 2023.

MAC Serum Foundation: Benefits

MAC has tested its serum foundation on a relatively small group of people – 28 people in clinical testing, and 167 consumers – and the brand claims it increases hydration by 209% – a very bold claim.

Some 92% of users said the new MAC foundation made their skin look instantly more radiant, and 90% added that it made them look more youthful.

MAC also claims the foundation delivers 24-hr hydration and is perfect for all skin types, even oily.

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MAC Serum Foundation: Shades

With 56 shades, the new MAC Serum Foundation has fewer shades than other MAC foundations which means that if you already wear the MAC Studio Fix foundation, you won’t necessarily be able to get the exact same shade with the Studio Radiance version.

The chart below gives you a better idea of the differences and shows you how to know which MAC foundation shade is best for you. You can also try the new foundation virtually via the MAC website, or, if you’ve never worn a MAC foundation before, visit our foundation match article to find out how to determine your undertone and shade family.

Click the image below to enlarge it in a new tab

Which MAC foundation shade is best for me?

MAC

MAC Serum Foundation: Formula

MAC claims the new MAC serum foundation contains 33 skincare ingredients. The main ones to highlight include:

Sodium hyaluronate: Also known as the sodium version of hyaluronic acid, this ingredient occurs naturally in the skin and is used to attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s great at plumping up the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Hydrolysed sodium hyaluronate: A smaller version of sodium hyaluronate that penetrates deeper into the skin. It is also more stable and less likely to break down over time.
Glycerin: Another humectant that’s designed to attract and retain moisture in the skin. You can read more in our glycerin ingredient spotlight.
Olive oil: Olive oil is rich in fatty acids, including oleic acid, which is known for its moisturising properties. It can help to hydrate the skin, reduce wrinkles, and protect the skin from damage.
Jojoba oil: Jojoba oil is similar in composition to the sebum produced by the skin, making it a good choice for people with oily or acne-prone skin. It helps to moisturise the skin, reduce inflammation, and protect the skin from damage. It is also a good source of antioxidants.
Sunflower seed extract: This extract contains antioxidants and fatty acids, which help protect the skin from damage. It can also help to reduce inflammation and improve skin tone.
Cucumber extract: Cucumber is known for its calming and soothing properties. It can reduce redness and irritation, but it can also help to hydrate the skin.
Tremella fuciformis sporocarp extract: The informal name for this extract is snow fungus. It’s another good source of antioxidants and polysaccharides, which help to protect the skin from damage and improve its elasticity.
Tocopheryl acetate: This is the official name for Vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant. It can help to protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals, and it can also help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Sorbitol: This is a sugar alcohol that can help to hydrate the skin. It can also help to improve the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.
Trehalose: This is a sugar found in plants and insects. It’s another good humectant, like hyaluronic acid, which means it can attract and retain moisture in the skin.

There is one ingredient that has been flagged as being potentially problematic on Incidecoder called Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate.

This ingredient is shown as having a Comedogenic Rating of 4 out of 5, which is high. These ratings are based on specific levels/concentrations of ingredients in specific situations and it’s the overall formula that ultimately determines how comedogenic and irritating a product is.

MAC claims the formula is non-comedogenic so this is more an FYI than something that definitely needs to be worried.

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MAC Studio Radiance Foundation Ingredients

This list is taken from the InciDecoder website. All comedogenic and irritation ratings should be used as a guide only.

Water\Aqua\Eau solv, Phenyl Trimethicone emo, Tricaprylin emo|perf, Glycerin

sii|h 0 0, Butylene Glycol h|solv 0 1, C9-12 Alkane solv, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone emu|surf, Octyldodecanol emo|perf, Trimethylsiloxysilicate emo, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate emu, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil

aox|emo 0 0–2, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil

emo 0 0–2, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer emo, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate emo|amic, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin h, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sodium Hyaluronate

sii|h 0 0, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate h, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract

so|emo, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

aox|h, Hordeum Vulgare Extract\Extrait D’Orge emo, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Sorbitol h 0 0, Trehalose

h, Lecithin

emo|emu, Disteardimonium Hectorite vc, Octyldodecyl Xyloside emu|surf, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate emo, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate emu 0 4, Triethyl Citrate perf, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate surf, PVP vc 0 0, Silica vc, Polysorbate 60 emu|surf, Sorbitan Isostearate emu 0 1–2, Betaine

h, Dimethicone emo 0 1, HDI/PPG/Polycaprolactone Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite vc, Tin Oxide col|abrasive/scrub|vc, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate emu, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer vc, Aluminum Dimyristate vc, Citric Acid buff, Silica Dimethicone Silylate vc, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Hydroxyacetophenone aox, BHT aox|pres, Disodium EDTA chel, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Sodium Dehydroacetate pres, Potassium Sorbate pres, Phenoxyethanol pres

May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891) col 0 0, Iron Oxides (Ci 77492) col 0 0, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491) col 0 0, Iron Oxides (Ci 77499) col 0 0, Iln51007

Hover the mouse / tap over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

Every MAC foundation ranked

We recently put all of the bestselling MAC foundations to the test to discover which is the best for different skin types and needs. We’ve put the ranking below but you can find out more in our best MAC foundation guide.

Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation
Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 Foundation
Studio Face and Body Radiant Sheer Foundation
Studio Sculpt SFP 15 Foundation
Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget