NC vs. NW

mac_obsession · 04-02-2005, 05:28 PM #1 (**permalink**)

What exactly is the difference between NC and NW?

This has been bugging me forever and I need to know

ms.marymac · 04-02-2005, 08:14 PM #2 (**permalink**)

NC-Neutral Cool -For golden undertones
NW-Neutral Warm-For pinkish undertones

Here is some more info:
http://www.specktra.net/foundation.php

mac_obsession · 04-02-2005, 08:30 PM #3 (**permalink**)

haha I knew I shoulda looked before I asked. I was being lazy :x
Thank you very much for your response and link!

Alison · 04-02-2005, 11:35 PM #4 (**permalink**)

It's so counter intuitive (sp?). I have a cool skintone (pink undertones) and I ware an NW foundation.

ms.marymac · 04-03-2005, 11:17 AM #5 (**permalink**)

They use the artist's color wheel. It does seem backwards.

Krystle · 04-16-2005, 04:51 PM #6 (**permalink**)

How do you know if you are a cool or warm?

One MAC store I went to put NC on me and another put NW on. I didnt notice much a difference. How do you judge that?

jamiemeng · 04-16-2005, 04:59 PM #7 (**permalink**)

I am cool

Sanne · 04-16-2005, 04:59 PM #8 (**permalink**)

NW is cooler, more pink undertones in your skin
NC is warmer, more yellow yellow in your skin

when your cool toned the veins at your forearm usually look blue, and when you are warm toned these veins usually look green.

It also happens that people are neutral toned; meaning they aren't pink or yellow toned. Then you are lucky and you can wear both.

If you ever go to a MAC store again, ask what underone you have!(or post a daylight picture here, maybe people can see it!)

Cedar · 04-16-2005, 08:41 PM #9 (**permalink**)

Most people naturally gravitate towards the colors that are right for them. Do you look better in pinks, mauves, and silver or brown, coral, and gold? The former is cool, meaning you need NW makeup, and the latter is warm, meaning you need NC makeup. (Took me forever to figure that out!)

Look at your skin against a piece of white paper. Does your skin tone look more yellow or more pink?

Or just scrap the whole fuss and go to the counter and buy what looks good on you.

ms.marymac · 04-16-2005, 10:03 PM #10 (**permalink**)

I notice that people who wear NWs tend to look a little flushed, if that makes sense. People who wear NCs (as the others said) have this golden glow going on. Every now and then people can throw you off!

A trick I learned: Put a swipe of neutral toned powder or foundation on the bottom of your cheek down to your jaw, and it should reveal a either pinkish or gold undertone. That should tell you where you are. If it blends in, you are neutral. Again sometimes if you have different colors going on it may not work.

Klava · 03-23-2007, 08:50 PM #11 (**permalink**)

This is a very old post and I'm not sure if anybody will respond to my comment or may be I should post this somewhere else, but, nevertheless... lately I read that a lot of MUA say that there only a few people out there who really need foundation with pink undertones, that usually yellow works for almost everybody. What do you guys think? I know that it's true for me, because even though my face definitely has pink undertones, my neck has yellow, so I buy NC15 and it works great! i think the idea here is that your face color doesn't differ too much from your neck, so you don't have a mask effect going on... Thoughts, comments?...

YvetteJeannine · 03-23-2007, 09:21 PM #12 (**permalink**)

I don't know about that...

I know definitely for me, if I personally wore an NC foundation, I would look like a death mask...I am a rich/auburn redhead, with green/blue eyes and definite pinkish tones to my face (I've got a lil' Irish flush going' on). I am an NW 20.

I see many people can get away with wearing the NC line; but if you were distinctly cool-toned (that'd be warm-toned in MAC-speak), I don't think you'd want to try to get away with NC...I've seen a lot of people that should be wearing NW's, and get matched (or match themselves) to NC's...They don't look good.

Alternatively, one can mix and match foundations...There are many women that either mix NW's and NC's together, or they use one color line for the face, and the other for the neck...

However, I think if you're inclined to one type, that it would look correct with your neck as well as your face...But I'm not a Makeup Artist

Mixxi · 03-25-2007, 06:20 AM #13 (**permalink**)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klava

This is a very old post and I'm not sure if anybody will respond to my comment or may be I should post this somewhere else, but, nevertheless... lately I read that a lot of MUA say that there only a few people out there who really need foundation with pink undertones, that usually yellow works for almost everybody. What do you guys think? I know that it's true for me, because even though my face definitely has pink undertones, my neck has yellow, so I buy NC15 and it works great! i think the idea here is that your face color doesn't differ too much from your neck, so you don't have a mask effect going on... Thoughts, comments?...

I've been thinking about that because I have pink undertones on my face but yellow on my neck and body. I wear NW15 and it looks different to my neck and sort of mask-like so I think I might switch to NC15 now.

Klava · 03-26-2007, 12:49 PM #14 (**permalink**)

Mixxi, let me know if that works for you.

BunnyBunnyBunny · 03-30-2007, 04:03 PM #15 (**permalink**)

I have more pink in my face, so naturally the makeup artists always want to give me NW, but for some reason I like NC better. I HATE how NW makes me look red. it makes my face look so red, I feel more comfortable having NC. Maybe because my pinker skin with the yellower makeup makes me look more overal neutral? I dunno. o.o

Klava · 04-02-2007, 12:48 AM #16 (**permalink**)

I just had a makeup lesson with the freelance MUA, who used to work for MAC and has lots of experience. So I asked him about it and he told me that usually true redheads with very pale skin are the ones that need foundation with pink undertones, the rest of the people look better with warm tones foundations.