HELP! MAC foundation shades

[Eleven]

Please bear with me for the long post. I need your help!

I love MAC products but haven't really every got into the intricacies of their shade system for foundations.

5 years ago the Myer Sydney City MAC SA sold me Studio Fix in C2. I have been using it ever since and have been happy with it. Nobody has ever told me my foundation shade isn't right when I have repurchased and repurchased. At one stage they discontinued C2 and a SA told me I should instead use NC20 but they reinstated C2 so I never had to.

Today I went to buy more C2 as I have seriously hit the pan in my current compact and they had sold out of C2. So the SA first started off telling me I should go for NC25 because NC20 would be too 'white'. But then she said perhaps for winter NW25 would be better. We got talking some more and before I knew it she was telling me that I am not really a C2 and although it's not a wrong match it's not the optimal match for me. She reckoned there are about 5 or 6 MAC foundation shades I could wear. She then ended up trying on N4 and N5 on me and has ended up selling me N5 but says in winter I should go for the N4. She says the Cs are better for Asian skin with lots of yellow whereas I have both yellow and pink tones because I have naturally rosy cheeks and Ns and Ws can be better for that.

Anyway, I will try it on tomorrow and see how it goes but I'm a bit scared! From a C2 to an N4 - I've changed colour families and jumped 3 shades.

For reference, I'm very pale, stay out of the sun so don't really get tanned in summer but if I am in the sun I burn and then tan. I have naturally rosy cheeks and very translucent skin which results in dark under my eyes and you can see my veins on my legs and arms very easily. I have golden blonde hair, blue eyes, a very small smattering of freckles. A lot of people think I look Norwegian (I'm 6th generation Australian with Anglo heritage).

Are there any other who are/were MAC SAs or know about MAC foundations? Any others with this colouring that use MAC foundations to give me an idea if N5 seems like a reasonable match for me?

Sorry the post is so long but any advice would be much appreciated! TIA

 

[shabdebaz]

It's kinda hard to be accurate without actually seeing you in person, but it comes down to what the dominant undertone is in your skin is and how you want your skin to look. I find that people who really fit in the NC category, the NWs are way too pink on their skin. The Cs are also pretty yellow compared to the Ns. Maybe the N4 is giving you a nice slightly bronzed/tanned effect? Again, it all comes down to what you are trying to achieve with your foundation.

 

[Shawna]

I am almost the same skintone as you. I have swedish and english heritage and I am white white white

I have superpale (porcelain) skin with dark circles and pink cheeks. For the longest time I used N5 and it was a pretty good match. My only complaint is that it covered up my nice pink cheeks (which I like) I have recently switched to NW 20 or 200 depending on what I am using and I like the results better. It warms up my complexion just a bit, and people have stopped asking me if I am feeling ok because I am so pale. I think it would probably work for you, but I also think the NW would work as well. Let us know how it works out.

 

[spendtoomuch]

I am having the same problem as you. I was put into NW20 first and it was way too pink. Then they put me in N4, which I find is still slightly pink. I am now using NC20, which seems okay, but I don't know if it is perfect either. I was told on MUA I should try N3 because it is more neutral than N4, but I am not sure if it would be too light. I too have both pinks and yellows in my skin and I have been told by different MA that I am both NW and NC. I go to one counter and am told I should never have been put in NW and then I am at another and am told I should be in NC. No one seems to know what I really am. I just know the N4 was barely different from the NW20 on me. In the mean time I am using Mac Face and Body in N1 and N2 depending on the season because it is neutral, but I like putting Studio Fix on top and can't find the exact colour I should have. Does anyone know if N3 if really light, and is it less pink than N4. Any help would be great. I don't live real close to a Mac counter, so sometimes I just order by phone and it is hard to look at the shades. When I do get to a counter though which is about 2 hours from here, they never agree on what I am anyway. Thanks and good luck to you Eleven.

 

[Eleven]

Thanks gals.

I tried the N5 this morning and I HATE it! It's going back today.

It's way too pink and too 'done' looking on me. Yuck.