NC 45 is the craziest shade

[sweetie]

So can anyone explain the difference between NC45 and C7? I recently switched to the C7 studiofix powder and I'm liking it better than my NC45. The only problem is that I like to wear liquid when I'm going out and the NC45 studiofix liquid is looking too light. It looks lighter than my NC45 fix powder. I tried NC50 liquid and it's just too dark. NW's dont work for me at all. I guess I could just try a darker powder with the NC45 liquid. Why don't more MA's suggest the C's?

 

[reesesilverstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chocolategoddes lol, i'm puzzled by this too. Are you wearing NC45 foundation in your pictures? Your skin looks darker than NC45 but whatever foundation you are wearing (if any at all) seems to match your skin well.

No, haven't worn MAC foundation since last december when I bought my studio tech - which i used only 2x

... Once to practice and the other at our Christmas dinner... Now I'm thinking God was with me that everybody forgot their cameras,

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACaholic76 Looking at your avatar photo you seem more like an NW43/45 to me...more 45ish I'd say. I think another issue is that a LOT of MAs and customers get the NC/NW thing wrong. NC is for WARMER undertones and has more yellow/golden tones to it and NW is for COOLER undertones (has more pink and red in it). So you might actually be a 45 but not an NC for sure...more like an NW. NC45 is also much much lighter than NW45, even NW43! MAC's foundation system is named backwards. NC means neutralizes cool and NW neutralizes warmth. Weird but it is what it is.

I NEVER KNEW THIS!!! So I should get the NW45 to neutralize the yellow in my skin?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissAnnaBanna ...i think it is a default shade because we have so many variations of red undertones it's easier to juss 'make do' with that one shade.

I agree

 

[MACaholic76]

Quote:

Originally Posted by reesesilverstar No, haven't worn MAC foundation since last december when I bought my studio tech - which i used only 2x ... Once to practice and the other at our Christmas dinner... Now I'm thinking God was with me that everybody forgot their cameras, I NEVER KNEW THIS!!! So I should get the NW45 to neutralize the yellow in my skin? I agree

Well, here's the thing...us women of color can have like 2-3 different shades to our skin! You might be more yellow on the inner parts of your face, like surrounding your nose, cheeks, under eyes, and then be much darker on the outer parts. Again, looking at your avatar photo I can see that the outer areas of your face look darker than the area around your nose/cheeks. I personally dont like to put people in boxes and I def. suggest you try a few samples and wear what you feel most comfortable with and what seems to match your skin better. One tip for you is...if you try to match the inter area of your face with, lets say an NC45 and blend it outwards to the darker areas, then you'll look ashy. That's why I was saying NW45 for sure. Also, some MAs will match you to a lighter concealer opposite of what your foundation would be. For example, if I need to cover blemishes, I would use NW40 (sometimes NW35) and my foundation shade is NC45. Does that make sense? Sooo much info so I hope I was able to help at least a bit!

 

[MACaholic76]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetie So can anyone explain the difference between NC45 and C7? I recently switched to the C7 studiofix powder and I'm liking it better than my NC45. The only problem is that I like to wear liquid when I'm going out and the NC45 studiofix liquid is looking too light. It looks lighter than my NC45 fix powder. I tried NC50 liquid and it's just too dark. NW's dont work for me at all. I guess I could just try a darker powder with the NC45 liquid. Why don't more MA's suggest the C's?

Ahh, the Cs! These are much more olive and yellow. In the winter time I cannot go down to an NC42 because it looks a bit ashy and pink so I wear
C6. Now, the SFF in NC45 is just a horrible shade IMO and doesnt quite work well for almost everyone I know who uses it. It's just way too golden (and yes, lighter) than the others. Just like you tried, NC50 was way too dark and NW made me look way off. SFF is a great foundation but unfortunately those of us who wear NC 45 cannot enjoy it as much as others. Boo.

 

[3773519]

I love being a NC45. I believe when I tan i need to mix my nc45 with a little bit of nw35. just to get the right color. I dont like to put on too much foundation becuz its mainly for setting me to one tone so i use very little foundation but yes it seems like a good universal choice.

 

[butterfly_6978]

I must say this thread is a great one! I have had issues matching foundation to my skin tone in MAC's color range as well. Two years ago I was matched to NC45 but I knew it was off because it looked way too light. I cannot use fluid foundation in MAC because it never matches my skin. I stick to C7 studio fix which I use all the time (It is what I am wearing in my public profile pic). I also use medium deep in MSF which is good. MAC surely needs in between shades in Fluid like a NC45.5, NC 50.5 and so on. Again, great thread everyone!

Oh and P.S. Maybe Essence magazine made a typo about Serena's shade in Studio Stick--I would imagine she would be in a NW range IMO.

 

[elongreach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by reesesilverstar Ha ha, you said it... My skin crawls and my head spins in mall crowds... Cannot deal with it!

Amen to that!

 

[HeavenLeiBlu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by butterfly_6978 Oh and P.S. Maybe Essence magazine made a typo about Serena's shade in Studio Stick--I would imagine she would be in a NW range IMO.

Hell yeah! Or maybe Serena misspoke and meant NW, and nobody thought to correct/clarify it before press time. I was reading that article last night, and what I'm assuming is an actual NC45 stick was noticeably lighter than Serena, so there had to have been an error in the copy, but the art department when ahead and used the NC45 photo anyway as it went to press, cause I was like...

 

[dominichulinda]

I was looking at the Laura Mercier Foundation today and "Sunset Tan" would work for me ..if I use the #187

in case anyone wants to check out that line for foundation.

 

[MissResha]

i wish i were cool enough to participate in this convo. i dont wear MAC foundation. i use Maybelline Caramel Dark 2 LMAO. works for me!


*kicks rocks*

 

[ThePerfectScore]

I got matched by two different MAs at two different stores. And both MAs were AA women so I trusted that they could relate to my skin color. They both came to the same conclusion. My forehead is darker and a perfect match for NC 50 and the center of my face like my nose and cheeks are a perfect NC 45. Here are some pictures of me using Foundation: MAC Fix Fluid in NC45 and 50.

 

[MissResha]

^gorgeous skin!

 

[MACaholic76]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePerfectScore I got matched by two different MAs at two different stores. And both MAs were AA women so I trusted that they could relate to my skin color. They both came to the same conclusion. My forehead is darker and a perfect match for NC 50 and the center of my face like my nose and cheeks are a perfect NC 45. Here are some pictures of me using Foundation: MAC Fix Fluid in NC45 and 50.

You are a perfect example of what I was talking about...how you are lighter on the inner parts of your face and darker on the forehead and outer parts. The match seems perfect! You look gorgeous!

 

[dominichulinda]

wow! your skin is beautiful!!^^

 

[TISH1124]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePerfectScore I got matched by two different MAs at two different stores. And both MAs were AA women so I trusted that they could relate to my skin color. They both came to the same conclusion. My forehead is darker and a perfect match for NC 50 and the center of my face like my nose and cheeks are a perfect NC 45. Here are some pictures of me using Foundation: MAC Fix Fluid in NC45 and 50.

Whatever you have on now is PERFECT!! your skin looks flawless!!!

 

[cupcake123]

Absolutely gorgeous. You look like you have a natural glow and cannot even tell you are wearing foundation.

 

[ThePerfectScore]

Thanks you guys!!! When I put on foundation, I mostly put a lot of lotion on my face and then use a foundation brush to put on lil dabs of foundation to even out my skin tone. So I guess I sorta make a tinted moisturizer. Then I follow it up with a light dust of some old cover girl clean press powder in tawny. I mostly just use foundation to hide my under the eye circles. This is me on a particularly bad skin night. This was the last day of school, so the last day of finals which means that I was extremely sleep deprived and didn't drink enough water (the chapped ashy lips). This is my bare face after much abuse.

 

[marielle78]

I always thought that the difference in the skin tones of people who wear NC45 was because of the different formulas. I wear NC45 in Studio stick and tech, but I need NC50 in studio fix. I have to mix NC45 and NC50 to get the right shade in SFF. I don't think that Serena is NC45 in any of the formulas unless she is using it for highlighting.

 

[sweetie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACaholic76 Ahh, the Cs! These are much more olive and yellow. In the winter time I cannot go down to an NC42 because it looks a bit ashy and pink so I wear C6. Now, the SFF in NC45 is just a horrible shade IMO and doesnt quite work well for almost everyone I know who uses it. It's just way too golden (and yes, lighter) than the others. Just like you tried, NC50 was way too dark and NW made me look way off. SFF is a great foundation but unfortunately those of us who wear NC 45 cannot enjoy it as much as others. Boo.

More olive and more yellow..ok thanks. Is that a rare combination because I never hear them recommend C's? You hit it right on the head with the NC45 fluid being too golden! I guess I need a different fluid.

 

[sweetie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePerfectScore I got matched by two different MAs at two different stores. And both MAs were AA women so I trusted that they could relate to my skin color. They both came to the same conclusion. My forehead is darker and a perfect match for NC 50 and the center of my face like my nose and cheeks are a perfect NC 45. Here are some pictures of me using Foundation: MAC Fix Fluid in NC45 and 50.

Girl!! I wish I could get it to look like that on me. Very pretty.