Foundation Undertones
I planned to take a trip to "Mac" today and rather then go in and wait like I normally do I picked up the phone and spoke to a makeup artist. I spoke to her about the product I was interested in which was studio fix and then told her that I would come in today and could I please have her name. This worked perfectly for me as when I got to the store and asked for her she was happy to help me. and understood that I needed help with what I had asked her about. Anyway sorry for the long story but this is where I need the help. I looked into buying the studio fix as it always seemed to do a good job of correcting blotchiness for me. Last week when I went in the girl that helped me said I was a NW 25. I wore it home to see what I thought and even though I liked the way it wore I wasn't sure about the colour. ( Felt it was to pink). Then today when I went into "Mac" to see the lady I called, she put me into a NC 25. ( More yellow). Even though I liked how there was no pink and she said it matched my neck better, I felt a bit ghostly and pale. I then went onto the site. I noticed two all the colours are sold out, which are C4 and NC35. Out of curiosity I'm wondering if these are the top picks for many woman who have this problem? Out of all the colours these must be a very popular choice. Anyone have any suggestions regarding how to tell what kind of undertone you have. I was told I am olive. Also any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
I got this from the MAC site:
GUIDE TO M·A·C SHADE NAMES FOR FOUNDATION, CONCEALER, AND POWDER
M·A·C shade designations for Foundations, Concealer, and Powder are a combination of a letter and a number. The letter represents the colour family of the product. The number denotes the lightness or darkness. The higher the number, the deeper the colour. The first step in selecting your shade is to simply look at your skin, without makeup, in daylight. Decide which of the following descriptions best represents your skin colour: If your skin looks more Golden Beige, you match with Neutral Cool or NC shades. If your skin looks more Pink Beige, you match with Neutral Warm or NW shades. Most skin tones will fall into these two classifications. However, if you are still not certain which classification is right for you, consider the undertones in your skin. To determine your undertone, take a look at the underside of your forearm: If your veins look more blue, then you most likely have pinkish undertones. If your veins look more green, then you have more yellow or golden undertones. If you have a significant undertone to your skin, you may choose to play it up or play it down by trying a shade that includes or excludes your undertones: If your skin looks more Yellow-Golden Olive, you will find those undertones in the Cool or C shades. If your skin looks more Beige, you will match with the Neutral or N shades. If your skin looks more Pink, you will find those pink undertones in the Warm or W shades. Please bear in mind, finding the "right" colour is something very subjective. Most people will wear a variety of different shades throughout the year because the colour of skin changes according to the lighting, the seasons, and physical well being. We encourage you to visit a store near you.
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Every single time I go to MAC I get matched to wildly different shades. Thank goodness Nordstrom has a very generous return policy. My sister eventually picked out the right shade for me, but I don't like their foundation anyway.I think you should take a friend/sister with you and help you choose a shade. I really don't know what's up with their makeup artists.
Glossqueen, thank you for your valuable information. Now I know what all the numbers and letters are about. I went into Mac and exchanged my NC25 for NW 25, the woman also tried on a N4. I liked the NW 25 more, even though it has a bit of pink to it, I look more alive with it on compared to the others. The trick about the veins is very interesting. My hair stylist did this to me not so long a go. What if you can't really see your veins?KingTaco, I know what you mean regarding the make-up artists, even thought they can be very friendly...Sometimes they have a lot of attitude.Sorry Girls, when I went to read another post, and I even answered it, I saw that just about the same thing was posted.
♥Robyn♥
Mac do not have enough shades to offer a perfect match for everyone. Like with most brands it is a "well, this is as close as we can get with our products". So, if you feel non of the colours truly work for you, that might be why. Anyhow, how to tell your undertones. I know people say to check your veins. Or let the skin colour reflect of a white paper (does not work for me, perhaps because I'm essentially paper pale already). What did work for me, was trying Silk Naturals mix your own foundation (with the risque of sounding like a commercial, but that is just because I am in love). For around 10 dollars, you can pick up a small bag each of all their foundation shades, and a few different coverages of white base and a jar. Then it is just a matter of mixing until you find that shade that just blends into your skin, but makes it look better than normally. Super easy, fun and a great way to get to know your actual shade better. After all, "olive" only says so much. You can be a strong olive, or the olive undertones may be so subtle that you can get away with wearing both olives and yellow based foundations, for example. So, yeah, trial and error is the best method. Though some trials and errors can prove more costly than others. ;)
I'm glad you found a colour that works better for you Robyn!
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Robyn, I know what you mean about veins! I have some green and some purple veins... but I'm definitely yellow toned, although my terrible acne and inflamed skin made it look like I was pinkish toned (it took me a long time to figure that out, and I've been wearing pinkish foundation which was not right for my skin at all!). Anyways, while some sales assistants are helpful, the best thing would be to try some on your face and go out in the sunlight/natural light and take a look at it. Also see if it oxidizes (gets darker) as you wear it throughout the day. A good sales associate should not pressure you into buying a foundation--you need time to see it outside at the very least, and preferably a day or two to see how it wears on your skin. Ask for a sample, or just go in barefaced and put it on and wear it for the day. (I'm pretty sure MAC studio finish broke me out after wearing it for a day...it seems that many people have problems with MAC foundations)
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