28th March 2016
- What Is The Lightest Shade Of Mac Studio Fix Foundation Stick
- What Is The Lightest Shade Of Mac Studio Fix Foundation
- What Is The Lightest Shade Of Mac Studio Fix Foundation Reviews
- What Is The Lightest Shade Of Mac Studio Fix Foundation Swatches
N - Stands for Neutral. (only available in Studio Fix Foundation) W - Stands for warm. So best for pinkish skin. NW - Stands for Neutral warm. Pink beige skin. If you have irish in your blood you could be W or NW. Ive found MAC foundations to be so easy to apply. Choose the right MAC foundation for your skin type. MAC has a range of different foundations with different coverage levels and hydration. Some of their most popular foundations include Studio Face & Body for light, buildable coverage, Mineralize Moisture for medium, hydrating coverage, and Pro Longwear for high coverage with a matte finish.
Beauty•makeupEstée Lauder Double Wear VS MAC Studio Fix
Want to know what foundation I wear now? Check out my Instagram page!
Estée Lauder Double Wear VS MAC Studio Fix
These two are constantly compared, so as massive fan of MAC Studio Fix I thought it was only fair to get a hold of some Double Wear and test them out against each other. I love a full coverage foundation, in fact, that’s all I wear but even some foundations are too heavy for me.
Who am I you might be wondering? I’m an award-winning beauty blogger and (if I do say so myself), I know good makeup when I see it.
Who am I you might be wondering? I’m an award-winning beauty blogger and (if I do say so myself), I know good makeup when I see it.
- £32.50 for 30ml
- SPF 10
- 15 hours wear
- Over 50 shades
My first time trying this was when I headed over to boots to check it out and was informed that they didn’t have the lightest shade in Egg Shell. Pokemon insurgence for mac. Instead the lady gave me a sample of the second lightest, just so I could see how it feels on my skin and how long it lasts.
What I found is that my face felt very tight and sticky. It didn’t cover my pores up very well, if anything it showed them off a little more and it certainly did not need powder to set, simple 5 seconds for a flawless (kinda) face! I couldn’t work out if I liked this. Not only is it meant to stay on for 15 hours, it’s also humidity proof, which I can certainly vouch for that but it doesn’t last 15 hours, not looking perfect anyway. It also took my hardcore facial cleanser to get it off, and even then I needed a second cleanse to really get it off thoroughly.
Obviously I didn’t want to just give it one try, so I bought a bottle in my actual colour and starting trying to wear it. It’s by far the most difficult foundation I’ve ever come across and extremely difficult to use and perfect. My first thoughts on this still stand to this day.
Pros
- Stays in place.
- Doesn’t crease on eyelids.
- Powder isn’t always needed.
- One layer should be enough.
- Sticky.
- Impossible to apply more on top, basically not buildable at all.
- Cakey feeling.
- Price is a little steep.
- Very heavy.
- £26.00 for 30ml
- SPF 15
- 10 hours wear
- Over 60 shades
I have used and loved MAC Studio Fix for as long as I can remember. It’s a medium coverage that can soon be very heavy or with one coat it can leave my skin looking perfected. Mine has never lasted 10 hours though, never, that’s slightly ridiculous. I’ll always have to reapply either over it (as this foundation does allow for that) or take it off and start again completely depending on how hard of a day I’ve had. It’ll continue to be a foundation that I will always use and love.
Pros
- Very easy to apply.
- Powder sets it in place nicely.
- Can add more on top.
- Doesn’t dry too fast.
- Reasonably priced.
- Free lipstick when you return 6 empty MAC products.
Cons
- Can feel heavy.
- Doesn’t stay in place through humidity.
I think it’s just the way of how they feel and even years after originally writing this post in 2013, I still don’t love Estée Lauder, whereas I have about 6 MAC foundations (5 are empty). MAC is just more build-able, it’s easier to apply, it doesn’t look terrible when you have to trace around your lips after a smudge and the double wear is just an uncomfortable wear for me. It’s tight, it’s overly heavy and if you touch your face it’s completely messed up.
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When I was a makeup noob and had just discovered the wonders of beauty blogs, I saw that many foundation reviews and mentions had the initials NC and NW followed by a number. I didn’t understand what they were so I did a quick online search, and that was how I first learned about the MAC foundation shade coding system!
If you’ve ever tried to shop for foundation, you’d know how hard it can be to find a product that matches perfectly with your skin tone. Shade names like Caramel and Golden Beige aren’t helpful either as they often look different from brand to brand, or even with different products of the same brand. The MAC foundation system makes finding your exact match a lot easier because it’s developed to match varying degrees of skin tones as well as differences in undertone. Basically, if there’s one makeup brand that you’re absolutely certain to get a match of your skin, it would be MAC! To find out more about why their system works so well (and to help me find my MAC shade), I talked to MAC events artist Ryan Wong and MAC product specialist and makeup artist Beny Reginaldo about the products that set their brand apart from the rest.
What is the difference between NC and NW? Which one is right for me?
What Is The Lightest Shade Of Mac Studio Fix Foundation Stick
“At MAC Philippines, foundations and concealers are mostly categorized into NC and NW. NC stands for Neutral-Cool and has yellow undertone, while NW is Neutral-Warm which has pink undertone,” Ryan explains. “An easy way to determine if you are yellow or pink toned is to see whether your skin has a rosy or golden tone. If your skin is naturally rosy, then your skin has a pink undertone. Likewise, if your skin has a naturally golden tone, then your skin has yellow undertone.”
If you’re still not sure which group you fall under, a MAC specialist will help you out. Beny tells me that part of a MAC artist’s training includes being able to quickly figure out what a person’s skin tone is, just from one look! Even though I was experiencing some redness and looked flushed from my commute, he immediately pinpointed me as having an NC shade.
Which shades are the most common or popular among Filipinos?
Locally, the most popularly worn MAC shades are NC30 to NC40. Beny explains that most Asians have NC undertones because of our warm coloring, and that in countries like Thailand, the people are so yellow-toned that MAC had to create a purely C line for them! There are about 20 shades (including NW options) available in the PH to suit most Pinoy skin tones, but the actual number of all available MAC foundation shades is past 30. Aside from the C shades, there are pure N and pure W shades, too. That’s why beauty gurus and lovers alike usually reference MAC shades when describing foundations and skin tones.
What formulations are available? Which one is right for me?
You know what’s harder than finding your shade match? Choosing the right formula to get! MAC has so many liquid, powder, and gel foundations that I felt a bit intimidated. I counted about 11 different formulas in the store! Ryan explains that MAC has so many product options because they’re dedicated to making sure that foundation looks like real skin.So here’s a tip to keep you from getting confused: just match the formula to your skin type! If you have combination to oily skin, the non-hassle option would be to get a powder formulation while those with dry skin might want to get a liquid formulation.
MAC doesn’t limit the options there though. If you’re oily-skinned but prefer a liquid foundation, you can go for Studio Fix Fluid (P1,900) and just set it with a finishing powder like Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (P1,800). If you have dry skin and want to keep things matte, Studio Fix Sculpt Foundation (P2,150) is a gel-type formula that dries to a powder finish. To cop the Korean dewy skin trend, get the new Studio Waterweight Foundation (P2,200),which is designed to work for any skin type. For heavy coverage, try the Pro Longwear Foundation (P2,150) or Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation (P2,200).
How does a foundation-matching happen in a MAC store?
It all starts with the MAC makeup artist getting to know your skin. They usually ask about your skin type, how much coverage you want or feel comfortable wearing, the kind of formulation you want to try, and the type of finish you prefer. Based on your answers, the artist can recommend the product that they think will suit you best but you can also request to try any product that strikes your fancy.
When you’ve decided on a product to try, the artist will get three shades of your preferred formulation: one that looks closest to your skin tone, a shade that’s a step darker, and a shade that’s a step lighter. In my case, Beny figured that my skin looked closest to NC37, so he got NC35 and NC40 (there was no NC39 for the particular foundation I chose) to compare.
All three shades are swatched on your jaw line to see how they blend with the color of your (bare) face and that of your neck. This is very important because the two can actually have different skin tones! If your neck is much darker than your face, the artist will find a shade that lies between the two so that it blends more seamlessly. It’s never a good idea to base your foundation matching on swatches made on your hand or arm! Unless you’re lucky enough to have a completely even skin tone all over your body, chances are they’ll end up looking quite different when applied to your face.
After giving the swatches a minute or two to settle on my skin, Beny’s first pick proved to be my exact match. To be absolutely sure that it was right for me and so I could see how it would look when worn, he applied NC37 all over my face with a stippling brush.
Should my concealer be the same as my foundation shade?
It depends on what you’re trying to conceal. Ryan says that because concealers are used to cancel discolorations like dark circles and pimple marks, you have to use a concealer shade that will make the area blend better with the rest of your skin.
Beny used the Studio Finish Concealer Duo (P1100~) to cover up the remaining imperfections. He neutralized the bluish tones of my under eye area with an NW30 cream concealer that was lighter and pinker than my skin to give it a brightening effect. For my acne, he applied a slightly lighter NC35 concealer because the marks looked dark.
What Is The Lightest Shade Of Mac Studio Fix Foundation
It was really fun finding out my MAC foundation shade, and the experience is just worlds away from going to a department store stall and having to figure out what shade would suit me amid poorly-managed testers and unflattering store lights. The MAC store had well-lit mirrors, clean brushes, and a knowledgeable professional to help me out! You can also find out what your MAC shade is simply by going to any of their stores and requesting for a free consultation. If you want to get actual makeup lessons though, they offer paid classes wherein the fee is consumable with MAC products. Sounds like a great deal!
What Is The Lightest Shade Of Mac Studio Fix Foundation Reviews
Have you found your MAC foundation shade? Which formulation is your favorite? Share your own MAC-matching experience in the comments!
What Is The Lightest Shade Of Mac Studio Fix Foundation Swatches
Visit the MAC website and Facebook page for more information.