Mac Nc15 Powder

Mac Nc15 Powder Coating
Mac Nc15 Powder Foundation
Mac Studio Fix Nc15
Mac Foundation Nc15

Hey! Just wanted to write a quick post on these two powder foundations because I'd seen so many blog posts and YouTube videos comparing the two that I just had to pick them both up and compare them myself.

A tri-system blend of water, emollients and powder glides on as a soft, creamy emulsion. The innovative formula provides a full range of coverage, allowing for true-to-skin shading from very light to very dark in a natural powder-perfect finish. Light-diffusing properties soften lines to create a fresh, flawless texture for all skin types. MAC NC15 is described by the brand as 'light beige w/ golden undertone for light skin.' It is a shade in the Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick range, which is a cream foundation with a matte finish and medium-full coverage that retails for $31.00 and contains 0.32 oz. Fair w/ golden undertone for fair skin. Light neutral golden undertone for light skin. Light w/ golden peach undertone for light.

Of course I'm talking about the MAC Studio Fix powder foundation compared to the NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat powder foundation.

Firstly, the shade; I couldn't find an exact match for the MAC NC15, but 04 Creamy Natural seemed to be the closest colour match for me, so that's the one I picked up.

Now before I go on, I want to point out something else. The price.

MAC studio fix retails at €31.50 for 15g, whereas NYX Stay Matte Put Not Flat retails at €14.00 for 7.5g.. So, in my opinion, claims that this is a dupe for MAC for half the price are a a bit misleading due to the fact that you only get half the amount of product too.

MAC Studio Fix is very mattifying and looks smooth on the skin, when applied with a stippling brush in buffing motions it makes the skin looked almost airbrushed. It also doesn't accentuate dry patches as much as it could, being a powder foundation, or as much as the Urban Decay Naked Skin powder foundation does.

The name itself 'Stay Matte But Not Flat' already gives you a an idea of the finish. It's not even close to being as matte as its MAC counterpart. It will mattify your skin if applied over a liquid foundation, but it definitely requires more touch ups throughout the day if you prefer a matte finish.

Apart from that, I think you can see for yourself the difference between the textures of the products themselves. This one doesn't feel too different one the finger, but when applied to the face with a sponge/brush it looks quite powdery compared to the MAC one and requires more work to get a good even coverage with, particularly when used as alone as opposed to over a liquid foundation.

Left: MAC Studio Fix NC15/ Right: NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat 04 Creamy Natural

The packaging is probably a big part of what makes this a dupe. They both come with a mirror, and the compacts lift up to reveal a sponge underneath for application or touch ups.

So to summarise:

MAC Studio Fix is €31.50 for 15g and looks and feels smooth and flawless on the skin and stays very matte for hours.

NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat is €14.00 for 7.5g and requires more work to get looking smooth rather than powdery, and looks quite dewy after a couple of hours.

Do I think this is a true dupe? The simple answer is no.

I feel like there are too many differences in the formulas for this to be rightfully called a dupe!

Don't get me wrong, the NYX one is grand for everyday wear or if you're in a rush to get out the door, but apart from the packaging, I can't see any other similarities, and it works out very little cheaper than its MAC counterpart in the long run.

Have you tried these two products? Do you think they're comparable or do you prefer one over the other? Let me know :)

Choosing a foundation can be really daunting, but it’s a key part to our makeup and can make or break a flawless face so it’s important to get it right. Many clients ask me about the labelling of MAC foundations as they don’t understand what NC and NW means and how to colour match themselves.

In colour theory, we’re taught that cool undertones are reds, pinks and blues and that warm undertones are yellow, peaches and golds. However, in MAC labelling, the undertones are the opposite.

NC: Neutral Cool – golden beige undertones.

NW: https://spider-software.mystrikingly.com/blog/nfs-pro-street-pc. https://mmtorrent.mystrikingly.com/blog/how-much-is-a-new-mac-hard-drive. Neutral Warm – red, pink or blue undertones.

Mac Nc15 Powder Coating

N: Neutral – beige undertones.

C: Cool – Yellow, golden or olive undertones

So a person with yellow, peach or golden undertones would be suited well to an NC foundation whereas a person with red, pink or blue undertones would be better suited to an NW foundation. A person with a beige undertone would be perfectly suited to an N foundation.

You might have heard that some ladies use an NC foundation but have been given an NW concealer, this is because the pink undertone of an NW concealer helps to cancel out dark green under eye circles. For blue tinged under eye circles, you could cancel them out with an NC concealer.

My client Nina has warm undertones (reds in MAC terms) with cool under eye circles (yellow). I used MAC Studio Fix in NC20 over her face to even out and correct the redness and NW10 concealer to correct the dark circles

The number that follows each NC, NW, N or C is simply the colour of each foundation. Sharon, from Sharonthemakeupartist.com explains this perfectly:

“…there are some odd numbers peppered along the way in some of the foundations. For example there is an NC27 or an NW18 in Studio Fix Fluid . These colours don’t have quite as strong an undertone as those that end in 5 or 0. These odd numbers have more of a neutral undertone. Widsmob montage 1 4 – create mosaic photoshop. So an NC27 is not as yellow as an NC25 but it is a little bit darker.

Mac Nc15 Powder Foundation

Conversely there are also plain C’s and plain N’s. These have a stronger yellow or pink undertone than their NC/NW counterparts. Very few of the foundations in the range now have these strong undertones, it’s mostly the old school formulas like Face and Body, or Studio Fix Powder.”

Mac Studio Fix Nc15

The shade I wear myself is NC15 – this is much more flattering to my skin tone and helps to cancel out any unwanted redness over my cheek area. This is my personal preference too and I find that the NC blends seamlessly into my skin. I find that with the majority of my clients, an NC foundation always looks better and evens the skin tone beautifully.

Mac Foundation Nc15

The most important thing is to make sure that your foundation matches with your chest and looks natural. If you are still struggling, don’t be afraid to ask a counter makeup artist for advice and a colour match. Makeup is all about having fun so there is no wrong or right way to wear your foundation, as long as you have a good match and avoid the dreaded ‘tideline’ around the neck, you’re good to go!