The letters and numbers follow a logic that actually makes sense, as MAC has figured out their “difficult” shade codes to aid beauty fans in finding the best foundation match.
For years, MAC Cosmetics fans have been puzzled by the brand’s cryptic foundation shade codes like ‘NW20’ or ‘NC42.’ While loyal users may have memorised their go-to shades, the actual meaning behind those letters and numbers has remained elusive, until now.
After years of speculation, MAC has finally cleared things up in an Instagram comment. Responding to a curious user, the brand offered a breakdown of its often misunderstood shade naming system, and beauty lovers everywhere are breathing a collective sigh of relief.
“Thanks so much for reaching out, we’re here to clarify.” the name of the company. N stands for neutral, W stands for warm, and C stands for cool. “NW” has a neutral-warm and “NC” has a neutral-cool vibe.
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But the plot thickens, in MAC’s world, ‘warm’ doesn’t always mean what you’d expect. According to the brand’s undertone chart, warm (W) undertones are actually defined as rosy, cool (C) undertones as golden, and neutral (N) undertones as a balanced mix of both.
In short, MAC completely refutes the traditional color theory. That definition of cool refers to someone with pink or rosy skin, while having golden or yellow undertones is defined as cool. This is a naming decision that has irritated beauty enthusiasts for decades.
The numbers indicate shade depth, while the letters in MAC’s codes represent undertone, to make things clearer. Therefore, someone with neutral-cool (golden) undertones and deeper skin would be best off with a neutral-warm (rosy) tone in a lighter shade, whereas NC50 would be more appropriate.
Lower numbers denote lighter tones, while higher numbers denote richer, deeper complexions, which are reflected in shade numbers 5 to 65. Once you understand the fundamental principles, the system becomes detailed and logical.
This complex approach was first created for the professional artist community at MAC, which explains why it’s so nuanced. It’s been a bit of a nightmare without clear explanations, however, for regular shoppers who only want a good match.
In a time when consumers want accessible and inclusive beauty advice, the recent clarification is being praised as a win for transparency. Many regular people only now understand how to decode their MAC shade, despite the logic that some makeup artists have long known.
The revelation has also piqued people’s praise for MAC’s extensive shade selection, which continues to accommodate a wide range of skin tones worldwide. However, more people may finally discover their ideal match with more comprehensive instruction in the shade codes.
Source: Mirror
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