N9 - Where do I stand?

[PollyRhythm]

Ok, so I'm matched in N9 for Studio Fix powder but seriously, where do I stand? I read about it on the Mac website and here about the differences but am I closer to NC people or NW people? Would I be darker than NC 55 or in between NW45 and 55? It just says that my undertones are beige in which I can actually tell.

I swear I feel like the stepchild that people hardly talk to or about (if that makes sense to anyone

). Can someone help me understand this a little better, I know that I can be just a tad on the 'slow' side sometimes. TIA Specktra lovelys!

 

[COBI]

I don't know how it works specifically as far as darker lighter as it has more to do with undertone than darkness/lightness, I believe.

I have been matched as NW and NC and then N. It turns out I can wear all three because my undertones are fairly neutral. In some different foundations, one may work better than the other, but I am not consistently NW or NC, and N seems to work well, too.

 

[Cocopuff]

I wear N9 also and NW47. I have played around getting matched and I use different colors or lines for the season. So winter time I use liquids and summer I use powder.

 

[rmcandlelight]

From the chart on the mac website N9 looks just like NW43. I am NW43 and I may go to the counter to check out N9. I really don't know what my undertones are. Prescriptives says yellow/orange. For mac is NW pink undertones?

 

[aziajs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmcandlelight From the chart on the mac website N9 looks just like NW43. I am NW43 and I may go to the counter to check out N9. I really don't know what my undertones are. Prescriptives says yellow/orange. For mac is NW pink undertones?

I wouldn't go off the swatches you see on the site. They aren't very accurate.

 

[wifey806]

I am super duper yellow, so I use NCs cuz NWs are too orangey-red on me (the lightest colors are pinky-beige). I wear NC45, and just for reference, most of us NC45s can wear C7 and even NW43 (if we want to warm up our skin).

Since you're N9 (not C9), you're probably going to like the NW series because it'll look most natural. I'd guess between NW45 and NW50. And as Cocopuff said above, she's NW47.

Here's a pic so u can see how the colors compare. Hope it helps!!

 

[PollyRhythm]

You guys rock! Thanks for helping me.

 

[Face2Mac]

I am a N9 and from what I have read is that our skin is both golden and red-toned. So if you use NW43-45 powder like I did for years, you will look red and if you use NC50 (SFF liquid) it will match but on me it creates a white cast.
So I found that Loreal SuperBlendable liquid in N8 which is neutral is a perfect match for the N9 powder on top. but I have oily skin so it will be oily in the T-zone. So I am search for that color in Loreal in Matte formula with that color. So try it out for $10 and it can be returned.

 

[j4lyphe]

I have my custom-blend full- coverage foundation from Prescriptives and my undertone for them is yellow-orange (the inside of my face is yellow and around the edges are darker). For MAC I'm NW45 (studio fix powder) and NW47 I think (studio fix fluid-haven't bought it but I've been colour matched with this) and I've tried N9 b4 and it looks almost the same as the NW45 powder so my guess is that you're probably more on the NW side than NC even though for MAC NW means that u have red-undertones in your skin which I don't think is necessarily the case but u shud work with wat looks more natural and closest to your skin colour....hope that helps

 

[NaturalSister19]

N9 - as I am, is a shade for dark-toned skin that is neutral. Meaning not totally red undertoned or totally yellow undertoned.

N = neutral.

In the summer, I take on a touch more of a red tone and become more compatable with NW45, NW47. Even though I am neutral, I don't ever have enough yellow in my skin to wear ANY of the NCs. Still, as WOC, our tones are SO variant and vast that someone else that is an N9 may be able to wear an NC50 or NC55.

For liquids at MAC, for me the NW45s work best under the N9 Studio Fix (Fix Fluid, Select SPF15, & Mineralize Satin Finish). Yet I have a friend who is a text-book NC50 and loves N9 Studio Fix and it looks great on her because it's neutral.

In terms of lightness and darkness, he higher the number - the darker the shade (as you all probably know). Earlier, someone mentioned NW43 as an alternative; for me it's too pale. If I had to choose, I would go with NW45. As they say, it's all relative. This is a very personal thing because skin-tone can be a very unique thing. You could gather 10 very chocolate-skinned people in a room, and find matches for 8 different shades of Studio Fix .

Why did you all get me started? I've been a Make-Up Artist for 20 years and I worked @ MAC for 16 months. I could talk about this stuff ALL DAY.
I loves my make-ups.

 

[PollyRhythm]

Ok, I'm bumping this because I'm thanking NaturalSister19 for being so damned helpful, thanks girl!

Also because I went to Sephora to try out the MUFE Mat Velvet foundation and got matched in #75. First of all, I love it because it covered like no ones business without me using concealer and I have dark spots and blemishes all over my face like crazy and I usually have to use ALOT of concealor. I also have super, super oily skin and it kept me matte longer than what I thought it would.

Here's the problem: When I put the Mac SF powder on top, I was orange no less than an hour later. I tried it again the next day but this time I used the Mat Velvet and Mac Deep Dark Blot powder on top. The good thing about that combo was that I didn't start getting oily until around 5 or 6 that night and I'd done my foundation at around 8 or 9 that morning

. I only tounched up with the blot powder once, which I usually have to touch up more than that. But I still turned orange, this is way before I started getting oily.

What is it? Do I need to go lighter in foundation, darker, WHAT?? Lol, I really want the MUFE foundation because I seriously love it for coverage, it dosen't feel like I have anything on and it dosen't mess with my skin at all. I also looked at my skin for a week straight to notice the variations in undercolor and tone and I noticed that I have more beige than anything but there areas that are red also(It's so weird to me, lol).

I know I kinda went overboard but I'm trying to understand and get it right. NaturalSister19, if you can help with this, you are the Queen! TIA ladies.