MAC NW30 is a liquid foundation with a natural finish and medium-full coverage; it retails for $36.00 and contains 1.30 oz. We recommend shade NW30 for medium skin tones with pink, moderately pink undertones. Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 Foundation - MAC put Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 to the ultimate test of seeing how long it wears and, not sur. Prisingly, the formula lasts for a full 24 hours! This modern foundation combines a matte finish and medium-to-full buildable coverage with broad spectrum SPF 15 protection.
The number that follows the letter(s) denotes the depth of the shade. The higher the number, the deeper the color. For instance NW55 is a match for very dark skin with a pinkish undertone, whereas NC20 would be a match for somewhat lighter skin with a slightly golden skin.
| MAC NC30/NC35 Foundation Matches |
| From Left to Right: L'Oreal True Match in W4/ Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in M54/ Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 5.0/ NARS Sheer Glow in Stromboli/MUFE HD Foundation in N127/MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC30 |
See swatch comparisons between MAC Studio Fix Fluid and NARS Sheer Glow [HERE]
My first liquid foundation I had ever used was MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC30. I was matched at a MAC store back in 2008 and this has been my shade ever since. Over the years, I have tried many different foundations from various brands. More recently, I have been obsessed with foundations and I have no idea why! I work in the medical field and I rarely get to wear a full face of make up. I usually just wear foundation when I go out to dinner or out with friends. Why do I have six different foundations? Simple...I'm curious.
1. L'Oreal True Match Foundation in W4 is a cheaper alternative. For about $10 you can get flawless looking skin. I heard so many great things about this foundation and I bought it last summer. This was THE only foundation I have ever tried from a drugstore. I was always so scared to try something from the drugstore because I was afraid I was going to break out. My skin is usually normal but there are certain products that will make my face blow up and look red. I apply this with my MAC 187 Brush and set it with either MAC's Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus or Maybelline's Dream Matte Powder in Medium Beige. The formula is very runny. There is not a pump so when I pour it out on the back of my hand, it runs! A little goes a long way.
2. Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in M54 ($34 at Sephora).I purchased this foundation in January hoping to wear this to a wedding. I just wanted to find another option for a photo friendly foundation. I used to ALWAYS use NARS Sheer Glow for pictures but I wanted to see what else was out there. Initially, I thought about purchasing the MUFE HD Foundation but I tried that one years ago and was matched to the wrong shade and HATED it. This foundation has a thicker formula than any of my other foundations. It's definitely full coverage. Good lasting power and makes my skin look perfect. I don't have many skin issues but one that bugs me are my dark circles! This foundation does not require concealer. It is thick enough to spot on troubled areas and you're good to go. I apply this foundation by spotting the foundation with my fingers on my face then I use my ELF Flat Top Powder Brush (Target $3) to buff and blend. My MAC 187 brush would not work because since the foundation has a thicker formula, it would pull out the hairs. I didn't end up wearing this foundation to the wedding but I do use it on dates with the bf. In the picture above, this foundation looks the lightest but actually this foundation oxidizes and the foundation darkens a little bit. Read my new review and see my swatches [here].
3. Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 5.0 ($38 at Sephora). I decided to try this right when it came out last summer. I heard good things and wanted to see what the hype was all about. I like this foundation for the summer since it is so lightweight. It lasted through the hot and humid summer here in the Washington D.C. area. I tried wearing other foundations in the summer heat and my skin did not look good. This is a good foundation because it is so lightweight and I feel more comfortable wearing makeup. I don't think I would repurchase this foundation again since it is so expensive. I think that the L'Oreal True Match is a better alternative. Both are lightweight and applies the same. I apply this with my MAC 187. Urban Decay's Naked skin has No SPF! Perfect! Good for pictures.
4. NARS Sheer Glow in Stromboli ($42 at Sephora). My mom and my sister purchased this for me on my 23rd birthday. For the past three years, I have loved this foundation. I went through three bottles in three years! I didn't wear this on a daily basis but I always went to this foundation for special occasions. No SPF! I love foundations without SPF for picture taking purposes. I will always continue to repurchase this foundation. Stromboli is a tad bit dark for me in the winter (Hence, all of my recent foundation purchases). So worth the money. Easy to apply, easy to blend, and lasts for hours. I apply this foundation with my MAC 187. See review and more pics [here] and [here]. UPDATE: I now use shade in Punjab. I still use Stromboli as well. Read my review [here]
5. Make Up Forever HD Foundation in N127 ($42 at Sephora). I recently became a Sephora VIB again and decided to use my 10% coupon for this foundation. I did purchase this foundation a loooong time ago and was matched to the wrong shade. I was matched for shade N123! Waaay to light. Returned it and never looked back...until yesterday. I went to Sephora with my boyfriend and he got it for me because I wanted to try it again. I was matched with shade N127 and this is the perfect match. I did eventually return it. I was so disappointed once again. It's definitely has a medium coverage. To build it up to full coverage is really not worth it. I feel like I'm using so much product just to get the same 'look' that I get from NARS Sheer Glow. I really wished it worked for me.
6. MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 ($27 at MAC). My first liquid foundation EVER. My first love. I used this foundation for years. I started wearing liquid foundation two years after just wearing normal powder foundation. MAC Studio Fix Powder was the only makeup I was using back then so naturally, I tried their liquid foundation. This was recommended to me by the MAC MUA I always went to. He matched me to an NC30 in the liquid foundation and the powder foundation. He was spot on. This shade has been my go to shade and has worked for me for years. This foundation is medium to full coverage and has good lasting power. Low SPF so it can work for photos. All around a good foundation. I'll always have this in my makeup collection.
I always set my foundation with either MAC's MSF in Medium Plus or Maybelline's Dream Matte Powder in Medium Beige.
Do I have a favorite foundation? NARS Sheer Glow hands down! This foundation has never let me down.
I love foundations but I think I'll chill on buying anymore. Let's hope I get through ONE bottle before I purchase another. Somebody stop me.
Hope these shades work for you if you're a MAC NC30/35. And if you have the same skin tone as me, please share your foundation finds :)
Read about more foundation matches for foundations like Estee Lauder Double Wear, Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous, and NARS Sheer Glow in Punjab.
*UPDATE* MARC JACOBS FOUNDATION QUICK REVIEW
Read my review at NARS' Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard (Good Match for NARS Stromboli and MAC NC30)
| MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation |
Coverage
This one is a medium-buildable-to-full coverage foundation; it builds nicely, but it definitely starts out at medium coverage. For this level of coverage, it's reasonably lightweight on the skin; it certainly doesn't feel heavy or look mask-like.
This can be sheered-out by first mixing with some fluid moisturiser if you want a more liquid formula or lighter coverage. It can be built up to give more coverage, and you can get real full-coverage from this with a heavier powdering on top.
I frequently combine MAC Studio Sculpt and MAC Face & Body foundations (Studio Sculpt to provide the coverage, followed by a thin layer of Face & Body to provide luminosity).
Drugstore Match For Mac Nw30 Studio Sculpt Foundation
This which provides for a genuinely and absolutely flawless texture, the gel formulation giving it an ever so slightly luminous velvety satin finish which is necessary to prevent it from looking a mask-like (as heavier coverage foundations occasionally can appear).
For a great Summer (or night-time/Winter) makeup, I like to mix it with some MAC Strobe liquid to give a really luminous finish.
Wear
This is a water-resistant formula, but I have found that it can transfer, so you need to make sure that you powder it or seal it. It needs to be applied to well hydrated and moisturised skin, in fact I generally recommend using a primer with this foundation (despite the fact that it lists silicone in its ingredients, I find it works better on top of a primer).
This purports to be a long-wearing formula, and I do find that I get around eight-to-ten hours out of this before having to top up, maybe ten-to-twelve if I've powdered well and used a primer (In general, I personally classify a 'standard' foundation as one that will last up to around eight hours).
This comes in twenty one shades, divided into the usual MAC yellow toned (NC) and pink-toned (NW) categories. There are slightly more NC shades than NW (twelve as opposed to nine). The NC are quite noticeably yellow-based and the NW, quite noticeably pink-beige-based. It's of course possible to mix these two undertones together to get something a little more neutral if you require.
| MAC Studio Sculpt foundation - the shades |
(Yellow) | NC15, NC20, NC25, NC30, NC35, NC37, NC40, NC42, NC44, NC45, NC50, NC55 |
NW (Pink) | NW15, NW20, NW25, NW30, NW35, NW40, NW43, NW45, NW50 |
I've personally found that a large flat (paddle) brush to be best (my recommendation is the Louise Young LY02 brush) for this foundation. I've noticed that buffing brushes or sponges (dry sponges) can introduce micro-exfoliation and cause dryer patches of skin to appear quite dry and flaky with this foundation.
This is an extremely thick gel-based formulation. A little goes a long way, but it's possible to use too much of it. For that reason I recommend making sure that your brush has been 'primed' with some moisturiser in advance of application, making sure that your skin is well primed (primer and/or a particularly good moisturiser) first, and then I'd usually dot this one around my face and blend out with the brush, as opposed to working from the back of my hand, as I would with more liquid formulas.
This one just doesn't work for oilier skin, there's no point in pretending that it does. It works really well for normal-to-combination skin, and even for dryer skin, providing you adhere to the caveats as mentioned before about priming and moisturising. On dry skin that's not well moisturised, I can find that this foundation can look a little dry, advertised moisturising capabilities notwithstanding.
Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation Reviews
This foundation is marketed as being hydrating, and it contains vitamins C & E, shea butter and sodium hyaluronate, so it would seem that it should be. However as mentioned above, I do find you need to apply this to well moisturised skin. It contains silicones but it works better over a primer.
And now for some weirdness. This contains titanium dioxide and mica, and has an SPF of 15 but for all that, strangely, I haven't found that it flashes back particularly. For this reason I have used it for brides and in flash photographs, with no ill effects. Because it's a reasonably long lasting formulation, it's one I recommend for brides.
Priced at around €36, it's definitely a quiet one that doesn't garner particular excitement, but is a great foundation that I recommend, and among those in the know, much-loved.