Regards,

Jisela

As far as their NW, NC system goes, I think they’re all fairly warm. Compared to other lines, MAC doesn’t make a truly cool (or pink) toned foundation. The NW shades look peach to my eyes, and the NCs look yellow-olive.

I’m not certain where your confusion lies. Have you tried to find a skin colour match and had difficulty? With any foundation, if you are having this much trouble, look elsewhere. There are too many good products out there to get hung up on one. There is probably no one foundation product that will match every person. Maybe Makeup For Ever’s HD Foundation, with its 45+ shades, might come close.
About StudioSculpt specifically, I think the colours are a little odd and hard to match. They seem very yellow. In fact, some of the NC (cool) shades seem even yellower than the NW (warm) shades. At NW 20 or so, you are not that dark, maybe a bit darker than I am. I had trouble finding a match too. I mix the product with a foundation from another line.
Don’t wear yourself out. If this isn’t easy, then it probably isn’t right for you.

I have made the same observations as you. Maybe they’ll reformulate the colors. I’ve wondered if it was my imagination that the colors are a little yellower and deeper than usual for a given level. Still, it’s a pleasure to work with and just looks incredibly un-makeupy and smooth, yet with good coverage.

What a great review! This has become my absolute favorite department store foundation ( I usually use mineral cream foundations ordered online). I use NC15, and even that seems a teensy bit deep for my fair neutral complexion. But the Studio Sculpt is everything you say right here, and I adore it. I have some acne scars on my right cheek and the occasional pimple, and this stuff conceals everything beautifully. It is also the only (non-mineral) foundation I’ve found that will successfully cover up undereye circles. I just turned 30 so I’m not concerned with fine lines and wrinkles yet, but MAC Studio Sculpt is probably the best preventative skin-caring kind of makeup I can buy.

Your season has much more to do with what colors flatter you best and much less to do with your hair and eye color. The pattern of lines in the eyes can be helpful and confusing at once. Only Summer glows in Dusty Lavender. For Spring, the color that excludes the other seasons is yellow-green. For Autumn, it’s warm olive green, and for Winter, it’s probably stark white or icy cold shiny light pink.

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I’m moving along that path, as you’ll read about. The ability to explain complicated things in simpler ways is a family trait, but mine seems to apply to makeup, of all things.

So I made the trip (about 30 miles away) to the city/mall to try the MAC counter. Sarah greeted me so I told her about how you had posted on the magic of the Sculpt foundation. She wanted to know what the main points were and what I was looking for. By the time she had me step around behind the counter she already had a tube in her hand. I thought that a bit eerie! She dabbed it on my neck and had me look and my, was I amazed! I got some on my finger so I could feel it, then we put some on the other side of my neck so I could see the before/after. Amazing! It disappeared, as you said, but made my skin look flawless ~ which it definitely is not!! So I said, “how did you know which color to get?” Her answer, “because I’ve been doing this for a long time”! BINGO for me!

Now I’ve tried so many different foundations that I’ve grown tired of trying. And even at the counters of the other brands (same store even) I never really got any help. It was too ‘hands-off’, either because they were afraid to say or just didn’t know or care. What I’ve been using is Clarins True Radiance Light Reflecting Oil Free, which was the best I had ever used to date, but the color is too dark and makes me look older and tired even when I wasn’t! Before that I had used the Revlon ColorStay for years because it was the only thing I could find that was matte and would actually stay on my face. But it is too matte and I always looked dull. Most ladies in my age group have dry skin and need it chock full of moisturizers, so usually they (sales) just looked at me like I was from Mars!!

. I usually use the DHCCare’s Velvet Skin Coat, with which I’ve been fairly pleased. It’s drawback: it can sometimes roll off a little when applying foundation. I have no experience with any other type primers at all, so I’m not even sure if you call this a primer, but it coats the skin with a smooth finish and for problem skin like mine, it was the closest I’ve been to smaller pores and even coverage. So I used the MAC over it the first time and also some powder, which I’ve always had to use, along with the blotter sheets! I’m still in the trying phase: today I have it on with no primer or powder to see how that goes

I thought the formula she wrote on my sample was NWZ0 but now I think it’s NW 20 like yours. Pondering on the meaning, I had decided it was for Neutral Warm, but couldn’t figure out what ‘Z’ might stand for; I’m sure it’s the number 20. So I guess our skin color is pretty close; I have very dark brown hair naturally; to cover the gray I use a light golden brown. My eyes are hazel so I think I’m Autumn, too, like you, but may be a different shade (is that the correct term for light, warm and deep?). Also, your hair and eyes are lighter than mine. I haven’t been able to afford the $89.95 to get my professional analysis, so just get as close as I can with the info I have.

On another post after the MAC one, you stated that you want to do this professionally and I want to encourage you in that endeavor. I believe that you have a feel for this, a natural ability to take information you learn form your experiences and translate it into easily understood advice for others.

I found out about your blog from Paula’s newsletter and am so glad I did. And Paula’s Choice products have truly helped my skin, something I can’t say about any other brand or product! My son found her some way and let me try some of the products; so I ordered and have been using it for 3½ years. Because I’ve had troubled skin all my life I’ve finally given up on it ever being totally clear, but at least it has improved greatly with her awesome stuff.

OK; that’s my update forn ow!

Thanks so much, Christine!

Glenda

Thanks for your reply..
I tried it today without primer- but…

I find it SO hard to blend, like the more I swirl my brush (187) the more it’s just being swirled around on top of my skin like paint-didn’t go in or sit right at all!?

I then reverted to use my fingers, but really just as bad, and in the end it took me twice my normal time to apply my foundation, and it didn’t look better..

I am so puzzled ..?

The feeling I am getting is basically like if you imagine applying foundation to a completely dry face with no moisturiser on – it’s so dry feeling!

I am determined to make it work though……

That MUST have been the primer. I can’t imagine that happening with that makeup. They did give you Studio Sculpt, right? Studio Fix is thick stuff and hard to spread. Studio Sculpt is creamy, fluffy, moist, and spreadable. I use Paula’s Choice Mattifying Serum and Clinique Super City Block under it and have no issues. Let me know how it goes without the primer. And if you hate it, remember MAC won’t give you any heat about returns.

I bought this foundation yesterday after hearing good stuff about it!

I asked for their primer- the prep & prime line filler one, but discovered upon application that they’d given me the prep & prime skin refined zone primer.

Soooo- my experince of the foundation may just purely be to do with the RUBBISH primer.

I applied the primer and let it dry for a minute or two..

The applied the foundation but it was an almost impossible task-

No matter how much I dabbed and (eventually) rubbed it wouldn’t go into my skin or even out, I was rubbing it round and round – it looked AWFUL!!!

It was like rubbing foundation onto a rough cement wall basically!

When I’d finished, I looked in the mirror and my face looked so dry and weirdly caked, and there was foundation build up in areas- very bad look!

Sooo I shall try again tomorrow WITHOUT the moisture sucking primer- as I can only think that it’s the primer she gave me that is causing the foundations to be so bad!!??

As I have read SO many good reviews on it!

So do you use it straight on moisturised skin? No primer?

I REALLY want to love this foundation!!

xxx

I think you’ll LOVE this foundation. Its staying power will rival Colorstay Active Light. The regular Colorstay is a force to be reckoned with and nothing stays on that hard – but it doesnt’ look light, fresh, and smooth. Give Studio Sculpt a try – and yes, MAC will sample almost anything, gladly. They’re doing a lot of things right.

Gina – HAVE FUN!!!! Take a look at Clinique Bronze Star lipstick while you’re there.

You mentioned that MAC will give samples to try at home. That’s great! I hate buying foundation. So often it looks good in the store, but then when you get home, it just doesn’t look as nice for some reason. Different lighting, I guess.

I read the same comment in Beautypedia just today but difficult removal wasn’t part of my experience with it. I agree that it is long-wearing but don’t find it particularly different from any other product to remove. I use Paula’s Choice cleansers and toners, Recovery in winter, One Step Balancing in warmer weather. The only foundation I find stickier to get off is Revlon Colorstay Active Light. The regular Colorstay is in another league for removability, but I don’t use it. My skin is combination, normal sides and oilier center.
Take advantage of MAC’s wonderful sampling policies, part of what sets them in a league of their own, and try a few shades. I’d love to hear what you think of it.