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 help clarify!” the brand wrote. “’N’ stands for neutral, ‘W’ stands for warm, and ‘C’ stands for cool. ‘NW’ is neutral-warm, and ‘NC’ is neutral-cool.”
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 flips the conventional colour theory on its head. That means someone with pink or rosy skin is considered warm, while golden or yellow undertones are defined as cool, a naming choice that has thrown off beauty fans for decades.
To make things clearer, MAC explains that the letters in its codes represent undertone, while the numbers indicate shade depth. So NW15 would mean a neutral-warm (rosy) tone in a lighter shade, while NC50 would suit someone with neutral-cool (golden) undertones and deeper skin.
Shade numbers range from 5 to 65, with lower numbers indicating lighter tones and higher numbers reflecting richer, deeper complexions. It’s a detailed, logical system, once you understand the baseline rules.
This layered approach was originally developed for MAC’s professional artist community, which explains why it’s so nuanced. But for regular shoppers who just want a good match, it’s been a bit of a nightmare without clear explanations.
The recent clarification is being hailed as a win for transparency, especially in an era where customers expect accessible and inclusive beauty guidance. While some makeup artists have long known the logic, many everyday consumers are only now understanding how to decode their MAC shade.
The revelation has also sparked praise for MAC’s comprehensive shade range, which continues to cater to a wide spectrum of skin tones across the globe. But with clearer education around the shade codes, more people may finally find their perfect match.
In the end, MAC’s foundation code breakdown proves that what once felt cryptic was really just clever categorisation. It’s a reminder that even the most iconic brands sometimes need to go back to basics to help their fans feel seen and matched.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.
