Now just to throw a spanner in the works there are some odd numbers peppered along the way in some of the foundations. For example there is an NC27 or an NW18 in Studio Fix Fluid . These colours don’t have quite as strong an undertone as those that end in 5 or 0. These odd numbers have more of a neutral undertone. So an NC27 is not as yellow as an NC25 but it is a little bit darker.
Conversely there are also plain C’s and plain N’s. These have a stronger yellow or pink undertone than their NC/NW counterparts. Very few of the foundations in the range now have these strong undertones, it’s mostly the old school formulas like Face and Body, or Studio Fix Powder.
Phew! You still with me? Another thing to bear in mind is that the colours vary between different formulas within the range. For example an NC15 in Studio Fix Fluid is a little bit darker than an NC15 in Studio Sculpt. If you are thinking about changing foundations and you are 100% sure you are an NW20, I would still highly recommend getting colour matched again in the new formula.
The same system is in place for the concealers, although there are not quite as many shades. Generally the colours in the concealers are a little bit paler than their foundation counterparts, so an NC20 concealer, in any of the formulations, will be paler than an NC20 foundation.