I've been wearing MAC's Studio Fix in N3 for a couple months. The color is perfect- very pale but without pink undertones (I'm slightly yellow/neutral toned but very pale). However, I've been having terrible breakouts, and I'm sure it's being caused by the makeup.

What samples should I order which would best match this shade?

Thanks!

I would suggest everything in the level 1 range that isn't a C or a P. First you have to decide whether you want to try Voile or Glissade (or get samples of both, the colors can differ slightly). I'd say 1L, 1Y, 1W and maybe 1N (though this will have a touch of pink, and may not work for you). There are also blends like YL and WL you might want to try. They're 50/50 mixes of Yellow or Warm with Linen, which is pretty much a straight beige shade. You can also pick up Alabaster and possibly a few samples of level 2 in the same shades for additional tweaking.

It may take some experimenting, but I'm sure you can find a perfect match.

I second everything FoxFyre said! Definitely try 1W, 1Y, and 1N (1N is really more peachy/neutral than pink). You can also try the blends like 1WL or 1YL, or just order a sample of 1L to make your own (e.g. 1YL = 50% 1Y and 50% 1W). I'm not really sure if Mac defines "neutral" as peach or beige, so I don't know whether you'll have the best luck with peachy shades like 1N and 1W, or beige shades like the linen blends!

The Level 1 colors are lighter than most brands' lightest shades. (I have not tried Mac so I don't know how they run.) If you're afraid the Level 1 shades might be too dark, toss in a sample of Alabaster. Even if Alabaster is too light, you can mix shades -- e.g. 1W is too dark for me so I mix it with Alabaster to find my perfect match! Or if you think Level 1 might be too light then toss in a few Level 2 samples. Again, you can always mix if you're between colors

Whether you want Glissade or Voile is a personal preference, sample them both and see what you like. With my oily skin I prefer Voile, but both formulas are great and work well for different people!

Finally, here is a simplified undertone chart that can help some people. You can find an undertone chart in the FAQ page but it can be a bit confusing since it lists so many colors. Since every color has some beige, you can pretty much ignore that. And even though N claims to have a little bit of all colors, most people agree that peach is the predominant color in N. So it may help to think of them like this:

P = pink
C = pink + peach
N = peach
L = beige
W = yellow + peach
Y = yellow

Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions!

Chiviolet, welcome!

You can also order either the Voile or Glissade sample sets - just pick a level (probably level 1) and it'll give you a whole range of colors to try. You may find one works great, or you may want to mix two shades for a perfect custom blend.

Don't forget samples of Alabaster and Ghost White. I use Alabaster, it's very fair and has no undertones. You could also use either to mix as well.

Welcome Chiviolet! Looks like you have great advice, let us know how things go!

welcome! looks like you have some great suggestions already. if there's anything more we can help you with please let us know. hope to see you around the forum!

As a recovering Studio Fix MAC-dict, I would also consider ordering samples of the pure cover to add to your foundation mix. You can layer the Glissade (actually, you can layer any of them but Glissade is the one I'm used to) for coverage, but if you like the coverage of SF, you might consider adding some of the concealer formula. Eventually, however, I 'weaned' my thinking that I needed extra coverage - now I barely waft my Glissade across my face, and I love that it looks like I have no make-up on!