Learn to identify your neutral skin tone and get tips for selecting makeup and wardrobe essentials that enhance your natural beauty. Say goodbye to mismatched foundation and hello to a flawless look!
Nothing’s worse than afoundationthat makes your face look like a completely different color — especially with the dreaded line at your jaw that basically makes you look like Jim Carrey inThe Mask.
To avoid this fate, you’re prob gonna finally have to do what makeup artists everywhere urge: Figure out your undertone.
As MUAKerrin Jacksonexplains, your undertone is not to be confused with yourskintone (which might be, say, medium-light or deep-dark). “An undertone is the underlying color tone or huebeneathyour skin,” she explains.
Basically, “it is that subtle voice that tells you when you put on a sweater that just looks wrong on you.” (Relatable.)
So how do you find your color match made in heaven? Here’s the deal.
Let’s get deep: What’s an undertone, and why does it even matter?
“Each person has a unique base temperature within their skin tone that falls into a spectrum of either warm, neutral, or cool,” MUAFiona Taylorexplains.
And unlike yoursummer tanor winterboo, your undertone is with you for life. “While your skin’s shade can change throughout the year … your actual undertone will not be so quick to change,” Jackson says.
So yeah — what’s beneath the surface really does count.
For example, let’s say you’re a medium skin tone — which essentially refers to the amount of melanin in yourskin— it breaks down further into medium-cool, medium-warm, or medium-neutral.
According to the pros, knowing your skin’s undertone can help you:
Undertone types
You don’t need to be an art student to school yourself on the basics of color theory. “The color wheel helps break down [the undertones] visually,” Taylor explains. One side of the color wheel has hot colors, and the other has cool colors. “Think of red being fiery and blue being icy, and yellow being in between,” she advises.
Here’s the fire ‘n ice breakdown on the 3 most basic types of undertones:
So, what’s your type? How to find your undertone
If trying to figure out your skin’s undertone feels like trying to figure out that black-and-blue or white-and-golddress memefrom 2015, we get it.
Don’t worry — here’s how to figs it out, according to the experts.
1. Try the white tee test
“I love a good old white paper sheet test,” stylistKatya Bychkovatells us.
You’ll need a white tee or even just a sheet of printer paper for this one.
“Take a mirror and a white sheet of paper and stand in front of a window,” Bychkova advises. “Please don’t do this test during the golden hour — [about] an hour before sunset — because it changes the lighting to a warmer one.”
Next, “Analyze your skin in comparison to the white paper sheet. Does it have a more pink, rosy tone to it? Then, your undertone is cold. Does your skin have golden or yellow hues to it? Then, it’s a warm undertone. A skin that has both pinks and golds, or none of all, is typically a neutral undertone.”
Bychkova adds that you should leave yourpimples,dark spots, and otherskin conditionsout of the assessment. “It’s all about the overall complexion,” she explains.
2. Put yourself to the sunburn test
Taylor always recommends the “burntest” when assessing your undertone. “If someone burns very easily in the sun and doesn’t tan easily, a high percentage of them have cool-pink undertones. If they tan quickly and hold a tan, they may fall into warm-golden undertones.”
Meanwhile, if you burn andthentan, you’re prob neutral.
3. Check your veins
For Jackson, it’s all about the “veintest.” Basically, “take a look at the veins under your skin. If they appear more on the green side, then you are safe to say you have a warm undertone. And if the veins look more blueish and purple, you have a cool undertone.”“If you can’t really decide, and it’s hard to tell, then we can say you have a neutral undertone.”
4. Try on some jewelry for size (and undertone)
Jackson says another way to figure out your skin’s undertone lies in what jewelry you typically like to wear. Feel like gold complements your skin best? You’re probably warm-toned.
If you feel like silver really makes your skin shine, you’re likely cool-toned. “If you like both? Then you’re more on the neutral side of things.”
Of course, not everyone has a stylist or MUA’s discerning eye — so this might be more of a subjective, personal preference thing. But it can help point you in the right direction.
How to find the best makeup for your undertone
Now that you have a good idea of your undertone, here’s how to sift through the swatches to find your perfect match:
Best makeup for warm undertones
For warm undertones, the pros recommend:
Best makeup for cool undertones
Cool undertoned? Here’s where to begin:
Best makeup for neutral undertones
Somewhere in the middle? Here’s where you might find your Goldilocks fit:
How to dress your best, based on your undertone
Want to get dressed without ever feeling gray and washed out or like you have skin the color of a banana peel? We gotchu.
Warm undertones
Warm, golden skin undertones tend to be complemented by earthy tones. Think: Green, brown, mustard yellow, and warm red.
Warm-toned people also tend to find that a cream or brown colored shirt will look more flattering on them than a stark white or black one.
Cool undertones
Cool folks really pop in jewel tones like emeralds, deep purples, and bright or ice blue. Pastels like lavender or pink also work really well.
They also pull off true black or white better than anyone.
Neutral undertones
Neutral undertones can sample from both the cool- and warm-toned friend’s wardrobe — but may find that they lean a little in one direction.
Since their undertone is a little muted, subtle hues like mauve, mint, blush, and champagne look especially good.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between undertones and skin tones?
Like the name suggests, undertone refers to the subtle hueunderyour skin’s surface. So, your skin tone could be light, medium, or dark — this pretty much just refers to the amount of melanin in your skin.
Meanwhile, your undertone could be cool, warm, or neutral — this refers to the blueish, pinkish, or goldish hue that lies beneath.
What’s the best way to find your undertone?
TBH, there’s no expert consensus on the absolute best test. But many experts recommend wearing a white tee or holding a white sheet to your skin to get a feel for your undertone.
If your skin appears pinkish compared to the tee, you’re prob cool. If it looks more golden, you’re likely warm. Can’t really tell? You could be neutral.
Make sure to do this in neutral, natural lighting (and not at golden hour) for the most accurate reading.
Why does knowing your undertone matter?
Let’s be real — we could all prob sleep at night without knowing our skin’s undertone. But hey, it’s very useful for ensuring that your foundation seamlessly matches your skin, or helping you pickmakeupand clothes in flattering colors. Win!
