Understanding Skin Undertones for Perfect Makeup Matching
While a lot of us are familiar with our skin tones, undertones are an entirely different concept. As explained by renowned celebrity makeup artist Robert Sesnek, skin tones vary from incredibly deep to extremely light in color, but an undertone is the shade that resides within that color. “Your skin tone may fluctuate with the seasons, but your undertone remains constant,” he points out. We have gathered the most effective tips to help you determine if your undertones are warm, cool, or neutral.
The Importance of Knowing Your Undertone
If you’ve ever found it challenging to locate your ideal foundation shade, understanding your undertone could simplify this process significantly. “Recognizing your undertone can help align and stabilize your skin tone with the right foundation and concealers,” explains Martin. “When seeking the perfect shades, I prefer to match from the center of the face down through the middle of the neck. This approach offers the most accurate representation and helps identify any redness you might wish to neutralize.”
One of the primary objectives of shade matching is to prevent the unwanted line of demarcation. According to Sesnek, one of the most frequent makeup blunders he encounters is mismatched foundation. “Neutral or cool undertones wearing yellow, as well as yellow undertones wearing neutral or cool tones, will invariably result in a line of demarcation. This mismatch can make the skin appear ashy or gray and may even cause the formula to oxidize, resulting in an even more unnatural-looking color,” he cautions.
Types of Undertones
There are three types of undertones: warm, cool, and neutral.
Warm Undertone Skin
If you have a warm undertone, it typically means you have skin with yellow undertones, as well as gold and peach. This means makeup with brown, gold, and copper-toned shades look best on you. So if you’re feeling stumped on eyeshadow colors to try, those are always a safe bet. It also means foundations that lean more yellow and golden will complement your skin color. With the latter, you can also look for the letter “W” before a number in the shade name.
Cool Undertone Skin
If you have cool skin undertones, you probably have hints of pink skin undertones, as well as blue. Equally cool colors, such as jewel tones in the blue, purple, and green color family will look especially flattering on you. Your best foundation match will also have a bluish or pink tint to it. To make it easy, some brands add the letter “C” before a number in the shade name.
Neutral Undertone Skin
A neutral undertone is neither warm nor cool — it’s right in the middle. This means that you have options in terms of colors. Every shade, no matter if it’s warm or cool, will complement your skin tone. With foundations, specifically, you’ll be able to choose either undertone family or go for the neutral category, which many beauty brands have started adding to their lineups in recent years with an “N” on the label.
How to Identify Your Undertone
There are a few tried-and-true tests to help you figure out your undertone.
Throw on a White T-Shirt
Take a piece of clothing that is pure white or even just a white sheet of paper. In bright, natural light, compare it to your face. If your skin appears pinkish or rosy next to it, you have a cool undertone. If your face seems more on the yellow side, you have a warm undertone. The preference for off-white or creamy shades over stark white is another clue indicating you might be warm-toned. If you can pull off both colors without feeling that your complexion appears dull or faded, you likely have a neutral undertone.
Consider Your Skin’s Reaction to the Sun
Your skin’s reaction to sun exposure can be a revealing factor in determining your undertone. As Martin clarifies: “If your skin burns quickly, you have a cool undertone. If it tans without difficulty, you have a warm undertone. If you initially burn but then tan, it’s likely that you have a neutral undertone.”
Try on Some Jewelry
This approach is quite personal, but contrasting how gold and silver jewelry appear against your skin can be useful in identifying your undertone. “Gold jewelry usually complements warmer skin tones better, while silver typically enhances cool tones,” Sesnek notes. If you’re impartial to either gold or silver, you may have neutral undertones—or perhaps you’re simply a jewelry enthusiast, which we absolutely support.
Check the Color of Your Veins
According to Martin, examining the color of your veins can be a quick method to discern your undertones. However, he suggests focusing on the veins in your face and neck for a more accurate identification. “If your veins appear blue through your skin, you have cool undertones. If they seem green (olive) on your skin, you’re warm-toned. A blend of both warm and cool undertones indicates a neutral undertone,” he elaborates.
Consider Features Like Your Eye and Hair Color
Still unsure? Our suggestion is to use your eye and hair color as a clue to identify your undertone. “Though any skin undertone can occur in any eye or hair color, generally, deeper skin tones and darker eye colors often have warmer undertones. In contrast, very light skin and lighter eyes usually exhibit neutral or cool undertones,” he explains.
Finding the Best Color Palette for Your Undertone
Here’s a breakdown of each undertone and some advice on the most flattering color palettes:
Very Fair: Very fair skin usually leans towards neutral or cooler undertones. Cooler hues such as taupe, beige, and soft pinks are ideal for this undertone.
Light: Skin that is light but not extremely fair typically looks best in cooler-toned shades that are softer and more neutral, like grays and deeper beiges.
Medium: This skin tone has the versatility to suit both warmer and cooler colors.
Olive: Similar to medium, olive skin tones can accommodate both warmer and cooler shades. However, Sesnek suggests incorporating more vibrant colors, as olive skin tones can generally pull them off.
Tan: This skin tone pairs well with warmer shades like bronze and warm hues like orange.
Medium to Dark: This skin type can pull off both cool and warm colors.
Deep: Like the medium to dark skin tone, deep skin can also carry both cool and warm colors. Opting for more vivid colors can create a striking contrast against this skin tone.
conclusion
understanding your skin undertones is integral for perfect makeup matching. It’s not just about whether your skin is fair, medium, or dark, but also about the underlying hues – be it cool, warm, or neutral. Your veins, eye, and hair color can give valuable clues about your undertones. Remember, cooler tones are best complemented by shades like taupe, beige, and soft pinks, while warmer tones look great with colors like bronze and orange. Medium, olive, and deep skin tones have the versatility to carry both warm and cool colors. By identifying your undertone, you can choose the most flattering makeup palette for your skin, enhancing your natural beauty and ensuring a flawless finish.
FAQ: Skin Tones
What are the 6 Types of Skin Tones?
Skin tones can be categorized into several types based on their underlying hues and depth of color. Here are the six commonly recognized skin tones:
Fair:
- Description: Very light and pale skin that burns easily and may have freckles.
- Undertones: Often cool or pink undertones.
Light:
- Description: Light skin that can tan slightly but burns easily.
- Undertones: Can have neutral, warm (yellow), or cool (pink) undertones.
Medium:
- Description: Medium or olive skin that tans more easily and burns less frequently.
- Undertones: Often neutral or warm (golden).
Tan:
- Description: Deeper medium skin that tans easily and rarely burns.
- Undertones: Typically warm (yellow, golden) or neutral.
Deep:
- Description: Dark brown skin that tans very easily and never burns.
- Undertones: Can have warm (red, orange) or cool (blue) undertones.
Dark:
- Description: Very deep, rich brown skin.
- Undertones: Often cool (blue, purple) or warm (red, mahogany).
How Do I Know My Skin Tone?
Determining your skin tone involves understanding both the surface color and the undertone of your skin. Here are some methods to help you identify your skin tone:
Natural Light Test:
- Stand in natural daylight with a clean face.
- Observe the color of your skin on your jawline, as this area is less affected by sun exposure compared to other parts of the face.
Check Your Veins:
- Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist.
- Blue/Purple Veins: Indicates cool undertones.
- Green Veins: Indicates warm undertones.
- A Mix of Both or Hard to Determine: Indicates neutral undertones.
Jewelry Test:
- Hold gold and silver jewelry up to your skin.
- Gold Jewelry: If it complements your skin better, you likely have warm undertones.
- Silver Jewelry: If it looks better on you, you likely have cool undertones.
- Both Look Good: Indicates neutral undertones.
White Paper Test:
- Hold a piece of white paper next to your face.
- If your skin looks yellowish or golden next to the paper, you have warm undertones.
- If your skin looks pink, rosy, or bluish, you have cool undertones.
- If your skin looks greyish or ashen, you might have an olive undertone, which falls within the neutral category.
Sun Reaction:
- Consider how your skin reacts to the sun.
- If you tan easily and rarely burn, you likely have warm or neutral undertones.
- If you burn easily and rarely tan, you likely have cool undertones.
Foundation Matching:
- Visit a beauty store and swatch foundation shades along your jawline.
- The shade that disappears into your skin without blending is your match, and its undertone (whether it’s labeled as warm, cool, or neutral) will help determine your own undertone.
Summary:
- Fair: Very light, often with cool or pink undertones.
- Light: Light skin with neutral, warm, or cool undertones.
- Medium: Medium or olive skin with neutral or warm undertones.
- Tan: Deeper medium skin with warm or neutral undertones.
- Deep: Dark skin with warm or cool undertones.
- Dark: Very deep, rich brown skin with cool or warm undertones.
Identifying your skin tone can help you choose the right makeup shades, clothing colors, and even hair colors that best complement your natural coloring.
Skin Tone Chart
Understanding different skin tones and their characteristics can help you choose the right makeup, clothing, and hair colors. Here’s a detailed chart highlighting various skin tones:
1. Fair Skin Tone
Description:
- Very light and pale skin.
- Often burns easily and may have freckles.
Undertones:
- Cool (pink or blue) undertones.
Celebrity Example:
- Emma Stone
2. Medium Skin Tone
Description:
- Medium or olive skin that tans more easily and burns less frequently.
Undertones:
- Neutral or warm (golden) undertones.
Celebrity Example:
- Jennifer Lopez
3. Olive Skin Tone
Description:
- Light to medium skin with a slight greenish or yellowish hue.
- Tans easily and rarely burns.
Undertones:
- Typically neutral or slightly warm undertones.
Celebrity Example:
- Penélope Cruz
4. Warm Skin Tone
Description:
- Can range from fair to deep, characterized by golden, yellow, or peachy hues.
Undertones:
- Warm (yellow, golden, or peach).
Celebrity Example:
- Beyoncé
5. Neutral Skin Tone
Description:
- Balanced mix of both warm and cool undertones.
- Usually does not lean too much towards pink or yellow.
Undertones:
- Neutral (a balance of warm and cool).
Celebrity Example:
- Natalie Portman
Identifying Your Skin Tone
To determine your skin tone using this chart, follow these steps:
- Natural Light Test: Observe your skin in natural daylight.
- Vein Check: Look at the veins on your wrist.
- Blue/Purple Veins: Cool undertones.
- Green Veins: Warm undertones.
- Both: Neutral undertones.
- Jewelry Test: See which metal suits you better.
- Gold Jewelry: Warm undertones.
- Silver Jewelry: Cool undertones.
- Both: Neutral undertones.
- White Paper Test: Hold a white piece of paper next to your face.
- Yellowish or Golden Look: Warm undertones.
- Pink, Rosy, or Bluish Look: Cool undertones.
- Greyish or Ashen Look: Neutral or olive undertones.
Examples of Makeup Choices for Each Skin Tone
Fair Skin Tone:
- Foundation: Light ivory shades with cool undertones.
- Blush: Soft pinks and peach tones.
- Lipstick: Light pinks, nudes, and berry tones.
Medium Skin Tone:
- Foundation: Beige to tan shades with neutral or warm undertones.
- Blush: Coral, apricot, and rose tones.
- Lipstick: Warm reds, corals, and nude shades.
Olive Skin Tone:
- Foundation: Olive-toned beiges and tans.
- Blush: Terracotta, warm pinks, and bronze tones.
- Lipstick: Rich reds, deep berries, and earthy nudes.
Warm Skin Tone:
- Foundation: Golden beige to caramel shades.
- Blush: Peach, coral, and warm brown tones.
- Lipstick: Warm reds, oranges, and chocolate browns.
Neutral Skin Tone:
- Foundation: Shades labeled as “neutral” that balance both pink and yellow.
- Blush: Soft mauves, neutral pinks, and warm peaches.
- Lipstick: Versatile shades like pinks, nudes, and reds.
Understanding your skin tone is crucial for selecting makeup products, clothing, and even hair colors that complement your natural complexion.