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Oh, you want that new foundation? Great! What’s your skin tone?
Um, I don’t know. Maybe medium?
We come up against this question all the time—more often these days than ever before.
Determining your skin tone will significantly help you avoid having cakey makeup. The moment you apply the wrong foundation, concealer, blush, or bronzer, you’re sure to end up either looking like a porcelain doll or an orange clown. Such a mistake can interfere with the look you’re trying to achieve.
Here we will give you a detailed guide on how to master your skin tone and avoid dreadful foundation and general makeup results.
Difference Between Skin Tone And Skin Undertone
Determining the difference between skin tone and skin undertone can make or break your makeup look. The two might sound similar but recognizing that they aren’t the same will make finding your perfect shade so much easier.
The skin tone is the skin’s surface, which sometimes changes when exposed to too much sun or suffers hyperpigmentation. On the other hand, skin undertone is a subtle hue found under the skin.
The undertone doesn’t change no matter how pale you turn in the winter or how tan you become in the summer. Skin tones range from intense to very pale shades, focussing on general color. A skin undertone is a shade within skin tone. The three traditional undertones are warm, cool, and neutral.
What Is My Skin Tone?
Skin tone is what you see first when you look in the mirror. You probably already have an idea if your skin is light, medium, or dark, for instance. Skin tone is all about how much pigmentation you have in your skin.
- For fair skin color – You’re very fair, and burn easily. You most likely have light or red hair.
- For light skin color – You have generally light-colored skin, but you have more yellow or beige undertones than fair skin. You’re most likely to tan in the summer.
- For medium skin color – Your skin is a more medium color, with potential olive undertones. Mostly referred to as “olive.”
- For dark (deep) skin color – You have dark skin and/or a deep complexion.
The surface color can change depending on a lot of things. For instance, if you tan in the summer, for instance, it will get darker, and then lighten again in the winter. It can also be affected by redness, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, dryness, and dullness. These are things you try to keep constant by taking good care of your skin, and things that you work to hide or smooth out with makeup.
You try to keep constant by taking good care of your skin and things that you work to hide or smooth out with makeup.
The more the skin is affected by Ultraviolet rays, it adapts by producing more melanin to protect against the sun’s rays. That is why skin tones vary depending on your genetic makeup based on where your ancestors lived. The varying skin hues are due to the climates and sunny regions the skin had to adapt towards. The darkest skin tones are from Africa, India, and the Middle East, where the sun is harshest.
Does Skin Tone Change With Age?
As we age, the outer layer of the skin starts to thin. This layer is called the epidermis, and even as it matures, the number of cell layers stays the same. Pigment-containing cells called melanocytes, on the other hand, slowly decrease over time, prompting a change in shade. As melanocytes diminish, the remaining cells grow larger. This process causes the skin to appear thinner, paler, and clearer.
How To Determine Your Skin Surface Color
You may have had trouble with this because your skin changes often. Try these tests:
Look At Your Jawline Color
This area is usually less affected by skin color changes than the rest of your face. When you examine the skin here, try to determine if it is fair, light, medium, or dark.
How Do People Describe You?
If they say you’re very “fair,” that’s probably your skin tone. If they’re always commenting on how tan you look, you may be medium. If you look pale in the winter, but tan in the summer, you may be light.
If both methods don’t seem satisfactory enough for you, you could visit a local beauty shop that offers skin tone or foundation matching tests to know yours. This test will take at most 10 minutes.
What Is An Undertone In Skin?
“Undertone” is the term used for that subtle, more muted color that lies underneath the skin. You can think of it as a “shadow” that is always there. While the surface color may change, the undertone stays the same, regardless.
In general, we have three undertone categories:
- Warm undertone skin color – think yellow, peachy, and golden.
- Cool undertone skin color – think red, pink, and bluish.
- Neutral undertone skin color – think olive or a mix of those above.
There are several ways you can figure this out. Your best approach is to try each one and average your answers. Usually, the tone that pops up most often is your tone, but you can always confirm by trying some colors in that tone to see if they look “right.”
Do Undertones Matter?
Yes, undertones matter and probably more than you think. Understanding your undertone will help you customize the perfect makeup shades for your unique skin. Keeping all of your products in the same undertone will help you look fresh and skin-like.
No more worrying about foundation lines or an unblended neck. When the seasons change and your skin tone changes with them, being aware of your undertones will make finding a new foundation that much easier.
How To Determine Your Skin’s Undertone
1. Check Your Veins.
You’ve probably heard of this one before. Look at the underside of your wrist. What color are your veins?
- Bluish-purple means you’re on the cool side.
- Greenish means warm.
- If you’re not sure and your veins look bluish-green, you may be neutral.
2. Your Skin’s Reaction To The Sun
The way your skin reacts to the sun can be a massive indicator of your skin undertones. Do you burn easily or turn into a bronze goddess after an hour on the beach?
- Having a naturally tan complexion means you are warm-toned.
- Those who get red instead of bronzed are cool-toned.
- Cool-toned complexions can still tan but need gradual sun exposure.
- African-American skin is typically warm-toned, but not always.
3. Do You Blush Easily?
If so, you’re on the cool side.
4. What Colors Look Good On You?
Cool tones look good in deep, vibrant colors, such as blue, purple, and emerald green. Warm tones glow in earth tones like red, orange, yellow, and olive green. If you can wear both shades, you have neutral undertones.
Another test: Picture yourself in a yellow or orange shirt.
- If it gives you a great glow, you’re warm.
- If it makes you look a little sickly, you’re cool.
- You may be neutral if you look good but not great (like warm).
5. Try The White Test.
Get a plain piece of white paper and put it up by your face, sans makeup. Does your complexion look dull or good? (You can also use a bright white towel.)
- If you answered “dull,” you’re warm.
- If you answered “good,” you’re cool.
- If you can’t tell much difference, you’re neutral.
Some more clues:
- If your skin appears sallow or yellowish, you’re warm.
- Pink or rosy: cool.
- Grayish? You may have a neutral undertone.
6. Do You Like Gold or Silver Jewelry?
Cools look best in silver, while warms shine in gold. If you like two-toned, can you guess? You can test this by laying a gold and silver chain next to each other on your hand or arm. Which looks best?
7. What Color Are Your Eyes?
Usually, those with golden brown, green, hazel with gold flecks, and blue eyes are warm-toned.
Those with black or deep brown, steel blue, hazel with grey or blue flecks, and grey are cool toned.
8. Look Behind Your Ears.
Ask a friend to look at the skin just behind your ear. Ensure the area isn’t covered in conditions like rosacea or acne that could mask your natural tone.
- Yellowish means warm
- Pink or rosy means cool
- If they can’t tell, you may be neutral.
9. Think Basic
Test your skin against basic colors like black and white and brown and tan. Cool shades will look better in stark black and white, while warm will prefer off-whites. Cools will like deep browns, while warms will prefer softer tans.
10. Who Do You Identify With?
Think celebrities. Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore, Courtney Cox, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Hudson, and Amanda Seyfried have cool undertones. Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Diane Sawyer, and Kim Kardashian have warm undertones.
Some Generalizations About Undertones Skin Color
If you’re still not entirely sure that you’ve got your skin colors down pat, consider these general categories:
Fair Skin Color Types
Often have freckles and may suffer some redness. They burn easily, have sensitive skin, and have cool or warm undertones.
Light Skin Color Types
May burn in the sun, but that burn often turns to a tan. They may suffer some spotty redness, such as on the cheeks only, and their skin may be somewhat sensitive. Both cool and warm undertones are possible.
Medium Skin Color Types
You don’t usually have to worry about burning much and often have warm undertones. Those who look like they have a tan year-round even without sun exposure may have “olive” skin with a warm or neutral undertone.
Dark Skin Color Types
Rarely burn and usually have warm undertones. Often describes African Americans and women of Indian descent.
Very Dark Types
It may be described as “ebony” or “deep” and have warm or cool undertones.
Best Color Palette for Your Undertone
- Warm shades are often labeled beige, golden, tan, caramel, and chestnut.
- Cool shades are often labeled porcelain, rose, sable, cocoa.
- Neutral shades are often labeled ivory, buff, nude, and praline.
Don’t worry if you don’t get your shade just right the first time. Our Multi-Purpose Foundation Kit will let you try all 8 shades. Try as much as you like until you find your match. Also check out our sample skin care kits, we are sure you will find one that works on your skin.
Au Naturale Semi-Matte Powder Foundation
Au Naturale’s Semi-Matte Powder Foundation is a pure powder that delivers creaseless coverage and a flawless finish—without the weight—in 15 diverse shades. Formulated without animal byproducts, synthetic preservatives, nano-particles, gluten, parabens, fillers or toxins, the Semi-Matte Powder Foundation is 100% natural, cruelty-free, vegan and made in the USA.
Have you had trouble determining your skin tone? Do you have tests that help? Please share with our readers.
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know your skin tone is very tough task thank you very much for this article keep posting!!!
Nice article. I think I’m a light neutral? My veins look blue and green, my skin is light but looks yellowish and pink. Silver makes me look bright and clear, gold makes me glow. I burn a little then tan. I get pale in winter but more olive in summer. My eyes and hair are dark brown. I look good in black, white, cream, red, chocolate brown, olive/mossy/emerald greens, deep blue, teal, and berry-purple. Yellow, orange, light green/blue, gray, tan and grape-purple look strange on me. I am Hispanic with some Mediterranean ancestry. Enjoyed reading about all the diversity and variation here!
Great article, thank-you!! Best I’ve read on the topic.
hi. will amber foundation shade go with a warn undertone?
My skin burns in sun but veins on my wrist are green. And my eyes are dark brown so that means my undertone is neutral.. ?
So how does this correspond to the colors of your makeup??
This is an incredibly useful article. I felt confident knowing my skin tone after reading through this detailed piece. Well written with plenty of guidance and tips to determine your skin tone!!! Thank you for sharing.
I find that silver or gold nail polish is a more positive indicator to determine cool or warm tones instead of jewellery. Even with a tan, gold nail polish is not flattering on my skin.
I was confused before, but now, I’m less confuse?. I only need to finalize if I’m a light skinned with cool undertone or a medium skin with a neutral undertone. I’m a Filipina, and people usually say I’m light skinned but then my photos say otherwise and I think my skin is actually yellowish(?). My veins are somewhat blue and purple but the blue could be green, I just became colorblind???. But I’m pretty sure about the purple one. I tan, I guess, when I’m expose to the sun for a long time but my skin’s immediate response is to redden all over. My neck and my limbs are somewhat on the light brown yellow goldenish side, I guess, but then I feel like I’m indeed light skinned when its cold. So I’m still not sure…It’s like in the middle of the descriptions, lol. Thanks for these explanations.
I was confused before, but now, I’m less confuse?. I only need to finalize if I’m a light skinned with cool undertone or a medium skin with a neutral undertone. I’m a Filipina, and people usually say I’m light skinned but then my photos say otherwise and I think my skin is actually yellowish(?). My veins are somewhat blue and purple but the blue could be green, I just became colorblind???. But I’m pretty sure about the purple one. I tan, I guess, when I’m expose to the sun for a long time but my skin’s immediate response is to redden all over. My neck and my limbs are somewhat on the light brown yellow goldenish side, I guess, but then I feel like I’m indeed light skinned when its cold. So I’m still not sure…It’s like in the middle of the descriptions, lol.
This is the best explanation I have ever seen on this subject! I have been trying to figure this out for years. You are obviously a master of your subject!! Thank you for sharing this info with us!
After struggling to understand my undertone for almost 6 months. I have got my answer. Thank you for explaining with such clear examples and in great detail.
Finding fair and light neutral,shades when you have olive undertones is hard. Neutrals are often too flat and beigey (lacking the distinct green undertone), warms turn orange or look too buttery yellow, and cools are just pink. Making it worse, people think olive means medium skin tone and even misapply it to tanned people who don’t even have olive undertones…ugh!
Hi, I have very pale skin that burns easily. Blue eyes, and I tried the tests but I think I’m neutral can you help?
I found this article very helpful thank you so much
Hi! Great tips, but I just for the life of me cannot figure out what my undertone is! I’ve read multiple sources and done all the tests and always seem to switch between answers and can’t come to an accurate consensus one way or the other! Maybe someone can help me out:
My hair is naturally a light brown that a lot of people have always called red (but I never considered it red, as my sister has true auburn hair and mine has always appeared much browner), but it definitely has natural red and blondish highlights and can pull very red in various lights.
I have very fair/pale skin with tons of freckles and I easily burn, which then either peels or fades into a light tan depending on the degree of the burn.
My eyes are primarily green but often go between a brighter green and more of a hazel color.
I have both blue and green veins on the inside of my arm.
My skin (especially in my face, shoulders, and forearms) has a tendency to look kind of pink/red-ish, but when I press on my skin the impression shows as a light yellowish/ white color.
I don’t notice that I look particularly better in true or off-whites (although I suppose I might have more off-white shades in my closet for no other reason than white against my skin serves as a comparison showing how pale I am!) I don’t tend to wear a lot of yellows, oranges, or any neon colors because of how pale I am. I do wear a lot of blues and teals, but I also like dark and earthy tones like dark greens, tans, blacks, and browns.
So would you think that I am a light cool or light warm skin color? Or am I possibly a neutral? Thanks for any help you might be able to give!
Hi there!
It does sound like you’re a neutral skintone! Most of the time, when people can’t quite figure out their skintone it’s because it’s neutral.
Cool, thanks for the article. I guess I’m neutral. The bit at the end, Ivory/buff/nude finally decided it for me, though I been told I look smashing in both the cool and warm tones. I look classy/gorgeous in ivory/beige and starking lovely with the contrast of black/white against my skin hair. I’ve been compared to the Rose MacGowan, though I’m not as pale as her. I’m light skinned, but my dark hair and eyes makes it seem like I’m paler, lol.
Some colors I can’t wear: Grey/Pea colored greens – and some orange colors look funny against my skin and hair. Very candy corn/halloween-ish, lol. I used to look great in chocolate brown, when my hair was lighter. I think I still look pretty classy in the chocolate browns, but there is something about it that’s less striking when my hair is black.
I’m a meditteranean/sicilian/italian type. I don’t have the olive complexion, though, due to having croatian and swiss german and native american. Basically, I’m an ethnic mutt.
Sometimes, I wear various colors of foundations, depending on the effect. Depends on the time of year. Winter, I may go for the ivory/buffs: Summer, I’ll go for a beige. Other times, I might go for a pinky/rose/peach color tone. Depends on the look I’m going for. Peaches and cream/tan and healthy/pale and urban or emo-ish, lol.
Now, I know why I can wear whatever styles I want. When I was younger, I did a little modeling. People loved me because I could wear whatever looks they wanted to put on me.
I wanted to say that I have been using these mineral foundations for about 4 or 5 months and I just love them. I found another use for them however by accident. I was going to a dressy event last week and I do not lay in the sun and I wont use self tanners because of all the chemicals. So I still had my sample kit with all the colors. I use Sand on my face. So I mixed a little Honey shade with extra virgin olive oil. ( I didn’t want to use all my facial oil on my legs) and I gently rubbed the foundation on my legs from my feet to just past my knees. And………Wow looked like I had a little color and nude stockings on!!!!! my legs looked very smooth just like my face does. I love this stuff!!!!
I read from a company called Vial Choice they sell organic meats…they posted an article saying titanium’s like title specks can be carsonogenic & affect the brain Is that true
Hi Jeannine,
Thanks for your question! titanium as a nano particle can be considered carcinogenic, but we do not use nano particles in our make up 🙂
Lighting does effect how foundation looks; rule of thumb: If you’re foundation looks natural in Natural Daylight, then your foundation fits and will look like your own skin under any type of lighting. You may think your foundation is a good match based on surface color, but you can see how off the undertones are in natural daylight. I know this from experience: every time I’d buy new foundation I always thought it was a good match and looked good but the minute I’d get into car and checked myself in the mirror the foundation suddenly looked off and not so hot, and that was because the undertone was off while the surface color was on point and that isn’t a match and just looks off…
That is so true. Lighting is important. For this reason, I ALWAYS do my makeup in natural lighting, in front of my window. It gives you a much more precise idea of how you really look and will look in other lightings as well. When I was younger I would do my makeup in artificial lighting like yellow bathroom lighting and so on, and once I’d leave the house and look in another mirror elsewhere I’d realize how awful I looked! LOL.
Thanks for these tips. I’m 50 and I STILL don’t know what my skintone is. With all of these descriptions, I can identify with everyone of them: cool, warm, and neutral. I have deep dark brown eyes, very dark brown hair, but have pink cheeks and have been told that orange looks very good on me. I tried warm/yellowish based foundations and I look horrible. When I try neutral foundations, I look bleh. Then I try cool and I look ashy. It’s all so confusing and frustrating. The ONLY foundation I’ve foundation match perfectly in the summer time for me is, sadly, from Estee Lauder. I mix 02 Light/Medium with 03 Medium in their double Matte Oil-Control Pressed Powder line. I’m still looking for a natural/organic foundation that has great coverage without settling in my pores and wrinkles and making me look oily 2 hours later. Estee Lauder has been the answer for me…but, I NEED to stop using it, for obvious reasons. Help! 🙂
Hi Maria,
Have you tried our makeup?? You can get samples of it here –> https://shop.annmariegianni.com/collections/makeup/products/sample-kit-earth-minerals-multi-purpose-foundation?variant=1124787177
I found this very helpful Thank you
Hi ya…..good article btw…
Wanted to add that checking skin tones outside may be a factor also.
Different lighting than indoors…
Say if you were to be outside most of the day than the color would
be different than when you would be indoors most of the day.
Also, different lighting makes for different colors as well….
fluorescent as opposed to incandescent lighting….
just some tidbits….
thanks