FACE
What’s your favorite color? How about your favorite shade of that color? There are so many to choose from, right?
That’s because, in addition to tint (light vs. deep), each color has something called undertone. Undertones create the wide spectrum of hues you see in the world.
And—shocker—your skin has an undertone, too.
Knowing your skin’s undertone is the key to finding your ideal foundation shade. But for many, determining undertone can feel like searching for the holy grail. Luckily, we have the goof-proof guide for you.
With a few easy steps, you can learn how to determine undertone and confidently select the products you need to achieve an even & balanced makeup foundation.
What Is Undertone in Makeup?
Odds are, you’ve heard people gabbing about undertone online or in the foundation aisle. But what does it mean exactly?
In the context of skin complexion, your undertone lies “beneath” the skin, influencing the appearance of your overall tone (i.e., light, medium, dark). Undertones span a spectrum from warm to neutral to cool.
To be clear, every color has an undertone—it’s what separates a warm olive green from, say, a cool mint. And while you can likely tell the difference between a warm- vs. cool-toned purple dress, or pick eggshell and ivory from a lineup of white paint swatches, the complex color of your skin makes those subtle undertones a little harder to parse.
Different Types of Undertones: Warm, Cool & Neutral
The good news is you don’t need to be a master of color theory to understand undertone. Instead of getting caught in the weeds of specific colors, you can visualize your skin’s undertone in terms of warm, cool, and neutral
- Warm tones – These include yellows, pinks, and warm-golden tones.
- Cool tones – Think pink, blue, and purple tones.
- Neutral tones – Neutral lies somewhere between warm and cool, so you’ll see a little of both.
3 Strategies for Finding Your Undertone
Now that you know what undertone is—hooray!—you might be wondering, what’s the big deal? Well, if you’ve ever spent hours looking through foundation shades only to go home with one that doesn’t quite blend in, undertone will be your new secret weapon.
Here’s how to determine yours:
1. Inspect Your Skin
It’s pretty hard to simply look at your skin and immediately (or accurately) pick out your undertone. However, there are several clues you can look for:
- Vein color – Veins vary in color, from cool purples and blues to warm greens, and these colors actually hint at your undertone. Cool-toned veins suggest a cool undertone, while warm-toned veins point to a warm undertone. If your veins don’t lean one way or the other, you likely have a neutral tone.
- Nail bed tone – Look at your nails: Would you say your nail beds (the bits closest to your cuticles) are warm and peachy, or cool pink, bordering on purpley-blue? For the former, you likely have a warm undertone, and for the latter, a cool undertone (or you may be a bit chilly). Somewhere in the middle? That’s neutral, baby.
If your veins are hard to see or if you don’t want to ruin your new manicure, you can find your undertone in a few other ways.
2. Raid Your Closet
A quick fashion show may actually help unlock your skin’s secrets:
- Compare your complexion in silver and gold jewelry – Metal preferences aside, the jewelry that looks most natural on your skin can clue you in to your undertone. Those with warm tones generally go for gold jewelry, while cool-toned cuties slay in silver. Neutral tones naturally favor both.
- Wear your whitest-white garment – A white shirt can bring out your undertone for easier identification. If your skin glows rosy pink against the white, you likely have a cool undertone. But if it stands out as more yellowy, you’re likely warm. Don’t notice much of a difference? You’re likely rocking a neutral undertone.
3. Ask a Friend!
If staring at your skin in the mirror is making your eyes cross, ask a color-conscious friend for a fresh perspective. Run through the tests above (ideally in person so they can see your skin in natural light) and get their opinion. (It also helps if they’re a stylist or makeup artist!)
Choose the Right Makeup for Your Undertone
So, you’ve figured out your skin’s undertone. YAY! But how do you find the products that blend best with your unique shade?
Luckily, a lot of makeup creators (like us here at Benefit) are obsessed with undertone and make it easy for anyone to find their ideal match.
Finding an Undertone-Matching Foundation
These days, many foundations account for cool, warm, and neutral undertones, and are clearly labeled with C, W, or N.
The POREfessional Foundation has some major benefits for this reason. With 40 shades available, it can match the pitch of every skin tone and undertone. We’ve even finetuned each shade by:
- Overall tone – Fair, light, light-medium, medium, medium-deep, deep, or rich.
- Undertone – Cool (C), warm (W), or neutral (N).
For example, if you have a medium-deep tone with a warm undertone, you’d best suit the shade 23W Magnificent.
Complementary Colors for Each Undertone
Knowing your undertone can help inform & inspire all your makeup choices (and your jewelry and your outfit choices, for that matter).
For warm undertones, try:
- Orangey-red lipstick
- Warm & earth-toned eyeshadows
- Shimmery gold highlighters
For cool undertones, go for:
- Pastel or jewel-toned eyeshadows
- Cool pink blushes
- Icy white highlighters
And if you have a neutral undertone, mix and match to your heart’s content!
Of course, no matter your undertone, feel free to wear the shades you think are hot. A bright-red lip and silvery eyeshadow look fabulous on anyone who feels confident in them.
Fine-Tune to Your Undertone with Benefit Cosmetics
You deserve a foundation that feels uniquely you—one that seamlessly blends with your natural complexion. Thankfully, The POREfessional Foundation offers a shade for every tone and undertone under the sun. And if your first pick isn’t a match, no sweat—we’ll send you the right one, risk-free.
Sources:
Cosmopolitan. Welcome to Undertones 101: A Guide to Determining if Your Skin Is Cool, Warm, or Neutral. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a65626656/find-your-skin-undertone/