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How to Determine Your Skin's Undertone Once and For All

Education

When shopping for a new foundation or concealer, finding a shade that matches your skin requires determining two things: your skin tone and its undertone. The latter is not as often discussed, but the pros agree, it’s the secret to finding your seamless makeup match. Ahead, Melissa Collazo, a makeup artist and OMNIA brush artist and Jason Hoffman, makeup artist and VP of artistry and education for Rose Inc’s parent company, Amyris, dive into what skin undertones are, why they’re important and how to identify yours.

“Unlocking this skill has an overwhelmingly positive effect on the overall outcome of your makeup look...”

What are skin undertones?

Skin tones refer to the intensity value of the skin and range from fair, light-medium, medium-deep and deep to name a few. As Callazo puts it, skin tones refer to the skin’s surface color, while skin undertones are the subtle hues that live underneath. Another way to look at it: skin undertones have more to do with the skin’s temperature. So, while your skin tone can slightly change from season to season, your skin undertone always remains the same.

Skin undertones are separated into three main categories: warm, cool and neutral. “If you were to split the color wheel in half, you'll find warm shades that feel like sunshine and heat on one side, and cool shades that feel cold and icy on the other,” Collazo says. “Undertones of the skin will typically fall somewhere on the spectrum of warm (more yellow), cool (more blue), or neutral (more red/pink).”

Why knowing your skin undertone is important

So, why is determining your skin undertone necessary? For one, it ensures you achieve seamless makeup application. “Unless you are experimental or edgy, contrasting undertones can look off on the skin,” Hoffman says. “It really is all about trying to see what works best for you.” Plus, knowing your skin’s undertone makes it much easier to shop for complexion products both in-store and online.

Knowing your undertone also makes it easier to shop for other color cosmetics, such as a blush or red lipstick that complement your skin tone. “[It becomes] a much simpler task grounded in science versus being a veritable guessing game,” Collazo says. Furthermore, “unlocking this skill has an overwhelmingly positive effect on the overall outcome of your makeup look, and can even translate into other areas of your life, from picking your wardrobe, desired hair color, and even how you choose to decorate your home.”

How to determine your skin undertones

Do the vein test

There are a few tests out there to determine your skin’s undertone. The most common, which Collazo and Hoffman both recommend, is the vein test which involves looking at the veins on your wrist in natural sunlight. “If the veins are bluish or purple, that indicates cool,” Hoffman says. “If they are greenish, this notes warm skin. If it’s hard to tell or seems to be a little of both, you are neutral.”

Note what jewelry you’re drawn to

Examining the jewelry or neutral clothing you gravitate towards is another trick that can help determine your skin undertones. “Warm undertones feel their best in gold jewelry and neutral clothing that are more cream, tan, and brown-toned, while cool undertones tend to gravitate towards silver jewelry and white, gray and black clothing,” Collazo says. “Those with neutral undertones will find that they can wear it all and not be affected.”

“Warm undertones feel their best in gold jewelry and neutral clothing that are more cream, tan, and brown-toned, while cool undertones tend to gravitate towards silver jewelry and white, gray and black clothing.”

Consider how sun affects your skin

Another way Collazo recommends to determine your skin undertone is considering how your skin is affected by the sun. “If you have greener veins and you tan easily after prolonged sun exposure, you likely have a warm undertone,” she says. “If you have blue/purple veins and burn easily, you likely have a cool undertone. If your veins are more aqua/blue-green color and after time in the sun you burn first and then tan, you are likely a neutral undertone.”

Experiment with products

The best way to find your skin’s undertone is to try on complexion products with the undertones you think you have. The same goes for other cosmetic products such as blush and bronzer. “There are cool corals, warm reds — even bronzers come in cool, warm and neutral — so everyone should find tones that flatter their skin,” Hoffman says. The rule of thumb: “If something looks off on your skin tone, it’s likely the wrong undertone.”

Find Your Shade Using AI

Rose Inc’s version of this is called Shade Finder. It’s a tool that helps online and in-app shoppers find ideal makeup shades in seconds flat. No swatching on skin and no lengthy quizzes, just the right shade of makeup, right now. It’s easy. Snap a photo, answer a couple of questions and get matched with your best makeup shade. Learn more here.