Choosing colors for clothing, makeup, or hair can often feel like a frustrating guessing game, resulting in shades that make your complexion look dull or washed out. This happens because of a misunderstanding of how color interacts with your unique skin chemistry. The secret to finding the most flattering palette lies not in the surface color of your skin, but in the permanent, underlying hue. This guide provides a simple method for identifying that underlying hue and applying the correct color recommendations to your wardrobe and beauty routine.
The Key Difference: Skin Tone vs. Undertone
Skin tone refers to the surface color of your skin, determined by the amount of melanin present in the outermost layer. This surface color is typically described as fair, light, medium, or deep. Skin tone is not fixed and can change due to external factors like sun exposure or seasonal changes.
Skin undertone is the subtle, permanent hue that exists beneath the surface of the skin. This subsurface color is categorized as either warm, cool, or neutral, and it never changes, regardless of tanning or sun damage. The undertone is the most important factor in determining which colors will harmonize with your complexion.
Warm undertones have hints of yellow, gold, or peach, while cool undertones contain traces of pink, red, or blue. A neutral undertone is a balanced mix of both warm and cool hues, or lacks a strong leaning toward either temperature. Understanding this fixed, underlying color is the foundation for selecting colors that enhance your natural appearance.
Simple Tests to Find Your Skin Undertone
One common method for identifying your undertone is the vein test, which requires examining the veins on the inside of your wrist in natural light. If your veins appear blue or purple, you likely have a cool undertone. If your veins look green or olive, this suggests a warm undertone. The green appearance occurs because the yellow hue of warm skin filters the blue color of the veins.
If you see a mix of both blue and green veins, you most likely have a neutral undertone. Another practical test is the jewelry test, which involves observing how different metals look against your skin. Silver or platinum jewelry tends to look most flattering on cool undertones, while gold jewelry complements warm undertones best. If both silver and gold metals look equally appealing, this confirms a neutral undertone.
The white paper test provides a third way to check for underlying hues by holding a piece of white paper next to your face in natural light. If your skin appears rosy, pink, or bluish in comparison to the white, you have a cool undertone. If your skin looks more yellowish, golden, or peachy against the paper, you have a warm undertone.
The Best Color Palettes for Your Undertone
Warm Undertones
Individuals with warm undertones are best complemented by colors that share their golden or yellow base, often referred to as earth tones. For clothing, this means embracing shades like olive green, moss, deep teal, and warm browns such as terracotta and rust. Other flattering colors include golden yellow, cream, coral, and rich reds like brick or poppy.
In makeup, foundation should have a yellow or golden base to blend seamlessly with the skin. Blush and lipstick shades include warm peach, coral, and reds with an orange or brown base. For hair color, warm undertones are enhanced by golden blondes, honey browns, auburn, and chestnut shades.
Cool Undertones
Cool undertones, which have a pink or blue base, are best enhanced by colors that are equally cool, clear, or icy. The most flattering clothing colors are often jewel tones, such as sapphire blue, emerald green, amethyst, and ruby red. Other choices include true white, navy, icy pastels, and cool grays.
When selecting makeup, foundation should have a pink or rosy base to avoid looking ashy or gray. Flattering blush and lip colors include true pinks, fuchsia, plum, and blue-based reds, like cherry or scarlet. Hair colors that complement a cool undertone include ash blonde, platinum, jet black, and dark brown shades.
Neutral Undertones
People with neutral undertones have the most flexibility, as their balanced complexion allows them to wear both warm and cool colors. The most harmonious palette for neutrals often consists of medium, muted shades that are neither too warm nor too cool. This includes colors like soft rose, jade green, taupe, and soft burgundy.
For makeup, neutral-toned individuals can wear foundations labeled as “neutral” or “beige,” which contain a balance of pink and yellow pigments. They look best in soft, natural tones for blush and lipstick, such as dusty rose, mauve, and berry shades. Neutral undertones can also wear both silver and gold jewelry equally well.