Great question. Understanding your undertone helps you pick makeup and clothes that flatter your natural complexion. What is undertone?
- Undertone is the subtle hue beneath your skin’s surface that influences how colors look on you. The three main categories are warm, cool, and neutral.
Practical ways to determine your undertone
- Vein color on your wrist under natural light:
- Greenish veins → likely warm undertones
- Bluish or purple veins → likely cool undertones
- A mix or hard-to-see veins → likely neutral undertones
- Jewelry test:
- Gold jewelry tends to flatter warm undertones
- Silver jewelry tends to flatter cool undertones
- If both look equally good, you may have a neutral undertone
- White cloth or paper test:
- Hold a plain white sheet near your face in natural light
- If your skin looks yellowish with white, you may be warm
- If your skin looks pink or blue-ish, you may be cool
- If you look good in both, you may be neutral
- Clothing color test:
- Pure white vs. off-white/cream: white flatters warm undertones; cream flatters cool undertones; liking both suggests neutral
What to do with the result
- Warm undertones: look for foundations, blushes, and lip colors with yellow or golden bases; think peach, coral, warm browns.
- Cool undertones: lean toward pink, blue, or berry-toned shades; foundations with pink or neutral bases often suit best.
- Neutral undertones: you’re lucky—many shades work; you can mix warm and cool tones for a balanced look.
If you’d like, I can tailor a quick, at-home 2-minute test plan using your preferred lighting and a couple of sample shades to help you decide your undertone more confidently.
