How your makeup look is going to come out depends on a lot of factors, like if you have chosen the correct shade according to your tone or lip shade matching your outfit or even jewelry that complements your whole look. But in all of this, there is one factor that usually gets overlooked and that is your skin undertone.
What is a Skin Undertone?
A skin undertone is that subtle hue that lies beneath your skin. Your skin tone can easily change because of long sun exposure or the use of skincare products but undertone stays the same. Correctly identifying your undertone is the key to finding the right shade of makeup products that enhance your natural beauty.
Types of Undertones
When buying makeup products, understanding your undertone can be a game changer for you. Let’s learn the three main types of skin undertones.
1. Warm Undertone
If you have traces of gold and yellow on your skin and warm undertone colors like mustard, coral, olive green, etc. suit your skin type, then you have a warm undertone. Warm undertones usually tan easily and rarely burn.
2. Cool Undertone
People with cool undertones have a hint of rosy or pink under their skin surface. Cool undertone skin burns more easily rather than getting tanned.
3. Neutral Undertone
Neutral undertones have a mixed balance of both warm and cool undertones. You may notice that both gold and silver jewelry suit your skin and you tan easily and occasionally get burned. People with neutral undertones can wear almost every color.
How to Find Your Undertone with a Few Simple Tests
1. Vein Test
This test is very easy to perform, just look at the color of your veins under the wrist in natural light.
- If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool undertone.
- If your veins appear green, you have a warm undertone.
- If your veins appear both green and purple, you have a neutral undertone.
2. Jewelry Test
You can perform this test with Gold and Silver jewelry.
- If silver jewelry suits your skin, you have a cool undertone.
- If gold jewelry suits your skin, you have a warm undertone.
- If both gold and silver look good on you, you have a neutral undertone.
3. The White Vs Cream Cloth Test
Wear a white t-shirt first and then an off-white or cream one and go under natural sunlight to determine your undertone.
- If your face appears yellowish and off-white suits you more, you have a warm undertone.
- If your face appears rosy or pink with white t-shirt, you have a cool undertone.
- If both white and off-white look equally good in both the colors, you have a neutral undertone.
4. The Sun Test
This is a little extreme to follow, try doing the above 3 tests to determine your undertone.
- If you burn easily, you have a cool undertone.
- If you get tan easily, you have a neutral undertone.
- If you get tan first and then burn, you have a neutral undertone.
Why Does Knowing Your Skin Undertone Matter?
If you know your undertone type, you can completely change the way you wear your whole look. Most people choose products based on their skin tone but you cannot rely on skin tone alone because your skin tone can shift with seasons but undertone stays the same. When you pick foundation, blush or lipstick matching your undertone, your makeup looks more natural and your skin more radiant.
FAQs about Skin Undertone
Q1. How do I know my undertone?
To check your undertone, you can follow the vein test, jewelry test, white t-shirt test or sun test. Vein and jewelry tests are the most prominently used to check the undertone.
Q2. How do I choose the right undertone?
It is very important to find out the right undertone to carefully select makeup products that won’t dull or fade your skin. To find the right undertone, you can do vein test, jewelry test, white ts-shirt or sun test.
Q3. Do I need warm or cool foundation?
This entirely depends on your skin undertone and skin type. You can test the foundation on your jawline before buying.
