How To Identify Your Skin’s Undertones

You excitedly apply a new foundation—one you spent a pretty penny on—only to realize that the color does not match your skin. Like, at all. Or maybe you swipe on a lipstick your bestie swears by, but the color somehow washes you out. The problem in either scenario likely comes down to skin undertones, as in the subtle warm or cool tones of your complexion.

Understanding how to find your skin undertone helps with a plethora of beauty and style-related choices—from picking a flattering outfit to choosing the best foundation match. Let’s dive into the differences between warm vs. cool skin tones (and neutral tones)—along with some of our favorite beauty picks for each complexion type—so you can achieve a flawlessly natural look every time.

What’s an Undertone?

Undertones refer to the subtle variance of colors within your complexion. There are three primary undertones—warm, cool, and neutral—and these stay the same your entire life and through every season. Whether you’re dark-complected or super fair, everyone has an undertone.

FYI: In beauty verbiage, you’ll often hear the terms “skin tone” and “undertone.” These aren’t interchangeable terms. Rather, skin tone refers to how dark or light your complexion is, while an undertone is the super subtle cool or warm-leaning hues within your skin tone.

Why Do Undertones Matter?

Undertones matter when choosing makeup, hair colors, and even outfits. We don’t subscribe to “hard and fast rules” saying you can’t wear a specific color. However, the reality is that some hues simply do look better against your skin while others aren’t as flattering. You can let your skin undertone gently inform your makeup, hair colors, and fashion choices.

One area where we recommend being more discerning, though, is your foundation. Many beauty retailers create a spectrum of foundation shades that lean either warm, cool, or neutral. By knowing what your undertones are, you can choose the best match for your complexion. It’s sort of like having a superpower, and comes in especially handy when shopping online!

What Are the Different Types of Undertones?

Let's dive into the differences between neutral tones vs. cool tones vs warm tones. From there, we’ll give you some quick tips on figuring out which skin undertones you have.

• Warm: Those with a warm undertone skin type have hints of peachy, golden, or yellow hues in their complexion. Your skin can look as if it has a natural warm glow to it.
• Cool: If you have a cool undertone, your skin leans more on the pink or reddish side with blue hues.
• Neutral: People with a neutral undertone have an even mixture of warm and cool tones that balance each other out.

Editor’s tip: Olive skin tones can be either neutral or warm. They’re known for having undertones of green, hence the name.

3 Ways To Find Your Undertone

While some people can take a quick look at their skin and determine which undertone they have, it’s not always so simple for others. Here are a few ways you can figure out which skin undertone you have.

1. Look at Your Veins

Flip your wrist over and take a peek at your veins. If the color of your veins leans toward the blue end of the spectrum, you probably have cool undertones. Conversely, when veins look slightly greener, this indicates you have a warm skin tone. If you’re unable to really nail down what color your veins are—or you have a mix of green and blue veins—that means your undertones are likely neutral.

2. Try the Jewelry Test

While you can absolutely accessorize with both, take a minute to really consider which metal looks best on you. Gold jewelry will complement warm undertone skin types since they both share similar color palettes of yellow and golden hues. Silver jewelry tends to look better on cool undertones for similar reasons; the metallic color looks better against the bluish hues of a cool undertone. Those with a neutral undertone look good in both.

3. Throw On Something White

Another way to determine your skin undertone is by draping a pure-white T-shirt or towel around your face. The bright color allows you to see your tones better. Cool undertones will seem pinker and won’t look washed out while wearing a pure white color. A warm undertone will look more yellow, and is better complemented with an off-white or neutral color shirt. And if you have neutral skin tones, you can rock it all; it’ll come down to preference.

How To Find the Best Makeup for Your Undertone

Determining your skin undertones is one of the trickiest parts of makeup application, but once you’ve unlocked the mystery then finding the right makeup becomes easier. For example, when shopping for L'Oreal Paris products you’ll find that many products will tell you which colors look best with the undertones of your skin. This is either listed in the product description or even in the product shade name.

• Cool: If you have a cool undertone, you’ll want to lean toward pink and purple, as well as red shades with blue and purple undertones.
• Warm: Warm tones look best in colors that lean more peachy, orange, or golden.
• Neutral: Those with a neutral undertone can basically wear whatever color they want when it comes to eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick.

With that said, you can still wear that blush or lipstick that you love, even if it doesn’t “complement” your undertone. But when it comes to foundation and concealer, it’s vital to consider your undertone for the best color match possible.

Let’s get into some specific tips based on different types of makeup.

Foundation and Concealer

Paying attention to face makeup shade names can go a long way in helping you find products that suit your undertone. Our True Match line makes it easy to find your match, as each shade name corresponds with an undertone. If there’s a “W,” it’s a warm shade. A “C” means it’s a cool shade, and “N” means neutral. Keep this in mind when shopping the L’Oréal Paris True Match Super Blendable Foundation—the hydrating formula is available in 47 shades with a mix of warm, cool, and neutral undertones. Once you pick your foundation, pair it with the L’Oréal Paris True Match Radiant Serum Concealer, making sure to select a shade that matches the undertone of your foundation.

Pro Tip: To determine which foundation and concealer pairs best with your undertone, simply dab a little on your neck or along your jawline for the best match. You may be used to swatching on your hand for the best foundation color, but your hands are a different color from your face.

Blush

While there aren’t a lot of rules about blush color, there are certain universal truths, like: Those with warm undertones look great in warm shades like peach and coral. People with cool undertones will love rosy pinks or soft mauves. As for neutral undertones, pretty much anything goes! You can experiment with a wide variety of blush colors to find what works for you.

To get a super flattering flush, try the L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Blush. Each shade name includes a letter: W (for warm), C (for cool), or N (for neutral). The shades are also numbered to correspond with different skin tones. For example, if you have fair, warm skin, Bare Honey W1-2 is a beautiful choice. And Barely Blushing W3-4 is great for medium skin, while the deep peach shade Subtle Sable W5-6 is one of our favorites for dark skin.

Eyeshadow

If you have warm undertones, you’ll look amazing in eyeshadows in bronze, gold, or orange shades. Try L’Oréal Paris Brilliant Eyes Shimmer Liquid Eye Shadow Makeup in Bronze Light, Crown Gold, or Precious Lava for a glitzy eye moment. To flatter cool undertones, opt for blue, purple, or silver eyeshadows. You can add intense sparkles to your lids with L’Oréal Paris Brilliant Eyes Shimmer Liquid Eye Shadow Makeup in Amethyst Quartz or Royal Onyx.

When it comes to a neutral skin undertone, you can stick with the natural shades of taupe, beige, and brown, as well as an array of vibrant colors like pink, orange, and green. Don’t be afraid to change up your look with a couple of swipes of the L’Oréal Paris Brilliant Eyes Shimmer Liquid Eye Shadow Makeup in Radiant Ruby.

Lipstick

Those with a warm undertone skin type should reach for a lip product with a deep color, or one with a slight orange hue. The L’Oréal Paris Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick in Fairytale Ending offers intense pigment for those wanting a bold nude. For a cool undertone, wear a lipstick hue with an equally cool undertone like pale pinks, dark purples, and deep reds. We love the L’Oréal Paris Glow Paradise Lip Balm-in-Gloss with Pomegranate Extract in Rose Harmony for a hydrating and flattering nude lip.

People with neutral undertones look beautiful in orange, purple, and brown-based earth tones. You can’t go wrong with a medium orange-based pink like the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte Lipstick in Le Coral Irreverent.

When you’re applying your makeup, you can ultimately wear whatever color makeup you want. But if your goal is makeup that looks like a professional did it, consider reviewing the above tips to find the lipstick, blush, and eyeshadow colors that complement your natural undertone.

Next Up: The Ultimate Guide to Lip Color