HOW TO: FINDYOUR UNDERTONE

Picking your perfect foundation shade can be tricky. Knowing the undertone of your skin is the first step in narrowing it down. Undertones refer to the natural colours underneath the surface of your skin and picking the right foundation with your matching undertone will enable it to blend in with the natural hues of your skin.

TYPES OF UNDERTONES

Undertones can be broken down into three different categories – warm, neutral and cool. Warm undertones include hints of gold, yellow or peach. Cool undertones include pinks, reds or blueish hues. Neutral is a mixture of warm and cool.

FINDING YOUR UNDERTONE

• Check your veins. If you can identify the colour of your veins, it is a quick and easy way to identify your undertone. It is recommended to look at the veins around your face and neck to accurately identify. If you can see blue veins in your skin, you have cool undertones. If they appear green, you have warm undertones and neutral undertones will have a mix of both.
• Consider your clothing. Neutral-coloured clothing can also indicate your undertone. A pure white t-shirt, or even just holding up some white paper next to your face can bring out your undertone. If your skin appears yellow, it’s warm and if it appears pink, it’ll be cool. If you can’t tell between either – you’ve guessed it, you’re neutral. It’s also worth noting that true white tends to favour cooler undertones, while warmer undertones tend to suit off-white better.
• How does your skin react to the sun? Assessing how your skin reacts to sun exposure can also help identify your undertone. If you burn easily, you’re likely to have a cool undertone; if you tan easily, you’re likely to be warm; if you burn then tan, you’re probably a neutral undertone.

NEXT STEPS

Hopefully, you’re now a lot clearer on how to identify your skin’s undertone. Not only will this help you pick a much more accurate foundation shade, it can also help you with types of colours to wear on your lips and eyes, as wearing complementary tones can bring out your features more.

Warm undertones often suit oranges, orangey-reds, brick-reds and terracotta colours. Browns and corals will also bring out the skin tone of a warm undertone. Cooler tones are best complemented by blue-toned reds, cherry reds, berry shades or deep plums. Neutral undertones work with a wide range of colours and can dip in and out of trying both warm and cool tones.