UndertonaHow to find your undertone
Your undertone is the hue beneath your skin. It decides whether gold or silver, cream or white, and coral or berry look better on you, whatever your skin depth.
Four quick tests
The vein test
Look at the veins on your inner wrist in daylight. Mostly blue or purple suggests cool, mostly green suggests warm, and a mix suggests neutral or olive.
The jewelry test
Hold silver and gold against your skin. If silver looks brighter, you likely lean cool; if gold looks richer, warm; if both work, neutral.
The white paper test
Hold plain white paper next to your bare face. Skin that looks pink or rosy leans cool, yellow or golden leans warm, and a green or grey cast suggests olive.
The sun test
Burning easily and tanning pink suggests cool; tanning golden with little burning suggests warm. Treat this as a weak signal.
Three or four results on the same side is a clear answer. A split usually means neutral or olive.
The four undertones
Cool undertone
How to tell if you have a cool undertone, plus the most flattering clothing colors, foundation shades, hair colors, lipsticks and jewelry for cool skin.
Warm undertone
How to tell if you have a warm undertone, plus the best clothing colors, foundation shades, hair colors, lipsticks and jewelry for warm skin.
Neutral undertone
What a neutral undertone is, how to tell if you have one, and the clothing colors, foundation, hair colors and jewelry that flatter neutral skin.
Olive undertone
What olive skin is, how to tell if your undertone is olive, and the most flattering colors, foundation shades, hair colors and lipsticks for olive skin.
Undertone FAQ
What is the difference between skin tone and undertone?
Skin tone is how light or dark your skin is on the surface. Undertone is the hue beneath it: warm, cool, neutral or olive. Two people with the same skin tone can have different undertones.
Does undertone change with a tan?
No. A tan changes surface tone, not undertone, though it can make warmth more visible for a while.
How does undertone relate to my color season?
Undertone is one of the three qualities that decide your season. Springs and autumns lean warm; summers and winters lean cool; soft, bright and deep seasons sit closer to neutral.