Undertone: how to find it

If you can know your undertone, it can be a life changer: not only for your next foundation shopping venture, but also for the rest of your makeup products and for your wardrobe. In this post, we’ll figure out how to know your undertone.

How to know your undertone

Most methods that are out there are considered kind of outdated. For this reason, forget about vein tests and jewellery tests, which aren’t always trustworthy. Instead, we’ll focus on the draping method and on the skin-eyes-hair method. In the latter method, we’ll look at our dominant characteristics, which become a deciding factor in how we choose our makeup and our wardrobe.

The draping method

In this method, we’ll use pieces of cloth of different colours so that we can see to which colours the skin responds better too. If your skin becomes more yellow if put next to a warm colour (say orange) you have a cool undertone. If your skin becomes grey and dull put next to a cool colour (say pink), you have a warm undertone.

Try to have someone else observe you when you are using this method, as an outside eye can really help. Ideally, this method should be used by a colour analyst or by an image consultant. Unless you have a really sharp eye and an open mind, you shouldn’t try it.

In case you decide to take on the endeavour and try to do this by yourself, make sure to sit in natural light and without any makeup, not even minimal. Then, wrap your head (your hair) and cover your body with a white cloth. This will help you see your features better. Look at which colours minimise things like pimples, scars and dark undereyes.

The skin-eyes-hair method

This method is really important because it will help you see your features and what complements them better. It will also help you see that the equation dark-haired=warm and blonde-haired=cool is incorrect. Value (dark and light) and temperature/undertone are two different variables altogether. Here I will put the respective profiles for cool and warm. You will see in which one you can fit more.

Cool undertones profile

Your skin has porcelain/pink tones. In this case, you don’t tan easily but you blush easily. Or, your skin has olive tones and your tan has more of a brick tone to it. If you don’t go out in the Sun very often, your skin becomes very pale or greyish. If you have freckles, they are brown-grey dots that become darker in the Sun. Your lips are purplish or bordeaux in colour. The ears are pinkish or purplish, and they become red because of cold temperatures or excessive sweating.

Your eyes are green-grey, icy blue or chocolate brown, and your hair is ashy blonde or brown. In the latter case, the colour is very close to natural black.

After you dye your hair or in sunlight, your hair either has a coppery/red reflect or has no reflect as such. Your veins are of a teal/blue/purple colour. They may be all of these colours or just one.

Celebrities with this undertone are Salma Hayek and Anne Hathaway, for example.

Warm undertone profile

Your skin has ivory, peach or amber tones. You tan easily, and your tan is golden. If you don’t go out in the Sun for long, your skin doesn’t become completely pale: it retains a vague yellowy tone. If you have freckles, they’re golden, reddish or brownish and your lips have a more peach or apricot colour. The veins in your forearms are greenish, and your ears are peach or golden toned.

Your eyes are olive or aqua green, amber or forest brown. If your eyes are forest brown, then you may also have bits of green in them. With the other colours, your eyes may have golden bits in them.

Your hair colours can be a wheaty/golden/coppery blonde, but also red, ginger, golden and coppery dark browns. Your natural hair colour isn’t jet black. When eventually dyed, your hair can become lighter with time but not give any blonde reflect. If you don’t dye your hair, it may give a blonde reflect.

Celebrities with this undertone are Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Alba, for example.

If you have characteristics in both profiles, try experimenting with colours a bit more and see if you lean on the warmer or cooler side of the spectrum. When foundation shopping choose a neutral one to start with. This because actually there is no “real” neutral undertone to start with. Everyone tends to either prefer cooler colours over warmer ones or warmer colours over cooler ones depending on what they know works for them. If you think you are having some doubts and don’t know what works for you, seek help from a colour analyst or an image consultant. It will be worth the investment.