What is an undertone?

A skin’s undertone is the color (or tone) that shows through the surface color of your skin. It’s important to know that your skin tone (the surface) may change depending on sun exposure or skin conditions. However, your skin undertone never changes.

Common undertones are categorized as
Cool (C) = pink, red or bluish undertones
Warm (W) = yellow, peachy, golden undertones
Neutral (N) = a mix of warm and cool undertones

To help you identify your skin’s undertone, here are four quick questions:

#1. What happens to your skin when you are out in the sun without sunscreen? (P.S… never go out without sunscreen.)

• Rarely tans = you likely have a cool undertone
• Tans easily = you likely have a warm undertone
• Tans slowly, rarely burns = you likely have a neutral undertone

#2. Which color top looks best on you?

• Cool-toned skin is typically best complimented by blue, green, purple and magenta tops
• Warm-toned skin is typically best complimented by yellow, orange, brown, ivory and red tops
• Neutral-toned skin looks good in almost anything

#3. Look at the inside of your wrist.  What color do your veins primarily appear?

• If your veins look bluer then you are more likely to have a cool undertone
• If your veins look greener then you are more likely to have a warm undertone
• If your veins are a combination of both then you are more likely to have a neutral undertone

#4. When it comes to jewelry, think about whether silver or gold looks better against your skin. (It’s important not to think about which you personally prefer but which one makes your skin look more radiant.)

• If your skin looks better with silver against it then you likely have a cool undertone
• If your skin looks better with gold against it then you likely have a warm undertone
• If both look good, then you likely have a neutral undertone