Have you ever bought foundation only to realize that it doesn’t really match your skin? You may not be choosing the right color for your skin’s undertone. Knowing your undertone will help you choose the right color foundation without the need to try it on. There are three undertones that beauty brands make foundations for: cool, warm and neutral. Cool undertones typically have a pink or red hue while warm undertones have a yellow or golden hue. Neutral undertones can be a combination of both.
How do you find your undertone?
Some people say that your undertone can be determined based on your hair and eye color. I don’t necessarily agree with that because most of us have a mixture of genetic make-up and come from so many different backgrounds. The most accurate way to find your undertone is to look at the veins on the inside of your arm. If they appear to be blue or purple, you have a cool undertone. If your veins appear to be green, that means you have a warm undertone. If you look at your veins and they appear to be neither blue or green (or a combo of both), you could be neutral undertone.
Think of it this way-
Pink or reddish skin + blue veins = purple (cool tone)
Yellow or golden skin + blue veins = green (warm tone)
Another way to determine undertone is by asking yourself this: do you burn easily in the sun? If your answer is yes, this means you’re a cool undertone but if you tan easily and don’t burn often, you’re a warm undertone. If you’re neutral undertone, you may or may not burn first but your skin will tan. Some people don’t fall into any category. For example, there are those that may be olive toned or those with deeper skin that have a reddish undertone. If you’re olive toned, you’ll want to choose a foundation with a slight yellow greenish color. If you have deeper skin with red undertone, you’ll want to choose a foundation with a brownish red color (stay away from orange foundations).
What does it mean if you don’t use the right undertone foundation? Well, if you’re cool tone but use a warm foundation, your skin could end up looking orange. If you’re warm tone and use cool tone foundation, your skin might look gray or ashy.
To test your skin tone, apply a little bit of foundation to your jaw line and blend it downwards toward your neck. Stand near a window or somewhere with natural lighting. Compare the color to your neck, if it disappears into your skin, you’ve chosen the right color. Finding the right undertone foundation will give your skin the most natural appearance!
