Undertone Makeup Guide: The Key to Picking the Perfect Makeup Shades

Tina Len 19 feb 2025

Ever wonder why some makeup shades make you glow while others seem a little off and make you look dull and sickly? It all comes down to your skin’s undertone! Identifying your undertone helps you find foundation, blush, and lipstick shades that enhance your natural beauty. Let’s dive into what undertones are, how to identify yours, and which colors will make your skin look natural and radiant with some product recommendations below!

What Are Undertones?

Your undertone is the subtle hue beneath your skin’s surface. It stays the same regardless of how tan or fair you are and falls into one of three categories:

Warm: Hints of yellow, golden, or peach.
Cool: Notes of pink, red, or blue.
Neutral: A mix of both warm and cool tones, often making it more adaptable to different shades.

Identify Your Undertone

Here are some methods to determine your undertone:

Vein Test: Look at the veins on your wrist – is it green, blue, or purple?

Green - you likely have warm undertones,
Blue or purple - you likely have cool undertones.
Mix of green and blue - you likely have neutral undertones.

Jewelry Test: Find gold or silver jewelry and place them on your skin.

Warm - Gold looks better on you
Cool - Silver looks better
Neutral - Both look good

Tips on Undertone Based Makeup Shopping:

Now that you know your undertone, finding makeup shades according to it can be fairly simple - just look for shades with the same undertone!

Easy right? Here are a few more tips just in case:

Foundation Shades

Luckily companies usually specify if their shades are warm, cool, or neutral toned – but if that’s not the case these are the usual things you’ll see while searching for foundation:

Warm Undertones: Foundation shades labeled with words like "golden," "honey," or "warm beige."
Cool Undertones: Shades with names like "porcelain," "rose," or "cool sand" will complement your undertone.
Neutral Undertones: Shades like "ivory," "buff," and "nude" can match well with your balanced undertone.

Tip:

Swatch Test: Always swatch foundation along your jawline or neck. The right shade should blend seamlessly into your skin. If you are not able to swatch – such as in drugstores, compare the product side by side to your neck.
Watch out for oxidation!: Oxidation is a chemical reaction that occurs when foundation comes into contact with air or natural oils on your skin, causing it to appear darker. Wait a few minutes after swatching it on your neck to study the tone. If you are not able to swatch - do some research on the foundation. (the amount of times I searched on reddit to check for this is unfathomable)

Blush Shades to Enhance Your Glow

Warm Undertones: Try peachy or orange blushes for a sun-kissed look.
Cool Undertones: Rose or berry shades look great with cool undertones.
Neutral Undertones: Light pink or mauve blushes can be flattering with your balanced tone. But since you’re more adaptable you can pull off warm and cool shades as well!

Lipstick Colors for Your Undertone

Warm Undertones: Look for warm reds, corals, and rich browns.
Cool Undertones: Cool toned pinks, reds, and berry shades will look so good on you, trust.
Neutral Undertones: Muted pinks, reds, and nudes look stunning on you, but again you have an adaptable tone so the other shades can look good on you as well!

General tips for Undertone-Based Shopping

Natural Light: Check your makeup in natural light to make sure it complements your undertone.
Experiment and Have Fun: Finding makeup based on your undertone is just a guideline you can follow, but makeup is about expression and creativity – if you feel like you want to experiment with different shades, do it girl!

With these tips, you’ll be ready to select colors that bring out your natural beauty and eliminate any makeup that makes you look dull.