Undertone : What is Undertone
Undertone : In beauty and skincare, your skin undertone is the subtle hue beneath the skin’s surface. Unlike your skin’s “tone” or depth (fair, medium, deep), which can vary with sun exposure or season, the undertone remains constant.
Undertones typically fall into three broad categories:
- Warm undertone – You may notice a golden, yellow, or peachy glow beneath the surface of your skin. Warm-undertoned skin often pairs beautifully with gold jewellery and warm-hued clothing.
- Cool undertone – Your skin frames a pink, rosy, or bluish hue underneath. You may find silver jewellery or cooler-toned shades (blues, berries) suit you best.
- Neutral undertone – A balance of both warm and cool undertones, allowing you to wear a broad palette of shades without clashing.
Why does it matter?
Knowing your undertone is pivotal when choosing foundation, concealer, lipstick, and even clothing hues. A mismatched undertone can make your makeup appear ashy, muddy, or unnatural, even if the depth is correct.
How to determine your undertone:
Some common tests include:
- Vein Test: Examine the veins on the inside of your wrist in natural light. Blue/purple veins suggest a cool undertone; green-hued veins suggest warm. If it’s mixed or hard to determine, you may be neutral.
- Jewellery Test: Try on gold vs. silver jewellery. Does one make your complexion glow? That can indicate your undertone.
- White Fabric Test: Hold a pure white and an off-white/cream cloth next to your face. If pure white appears bright, you might be cool; if cream/off-white flatters more, you may be warm. If both flatter, you likely are neutral.
By understanding undertones, you can select makeup, hair colours, and wardrobe shades that naturally complement your subtle undertone and highlight your best features.
Citations
Clarins. (n.d.). What is my skin tone? Clarins Beauty Expert Guide. Retrieved from (Clarins)
Maybelline. (n.d.). How to find your skin undertone. Maybelline New York. Retrieved from ( Reference ) Jane Iredale. (n.d.). How to match foundation to undertone. Jane Iredale Blog. Retrieved from (Reference)
Look Fabulous Forever. (n.d.). Your guide to skin undertones — warm and cool. Retrieved from (Reference)
SELF Magazine. (2023). How to find your undertone (and why it matters). Condé Nast Publications. Retrieved from (Reference)
No7 Beauty. (n.d.). How to identify your undertone and why. Boots UK. Retrieved from (Reference)
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