You've likely heard of skin tone before, whether you're fair, olive-toned, or rocking a deeper shade. But when it comes to picking the perfect color of clothes, foundation, lipstick, and other makeup, it's not just about your skin's surface color. You have to know your skin undertone, too.
Why Knowing Your Skin Undertone Matters
Choosing a new lipstick or clothes to wear is all about the color, right? But sometimes what looks amazing at the store falls flat at home. Blame it on your skin's undertone – those natural colors beneath your skin's surface. Get the scoop on your undertone, and you'll nail the perfect color palettes to enhance your gorgeous hue. Keep reading as we do a deep dive into this.
Explained: What is the difference between skin tone and undertone?
Skin tone and skin undertone are often confused with each other. Some consider them as one and the same, but they're not. Here's why:
Skin Tone
Think of skin tone like the beautiful canvas that greets you in the mirror. It's the surface color you see at a glance, a unique blend ranging from the fairest peaches to the richest browns. Our genetics and sun adventures team up to create this gorgeous palette.
Fair Tone
Fair tone skin is the lightest of the light, with that porcelain-like glow thanks to minimal melanin. It doesn't do the whole tanning thing but can be a bit sunburn-prone, so sunscreen is its BFF.
Light Tone
A light toned skin has a balanced, neutral vibe rocking lower melanin levels. It can catch a sunburn but might also pull off a cute tan after some sun-loving.
Medium Tone
Skin that has a medium tone exudes warm and rich colors, thanks to just the right amount of melanin. Sunburn? Not a big deal. Tanning? Oh yeah, it's a breeze!
Dark Tone
Dark tones show the deep and rich end of the spectrum, boasting higher melanin levels. Sunburn is a rare guest, but oh, it can tan like a champ with some extended sunshine.
Skin Undertone
Skin undertones are those secret hues hiding beneath the surface, adding character and depth to our skin's story. Unlike the surface color that can play peek-a-boo with tans and creams, these subtle tones beneath the surface are like steady background music, staying true and unchanged.
Your undertone isn't the same as your bare skin color. Even if you're fair, you might rock warm undertones, and deeper tones can have cool vibes.
This is where color matching can get tricky. Picking products based on skin color alone might not sync with the underlying tones beneath your skin. It's all about finding that perfect blend with what's naturally you.
Warm Undertone
Picture a touch of gold and a hint of red giving your skin that sun-kissed glow.
And when it comes to soaking up the sun, you're more into getting a deeper tan than dealing with sunburn.
Just in case you're wondering, celebs like Beyoncé, Lucy Liu, and JLo are rocking those warm undertone vibes.
Cool Undertone
Cool undertones have a touch of pink and a splash of blue adding that cool and fresh vibe to your skin.
But when it comes to sun exposure, it's more of a "burns easily" situation. Celebs like Alex Wek, Anne Hathaway, and Adele rock the cool undertones.
Neutral Undertone
Neutral undertones are like the ultimate peacekeepers, blending cool and warm tones in perfect harmony.
When it comes to sunshine, expect a tan journey with occasional sunburn pit stops. And if you're wondering who your celeb soulmates are, look no further than the fabulous Kerry Washington and Sandra Bullock.
How To Know Your Skin Undertone
No need to be a stylist or a makeup pro to figure out your undertone. You can do it at home using a few simple tricks:
Do the vein test.
Go under natural lighting to do this test. Check out your veins—they might spill the tea on your undertone.
Greenish veins? You're likely rocking warm undertones. Do you have veins that lean toward blue or purplish? Cool undertones might be your jam.
And if your veins are playing it neutral, showing no color or blending with your skin tone, you're probably in the neutral undertone club.
Wear your jewelry.
Put on any of the pieces of jewelry you have. Ask yourself: Does gold or silver jewelry make you shine brighter? If gold is your go-to and gives your skin that extra oomph, warm undertones might be your thing. Silver fan? Cool tones might be stealing the show.
When in doubt, play dress-up with both and peek in the mirror. It's a bit subjective, so save this test for when other methods leave you scratching your head.
Do the white paper test.
Time for the true white test. Find a spot with some bright, natural light. Hold up a piece of plain white paper and see how your skin vibes with it.
If you spot a pinkish glow, cool undertones might be your BFF. If there's a warm yellow tint, you're probably rocking warm tones. And if it's all neutral and you can't quite spot an undertone, welcome to the cool crew of neutral undertones.
Check out how you tan.
Whenever you tan, check if your skin changes into more rosy, deep cinnamon, or reddish tans (and not so much the golden vibes), cool undertones might be your thing.
If you're all about that peachy, golden, caramel, or olive tan life, warm undertones might be your summer anthem.
And if your skin plays it cool, burning, or tanning without a clear preference, you're probably in the neutral zone.
Take a look at your eye or hair color.
Let's dive into the eye and hair color detective work. It's not foolproof, but it can be a good starting point.
Lighter hair and eyes? You might be leaning toward cool or neutral vibes. Darker hair and eyes? Warm undertones might be waving hello.
Of course, there are some cool exceptions—fair individuals with warm skin and deep complexions with cool tones. Team up this test with another method for the ultimate undertone discovery.
Best Clothing Colors for Warm Undertones
Warm undertones, you're the kings and queens of earthy vibes and nature's palette, residing on the cozy side of the color wheel. To make your natural glow pop even more, check out these delectable hues:
Best Colors to Wear: Burnt orange, maple red, sunset brown, saturated yellow, amber, and gold
Best Colors to Include: Dark green, olive, moss, orchid, peach, coral, and rose gold
Best Neutrals: Taupe, camel, cappuccino, cream, and mushroom gray
Avoid: Icy blues, sapphire, royal blue, amethyst, and pewter white.
Embrace your warm-toned beauty and rock those earth-inspired shades like the nature royalty you are.
Shine bright like the sun in our yellow UPF50+ Crew Neck Sun Shirt.
Best Color of Clothes for Cool Skin Undertone
People with cool undertones are the rulers of oceanic vibes, winter hues, and all things metallic.
Best Colors to Wear: Bright blues, royal blue, emerald, deep purple, lavender, ice blue, and pink
Best Colors to Include: Ruby, bright rosy red, and pale yellows
Best Neutrals: Gray, white, and navy blue
Avoid: Orange, tomato red, and strong yellows
Dive into those cool tones and let your style sparkle like the winter wonderland you are.
Let your inner glow shine in our lovely Laureate Curved Hem 2-in-1 Shorts in royal blue color.
Best Clothing Colors for Neutral Undertone
Consider yourself the lucky owner of a delightful mix of tones under your skin. While you've got more options on the color wheel, it's not a free pass to snatch up the entire rainbow. Your magic lies in softer and more muted hues, enhancing your unique blend.
Best Colors to Wear: Dusty pink, baby pink, jade green, corn silk yellow, and lagoon blue
Best color to include: Bright red
Best Neutrals: Off-white, coffee, mid-range gray, and black
Avoid: Electric blue, royal purple, and neon
Embrace those gorgeous blended tones, and let your style shine with those subtle and dreamy hues.
Show off your skin's radiance in the most comfortable pink Laureate Crew Neck Tee for your workouts or as your everyday wear.
Rock a Color Like You Own It!
Undertones might offer some clues about what looks fab on your skin, but your vibe beats any color chart.
If a shade makes you feel happy and healthy, who cares about the rules? Break 'em! Because when it comes down to it, wearing what makes you feel like the absolute best version of yourself is the star of the fashion game.
Check out the myriad of color palettes of our All Women's and All Men's collections and let your inner radiance shine in all your workouts and everyday affairs.