How to determine your skin tone and undertone

We’ve all seen it: The woman who has a line of foundation on her chin or neck that no amount of blending can fix, all because she chose the wrong shade of foundation. This easy guide will help you understand the difference between skin tone and undertone so you’ll know exactly how to avoid that situation.

Skin tone is basically how light or dark your skin is—and the world is full of skin tone variety that’s influenced by sun exposure and family heritage.

For example, someone with Ethiopian lineage might have a very deep skin colour, whereas someone with Scandinavian heritage might have very fair skin. And that person with Scandinavian heritage might have a darker skin tone if they were living in Peru rather than Iceland. Your genetics govern how light or dark your skin tone can get, but you’ll usually see a bit of a range in the summer months versus winter. (Which means you can’t get away with the same shade of foundation all year round!)

It’s easy to take a quick glance at someone’s face and see if she has a light, dark or medium skin tone. But you could have the same skin tone as the woman next to you, and still need a different shade of foundation. That’s because we all also have an undertone, which is the colour underneath the surface of your skin. There are three different categories of undertone: cool, warm and neutral. Identifying your undertone is the key to choosing the perfect foundation.

Easy peasy. Simply choose the category that suits you best from the three options below. A common misconception is that women with pale skin have a cool skin tone and that women with darker skin have a warm skin tone. That’s not the case! Your undertones are not dependent on how light or tan your skin is.

Moreover, if you have an olive skin tone, meaning there’s a greenish cast to your complexion, finding your undertones may seem a little tricky. You’re most likely neutral, though some people with olive skin colour have warm undertones. Following the guide below should help with deciphering your correct category.

• You tend to tan, not burn
• The veins on your wrist look green
• You look best in gold jewellery
• Your skin looks like it has a gold, peach or yellow undertone

• You tend to burn, not tan
• The veins in your wrist look blue
• You look best in silver jewellery
• Your skin looks like it has a pink, red or blue undertone

• You sometimes burn and sometimes tan
• The veins in your wrist look blue and green or it’s hard to decipher
• You look good in both silver and gold jewellery
• You seem to have a mix of pink and yellow undertones in your skin

You know you’ve picked the right shade of foundation if it melts into your skin and you can barely tell that it’s there. But that bit of make-up magic can only happen if you understand your skin tone and undertone well enough to test foundation shades that have a shot at matching.

It would be pointless to test a foundation for cool undertones if you have warm undertone skin because they’ll never be the right fit. It would be like trying ivory foundation on ebony skin!

Your best bet is a brand of foundation that has a wide shade range, because the more options on their skin tone chart, the better chance you’ll have of finding your perfect match—especially if your skin tone colour is exceptionally fair or dark.

L’Oréal Paris True Match Super Blendable Foundation comes in over 40 skin shades with various undertones, and each one is carefully numbered (the lower the number, the lighter the tone) and lettered (W for warm undertones, C for cool and N for neutral) to make shopping a breeze. The oil-free liquid foundation offers medium to full coverage with a natural finish and won’t cake or clog pores.

L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Tinted Serum, a hydrating and plumping serum with 1% hyaluronic acid, is a great choice if you prefer lighter textures and a more natural finish. The range is designed to suit a variety of skin tones while keeping the finish fresh and natural-looking, which makes it especially useful if you prefer lighter textures but still want your makeup to blend seamlessly into your complexion. The formula offers light-to-medium, luminous coverage, up to 24 hours of hydration, and a more comfortable “bare-skin” effect.

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Cushion Foundation is best if you’re looking for buildable coverage, a natural, blurred matte finish, and a product that’s easy to slip into your bag for touch-ups. The buildable and breathable formula makes it easier to adjust the level of coverage without losing that skin-like effect. That makes it especially useful if you want a more polished result but still need a shade that looks natural against your undertone rather than flat or mask-like.

The world is filled with a rainbow of skin colour types—each distinct and beautiful. Arming yourself with knowledge about your very own skin tone and undertone is the first step in assembling a make-up bag that is customised to the skin that’s unique to you.

There are countless skin tones in the world, each one unique and beautiful. Learning to identify your skin tone and undertone is one of the simplest ways to improve your makeup choices. This helps you find a more natural-looking foundation, avoid visible lines, and build a makeup kit better suited to your skin.

Next, the right choice also depends on the finish you’re looking for. If you like lightweight textures and a bare-skin effect, L’Oréal Paris True Match Tinted Serum fits naturally into this approach. If you prefer buildable coverage with a more matte finish and a convenient format, L’Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Cushion Foundation becomes a very relevant option.