How To Determine Your Undertone Before Finding Your Foundation Shade

How often have you thought you found your perfect foundation shade only to realize something about it looks off? We know shopping for foundation makeup is not an easy task, whether you’re looking for liquid, cream, or powder foundation. If you think only knowing how light or dark your skin tone is will help you get the right foundation shade, think again.  

 

Your foundation shade does not just depend on your skin’s colour, it relies heavily on your skin’s undertones as well. So, if you want to learn how to determine your undertone, it’s time to dive right in. 

Skin Tones vs Undertones

First, you need to understand the difference between your skin’s colour (tone) and your skin’s undertone. Your skin’s tone is the colour of your skin: fair, light, medium, deep, etc. It is fairly straightforward to understand your skin tone. They can change with seasons and sun exposure. You might have noticed that most people get a tan during the summer and look comparatively fair during the colder winter months. But just matching the colour of your skin to the foundations in the store will not help you find your foundation shade. 

 

Undertones, on the other hand, are the hues underneath your skin. They impart an overall mood to the skin. Some may make you look warmer, and others can make you look paler. You might have the exact same skin colour as your friend, but you could have a completely different undertone. Unlike skin colours, undertones do not change with the seasons. 

 

Undertones are broadly broken down into three categories:

 

• Warm - Your skin has hints of yellow or gold beneath your skin 

• Cool - The underlying colours in your skin are red, blue, or purple 

• Neutral - You have a mix of both warm and cool hues 

 

Now that you know the three types of undertones, here are a few simple ways in which you can determine your undertone.  

How to Know Your Undertone

Knowing your undertones and your skin’s colour will help you find your perfect foundation shade. It can be done with three simple steps: 

1. Check Your Veins

One of the quickest and the most common ways to determine your undertone is to check the insides of your wrist. If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool undertone. If they look green, you’re warm. If you’re having a hard time narrowing down between blue or green, you most likely have a neutral undertone. 

2. Test Some Jewellery

Do you think you look better in gold jewellery? You probably have a warm undertone. If silver jewellery is more flattering on your skin tone, you have a cool undertone. 

3. Do You Tan Or Burn?

Another easy way to know your undertone is to know how your skin reacts to the sun. If you usually get a sunburn and your skin turns red, you have a cool undertone. If you tan easily and your skin turns brown, you have a warm undertone. 

4. White Paper Test

Hold a white sheet of paper against your face and look at yourself in the mirror. If your skin appears yellow next to the paper, your skin has a warm hue and undertone. If your face has a rosy blush, you’re cool-toned. If you can’t determine between the two, you’re in the middle with a neutral undertone. 

 

Equipped with all the facts on how to determine your skin undertone, look for a foundation shade that matches not just your skin colour but also its hue or undertone.  

Why undertone matters in foundation

Even though you can’t immediately recognize undertones, they play a huge role in helping you select your foundation. If your foundation doesn’t align with your undertone, it can make your skin look unnatural. A warm-toned foundation on cool skin can appear too orange or yellow, while a cool-toned foundation on warm skin may look ashy or pale, beating the point of makeup. This is why learning how to know undertones matters when selecting a foundation. 

Best Foundation Shades for Each Undertone

After you’ve figured out how to determine your skin undertone, it’s time to try some fresh foundation. Here are a few straightforward matches to look out for - 

1. Warm Undertones

If you have warm undertones, you probably have green veins, and your skin has a golden, yellow, or peachy hue. Look for a balance of yellow and warm undertones that enhances your skin tone too. Typically, most golden-hour/sun-kissed foundations work well for this undertone. Try not to go overboard with bronzy shades, as they might be too powerful for some skin types. 

2. Cool Undertones

If you have cool undertones, you may have bluish-purple veins, and your skin has hints of pink, blue, or red. Look for foundations with subtle pink hues and a porcelain finish. These give you a natural, healthy flush without making you look yellow. For darker skin tones, you can choose foundation shades with a reddish hue. 

3. Neutral Undertones

If you have neutral undertones, your skin has a balance of warm and cool tones. The best foundation shades for neutral undertones are balanced and don’t have an underlying hue. This gives you the freedom to experiment with both - slightly warm or cool shades to know what works best for you. Try to mix a few shades if you wish to create an undertone that suits you personally. Basic, beige shades are your best friends. 

 

How do you avoid looking too orange or ashy?

 

Here are a few tips to select a foundation that matches your undertone - 

 

• To make sure that you don’t look weirdly tan, orange, or pale, it’s best to test your foundation in natural light.

 

• Simply test the pigment on your wrist and jawline, as they most resemble the skin tone of your face. 

 

• Try one shade warmer and one shade cooler on either side of your first swatch. This will help you pick the best fit.

 

• Allow a foundation to rest on your face for a few minutes to observe its exact shade.

 

• Try the Foundation Finder tool by Maybelline India, which lets you try a wide range of foundation shades and finishes online with just a selfie or live camera.

 

Remember, a good foundation will blend into your skin without giving off any subdued colors like yellow or gray. This is why understanding undertones is just as important as understanding how to know your skin tones for foundation. Read the Maybelline foundation makeup guide and stay tuned to discover more face makeup tips.

 

Explore the wide range of face makeup products from Maybelline, with shades designed to fit diverse Indian skin tones offering a variety of coverages. You can try the natural-looking matte finish of the Fit Me Matte + Poreless liquid foundation or the light, luminous touch of the SuperStay Lumi Matte foundation. Explore the whole spectrum of coverage with full face foundations like SuperStay Full Coverage foundation or the light touch of skin tints. 

 

Try out more lip makeup and eye makeup products with the Maybelline Virtual Try-On tool, and create tone-matched makeup without leaving your bed!