Understanding Undertone

When you're picking out a foundation, it's so important to make sure that it matches your skin. Not only will an ineffective color be unflattering and make your skin look dry or dull, it can also draw attention to areas of redness, hyperpigmentation and breakouts. A major myth in the beauty industry is that all black women have a warm undertones. You ever walk into a store to get matched by a sales rep and ask yourself, “Why does this make my skin look so orange?!” yeah… In this article, we'll share with you some tips on how to begin to find your perfect match.

First of All… What is Undertone?

Undertone is the true color of your skin, based on the amount of melanin you have. Melanin makes our skin darker or lighter and determines whether we have a warm or cool undertone. Undertone can be confusing because it's not the same as skin color, but it's important to understand how it affects what you wear—especially when you're just trying to find something that looks good on you.

What Are the Different Undertones?

There are three main undertones to consider when shopping for makeup: warm, cool, and neutral.

Warm undertones are characterized by a skin color that leans towards reds and oranges. If you have a warm undertone, then your face has a golden or peach tint when it's exposed to sunlight.

Cool undertones tend to be associated with blue or purple hues in the skin. If you have cool undertones, then your face looks more greenish-blue in natural light instead of yellowish-golden like those with warm undertones would look after being out in the sun for an hour or two.

The third type of undertone is called neutral—and it doesn't really lean toward warm or cold tones at all; instead, it appears as though there is no color hue present on your face at all. Neutral skin types will often appear white or grayed out against bright backgrounds such as snow during winter months due to their lack of contrast between surrounding colors like those who have warmer or cooler hues might experience during these times.

Tips for Figuring out Your Undertone

To determine your skin undertone, try these methods:

• Observe your veins. If you have a blue-green or blue vein coloration, then you’re probably cool-toned. If you have a greenish and dark red vein coloration, then you are likely warm-toned. If you have a combination of these colors in your veins, you most likely have a neutral undertone.
• The jewelry test. Think of the jewelry you mostly own or gravitate towards. A cool-toned person will look good in gold jewelry and not so much in silver jewelry; whereas a warm-toned person will look better in silver than gold jewelry. If you’re neutral… you get the point.
• Take the color test at home using food dye. Put drops of food coloring on one half of your face, let it sit for 10 minutes or so to allow it time to settle into the skin, and then rinse off with cold water (do not use soap). Compare this side to the other side which has not been colored—will there be any difference between the two? If yes, then chances are high that this means there is more redness on that side of your face which means that it may be an indication that you have pink undertones rather than golden ones! (Pink = warm, golden often indicates neutral)

How To Pick The Right Foundation For Your Undertone

Here are some of my tips and tricks for choosing foundation based on undertone.

• For Cool Undertones: Pick a foundation that is two shades darker than your natural skin tone. This will allow you to bring more warmth into your skin and not appear washed out on camera.
• For Warm Undertones: pick a shade two shades lighter than your natural skin tone (if possible) or one shade lighter at most (especially if you have deeper skin). Warm foundation colors tend to more visibly oxidizes which means once it settles into your skin, it gets darker.
• Neutral Undertones can be tricky. Most people don’t even know they have a neutral undertone! But if you’ve often found yourself mixing two shades to create your signate look- welcome to the club. I say swatch that blend on your hand before going to your favorite Sephora or ULTA. This will help expedite the process of finding a shade that works for you (without having to purchase two.)
• If you are going for a matte finish, use a concealer in light or medium shade and set it with powder. If you prefer a dewy look, build your skin with toner, moisturizer and a serum first then apply primer before applying foundation.

Also,

Ask Questions. Sales reps are more knowledgeable than you know. Don’t be afraid to further inquire about their suggestions and ask to see other colors in the same range but with different hues. Take home samples, do swatch tests, and don’t be discouraged. Your perfect match is out there!