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7. Easy Ways to Find Your Undertone, According to an MUA

Expert-approved tips on how to identify your skin’s undertone for easier makeup shopping

MUA Kausar Latif, Celebrity and Bridal Makeup Artist

Knowing the undertone of your skin – warm, cool, or neutral – can assist you in selecting the most flattering makeup, hair colours, and even wardrobe. You have three kinds of undertones: warm, cool, and neutral.

1. Warm – Warm covers golden, yellow, or peach undertones.
2. Neutral – If you are a combination of warm and cool, then you are neutral.
3. Cool – Cool consists of pink, red, or bluish undertones.

( MUA Kausar Latif, Celebrity and Bridal Makeup Artist)

Here’s how to identify your undertone

1. The White T-Shirt test

Take a white shirt or a piece of white paper and hold it against your face in daylight. If you have cool undertones, your complexion will look rosy or pink in comparison, whereas warm undertones make your skin look more yellow or golden. If you have neutral undertones, off-white as well as white clothes appear just as becoming to you.

2. Watch how your skin reacts to the sun

 Your skin's natural reaction to sunlight is a good undertone indicator. If it burns easily, you have a cool undertone. If your skin is prone to tanning, you have a warm undertone, and if the skin burns then tans, then you probably have a neutral undertone.

3. Jewellery preference

While style is a matter of personal taste, jewellery can provide hints about your undertone. Gold jewellery will generally look good on warm-toned skin. Silver/platinum jewellery suits cool-toned skin. If you look good in both, you're likely neutral-toned.

4. The vein test

Examine the veins inside your wrist or by your neck under natural lighting. Blue or purple veins signify cool undertones; greenish veins mean warm undertones, whereas colourless or a combination of blue and green signify neutral undertones.

5. Clothing colour test

Notice how different clothing colours affect your complexion when you're not wearing makeup. If you have cool undertones, shades like black, white, and jewel tones complement your skin. Those with warm undertones often find that earthy hues, off-whites, and golden shades bring a natural glow to their face. Meanwhile, individuals with neutral undertones can confidently wear both warm and cool colours.

6. Eye and hair colour clues

Your natural eye and hair colour can offer useful clues about your skin tone, especially when choosing hair dyes or makeup shades. Those with cool undertones often have platinum or ash-toned hair paired with blue, grey, or green eyes, while individuals with warm undertones usually feature golden, auburn, or honey-coloured hair along with brown, amber, or hazel eyes.

7. Gray or ashy skin tones

If your complexion seems a little grey or ashy, you might have olive undertones, which are a rare mix of neutral and warm undertones with a hint of green. Individuals with olive skin tend to find colours from all undertone families flattering, so they are exceptionally versatile.

Cover Credits: Instagram @khushikapoor