When it comes to choosing the most flattering makeup hues (and especially when finding a concealer or foundation shade), it's important to consider your skin's undertone: are you a warm, cool, or neutral? How it works is basic color theory: picking the right colors based on your hair color, eye color, and natural skin undertones will accentuate your features and make you glow.
Still, learning how to tell your undertone isn't always the easiest task. Unless you're a professional makeup artist, it can be tricky to tell if you're actually warm-toned or cool-toned (or somewhere in between). Luckily, there are hacks to make it easier - and they don't include paying a visit to a makeup counter. We created an easy quiz below to help you uncover more about your complexion. By answering just six quick questions, you'll learn how to tell how to find your undertone, putting to rest the question you've been asking yourself once and for all.
Warm Undertone Skin
If you have a warm undertone, it typically means you have skin with yellow undertones, as well as gold and peach. This means makeup with brown, gold, and copper-toned shades look best on you. So if you're feeling stumped on eyeshadow colors to try, those are always a safe bet. It also means foundations that lean more yellow and golden will complement your skin color. With the latter, you can also look for the letter "W" before a number in the shade name.
Cool Undertone Skin
If you have cool skin undertones, you probably have hints of pink skin undertones, as well as blue. Equally cool colors, such as jewel tones in the blue, purple, and green color family will look especially flattering on you. Your best foundation match will also have a bluish or pink tint to it. To make it easy, some brands add the letter "C" before a number in the shade name to help people with cool undertones skin find the right color.
Neutral Undertone Skin
A neutral undertone is neither warm nor cool - it's right in the middle. This means that you have options in terms of colors. Every shade, no matter if it's warm or cool, will complement your skin tone. With foundations, specifically, you'll be able to choose either undertone family or go for the neutral category, which many beauty brands have started adding to their lineups in recent years with an "N" on the label.
What Is My Skin Undertone?
This skin undertone test will help you determine if your skin undertones are warm, cool, or neutral - plus, we'll offer helpful tips on making your makeup color selections a breeze. Note: it's best to do the following test in natural light (so move toward a window or go outside) with a freshly washed face. Also, pull your hair back and keep your shoulders bare so you get a true sense of your natural coloring. This is key for how to tell your skin undertone.
1. Look at the inside of your wrist. What color do your veins predominately appear?
A) More blue
B) More green
C) Hard to tell if they are blue or green
2. Picture yourself (or better yet, actually do it) in a yellow or orange shirt. How do you look?
A) Not so great. Where's a blue top?
B) Terrific - it gives me a great glow
C) I can wear pretty much any color and look fine
3. What metal jewelry do you prefer on your skin?
A) Silver
B) Gold
C) Either appeals to me!
4. Place a piece of white paper next to your bare face. How does your complexion look?
A) Pretty good! I don't see any pronounced shadows here
B) Pretty bad! My complexion is sallow and dull. Why did you make me do this?
C) OK. Why am I holding this paper?
5. What happens to your skin when you are out in the sun without sunscreen?
A) I burn - fast
B) I tan
C) I start with a tan but can burn if I stay out too long
6. What color flecks are in your eyes?
A) Blue or gray
B) A little bit of both
C) Golden or hazel
Results
If You Got Mostly A's: You Have Cool Undertones
If you fall into this category - like Billie Eilish, Anne Hathaway, and Lupita Nyong'o - try sticking to jewel-toned makeup and clothing, including blue, purple, blue-green, green, magenta, and bluish-red shades. For foundation, you'll probably look best in formulations with a bluish or pink undertone. And be sure to reach for the black, dark blue, or purple mascara when it comes to eye makeup: it's sure to make your eyes pop.
Click over here to discover the makeup to buy and wear for cool undertones.
If You Got Mostly B's: You Have Warm Undertones
If you fall into this category - as celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé do - try sticking to earthier colors of makeup and clothing, such as yellow, orange, brown, orangey-reds, and yellow-green shades. For foundation, you'll probably look best in formulations with a yellow or golden undertone. And be sure to reach for the brick-red lipstick (as opposed to the bright blue-red) when it comes to a night out on the town: it's sure to make your complexion pop.
Click over here to discover the makeup to buy and wear for warm undertones.
If You Got Mostly C's: You Have Neutral Undertones
Like Zendaya and Jennifer Aniston, you have neutral undertones, which means you can wear any shade that appeals to you. (Lucky you!) It's up to you if you prefer cooler makeup tones or warmer shades, so experiment with both to see what you like best, or switch it up depending on the jewelry or clothing you're wearing. Our best tip? Stay away from foundations that are geared for yellow skin tones - they'll make you look sallow. Experiment with rose gold shades since they have a little bit of warm and cool mixed in them.
Click over here to discover the makeup to buy and wear for neutral undertones.
- Additional reporting by Jessica Harrington
Jessica Harrington is the senior beauty editor at POPSUGAR, where she writes about hair, makeup, skin care, piercings, tattoos, and more. As a New York City-based writer and editor with a degree in journalism and over eight years of industry experience, she loves to interview industry experts, keep up with the latest trends, and test new products.
Melissa Liebling-Goldberg was a former director of POPSUGAR Beauty and Fashion.