HOW TO FIND YOUR SKIN’S UNDERTONE

Figuring out your skin’s undertone helps you with shade matching your makeup and more.

– KEYS SOULCARE

You might already know your skin tone — aka the range of tones from fair to medium to olive to dark skin — but do you know how to find your undertone?

Your skin’s undertone is different from overarching skin tone because it picks up on the notes of your skin’s pigment so it becomes easier to shade match, choose jewelry that pops, and just give you that your-skin-but-just-ever-so-elevated look every time.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR UNDERTONE

Ever end up buying a foundation shade that’s close but not quite right, and you can’t put your finger on why? That’s just one of the ways that knowing your undertone can come in handy while shopping for makeup (or your favorite makeup-skincare hybrids).

It can also help you invest in jewelry that pops against your skin and helps you look radiant, not washed out.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR SKIN TONE AND YOUR UNDERTONE?

Simply put, your skin tone is the color of your skin on the surface. Think of it like your baseline pigment; you might have a fair, medium, olive, or dark skin tone.

Your undertone is the subtle variations in color below the surface of the skin’s pigment. While your skin tone is subject to subtle variations — caused by sun exposure or other environmental factors, your undertone remains pretty constant. For example, you might have fair skin that tans easily in the summer and yet, still have a cool undertone.

Knowing your undertone can help you in unexpected ways, too, like at the nail salon freshening up your manicure with a new color, updating your capsule wardrobe, or choosing a hair color that will make your natural features pop.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF UNDERTONES

There are three major types of undertones: cool, warm, and neutral.

COOL UNDERTONE

If you have a cool undertone, the color palette of your skin will include pinks and blues, so you’ll want to look for concealers, foundations, or skin tints that accommodate this. Pro tip: Shades with cool undertones will look close to your natural skin upon application. In the Keys Soulcare It’s Like Skin Tint line of shades, look for shades with cool undertones that are “beige” or “peach” to find a shade that suits.

WARM UNDERTONE

If you have a warm undertone, your skin’s color palette will likely include more yellows, golds, and greens to highlight the natural warmth in your complexion. Warm, olive, and deep skin tones will often have warm undertones, but not exclusively. Because we know there’s no such thing as one-shade-fits-all, our dermatologist-developed skin tint and concealer comes in 40 shades — fit for warm golden undertones, neutral reds, and everything in between.

NEUTRAL UNDERTONE

Neutral undertones can be tricky to spot at first, unless you know exactly what you’re looking for. Having a neutral undertone typically means you can wear either warm or cool toned offerings, depending on your preferences and external factors like the time of year.

You’ll want to color match by figuring out where you lean in the spectrum of neutral: are you a warm neutral (look for greens and yellows in your pigment) or a cool neutral (more pink/blue/red)? Don’t sweat it too much; with neutral undertones, start by finding a general skin tone match, then narrow down shades from there.

HOW TO FIND YOUR UNDERTONE

Finding your undertone can help you shade match your concealer, help you pick out a zippy blush, or figure out what your color season is. None of these rules are hard and fast, so it ultimately comes down to your personal preferences and what feels right for your beauty ritual.

DO THE JEWELRY TEST

Do you gravitate towards certain types of jewelry, i.e. gold versus silver? Does one or the other look “off” on your skin? Those can be hints as to what your natural undertone may be. For example, if silver jewelry looks made for you, you might have a cool or pink undertone, whereas gold jewelry pops against a warm undertone.

Able to mix and match effortlessly between gold and silver? You might have a neutral undertone.

TRY THE VEIN TEST

The vein test is another tactic to help you pinpoint your perfect undertone. For example, you might have a cool undertone if the veins on your wrist are primarily blue or purple, while warmer undertones typically have a more greenish tinge to their veins.

CHECK YOUR SKIN IN NATURAL LIGHT

Sometimes the lighting in your bathroom or the bright fluorescents of the beauty store are deceiving, so giving your skin a glance in natural sunlight is helpful when determining your true undertone. Bonus points if you try the vein test in natural light for better accuracy!

THE PAPER OR T-SHIRT TECHNIQUE

You’ve probably seen those TikTok videos of people doing their color analysis, where they hold up different samples of fabric to determine which colors complement their features best. You can try a similar, simpler trick to help figure out your skin’s undertone.

Another trick to help figure out your undertone is to hold up a piece of white printer paper to your face and see if it washes out your skin. Or, you can compare any differences between your complexion when you put on a white tee shirt versus a cream tee. If cream looks best on you, your undertone might lean cooler.

HOW TO USE YOUR UNDERTONE WHEN SHADE MATCHING

Not sure what your ideal shade in It’s Like Skin 2-in-1 Concealer and Tint might be? Don’t worry — you can always consult our quick, helpful Shade Finder oracle to find the perfect match for your complexion.

There are 40 distinct, buildable shades designed for a variety of skin tones, types, and undertones. For example, our Goddess-in-Chief Alicia Keys often wears the shade 340W, a medium-tan with a warm, golden undertone, for a seamless complexion.

Your undertone does more than help you make sure your foundation is the same shade as your neck; it’s also a foundational beauty tip that you can consider as you get ready for big events like parties and weddings, plan your look for an upcoming photoshoot, or if you’re on the fence about trying out a new shade or outfit.

After all, when it comes to skincare and soulcare, knowledge is power, and we’re big believers in owning your power, so you can show up feeling strong, vibrant, and undeniably you in any room you enter.

What’s your undertone? Tell us if you’re cool, warm, or neutral in the comments below.