What Is Skin Tone?
Skin tone refers to the surface color of your skin—the shade you see when you look in the mirror. It's determined primarily by the amount of melanin (pigment) in your skin and is often categorized using the Fitzpatrick Scale, which classifies skin from Type I (very fair, always burns) to Type VI (deeply pigmented, never burns).
The Fitzpatrick Scale at a Glance
| Type | Description | Sun Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| Type I | Very fair, porcelain | Always burns, never tans |
| Type II | Fair | Burns easily, tans minimally |
| Type III | Medium | Burns sometimes, tans evenly |
| Type IV | Olive, light brown | Burns minimally, tans easily |
| Type V | Brown | Rarely burns, tans very easily |
| Type VI | Deep brown/black | Never burns, deeply pigmented |
Skin tone is what most people think of when they describe their complexion—fair, medium, tan, dark, light, medium-dark, and so on. It's visible and obvious, and it's what most beauty products are labeled to match.
But here's the crucial insight: Skin tone tells you how light or dark your skin is, but it tells you nothing about the underlying color that gives your complexion its character.
What Is Skin Undertone?
Skin undertone is the subtle hue beneath the surface of your skin—it's the color that shines through your skin, interacting with light in specific ways. Unlike skin tone, which can change with sun exposure, tanning, or skin conditions, your undertone is genetically determined and remains constant throughout your life.
Undertones fall into three categories:
The Three Undertones
-
Cool Undertone
- Characteristics: Pink, red, or bluish hues beneath the surface
- Vein color: Blue or purple
- Jewelry: Silver looks better
- Sun reaction: Burns easily, rarely tans
- Typical features: Often have fair skin that turns pink or red in the sun, dark hair with cool undertones, eyes in blue, gray, or green ranges
-
Warm Undertone
- Characteristics: Golden, peachy, or yellow hues beneath the surface
- Vein color: Green or olive
- Jewelry: Gold looks better
- Sun reaction: Tans easily, rarely burns
- Typical features: Often have golden or bronze tones when tanned, hair in golden blonde, golden brown, or red ranges, eyes in amber, hazel, brown, or green ranges
-
Neutral Undertone
- Characteristics: A balanced mix of warm and cool tones
- Vein color: A combination of blue-green
- Jewelry: Both gold and silver look equally good
- Sun reaction: May burn occasionally, tans gradually
- Typical features: The most versatile—can often wear both warm and cool colors
The Critical Difference: Why It Matters
Understanding the distinction between skin tone and undertone is essential because these two factors work together to create your overall appearance, and they affect your color choices in completely different ways.
The Classic Example
Consider two people with the same fair skin tone (Type II-III):
- Person A has cool undertones—their skin has pink and red hues beneath the surface. When they wear a bright orange lipstick, it clashes with those cool tones, making their skin look sallow and washed out.
- Person B has warm undertones—their skin has golden and peachy hues beneath the surface. That same orange lipstick complements their warm undertones, making their skin look glowing and healthy.
Both have similar skin tones, but their undertones dictate completely different color choices.
Another Example: Foundation Matching
Walk into any makeup counter and you'll find foundations labeled with both a depth (light, medium, deep) and an undertone (C for cool, W for warm, N for neutral). Here's why both matter:
- A "Medium" foundation with "Cool" undertone is designed for someone whose skin is medium-depth but has pink/red undertones
- A "Medium" foundation with "Warm" undertone is designed for someone whose skin is medium-depth but has golden/yellow undertones
Using the wrong undertone in your foundation—even with the perfect depth—creates an unnatural, ashy, or orange appearance.
Why Do People Confuse These Concepts?
The confusion between skin tone and undertone is universal and understandable for several reasons:
1. Marketing Simplification
Beauty brands often simplify their messaging to focus solely on skin tone ("Find your perfect shade!"), leaving undertone as an afterthought or completely unaddressed. This leads consumers to believe that depth alone determines their color choices.
2. Language and Labels
We casually say things like "she has fair skin" or "he has dark skin" to describe overall complexion, but we rarely discuss undertones in everyday conversation. The vocabulary for undertone is less familiar to most people.
3. The Visibility Factor
Skin tone is immediately visible—you can see whether someone's skin is light or dark. Undertone requires more subtle observation and is harder to perceive at a glance.
4. Cultural Factors
In many cultures, discussions about skin undertones are limited, and people may go their entire lives without understanding this aspect of their complexion.
How to Identify Your Undertone
Now that you understand why undertones matter, let's explore the most reliable methods for determining yours.
Method 1: The Vein Test
This is one of the most popular and accessible methods:
- Find a natural light source (near a window, not in direct sunlight)
- Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist
- Determine the color:
- Blue or purple veins = Cool undertone
- Green or olive veins = Warm undertone
- Can't clearly distinguish blue or green = Neutral undertone
Method 2: The Jewelry Test
This test relies on how metals interact with your skin:
- Find a piece of pure gold jewelry and a piece of pure silver (or white gold) jewelry
- Hold each metal up to your face, or wear them briefly
- Observe which one makes your skin appear more vibrant:
- Gold looks better = Warm undertone
- Silver looks better = Cool undertone
- Both look equally good = Neutral undertone
Method 3: The White Paper Test
This simple test reveals how your skin responds to pure white:
- Hold a piece of plain white paper (not cream, not off-white—pure white) against your bare face
- Look at your skin in natural light
- Observe how your skin appears:
- Skin looks pinker or rosier = Cool undertone
- Skin looks more yellow or golden = Warm undertone
- No dramatic change = Neutral undertone
Method 4: The Sun Reaction Test
Your skin's response to sun exposure reveals valuable information:
- Think about how your skin typically responds to sun exposure:
- Burns easily, rarely tans = Likely Cool undertone
- Tans easily, rarely burns = Likely Warm undertone
- May burn occasionally, but also tans = Likely Neutral undertone
The Golden Rule: Use Multiple Methods
No single test is 100% definitive for everyone. The most accurate approach is to use at least two or three methods and look for consistency in your results.
Practical Applications of Undertone Knowledge
Understanding your undertone unlocks smarter choices across multiple areas of your life:
1. Foundation and Concealer
Choosing the right foundation requires matching both depth AND undertone.
2. Lipstick Selection
- Cool undertones: Blue-based reds, fuchsia, berry, plum, cool pink
- Warm undertones: Orange-based reds, coral, peach, terracotta, warm brown
- Neutral undertones: Most colors work
3. Clothing Colors
- Cool undertones: Jewel tones, pure white, black, silver, cool grays
- Warm undertones: Earth tones, cream, gold, warm grays
- Neutral undertones: Can wear both warm and cool colors
4. Jewelry
- Cool undertones: Silver, white gold, platinum
- Warm undertones: Yellow gold, rose gold, copper
- Neutral undertones: Can wear all metals
Common Misconceptions About Undertone
Misconception 1: "Fair skin is always cool, dark skin is always warm"
This is completely false. Skin tone and undertone are independent variables.
Misconception 2: "Undertone changes with tans"
While your skin gets darker (or lighter) with sun exposure, your underlying undertone remains the same.
Misconception 3: "If you can wear both gold and silver, you're neutral"
Not necessarily. Some people with strong undertones can still wear the "wrong" metal, they just might not look as vibrant.
Quick Reference Guide
At a Glance: Identifying Your Undertone
| Test | Cool | Warm | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veins | Blue/purple | Green/olive | Mixed |
| Jewelry | Silver | Gold | Both |
| White paper | Pinker skin | Golden skin | Little change |
| Sun reaction | Burns, doesn't tan | Tans, rarely burns | May burn, tans |
At a Glance: Color Recommendations
| Category | Cool Undertone | Warm Undertone | Neutral Undertone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Pink-based | Yellow-based | Neutral |
| Lipstick | Blue-red, berry, plum | Orange-red, coral, peach | Rose |
| Clothing | Jewel tones, black, white | Earth tones, cream, gold | Wide range |
| Jewelry | Silver, white gold | Gold, rose gold | All metals |
Conclusion
Skin tone and skin undertone are two distinct but equally important aspects of your complexion. By understanding both concepts and learning to identify your undertone accurately, you unlock the ability to make smarter choices in makeup, clothing, jewelry, and hair color.
The journey to understanding your undertone starts with simple tests you can do at home today. Grab that white paper, examine your veins in natural light, and start discovering the hidden colors that make you uniquely you.
Ready to discover your full color palette? Take our undertone quiz and get personalized recommendations for makeup, clothing, and jewelry that will make you glow.