How you can identify your skin undertone

Raise your hand if you’ve walked into a store to buy foundation and spent half an hour just switching products because you couldn’t figure out the right shade. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Here’s what you need to understand—foundations aren’t solely based on your skin tone. Undertones play a huge role and they can often make or break your look. While skin tones can vary through the year (who doesn’t get a tan?), your skin’s undertone remains constant. And it’s for this reason, it’s crucial to understand what your undertone is.

The thumb rule of foundations is to avoid your skin from looking too yellow or too ashy. If this has happened to you, you’ve landed on the right page. There are three types of undertones (warm, cool, and neutral) and we’re going to assume the role of the beauty Yoda and tell you how to identify which category you fall under.

Tried and tested methods of identifying your undertone

Check the colour of your veins One of the best ways to identify your skin undertone is to check the colour of your veins. If they appear to be blue or purple you have a cool undertone. If they appear to be green or olive you have a warm undertone. And if they appear to be a mix of both, then you have a neutral undertone. 

Try on a white T-shirt

Pull out a crisp white T-shirt or even a plain sheet of white paper in daylight and hold it up to your face. If you look rosy-pink in comparison, you’re cool undertoned. If you look yellow in comparison, then you’re warm undertoned. If you don’t see a clear change, you’re neutral undertoned.

Throw on some jewellery

If gold jewellery looks better on you than silver, you’re warm undertoned. If the reverse is true, you’re cool undertoned. And if you wear both without a strong preference, chances are that you have a neutral undertone. 

What is the colour of your eyes, hair, and nail bed? 

Okay, this one isn’t foolproof but it’s still a good way to get an idea. Consider the colour of your eyes, hair and nail beds. If you have light eyes, light hair colour, and pink nail beds, then you are most probably cool undertoned. If you have a deeper eye and hair colour, and your nail beds are peach then you are warm undertoned. However, remember to club this with another test to get a conclusive result.