How to Find Your Undertone: The Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Perfect Shade

The foolproof trick to always look your best. Find your undertone in minutes with this simple guide.

There’s something magical about a foundation that melts into your skin or a lipstick that enhances your glow instead of fighting it. That’s the power of knowing your undertone. Wearing colors that match your undertone is like using a filter that makes colors work for you. Once you discover it, everything clicks: your wardrobe, your makeup, even your jewelry choices always seem to flatter you, no matter what.

Trust me, I wish I’d known this back in high school — my orange oompa-loompa foundation days still haunt me.

This guide will walk you through how to find your undertone, the do’s and don’ts for each category, trending looks, celebrity inspiration, and even product recommendations to help you glow with confidence. Ready to find your undertone?

Skin Tone vs. Undertone

How to Discover Your Undertone

No single test is foolproof — use a combination of these to be sure:

• Vein Test: Blue/purple veins = cool. Green veins = warm. A mix = neutral or olive.
• Jewelry Test: Silver flatters cool undertones. Gold glows on warm undertones. Both look good? Likely neutral. Olive tones shine in rose gold or mixed metals.
• White vs. Cream Test: Pure white flatters cool undertones, cream looks better on warm.
• Sun Test: Burning easily points to cool undertones, tanning easily suggests warm. Neutral often does both.
• Color Test: Try a warm (mustard or terracotta) vs. cool (lavender or icy blue) piece of clothing. Which one lights you up?

Warm Undertones: Do’s & Don’ts

Warm Undertones

Warm undertones glow in earthy, golden shades. Think terracotta, peach, coral, warm greens — and foundations with golden/yellow bases.

Do’s

• Earthy shades: terracotta, peach, coral, warm olive, camel.
• Golden/yellow-base foundations and warm bronzers.
• Coral and orange-red lipsticks; gold or rose-gold jewelry.

Don’ts

• Icy blues, silver-heavy grays, neon pinks.
• Pink-leaning foundations (can look ashy).
• Pastels with too much blue.

Beyoncé — Golden tones, terracotta, warm glow.

Jennifer Lopez — Bronze, peach, warm metallics.

Blake Lively — Gold, copper, warm neutrals.

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Cool Undertones: Do’s & Don’ts

Cool Undertones

Cool undertones shine in jewel tones and silver accents. Reach for pink/cool-neutral bases, berry lips, and icy or smoky eye looks.

Do’s

• Jewel tones: sapphire, emerald, ruby, amethyst.
• Pink or cool-neutral foundations; silver/platinum jewelry.
• Berry, plum, blue-based reds; cool highlighters.

Don’ts

• Mustard yellow, pumpkin orange, rusty browns.
• Overly warm bronzers or golden-beige bases.
• Heavy copper eye looks.

Anne Hathaway — Jewel tones, silver, berry lips.

Lupita Nyong’o — Sapphire, plum, icy highlights.

Adele — Cool reds, sleek liner, silver accents.

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Neutral Undertones: Do’s & Don’ts

Neutral Undertones

Neutral undertones balance warm and cool. You can mix metals, play with both palettes, and shine in softly balanced shades.

Do’s

• Balanced shades: dusty rose, teal, jade, taupe, beige.
• Neutral (“N”) foundations; mix gold & silver jewelry.
• Soft metallics and mid-tone neutrals.

Don’ts

• Neon extremes (electric orange, icy blue).
• Overly yellow or overly pink bases.
• High-contrast color blocking right under the face.

Zendaya — Versatile in warm + cool mixes.

Natalie Portman — Soft neutrals, elegant balance.

Kerry Washington — Coral-berry lips, mixed metals.

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Olive Undertones: The Forgotten Category

Olive Undertones

Olive undertones carry subtle green/ashy hues. Neutrals with a hint of warmth, deep earth tones, and rose-gold accents tend to flatter best.

Do’s

• Deep earth tones: olive green, burgundy, navy, chocolate.
• Neutral-olive foundations; peach/terracotta blush.
• Rose-gold highlights; warm nude or brick lip.

Don’ts

• Beiges that skew too yellow; flat mustard.
• Over-golden foundations that turn orange.
• Greyed pastels that dull the complexion.

Penélope Cruz — Warm neutrals, soft bronze.

Gal Gadot — Neutral base, classic lip.

Salma Hayek — Deep earth tones.

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Product Recommendations

• Foundation: Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless — wide range of shades with warm, cool, and neutral undertones.
• Complexion Booster: e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter — TikTok favorite for a dewy, undertone-friendly glow.
• Blush: NYX Buttermelt Cream Blush — shades for every undertone, from cool rose to warm apricot.
• Jewelry Starter Set: Mixed metal hoops (silver, gold, and rose gold) — perfect for experimenting with your undertone.

Final Glow Tip

Discovering your undertone isn’t just a makeup trick — it’s a lifestyle hack. Once you know it, you stop chasing trends that don’t serve you and start curating a wardrobe and beauty routine that makes you shine every single day.

Your mini challenge: grab one warm, one cool, and one neutral piece from your closet. Try them on in natural light. Which one makes your face glow effortlessly? That’s your undertone telling you exactly where your magic lies.

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