The vein check
In daylight, look at the veins on the inside of your wrist.
Blue or purpleLikely coolGreenLikely warmHard to tellNeutral or olive
Shades
Find your shade.
Depth is how light or deep your skin is. Undertone is the color beneath it. Move through both to see how skin tint, concealer, cheek, lip, and brow colors shift together.
Shade explorer
Twelve depths, four undertones.
Drag the slider or use the arrow keys, then pick an undertone. Every color eases into the next, so you can watch how a shade family moves.
Depth 05 / Neutral undertoneIllustrative
05 / Light medium
Your strip, illustrative
- Skin tint#C69774
- Concealer#D2A584
- Cheek#C9776A
- Lip#9E4A48
- Brow#5B4030
Light medium, neutral
Light-medium skin can carry a little more saturation. Warm rose, peach-coral, and rosewood show up clearly without looking painted on.
Neutral undertones balance warm and cool, so most color families work. Rosewood and soft terracotta are an easy place to start.
All colors here are illustrative, not product shades. Screens and lighting change how color looks, so swatch in daylight before you choose.
How to find your undertone
Four quick checks, then a swatch.
Two people can share a depth and need different shades. These checks are rough guides that narrow it down. A swatch in daylight settles it.
DaylightUndertone is easiest to read in window light
The jewelry check
Hold something silver, then something gold, close to your face. Notice which one makes your skin look more even.
SilverLikely coolGoldLikely warmBothNeutral or olive
The white check
Hold a bright white cloth under your chin, then an off-white or cream one, and look in a mirror by a window.
Bright whiteLikely coolCreamLikely warmNo differenceLikely neutral
The olive check
Olive skin often has a green, gray, or khaki cast next to white, and both silver and gold can look right. If pale pinks tend to look chalky on you while muted, earthy colors look natural, olive is a good place to start.
Swatching and lighting
Swatch on the face. Judge in daylight.
The right shade is usually the one you can barely see. These habits make it easier to spot.
Swatch where you wear it
Test complexion shades along the jawline, where face meets neck. The back of your hand is often a different color from your face.
Three at once
Stripe two or three shades side by side instead of one at a time. The right one is the stripe that seems to vanish.
Give it a minute
Some formulas look slightly different once they dry down. Wait a few minutes before you judge a complexion shade.
Find a window
Daylight from a window is the most honest light for color. Indoor bulbs, especially warm ones, shift how a shade reads.
Check the light you live in
If you mostly wear makeup at the office or in the evening, take one more look at the swatch in that light, too.
Screens are not skin
Phone cameras and screens adjust color on their own. Use photos as a reminder of what you tried, not as the final word.
Every depth
Undertone shows up at every depth.
Fair, light, medium, and deep skin can each lean cool, neutral, warm, or olive. That is why depth alone rarely finds a match.
Still between two shades?
Tell us your depth, undertone, and the shades you are deciding between. We reply by email.