What Is Undertone And How To Find Yours

Discovering Your Undertone

Unless you have years of experience as a makeup artist, it can be tough to find your skin’s undertone. “Is the underside of my wrist more pink or blue? Or wait…is it yellow?”

You’re not alone if after watching countless Instagram tutorials, you still feel like your skin tone doesn’t fit into any one category (whose skin is actually “bronze” anyway)? That’s normal.

There are approximately 110 different skin tones worldwide, so it’s unlikely that anyone will find a perfect match. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get pretty close.

We’re skipping the cookie-cutter tutorial and giving you the inside information on what undertones actually are and how you can determine your own. Then, we’ll show you how to use your undertone to shop for a concealer that looks like second skin.

What Are Undertones?

When you look at your skin in the mirror, the color you see is called your skin tone. This is different from undertone, which refers to the hue underneath the surface of your skin. To put it simply, think of skin tone as what you see on the surface while undertone is what gives your complexion its unique coloring.

While your ethnic background largely determines your skin tone, remember that exposure to sunlight can change it. 

Undertones, however, are different; they’re the subtle colors visible through your skin that make up its tone. When picking out foundation, lipstick or concealer shades though, undertones become much more important than skin tones.

How to Discover Your Undertone

Your skin’s undertone can be slightly pink, blueish-purple, olive, neutral, or yellow. You may be able to tell your skin’s undertone by looking at the inside of your wrist, but not all undertones are easy to identify.

If you’re unsure of your skin’s undertone, here are a few additional ways to determine it.

Wear a Neutral Color and Analyze Your Skin

The best way to find out your skin’s undertone is by wearing a pure white garment. If you have cool undertones, the white will bring out colors like pink and blue in your skin. If you have warm undertones, the white will make your skin look more yellow or golden. And if the pure white looks good on you, then you likely fall into the neutral category!

Examine the Color of Your Veins, Hair, and Eyes

To determine your undertone, look at the color of your veins. If they are blue or pink, you have cool undertones. If it is difficult to see your veins or if they appear greenish, you likely have neutral to warm undertones.

hair and eye color can give insight into what skin tone someone may have. For example, people with red or blonde hair are typically cool-toned, while those with darker hair and eyes tend to be warm-toned.

The Sun’s Impact on Your Skin Color

The way your skin changes colors in the sun can indicate your skin’s undertone. People with cooler undertones usually burn quickly and their skin may become red instead of tanning. 

Those with neutral-toned skin may first tan, but then burn, while those with warmer or darker complexions will likely not experience burning at all and will simply get darker from being in the sun. While everyone technically can burn from too much exposure to UV rays, those with cool tones are definitely more susceptible than others.

How To Determine If You Have Warm or Cool Undertones

Consider your skin type, as well as the types of clothing, accessories, and makeup colors you like to wear.

Warm Tones: Yellow, Olive, or Pink

Although warm undertones are often associated with darker skin tones, people of all skin colors can have them. 

According to our research, those with warm undertones typically love gold jewelry and earth-toned clothing colors like black and off-white. Also, their skin usually has a more subdued color overall.

Cool Tones: Ashen or Gray

People with cool undertones often have skin that seems flat or less pigmented. If you find yourself in need of extra highlighters and blushes, it might because your undertone is cool. 

Cool undertones are invigorated by silver jewelry, bright whites, orange shades nearest the sun, as well as yellow hues. The brightest lipstick shades look amazing on those with a cool undertone– especially berries!

Finding the Right Concealer for Your Undertone

After you figure out your skin’s undertone, narrowing down the right makeup colors for you becomes much easier. In general, it’s best to choose shades that correspond with your skin tone.

In order to find the concealer that is best for you, there are only two things you need to take into account: 

• What blemishes or skin discolorations you want to cover up
• Your natural undertone

With those pieces of information, finding your ideal product will be a breeze.

Choosing How Light Your Concealer Should Be

Choose a concealer that is two shades lighter than your skin tone to cover dark pigments under your eyes and avoid making the area look darker.

If you go for a pigment that is too light, you will end up looking like a raccoon, which no one looks good in – it doesn’t matter what skin color you have.

Can Concealer Be Too Light?

Absolutely. If your concealer is too light, you will probably notice right away. Under your eyes, you will have an eerie bright glow that looks unnatural and can leave your skin with a strange radioactive hue.

Best Concealer to Cover Dark and Purple Spots

It’s common to see advertisements for green or yellow concealers that claim to cover up red spots, but unfortunately, this solution doesn’t usually work very well.

Correcting dark and purple areas of hyperpigmentation is as easy as using the same concealer you use under your eyes. You may need to apply more or less product depending on the darkness of the area you’re treating.

If you have a variable skin tone (for example, if you become darker in the summer and lighter in winter), consider using a concealer that comes with multiple shades.

Try 100% Pure Long Last Concealer with Super Fruits. Most other concealers have a thick, pasty consistency that ends up settling in fine lines and wrinkles, making your skin look dry and dull. However, our unique formula is made with jojoba oil, which comes from plants and closely resembles sebum – your skin’s natural oil.

This concealer is easy to blend, keeps your skin hydrated, and gives you the perfect amount of color correction without adding weight or thickness. The buildable formula allows you to customize the amount of correction you want without needing additional products.

Where to Apply Concealer

If you’re in a hurry, concealer can work as a foundation, but it’s not the best option to use every day. To choose the right shade of foundation for daily use, select one that goes well with your skin tone (how your skin looks in natural light).

Use concealer:

• Use concealer under your eyes to hide dark circles 
• Apply it around the corners of your nose to reduce redness 
• Put it on areas of hyperpigmentation for an even skin tone  
• Use it over blemishes and scars

You don’t want to use concealer all over your face because it is thicker than most foundations. If you pick the right shade, it should be lighter than your natural skin tone to brighten up your complexion. Or, for a more natural look, choose a color that matches your face beautifully.

Never use traditional concealers all over the face as it can make you look ghostly, but adding 100% Pure concealer with a beauty oil or a moisturizer produces a beautiful tinted foundation.

To Sum it Up 

Many people get confused about their skin tone and undertone, especially with all the information on social media. The best way to determine your skin tone is by studying your own skin.

You’ll find the perfect concealers, foundations, and lip colors when you’re ready to shop at 100% Pure. Their color cosmetics are made with food-grade ingredients that actually improve your skin quality over time.

100% Pure is perfect for those who want high quality and purity in their cosmetics. The products offered have clean ingredients and are matched to different skin undertones.