• 1 February 2024
Your undertone is the foundation of every colour that suits you. Here's how to work out yours, and why it matters so much.
Undertones are the subtle colours sitting just under your skin, and they shape how every colour looks on you. Your surface colour shifts with a tan or a flush, but your undertone stays put for life. There are three: warm (yellow, golden or peachy), cool (blue, pink or red), and neutral (a balanced blend of both). Undertone is the foundation of colour analysis, because it decides whether warm or cool shades sit in harmony with your natural colouring.
Warm undertones have a yellow, golden or peachy quality underneath. People with warm undertones often tan easily and rarely burn, though that's not a hard rule. Skin might read as ivory, peachy, golden or honey. Warm undertones love colours with a yellow base, think autumn leaves, sunset shades and earth tones. Gold jewellery usually looks more natural than silver.
Green-looking veins, golden or amber flecks in the eyes, hair with natural golden or red highlights, skin that looks healthier in cream than in pure white, and gold jewellery that beats silver.
Warm whites (ivory, cream), warm browns (camel, chocolate), warm reds (tomato, rust), warm greens (olive, moss), warm blues (teal, turquoise) and warm purples (aubergine).
Cool undertones have a blue, pink or red quality underneath. People with cool undertones might burn easily or tan slowly. Skin might read as porcelain, rosy or pink. Cool undertones love colours with a blue base, think winter berries, ocean depths and jewel tones. Silver jewellery usually looks more natural than gold.
Blue or purple-looking veins, blue or grey tones in the eyes, hair with natural ash tones, skin that looks better in pure white than cream, and silver or platinum that beats gold.
Cool whites (pure white, soft white), cool browns (cocoa, rose-brown), cool reds (cherry, burgundy), cool greens (emerald, pine), cool blues (royal, navy) and cool purples (violet, plum).
Neutral undertones are a balanced mix of warm and cool. You might spot both green and blue in your veins, and both gold and silver can look good on you. That said, most neutral undertones still tip slightly warm or slightly cool. You've got the most flexibility with colour, but you'll still look best in shades that match your gentle lean, plus your value and chroma levels.
No single test is foolproof, but stack a few together and the picture gets clear. The vein test, the jewellery test and the white paper test are decent starting points, but the most reliable method is draping: holding warm and cool versions of the same colour up to your face in natural light. Compare coral (warm pink) with rose (cool pink), for example, and you'll see which temperature lifts your skin.
Hold a warm and a cool version of the same colour family to your face. Try orange-red against blue-red, coral against rose pink, or moss green against emerald. The right temperature makes your skin look clearer and more even.
Don't mistake surface redness for cool undertones, rosacea doesn't make you cool-toned. Don't assume pale means cool or tanned means warm. And don't judge in artificial light, it throws colour off completely.
Wear colours that match your undertone and everything just clicks, you and your clothes in harmony. The right temperature makes your skin look clearer, softens imperfections, brightens your eyes and gives you that healthy glow. The wrong one can leave you looking sallow, play up dark circles, throw unflattering shadows, and make the whole look feel 'off' even when you can't say why.
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