What Undertone Am I? A Simple Guide to Finding Your Perfect Match

What Is an Undertone?

Your undertone is the subtle hue beneath the surface of your skin. It doesn’t change whether you tan, lighten, or flush — it stays consistent and affects how colours appear on you. 

There are 4 main undertones:

• Cool: Hints of pink, blue or purple.

• Warm: Hints of yellow, or peach.

• Olive: Neutral and slightly yellow, with a noticeable green tint. Olive leans toward the warmer end of the undertone spectrum, but the main difference is its greenish appearance.

• Neutral: A balanced mix of both Cool and Warm — no dominant hue.

It’s important to note that skin undertones exist on a spectrum — from the warmest yellow to the coolest pink. Many people fall somewhere in between and may have an undertone like Neutral-Cool or Neutral-Warm.

Undertone v.s. Overtone

Unlike undertone, overtone refers to the colour intensity or shade of your skin. Think of undertone as the hue, and overtone as the lightness or darkness of your skin. Your overtone is what you see on the surface — your actual skin colour. It can appear fair, light, medium, dark, deep, and it may change due to sun exposure, skin care, or skin conditions.

How to Determine Your Undertone

Here are some easy at-home methods to figure it out, it’s best to use more than one test for a more accurate result:

1. Check Your Veins

Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist in natural light.

• Blue or purple veins → likely cool undertone

• Greenish veins → likely warm undertone

• Greenish and yellow veins → likely olive undertone

• A mix or no dominant vein colours → possibly neutral

2. The Jewelry Test

Which type of jewelry flatters you more?

• Silver looks better → cool undertone

• Gold looks better → warm or olive undertone

• Yellow Gold and Bronze → likely olive undertone

• Both look good → neutral undertone

3. White vs. Off-White Test

Pull your hair away from your face, hold a piece of pure white and an off-white clothing or paper near your face (with no makeup).

• Skin looks bright and glowing in white → cool

• Skin looks better with off-white/ivory → warm or olive

• Both look good→ neutral

4. How Your Skin Tans or Burns

• Burns easily, rarely tans → often cool

• Tans easily, rarely burns → often warm or olive 

• Burns then tans or tans slowly → possibly neutral

Why Undertone Matters in Makeup

Knowing your undertone helps you:

• Pick the right complexion product — no more “orangey” or “ashy” foundation. The right shade should blend seamlessly into the skin, and leave you looking even, radiant and fresh.

• Choose lipstick and blush that enhance your natural glow and harmonise with your complexion.

Your Next Step

Once you’ve discovered your undertone, choosing the right foundation, lipstick, and blush becomes much easier — no more mismatched shades or guesswork.

Buying a new foundation, concealer, or powder? Discover your perfect match with the Match My Makeup Shade Finder — a trusted tool used by leading beauty brands like e.l.f., Nude By Nature, Bluemercury, and more. Simply choose your depth and undertone in the Quiz, and let the technology do the rest for a seamless, personalised match every time.