How to Determine Your Skin's Undertone Once and For All (2024)

Skin undertones are separated into three main categories: warm, cool and neutral. “If you were to split the color wheel in half, you'll find warm shades that feel like sunshine and heat on one side, and cool shades that feel cold and icy on the other,” Collazo says. “Undertones of the skin will typically fall somewhere on the spectrum of warm (more yellow), cool (more blue), or neutral (more red/pink).”

Knowing your undertone also makes it easier to shop for other color cosmetics, such as a blush or red lipstick that complement your skin tone. “[It becomes] a much simpler task grounded in science versus being a veritable guessing game,” Collazo says. Furthermore, “unlocking this skill has an overwhelmingly positive effect on the overall outcome of your makeup look, and can even translate into other areas of your life, from picking your wardrobe, desired hair color, and even how you choose to decorate your home.”

There are a few tests out there to determine your skin’s undertone. The most common, which Collazo and Hoffman both recommend, is the vein test which involves looking at the veins on your wrist in natural sunlight. “If the veins are bluish or purple, that indicates cool,” Hoffman says. “If they are greenish, this notes warm skin. If it’s hard to tell or seems to be a little of both, you are neutral.”

Another way Collazo recommends to determine your skin undertone is considering how your skin is affected by the sun. “If you have greener veins and you tan easily after prolonged sun exposure, you likely have a warm undertone,” she says. “If you have blue/purple veins and burn easily, you likely have a cool undertone. If your veins are more aqua/blue-green color and after time in the sun you burn first and then tan, you are likely a neutral undertone.”

The best way to find your skin’s undertone is to try on complexion products with the undertones you think you have. The same goes for other cosmetic products such as blush and bronzer. “There are cool corals, warm reds — even bronzers come in cool, warm and neutral — so everyone should find tones that flatter their skin,” Hoffman says. The rule of thumb: “If something looks off on your skin tone, it’s likely the wrong undertone.”