If you want to find the right shade of foundation for your skin, you first have to know your undertone. But before you can determine this, and to better understand your skin type, here is some basic knowledge: every complexion is comprised of a variable mixture of pigments generally known as melanin – mainly the brown/black eumelanin and the lighter, yellowish red pheomelanin. What determines your skin type is the quantity it contains of each pigment. In lighter skin types, it is also determined by the visibility of the blood vessels (which can give a reddish color to your skin).

Your complexion won’t be the same everywhere on the body; it is brighter in some places (for example on your palms or the soles of your feet, as they have less melanin), darker in others and even reddened in some areas. And this can change slightly throughout your lifetime due to various factors – via solar radiation, for example, which will increase melanin formation as a consequence of UVB radiation. The undertone of the skin is generated during pregnancy and remains the same over the course of your life, acting as a sort of backdrop for your overall complexion. The main distinction in undertones lies on the spectrum of warm (yellowish-reddish) and cool (bluish-rosé). If the pigmentation appears balanced (not necessarily cool or warm), this undertone is referred to as ‘neutral’.

1. What color are your veins?

Look at the veins at the bottom of your wrist. If they appear to be blue-violet, your undertone is cool – if they appear greenish, then the undertone is warm. If you can’t tell the difference so clearly, or they appear to be both blue and green, then you have a neutral undertone.

2. How does your skin fare in the sun?

How does your skin react to the sun? Cooler undertones don’t tan as quickly and usually experience sunburn. Warmer or olive undertones will tan rather quickly and usually can avoid sunburn; this is due to the higher proportion of melanin in the skin. With a neutral undertone, you’ll find yourself somewhere in the middle – you usually tan easily and don’t get sunburn too quickly.

3. Which kind of jewelry do you wear?

Jewelry choices are usually intuitive, especially when it comes to the age-old question: silver or gold? Silver is a cool metal and therefore fits best with cooler undertones. If you’re exclusively wearing gold jewelry, then you most likely have a warmer undertone. And if you find yourself attracted to both precious metals, then consider yourself as having a neutral undertone.

4. Do you own white- or cream-colored clothing?

If you’re the type that likes white or black clothes better, then it’s likely you have a cool undertone. But if cream or brown tones are more appealing to your skin, then your undertone is more likely warm. If both suit you rather well, then you’ve got more of a neutral undertone.

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