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What are the different undertones? -

There are three traditional undertones: warm, cool, and neutral. Warm undertones range from peach to yellow and golden. Cool undertones include pink and bluish hues. Neutral undertones are roughly the same color as your actual skin tone.

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Skin color vs. undertone -

Remember, your undertone isn't the same thing as the color of your naked skin. Even the fairest skin can have warm undertones, and darker skin can have cool ones, which is why matching the product to your skin color can become challenging when selecting makeup. 

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How can I tell which one I am? -

Determining your skin's undertone can be done in the comfort of your own home using the following methods. 

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Check out your veins -

One great method is checking your veins. If you can see them, then you may be able to use their color to identify your undertone.

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Green, blue, or purple -

For example, if your veins look green, then you may have warm undertones. People with blue or purple-looking veins usually have cooler undertones.

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Veins of neutral undertones -

If you have neutral undertones, then your veins may be a combination of the mentioned colors. They may also appear colorless or match the color of your skin.

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Look at your jewelry -

You may be attracted to either silver or gold due to how it looks against your skin.

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Gold or silver -

If you lean more towards traditional yellow gold, you're more likely to have warm or olive undertones. Silver, platinum, and rose gold tend to compliment cooler undertones.

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A mix of both -

You may have neutral undertones if you tend to look good in both silver and gold. 

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Throw on something neutral -

Neutral-colored clothing can also help indicate your undertones. For example, true white tends to favor cooler undertones, while off-white favors warm undertones. 

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Other neutral shades -

Warm undertones also tend to complement brown hues, while cooler tones often look better in black.

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Neutral undertone with neutral clothes -

Just like with jewelry, if you have neutral undertones, all neutral colors will compliment you. 

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Think about your eye and hair color -

Although you might dye your hair or play with different eyeshadows, your natural eye and hair color can provide some insights into your undertones.

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Think about your eye and hair color -

Platinum and ash-colored hair dyes tend to complement cooler undertones, while mahogany and golden dyes look better with warmer undertones. This can help you out when picking a new hair color. 

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Look for ashen or gray tones -

If your skin looks more ashen or gray, then you could have a natural olive tone. A combination of undertones, it isn't as common as warm, cool, or neutral. 

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A unique undertone -

Olive skin tones fall somewhere between warm and neutral with green, which is considered unique to olive skin only.

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Ask a professional -

If you're still stuck, consider visiting a medical aesthetician or consulting with a beauty expert at a beauty counter. 

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Professional help -

Professionals can help you identify your undertone and even swatch different product shades until you find your perfect match.

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What this means for your foundation -

Once you know your undertones, you can move on to choosing the right foundation for you. However, given the huge number of foundations from different brands, it may still take some trial and error.

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Choosing foundation -

Every brand of foundation is going to be slightly different, due to shades, formulas, coverage, and consistency. Therefore, it's best to ask for help at your local beauty store. 

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Cool undertone -

The foundation for a cool undertone will appear slightly pink. Avoid yellowish foundations, as they tend to make cool skin tones look sallower.

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Warm undertone -

Warm undertones tend to look better with a slightly yellow foundation.

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Neutral undertone -

Unsurprisingly, people with neutral undertones look better in foundations that are a combination of yellow and pink. 

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Olive undertone -

For olive undertones, avoid a warm foundation, it will be too yellow on you. Instead, look for one with a slight golden color.

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Your overall color palette -

A good foundation offers a base for all the colors you'll put against your skin. As a rule of thumb, the most stand-out colors should be in clothing, lipstick, and eyeshadow. 

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Cool undertone -

For people with cool undertones, stick with pink and green, as well as purples and reds that have pink tones to them.

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Warm undertone -

This color palette will be the exact opposite of people with a cool undertone. If you have a warm undertone, consider yellow, gold, and peach hues.

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Neutral undertone -

Neutral undertones can pull off neutral colors well. Cool and warm color palettes will also look good on them. 

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Olive undertone -

People with an olive undertone look good in earthy colors, gold, and green. Be careful with warm color palettes, as your skin may look too yellow. 

Sources: (Healthline) (Self) (Byrdie) 

See also: The meaning of colors and how they became symbolic

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