How to find your undertone (and why it changes in photos)
To find your undertone, look at your bare skin in indirect daylight and compare how warm (golden, peachy) and cool (pink, blue-red) colours make it look. If warm colours make your skin look even and glowing, you likely have a warm undertone; if cool colours do, a cool one; if both work, you may be neutral.
Why your undertone looks different in every photo
Warm light bulbs push skin yellow-orange, so everyone looks warm. Shade and overcast light push skin blue, so everyone looks cool. Phone cameras also auto-correct white balance, and beauty filters change skin tone.
That's a big reason people get different answers from different quizzes. Fix the light and results get more consistent.
Tests that work
Do these facing a window, with no direct sun and no makeup.
- Metal test: hold gold and silver (or foil) under your chin. Whichever makes your skin look more even points to your undertone.
- Fabric test: compare a warm colour (camel, peach) with a cool one (grey-blue, rose) next to your face.
- White test: pure white versus cream. Cool undertones usually suit pure white; warm undertones often look better in cream.
Why the vein test is unreliable
Vein colour depends on lighting, skin thickness and the room you're in, so it often gives the wrong answer. Use the metal or fabric test instead.
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Questions
What is a neutral undertone?
A neutral undertone sits between warm and cool, so both gold and silver can look fine. Neutral-leaning seasons include Soft Autumn and Soft Summer.
Is undertone the same as skin tone?
No. Skin tone is how light or deep your skin is. Undertone is the warm or cool cast underneath, and any skin tone can have any undertone.