Makeup Talk: What's your Undertone?

Ever wondered why MAC foundations have NW or NC before the number? It identifies whether you're "cool' or "warm" to match the perfect foundation for your skin. Finding the right shade of base to match your complexion always seems is a hassle. Often foundations and concealers prompt you to choose a shade based on your undertone, especially when shopping online. But if you don’t know what your undertone is, why bother?

Foundations usually come recommended for one of three undertone types: “cool,” “neutral,” or “warm.” It’s possible, though, to fall somewhere in between (you could be “neutral-warm,” for instance). To get you closer to finding the perfect match, the outline below can assist you on how to figure out your undertone from very fair to dark.

Those with cool undertones will notice their skin has a pink, red, or blue tinge to it.

You have a “cool” undertone if:
• If the veins on your wrist are blue or purple
• If silver jewelry flatters your skin more than gold
• When you look at your skin in the sun, it appears blue-ish

If you have neutral undertones, your skin is neither pink/red/blue nor yellow/gold/peach, but somewhere in between.

You have a “neutral” undertone if:• The veins on your wrist are blue-green
• Both gold and silver jewelry flatter your skin
• When you look at your skin in the sun, it appears greenish

Those with warm undertones will notice their skin has a yellow, gold, or peach tinge to it. 

You have a “warm” undertone if:
• The veins on your wrist are slightly green or olive
• Gold jewelry flatters your skin more than silver
• When you look at your skin in the sun, it appears yellowish

Three More Tips for Finding the Right Foundation

So now you know your undertone, you can start to narrow the field. If you’re trying foundations in a store, here are three tips to help you find the right one.

1: Prep Skin First

Before you do anything, exfoliate and moisturize your skin. 

2: Test in Good Lighting

Make sure you test your foundation in good lighting. It's always a good idea to first test it out in one location, and then go somewhere else with different lighting to see if it still matches. And make sure you're wearing white, as other colors might alter your tone. 

3: Match The Color You See Most

There are three parts of the body you have to think about: the face, the neck, and the décolletage. The most natural thing would be to match your neck, but because of sun exposure and elements, the face/décolletage are often darker than your neck. 

Hope you enjoyed this Makeup Share Bite as much as I did!