Your skin tone is how light or deep your skin is. Your undertone is the colour underneath — warm (golden, peachy), cool (pink, rosy) or neutral. Two people with the same skin depth can need completely different foundation shades because of it.
The vein test
Look at the veins on your inner wrist in daylight. Mostly green or olive points to warm; blue or purple points to cool. If you honestly cannot tell, you are likely neutral.
The jewellery test
Hold gold and then silver near your face. The one that makes your skin look clearer and brighter is your clue: gold for warm, silver for cool, both for neutral.
The white test
Drape a bright white cloth and then a cream one under your chin. Cool undertones glow in bright white; warm undertones look healthier in cream and ivory.
The sun test
Skin that tans easily and rarely burns tends to be warm. Skin that burns or goes pink first tends to be cool. Many Indian complexions tan easily and have an olive cast — a common neutral-warm mix.
Put it together
Your undertone plus how much contrast there is between your hair, eyes and skin gives you a colour season. Try the finder below for a palette of shades to reach for — and a few to leave on the rack.
Try it yourself
