Ever feel like your makeup should match but it just doesn't? It could be that the color you purchased was the right depth but the wrong undertone. Determining your skin’s undertone is vital to choosing the correct foundation shade. Read on to learn what an undertone is, how to determine your skin’s undertone, and how to choose your perfect shade of foundation.
What is an undertone?
Your skin tone is your depth of color, while your undertone is the shade or hue of that color. The undertone in your skin remains consistent throughout your life, however the outermost layers of skin may change over time with age, sun, spray tans, etc. For example- during the summer you may be a medium-warm (semi-tan & yellow undertone) and then during the winter your skin appears more fair-warm (not so tan/yellow undertone). Skin undertones fall into just a few categories – Neutral, Warm or Cool. There are very few true Neutrals, most people have either a yellow or pink hue to their skin.
How to find your skin's undertone
So how do you tell if you are warm, cool, or neutral? In three steps we will help you determine just that! Look at your wrist. What color are your veins?- Blue -Purple veins indicate that you have a COOL undertone
- Blue-Green veins would suggest you have a NEUTRAL undertone
- Green-Olive veins is typically in WARM undertones
- Silver jewelry tends to look best on COOL undertones
- Gold jewelry favors those with a WARM undertone
- If you can pull off both silver & gold you may have a NEUTRAL undertone
- COOL undertones tend to look better wearing jewel tones
- WARM undertones are more flattered by earth tones
- As with the jewelry- if you look great in both, this could suggest that you have a NEUTRAL undertone
How to find the right foundation shade
Once you’ve figured out what your undertone is, you’re ready to choose a foundation shade! Shade descriptions should help guide you. For example, “fair warm” is a very light shade with warm undertones, while “medium neutral” is a bit darker with neutral undertones. Bio-Fond Foundation Makeup comes in 21 foundation colors in a variety of undertones and depth to cover the rainbow of beautiful skin tones out there. Feel free to call one of our color matching specialists at 1.800.282.3223 or email info@gsskincare.com if you have any questions, or want to order samples of a few colors before you purchase a compact.Tips when trying foundation colors:
- Test the foundation color on your jawline, not your wrist or hand.
- Stand in or near natural light from a doorway or window to see if the color matches.
- Take a sweater, cardigan or shawl with you so you can hold up different material colors near your skin, to make sure your foundation matches no matter what you’re wearing.
- Match the overall color of your skin. There are 3 parts of the body you have to think about: the face, the neck, and the décolletage. It’s generally suggested to match the color on your neck or décolletage since it will often be a truer match. You never want your face to be lighter or darker than your neck, that’s unnatural looking.
Remember: Your undertone won't change from season-to-season; the depth of color may as you get less sunlight in the winter.
Changing foundation colors per season is a very common thing to do, so don't be afraid to try it! With Bio-Fond Foundation you can also blend colors to achieve something mid-way or while between seasons.
