How to tell if your skin has warm, cool or neutral undertones

How to tell if your dark skin has warm, cool or neutral undertones

Everyone struggles to find the right shades of colors of makeup, hair, and even clothes. Regardless of your style,  Experimenting with different colors may have shown that not every color is for you. Knowing your skin undertones, which are basically warm, cool, and neutral undertones, is one way to reduce the stress of doing this.

Some people believe dark skin tones do not show undertones but that is not true. This is because, for dark-skinned people, it might be quite hard to tell if your skin has one of the three.

What are skin undertones?

As the name implies, skin undertone is the color of your skin underneath your flesh, which then affects your skin color. It is naturally occurring in each person so it is only right that you discover which hue you possess.

Warm, cool and Neutral undertones
Source: Pinterest

If you plan on making the right choice of clothes, hair, and makeup then it is great to know your skin undertone.

Types of skin undertones

There are three main skin undertones. Once you are conversant with them, pay more attention to beauty products because they hint at them in their names and descriptions.

Cool undertones

The type of skin that falls under this category has hues of red, blue, and pink prominent on the skin.

Warm undertones

When golden and peach hues dominate the skin, they give off warm undertones.

Neutral undertones

When neither of the two appeals to you, which means that your skin does not reflect any hue then you’re on the neutral line. Your skin color might just be the same as your skin undertone.

How to tell your undertones

It’s not that hard to confirm which undertone your skin has. All you need to do is following the instructions below.

Check the veins on your wrists

The vein test is the first way to tell your undertone. If your veins are blue or purple then it is cool. When they are of greenish hue the skin has warm undertones. If you are dark-skinned, you may have to concentrate more on seeing the veins. If your veins do not have any of these colors, then you have neutral undertones.

The test of colors

The color of hair and clothes that looks good on you are another way to tell which skin undertones you have. You will have to do this in a well-lit room. Take out different colors of clothes from your wardrobe and place them near your skin. Purple, black, blue, and full colors like these will look good on people with cool undertones.

Clothes colors for neutral undertones

So it is with warm undertones, warm colors like yellow and peach will complement your skin. If just about any color suits you, then you have neutral undertones. It is a fun exercise to try which should be kept at the back of your mind whenever you go shopping.

Gold and silver test

The jewelry test is an old trick to know skin undertones. You might have done this unknowingly but how silver and gold flatter your skin is a way to know your undertones. Silver complements cool undertones, gold looks best on warm undertones while neutral undertones can go for both jewelry choices.

The true white neutral test

The neutral color test is also a great way to check. White clothing is used, and if white flatters you then you have cool undertones. But if off-white looks better then you have warm undertones. For neutral undertones, any shade of neutral colors is normal on you.

Other methods of knowing your undertones are the eye color and effects of the sun on your skin which may not do it for dark skin.  You should still try anyway as it can still help you discover your undertone.

Why is it important to know your undertones

  • If you’ve been able to tell your undertone by now, put the new information to use, and right some of your wrong choices.
  • Clothes shopping will no longer feel like a chore. You will dress better in clothes that suit you when you know your undertones.
  • The right skin undertones will help you pick out makeup products that match you perfectly, thereby changing your final makeup look for a more beautiful and well-blended face.
  • Hair colors will be easier for you to choose. The rule is to choose cool colors for warm skin undertones and bright colors for cool skin undertones.

Conclusion

It is easy to differentiate among skin colors because they are distinct. Dark skinned, pale, and olive skin undertones are different even though they react similarly to the physical condition. The skin color may also change in different seasons but the undertones always stay the same.

This is why it is important you know your undertones so you can use them to improve your general outlook. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear what makes you happy, however. All you need to do is just tilt towards the right colors.

Fanti Tukuwei
I'm a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle enthusiast, and the ultimate curves queen. Here, I share beauty, fashion, and lifestyle tips to teach, inspire, and give confidence to all women.