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A proper guide to determining your skin undertone
Knowing your skin undertone can help you take your makeup game to the next level. Here are some tips and tricks to determine your skin undertone.
When it comes to choosing a foundation or lipstick, people usually take note of their skin tone. While it is important to select makeup products based on your skin tone, knowing your skin undertone is equally important. Skin tone is the color of the surface of your skin and is determined by the amount of melanin, whereas skin undertone is the color underneath the skin's surface. There are different types of skin undertones namely, warm, neutral, and cool. Skin undertones can make or break your makeup look, so it is important to know your skin undertone to follow a proper skin care regimen.
Types of skin undertones
In general, there are four types of skin undertones, explained below:
1. Warm undertones
Warm skin undertones typically include peach, golden, or yellow undertone. People with warm undertones have traces of red and gold on their skin. A few people with warm undertones tend to have sallow skin.
Celebrities with warm skin undertones are Beyonce, Claire Danes, Jessica Alba, and so on.
2. Cool undertones
Cool undertones include cool hues such as blue, red, or pink. People with cool skin undertone burn more easily under the sun. Celebrities with cool undertones include Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson, and so on. 
3. Neutral undertones
As the name suggests, people with neutral undertones have a mix of warm and cool undertones. People with neutral undertones get sunburnt and tanned easily.
Celebrities with neutral undertones include Sandra Bullock and Kerry Washington.
4. Olive undertones
Most people have warm, cool, or neutral undertones, but there is another unique undertone - an olive undertone. People often confuse an olive undertone with a neutral one, but in reality, both are quite different. Olive undertones have a yellow and green-gray hue.
There are a few effective measures to help you find out the undertone of your skin, explained below in detail:
1. Assess the color of your veins
One of the best ways to know skin's undertone is to carefully examine your veins. If your veins are purple or blue in color, it means you have a cool undertone. If veins appear greenish, you have a warm undertone. Do you have a mix of two? It's simple - it means you have a neutral undertone.
2. Observe how your skin is affected by the skin
First things first, it is always important to apply sunscreen before you step out in the sun to prevent skin damage. So, no matter what your undertone is, do not forget to wear sunscreen. However, knowing how your skin is affected by the skin can help you determine your skin's undertone. People with cool undertones get sunburnt easily. People with warm undertones get tanned but don't get burned. If you burn and then get sun tanned, you have a neutral undertone.
3. Take help of jewelry
Pull out your jewelry to know what your skin undertone is. Gold jewelry generally looks good on people with warm undertones. Do you look more glamorous in silver jewelry? If yes, then you have cool undertones. And, if you look ravishing in both gold and silver, then you may have a neutral undertone. You can use earrings or a necklace to know your undertone.
4. Grab something white
One of the easiest ways to determine your undertone is to grab something white. You can take a cloth or even a white paper, then take the cloth/paper in bright, natural light and hold it up to your face. Observe your skin - if your skin looks pink, you have a cool undertone. If your face looks yellowish, you have a warm undertone.
In addition, if you feel that off-white and creamy colors suit you more, that's a sign that you may have a warm undertone. If you look gorgeous in both off-white and stark white without looking pale, you may be neutral-toned.
5. Observe your other features
Natural eye and hair color can give you an insight into your undertone. Generally, people with deep eye color have warm or olive undertones, and those with lighter eyes and hair color tend to have cool or neutral undertones.
Skin undertone can make or break your makeup. One of the major benefits of knowing the undertone is that it helps you choose the right foundation and/or lipstick. Most of the time, we choose a color at the store that looks great, but when you try it at home, you feel it's not complimenting you at all. Much of this is because of skin tone and undertone. So, knowing your undertone is the key to choosing the right shade of makeup product.
If you want to have an all-natural look, then keep choosing makeup tones that compliment your skin tone and undertone. If you want to experiment with your look, then you can choose products for the opposing color family. For instance, you can choose a blue or red lipstick with warm undertones for a bold and glamorous look.
All in all, it is important to know your undertone to choose the right makeup product and up your skincare game.
1. Cool undertones
People with a cool undertone should avoid foundations with a yellowish tint as it may make their skin look pale. You can go for a slightly pink-colored foundation or an ivory foundation.
2. Warm undertones
Warm undertones look great with a foundation that's yellow. People with warm undertones can even opt for foundations with a golden tone.
3. Neutral undertones
People with a neutral undertone should avoid using a foundation that makes their skin golden, red, yellow, or pink. If you have a neutral undertone, you should look for a peach foundation. In addition, you should opt for a foundation that's neither too yellow nor too pink.
4. Olive undertone
People with olive undertones generally have a greenish-gray hue, so they should select a foundation that leans towards golden. Make sure not to use a foundation shade that makes your skin look yellow, pink, golden, or cool red.
Before choosing a foundation, apply it on your cheekbones, around your nose, and near your jawline. Check how it looks under natural light, if the foundations blend easily into your skin and don't leave any residue, it's the one for you.
1. Cool undertone
If you are on the fairer side, you can choose soft pink, bright blue, and purple colors. People with a dark cool undertone can experiment with blue, plum, pink, and poppy colors. These shades will look great on your lips. You can try colors like gray and purple for eyeshadow.
2. Warm undertone
If you have fair skin, you can choose neutral colors and sun-kissed pink for lipstick. If you are dark and warm, you can try deep burgundy, tangerine pink, and bold red lipstick.
People who love bronzers and shadows can pick colors like gold, orange-red, peachy pink, brown neutral, and earth-toned brown.
3. Neutral undertone
People with a neutral undertone can be picky when selecting the lipstick shade or foundation. You can look like a diva and rock your look with golden eyeshadows, deep purple shade, or red lipstick. Bring your creativity into play and experiment with your look without worrying about looking pale.
4. Olive undertone
People with olive undertone should go for shades like royal blue, sapphire, rosy pink, deep plum, and warm peach as these colors will elevate your glamorous look.
Shades like cranberry, deep pink, and wine red will look best on your lips if you have an olive undertone.
Now that we have understood all about skin undertones, let us dig deeper into ways to get an even skin tone and make skin healthier.
While, it's true that skin tone and undertone are completely different, however, keeping your skin tone even is important to maintain healthy skin. Below are some ways to get an even skin tone:
1. Exfoliation to the rescue
A regular skincare routine always consists of CTM, i.e. cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. But, there's one more thing that you should add to your skincare regimen, and that is exfoliation.
Our skin gets exposed to dirt, dust, and pollution every day that eventually clog pores and cause acne and an uneven skin tone. So, it is important to cleanse your skin daily and exfoliate one or two times a week to get rid of oil, bacteria, and dirt. Make sure to use an exfoliator that suits your skin.
2. Tone it up
There are many benefits of using a toner: it keeps the skin hydrated, removes leftover dirt, oil, and grime from the skin, and refreshes your skin. So, after cleansing your skin, use a hydrating toner to rejuvenate your skin.
3. Use antioxidants
There are various antioxidants like vitamin C, flavonoids, vitamin E, retinol, and niacinamide that help in skin repair. These antioxidants also reduce inflammation, boost collagen production, and help people get an even skin tone. So, incorporate vitamin-rich food into your diet, and products that contain antioxidants in them.
4. Eat a healthy diet
What you eat reflects on your skin, so it is important to add a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet to keep your skin glowing. Avoid refined sugars, processed foods, junk food, and caffeine, as much as you can to avoid acne breakouts. Incorporate fresh fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds into your diet to make your skin glow. Also, don't forget to drink eight to ten glasses of water every day to keep your skin nourished and hydrated.
5. Don't forget your sunscreen
Sunscreen is a must-have product in your bag as it's an essential skincare item. Too much exposure to the sun can wreak havoc on your skin, so apply sunscreen every time you go out to prevent redness, sunburns, dark spots, and sun tan.
6. Do not pop pimples
It seems hard to leave your acne alone, and not prick it right? But, it is imperative to avoid popping your pimples and picking at your skin. Remember, the more you pick at your skin with dirty fingers, the more inflamed it will be which will eventually lead to hyperpigmentation. So, be careful with your skin and avoid popping your pimples.
7. Use home remedies
There are many home remedies to get an even skin tone, mentioned below:
• Oatmeal and tomato juice
Oats are not just a healthy option for breakfast, they are great for the skin too. Mix oatmeal with tomato juice and rub the paste on your face and body. Wash it off after 15 minutes with water to get glowing skin. Repeat this process two to three times a week to get an even skin tone.
• Coconut oil, lemon, and sugar
Coconut oil soothes the skin, sugar acts as an excellent exfoliator, and lemon lightens the skin. Take two tablespoons of coconut oil and mix it with a few drops of lemon and a spoon of sugar. Whisk it properly to form a smooth consistency and apply this to your skin. Rinse it off after 15 minutes. You can try this natural skin care remedy once or twice a week.
• Papaya and honey
Both papaya and honey are full of antioxidants and vitamins that keep the skin healthy and glowing. Take a few pieces of papaya and mash them properly, mix a spoon of honey in it to form a smooth paste. Apply it to your skin and rinse it off after 20 minutes. Try this skin brightening home remedy once or twice a week.
It is essential to know your undertone to choose the right makeup product and outfit. So, know your skin undertone now and glam up your makeup look.
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