Like we have our favorite dress, the same way we all have our favorite colors as well. Irrespective of any rule or logic, if we like that color, I feel one will wear it with great confidence and it will automatically radiate and glow on you.
However, there are some simple basic ways to understand your skin tone which can help you choose and discover the best shades of color to wear.
Your skin tone, also called undertone, is different from your complexion, which is the shade of your skin (light, medium, dark). Your undertone will remain the same no matter how much sun you get, even if you’re pale in the winter and tan in the summer.
How To Determine Your Undertone?
Undertone Test #1: Vein Color
Stand in clear daylight and look at the underside of your wrist. Observe the color of your veins, this color of the vein can determine your skin tone. If your veins appear bluish or purple in color then you will have a cool skin undertone if you have a greenish appearance then warm and if you can’t tell clearly the above two shades then you are a neutral undertone.
Undertone Test #2: Burn Vs Tan
Yet another way is to observe how your skin reacts in sun. If you get a sunburn very easily, but somehow don’t tan in the sun it means you have less melanin in your skin, giving you a cool skin undertone. Whereas if you don’t get any sunburns, but tan very easily, it Indicates that you have a good amount of melanin, hence you might have a warm skin undertone.
Undertone Test #3: White Vs Off White
Another method of testing the skin tone is by standing in bright daylight with plain white paper against your face. Look at yourself in the mirror and observe the color you see at a glance in the mirror. You will be a cool tone if you notice a pink, rosy, or blueish-red reflection. If you see a yellowish reflection then you’ll be a warm skin tone. If you can’t determine clearly the reflection then you are most likely a neutral skin tone.
Undertone Test #4: Silver or Gold
You could also try this technique by holding gold or silver paper too instead of white. If holding a silver foil against your skin makes it glow, then you have a cool skin undertone. If the gold paper looks good and flatters your face then you are a warm skin tone. However, if you don’t see any difference, as in, none of the colors make any difference, then you are most likely a neutral skin tone.
Undertone Test #5: True Complexion
Look at the color of your eyes, usually lighter eyes like light blue, green, or even very light brown-eyed people have cool skin undertones. Whereas people with gold flecks and darker eye shades like deep brown, honey brown, or hazel will have a warm skin undertone.
Undertone Test #6: Hair Colour
Your natural hair color can also be an indicator of your skin tone. Cool tones will have silver or ash undertones and warm tones will have red, orange, or yellow undertones.
Styling as per your Skin Undertone Types
So we can conclude that skin undertones can be divided into three categories-
- Cool
- Warm
- Neutral
So now let’s see how to dress up appropriately as per our skin undertone.
Styling for cool skin undertones
Having a cool skin tone means that the cool colors from the palette will go better with your tone.
Go for dresses in colors like black, white, Bright blue, royal blue, sapphire, emerald, amethyst, deep purples, lavender, and lilac snow, etc. You should avoid oranges and yellows.
When it comes to Jewelry, silver or platinum will flatter you more.
While choosing make-up, you may consider a blue-based eye shadow, lip color can be ruby red, wine red, pink or purple hues, or even nudes if you have light skin, for the blush you can go for a pale rose or rosy pink to enhance pink pigment of the skin.
Styling for warm skin undertones
Warm colors will flatter warm-skinned people.
While selecting your clothing, you can look for colors such as peach, deep yellows, mustard, brown, olives, khakis, deeper reds, honey gold, oranges, rust, etc. Just avoid icy shades or jeweled tones.
For warm-skinned people, gold or bronze jewelry looks better.
And while selecting make-up, you can try eye shadows or eyeliners in earthy tones to complement a natural yellow glow. For the lip color, you may consider a deeper shade of reds, coral, copper, rusts, browns. You may highlight your cheeks with a coral blush or bronze.
Styling for neutral skin undertones
You are a neutral skin tone or the olive tone if you can’t prominently determine the dominant above two colors of your veins.
Neutral colors work well with your skin tone. Hence you can select dresses in colors that fall in the middle of the color wheel. Light peach, dusty pinks, soft rose, pale blues, soft pinks, jade green, and cameo green, etc. Go for the softer tones of the color and avoid the brighter and louder tones.
While selecting jewelry or make-up you can just go with any. You have a whole lot of options to try. However, you may consider selecting make-up that may compliment your eye and hair color.
Wrap Up
However there is no hard and fast rule to this, just wear what makes you feel happy from within. These are just basic guidelines that will help you to understand the basics, but there cannot be any thumb rule for dressing up.
Like I personally wear a lot of dull silver jewelry, in spite of having a warm skin tone as I find silver more attractive and interesting. I find gold too loud. So just go for it and make your own statement. Don’t let these fashion rules stop you from enjoying what you wear!!!
Still, you need any advice or guidance on your styling, you can always contact AMAR KOSA.
