Lesson 3 of 36
Find your undertone and foundation shade
Foundation that looks gray or orange is usually the wrong undertone, not the wrong depth. You can check yours at home in three minutes.
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1Skin
Check your wrist veins in daylight
By a window, look at the inside of your wrist. Blue or purple veins lean cool, greenish lean warm, a mix leans neutral.
Daylight · mirror2Skin
Hold up white paper, gold and silver
Next to white paper, cool skin looks pinker and warm skin looks more golden. If gold jewelry brightens you, lean warm; if silver does, lean cool.
White paper · gold and silver jewelry3Skin
Swatch three shades on your jawline
Stripe three candidates side by side along the jaw and pick the one that disappears between face and neck. Jaw, not cheek, so it blends into your neck.
Three foundation samples4Skin
Look again after 10 minutes
Foundation oxidizes a little as it meets air and oil. The shade that still matches in daylight after 10 minutes is yours.
Daylight · time
lightbulbTips
- If your face and neck differ, match the neck. A lighter face looks like a mask in photos.
- Undertone is the first clue to your personal color season. Choosing lip and blush colors comes in lesson 36.
errorCommon mistake
Testing on the back of your hand under store lights misleads you — hands are darker and yellower than faces.
health_and_safetyTry any new product on your inner arm first. If redness, itching or irritation appears, stop using it and consult a dermatologist. Keep eye products out of the eyes.
The face chart is an AI-generated illustration showing where each step goes — not a photo of a real result.