Free tool, on your device
Skin undertone test
Undertone is the color underneath the surface of your skin. It does not change much with a tan, and it is separate from depth: a very fair person and a very deep person can share the same undertone.
Your photo is processed on this device and never uploaded.
Daylight, no filter, no makeup if you can · JPG, PNG or HEIC · up to 20 MB
Your photo is processed on this device and never uploaded.
How it works
Three steps, no upload
This tool reads a skin sample on your device and asks four questions. It separates warm, cool, neutral and olive, and explains what each reading means for metals, white versus cream, and the colors that tend to work.
- 1
Use daylight, no filter
Stand facing a window. A warm bathroom bulb will make almost everyone read warm.
- 2
Sample the side of the cheek
Not the nose or the forehead, which are often redder or shinier. The side of the cheek has the most even color.
- 3
Answer four questions
Veins, metal, sun reaction and white versus cream. The answers are what separate neutral from olive, which a camera often cannot.
Questions
Skin undertone test FAQ
What is the difference between undertone and overtone?
Overtone is the surface color you see, including redness or a tan. Undertone is the base underneath. A person can have a pink overtone and a warm undertone at the same time.
What does olive undertone mean?
Olive skin has a green or gray cast alongside the warm or cool base. It often reads as neither clearly warm nor clearly cool, which is why it gets its own category here.
Can undertone change?
Not really. A tan, rosacea or a flush can change the surface color, and lighting changes what a camera sees, but the base undertone stays the same.
How is this different from the color analysis tool?
The undertone test stops at warm, cool, neutral or olive. The color analysis tool goes further and gives you a season and a palette.
Four readings
The tool returns one of four readings. Each one points to a different set of metals, whites and neutrals, and to the palettes that share the same base. The sections below explain what each reading means.
Warm undertone skin
A golden, peachy or yellow base sits under the surface of the skin. Warm skin usually looks even next to cream and gold.
- Metals
- Yellow gold, rose gold and bronze.
- Whites
- Cream, ivory and ecru rather than optic white.
- Neutrals
- Camel, warm taupe, chocolate and olive.
- Watch
- Icy pastels and blue-based pinks can make warm skin look gray.
Cool skin undertone
A pink, red or blue base sits under the surface. Cool skin usually looks even next to silver and a crisp white.
For cool undertone hair color, ash brown, cool blonde and blue black sit closer to the base than warm copper or golden highlights.
- Metals
- Silver, white gold and platinum.
- Whites
- Pure white and cool oyster.
- Neutrals
- Charcoal, navy, slate and cool gray.
- Watch
- Orange, mustard and warm beige can bring out redness.
Neutral undertone skin
The skin sits between warm and cool, with neither a clear golden nor a clear pink cast. Most metals and whites work.
- Metals
- Both gold and silver, especially in a brushed finish.
- Whites
- Soft white, pearl and off-white.
- Neutrals
- Greige, mushroom, soft navy and stone.
- Watch
- Very saturated warm or cool colors can overpower a neutral base.
Olive undertone skin
Olive skin has a green or gray cast alongside a warm or cool base. It often reads as neither clearly warm nor clearly cool, especially in winter.
- Metals
- Gold and silver both work; antique or brushed finishes are easiest.
- Whites
- Oyster, cream and soft white rather than bright white.
- Neutrals
- Olive, khaki, deep teal, chocolate and charcoal.
- Watch
- Pastel pink and lavender can make olive skin look sallow; clear warm colors usually do more.
Undertone is separate from depth: a fair person and a deep person can share the same reading. If the quiz and the photo disagree, trust the quiz answers for metals and whites, then check the result against clothes you already own.