Undertone Test, Made Easy: Find Your Skin’s True Match

Table of contents:

• Undertone test made easy: find your skin's true match
• Understanding different skin undertones
• A fail-proof undertone test by Subtl Beauty
• Your skin undertone test results
• Common undertone myths debunked
• Matching your concealer shade to your undertone
• Undertone test FAQs
• Got your results? Now build your Stak

Undertone Test, Made Easy: Find Your Skin's True Match

Have you ever tried a skin undertone test? If you've looked one up or fallen down the TikTok undertone rabbit hole, you're probably curious what's actually going on under your skin. An undertone quiz gives you good information, and it's also the fastest route to your Cream Concealer shade.

In the video below, we walk through three quick ways to find your undertone at home.

Read on for our fail-proof undertone test, plus a guide to what undertones actually are.

Skin Undertone Test: Understanding Different Skin Undertones

If you've never taken a skin undertone test and aren't sure of yours, let's start with the basics.

Undertones are the hues beneath your skin's surface that change how colors look on you. It's worth knowing that your skin's undertone is different from its tone (the color of your skin's surface). There are three undertones: warm, cool and neutral.

Even the fairest skin can have warm undertones, and deeper skin can have cool ones. That's why matching a Cream Concealer can feel fiddly. A shade can be the right depth and still sit oddly, because it's fighting the hue just under the surface.

Here's how the three break down:

• Cool undertones have a pink, red or blue cast. If your veins look bluish, or your skin looks better against silver jewelry, you're probably cool.
• Warm undertones have a yellow, golden or peachy cast. Greenish veins and gold jewelry point warm.
• Neutral undertones sit between the two. Your veins aren't clearly blue or green, and both metals look fine on you.

Subtl protip: your preference matters more than what any undertone test tells you. Makeup is supposed to be fun. Wear the thing you like.

A Fail-Proof Skin Undertone Test by Subtl Beauty

Grab a pen and paper, Subtl beauties. Here's the test:

1. How does your skin react to the sun?
   • a) burns easily, then turns red
   • b) tans easily without burning
   • c) burns and tans about equally
2. What color are the veins on your wrist?
   • a) blue or purple
   • b) green or olive
   • c) a mix of blue and green
3. How does your skin look against a white sheet of paper?
   • a) pink or rosy
   • b) yellow or golden
   • c) a bit of both
4. What type of jewelry looks better on you?
   • a) silver
   • b) gold
   • c) both look equally good
5. What colors do you feel most comfortable in?
   • a) cool shades like blue and purple
   • b) warm shades like yellow and orange
   • c) neutral shades like beige and taupe
6. Which makeup base suits you better?
   • a) a pink or blue base
   • b) a yellow or golden base
   • c) both work
7. How would you describe your natural skin tone?
   • a) fair with a rosy or pink cast
   • b) medium with a golden or olive cast
   • c) tan with a balanced mix of pink and yellow
8. When you use self-tanner, what shade do you end up with?
   • a) pink or red
   • b) golden or bronze
   • c) a mix of both
9. What does your skin look like in natural light?
   • a) it has a pink or bluish tint
   • b) it has a yellow or golden tint
   • c) it reads neutral, without a strong pink or yellow cast

Skin Undertone Test Results

• Mostly A's: you're likely cool. Your skin has hints of pink, red or blue.
• Mostly B's: you're likely warm. Your skin has yellow, golden or peach hues.
• Mostly C's: you're likely neutral. You've got both cool and warm in there.

Subtl protip: take the test in natural light, with no makeup on, for the most accurate read.

Skin Undertone Test: Common Undertone Myths Debunked

There are a lot of undertone myths out there. Here are three worth clearing up:

1. Myth: "if you tan easily, your skin must be warm." Fact: tanning ability doesn't determine undertone. It's about the hue underneath, not how your skin reacts to sun.
2. Myth: "undertone and skin tone are the same thing." Fact: undertone is the hue beneath the surface. Skin tone is the surface color.
3. Myth: "your undertone can change." Fact: your undertone stays put for life. Your skin tone shifts with sun exposure and other factors.

Undertone Test: Matching Your Cream Concealer Shade

Here's the part most shade guides make harder than it needs to be. You don't have to decode product names, because our shade codes already tell you the undertone.

Every Subtl Cream Concealer shade ends in a letter:

• C is cool. 001C, 002C, 005C, 009C, 012C, 015C, 020C
• N is neutral. 003N, 004N, 007N, 014N, 019N, 021N
• W is warm. 006W, 008W, 010W, 013W, 016W, 017W

The number in front is depth, running light to deep. So 002C is a fair cool shade, 004N is a light neutral, and 010W is a medium warm one.

Once you know your undertone from the test above, you're looking for the letter. Then pick your depth.

Subtl protip: still torn between two shades? Take our beauty quiz. It's quick, and it accounts for what you're wearing now.

Undertone Test FAQs

How do I know if I have a cool, warm or neutral undertone?

Check three things: your veins, your jewelry, and your skin against white paper. Bluish veins and silver jewelry point cool. Greenish veins and gold jewelry point warm. If neither is obvious and both metals suit you, you are likely neutral. The nine-question test on this page walks through the rest.

What is the difference between skin tone and undertone?

Skin tone is the color of your skin's surface. Undertone is the hue sitting underneath it. The two move independently, which is why two people with the same depth of skin can need different shades.

Can my skin undertone change over time?

No. Your undertone stays the same for life. Your skin tone shifts with sun exposure and other factors, but the hue underneath does not.

Does tanning easily mean I have a warm undertone?

No. Tanning ability does not determine undertone. Undertone is about the hue beneath your skin's surface, not how your skin reacts to the sun.

What do the letters in Subtl Beauty concealer shade codes mean?

The letter at the end of every shade code is the undertone. C is cool, N is neutral, W is warm. The number in front is depth, running light to deep. So 002C is a fair cool shade and 010W is a medium warm one.

What should I do if I am between two concealer shades?

Take the Subtl Beauty quiz. It accounts for the shades you already wear and narrows the choice down for you.

Got Your Undertone Test Results? Now Build Your Stak

With your undertone sorted, the rest of the Stak follows. Pick your Cream Concealer shade and we can build the rest around it, or customize your own Stak from there. Prefer something ready to go? The premade Staks are already matched.

Here's the story of Subtl Beauty from Rachel Reid, our founder and CEO:

@subtlbeauty We shipped 4k orders that year! #storytime #simplemakeup #getreadywithme original sound - Subtl Beauty

What Subtl customers say:

"I was always incredibly overwhelmed by makeup options and how to use it. Subtl was the first brand that provided me with a quiz so I could create the perfect stak for me. Not only did it make choosing my makeup so easy, but it also came with info on where each product went, which was amazing for a beginner."

"I've loved your products since the pink stak & now that the upgraded stak is out, I've loved them even more! I love that it's portable and compact, which makes it a great use especially when traveling. It's the makeup product I reach for when I know I'm going to be putting on makeup in the car. It's mess-free and definitely hassle-free! I could go on and on about how I love Subtl. I will forever repurchase!"

"The new stak is such an upgrade! The cream concealer is hands down the best I've tried (no creasing or caking on my dry under eyes and it lasts all day) and hibiscus highway lip and cheek tint is the shade I never knew I needed. Even the highlighter makeup has been improved, and I wear it every day now. I really believe in this company, I respect their mission and how they listen to their customers and continue to improve. Subtl fan for life here!"