Trying to find your perfect lipstick shade can feel like a full-time job. It can be so frustrating to get a lipstick home, excited to put it on only to find it looks nothing like you thought it would. The exact same lipstick can look completely different for each person. This comes down to knowing your undertones. 

Just like with paint, when you mix lipstick shades they all start with a base undertone. Figuring out which one works best for you will help guide you toward the lipstick shades that compliment your complexion the best.

The Difference Between Skin Tone and Undertone

Skin tone and undertone are two different aspects of a person's complexion, and understanding both is important when choosing makeup, clothing, or hair color that complements your natural features.

Skin Tone: Skin tone refers to the surface color of your skin:

• Fair
• Medium
• Deep

Undertone: Undertone is the subtle hue that is underneath the surface of your skin:

• Cool undertones: These have hints of pink, blue, or purple.
• Warm undertones: These have hints of yellow, peach, or golden.
• Neutral undertones: These don't lean strongly in either the cool or warm direction and may have a mix of both. 

How To Determine Your Undertone

An easy way to determine your skin's undertone is by looking at the veins on your wrist.

• Look at the veins on the underside of your wrist or the back of your hand in natural light.
• If your veins appear bluish or purple, you likely have cool undertones.
• If your veins appear greenish, you likely have warm undertones.
• If it's difficult to tell whether they are more blue or green, you may have neutral undertones.

• Warm Undertones: If you have an olive, golden, or yellow undertone to your skin you should be choosing warm shades. Go for Fiery Reds, Oranges, Peachy Nudes, and Terracotta Brown lipstick shades.
• Olive Undertones: Wine Red, Deep Pinks, Corals, and Dusty Browns are gorgeous.   
• Cool Undertones: If you have pink, red, or a blueish tone to your skin. For lighter complexions stay away from shades with an orange base. Go for colors formulated with a blue or purple undertone. Deep plums, Rosy pinks, beige nudes, a blue-based red and pale pink lipsticks are all great choices. When looking for a nude lipstick light pinks and neutral mauves will compliment your skin tone the best.
• Neutral Undertones: A balance of warm and cool. The word is your oyster, you can wear a variety of lipstick shades. Great lipsticks for neutral undertones are Rosy mauves, nude browns, dusty pinks, and light browns are all great choices.