How To Find Your Undertone (It Makes Makeup Shopping So Much Easier)

If ever you’ve shopped for foundation, you’ve likely been confounded by the poetic names — is your skin most like “bisque” or “sunset” or “amber” — and only wind up more confused than when you started. Never fear, because this one is for you. Shopping for foundation can be likened to bra shopping — there are two important factors, which, together, make your match: your pigmentation (how light or dark the color of your skin is), and your undertone. While your pigmentation may change (I’m downright pasty in the winter months and ever-so-slightly darker in the summer), your undertone never does.

Knowing your skin’s undertone doesn’t just make finding the perfect foundation easier, it can also be useful for figuring out your ideal shade of lipstick, blush, nail polish … you get the picture.

With a bit of knowledge and some tips and tricks, you’ll be able to figure out your own undertone easil. I spoke with Derek Selby, Global Ambassador for color cosmetics brand Cover FX. He was an easy choice to turn to for expert advice, as their entire system is based on combining undertone and depth of color.

Read on to discover your undertone and make makeup shopping that much easier.