Best colours for wheatish skin: a guide for women in India

Find your undertone at home in five minutes

Undertone is the quiet colour under your skin. It is not the same as how light or dark you are. Wheatish skin sits between golden beige and light brown, and it comes with warm, cool and neutral undertones. Do the three tests below in daylight, near a window, with no filter and no coloured light. Then trust the answer that shows up twice.

• Vein test. Look at the inside of your wrist. Mostly green veins point to a warm undertone. Mostly blue or purple veins point to a cool one. A mix of both usually means neutral. On deeper skin the veins are harder to see, so skip this test if you cannot tell and lean on the other two.
• White versus cream test. Hold a plain white shirt under your chin, then a cream or ivory one. If cream makes your face look healthier and stark white looks harsh, you lean warm. If crisp white looks clean and cream looks a little yellow or flat, you lean cool. If both look fine, you are likely neutral.
• Jewellery test. Try a gold chain and a silver chain against your neck. If gold makes your skin glow, you lean warm. If silver does the same, you lean cool. If both work, you are neutral, and you get to wear both.

What wheatish skin usually pairs with

Wheatish skin spans warm and cool, so we cannot give you one list. A warm-leaning woman glows in marigold, coral and brick. A cool-leaning woman looks stronger in raspberry, indigo and emerald. What most wheatish skin shares is medium depth, which carries rich jewel tones and warm spices without looking heavy. It also handles a good contrast between your outfit and your skin.

• Warm-leaning: marigold, coral, brick, olive, warm teal, mustard. Gold jewellery will look best.
• Cool-leaning: raspberry, indigo, plum, emerald, cool pink. Silver and oxidised silver will look best.
• Neutral: emerald-teal, wine and deep coral suit both sides, so use them as your starting point.

Colours to buy, and the ones to retire

Buy clear, committed colours with some depth. A kurta in a rich shade does more for you than a pale one, because it sits clearly apart from your skin. Fill in with neutrals that are not too close to your skin tone. Retire shades that match your skin, as they make your face blend into the outfit.

• Buy: emerald, raspberry, brick, marigold, indigo, plum and ivory.
• Upgrade: nude and beige kurtas work better with a bold dupatta or heavy earrings that bring colour near your face.
• Retire: pale lavender, pale lemon and nude-beige as your main colour. They flatten the face.
• Try this: hold the dupatta under your chin in daylight. If your skin looks clearer and your eyes look brighter, it is yours.

Three outfit combinations that work

Three outfits to build from a standard wardrobe. Prices are rough rupee ranges, and the brands deliver across India.

• Put the strongest colour nearest your face and keep the bottom half quiet.
• Match jewellery to undertone: gold for warm, silver for cool, either for neutral.

Questions

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