Warm vs cool undertone on Indian skin: how to tell at home

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. On Indian skin, undertone is often hard to see by eye because depth hides it. That is why we use three tests, not one. 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 each result means

Warm means a golden, peach or olive-golden base. Cool means a pink, rosy or blue-red base. Neutral means a balance of both, and you can wear colours from either side. Do not worry if you land in the middle. Neutral is common, and it gives you the most choice.

• Warm: rust, olive, terracotta, mustard, camel, warm teal, cream. Gold looks best.
• Cool: navy, cobalt, burgundy, emerald, raspberry, crisp white. Silver looks best.
• Neutral: teal, wine, forest green, charcoal. Both gold and silver work.

Common mix-ups on Indian skin

A few things confuse the result. Tan can make cool skin look golden in summer. Redness around the nose or cheeks can make warm skin look pink. Yellow bulbs add warmth and blue-white LEDs add coolness, so test near a window. If your results change by season, test on a cloudy day to keep it fair.

• Test with no make-up, no foundation and no filter.
• Use a plain white or cream cloth, not a patterned one.
• Ask a friend to compare the two cloths. A second pair of eyes helps.
• If two tests say warm and one says neutral, call it warm.

Three outfits that work across undertones

If you are unsure, start with colours that work for warm, cool and neutral. Teal, wine and forest green are safe starting points on most Indian skin depths. Prices are rough rupee ranges.

• Once you know your side, swap in the matching colours.

Questions

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