Undertone nightmare

[RosaLo]

I have tried every single method out there to try to find my undertone - even asking for help at the store and other places - but there is never a consensus... any recommendations on how to figure this out? I am still on the look for my perfect foundation, but I feel that missing this info makes it even harder.  Thanks for your help! ❤️

[KatM87]

This might sound silly, but do you find there are certain colours that look great on you and you gravitate towards because you always look radiant and beautiful? I have pink undertones, and I love wearing blush colours, blues, and purples. If I try to wear yellow or orange I look jaundiced and sickly, and that is how I realized I have a cool undertone and not warm one. I have friends who can certainly wear both and they tend to be more neutral!

[RosaLo]

thank you!!! all input is helpful! 

[k617]

@RosaLo It takes a lot of trial and error.

Most people assume that Asian skin = warm yellow undertone. What I've found is that yes, I do have a slight warmness to my skin but my undertone is actually olive.

Cool/neutral foundations were no good for me, that was obvious. But I found that no matter how dark or light, warm yellow foundations were still making my face look orange compared to my neck.

In natural light, especially when I used to wear warm, yellow undertone foundations, my neck (no foundation) is GREEN by comparison. Finally after some research into olive foundations and lots of trial and error, I've found that olive undertone foundations match me best, which confirms my suspicion that I have a warm olive undertone (and not golden yellow like most people assume Asians have).

Yes, you can be pale and have olive undertones. The issue with the makeup industry is they usually associate "cool" with pink, "warm" with yellow/golden yellow, neutral a balance of both. Olive foundations are usually aimed at people with dark olive skin (Urban Decay used to specify olive as a medium-dark skin with green undertones)

Nowadays, I no longer wear foundation, I stopped partially because of the matching issue. I had lots of pale olive foundations from when I matched myself in the winter, but didn't want the hassle of finding a new one every time I got a little darker.

Here's a great article which led me to suspect I'm probably olive (I sent photos to the original author and she also confirmed this). It's targeted towards Asian skin, but I've passed this article along to a few people who weren't Asian and they also found out they were olive-skinned.

musicalhouses.blogspot.ca/2010/01/undertones-for-asians-how-to-tell-if.html

If you suspect you are olive toned, here are some foundations I'd recommend: Koh Gen Do  Aqua foundation in 213, Bourjois Healthy Mix in 51/52, Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 52/53. These were the best olive toned matches for me when I was pale. Also, using a sheerer product, like tinted moisturizers, can help too. I loved NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, and found the shade Alaska to be a good match, and only made my face very slightly more orange than my neck.

[RosaLo]

@k617 thank you so much for taking the time! I know.. there is the issue of winter/summer foundations and all the in between! thanks again!

[KimandMom]

I was about to say this also. I'm very fair - light skinned depending on the time of the year and I have an impossible time finding a color match. Warm foundations/concealers are way too yellow, cool toned are way too peachy, and neutral ones are too beigey and my skin looks either grey or green in comparison. I definitely have olive skin and didn't realize this is a major factor in undertone and you can be pale as a ghost or have very deep skin or anywhere in between and still be olive. There are a few great posts about this on the Makeup Addiction reddit and that is how I determined this eventually. It also has some helpful guidelines like if you think dark brown liner/mascara looks better on you than black or if you think colors with a grey base are most flattering or if you think bronze looks better on you than gold or silver you probably have an olive undertone

[Anonymous]

Ditto with those Reddit posts. This is a good one too that I thought was very helpful - http://www.thetsarina.com/2014/09/its-not-easy-being-green-or-struggle-of.html

[Madeline7]

I get told a different answer every time.  People have a mix of undertones across their bodies, and you can be flushed, tanned, etc, so they can frequently be misread.  And I know people with neutral-pink undertones that prefer yellow foundations to cover the redness.

I would suggest getting samples of a yellow, a neutral, and a pink foundation.  Try them all and see which you prefer on yourself.