Skin tone versus skin undertone - What is the difference between the two?
Understanding the colours in your skin—both the shade you see and the undertone beneath—can completely transform how your makeup looks. Once you know the difference between skintone and undertone, choosing products that truly suit you becomes far easier and far more accurate.
Intro
Understanding the distinction between skintone and skin undertone is essential for anyone interested in makeup, skincare, or personal colour analysis. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they represent two completely different characteristics of your complexion.
What exacty do they mean?
Skintone refers to the visible colour of your skin’s surface. It is the shade you can observe immediately and is influenced by external factors such as sun exposure, tanning, lifestyle, or pigmentation changes. Skintone typically falls into categories such as fair, light, medium, tan, and deep. Importantly, skintone is not permanent — it can change throughout the year. For example, you may be lighter during winter and slightly deeper during summer. Because of this, the foundation shade you use might need seasonal updates to remain accurate.
Skin undertone, in contrast, is the subtle hue beneath the surface of your skin. It remains constant regardless of sun exposure, weather conditions, or temporary changes. Undertones fall into three main groups: warm, cool, and neutral. Warm undertones show hints of yellow, golden, or peach. Cool undertones reflect pink, red, or blue. Neutral undertones display a balanced mix of both. Identifying your undertone is essential because it determines how makeup colours, clothing, and jewellery look on you.
Pro tip: While your skintone may change with the seasons, your undertone stays the same — and that is the key to consistent colour matches.
Why it matters
Knowing the difference helps you pick foundation, blush, lipstick, and hair colours that harmonise with your natural palette. It also helps when shopping for clothing or accessories — small tonal choices can brighten your face or, conversely, make you look washed out.
Final thoughts
Skintone is the temporary, surface-level hue that can shift with sun and seasons. Undertone is the permanent subtle tint that anchors your colour choices. Use both pieces of information together: choose foundation that matches your skintone for coverage, and pick makeup/colours that flatter your undertone for a naturally radiant look.