Whether you’re the kind of gal to stay up late watching IG eyeshadow tutorials or wake up early to perfect your go-to look each morning, we can *all* agree that makeup is art! And, just like the best artists, we need to know a ~teensy~ bit of color theory to understand which colors work best on our canvas.

A big part of that is knowing our skin’s undertones, or the naturally-occurring colors within our skin. Glamor smocks on, ladies, let’s think more about color. Imagine a canvas painted blue. Now, imagine if the canvas is painted pink, then blue. Or yellow, then blue. All of these canvases still end up blue, but a wonderfully unique shade! That’s what your undertone does for your skin. It’s the base color for your beauty.

And, just to keep things straight, let’s note that undertones are not the same as skin tones (i.e. fair, medium, olive, dark). Your skin tone can change throughout the year depending on a variety of factors, like sun exposure, weather, or age. Your skin’s undertones remain the same.

By discovering your undertone, you can more easily match foundations, concealers, or BB creams (choose your fighter) to your natural skin color. Get ready for this PÜR genius guide on how to determine your undertone and highlight your special ~je ne sais quoi.~

Types of Undertones

There are three main types of undertones: warm, cool, and neutral.

Warm: Think #Golden by Harry Styles vibes. Golds, yellows, and even peach are common in this undertone.

Cool: Pinks, reds, and blues give cool undertone skin a romantic glow.

Neutral: Best of both worlds, baby! You’ve got warm and cool colors shining through.

Four Ways to Determine Your Undertone

Ready to take a look in the mirror? Get ready for a true #tagyourself adventure.

White or Off-White?

We love a SYTTD binge, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, some people *love* the way they look in white, while some opt for an off-white option.

So try it out for yourself! In natural light, hold a bright white tee (or piece of paper) to your face. If your skin seems more rosy in comparison, you have cool undertones. If it seems more yellow, you’re warm.

People with warm undertones tend to prefer cream/off-white clothing to pure white. If you feel like you can rock both, you have neutral undertones!

Get Some Sun

The way your skin reacts to the sun is often a tell-tale indicator of your undertone.

Do you burn easily? Cool. You’re cool. Also, check out our Sun Protection line for everyday wear.

Do you tan easily? You’re warm, you little sun goddess, you. Try out our See No More Deep Pore Cleanser to help bring out that natural sun-kissed glow.

If you burn *then* tan, you’re neutral. You often find yourself saying, “It’ll fade in.”

Vein Check

A great way to determine your undertone, and most likely the next Tik Tok trend.

If your veins appear to be blue, you have cool undertones, while green veins point towards warm tones. If you’ve got both, you’re most likely in the neutral category.

Get Glitzed Out

You don’t have to jump ~through~ hoops to find out your undertone, you just have to put some in. If you tend to prefer the way silver jewelry looks on your skin compared to gold, you’re likely to have cool undertones. But if traditional yellow gold is more your vibe, you’re more likely to be warm. If you can wear both, you could be a neutral gal.

*But* this test can be subjective, so it’s best used as supporting evidence to one of the other methods rather than the end-all be-all.

Choosing the Right Foundation for Your Undertone

Knowing your undertone is a big part of finding that perfect shade. And now that you know it, let’s go get you a foundation that helps you love your complexion!

But! Before we do, know this: A good foundation product doesn’t just cover your skin. It helps correct your skin to enhance your natural beauty. Because, trust us, you are ~beauty~ itself. Here are some of our favorite foundation products that honor your natural glow while helping to give you that extra boost of confidence to take on the day.

Love Your Selfie Longwear Foundation and Concealer

Our Love Your Selfie™ Longwear Foundation & Concealer is a paradise for undertone-based shade selection. With 100 vegan-friendly 2-in-2 foundation and concealer shades to choose from, Love Your Selfie will help mask blemishes and discoloration to showcase a natural-looking complexion. Not to mention, we’re in love with how comfy the #nofilter matte finish is on our skin!

4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Powder Foundation with Skincare Ingredients

If you’re anything like us, you want to break free from breakouts. This 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder has been voted “Best Powder Foundation for Acne Prone Skin” by LA Times’ “Bestcovery” column! Its medium, buildable coverage helps achieve smoother-looking skin in 26 undertone-based shades. Plus, the skincare-infused formula helps reduce the appearance of dark circles, redness, fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone.

4-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20

For a lighter look, check out this 4-in-1 SPF 20 Tinted Moisturizer that does way more than meets the eye. Acting as a moisturizer, primer, foundation and SPF, this tinted moisturizer enhances your complexion and helps renew the appearance of skin with proven correctives like our Retinol-powered Ceretin Complex. Talk about blurring the line between skincare and makeup, not to mention your skin, for a dewy, supple-looking glow. These 16 skin-loving shades pair well with those natural hair, tote bag-carrying, mascara-only kind of days.

Are you ready to find your perfect match?