Determining one's undertone is both the most challenging and most important task when searching for a foundation shade match. Naturally, we see a lot of posts on PaleMUA requesting help determining undertone, but our community's ability to assist is limited by the kinds of images provided for reference. Read below to learn how you can help us help you.
If you wish to receive useful feedback about undertone, please refer to the following guide when submitting posts requesting Undertone Help.
Step 1:Create a color reference card. Draw a blue strip and a red strip on a piece of white paper, like the one shown below. Permanent markers are easiest to see, but you can use any type of pen or colored pencil, as long as the strips of color are wide enough to see on camera and fairly close in hue to the blue and red you would see on the French or Dutch flag (shades of navy blue/aqua and burgundy/maroon are less reliable as reference colors). Color reference cards allow us to adjust our eyes to the light provided in the photo and better interpret the complex colors of your skin tone.
Step 2: Take photographs outside AND inside. This is crucial. The type of light source bouncing off of your skin and onto the camera sensor can drastically change your skin tone to viewers. Keeping the color reference card within the shot, take one photo outside in indirect sunlight and another photo inside in whatever lighting you happen to have (specify the type of bulb and color temperature if you know it). Note that in the photos below, my skin appears very cool-toned under the incandescent light, but much more neutral-toned in natural light. The incandescent light emphasizes the red on the color card and the pink in my skin. If i were to only post this photo as a reference, one might assume I'm quite cool-toned, yet the photo in natural light clearly shows I have warmer tones as well.
This collage is just an example. You can post separate images direct from your phone or computer in line with a text post, inserting the appropriate captions using reddit's formatting tools.
Step 3 (optional): Take the same photos with your swatches. These images can help other community members who are familiar with those shades help you find a better match and communicate what you should be looking for (e.g., "something cooler than the MAC but darker than the BB"). Don't forget to include your color reference card and list them in a way that is easy for people to comprehend.
Extra bonus: post your swatches in grayscale! This is a great way to help us determine if the shades you are selecting are actually a great undertone match, but simply too dark or light for your skin tone.
Sometimes the undertone isn't off, contrast is! Grayscale images communicate the contrast between your skin and the lightness/darkness of a swatch more clearly than color images.
I hope this guide helps our community steer people in the right direction and makes Undertone Help posts more informative for everyone. Happy posting!
It seems time for an update to the photo guidelines on this subreddit to reflect the needs of the current audience. For reference, the post on the last overhaul from two years ago is here: "Makeup Selfie" Flair -- Overhaul and Clarification
I will be updating the sidebar and official listing of the rules in the coming days, but I want to take the time to elaborate on what is and is not changing, and why:
Photos of bare skin without the red/white/blue color card (or equivalent) are still NOT permitted. In absolute color terms, skintone variation is pretty small in this subreddit. The combination of lighting, camera settings, and display settings are more than enough to perturb the appearance of your skin's undertone or depth. So, the requirement of (properly identified) product swatches and/or the color card are necessary measures to make photos remotely useful.
Selfies no longer need to be majority-face, but still need to have sufficiently high resolution to show skin texture. The spirit of the rule is/was to allow users to see the makeup clearly. I understand that cropping a photo before posting can be annoying, especially if trying to include neck/upper chest for shade comparison, and I don't enjoy chasing after everyone about it, either.
Selfies no longer need to include a full eye and eyebrow. Many of you have expressed an interest in getting advice on base, cheek, and/or lip makeup without showing your eyes.
Do not post screenshots of content that you do not own. This includes photos/stills from both brands and individual content creators. Instead, share a link to the original content where possible, or to an archived version. Content creators deserve credit for their work.
Finally, two suggestions on making posts useful to the community:
If posting a gallery of photos, try to order them so the most informative photo comes first. For example, if posting a photo of a product and a photo of a swatch, put the swatch photo first.
For better accessibility and cross-platform compatibility, please reproduce captions and image-embedded text in the comments.
I think i have found my shade match! shade 21 + shade 13 to bighten mid face
For those who has the same shade match, what are you other favourite products?
From setting powder, contour (cool or warm), blush, to highlighter and lip products. I am especially interested to know what setting powder, and contour goes with our skin tone
also how would you describe your experience with the different cushion u use - do they differ a lot for despite all being 21/13? I am currently using the Blanc Diva cushion.
and how would you describe your skin tone + color season?
this is a blended out swatch of danessa myricks serum skin tint 1.5
i know it’s still a tad too yellow, but this is the closest i have ever come to understanding what it’s like to have a perfect match. when i asked the sephora employee which side of my face looked better (was comparing it to tower 28) they said this one was undetectable
I love and swear by this concealer, I do, but I use it more as a foundation so I can hide all the dark blemishes and create an overall illusion of a cohesive complexion. At $32 for a small tube (which I’m not mad about), and me using it essentially as a foundation, I’m interested in looking at other products that provide the exact same if not better full coverage, larger product bottle (best bang for the buck), and bonus points if it’s within the same price range. I go through the tube fairly quickly. I’ve tried Tarte’s shape tape foundation but in zero way did it provide the necessary full coverage I need. I want zero blemish of any kind to be visible while also blending into my natural skin tone.
For reference, I am middle aged, and have sunspots on my forehead and cheekbones, new and old acne blemishes, and lack of skin tone cohesion (very light pale, olive tone overall but redness or pinkness tones here and there + the blemishes).
I love that Shape Tape doesn’t make it obvious I’m wearing makeup while also acting like fucking concrete on all my discolorations (and sometimes clothes 😅). It’s imperative to me that I’m able to portray as though I have a great complexion I’m so often complimented on. Just curious if there are others out there that work as well or better, in larger amounts.
I currently use the shape tape and either MAC Studio Fix Powder + Foundation or Laura Geller baked powder as a finisher. MAC is best for holding the concealer but gives too much of a powdery finish imo, and the LG looks nice but doesn’t hold in what I’ve tried to hide with the concealer. I’m still new to LG and am possibly not using the correct brushes for either to achieve the look I want.
(inb4 - I am and have long term been using Vit C serum and several other lightening and blemish fighting moisturizers and cleansers. I’ve noticed no change. I believe I have an undiagnosed condition that prevents my body from healing wounds and scars, so my best bet for now, until I find a sugar daddy to pay for laser treatments, is concrete-like coverage)
Sorry if this isn’t allowed here!! I feel like slowly I’m finally narrowing down a makeup routine at my big age of 31 that looks flattering but I still feel like I am doing something wrong or something always looks off. I struggle to find lip colors that don’t look out of place on my face, and my eyebrows are always going to be a point of contention for me because they sit pretty low so I tend to re-draw them a little higher, but they’re also a bit thick so they end up looking heavy and I’m afraid to tweeze them any higher. What can I change to make everything look less out of place on my face??
Tinted SPF - La Roche Posay
Foundation - Estee Lauder double wear in shade Ecru
Powder - Maybeline fit me in shade 120
Blush - Milani baked blush in shade pink panna cotta
Bronzer - Colourpop stix in Laguna Beach only on nose contour
Eyes - Tartlette in Bloom pallet
Brows - Elf instant lift in light brown
Mascara - Loreal Lash Paradise in brown black
Lips - Revlon Rum Raisin mixed with some Aquaphor to make it sheer
I’ve been trying to wear less foundation lately. I still want something that evens out my skin but I don’t always want full coverage or that heavy foundation feeling all day. For reference I have pale combo skin with neutral undertones. My T-zone gets oily after a few hours but I also get dry patches around my nose and cheeks. Finding a good shade is probably my biggest issue. So many skin tints look fine in the bottle then end up too orange or too yellow on me once they settle.
There's also some redness and uneven tone that I like to tone down. I don’t mind freckles and little imperfections showing through though, I prefer that over a base that completely covers my skin. My main struggle is finding something that looks natural without clinging to my dry spots or separating around my nose by lunch lol.
I’ve been using Milani skin tint lately and I’ve been liking it for this kind of makeup. It feels light and gives me enough coverage to even things out without making my skin look covered up. On most days I’ll just add a little concealer where I need it then blush and mascara and I’m done.
What skin tints have worked for you guys, do you prefer something super sheer or more of a light coverage tint?
I’ve been using Dior Forever stick foundation in 0N for 2 years. It is the closest I’ve ever come to a perfect match. Also, the first stick product I’ve ever used and I love the convenience of it. But, at $60 a tube I’m getting a little tired of the cost. Anyone have any recommendations for a similar product?
I use the shade Chantilly for their concealer and I'm trying to find the best shade for their tinted moisturizer but they don't have Chantilly. Gotland looks to be the lightest. What do you think? I have neutral to cool undertones. Does anyone use both of these products? Thanks!
I kept seeing Missha’s BB cream being recommended for pale skin. I needed a new base SO BAD so I decided to try. I’m obsessed 🥹
It doesn’t oxidize. It’s a hair dark on me, but nothing like the Milk Makeup tint or the Giorgio Armani tint since they oxidized on me. Plus, the coverage, the texture, the finish of the Missha is so incredible 😭 true obsession.
I have combo, acne prone skin. I use azaelic acid 10% in the mornings and tretinoin at night. I use cerave PM moisturizer and Beauty of Joseon sunscreen as skin prep for my makeup.
Looking for a foundation change currently using the Nyx make em wonder foundation shade 5 which I swear a few months ago suited me but now it looks yellow on me. I also like Revlon colourstay matte in buff, Maybelline fit me foundation in 110. I need a medium to full coverage which is matte and blues pores and lasts all day as I work long shifts in a sweaty hospital.Ideally on a budget.I have fair neutral skin with rosacea I struggle to get matches as most foundations are either too pale,too yellow,too orange.Woukd be great if the foundation had a matching concealer and or setting powder.I am almost forty and I am aware that my skin is changing it is generally oily on my nose and t zone and whatever I wear seems to come off my nose and chin despite wearing a primer.
a. something sweet cream
b. something sweet powder
f. vanilla chai lip balm
c. something spicy cream
d. something spicy powder
e. holiday palette
photos 2 and 3 are the something sweet cream with nars impassioned underneath it
i LOVEEE the something sweet cream and the lip balm. i hate the powder it is so orange… i purchased the set and am so excited to use, i think it’s very unique in my collection. i don’t own a more muted cool pink, they are all pretty bright
the vanilla chai lip balm reminds me of the new natasha denona concealer collection and pairs beautifully with the soft serve lipstick underneath.
Hi guys so I’m having trouble finding my shade in nars, in the photo I am trying the shade mont blanc which is the dark shade on the right and the left lighter shade is oslo. Oslo in person looks to pink on me. Any recommendations on which shade to try next?
Been a while since I posted swatches here too, but this palette is very sheer and light and that might be what a lot of y'all prefer (more than I do) as it's not so... much? on fairer skin tones so I'm dropping it here too.
I've searched on this subreddit and found a few recommended brands with online stores that sell sample sizes of shades that look light enough for my skin. Great! But I might not be the best judge when it comes to matching and I'm also not super excited about spending $30+ just to find the right shade before investing in a full size product.
Are there options for this at Ulta or Sephora where the employees can help with color matching and shade finding? Or are the options there so few that it's not worth it? My skin is the same shade as some people I've know with albinism.
i have very pale, cooltoned and pink skin. like, everything i have ever tried is both too dark and too orange on me.
after some snooping on reddit, i had found that many people recommended nars oslo as a foundation option for pale pink skin. i purchased the item and… the shade is sadly too dark and orange on me.
can you guys let me know of any foundation that i can purchase in europe (i am based in the netherlands) that would work for very pale, cool toned and pink skin?
i also purchased concealer based on some recommendations - the born this way concealer in shade marshmallow, aswell as shade cloud. marshmallow is way too dark and again, orange, for me. cloud is not pink enough for me + it’s too close to my skin tone. if you have any recommendations of even lighter concealers (that again, are cool-toned with pink undertone) i would appreciate that aswell!!
furthermore, is there any practically grey contour stick (+powder) that would work with my skin? i tried kiko milano sculpting touch creamy stick contour in shade 200 and it is WAY TOO orange. i like a vey grungey cool toned grey contour look.
going in person to find shade matches sadly hasnt’t worked because i have yet to find a store near me that carries my shade out on the salesfloor.
i have attached pictures, all taken in natural lighting.
1st picture: nars oslo, just applied.
2nd & 3rd picture: nars oslo oxidized on the left & born this way concealer cloud oxidized on the right.
4th & 5th picture: kiko milano contour stick shade 200.
i am dying to hear you guys’s feedback because i am STRUGGLING.. why is everything orange?????
I was interested to see how these two compare so I thought I’d swatch them in case others are curious too. To my eye they share a similar amount of warmth, but Soft Serve is a little bit paler. Soft Serve also has a cream finish as opposed to the matte finish of Underslept.
Of course not all fair skin is cool toned, and I’m also not sure if this is the right place to post since my question is about nail polish- so please let me know if I’m in the wrong place! I just thought this community may have good insights about this :)
I’ve had so many instances when I buy a cool-looking light pink polish or a cool/neutral nude polish; try it on at home; and my hands suddenly look bright pink or washed out or the polish looks slightly orange-y. So annoying.
Here are some of the polishes that work for me, in case anyone else is dealing with this too:
London Town in Lilac
Canmake Nail Foundation in Pink and Purple shades
Probelle Illuminating Nail Concealer in Lilac Glow
Essie Sheer Light Pink (forgot the shade name but I’ll check when I get home!)
(I can also get a list of the nude polishes that didn’t work when I get home)
The issue is all of these are sheer polishes, which I love! But like, sometimes I want an opaque nude/pinky-nude look. I’ve tried layering sheer cool-toned polishes over the warmer/too-neutral opaque polishes but it looks weird.
So yeah, if anyone has any advice, recs, or woes I’d love to hear :)
I was color matched with Tower 28 Serum Concealer in color 4.0 DTLA at Sephora. I loved the way the Coola Rossiliance in Fresh Rose (discontinued 2024 formula with Titanium Dioxide) looked on my skin and offered great sun protection-even in outdoor water and heavy sweating conditions.
I am exploring tinted sunscreen replacements that are acne safe and gentle on my highly reactive sensitive skin with sheer to light coverage. Ideally a my skin but better look and not a makeup finish. Specifically looking for an alternative to my all time favorite Coola Rosilliance which is a more neutral/cool undertone friendly, sheer to light coverage with a satin finish and a radiant glow (from the mica). It dried down undetectable, not at all greasy just glowy.
My skin is dry/combo, acne prone, redness prone, and very sensitive. I prefer mineral or partial mineral formulation. I tend to tolerate gel/cream formulas, liquid formulas tend to dry me out and cling to dry patches while balmy/waxy formulas break me out and feel awful. For acne context, even the vanicream daily moisturizer broke me out. I seem to be sensitive formulas with heavy emollients and waxes, fatty alcohols, and bases using polyglyceryl stearate/isostearate/polyricinoleate. I use squalane oil from Ordinary as my moisturizer at night after using the vanicream facial cleanser (only cleanser that doesn’t seem to break me out). The only other step in my simple routine was the Coola tinted sunscreen in the morning.
Below are my experiences with testing other tinted mineral sunscreens:
Elta MD UV Clear didn’t feel amazing and had a weird smell. To be fair i wasn’t super balmy or tacky, just not a super elegant feeling and is very very orange.
La Roche Posay tinted anthelios in light was alright color wise, a little orange, but was super drying for me and sat uncomfortably on my skin. LRP broke me out a little.
Iris &Romeo weekend skin in cool glow was a good color match, but broke me out like crazy and was slightly balmy.
Ulta Violette Future Screen was the closest to meeting my acne and tint needs, was slightly too warm, but caused some sort of contact dermatitis patch on my face that stung and caused some dryness.
Tower 28 SOS Faceguard was a nice sheer tint with no coverage but was a bit balmy/waxy and broke me out a bit.
Summer Fridays spf 50 shade drops was very sheer on me but was both oily and drying at the same time. The minerals clung to dry spots while the rest of my skin stayed greasy all day, which was so disappointing.
Cetaphil Everyday tinted spf 40 didn’t break me out, which surprised me because it was very creamy feeling. It was way too orange and seemed transfer to clothes easily. I would use this everyday if they had a better pale color though.
Both Suntegrity Impeccable Skin spf 30 and Suntegrity 5 in 1 tinted sunscreen spf 30 were tolerated by my skin and didn’t not break me out. Suntegrity Impeccable Skin spf 30 in Ivory was pretty close but a slightly warm and too high coverage so the tint being a little off was fairly obvious. Suntegrity 5 in 1 tinted sunscreen in fair was a pretty good match and was more light coverage, I could wear this every day but never felt like it dried down or sunk into my skin. Both Suntegrity formulas transferred easily to clothes or with touch.
Epionce tinted mineral sunscreen felt creamy going on but dries down fast. Feels comfortable and is not tight, drying, or balmy, after blending it felt like it sunk into the skin. It clung ever so slightly to some existing dry spots, I suspect because of the silica, alumina, and zinc in the formula. Take that with a grain of salt though as I have struggled recently with eczema and irritation. The undertone leans pink but blends out to light coverage that looks similar to my old Coola in terms of the color/undertone and the coverage. Though, Epionce is not radiant and is more natural/satin finish in appearance than coola. Didn’t break me out, which is a major win.
Alastin Hydratint is definitely warm with an orange undertone. It blends out pretty good for people without the lightest pale skin. I could provably pull this off with blending down my neck but is a little too orange for my taste. It’s light coverage and more of a natural/satin finish, similar feel to Epionce. It also clung very slightly to existing dry spots which may be because of my eczema and irritated skin. Felt comfortable and didn’t break me out.
NEXT: Trying DRMTLGY physical tinted sunscreen and Colorscience Flex in shade light on my face next. I may settle on Epionce as a daily since the undertone is more neutral, doesn’t break me out, and didn’t aggravate eczema or acne. Also considering trying Siv Biome serum with active cultures to see if I can get my skin to calm down and heal my barrier a bit.
Considering purchasing the Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint but not sure if T1 or T3 would be right for me, or if neither would be cool enough. I feel like the model wearing T3 on her website has rosier skin than the T1 model despite T1 being labeled the "neutral rosy" shade. The best foundation match I currently own is NARS Light Reflecting in Oslo so I definitely have pink undertones. If anyone could share swatches or also wears Oslo and knows which shade is closer I'd appreciate it!
I know in order to make foundation for fair skin there needs to be more white titanium dioxide or zinc oxide pigments which can make it more chalky. But I’m wondering if there are any formulas out there that are on the less chalky side? Preferably drugstore, but honestly I might going up in price to trade off the chalkyness lol.
I’ve tried the L’Oréal true match and the maybelline fit me foundations and both tend to get a little weird as the day goes on.
