Your Undertone Is Where It Starts
Knowing whether your skin has a cool or warm undertone won't give you a full colour palette. But it will change how you shop, how you put outfits together, and how confident you feel about both.
At events, I often do quick undertone checks. It takes a few minutes: a mirror, good light, and a couple of test colours held under your chin. And almost every time, I see the same moment. Someone looks at their reflection and says, "Oh. That's why I never wear that jumper."
That moment is small, but it's the start of something. Here's why.
First, what is an undertone?
Your undertone is the colour that sits underneath the surface of your skin. It doesn't change with a tan, a breakout or a bad night's sleep.
Cool undertones have a pink, rosy or bluish base.
Warm undertones have a golden, peachy or yellow base.
This matters because colours either work with that base or against it. When a colour matches your undertone, your skin looks clearer and your eyes look brighter. When it doesn't, you might notice shadows, redness, a grey or yellow cast, or just looking a bit tired.
It changes how you shop
Most of us shop on instinct, trends or whatever's on the mannequin. Then we get home and the new top just doesn't feel right, and we can't work out why.
Knowing your undertone gives you a simple filter. Instead of every colour in the shop, you're looking at roughly half of them. That makes decisions faster and mistakes less likely, saving you time and money in the long-run.
It also helps with the things people rarely think about:
Neutrals. A camel coat and a grey coat are both "neutral", but they don't flatter the same people.
Metals. Silver or gold jewellery, watches and glasses frames all sit right next to your skin.
Makeup and grooming. Foundation, concealer, tinted balm and brow products are much easier to choose when you know which direction to look in.
You'll still fall in love with things outside your undertone, and that's fine. The difference is that you'll know why something works or doesn't, and you can decide with your eyes open.
It helps you use what you already own
You don't need a new wardrobe to benefit from this. In fact, the best place to start is your own closet.
Once you know your undertone, you can sort your clothes into three rough groups:
Your go-tos. The pieces that always get compliments. Chances are they match your undertone.
The almost-rights. Pieces you like but that don't quite work near your face.
The never-worns. The things you keep meaning to wear but never reach for.
The almost-rights are where small changes make a big difference. A warm-toned jumper can work on a cool-undertoned person if a cool shirt collar sits between it and the skin. A cool grey coat can work on someone warm with a camel scarf. The same goes for trousers, shoes and bags: they're further from your face, so you have much more freedom there.
Suddenly, combining clothes feels less like guesswork.
It gives you clarity
The biggest change I see isn't in people's wardrobes. It's in how they talk about themselves.
"I can't wear colour" often turns out to mean "I've been wearing the wrong colours." "Nothing looks good on me" often means "the things I own are working against my skin." An undertone check doesn't fix everything, but it replaces vague frustration with a reason, and a direction.
That clarity is also good for your wallet and the planet. Fewer impulse buys, fewer returns, and fewer pieces sitting in the back of the wardrobe with the tags still on.
Taking it home with you
An undertone check at an event is quick, so I want you to leave with something practical. There are two options.
The free undertone one-pager. Everyone who has an express check can download this from my website. It explains what your undertone means and gives you the basics to start with.
The digital colour swatch (€4.99). There's one for cool undertones and one for warm. It's the next step if you want something to actually work with. It includes:
A curated set of colours for your undertone, each with its name, so you know what to look for when shopping or searching online.
A large image of each colour, big enough to hold up against clothes in your wardrobe, in a shop, or at the makeup counter.
Practical styling, accessory, makeup and hair tips for your undertone.
Keep it on your phone and you've always got it with you.
How to use your digital swatches
The swatches are a guide, not a strict rulebook. Here's how to get the most out of them.
Open the large colour image that's closest to the item you're looking at.
Hold your phone right next to the fabric or product, ideally in daylight. Shop lighting and evening lamps can make colours look warmer or cooler than they are.
Look for a close match, not a perfect one. The item should be in the same colour family and have the same overall feel: similar depth, similar brightness, and the same warm or cool base. It does not have to be identical to the image.
Check the base. If you're unsure, ask yourself: does this colour lean more towards blue or more towards yellow? That usually tells you whether it belongs to your undertone.
Trust the mirror. If something looks great on you but isn't quite on your swatch, wear it. Your face is the final test.
A note on screens. Every phone, tablet and laptop shows colour slightly differently, and brightness settings change things too. That's another reason to aim for "close" rather than "exact". If you can, turn your screen brightness up and switch off any night or blue-light mode before comparing.
The names of the colours are useful too. Searching online for "raspberry" or "teal" instead of just "red" or "blue" gets you much closer to what you're after.
Where it goes from here
I'll be honest: your undertone is step one of a bigger one picture. How light or deep your colouring is, and how much contrast there is between your hair, skin and eyes, also shape which colours suit you best. That's why two people with cool undertones can look completely different in black.
So if some colours on your swatch feel perfect and others feel a little too strong or too soft, that's normal. A full colour analysis takes all of this into account and narrows your palette down to the shades that really are yours and a colour palette season.
But you don't need to start there. An undertone check is a simple, low-pressure first step, and it already points you in a new direction.
Had your undertone checked at one of my events? Download your free one-pager, or grab your cool or warm digital swatch for €4.99. And if you're ready for the full picture, I'd love to see you for a full colour analysis.