What is a warm undertone?
Your undertone is the color under your skin. It is not the same as how light or dark your skin is. Very light skin can be warm. Very dark skin can be warm too.
Warm skin looks golden, yellow, peach or olive.
You are probably warm if:
- cream looks better on you than pure white,
- gold jewelry looks better on you than silver,
- you tan easily and do not burn fast.
One sign is not enough. Check all three in daylight with no makeup.
Warm and cool colors, side by side
| Color | Warm kind | Cool kind |
|---|---|---|
| White | Cream, ivory | Pure white |
| Red | Tomato, brick, rust | Burgundy, cherry |
| Pink | Coral, salmon, peach | Rose, hot pink |
| Green | Olive, moss, khaki | Emerald, mint |
| Blue | Teal, warm navy | Bright blue, very pale blue |
| Brown and gray | Camel, chocolate, warm taupe | Dark gray, slate |
Look at the table. Every color has a warm kind and a cool kind. So the question is not "Can I wear red?" The question is "Which red?"
Colors to build your wardrobe on
- Plain colors. Cream, camel, olive, chocolate brown and a navy that looks a little green. Use these where other people use black, white and gray.
- Bright colors. Rust, mustard, terracotta, coral, teal and warm red.
- Metals. Gold, brass and copper for jewelry, belts and watches.
Colors to wear with care
Very pale pastels, blue-pinks, pure white and plain black can make warm skin look tired when they sit right under your face. You do not have to stop wearing them.
- Wear them below the waist, as pants, a skirt or shoes.
- Put a warm color near your face. A camel scarf over a black coat works. So does a cream T-shirt under a gray sweater.
- Pick the softer kind. Off-white is easier than pure white. Soft black is easier than deep black.
Soft or bright?
Two people with warm skin can suit different colors.
If your hair, skin and eyes are close in color, soft warm colors suit you. Try sage, camel and soft coral.
If your hair is much darker than your skin, bright warm colors suit you. Try tomato red, deep teal and bright mustard.
The test is the same for everyone. Hold the color under your chin in daylight and look at your face. Our guide on finding the colors that suit you shows how to do it with your own clothes.
Let an app remember it for you
Knowing your colors is one thing. Remembering them at seven in the morning is harder.
Ukti is our app. It checks your undertone from your photos. Then it uses it when it picks your one outfit of the day from your own clothes. So the warm colors end up near your face, and you do not have to think about it.
When Ukti builds outfits in your closet, each one gets a score out of 10 for how well it suits you. One part of that score is "color on you". So you can see if the colors work before you get dressed.
