What is the Difference Between Skin Tone and Undertone?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The terms "skin tone" and "undertone" are often used to describe the color of a person's skin, but they have distinct meanings:
- Skin Tone: This refers to the actual color of your skin, which is determined by the amount of melanin (naturally occurring dark brown or black pigments) in the epidermis (the outermost layer of your skin). Skin tones can be classified into four main types: light, fair, medium, and deep (dark).
- Undertone: This refers to the subtle hue underneath the surface of your skin. There are three main types of undertones: warm, cool, and neutral.
- Warm Undertone: If you have hints of yellow, peachy, or golden hues, you have a warm undertone.
- Cool Undertone: If you have hints of pink or blue, you have a cool undertone.
- Neutral Undertone: If your undertone is roughly the same color as your actual skin tone, you have a neutral undertone.
Understanding the difference between skin tone and undertone can help you choose the right foundation shades and flattering colors for clothing, lipstick, hair color, and more. To determine your skin tone, examine your jawline or listen to what your friends say about your complexion. To determine your undertone, you can try various methods, such as looking at your jawline, checking your veins, or comparing your skin to white and black objects. Once you have identified your skin tone and undertone, you can use this information to make more informed decisions about makeup and fashion choices.
Comparative Table: Skin Tone vs Undertone
Here is a table comparing skin tone and undertone:
Feature | Skin Tone | Undertone |
---|---|---|
Definition | The actual color of the skin, determined by the amount of melanin (naturally occurring dark brown or black pigments in the skin). | The subtle hue underneath the surface of the skin, with three main categories: warm, cool, and neutral. |
Categories | Varies depending on the amount of melanin in the skin, ranging from light to dark shades. | Warm: Hints of yellow, peachy, or golden hues. Cool: Hints of pink or blue. Neutral: A mix of warm and cool undertones, often with olive or ashy/gray tones. |
Determination | Skin tone is determined by genetics but can change to some extent due to external factors, such as sun exposure. | Undertone is a fixed characteristic that doesn't change, regardless of external factors. |
Application | Understanding skin tone helps in choosing the right makeup, hair color, and clothing color. | Figuring out your skin tone and undertone combination can improve your makeup game and help you select the best base makeup shades (foundation, concealer, etc.). |
Remember that skin tone and undertone are two different aspects of skin color, and understanding both can help you make better choices when it comes to cosmetics, hair color, and clothing colors.
- Overtone vs Undertone
- Mood vs Tone
- Black vs White Skin
- Hue vs Tint
- Tint vs Shade
- Pitch vs Tone
- Bronzer vs Contour
- Hue vs Color
- Epidermis vs Dermis
- Undershirt vs T-shirt
- Hue vs Saturation
- Balayage vs Ombre
- Pigment vs Dye
- Lean vs Toned
- Bronzer vs Highlighter
- Toner vs Exfoliator
- Integument vs Testa
- Overtone vs Harmonic
- Color vs Dye