How on earth do you work out your undertone?

[user989]

The only guidance I can find is to look at my veins but if I look at my wrist I can see both purple veins and blue/green veins.

I'm completely stumped. Gold and silver both look fine to me. I'm 50 so for a large part of my life silver jewellery was the only fashionable colour to wear so Im used to seeing it against my skin.

Im either an autumn or a winter or maybe a summer. Im not getting very far! Brown hair, green eyes medium contrast.

I wouldn’t get too hung up on trying to put yourself into one of the categories.
I never wear colours I’m not 100% happy with. I’m extremely particular about it. I’m not a stylish person or anything, I just have this weird thing about it.
On paper, I’m definitely a soft autumn but most of the colours that really suit me are in the soft summer palette. Some of the other colours in that palette don’t work at all though.
You need to create your own palette by trying out colours and the ones you look best in, take note. The seasons only point you in the right direction.
If you genuinely can’t tell which look better, maybe it doesn’t matter and you’re just lucky that you can wear a wide range of colours (my dd is like this). I think some people are sort of on the border between soft summer and soft autumn and it can be a waste of time trying to pick between them. Just see what works.
Remember that colours in your palette need to suit your personal style too.
Textures and patterns can be just as important as colour. High contrast tones tend suit shiny, sparkly textures. Low contrast tones tend more towards matte/ velvet/ satin/ rougher textures. Same applies to make up finishes.
Some people who have neutral undertones can wear warm or cool colours and have greater choice. Some only suit neutral colours, which narrows it down a lot.
Remember that you don’t always want to accentuate all aspects of your natural colouring. Some aspects you will want to neutralise or deflect from. For example, if you have rosacea or frequently irritable eyes, cool toned makeup and colours close to your face may work better even if you are warm toned, or if you feel like your teeth are not very white, warm toned lipstick can make this appear worse even if it suits the rest of your complexion.
If you don’t want to have to go down the rabbit hole with it, just get your colours done professionally. If it’s something you are just interested in like me, there’s lots of stuff online you can read up on. Otherwise as I say just take note of what works best for future reference.

If you see all colours of veins then your undertone is neutral.

Hoc told me that whatever your season you can wear every colour, it’s the actual shade & tone of it that matters & how much of it, eg 100% would be a dress in that colour, 50% a skirt or jumper with another colour, less % then accessories. Red is in all palettes, it’s the warmth/coolness of the shade & purple is in my swatch book of Spring colours though you’d not expect it. It was the best money I ever spent to be honest. Saved me £££ in past buys never worn or really loved. She also showed me that I could wear red lipstick after all.

I’m a winter with brown hair and green eyes!

When you do the colour analysis they cover your hair completely with a white sheet, that way it's just skin tone and eyes that you are working with.

It's interesting as I'd never have worn chocolate brown but that turned out to be 100% wow...but it's so close to my hair colour that I'd probably always dismissed it as I feel like I'm already wearing it 😅

It’s the only way I could actually see what they were on about.

I’m not much into colour analysis in general. I think the concept of ‘what suits you’ feels a bit dated when it comes to clothes. Has an air of the ‘flattering’ about it. I think it’s much more important to work out what styles you like. If you don’t feel like yourself in something, you’ll not feel yourself in it even if it matches the little fabric card thing perfectly. I had it done a few years back and I’m whichever the lairiest, most horrific Spring is 🤭. The children’s tv presenter colours couldn’t be further from something I’d wear, although objectively, I can see they look right on me.

The undertone bit is a gamechanger though. I’ve gradually exchanged my preferred neutrals: charcoal for a warmer stone/beige/mole, black (although I think it looks good on me, whatever they say) for navy and all my lipsticks, nail polishes etc lean heavily warm.

I did it at a MAC counter. Ruby Woo is a proper wine red and I looked like I had drunk 2 bottles the night before and not slept. Lady Danger is a particularly bright orange-red. It looked like it belonged on me (and I bought it).

I'm a deep autumn and there is a warmth to my best colours in clothing.
However my skin colour is neutral. I am pink not peach.
In foundation and concealer I am always neutral/cool
I can't wear anything with a hint of orange.

@Tinymrscollings Mac Chili is a lovely brick red that would probably suit you too, it's a bit toned down and (to me) a more wearable, everyday shade than some of their other reds.

The other thing I'd say about colour theory is that you can correct a lot of what a 'bad' colour does to you with makeup.

My light olive skin looks sallow against washed out colours or black, but a light makeup base and some bronzer will make me look alive again. The more 'wrong' a colour is for me, the more makeup I need but it's doable if I really want to (I don't!).

You can also balance out a colour that's not great for you by wearing a complementary one near your face. Just a thin line of tshirt popping out under a jumper neckline works wonders.

Thats a good tip.

I don't think you have to 100% stick to your palette - I still have deep navy and aubergine knocking around in various items - it actually feels more fun wearing them now and they are items that I love.

The other thing I found was I had literally no red in my wardrobe at all before analysis, now I have loads. I think that is my top tip for anyone wanting to refresh their style and feel more vibrant - wear more red. Everyone has their red that suits them, and the right red looks like assured confidence.