Skin Undertone Test: Are You Warm, Cool, Neutral or Olive?

Free quiz • 6 questions • about 60 seconds

Your undertone is the hue under the surface of your skin, and any skin tone can have any undertone. The quickest check is the veins on your inner wrist in daylight: mostly green means warm, blue or purple means cool, and a mix of both means neutral. If pure white and cream both make your skin look a little grey or green, you are probably olive. Every at-home check is approximate and lighting changes what you see, so this test combines 6 of them. Then it shows the nail colors that suit your undertone.

Question 1 of 6

Look at the veins on your inner wrist in daylight. What color are they?

Question 2 of 6

Hold gold and silver jewelry next to your face. Which one makes your skin look brighter?

Question 3 of 6

How does your skin usually react to the sun?

Question 4 of 6

Hold a pure white and a cream fabric under your face. Which one looks better?

Question 5 of 6

Which colors do people compliment you in most?

Question 6 of 6

Which best describes your natural hair and eye colors?

Your skin undertone

Warm

Golden, peachy or yellow undertone

Your skin has a golden or peachy base. Gold jewelry, cream and earthy colors make it glow. On your nails, choose shades with a yellow or orange base: coral, peach, terracotta, tomato red and caramel nudes. They pick up the warmth in your skin and make your hands look bright and even.

Nail colors that flatter you

  • Coral
  • Peach
  • Terracotta
  • Tomato red
  • Mustard
  • Caramel nude

Go easy on

  • Icy pastels
  • Blue-based pinks
  • Grey nudes
  • Silver chrome

Nail tip: if you love a cool shade, add a gold glitter accent nail or a gold chrome top coat to warm it up. More ideas: nail colors for your skin tone.

Your skin undertone

Cool

Pink, red or bluish undertone

Your skin has a pink or bluish base. Silver, pure white and jewel tones flatter it most. On your nails, choose shades with a blue base: true red, fuchsia, berry, navy, lavender and sheer pink. They make your skin look clear and fresh, while orange-based shades can look harsh on you.

Nail colors that flatter you

  • Blue red
  • Fuchsia
  • Berry
  • Navy
  • Lavender
  • Sheer pink

Go easy on

  • Orange
  • Mustard
  • Yellow-based nudes
  • Brassy gold

Nail tip: for a nude, choose a pink beige or a sheer rosy shade instead of a yellow beige. Silver and pearl chrome suit you. More ideas: cool tone nail colors.

Your skin undertone

Neutral

A balance of warm and cool

Your skin sits between warm and cool, so both gold and silver suit you. You can wear most nail colors. Soft, balanced shades look best of all: rose nude, mauve, dusty pink, sage, cherry red and milky white. Choose by mood and occasion rather than by undertone.

Nail colors that flatter you

  • Rose nude
  • Mauve
  • Dusty pink
  • Sage
  • Cherry red
  • Milky white

Go easy on

  • Neon yellow
  • Neon orange

Nail tip: if a color looks flat on you, try a slightly softer or slightly deeper version before you give up on it.

Your skin undertone

Olive

Neutral to warm, with a green or grey cast

Your skin has a subtle green or grey cast over a neutral or warm base. It can appear on light, medium and deep skin, and it is often mistaken for warm. Rich, deep colors flatter you most: wine, plum, emerald, bronze, warm berry and chocolate. Very pale or yellow-green shades can bring out the green in your skin.

Nail colors that flatter you

  • Wine
  • Plum
  • Emerald
  • Bronze
  • Warm berry
  • Chocolate

Go easy on

  • Pale pastel yellow
  • Lime green
  • Beige that matches your skin
  • Orange

Nail tip: for a nude, pick one a little pinker or deeper than your skin, such as a rosy taupe or caramel. A beige that matches your skin exactly can look grey.

How the test reads your undertone

Undertone is not the same as skin tone. Skin tone is how light or deep your skin is. Undertone is the hue underneath, and it can be warm, cool, neutral or olive at any depth. Each answer adds points to one or two undertones. The vein, jewelry and fabric checks count the most, and your compliments and your hair and eye colors fine-tune the result. When two undertones tie, the test leans toward neutral.

At-home tests are approximate. Do every check in natural daylight near a window, without makeup, self-tanner or colored nail polish. Warm indoor bulbs make everyone look warmer, and cool office lights make everyone look cooler. The sun question works best for light and medium skin. If your result surprises you, repeat the checks on another day or ask a friend for a second opinion.

Now that you know your undertone, take the nail color quiz for quick polish picks, or the personal color nail quiz to find your season. Your season adds how light, deep, bright or soft your coloring is.

The 4 skin undertones

Every skin tone, from very fair to very deep, has one of these undertones. Here is how to spot each one.

  • Warm

    Golden, peachy or yellow undertone

    Green veins, gold jewelry, glows in cream. Best nails: coral, terracotta, tomato red.

  • Cool

    Pink, red or bluish undertone

    Blue or purple veins, silver jewelry, glows in pure white. Best nails: true red, berry, navy.

  • Neutral

    A balance of warm and cool

    A mix of vein colors, both metals work. Best nails: rose nude, mauve, almost anything.

  • Olive

    Neutral to warm, with a green or grey cast

    Looks a little grey or green in pale colors. Best nails: wine, emerald, bronze.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know my skin undertone?

Check the veins on your inner wrist in daylight. Mostly green veins suggest warm, blue or purple veins suggest cool, and a mix suggests neutral. Then compare gold and silver jewelry, and pure white and cream fabric, next to your face. If two or three checks agree, that is likely your undertone. The test above combines 6 checks in about 60 seconds.

What is an olive undertone?

Olive is a neutral or warm undertone with a subtle green or grey cast. People with olive skin often find that both pink and yellow foundations look wrong, and that pale colors make them look a little grey. Rich shades like wine, emerald and bronze usually flatter olive skin.

Can my undertone change?

Your undertone generally stays the same, even when you tan. What changes is your skin tone and the light you see it in. That is why the same polish can look different in summer and in winter.

Are online undertone tests accurate?

They are a good starting point, not a final answer. Lighting, makeup and your screen all change what you see. Do the checks in daylight, and if the result surprises you, try again on another day. The CutieCure app can also read your undertone from a photo of your hand.

Is the skin undertone test free?

Yes. It takes about 60 seconds, runs in your browser and needs no sign-up. To see nail colors for your undertone on a photo of your own hand, use the free CutieCure app.

More free quizzes and guides

← Back to all guides