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Overtone pink blush
Go here if you are looking for Neutral Undertone.
Go here if you are looking for Olive Undertone.
Go here if you are looking for Warm Undertone.

Cool skin tone can have a tendency to be rosy, ruddy skin and/or are flushed easily.

How to Tell:[]

  • To identify cool undertones, mix of blue and purple veins with pink or beige skin tones.
  • If you look better in colors such as silver and ash tones, you are cool toned.
  • Take a piece of fabric and see if you look better in white or off-white (peachy white, vanilla, etc.). If you look good in pure white, you are cool toned.
  • If you look good with hair colors that have ash tones (green, blue, or violet undertones).
  • Go have your makeup done professionally and the makeup artist will most likely do an accurate match for your skin tone.

Remember that not everyone is cool toned and it can get tricky when trying to find out your undertone. Not everyone can get it right the first time and it can take various different trial and errors in order for you to find the perfect foundation shade and undertone.

Hair color tips for people with cool toned skin[]

People with cool skin will often be best suited by colors including pure white, royal blue, emerald, indigo, wine, ruby, and other jewel tones. For hair color, this includes platinum, beige blondes, ash blondes, mushroom browns, cocoa browns, burgundy, auburn, chestnut, gray, and cool blacks.

Contrasting Tones[]

Some experts advise that contrasting skin and hair tones can provide more interest and balance - i.e. pairing a warm skin tone with cool hair color, or a cool skin tone with warm hair color. If you want to give this a try, it would probably be best to start with a subtle shade, and then increase the level of contrast if you like the effect.

Level of Contrast[]

Assessing the level of contrast between your hair, eyes and skin can also be useful for color choices.

  • If your skin, hair, and eyes are all around the same lightness, then you have "low contrast" (for example: medium-deep cool skin, ash brown hair and charcoal eyes). Your overall appearance will tend to seem softer and more muted if this is the case.
  • If your skin, hair and eyes have some variation, then you have "medium contrast" (for example: fair cool skin, dark ash blonde hair and light blue eyes).
  • If your skin, hair and eyes have very different levels of lightness, then you are "high contrast" (for example: light cool skin, very dark brown-black hair and deep brown eyes). Your overall appearance will tend to seem bolder and more striking if this is the case.

With a low level of contrast, even small changes to hair lightness level will seem very light or dark and may tend to draw attention away from your natural features. With a higher level of contrast, you can more easily carry very bright and bold colors without risking attention being drawn away from your other features. Remember that changes more than 2-3 lightness levels of your natural hair color may require frequent upkeep and/or salon visits to maintain.

Colors For Fair Cool Skin and Blue Eyes[]

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Baby Blonde Haircolor by Redken

Many people with fair skin make the mistake of thinking that they're cool toned. Many times, this isn't the case. You can be fair and warm or fair and olive. However, usually blue eyes goes hand-in-hand with a cool complexion, so if you have fair skin and blue eyes, there's a good chance you have pink, purple or blue undertones. If you're not entirely sure, ask yourself if you look better in gold or silver eye shadow or jewelry? Are the insides of your arms showing blue or green veins? If your answers are silver and blue, you're cool toned.

If you have fair skin and blue eyes, you make an ideal blonde. Don't shy away from blonde hair—it might be difficult to get, but it can be very sexy and flattering on the right person. Don't be tempted to go too dark. Many girls think that going very dark will be striking next to pale skin and light eyes—and it can be—but if your eyebrows and eyelashes are still lighter than your hair, then you are going to need to alter their color too (do not use regular hair dye for this—ask a salesperson at a beauty supply store if they have eyebrow/eyelash tint). As a general rule, your eyebrows should be about a shade or two darker than your hair.

If you want to go blonde, stick away from warm colors, like golden blondes or strawberry blondes. In fact, you'll be very well-suited toward a light ash blonde at a Level 9. Check out ash tones, you don't have to go that light though. If your natural hair color is light brown, try a medium blonde.

You can also go light brown or medium brown—but once again, be mindful of the eyebrows!

Colors For Very Dark Cool Skin and Dark Eyes[]

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If you have very dark skin, you probably have cool tones. These tones will be more blue or purple than pink. This means your hair color choices fall within the "cool" range as well. Normally, if your skin is this dark, your hair and eyes are also on the dark side. While it's certainly doable, it's damaging to your hair and might not be flattering for you to color your hair super light. It can definitely make a statement, though, if that's what you're going for!

Instead, you should be looking at cherry reds, deep burgundies and blue-blacks. These are all rich, enticing colors and will look great next to your skin. Stay away from golden browns, coppery reds and auburns. They will clash and will not be flattering.

If you want to go for a black shade, you can definitely try out a soft black or natural black but it could be more fun to go for a black with blue tones or purple tones. Along with the standard natural and soft blacks, here are some fun options to try:

If you're more interested in browns, aim for browns with red tones and purple tones combined or just browns with purple tones. You can also try out some deep browns with ash tones:

Perhaps you want to go for something a little more vibrant—like a burgundy or a red! Never fear, this is probably the area that will be most flattering for you. Take a look at these cool shades:

Nude makeup for cool toned skin[]

Nude makeup is a must have for some or too boring for others—it is however, universally flattering. But venturing into nude for the first time might be something that holds first timers back. For example, why spend on makeup that looks like no or low makeup, especially if it looks like it doesn't suit your skin tone or skin undertone.

  • Are you willing to go pink, peachy-pink, taupe or greige nudes? Cool skin can favour pink but some people can't stand pinks even a nude rosewood, peachy pinks could be an option instead, taupe can be a cool brown to a purplish brown or cool greige could work too. But if too dark to your skin tone run the risk of a 90s brown grunge look (which may not be what you are looking for). Alternatively, completely opt for a universal neutral nude instead.

Nude Eyeshadow[]

Determine the nude effect you want first then you have a start point:

  • Are you wanting to compliment undertone or go universal neutral? Undertone complimenting nudes may mean pinky nudes and cool taupe nudes.
  • Are you wanting natural, low or no makeup looks? Then you may want to consider mattes and satins and stay away from shimmers and glitters.
  • Are you wanting a "one stop palette" or hand selecting each shadow? Nude palettes are made very easy these days just be sure you select either a universal neutral nude palette or cool nude palette.

Nude Lipstick[]

Determine the nude effect you want first then you have a start point:

  • Are you trying to exact lip match (or MLBB: My Lips But Better)? This can be harder unless you can test multiple products.

Nude Nail Polish[]

Determine the nude effect you want first then you have a start point:

  • Are you trying to exact skin match? This can be harder unless you can go to a nail salon and actually do multiple tests.
  • Are you trying to go lighter than skin tone or darker? This can be fairly easy, comparing skin to a bottle, and understanding nail lacquer tends to dry slightly darker compared to bottle/wet.

Red makeup for cool toned skin[]

A wonderful thing about red makeup—particularly lipstick and nail polish, especially a "true red"—is that it compliments all skin undertones, however, with cool or cooler skin tones cooler reds, pink reds and pink corals compliment even more. In some cases the red base is neutral but has pink, purple or silver shimmer flashing cool or cool red base with a gold shimmer for a dimensional look, so consider that when looking a pearl, metallic, shimmer and glitter red colours.

Red Lipstick[]

If you are not sure whether a red shade is cool or not, look for official or review descriptions describing as: cool, blue undertone, pink undertone, cranberry, strawberry, cherry, berry, etc. Also make sure there is not descriptions such as: warm, red-orange, orange-red, orange-coral, brick, orange-brown, etc. But be advised even official descriptions aren't perfect and sometimes down right incorrect, swatches especially in various types of lighting are better but in person testing is best.

Red Nail Polish[]

When it comes to nail polishes usually they tend to have more neutral or "true reds" so more people can wear it but they can have cooler reds too.

Gold makeup for cool toned skin[]

Gold Eyeshadow[]

Usually for eyeshadows you choose colours that compliment or enhance your eye colour but in terms of gold on cool undertones what does that mean? As long as it compliments your eye colour—like green or hazel—it shouldn't be a problem. Alternatively, if you are blonde, cool toned and want to wear gold—similar idea. If you are cool toned, don't have an eye colour (or hair colour) that is complimented by gold and want to wear gold you could try green leaning golds or champagne (nude) golds—instead of bright yellow or orange-yellow golds.

Gold Nail Polish[]

Try green leaning golds or champagne (nude) golds—instead of bright yellow or orange-yellow golds.

Foundation Examples[]

The following examples are brands' versions of cool skin, usually leaning pink/rosy or pink beige. For more information on foundations and cool undertones go here.


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