Match the depth of your makeup to the depth of your skin: soft pinks and peach on fair skin, warm nudes and coral on light skin, golden and caramel on medium skin, bronze and copper on tan skin, and rich berry, plum and mahogany on dark and deep skin. Undertone then fine-tunes the choice.
Skin tone is how light or deep your skin is. Undertone is the color beneath the surface: warm (golden or peachy), cool (pink or rosy), neutral (a mix) or olive (a green-gray cast). Two people with the same depth can have different undertones and suit different shades.
The Lookslate quiz asks for skin tone depth. These quick checks help with undertone. None is definitive, so look for agreement between them:
Lookslate recommends soft pink, light peach and gentle nude.
On fair skin, soft and sheer shades read as natural. Build blush and bronzer in thin layers with a large brush, so the color does not sit on the surface.
Lookslate recommends warm nude, subtle blush and soft coral.
Light skin takes warm nudes and soft coral well. A subtle blush adds life without the contrast that very dark shades create.
Lookslate recommends peach, soft bronze and warm beige.
Light-medium skin can carry peach and soft bronze as everyday shades. Warm beige eyeshadows give definition without obvious color.
Lookslate recommends golden, caramel and warm rose.
Medium skin supports richer pigments. Golden and caramel shades echo natural warmth, and a warm rose gives cheeks and lips a healthy flush.
Lookslate recommends rich bronze, terracotta and warm blush.
Medium-tan skin shows deeper, warmer pigments well. Rich bronze and terracotta add glow; lighter pastel shades can look chalky.
Lookslate recommends warm copper, bronze and caramel.
Tan skin glows with metallic warm shades. Copper, bronze and caramel on the eyes and cheeks highlight that natural radiance.
Lookslate recommends warm berry, rich bronze and deep plum.
Dark skin carries saturated color beautifully. Warm berry, rich bronze and deep plum stay visible and create definition; sheer, pale shades may barely show.
Lookslate recommends deep berry, warm gold and rich mahogany.
Deep skin is enhanced by highly pigmented, rich shades. Deep berry, warm gold and mahogany show up clearly; look for formulas labeled high pigment so color does not turn ashy.
Compare a few checks in daylight: vein color on the inner wrist, whether gold or silver jewelry flatters you more, and whether pure white or cream fabric looks better near your face. If the checks disagree, you are likely neutral.
Rich, highly pigmented shades such as deep berry, warm plum and brick show up clearly on deep skin. Very light pastel blushes can look ashy.
Some foundations darken slightly as they dry or mix with skin oils. Wait about ten minutes after swatching before you decide on a shade.
The bronze goddess look gives the face warmth as if from the sun: bronzer on the high points of the face, warm bronze eyeshadow with a deeper outer corner, golden highlight, peach blush and a glossy warm-nude lip.
How to do Bronze Goddess makeupSoft glam is a polished but gentle look: an even, luminous base, warm-brown and rose eyeshadow blended until no edge shows, fluttery lashes, diffused rosy blush and a satin pink-nude lip.
How to do Soft Glam makeupThe business look is polished daytime makeup: light, even coverage, neutral taupe or soft brown eyes, a thin line at the lashes, groomed brows, soft rose blush and a muted rose lip.
How to do Business makeupAll faces shown are AI-generated fictional models, not real people.
