Colour theory

Undertones, warm and cool palettes, and how it all fits together

Colour advice that actually works is not about nationality or how light or deep your skin is. It is about undertone — the quiet cast underneath your skin. Undertones appear in every skin depth and every background, which is why the same three families cover everyone.

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The three undertone families

Warm

Golden, peachy or yellow cast

  • • Veins on your wrist look greenish
  • • Gold jewellery looks richer than silver
  • • Cream and ivory flatter more than stark white

Cool

Pink, red or bluish cast

  • • Veins look blue or purple
  • • Silver jewellery looks brighter than gold
  • • Pure white and charcoal look crisp on you

Neutral

A mix, with no clear lean

  • • Veins look blue-green
  • • Gold and silver both work
  • • Most mid-tone colours look fine on you

Depth and undertone are separate

Depth is how light or deep your skin is; undertone is the cast within it. Two people with the same depth can need opposite palettes, and two people at opposite ends of the depth scale can share one. Depth mainly tells you how much contrast a colour needs to read clearly next to your face.

PorcelainFairLightLight mediumMediumTanOliveBrownDeepRich ebony

How the three inputs interact

1. Makeup leads, because it is closest to the eye

A true red lip or a fuchsia pushes the whole look warm or cool on its own. Soft nude and rose looks barely move it, so your own tones matter more.

2. Skin undertone sets the baseline

Colours that share your undertone look harmonious; colours from the opposite family create contrast. Both are usable — harmony reads gentle, contrast reads striking.

3. Hair tone breaks the tie

Golden blonde and auburn pull warm; black, ash and silver pull cool. When makeup and skin disagree, hair decides which way the palette lands.

Blonde · warmLight brown · warmDark brown · neutralBlack · coolRed / auburn · warmGrey / silver · cool

Two ways to pick a clothing colour

Analogous — harmony

Colours next to your makeup on the colour wheel. Peach makeup with camel or terracotta; rosy makeup with dove grey or soft blue. Calm, easy, hard to get wrong.

Complementary — contrast

Colours opposite your makeup. Deep teal against a true red lip; emerald against fuchsia. Striking, and best when the rest of the outfit stays quiet.

Bold face, quiet clothes

A strong lip or a glittery eye is already the focal point. Pair it with one grounded colour — ivory, charcoal, chocolate or black — so the face stays the thing people notice. With a soft face, clothing colour can carry more of the look.

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