Foundation · lipstick · blush

Makeup and Foundation for Your Undertone

Most foundation mismatches are undertone mismatches, not depth mismatches. A foundation for cool undertones has a pink or rosy base; a warm undertone foundation has a yellow or golden base; neutral sits in between; and olive skin needs a green-yellow base most ranges barely cover.

This guide shows how to choose foundation by undertone, then the lipstick and blush colors that follow the same logic.

Cool · warm · neutral · olive
Fair to deep
Lip & blush shades

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Foundation

How to choose foundation for your undertone

Shade codes vary by brand, but most use letters: C or P (cool/pink), W or Y (warm/yellow), N (neutral), O (olive).

Always test on the jawline in daylight. A good match disappears into the neck as well as the cheek.
Undertone	Look for	Shade codes	Swatch
Cool	Rosy, pink or red base	C, P, R	Fair cool Medium cool Deep cool
Warm	Golden, yellow or peach base	W, Y, G	Fair warm Medium warm Deep warm
Neutral	Balanced beige — neither pink nor yellow	N	Fair neutral Medium neutral Deep neutral
Olive	Green-yellow or "olive" base	O, OL	Light olive Medium olive Deep olive

Lipstick

Lipstick for cool, warm and olive undertones

Cool undertones

Blue red
Berry
Cool pink
Rose nude

Lipstick colors for cool undertones: blue reds, berry, cool pink and rosy nudes. A cool toned nude lipstick has pink in it, not beige.

Warm undertones

Warm red
Coral
Brick
Peach nude

Lipstick for warm undertones: orange-red, coral, brick and peachy nudes.

Olive skin

Brick red
Plum
Terracotta
Mauve brown

Lipstick for olive skin: brick, plum, terracotta and mauve-brown. The best red lipstick for olive skin is a true or slightly brick red.

Chart

Lipstick and skin tone chart

Combine depth and undertone to narrow it down.

Skin	Everyday	Red lipstick	Avoid
Fair / pale, cool	Cool pink Rose	Blue red	Orange and very dark brown
Fair / pale, warm	Peach Coral	Coral red	Icy pink and purple
Olive	Mauve brown Terracotta	Brick red	Pale pastel pinks
Brown, warm	Caramel Brick	Orange red	Gray-toned nudes
Brown / deep, cool	Berry Plum	Wine red	Ashy, chalky nudes

Blush

Blush by undertone

Cool

Pink and rose with a blue base.

Warm

Peach, apricot and terracotta.

Olive

**Best blush color for olive skin**: warm rose, bronze or a soft plum.

By season

Makeup palettes for each color season

For season-specific lipstick, eyeshadow and nail colors, see each season guide.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the questions people ask most about this topic.

How do I choose foundation for cool undertones?

Look for shades labeled C, P or R with a pink or rosy base, and test on your jawline in daylight.

What foundation color suits olive skin?

A shade with a green-yellow or olive base (often labeled O). Neutral shades can work if no olive option exists.

What is the best lipstick for fair skin?

Cool fair skin suits cool pink, rose and blue reds; warm fair skin suits peach, coral and coral reds.

What is the best red lipstick for olive skin?

A true red or slightly brick red. Very blue or very orange reds can look harsh.

What lipstick suits brown skin?

Warm brown skin suits caramel, brick and orange-red; cool brown skin suits berry, plum and wine.

See which season your photo points to

Upload a clear, front-facing selfie in daylight. The free analysis estimates one of the four main seasons and shows four colors to start with.