Technique · Written in Casablanca
Understanding your skin undertone
Undertone is the colour beneath your skin's surface — warm, cool, olive or neutral — and it decides whether a foundation matches or greys.
Written by Lamyaa Aissi, professional makeup artist, Casablanca.
How to do it
- Look at the skin on your inner forearm in daylight.
- Green-leaning veins suggest warm or olive; blue-leaning suggests cool.
- Hold gold and silver against the skin — whichever makes it look healthier indicates the temperature.
- Confirm by swatching foundation along the jaw in daylight.
The Moroccan adjustment
Most Moroccan skin is olive or golden, which is not the same as warm and is poorly served by ranges offering only warm and cool. An olive skin matched to a neutral base greys within the hour.
What goes wrong
Judging undertone from the depth of your skin. They are unrelated — two people at the same depth can need completely different temperatures.
Questions
Understanding your skin undertone?
Undertone is the colour beneath your skin's surface — warm, cool, olive or neutral — and it decides whether a foundation matches or greys.
What goes wrong most often?
Judging undertone from the depth of your skin. They are unrelated — two people at the same depth can need completely different temperatures.
Does this change on Moroccan skin or in a Moroccan climate?
Most Moroccan skin is olive or golden, which is not the same as warm and is poorly served by ranges offering only warm and cool. An olive skin matched to a neutral base greys within the hour.
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