Skin Colour Assessment

A PROFESSIONAL STEP BY STEP GUIDE

STEP 1

Get to know your skin by examining all your skin's colours without makeup.
Face a source of natural daylight, e.g. a window, and observe. Your skin is not one colour. It’s made up of various pigments and coloured characteristics such as redness, freckles or dark pigmentation.

 

STEP 2

Now elimate the neck colour for best results.
The neck is generally paler on light skin, e.g. Causasian skin, because the chin and jawline shade this area from the sun. It's also mostly hidden when we interact with others.

On dark skin, e.g. African skin, the neck can be very dark in comparison to the face and chest, so, we avoid this area for assessment.

 

STEP 3

Choose your colour group: Red/Rosy or Yellow/Golden or Neutral.
Examine the differences between the colour group slides and decide if the average/majority of your skin's colours fall into the red/rosy or yellow/golden undertone group.

Here are a few pointers:

  • If your skin is light, sunburns and and doesn't build a tan, you're most likely to have more rosy/red undertones.
  • If your skin is light and tans easily, you're most likely to have more yellow undertones.
  • If your skin is dark, but closer to paprika than to cinnamon undertones, you're most likely to have more red undertones.
  • If your skin is dark, but closer to cinnamon than paprika undertones, you're most likely to have more yellow undertones.
  • If your skin is very dark and has olive undertones,  you have yellow undertones.
  • When there's no obvious redness or yellow/golden undertones on fair to tanned skin, you're probably in the "neutral undertones" group.

 

STEP 4

Choose and record a colour code that more/less represents how light or dark your skin is.
Examine the range of colours within your colour group slides. The best way to determine where your skin is are on a scale from lightest to darkest, is to compare your skin colour against others. We all know if we have the lightest, most tanned or darkest skin compared to others. When we fall somewhere in between, we can most likely tell if we are closer to the lightest or very tanned/darkest skin.

Tips:

  • Facing a large mirror, stand alongside family members or friends and observe if your skin is lighter or darker than theirs.
  • Look at group photographs to see skin variances between yourself and others.
  • Keeping the above visual in your mind's eye, return to the relevant slides and locate more/less where your family and friends are. This will help you to identify where you fit in.

 

STEP 5

Search and see the results!
Type your skin's colour code into the search bar at the top of any page. The foundations that match this code will appear. Click on a foundation shade and you'll be guided to concealer and powder products that combine well with the foundation.

If you don't find any products, and you wish to see all available colour-coded foundations, search "Skin" and then use the filter to select your closest Skin Code.

 

If you have a choice between two or more categories, you can learn more about the benefits of each formula on its product page.