FITZPATRICK SKIN TYPE
The classification known as the Fitzpatrick skin type (or phototype) depends on the amount of melanin pigment in the skin. This is determined by constitutional colour (white, brown or black skin) and the result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (tanning). Pale or white skin burns easily and tans slowly and poorly: it needs more protection against sun exposure. Darker skin burns less and tans more easily. It is also more prone to develop post inflammatory pigmentation after injury (brown marks).

SKIN TYPE
Typical Features Tanning ability
Pale white skin, blue/green eyes, blonde/red hair
Always burns, does not tan

II Fair skin, blue eyes Burns easily, tans poorly
III Darker white skin Tans after initial burn
IV Light brown skin Burns minimally, tans easily
V Brown skin Rarely burns, tans darkly easily
VIDark brown or black skin Never burns, always tans

Your skin tone, or undertone, does not refer to the shade of your skin (light, medium, dark). Rather, that is your complexion, or the surface color of your skin. Your skin tone is determined by the amount of melanin, or pigment, in your skin and does not change from sun exposure or skin conditions like rosacea or acne. So while a persons skin may become pale in the winter and a rich brown in the summer, their skin tone will remain the same.

Your skin tone will be one of the following: cool, warm, or neutral. Keep in mind your skin tone does not necessarily match what you see on the surface. So you may have pink or ruddy skin, but your skin tone may actually differ. Before attempting any of the following steps, make sure your skin is clean and free of any makeup, or toner. If you just washed your face, wait about 15 minutes before proceeding, as your skin may appear pink from cleansing , creating blood circulation making it difficult to see your true undertone. Always use natural lighting when examining your skin. Different lightbulbs can affect your skin differently--they may give it a yellow or green cast, and interfere with the appearance of your skin tone.

THE VEIN TEST
This is a quick way to determine your undertones. Make sure you are examining your wrists in natural light, either standing near a window or outdoors, and that your wrist is clean and free of product. If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool skin tone If your veins appear green, you have a warm skin tone. If you can't tell if your veins are green or blue, you may have a neutral skin tone. If you have an olive complexion, you likely fall into this category.

THE SUN TEST
Do you tan easily? Do you burn or get freckles? The amount of melanin in your skin determines how it reacts to sun exposure and can help you determine your skin tone. If you tan easily and rarely burn, you have more melanin and you likely have a warm or neutral skin tone. If your skin burns and doesn't tan, you have less melanin and therefore a cooler skin tone.Some women with very dark, ebony skin may not burn easily but still have a cool skin tone. Try a few more tests to figure out your undertone.

THE WHITE PAPER TEST
Looking in a mirror, try to see how your skin looks in contrast to the white paper. It may appear to have a yellow cast, a blue-red or rosy cast, or it may not appear to be either, but a grey color instead. If your skin appears yellowish or sallow beside the white paper, you have a warm skin tone. If your skin appears pink, rosy, or blueish-red, then you have a cool skin tone. If your skin appears grey, your skin probably has an olive complexion with a neutral undertone. The green from your complexion and the yellowish undertone combines to create this effect.[ You can experiment with neutral and warm tones, since you fall somewhere in between. If you can't determine any cast of yellow, olive, or pink, you have a neutral skin tone. Neutral tones can look good in foundations and colour's on both ends of the cool/warm spectrum.

THE SILVER OR GOLD TEST
Hold a sheet of gold foil in front of your face so that it reflects light back on your skin. Note whether it makes your face look greyish or washed out, or if it enhances your skin. Then try with a sheet of silver foil If the gold foil looks best, you have a warm skin tone. If the reflection from the silver foil makes your skin glow, you have a cool skin tone. If you don't notice a difference (both silver and gold are flattering), then you likely have a neutral skin tone. If you don't have gold or silver foil, try laying gold and silver jewelry on your wrist, and notice which one is more flattering.

THE NOT SO OBVIOUS TEST
If you have acne, rosacea, or another condition that might mask your skin tone, you can have a friend look at the the skin directly behind the shell of your ear, as this area is less likely to be affected. Have them examine the skin right in the little crease behind your ear. If your skin is yellowish, then your skin tone is warm.If your skin is pink or rosy, then your skin tone is cool If they have difficulty, they can try holding a white piece of paper near the skin. That should help them see if it appears yellow or pink . Your complexion refers to the surface shade of your skin, such as fair, medium, olive, tan, or dark and is not necessarily fixed. So your complexion may be lighter in the winter and darker during the summer. By looking at the skin near your jawline, you should be able to determine your colouring. Make sure your skin is clean and free of any product, such as foundation or powder, If your skin can be described as very white, pale or translucent, you are fair skinned. You may have freckles or a little redness to your complexion. Your skin is very sensitive to the sun and burns easily.You may have cool or warm undertones. If you have pale skin that burns in the sun but then deepens into a tan, you have light skin. You may have a little red colouring and your skin may be mildly sensitive.May have cool or warm undertones. If you tan very easily and rarely burn, you have a medium skin tone. You likely have warm or golden undertones. This is a very common complexion. If your skin is olive or tan year-round (even in the winter), your complexion is likely tan. You almost never get a sunburn and your undertone is probably neutral or warm.

If you have warm, brown skin and back or dark brown hair, you have a warm complexion. Your skin darkens very quickly in the sun and you rarely burn. Your undertones are almost always warm. Women of Indian or African descent often fall into this category.

If you have very dark, even ebony skin and have black or dark brown hair, you have a deep complexion. You may have a warm or cool skin tone and your skin hardly ever burns. What shade of foundation and colour eye shadow is best for a warm skin tone? If you have warm skin, it's nice to go for deep browns, purples, plums, and golds for eye shadow. For foundation, it really depends, try some shades with yellow undertones to find the one that looks best on you What hair colours flatter a warm tone? Golden browns look really nice with a golden coloured undertone and sometimes orange-red can bring out the warmth in your skin. What colour lipsticks are best for warm toned people? Anything with a warm undertone. If you wanted red, you'd be better off going with an orange-red, whereas someone with a cool undertone would go with a blue-based red.

What's the difference between pigmentation and undertones? Pigmentation is the amount of melatonin in your skin and is the colour you see. Undertones are the subtle base colour for your skin tone. What foundation should I use for a warm skin tone?, look for ones that appear to have a yellow, gold, or orange-like glow/tint to them. Shades that look like they have soft pink/peachy undertones will most likely look better on people with a cool skin tone.

What hair colours flatter a cool tone? Hair colours have warm and cool tones as well. To balance things out, try a colour with a warm tone to it, such as: orange-y red, golden blonde, honey brown, and chocolate brunette. Avoid black, if you can, unless your hair is naturally black. What nail polish colour will flatter tan-medium skin with neutral/warm tone? Blues with green tints look nice, as well as neutral pinks, nudes and golds.

I have one purple vein and one greenish blue vein. I have no idea what skin tone I am! Do you look better in greens, golds, and oranges? Then you may have a warm skin tone. Do you look better in silver or purple? Then you might have a cool skin tone. If your hair is red or auburn, it's probably warm, whereas blonde would indicate cool. What skin tone would I be considered if my skin is greyish white silver tones? You would still be meant as white. If you check under the sun, it should indicate whether you are pale white or tan white

HOW DID YOU GET ON ?
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