Choosing a makeup shade from a tiny swatch on a screen or a tester under shop lights is a gamble. The same lipstick can look soft pink in one photo, coral in another and brownish in a third. The good news is that finding shades that suit you is a learnable skill. It comes down to understanding a few ideas about colour, seeing shades in good conditions and comparing them fairly.
This guide covers the basics of undertone, the effect of light and camera, a method for comparing shades and some tips for getting the most from virtual try-on.
Start with undertone
Skin has a surface tone, which is how light or deep it looks, and an undertone, which is the subtle warm, cool or neutral note beneath it. Two people with the same depth of skin can have different undertones, and this is why a colour that looks lovely on a friend can look flat on you.
- Warm undertones lean golden, peachy or yellow.
- Cool undertones lean pink, rosy or bluish.
- Neutral undertones sit between the two, with no strong lean either way.
There is no single test that settles it, and undertone is not an exact science. A few common clues can help you form a first guess:
- Jewellery. Many people with warm undertones feel gold flatters them, while many with cool undertones prefer silver. Plenty of people look good in both.
- Clothing colours. Notice which whites and neutrals make your skin look brighter. Pure white often flatters cooler skin, while cream or ivory often suits warmer skin.
- How you react to colour. If you often find that coral and orange-reds suit you but blue-toned pinks look harsh, you may lean warm. If the reverse is true, you may lean cool.
Treat all of these as hints, not rules. Your own eyes in good light are the final judge.
Light changes everything
Lighting is the biggest source of mistakes when judging shades. Different light sources shift how colours appear:
- Daylight is the most reliable. Stand near a window with the light falling on your face, rather than behind you.
- Warm indoor bulbs add yellow, which makes pinks look more orange and can make cool shades look muddy.
- Cool white or fluorescent light can make warm shades look flat or slightly green.
- Strong side light creates shadows that change how the colour sits on the lips or cheeks.
For any important decision, check the shade in daylight. If you must test indoors, face a window or a soft, even light, and avoid a lamp placed to one side.
Your camera and screen matter too
When you look at colours on a phone, two more things come between you and the true shade.
First, the camera sees the world differently from your eyes. It adjusts brightness and white balance automatically, and a front camera in poor light may also add noise or soften detail. Hold the phone at eye level, with the light on your face, to give it the best chance of showing accurate colour.
Second, the screen is not a perfect match for a physical product. Brightness settings, colour modes and screen quality all change what you see. A shade that looks vivid on one screen may look duller on another. Use a screen for narrowing down, not for the final verdict.
Compare shades fairly
Your memory of colour is not reliable. After a minute, two similar shades blend together in your mind. A better method is to compare under identical conditions:
- Fix your setup. Same place, same light, same distance from the camera.
- Try one shade at a time and take a photo or write a note for each.
- Compare side by side afterward, instead of judging from memory.
- Look at the whole face, not just the lips or cheeks. A shade should work with your skin, your eyes and your hair.
- Come back later. Look again after a break. A shade you liked immediately sometimes looks less convincing on a second look, and the reverse.
Narrow down to two or three finalists, then decide using the real product if you can.
Think about finish and intensity
A shade is only part of the effect. Finish and intensity change the look a lot.
- Matte, glossy and shimmer finishes reflect light differently. A glossy version of the same colour looks lighter and softer than a matte one.
- Intensity matters as much as the colour. A bold shade used lightly, such as dabbed on and blended, can look like a completely different product.
- Blending softens edges and makes colour look more natural, especially for blush and eyeshadow.
When you test, try the same shade at low, medium and high strength. Many people discover that the shade they thought was wrong for them just needed a gentler touch.
Consider the whole look
Makeup rarely goes on alone. A lipstick looks different beside a strong blush or a dark eyeliner. If you plan to wear several products together, test them together. A balanced look usually has one point of emphasis, such as bold lips or defined eyes, with the rest kept softer.
Your hair colour, eye colour and clothing also matter. A shade that suits you in a plain top may look very different with a bright scarf.
Common mistakes
- Choosing under a single yellow bulb. This shifts every colour toward orange.
- Judging from one still photo. Move, smile and turn your head. A shade may look different from other angles.
- Buying a shade because it looked good on someone else. Skin, undertone and finish all change the result.
- Assuming the screen is exact. Use it to narrow down, then check the actual product where you can.
- Ignoring seasonal changes. Skin can look lighter or darker at different times of year, so a shade that matched in winter may need a different pick in summer.
Getting more from virtual try-on
Virtual try-on tools use face tracking to place colour on your lips, cheeks, eyes and brows in real time. They are very good for quickly trying many shades, which is difficult with physical testers. To use them well:
- Face a window or soft light, with the phone at eye level.
- Start with mid-level intensity and adjust.
- Take a photo of each shade you like and compare them afterward.
- Move your head and smile before deciding.
- Treat the result as a shortlist, not a final answer.
Try shades with MakeUpTakeUp
MakeUpTakeUp is Swoqy’s virtual makeup try-on app. It uses the front camera to show lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner, brows and blush on your face live, with several styles for each and sliders for intensity and blend. Categories can be combined into a full look, and you can take a photo to save in your gallery, which makes the comparison method above easy to follow. Camera images and face points are processed on the phone itself.