Skin tone charts are used by makeup brands, artists, designers and anyone trying to find their best colors. A good chart combines two things: depth (how light or deep the skin is) and undertone (warm, cool, neutral or olive). This guide gives you common skin tone names, a chart with example HEX codes, and simple ways to identify your own skin tone.
Skin tone vs. undertone
- Skin tone describes depth: fair, light, medium, tan, deep. It can change with sun exposure.
- Undertone describes the hue beneath: warm (golden, peachy), cool (pink, rosy), neutral (balanced) or olive (green-grey cast). It stays the same.
Every skin tone can have any undertone. A "medium warm" and a "medium cool" skin need different foundation shades and look best in different colors.
Skin tone chart with names
The names below are common descriptive labels, not fixed categories. HEX codes are approximate examples for design and reference, since real skin varies with lighting and has many tones at once.
| Depth | Common names | Example HEX (cool / neutral / warm) |
|---|---|---|
| Fair | porcelain, ivory, alabaster | #F6E1DA / #F3DFD0 / #F5DFC4 |
| Light | light beige, light peach, cream | #EDCBBE / #EBCDB7 / #EECDA8 |
| Light-medium | beige, sand, light olive | #DDB1A2 / #DDB49A / #E0B88F |
| Medium | honey, golden, medium olive | #C99383 / #C69C7F / #CF9F72 |
| Tan | tan, bronze, caramel | #AF7C6C / #AE7F63 / #B88457 |
| Medium-deep | caramel, cinnamon, chestnut | #8F5E52 / #8E6049 / #96633F |
| Deep | cocoa, mahogany, espresso | #6B4339 / #6A4533 / #6E4527 |
| Very deep | ebony, deep espresso | #48302A / #463126 / #4A301F |
How to find your skin tone
- Look at your jawline in daylight, where face and neck meet. That is where foundation is matched.
- Compare with the chart's depth rows. Pick the row closest to your skin, ignoring redness or tan lines.
- Find your undertone with the jewelry, vein and white-vs-cream tests in our undertone guide.
- Combine both. For example, "light warm," "medium olive" or "deep cool."
Using your skin tone
Foundation
Most foundation ranges label shades by depth (a number) and undertone (a letter or word such as W, C, N, O). Match depth on your jawline, then choose the undertone that disappears into your skin.
Clothing colors
Depth tells you how much contrast you can handle; undertone tells you warm vs. cool colors. Together with clarity they form your color season. See the color analysis seasons guide or get your palette from a selfie with the AI color analysis.
Hair color
Hair shades that work with your undertone look most natural. Read the best hair color for your skin tone and preview shades on your own photo with the hair color changer.
Common skin tone terms
- Fair / porcelain: very light skin that burns easily.
- Olive: a green-grey or muted golden undertone on any depth. See our olive skin tone guide.
- Caramel: a warm medium-to-tan depth with golden undertones.
- Neutral: a balance of warm and cool.
- Uneven skin tone: variation in color across the face (redness, dark spots). It's about skin condition rather than undertone.
FAQ
What are the main skin tones?
Common depth categories are fair, light, medium, tan and deep, each with warm, cool, neutral or olive undertones.
What is my skin tone?
Compare your jawline in daylight with the chart's depth rows, then identify your undertone with the jewelry and vein tests.
What are skin tone HEX codes used for?
Designers, illustrators and game artists use them as starting points for realistic skin colors. Real skin contains many shades, so use several related HEX codes rather than one.
What is the difference between skin tone and undertone?
Skin tone is how light or deep your skin is and can change with tanning. Undertone is the warm, cool, neutral or olive hue underneath and stays the same.
What is a caramel skin tone?
Caramel describes warm, golden skin in the medium to tan range.
