Makeup Artists Daniel Martin and J. Brandon Correa Explain How to Determine Skin Undertone
In a Vogue guide, celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin and J. Brandon Correa from YSL Beauty discuss how to identify skin undertones. These undertones—cool, warm, neutral, and olive—remain unchanged even when the skin's surface does. Martin suggests using a jewelry test: silver for cool undertones, gold for warm, both for neutral, and rose gold for olive. Correa advises checking skin folds in natural light and comparing them with familiar fabrics. For foundation, those with cool undertones should opt for pink bases, warm for yellow, neutral for balanced beige, and olive for muted shades. Concealer should align with undertones, while blush, lipstick, highlighter, and bronzer should also be chosen accordingly. Correa adds that bold colors can be used to intentionally contrast undertones.
Key facts
- Daniel Martin is a celebrity makeup artist and Tatcha global director of artistry and education
- J. Brandon Correa is a celebrity and YSL Beauty national makeup artist
- Skin undertone is the color beneath the surface of skin tone and tends to stay consistent
- The most common undertones are cool, warm, neutral, and olive
- Cool undertones carry pink, red, rosy, or blue hints; warm lean yellow, peach, golden, or orange
- Martin's jewelry test: silver flattering means cool, gold means warm, both means neutral, other metals suggest olive or neutral
- Correa advises checking skin folds such as elbows, neck, jawline, and ears in natural daylight
- Undertone generally does not change, but surface redness, rosacea, inflammation, hyperpigmentation, melasma, acne marks, and hormonal shifts can affect appearance
Entities
Artists
- Daniel Martin
- J. Brandon Correa
Institutions
- Tatcha
- YSL Beauty
- Vogue