Let’s have a heart-to-heart about makeup and your color season, because this is one of the top things people get confused about — and honestly? It’s not your fault. The makeup industry and the color analysis world do not communicate. At all. It’s like two divorced parents arguing over who gets custody of your face.
So let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense.
First: Overtone vs. Undertone (and Why You Need to Care About BOTH)
Here’s the thing people mix up constantly:
- Your overtone is the literal color of your skin. It is effected by outside elements and can vary throughout the year and as we age.
- Your undertone is the actual temperature happening under the surface. It is in your DNA and cannot be changed.
You need both to make your makeup work but they each have a different job. Why? Because your foundation isn't supposed to match your undertone. It’s supposed to match your skin. Your overtone.
Your undertone comes in later and we will get to it!
Let’s Talk Foundation: The Biggest Myth in the Beauty World
I know the color season world loves to say things like: “You’re cool-toned! You need a cool (pink) based foundation!” But no. That’s how we ended up with whole generations of women looking like Victorian ghosts in their wedding photos and others with orange lines on our jawlines.
Your foundation should blend into your skin so seamlessly that you can’t tell where it ends. Your undertone helps you choose finishing cosmetics, not your base.
And honestly? Part of the confusion is because the makeup industry hasn’t caught up:
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Warm undertone ≠ straight-up yellow
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Cool undertone ≠ Pepto Bismol pink
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Olive undertone ≠ “let’s just make it greenish, it’ll be fine”
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People of color are still chronically matched with shades that are too red or too orange
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Fair warm clients? Good luck finding a foundation that isn’t lemon-tinted
So yes your perfect foundation match might be labeled neutral, golden, peachy, or even something that doesn’t align with your “official” undertone because the formulas themselves are inconsistent.
Okay, So Where Does Undertone Actually Matter?
This is where things get fun because your undertone absolutely does come into play once your base is down.
Blush, lips, contour, eyeshadow is your playground for your undertone and your seasonal palette.
Blush is usually the easiest to start with:
- If you’re warm, peachy tones light you up.
- If you’re cool, rosy pinks make you look alive.
- Neutral undertones? You’re the kid who gets both sides of the menu.
Lips: Same idea the temperature makes a huge difference. But so does how dark and light your shade can be.
Contour and bronzer: THIS is where undertone is not negotiable.
- Warm bronzer on a cool undertone can make you look orange or red.
- Cool contour on a warm undertone will appear dirty and ashy.
But eyeshadow plays by its own rules.
Eyeshadow: Where Undertone Steps Aside for Your Eye Color
Eyeshadow is the rebel child. You could be cool-toned head to toe, but if you have brown or green eyes, a warm copper eyeshadow might be the hottest thing you ever put on your face.
You could be a warm undertone with icy blue eyes and suddenly a cool silver or taupe makes your eyes look like gemstones.
It’s not cheating on your season it’s called balancing your features.
If a color makes your eyes pop but technically leans warm or cool? Wear it.
Just make sure your blush or lip brings the harmony back.
Let’s Bust a Few Makeup-Season Myths While We’re Here
If you’ve heard any of these take a breath. Let them go.
Myth #1: Your foundation must match your undertone.
Reality: Please stop doing that to yourself.
Myth #2: “I’m a Summer so I can’t wear warm eyeshadow.”
Wrong. You have eyes. They like pretty things.
Myth #3: Color seasons dictate your entire makeup drawer.
If that were true, half the celebrities you love would look terrible because they all break the rules intentionally.
Myth #4: All warm undertones look yellow.
Absolutely not. Some are peach. Some are golden. Some are olive. Some are neutrally-warm. The range is massive.
Makeup Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All and That’s the Point
One of the flaws in traditional color season advice is that it tries to apply fabric rules to your face. Makeup formulas don’t behave like dyed cotton. Pigments shift. Textures change. Light reflects differently. A sheer blush won’t hit the same as an opaque lipstick.
There’s no universal formula only your formula.
And that’s what makes makeup so personal and so fun. You get to adjust. Play. Experiment. Break rules. Keep what works. Toss what doesn’t. And use your season as a guide not a prison sentence.
The Bottom Line? Makeup Should Feel Like You, Not a Rulebook
Blend your foundation into your overtone. Build your color story with your undertone. Let your eye color have opinionated moments. Balance it all with intention. That’s where the magic is.
And if you ever want personalized makeup recommendations just fill out this complimentary makeup match form!