UNDERTONES DEMYSTIFIED

THE 'FLOATING HEAD TEST’

Ever felt like you've crashed the Met Gala's 'Garden of Time' at the beauty counter? With makeup releases screaming, 'Pick me!', the struggle is real. Amidst the clamor when you finally try them at home, nada matches your skin. If you're tired of the endless trial and error to find the perfect shade, fear not, because I'm about to unveil a game-changer: the 'Floating Head Test’!

One of the most common makeup struggles is dealing with mismatched base products. People are often drawn to captivating shades, only to find them not matching their skin tone. Yet, beneath the surface of your skin tone lies a hidden dimension: undertones. Unlike your skin tone, which may change with the seasons, these undertones remain constant, holding the key to unlock your ideal palette and empower you to express your skin and hair preferences with confidence.

Makeup becomes our trusted ally once we understand our undertones. The secret? Separating shades from undertones. Skin shades span a beautiful spectrum from fair to deep, while undertones reveal the warmth, neutrality, or coolness within. Trust me, once you discover your undertone, finding your ideal shade becomes effortless.

Now, it's time to crack that code. While TikTok filters and IQ machines offer modern shortcuts to find your skin undertone, let's embrace an intuitive yet fun method: the 'Floating Head Test’.

Here's the scoop: grab a solid-colored fabric, drape it near your neck, and choose the hue that resonates with you. Whether it's magenta, cyan, yellow, silver, or gold—take your pick. If it seamlessly blends, that's your undertone giving you that radiant peachy glow, like a spotlight illuminating your complexion.

But if your skin feels off—looking ashy, gray, or unnaturally dark or yellow against the fabric—you'll notice a contrast, a floating head effect. That's your undertone telling you it's time to try a different fabric. It's all about owning your look, not letting it own you.

Photo courtesy of MUD.-

WRITTEN BY ANN GIOR

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAKE-UP DESIGNORY

MAKEUP DESIGNER: CHANTAL MARIANI

Now, here's a little challenge for you: This is a picture of me when I began my undertone journey—in a Master Makeup Artistry class. Can you spot the floating head effect and guess my undertone? Share your thoughts! Happy exploring!

VIBE CHECK: PRACTICAL TIPS FOR UNDERSTANDING YOUR UNDERTONE

• Warm-undertones: your skin seems to blend seamlessly with warm tones like gold, orange, or peach, chartreuse green, off-white, and warm reds.

• Cool-undertone skin: your complexion appears to complement cool shades like lavender, purple, berry, pink, fuchsia, blue, silver, and grass green.

• Neutral-undertone skin: your skin looks balanced and versatile with any shade.

• Olive-undertone: often being considered neutral and harmonizing well with earthy tones and yellow or orange-based reds.