What Skin Colors Have Cool Undertones? A Quick Guide

Cool undertones can appear in fair, medium, tan, deep, and every shade of skin in between; they describe the subtle color beneath your surface complexion, not how light or dark your skin looks. If your skin has a pink, rosy, red, or bluish cast, you may have cool undertones, though lighting, sun exposure, and surface redness can make that harder to judge at a glance.

Check the product’s listed specifications when evaluating cool undertones aren’t one skin color.

To get a better sense of your undertone, look at your skin in indirect natural daylight and compare a few clues: veins that appear blue or purple, a preference for crisp white over creamy ivory, and silver jewelry that looks especially harmonious may point toward cool undertones. None of these clues is definitive on its own, so we suggest weighing what you notice across several situations rather than deciding based on one vein or one piece of jewelry.

Try holding silver-toned and yellow-gold-toned jewelry near your face, one at a time, in the same light; notice whether one brings more clarity to your complexion while the other seems to emphasize shadows or redness. Our gold-or-silver jewelry guide explores this comparison, and our Find the Jewelry That Makes You Glow – Jewelry Guide eBook & Checklist, Skin Undertone Gold vs Silver Digital Download is another option if you want a dedicated guide.

Silver, white gold, and platinum are often suggested for cool undertones, but a cool undertone does not rule out yellow gold, rose gold, mixed metals, or any color you love. The finish, size, and placement of a piece can change its effect, so we recommend comparing jewelry you would actually wear rather than treating your undertone as a strict rule.

Check the product’s listed specifications when evaluating choose what you enjoy wearing.