skintones...undertones...what the??

i can say that i am a late-bloomer when it comes to makeup...well, not really because as far as i can remember, i started wearing a bit of makeup (powder, blush and lipstick) when i was in college. but at that time, my stuffs are mostly from my mom. i was fond of raiding her closet to look (and get) some of her makeups, without thinking if they suit me or not. it's not until i joined one message board and got addicted to reading topics about makeup that i came across the terms "skintone" and "undertones." geesh, i didn't know that these two are important in determining what shade of makeup would suit you.

Everyone's skin tone breaks down into two: (1) warm which has the yellow undertones and (2) cool which has the pink undertones. Once you determine what skin tone you have, it would be easier and of course, helpful for us in honing in on the most flattering makeup shades and colors of our wardrobes.

So here are four easy ways to determine your skin tone:

1. Try on a gold bracelet and a silver bracelet. If gold looks better on you, then you're warm. Otherwise, you're cool.
2. Get a piece of clothing with something orange and something pink in color. Probably a scarf or a towel and drape it around your head. If you look better in pink, then you're cool. Otherwise, you're warm.
3. Take a look at the veins on the inside of your wrists. If they are mostly bluish, then you're cool...if they are mostly greenish, then you're warm.
4. Get a white shirt and an off-white or cream-colored shirt. Try them one after the other. If cream looks better on you, you're warm so go for peachy tones. If white looks better on you, then of course, you're cool and pink shades would look best on you.

Now, if you think you look good on both...or you're confused as to whether you're a warm or cool since you can basically pull off colors from both undertones, then you have a neutral skin tone. This means you see some yellow, pink, beige or peach undertones in your skin.
And finally, after years of wearing (or rather, trying hard to wear makeup) i've discovered that i have a neutral skintone.

Now, is it a good thing or a bad thing? Since, i would have a wide range of color choices to choose from, i might get confused all the more. But one thing i learned about makeup is that as long as you can pull off the looks you're wearing...you are good to go.
(wink wink)