What Tanning, Freckles, and Lips Say About Your Undertone

We’ve journeyed through identifying undertones with draping and understanding their impact on your style in our Colour Analysis Series. But sometimes, undertones can feel like a puzzle—elusive and hard to pin down just by glancing in the mirror. The good news? There are clues hiding in plain sight, woven into your unique features. From how your skin reacts to the sun to the hue of your lips, these subtle signs can reveal your undertone. Let’s explore what tanning, freckles, and more can tell you about your perfect colour palette!

Why These Clues Matter

Undertones shape how colours interact with your skin, but they’re not always obvious. Surface complexion can shift with seasons or makeup, making it tricky to rely on a quick look. By tuning into your body’s natural responses—like tanning habits or lip colour—you can uncover a more reliable guide. These hints, combined with draping, offer a fuller picture to help you choose shades that brighten and flatter.

Tanning: A Golden or Reddish Tale

Your skin’s reaction to the sun is a powerful clue:

• Warm-Toned Skin: This skin type often tans easily, thanks to its natural golden or peachy pigments. A warm undertone catches the sun beautifully, deepening into a rich, sun-kissed glow.

• Cool-Toned Skin: This skin is more likely to burn or turn red when exposed to sun. If it does tan, the result tends to be a brick-red or reddish-brown hue rather than golden.

Smart Question: Instead of asking, “Do you tan easily?”—which can be misleading—consider: What does your skin look like in winter, with no sun exposure? If it still carries a golden glow, you likely have a warm undertone. If it appears pinkish or pale, a cool undertone is more probable.

Freckles, Lips, and Ears: Hidden Hints

Beyond tanning, other features offer insight:

• Freckles: Often associated with warm-toned skin, especially in redheads or those with red in their family tree, freckles can sprinkle across fair to deep complexions. However, cool-toned individuals can have freckles too, so they’re not a definitive marker—more of a supporting clue.

• Lips and Gums: Warm undertones typically feature peachy, coral, or warm-toned lips, with gums that may have a slight golden tint. Cool undertones often show pink or plum lips—sometimes with a bluish undertone—and gums that lean toward a cooler pink.

• Ears: Warm-toned ears often have a golden or amber cast, blending seamlessly with sun exposure. Cool-toned ears tend to look pink and may flush red quickly, especially in cooler weather.

These details are like a personal code, waiting to be decoded to guide your colour choices!

Pro Tip: Skip the Vein Test

You might have heard of the “vein test”—checking the colour of veins on your wrist to determine undertone. Popular as it is, it’s unreliable. Lighting, skin thickness, and even hydration can skew the results, making veins appear green (warm) or blue (cool) inconsistently. Instead, trust the tanning, freckle, lip, and ear clues, paired with draping, for a more accurate read.

Building Your Seasonal Palette

Curious about your undertone? Book a personal colour analysis with us! We’ll use draping, professional tools and these feature clues to create a custom experience that highlights your beauty. Visit our website to schedule your session and start styling with confidence!