Foundation Shades

Find your shade without a match to start from

Don't own a foundation that matches? Pick your depth, answer three questions about your undertone, and we'll suggest three shades to sample in each of ten popular ranges.

1 Which swatch is closest to the skin on your jaw?

Look in daylight, near a window. If you're between two, pick the lighter one.

2 Which jewellery looks better against your skin?
3 What does your skin usually do in the sun, without sunscreen?
4 When a foundation looks wrong on you, which is it more often?

Or estimate from a photo

Your photo is read on this device only. It's never uploaded, sent or stored: the face reading runs in your browser. The first time, your browser downloads the face-reading files (about 7 MB).

Photos are a rough guide. Lighting, your camera and your screen all shift colour, so we show a range to sample, not one exact shade. For the best reading, sit facing a window in daylight with no makeup. Have a plain white or grey wall behind you, and only your face in the picture.

How to find your foundation shade with no match to start from

Finding your foundation shade comes down to depth and undertone. Depth is how light or deep your skin is, and undertone is whether it leans cool, neutral, warm or olive. Step 1 above sets your depth from ten real swatches, one for each tenth of the shades in our data. Steps 2 to 4 set your undertone.

The shortlist then gives three shades in each of ten well-known ranges. In each range you get the closest shade at your depth with the undertone you need, plus one lighter and one deeper. Three shades to sample is more honest than one, because the swatch you picked and your screen both shift colour a little.

Questions

How do I find my foundation shade without testing in store?

Narrow it down here, then test at home. Order samples of the three shades for your best range, or buy from a shop that takes returns. Swatch them side by side on your jaw in daylight. Leave them an hour before you decide, so you see how each one settles.

Can a photo find my foundation shade?

A photo gives a rough guide. Room light, your camera and your screen all change colour, so the photo estimate shows a range to sample rather than one shade. It works best in daylight from a window, with no makeup and a plain white or grey wall behind you.

Is my photo uploaded?

No. Your photo is read in your browser on your own device and never leaves it. The page also blocks every connection to other sites while it reads the photo.

How do the questions work out my undertone?

Each answer points to cool, warm or neutral, and the majority wins. If you say foundation often looks grey or both too pink and too yellow on you, we use olive. Mixed answers give neutral. We then prefer shades the brand lists with that undertone.

What if my skin is between two swatches?

Pick the lighter one, then check the "one deeper" shade in each range of your shortlist too. You can also see where your depth falls across many brands on the skin shade chart.

Already wear a shade that suits you?

Then skip this page and find that shade in every other brand. Matching from a shade you know is closer than starting from a swatch.

Ranges in the shortlist