Makeup for cool undertones works best in blue based shades. Choose blue red, berry, rose and cool pink for lips, rose and mauve for blush, and gray, taupe, plum and jewel tones for eyes. Orange and golden shades are harder to wear. To find your full palette, try our free seasonal color analysis.
Why cool undertones need cool makeup
Cool undertones have pink, rosy or bluish hints. Makeup that shares that blue base blends with your skin and looks fresh. Makeup with a golden or orange base sits on top of the skin and can look muddy, or make skin look sallow by contrast.
If you are not sure you are cool, check with our undertone test. You are probably cool if silver flatters you more than gold, and pure white looks crisp next to your face.
Lipstick for cool undertones
Lips are where undertone shows most, because a lipstick color is right next to your teeth and skin.
- Blue red is the classic red for cool skin. It makes teeth look whiter.
- Berry and raspberry are bright but easy, and suit most cool skin.
- Rose and dusty rose make good everyday nudes for cool skin.
- Plum and wine add depth, especially on deep cool skin.
- Cool pink and fuchsia are fun and fresh, especially on fair and light cool skin.
Nudes are the hardest. Many nude lipsticks are peach or beige based, which can look washed out on cool skin. Look for rosy nudes, mauve nudes or a soft pink brown instead.
Blush for cool undertones
Blush should look like your own flush, and cool skin flushes pink.
- Fair and light cool skin, soft pink, petal pink and light rose.
- Medium cool skin, rose, berry and mauve.
- Deep cool skin, deep berry, plum, raspberry and cool fuchsia.
Peach, apricot and coral blushes can look orange on cool skin. If you want warmth, a rosy coral is easier than a true coral.
Eyeshadow for cool undertones
Cool undertones have a wide choice for eyes.
- Neutrals, taupe, cool brown, gray, charcoal and soft black.
- Jewel tones, plum, amethyst, emerald, sapphire and navy.
- Shimmers, silver, pewter, icy pink and champagne pink.
Gold and bronze can still work as an accent on the center of the lid, but a full warm bronze look is usually less flattering than a cool taupe or plum one.
Liner, mascara and brows
- Liner in black, charcoal, navy or plum. Brown liner works if it is a cool, ashy brown.
- Mascara in black or black brown. Navy or plum mascara can make blue and gray eyes pop.
- Brows in a cool or ash brown, matched to your hair. Warm, reddish brow products can look orange on cool skin.
Bronzer, contour and highlight
- Bronzer in a soft, neutral to cool brown. Orange bronzers stand out on cool skin.
- Contour in a gray brown or taupe, which mimics a natural shadow.
- Highlighter in pearl, icy pink, silver or champagne. Very golden highlighters can look yellow on fair cool skin.
Makeup for cool undertones at every depth
| Depth | Lips | Blush | Eyes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Soft pink, rose, sheer berry | Petal pink | Taupe, soft gray, lavender |
| Light | Rose, raspberry, blue red | Cool pink | Taupe, plum, navy |
| Medium | Berry, rose, blue red | Rose, mauve | Plum, gray brown, emerald |
| Deep | Plum, wine, deep berry | Berry, raspberry | Navy, plum, sapphire, silver |
Shades to use with care
| Shade | Why it can be tricky | A cooler alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Orange red lipstick | Can look harsh on cool skin | Blue red |
| Peach nude lipstick | Can look washed out | Rosy nude |
| Coral blush | Can look orange | Rosy coral, rose |
| Golden bronzer | Can look muddy | Taupe brown |
| Yellow gold shimmer | Can look brassy | Champagne pink |
Three easy looks for cool undertones
Everyday
A cool or neutral cool skin tint, a rose cream blush, a wash of taupe shadow, black brown mascara and a rosy nude balm. It takes five minutes and looks fresh in daylight.
Office
Add a soft gray brown liner smudged at the lash line, a little more taupe in the crease, and a berry or mauve lipstick. Keep blush soft and rosy, and set the face with a translucent powder.
Evening
Build a plum or navy smoky eye, add black liner, and finish with a blue red or deep berry lip. A touch of pearl or icy pink highlighter on the cheekbones catches the light. Keep the rest of the face simple so the eyes and lips stand out.
Makeup for cool undertones by eye color
Your eye color changes which shadows look most striking.
| Eye color | Shadows that make them stand out | Shadows that blend in |
|---|---|---|
| Blue or gray | Taupe, plum, navy, soft bronze as an accent | Very bright blue |
| Green or hazel | Plum, mauve, berry, gray brown | Bright green |
| Brown | Navy, emerald, plum, charcoal | Flat matte brown |
| Dark brown or black | Sapphire, emerald, silver, deep plum | Very dark matte shades |
As a rule, colors from the opposite side of the color wheel make eyes look brighter. Plum and mauve make green eyes pop, and navy makes brown eyes look warmer and deeper.
Cool makeup in different light
Cool shades can look different under warm indoor bulbs, which push everything toward yellow. A berry lip that looks perfect in daylight may look browner at night. For evenings, choose a slightly brighter or bluer version of your usual shade, and check your makeup by a window before you leave the house if you can.
Building a simple cool makeup kit
You do not need dozens of products. One of each of these covers most days.
- A foundation with a cool or neutral cool undertone. Our guide to cool undertone foundation explains how to find it.
- A rose or berry blush.
- A taupe eyeshadow and a plum or navy one for evenings.
- A rosy nude lipstick and a blue red one.
- Black or charcoal mascara and liner.
Your season fine tunes these choices. Summers look best in softer, lighter versions, and Winters in clearer, stronger ones. Our seasonal color analysis finds which one you are, and our guide to what colors look good on me helps with clothes too.