Undertone Check: Identify Client Tone and Match with 2 Balanced Lip Shades

No matter how perfect your sketching or blending technique is, if the color clashes with your client’s undertone, the entire look can fall flat—or worse, distract from their face altogether.

Understanding undertones isn’t just about picking “cool” or “warm” shades. It’s about reading skin like a canvas and knowing which lip tones will lift, ground, or soften the overall impression.

This blog teaches you how to check your client’s undertone in real-time and select two balanced lipstick shades: one for everyday harmony, and one for elevated contrast—without breaking natural flow.

An undertone is the subtle hue beneath your skin’s surface. While surface skin may change with sun exposure, undertone stays the same.

There are three main undertones:

Cool: Hints of pink, red, or blue beneath the skin

Warm: Hints of yellow, peach, or golden hues

Neutral: A balance between warm and cool, or an olive-like tone

Choosing a lip color that aligns with or enhances your client’s undertone results in a more natural, balanced, and flattering look.

This process doesn’t require fancy tools. All you need is observation, good lighting, and a few test cues.

Have your client face a window with daylight or use neutral studio lighting. Avoid warm indoor bulbs or colored LED lights—they distort skin tone.

Look at the veins inside the wrist:

Blue or purple veins = cool undertone

Greenish veins = warm undertone

Hard to tell / both = neutral undertone

Pro Tip: Don’t rely on this test alone—it’s one of several signals.

Ask your client what jewelry they wear most:

Silver looks better? Likely cool

Gold looks better? Likely warm

Both look good? Probably neutral

Hold a piece of white paper next to the client’s face. If the skin looks:

Pink, rosy, or reddish → cool

Yellow, golden, or peachy → warm

Grayish or olive → neutral

Burn easily in the sun

Eyes are often blue, gray, or cool brown

Blush naturally pink or rose

Look better in jewel tones (sapphire, emerald, ruby)

Tan easily

Eyes often amber, hazel, or warm brown

Blush naturally peach or coral

Look better in earthy tones (olive, terracotta, mustard)

May tan or burn depending on sun intensity

Skin appears olive or balanced

Look good in both cool and warm colors

Blush varies based on weather, activity, or lighting

Bouba World recommends pairing each undertone with two lip shades:

Balanced Shade – harmonizes naturally with the skin; ideal for daily wear

Statement Shade – adds contrast but stays within undertone range; perfect for events or photos

This approach gives your client variety without disconnecting from their complexion.

Balanced Shades:

Mauve pink

Berry rose

Blue-based red (e.g., cherry red)

Statement Shades:

Deep plum

Magenta

Cranberry

Avoid: Orange-based reds, coral, or anything with yellow lean.

Balanced Shades:

Peach nude

Terracotta

Coral pink

Brick red

Statement Shades:

Burnt orange

Warm chili red

Amber rose

Avoid: Blue-reds, grayish tones, or very cool nudes.

Balanced Shades:

Nude beige

Soft rosewood

Classic red (neither too blue nor orange)

Statement Shades:

Mulberry

Deep peach

Warm wine

Avoid: Overly pale or ashy shades; they wash out balanced skin.

Use your visual checks and daylight setting to identify cool, warm, or neutral.

Start with a lipstick that mirrors their undertone—this builds immediate harmony.

Then show a lipstick that adds mood or pop, but still respects their undertone range. This is your occasion color.

To help clients visualize, apply one shade to the top lip and the other to the bottom.

Ask them:

Which feels more like “you”?

Which one feels like a photoshoot?

Would you wear this to work or out to dinner?

This helps them build emotional vocabulary around lip color—and makes you a more intuitive artist.

You can also mix your balanced and statement shades directly on the lip.

Example for Warm Undertone:

Line lips with terracotta pencil

Blend in a warm brick lipstick

Dab peachy nude in center of bottom lip for volume

Example for Cool Undertone:

Line with berry pencil

Fill with mauve lipstick

Tap a cooler cherry red in center for depth

This creates personalized shades that fit the client’s tone and occasion.

Terms like "nude" or "universal red" are often misleading. Two clients with the same skin depth can have totally different undertones.

Just because coral is in season doesn’t mean it works for a cool-toned client. Let undertone guide, not trend.

Always color-match in neutral or daylight lighting. Indoor bulbs cast orange or green tints that skew judgment.

The wrist or hand isn’t the lip. Always swatch near the mouth or directly on the lips with hygienic methods.

A lipstick that matches undertone doesn't just look good—it feels right. Your client will see themselves more clearly. They’ll smile differently. They’ll feel more pulled together.

Great makeup doesn’t transform—it clarifies.

You choose a soft peach nude for the ceremony. For photos, you deepen the shade to brick with a terracotta liner.

You build a strong lip using a matte berry with a blue-red pop in the center. High contrast, still undertone-aligned.

A creamy rosewood offers natural softness. You show her a muted wine tone for evenings—elegant without feeling overdone.

Lips are personal. Undertone is the key to making that personal look professional.

When you choose shades that match the inner tone of your client—not just the outer color—you stop painting faces and start designing emotions.

One tone brings trust. The second shade brings transformation.

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