Knowing your exact skin tone name and number can be extremely helpful when shopping for makeup, clothing, and jewelry. With so many complexion products on the market catering to specific skin tones, determining where you fall on the spectrum is key for finding items that will be flattering. There are a few different skin tone classification systems that are commonly used to categorize complexions into distinct groups. Understanding these systems and learning how to figure out your skin’s undertones is the first step to identifying your unique skin tone name and number.
Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale
Developed in 1975 by Harvard Medical School dermatologist Thomas Fitzpatrick, the Fitzpatrick skin typing scale categorizes skin into six types based on reaction to sun exposure. The scale ranges from very fair skin that always burns and never tans (Type I) to darkest brown skin that never burns and tans profusely (Type VI). Here are the Fitzpatrick skin types:
- Type I – Ivory or pale white skin, blond or red hair, blue eyes, freckles. Always burns, never tans.
- Type II – Fair or white skin, light hair and eyes. Usually burns, tans minimally.
- Type III – Cream white to light brown skin, any eye or hair color. Sometimes mild burn, gradually tans.
- Type IV – Moderate brown skin, typically brown eyes and dark hair. Rarely burns, tans easily.
- Type V – Dark brown skin, Middle Eastern skin types. Very rarely burns, tans very easily.
- Type VI – Darkest brown to black skin, African skin types. Never burns, tans profusely.
While the Fitzpatrick scale focuses on sun reactivity, it can provide a starting point for determining your depth of skin tone. If you have very fair, easily burned skin, you are likely a Type I or II. Moderate to olive skin falls into Type III or IV, while the deepest skin tones are Type V and VI.
Seasonal Color Analysis
Seasonal color analysis is a technique for determining which color palette best suits your natural skin tone, eye color, and hair color. Developed in the 1970s by color consultant Carole Jackson, the seasons are used to categorize skin tones into four main groups: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each season corresponds to a unique set of characteristics:
- Spring – Warm and clear complexion, rosy cheeks, bright eyes, warm hair colors. True or clear springs have high contrast, while soft springs have low contrast between skin, eyes, and hair.
- Summer – Cool, muted, and delicate complexion, ashy blonde to brown hair, blue/grey eyes. Cool summers have higher contrast than soft summers.
- Autumn – Warm, earthy, and low contrast complexion, golden/reddish brown to dark brown hair, brown/amber eyes.
- Winter – Cool, vivid, high contrast complexion, dark brown to black hair, light eyes that can be icy blue, gray, or brown.
By analyzing your dominant facial characteristics and whether your skin leans warm or cool, deep or soft, you can determine which seasonal color palette suits you best. Online seasonal color analyzers can help determine your season.
MAC Cosmetics Skin Tone Numbers
MAC Cosmetics uses alphanumeric codes to categorize skin tones into shade families for their vast array of foundations and face products. The letters refer to the skin’s undertone, while the numbers indicate depth of skin color. Here is what each code means:
- N = Neutral undertone
- C = Cool pink undertone
- W = Warm peachy undertone
- Numbers ascending from 10 to 60+ indicate lighter to darker skin depths
Some examples of MAC shade codes include NW15, NC25, NW45, NC50, etc. By getting matched at a MAC store or counter, you can find out your unique MAC skin tone name.
Finding Your Undertones
Along with depth of color, your skin’s undertone is key for determining its true name. Undertone refers to the primary color hue that radiates from underneath the surface of your skin. There are three main undertones:
- Warm: Golden, yellow, peachy
- Cool: Pink, red, bluish tones
- Neutral: No strong warm or cool tones
Here are some ways to tell if you have warm, cool, or neutral undertones:
- Look at the veins on your inner wrist – bluish indicates cool, greenish means warm
- Do silver or gold jewelry look best against your skin? Silver is cool, gold is warm
- Which colors look most harmonious – jewel tones or earth tones? Jewel tones are cool, earth tones are warm
- How does your face react to blue vs. yellow-toned makeup? If blue tones look unnatural, you likely have warm undertones.
Neutral skin doesn’t lean strongly warm or cool and tends to look good in both silver and gold. If you aren’t clearly cool or warm-leaning, then you likely have a neutral undertone.
Common Skin Tone Names
Once you’ve determined your Fitzpatrick skin type, seasonal color palette, MAC shade code, and undertones, you can start to pinpoint your specific skin tone name. Here are some common names used to describe different skin tone depths and undertones:
| Skin Tone Depth | Cool Undertones | Warm Undertones | Neutral Undertones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very Fair | Porcelain, Ivory | Alabaster, Cream | Fair |
| Fair | Fair Pink | Warm Beige, Golden Beige | Beige |
| Light | Fair | Honey | Nude |
| Light Medium | Pink Beige | Warm Tan | Soft Tan |
| Medium | Natural | Golden Tan | Tan |
| Medium Tan | Sand | Golden | Beige Tan |
| Tan | Warm Sand | Honey Tan | Caramel |
| Deep | Chestnut | Rich Golden | Golden Brown |
| Very Deep | Espresso | Deep Golden | Bronze |
| Darkest Brown | Cocoa | Ebony | Smoky Black |
Skin tone names can vary slightly between different cosmetic brands, but these labels give you a good general idea of where your complexion fits in the spectrum.
Specialized Skin Tone Systems
Some companies have developed their own proprietary skin tone classification systems to market products targeted to specific complexion groups:
- Clinique: Categorizes skin tones into levels 1-6, plus associated undertones.
- Lancôme: Uses an alphabetic system from A-Z to identify undertone and depth.
- Estée Lauder: Double W system assigns a letter for undertone and number for depth.
- Dior: Uses numbers and letters like 1C, 2W, 3N to indicate cool, warm, neutral undertones.
Getting matched at one of these makeup counters can reveal your unique shade name in that brand’s system. This can be useful for buying those products, but may not translate directly to other brands.
Get Professionally Color Matched
For the most accurate reading of your skin tone name and number, consider booking a professional color analysis. Many department store makeup counters offer free complexion matching services where an artist will analyze your skin in person and use their trained eye to determine your perfect foundation shades across different brands. Professional color matching results in the most customized skin tone identification.
You can also visit a reputable esthetician who provides cosmetic skin analysis services, where they may use tools like colorimeters or handheld devices to measure the precise lightness levels and color hues of your complexion. More advanced methods like this can produce an extremely detailed accounting of your skin tone numbers.
Why Know Your Skin Tone Name?
Clearly defining your skin’s tone and undertone has many practical benefits when it comes to cosmetics, clothing, and more:
- Find foundation, concealer, and powders in your ideal shade
- Choose lipstick, blush, and bronzer hues that are flattering
- Select eyeshadow and brow colors that enhance your features
- Avoid clashing colors that don’t suit your skin undertone
- Build a harmonized wardrobe using your seasonal color palette
- Pick metals, gems and accessories that immediately compliment you
- Get custom blended medical treatments like chemical peels or microneedling
- Equip tattoo artists with your skin color specs to create better designs
Knowing your skin’s characteristics helps you play up your best features and pick cosmetics, clothing, and colors that align with your natural beauty.
Tips for Matching Your Skin Tone
Finding and buying the makeup, clothes, or jewelry that complements your skin tone can seem difficult. Here are some tips for matching colors and shades to your complexion:
- Test makeup in natural lighting – Department store lighting can distort how colors look.
- Swatch products on jawline or décolletage – These match your face better than hand swatches.
- Sample multiple shades – Don’t assume one product match works across all formulas.
- Check colors against your veins – See if they make your veins look more blue or green.
- Go for warm or cool versions of colors based on undertones – A cool red if you’re pink toned or warm if peach toned.
- Use your seasonal palette for clothing and accessory shopping – Compare items to your color swatches.
- Look for coordinating undertones – Match gold jewelry to a warm complexion or silver to a cool one.
With attentiveness to how colors interact with your skin, you’ll build an intuitive understanding of what flatters you most. Don’t be afraid to enlist help from cosmetic or clothing sales associates too.
Conclusion
Determining your precise skin tone name involves assessing characteristics like your Fitzpatrick skin type, seasonal color palette, MAC matching system shade, and undertones. Names like Light Warm Beige, Soft Autumn, NC25, or Deep Neutral further pinpoint where you fall on the color spectrum. Knowing your skin’s properties helps immensely when choosing makeup, clothing, metals, gems, and more. With so many products geared toward specific complexions today, finding your skin tone name is a valuable tool for enhancing your natural beauty.