What is Warm Skin Tone?

Warm skin tone is a term used in cosmetics to describe a person with yellow or golden undertones to his or her skin. Knowing whether skin is warm or cool can help define what type of colors, jewelry, and even hair color will help complement a natural skin tone. There are several ways to tell if skin is warm or cool.

One easy way to tell warm skin tone from cool is to look closely at veins in the arm. If veins appear more green than blue, the person typically has a warm skin tone. If veins appear more blue than green, the person is often considered to have cool skin. Vein checking only works on skin types where veins stand out enough from skin color to be easily noticeable.

Another way to determine if skin is warm or cool is by holding up swaths of gold and silver fabric next to the face. A warm skin person will almost always look more vibrant, colorful, and lively with the gold fabric. Silver fabric can make warm skin appear washed out or yellowish.

Choosing the best colors for a warm skin tone will vary from person to person. Most of the time, anything with a yellow undertone will compliment warm skin, while colors with blue or pinkish undertones may not make skin look its best. That does not mean that a person with warm skin tones must avoid cool colors entirely. Depending on hair and eye color and complexion, some people with warm skin can still look smashing in cooler colors.

Sometimes, people with warm skins are referred to as autumns or springs, based on several different skin tone analysis systems that use seasons to suggest the best colors for a person's complexion. People with an “autumn” warm skin tone look best in bold reds, golds, oranges, and leaf greens. Those with a “spring” complexions still use yellow-toned colors, but look best in muted shades like olive, warmer pinks and reds, and even some dusty lavenders and aqua colors.

In terms of hair color, people with warm skin tend to look best when using dyes that have a golden or copper base. Some experts recommend avoiding dyes that are listed as ash or have maroon red undertones. Many available hair dyes and highlighting kits will say whether they are for warm or cool skin tones; some common names for warm-enhancing colors include words such as golden, caramel, bronze, and copper.