Choosing between 14 shades can feel overwhelming if you don't know your undertone — but figuring it out takes less than a minute, and it's the single biggest factor in whether a concealer looks seamless or slightly "off."
Three Simple Ways to Check Your Undertone
- Vein check: Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist in natural light. Greenish veins usually mean a warm undertone. Bluish or purplish veins usually mean a cool undertone. If you can't tell, or they look both, you're likely neutral.
- Jewelry check: If gold jewelry generally suits you better, you likely lean warm. If silver suits you better, you likely lean cool. If both look equally good, you're likely neutral.
- Sun response: Skin that tans easily and rarely burns tends to lean warm. Skin that burns before it tans tends to lean cool.
Matching Your Undertone to a Shade
Shyr's Face It Concealer Stix range is built around exactly this — 14 shades spanning fair, medium, tan, and deep, each available in neutral, warm, or cool. A few reference points:
- Fair Cool: Toxic 03
- Fair Warm: Exotic 02, Ouch 04
- Fair Neutral: Hitched 01
- Medium Neutral: Hookup 07
- Tan Cool: EX 11
- Deep Neutral: Hickey 12, Tease 14
- Deep Warm: Playgirl 13
Why Getting Undertone Right Matters More Than Getting Depth Right
A shade that's slightly too light or dark is far less noticeable than a shade with the wrong undertone — the wrong undertone is what creates a visible "mask" effect, where concealer looks like a separate layer instead of your skin. Depth (how light or deep) is the second decision; undertone is the first.
If You're Still Not Sure
Neutral shades are the safest starting point if you genuinely can't tell — they sit reasonably well on both warm and cool skin while you continue to figure out your undertone over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can't tell if my veins are green or blue? You're most likely neutral — start with a neutral-undertone shade.
Does undertone change with a tan? Your depth (how light or dark) can shift with sun exposure, but your underlying undertone generally stays the same.
Can I mix two shades to get my undertone right? Yes — blending a small amount of a warm and a cool shade together is a common way to fine-tune if neither shade alone is a perfect match.
Is undertone the same for concealer, foundation, and bronzer? Yes — the same undertone logic applies across all base products, including using a deeper shade as a bronzer.