Best colors · By undertone
The best colors for cool undertones
A pink, rosy or bluish undertone that looks clear and even in blue-based colors and ruddy or gray in orange, gold and earthy browns.
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The short answer
The best colors for cool undertones are blue-based: navy, charcoal, soft white, emerald, sapphire, raspberry, berry, plum, lavender and icy pink. Blue-red is your most flattering red, and silver is the easiest metal. Avoid orange, mustard, camel, rust and golden yellow near your face; they make cool skin look ruddy, sallow or gray.
The palette
Colors that flatter cool undertones
A cool undertone is the pink, rosy or bluish cast beneath your skin, at any depth from porcelain to deep brown. Home tests give clues: blue or purple veins on the inner wrist, silver looking brighter than gold, optic white flattering you more than cream, and fair skin that turns pink in the sun before it tans. None is reliable alone, since lighting, redness and skin depth skew them, so look for a pattern. Undertone is also just one of three traits in 12-season color analysis. Value (how light or deep you are) and chroma (how clear or soft) matter as much.
Neutrals
Build coats, suits and trousers on these instead of camel, tan and warm brown.
- Soft White#F3F4F4
- Silver Gray#C3C7CD
- Slate Gray#66707C
- Cool Taupe#938A8C
- Charcoal#3A3D44
- Navy#233259
Everyday colors
Wear these at the neckline in shirts, knits, dresses and ties.
- Slate Blue#5B7DB1
- Rose Pink#D68AA5
- Lavender#B3A6D9
- Jade#3F8F80
- Soft Plum#7E5A78
- Powder Blue#B7CDE6
Statement colors
Saturated cool shades for evenings, events and one strong piece per outfit.
- Emerald#00805A
- Sapphire#1F4A9C
- Fuchsia#B0237F
- Blue Red#BF1533
- Berry#8E1F4F
- Royal Purple#5A2D8C
Why it works
Why these colors work
The best colors for cool skin tone share its blue base. Navy, raspberry, emerald and lavender repeat the rosy or bluish cast in your skin, so it looks even and your eyes look clearer. Orange, gold and earthy browns pull against it: on pink skin their yellow reads as ruddiness, and on deep cool skin as an ashy, gray film. Value and chroma then sort cool undertone colors further. Fair, soft coloring wants lighter, dusty versions like powder blue and rose, while dark, high-contrast coloring can carry black, pure white and full-strength jewel tones.
Your season
Seasons where cool undertones is common
Cool Winter
The coolest and clearest Winter, with medium to deep coloring and high contrast that can carry black, pure white, royal blue and fuchsia.
Cool Summer
Fully cool but lighter and softer, so slate blue, rose pink, raspberry and navy flatter more than black or icy brights.
Light Summer
Cool to cool-neutral coloring that is light and delicate, best in powder blue, lavender, soft rose and pale gray.
Deep Winter
Deep coloring that leans cool, with very dark hair and eyes that look striking in jewel tones, black and crisp white.
One trait doesn’t settle a season: undertone, depth and how soft or bright your coloring is decide it together. Avarobe reads all three from one selfie and shows your best and worst colors on your own face.
Keep away from your face
Colors to avoid
- Orange#F28C28
- Mustard#C99A2E
- Camel#C19A6B
- Rust#B04F1E
- Golden Yellow#F2C230
- Olive#7A7434
Keep these below the waist or in accessories, like camel trousers or a rust bag, and put navy, soft white or berry at your neckline instead.
Put it together
How to wear them
- Pick optic white or soft white over cream and ivory for shirts and tees, since warm whites can make cool skin look yellowish.
- Make navy, charcoal and gray your base instead of brown and camel. If you own a camel coat, wear it with a gray or berry scarf.
- Choose the blue-based version of a warm-looking hue: raspberry instead of coral, teal instead of olive, plum instead of rust, icy lemon instead of mustard.
- Match intensity to your contrast. Dark hair with light skin can take black and white together; softer coloring looks better in navy with pale gray.
- Go for gray, navy, black or burgundy leather in shoes and bags, and indigo or gray denim rather than washes with a yellow vintage tint.
Makeup
Lips in blue-red, raspberry, berry, rose and cool mauve, with a pink- or mauve-based nude instead of beige. Blush in rose or soft berry rather than peach. Taupe, plum, slate and navy shadows define your eyes.
Metals
Silver, white gold, platinum and pewter look the most natural on you. Rose gold is a gentle middle ground. If you love yellow gold, choose a pale, polished finish over brassy or antiqued ones.
Hair color
Ash blonde, ash brown, cool espresso and blue-black flatter cool skin, and gray or silver often grows in beautifully. Golden, copper and caramel tones can make redness more visible.
Questions
Cool undertones: FAQ
What colors look bad on cool undertones?
Orange, mustard, camel, rust, golden yellow and olive look worst near cool skin. Their yellow base makes a pink complexion look ruddy and a deep cool complexion look ashy. You can still wear them in trousers, shoes or bags. Near your face, trade them for cool counterparts, like raspberry for coral and gray for camel.
How do I know if I have cool undertones?
Look for a pattern of clues rather than one test: blue or purple veins, silver looking better than gold, pure white flattering more than cream, and skin that flushes pink easily. Lighting and redness can mislead any single test. Holding silver and gold fabric or foil under your bare face in daylight is the clearest check at home.
Can cool undertones wear gold?
Yes, in the right finish. Pale, polished yellow gold and rose gold can work, especially mixed with silver. Brassy, deep or antiqued gold tends to look harsh against cool skin. Silver, white gold and platinum remain the easiest choices because they echo the blue in your undertone instead of competing with it.
Can cool undertones wear black?
It depends on your contrast, not only your undertone. Cool Winters and Deep Winters wear black well because their coloring is dark and clear. Cool Summers and Light Summers often look shadowed in it, so navy, charcoal and slate gray make better choices near the face. Black trousers and shoes work for everyone.
What are the best colors for a cool skin tone?
Blue-based shades are the most reliable colors for cool undertones at any depth: navy, soft white, gray, emerald, sapphire, raspberry, plum, lavender and rose pink. Light, soft coloring suits powder blue and dusty rose best. Dark, high-contrast coloring suits black, pure white and jewel tones. Your exact season narrows the list further.
Keep exploring
Related guides
Avarobe
See your best colors on your own face
One selfie: Avarobe reads your undertone, depth and contrast, names your season and shows the colors that flatter you, and the one to keep away from your face.
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