What Colors Look Best on Me?

Take the Quiz

1. What kind of jewelry looks better on your skin?
(a) Silver
(b) Gold
(c) Both

2. Which tends to make you look tired or washed-out?
(a) Ivory
(b) Pure white
(c) I look the same in both.

3. Which lipstick shades complement you better?
(a) Bluish pinks and reds
(b) Corals and orangey reds
(c) They're all equally flattering.

If You Answered More A's: Cool Undertone

Your skin

• Cool white (like Anne Hathaway)
• Rosy beige or rosy pink (Lucy Liu)
• Olive with blue or green undertones (Mindy Kaling)
• Black with blue undertones or rosy brown (Lupita Nyong'o)

Your natural hair color

• Ash-blond, sandy blond, or towhead
• Ash or dark brown
• Black with blue undertones
• Auburn
• Snow white or silvery gray

Your color prescription
Your predominantly blue undertones pair nicely with sea shades, as well as frosty purples and pinks, fresh greens, berry reds, cool grays, and crisp white.

Use orange, tomato reds, and yellow sparingly. "Super-warm shades pop too much on a cool person, making it look as if the color is wearing you," says New York City–based makeup artist Nick Barose.

If You Answered More B's: Warm Undertone

Your skin

• Creamy white (Claire Danes)
• Peachy beige (Freida Pinto)
• Golden olive (Salma Hayek)
• Honey brown (Beyoncé)

Your natural hair color

• Golden, honey, or strawberry blond
• Golden or caramel brown
• Brown black
• Copper or wine red
• Creamy or pewter white

Your color prescription
Rich, earthy shades of red, orange, yellow, green, and brown make your golden undertones look radiant. The same holds for peach, coral, and red violet. When shopping for neutrals, opt for warm grays (mushroom, taupe) and off-whites. Your best blues are periwinkle and teal—anything chillier can give your skin a grayish cast, says Barose.

If You Answered More C's: Neutral Undertone

Your skin

• Ivory (Julianne Moore)
• Beige (Lena Dunham)
• Light to medium olive (Julia Roberts)
• Light brown (Kerry Washington)

Your natural hair color

• Blond, brown, red, or white/gray, all with both warm and cool tones

Your color prescription
Your hybrid warm-cool coloring puts the whole rainbow in play. But in general, it's better to choose softened sherbet shades, like muted raspberry, Creamsicle, lemon, and lavender. Ultra-brights, like magenta and electric blue, can overwhelm the balance in your complexion, says Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Your go-to megawatt color: true red.

These Shades Work on Everyone (Really!)

"Certain colors flatter all skin tones and hair colors because they provide an equal balance of warm and cool," says Eiseman. Three of her picks: true red, blush pink, and teal all bring out the natural flush in a face. Eiseman also likes eggplant for its deep versatility that can take the place of a neutral in an outfit, making it a great wardrobe staple.