Finding the right colors for your skin tone can be exhaustive. Just look at any makeup aisle. The sheer number of foundation colors speaks volumes about how unique each and every skin tone is. Luckily, there are a few tried and true tests designed to help you narrow down exactly what colors will make you shine.

The Tests

Silver and Gold – Hold up silver to your skin. Next hold up gold. Which one is more flattering? If it’s silver, you have cool skin. If it’s gold, you’re warm.

Veins – Next, take a look at your veins. Are they blue? Are they green? Are they neither? Blue indicates cool skin. Green indicates warm. A perfect mix of the two means neutral.

Sunshine – As a final test, how does your skin react to sunlight? If you tan instead of burn, you’re warm. If you burn instead of tan, you’re cool.

The Colors

By now, you should have a clear idea of what your skin tone is, be it cool, warm, or neutral. Here are the colors that work the best for each of the three.

Cool – Your color scheme includes all the colors that fall under what would be considered “cool” colors on the color wheel. Blues, purples, grays, white, rich reds, and pale yellows are all extremely flattering.

Warm – Warm tones work best with the “warm” colors, including orange, red, gold, yellow, and coral. If you’re looking to compliment yourself with neutrals, the best options include creams and taupe.

Neutral – Neutral is a fantastic group to fall in because you can don any color and pull it off. Unless you’re trying to make a statement, muted versions of bright colors are preferred over bright versions. That being said, there are always exceptions to rules and bright red is yours.