# Concealer shade: match the undertone, not the lightness

Source: https://complexionnotes.com/2026-11-06-concealer-shade-undertone-not-lightness.html

A concealer that is light enough but the wrong undertone will look wrong by noon, and the wrongness has a specific colour. Too pink on a warm undertone goes grey. Too yellow on a cool undertone goes sallow. Too light in any undertone goes ashy, which is the grey cast that photographs worst. Shoppers keep buying lighter, because lightness is the number they can see, and the problem is undertone, which is the number they cannot.

Undertone is the colour underneath the skin, and it does not change with a tan. Warm undertones go yellow, peach, or golden. Cool undertones go pink or rosy. Neutral undertones sit between them. The concealer has to match the undertone first, and the lightness second, because a light concealer in the wrong undertone is a visible mistake, while a right undertone in a slightly dark shade is a mistake nobody notices.

## The vein test, and why it is not enough

The vein test is the usual advice: green veins mean warm, blue veins mean cool. It is a starting point, not a verdict, because veins look different under different light and through different skin depths. The better test is the jewellery test and the white paper test together. Gold jewellery looks right on warm undertones and brassy on cool ones. Silver looks right on cool undertones and cold on warm ones. A white sheet of paper held next to the face shows the undertone by contrast: yellow next to white reads warm, pink next to white reads cool.

Then test the concealer on the jawline, not the hand. The hand is a different colour from the face, and a shade that matches the hand will not match the face. The jawline is where the concealer has to disappear, and the test is whether it disappears in daylight, not under shop lights. Shop lights are warm and flattering, and they hide exactly the undertone error you are trying to catch.

## Under eye is a different job from blemish

Under eye concealer and blemish concealer are two different products doing two different jobs, and the shade rules are different for each. Under the eye, the problem is darkness with a blue or purple cast, and the fix is a peach or salmon undertone that corrects the blue before it covers it. A concealer that is simply light will cover the darkness and leave a grey cast, because light alone does not correct blue.

On a blemish, the problem is redness, and the fix is a yellow undertone that matches the skin exactly, not lighter. A blemish concealer should disappear into the skin. An under eye concealer should be a touch lighter than the skin, to brighten. Using the same shade for both jobs is why one of them always looks wrong.

## The shade to buy

Buy the undertone first and the lightness second. Test on the jawline in daylight. Keep the receipt, because undertone errors show up after an hour of wear, not in the shop. A concealer that matches the undertone and is close on lightness will look right all day. A concealer that is light and wrong underneath will look right for ten minutes and wrong for the rest of the day, which is the worse deal.

Keep reading: [Tinted moisturiser shade matching: undertone decides, depth only confirms](https://complexionnotes.com/2026-11-05-tinted-moisturiser-shade-matching-undertone.md), [Powder foundation over sunscreen: why it drags](https://complexionnotes.com/2026-11-03-powder-foundation-over-sunscreen-dragging.md).

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I find my undertone?

Check veins, jewellery, and a white sheet of paper together. Green veins and gold jewellery suggest warm, blue veins and silver suggest cool. A white sheet next to the face shows yellow for warm and pink for cool. No single test is a verdict on its own.

### Why does my concealer look grey by noon?

Usually the undertone is wrong. Too pink on a warm undertone, or too light in any undertone, reads grey as the day goes on. Match the undertone first and the lightness second, and the grey cast goes away.

### Should under eye concealer and blemish concealer be the same shade?

No. Under the eye you need a peach or salmon undertone to correct blue darkness, and a touch lighter than the skin to brighten. On a blemish you need a yellow undertone that matches the skin exactly and disappears into it.

### Where should I test a concealer shade?

On the jawline, in daylight. The hand is a different colour from the face, and shop lights are warm and flattering, hiding exactly the undertone error you are trying to catch.