Porcelain
cool · Fitz I
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Skin Tone Chart for Foundation
A foundation skin tone chart is two axes: depth (how light or deep) and undertone (cool, warm, neutral, olive). Brand letters — C, W, N, G — are that second axis with different names. This page maps the named shades from porcelain to ebony so you can pick a depth row first, then the letter, then check the jaw in daylight. Seasonal color analysis is a later filter: the foundation that disappears can still sit in the wrong season for lipstick and clothes.
The Chart
Skin Tone Chart for Foundation — every named shade
Ivory
warm · Fitz I–II
Fair
neutral · Fitz II
Light Beige
warm · Fitz II–III
Beige
neutral · Fitz III
Sand
warm · Fitz III–IV
Honey
warm · Fitz IV
Caramel
warm · Fitz IV
Bronze
warm · Fitz IV–V
Cocoa
neutral · Fitz V
Mahogany
warm · Fitz V–VI
Espresso
neutral · Fitz VI
Depth row, then the letter, then the jaw
Skip the wrist. Skip the store’s yellow spotlights. Porcelain through fair beige is Fitzpatrick I–II; beige through honey is III; caramel through bronze is IV; cocoa through ebony is V–VI. Once the row is right, the letter is undertone. If peach and pink both look wrong, you are usually olive — use the olive skin tone chart, not a warmer beige. Concealer should be the same undertone as foundation, a half-step lighter at most. Powder that is cooler than the base will ash the jaw by afternoon.
When the match disappears but the lipstick still fails
That is color season, not foundation. A Warm Autumn can wear a perfect honey-beige base and still look tired in dusty rose. A Cool Winter can wear espresso foundation and still look grey in camel. After the product disappears, hold white vs ivory and gold vs silver at the collarbone. The three-question quiz on this site maps that neighborhood. The iOS photo analysis is for when the jaw match is done and the wardrobe still fights the face.
Answers
Skin Tone Chart for Foundation FAQ
How do I use a skin tone chart for foundation?
Find your depth row in daylight at the jaw — not the wrist, not indoor bulbs. Then pick undertone: pink/rosy = cool, peach/golden = warm, neither = neutral, green-gold = olive. Stripe two neighbours on the jaw. The one that disappears in ten minutes is the match, not the one that looks right in the pan.
Why does my foundation oxidize or look ashy?
Oxidation (turning orange) is often a too-warm or too-yellow base on a cooler jaw. Ash is often a too-cool or too-light base on a warmer or deeper jaw. Both are depth-or-undertone errors, not “your skin changed.” Recheck the row before buying a new brand’s numbering system.
Is foundation shade the same as my color season?
No. Foundation matches surface depth and undertone so the product disappears. Season also uses hair and eye contrast, and it governs lipstick, metal, and clothes near the face. Two people in the same foundation can be Soft Autumn and Cool Summer.
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