For Morenas, Here's What Works For Your Undertone

At Allure Philippines, we know that morena skin is stunning in every shade, and makeup artist Jigs Mayuga agrees. With nearly two decades of shaping the beauty landscape in the Philippines, he’s all for breaking rules—except when it comes to your base.

“When it comes to colors, there are no hard and fast rules,” he says. “But for foundation, you have to get your undertone right.”

Skin tone vs. undertone: Why it matters

Your skin tone is the shade you see in the mirror—the one that tans under the sun or lightens when you stay indoors. But your undertone? That’s the deeper hue beneath your skin, the one that never changes. And that’s what makes all the difference when choosing foundation, concealer, and color correctors.

Then there’s another question: Do you match your foundation to your face, neck, or chest? Mayuga prefers the chest for a seamless look, especially for morenas whose skin tones naturally shift across different areas.

Instead of an all-over foundation application that can make morena skin look flat, Mayuga strategically color-corrects according to your undertones and in thin layers, building up as needed. He custom-mixes products to match the skin’s natural depth, balancing warmth, coolness, and any uneven tones—no filters or retouching required. Read on and learn how he does it for your undertone.

How to find your undertone

For our very first Makeup Masterclass, we’ll guide you through identifying your undertone with three simple tests. The Vein Test is a quick way to check—if your veins appear green, you likely have a warm undertone; if they’re blue, you lean cool; a mix of both suggests a neutral undertone. But what about olive undertones? This category, common in Filipinas, sits closest to neutral but with a distinct greenish hue. The Vein Test alone often isn’t enough to pinpoint it.

Another trick is the Jewelry Test—gold jewelry tends to complement warm tones, while silver flatters cool undertones; if both suit you equally, you’re likely neutral. Finally, try the White Background Test by standing against a plain white surface. If your skin appears golden, you have a warm undertone; if it leans pink or blue, you’re cool; and if there’s a greenish cast, you likely have an olive undertone. Once you’ve decoded your undertone, it’s time to find the makeup shades that will enhance it best.

Warm undertones

Photo: Andrea Beldua

The golden glow most people associate with morenas? That’s actually just one piece of the spectrum. If your skin naturally tans golden like Sabina Gonzalez, you likely have warm undertones. The good news? Most beauty brands already cater to this shade range, making foundation shopping easier. Mayuga’s tip: Enhance—not mask—your warmth by neutralizing any coolness under the eyes and play up warm skin’s golden hue.

You have warm undertones if…

Your veins appear green
You look best in gold jewelry
Your skin appears peachy or golden against a white background

Pro artist picks

Laura Mercier Tinted Oil-Free Natural Skin Perfector SPF 20 in Bisque

₱2200 AT LOOK AT ME

Teviant Velvet Drop in Sex Appeal

₱595 AT Teviant Beauty

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Translucent Honey

₱2250 AT RUSTAN’S

Dior Backstage Eye Palette in 003 Warm Essentials

₱3950 AT DIOR

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Light Revealer in Bisque is a lightweight tint that evens out the skin.
Teviant Velvet Drop in Sex Appeal has a peachy flush that complements golden tones.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Translucent Honey keeps shine at bay.
Dior Backstage Eye Palette in 003 Warm Essentials is a warm-toned palette that takes you from soft glam to bold looks.

Cool undertones

Cooler morena skin—like Anna Panthera’s—has hints of pink or blue. The wrong shade of foundation can make it look too warm or even ashy. Mayuga’s rule? Avoid anything overly yellow or orange. To tone down any redness, Mayuga recommends a blue corrector instead of the popular green to better complement your undertone.

You have cool undertones if…

Your veins appear blue or purple
You look best in silver jewelry
Your skin appears pinkish or bluish against a white background

Pro artist picks

Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Crème Contour and Powder Bronzer Duo in She’s Sculpted

₱2770 AT SEPHORA

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Radiance Enhancer

₱5220 AT RUSTAN’S

Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in 506 Endless Cacao

₱1300 AT SEPHORA

Elf Cosmetics Camo Color Corrector in Blue

₱499 AT LOOK AT ME

Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Crème Contour and Powder Bronzer Duo in She’s Sculpted is the right shade of gray for cool skin.
Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Radiance Enhancer has a peachiness that counteracts blue tones around the eye area.
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in 506 Endless Cacao is a true cool-toned lip liner.
Elf Cosmetics Camo Color Corrector in Blue neutralizes unwanted redness.

Olive undertones

Photo: Andrea Beldua

If you’re a morena and grew up hating foundation for always appearing too ashy or too yellow on you, chances are, you are an olive-toned morena like Alysa Esponilla, who had to learn how to mix her foundation from many other mismatches to even out her skin from hyperpigmentation. Mayuga’s approach to olive-toned morenas is to correct ashiness and grayness, while letting the skin’s natural bronziness shine through.

You have olive undertones if…

Your veins appear greenish-blue—sometimes even teal
You look best in gold jewelry
Your skin appears greenish or gray against a white background

Pro artist picks

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Face Primer in 9 Grayness Reducer

₱2200 AT SEPHORA

MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl

₱1450 AT RUSTAN’S

Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder in Kunafa

₱2600 AT LOOK AT ME

GRWM Cosmetics Radiance Tint Color Corrector in Medium Peach

₱399 AT GRWM COSMETICS

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Face Primer in 9 Grayness Reducer cancels out ashy tones.
MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl is a morena favorite and opaque enough to color correct the lip line.
Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder in Kunafa balances olive skin’s greenish undertones.
GRWM Cosmetics Radiance Tint Color Corrector in Deep Peach brings warmth back to olive skin.

Neutral undertones

Photo: Andrea Beldua

Neutral and olive undertones are often lumped under one category, but the difference is especially noticeable on morena skin. Neutral undertones are not just simply between cool and warm—they can actually have both cool and warm tones throughout their complexion, something that Sophia Aguado had to learn to even out with bronzing. When they’re at their palest, the yellows in neutral undertones can appear. Mayuga recommends neutralizing it with lavender and purple primers for a quicker fix.

You have neutral undertones if…

Your veins appear both green and blue so it can be hard to tell them apart.
You look best in both gold and silver jewelry.
Your skin appears more green than blue against white background.