Choosing the Best Frame Color for Your Skin Tone

By Meredith Marmurek 

Did you know that your skin tone can affect how your glasses and sunglasses look on you? Read on to find out how to choose the best frame color for you.

What Are Skin Tones and Undertones? 

Skin tones and undertones are related, but they aren’t quite the same thing. Skin tone refers to the color (or tone) of the surface of your skin. Skin tones are generally divided into four categories:  

• Light 

• Fair 

• Medium 

• Dark (or Deep)  

Undertones are the subtle hints of color just beneath your skin’s surface. They are typically split into the following groups:  

• Warm 

• Cool 

• Neutral  

If your skin seems to have faint hints of yellow or green, you probably have a warm undertone. People with a cool undertone tend to have slight hints of blue or pink. If you can’t identify an underlying color below your skin’s surface, your undertone is most likely neutral. 

Your complexion encompasses your skin tone and undertone, along with your skin type (dry, oily, etc.). It describes the overall look and feel of your skin. Categories typically range from very light or fair to very dark or deep. Knowing the shade or color of your complexion can also help you choose your best frame color.  

How to Determine Your Skin Tone  

If you’re not sure how to classify your skin tone or undertone, here are a few things to consider: 

• What color are your veins? – Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Are they green? If so, your undertone is warm. If your veins look blue or purplish, you have cool skin undertones. If you can’t figure out your vein color, you have a neutral skin tone.  

• What happens to your skin in the sun? – Do you tan and rarely burn? If so, you may have a warm or neutral skin tone. Do you burn easily? If yes, that means you probably have a cool skin tone.  

• Do you prefer gold or silver jewelry? – Put a piece of gold jewelry and a piece of silver jewelry on the inside of your wrist and see which looks best. If it’s gold, you likely have a warm skin tone. If silver looks better, your skin tone is probably cool. If both colors are flattering, your skin tone is likely neutral. 

• What color are your eyes? – If you have a light eye color like blue, your skin tone is probably cool. If your eye color has gold in it, that means you may have a warm skin tone. Some eye colors like brown can be neutral, depending on the shade. 

Best Glasses Colors for Light Skin 

If you have light skin with a warm undertone, a brown eyeglass frame should be a flattering color. Other colors to try include gold, pink, and purple. 

If your skin is light with a cool undertone, shop for glasses and sunglasses with these frame colors: 

• Blue 

• Gray 

• Pink 

• Silver 

Best Glasses Colors for Medium Skin 

Here are some frame colors that complement medium skin with warm undertones: 

• Brown 

• Gold 

• Green 

• Tortoise 

If your medium skin has cool undertones, these colors should look best on you:  

• Black 

• Blue 

• Purple 

• Red 

Best Glasses Colors for Deep Skin 

Is your skin deep and warm-toned? Here are some good eyeglasses and sunglasses colors for you:  

• Brown 

• Gold 

• Green 

• Tortoise 

Considers these frame colors if you have deep skin with cool undertones: 

• Black 

• Blue 

• Green 

• Purple 

Best Glasses Colors for Neutral Skin Tones 

If your skin has a neutral undertone, you can wear almost any color of glasses or sunglasses frame. Some of the best colors for you are: 

• Gold 

• Silver 

• Brown 

• Purple  

Choosing the right glasses or sunglasses color for your skin tone can enhance your overall appearance and boost your confidence. Whether you have warm, cool, or neutral undertones, we have glasses and sunglasses to showcase your unique sense of style and help you look your best.  

SOURCES: 

1. What is your skin tone? Everything you need to know. Beauty Daily. Accessed December 2023. 
2. What color frames should I get? Eyebuydirect. Accessed December 2023.* 
3. Find perfect frame color for your skin tone & hair color. FramesDirect. Accessed December 2023.* 
4. How to match your glasses with your outfit. FramesDirect. Accessed December 2023.* 
5. How to determine skin tone. wikiHow. August 2023.** 

The sources listed here have been provided for informational purposes only. The citation of a particular source does not constitute an endorsement or approval of EssilorLuxottica products, services, or opinions by such source. 

*Like Foster Grant, Eyebuydirect and FramesDirect are affiliates of EssilorLuxottica. 

**Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki building the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at wikiHow.com. Content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons License.