Foundation shades for cool undertone, medium-tan skin
If your skin is cool-toned and medium-tan in depth, these 16 shades across 7 brands sit in your range by swatch colour. Depth is the primary match; undertone decides whether it looks like skin or a mask.
Skin Tone Finder
Your skin depth and undertone from a selfie — for foundation and concealer matching. Nothing is uploaded.
A guide for fun & self-improvement based on your photo — not a professional colour-matching service.
Shades in this range
- Annabelle SkinTrue Foundation - Soft Tan ($10.99)
- Cargo Cosmetics OneBase for Face - 04 - Medium/Dark with yellow undertone ($28)
- Cargo Cosmetics OneBase for Face - 045 - Medium/Dark with goldenundertone ($28)
- Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer - Medium ($20)
- Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder - 04 Stay Honey ($26)
- Colourpop No Filter Foundation - Deep Dark 115 ($12)
- Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation - Coconut ($18.49)
- Nyx Tinted Moisturizer - Tan ($10)
- Nyx Primal Colors - Hot Orange ($5)
- Nyx Hydra Touch Powder Foundation - Deep Espresso ($10)
- Nyx #NOFILTER Finishing Powder - Cocoa ($12)
- Nyx HD Studio Photogenic Foundation - Warm Sand ($18)
- Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 - DARK ($39)
- Smashbox Camera Ready CC Cream - DARK ($42)
- Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 - NEW SHADE! MEDIUM/DARK ($39)
- Smashbox Camera Ready CC Cream - NEW SHADE! MEDIUM/DARK ($42)
How to pick between them
- Cool undertone: look for C, R (rosy), P (pink) or 'cool'; yellow-based shades will look orange.
- Medium-Tan depth: if a shade is right in undertone but a touch off in depth, choose the lighter of two and warm it with bronzer - it reads more natural than going darker.
Not sure of your own undertone or depth? Run the free undertone test or the skin tone finder - it reads them from a selfie in your browser (nothing is uploaded) - then come back to the matching shades.
How this works: shade colours are the brands' published swatches, converted to CIE Lab and compared with ΔE (colour distance). Swatches are approximations - lighting, formula finish, oxidation and skin chemistry all shift how a foundation reads. Use these as a shortlist and verify on your jawline in daylight.
Let the free AI analyzer read your undertone and depth from a selfie - in your browser, never uploaded.
Try Makeup Check AIFAQ
Which foundation is best for cool undertone medium-tan skin?
Any of the 16 shades listed sit in the cool medium-tan range by swatch colour; popular picks include Annabelle Soft Tan, Cargo Cosmetics 04 - Medium/Dark with yellow undertone, Cargo Cosmetics 045 - Medium/Dark with goldenundertone. Verify on your jawline in daylight.
How do I know if I'm cool and medium-tan?
The free Makeup Check AI analyzer reads undertone and depth from a selfie in your browser (nothing uploaded); the vein test and jewellery test are quick manual checks.