Clinique Perfectly Real™ Makeup - Shade 42: closest matches in other brands
Clinique Perfectly Real™ Makeup in Shade 42 is a neutral-undertone, medium shade ($28). Below: the 8 closest foundation shades from other brands by colour distance, plus its neighbours in the same range.
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.
| Brand | Product | Shade | Undertone | Depth | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinique | Repairwear Laser Focus™ All-Smooth Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 | Shade 11 | Neutral | Medium | near-identical (ΔE 0.0) |
| Nyx | Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation | Deep Olive | Warm | Medium | near-identical (ΔE 0.6) |
| Nyx | Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation | Cool Tan | Neutral | Medium | near-identical (ΔE 1.0) |
| Clinique | Even Better Glow™ Light Reflecting Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 | WN 92 Toasted Almond | Neutral | Medium | near-identical (ΔE 2.0) |
| Fenty | MATCH STIX - Matte Skinstick | Suede - Warm | Neutral | Medium | near-identical (ΔE 2.0) |
| Nyx | Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation | Golden Beige | Neutral | Medium | very close (ΔE 2.1) |
| Clinique | Perfectly Real™ Compact Makeup | 144 | Neutral | Medium | very close (ΔE 2.2) |
| Fenty | PRO FILT'R - Soft Matte Longwear Foundation | 380 Cool | Neutral | Medium | very close (ΔE 2.2) |
ΔE under 2 = near-identical swatch, under 4 = very close, under 6 = close. Verify on skin.
Closest matches to Clinique Shade 42
- Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus™ All-Smooth Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 - Shade 11 (near-identical, neutral · medium · $36)
- Nyx Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation - Deep Olive (near-identical, warm · medium · $9.50)
- Nyx Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation - Cool Tan (near-identical, neutral · medium · $12)
- Clinique Even Better Glow™ Light Reflecting Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 - WN 92 Toasted Almond (near-identical, neutral · medium · $28)
- Fenty MATCH STIX - Matte Skinstick - Suede - Warm (near-identical, neutral · medium · $25)
- Nyx Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation - Golden Beige (very close, neutral · medium · $12)
- Clinique Perfectly Real™ Compact Makeup - 144 (very close, neutral · medium · $28)
- Fenty PRO FILT'R - Soft Matte Longwear Foundation - 380 Cool (very close, neutral · medium · $34)
Undertone and depth
Clinique Shade 42 classifies as neutral (balanced) at medium depth. See every neutral medium foundation shade we track, or all Clinique foundation shades.
Neighbouring Clinique shades
If this one is slightly off on you: Shade 45 (medium, warm) · Shade 31 (medium, warm) · Shade 37 (light-medium, warm) · Shade 39 (medium-tan, warm).
How to confirm the match
- Swatch on the jawline, not the wrist, and check in daylight.
- Match depth first, then undertone - a shade one step lighter/darker with the right undertone beats a perfect depth with the wrong cast.
- Let it sit 5-10 minutes: many formulas oxidise a touch darker/warmer.
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.
Not sure of your undertone or depth? The free AI analyzer reads both from a selfie in your browser.
Try Makeup Check AIFAQ
What undertone is Clinique Shade 42?
Clinique Perfectly Real™ Makeup Shade 42 reads as neutral based on its published swatch colour (#C98B5D). Verify on skin - lighting and formula can shift it.
Which foundation is closest to Clinique Shade 42?
The closest by colour distance is Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus™ All-Smooth Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Shade 11 (near-identical), followed by Nyx Deep Olive and Nyx Cool Tan.
How accurate are shade matches from swatch colours?
Useful as a shortlist, not a guarantee: swatches are approximations and finish, oxidation and skin chemistry all change how a foundation reads. Confirm on the jawline in daylight.