You see a shade called 245W. You look at the number and ignore the letter. Almost everyone does. The letter is the more important part.
Most people look at the number and ignore the letter. They choose by depth alone. The letter is the more important part. It tells you whether the formula will actually work on your skin.
Foundation shade names contain two pieces of information. The number tells you depth: how light or dark the shade is on an absolute scale. The letter tells you undertone: which direction the shade pulls.
Anatomy of a shade name
245
The Number
Tells you depth: how light or dark the shade is. This is what most people look at. It should match your current overtone and change with seasons.
light to deep
W
The Letter
Tells you undertone: which direction the formula pulls. This is what most people ignore. It should match your fixed undertone and never change.
W
C
N
G
warm · cool · neutral · golden
The number changes with seasons. The letter never changes. When both match your profile, the foundation disappears into your skin. When only the number matches, it will always look slightly off.
W
Warm
Yellow or golden tones in the formula. Works with warm undertones. You tan golden, gold jewellery suits you.
golden base
On warm skin:Blends naturally. Looks like your skin, not a mask.
C
Cool
Pink or blue tones in the formula. Works with cool undertones. Silver jewellery suits you, you may flush easily.
pink base
On cool skin:Matches the pink undertone beneath. Foundation looks seamless.
N
Neutral
Balanced between warm and cool. Neither pulls strongly. Both gold and silver work on you. A versatile starting formula.
balanced base
On neutral skin:Sits naturally without pulling warm or cool. The most forgiving formula.
G
Golden
Slightly warmer than neutral. Designed specifically for golden-olive Indian skin. Common in Indian-brand foundations. Not the same as W.
golden-olive
On olive skin:Avoids the grey cast from cool formulas and the orange from overly warm ones.
Some brands go further
NC means neutral-cool, balanced but with a slight cool lean.
NW means neutral-warm, balanced but with a slight warm lean.
These are common in MAC and similar brands. If you are between undertones, these blended codes are often your best match.
When the number matches but the letter does not
245C
Warm skin
Wrong letter
Goes grey or ashy
The cool base in the formula conflicts with the warm undertone in your skin. The pink and blue tones read as grey on your surface. Worse in photos and flash.
245W
Cool skin
Wrong letter
Goes orange
The warm formula amplifies against your cool undertone. The golden tones in the foundation have nothing to blend into and sit on the surface as orange.
245W
Warm skin
Both match
Disappears into skin
When both depth and undertone match, the formula merges with your skin. Not close enough. Not almost right. It simply disappears and looks like you.
When both match, the foundation disappears. That is what a correct shade match feels like.
Not “this is close enough.” Not “almost.” Disappears. Most people have never experienced this because they have been choosing by number alone.
Most people have been choosing shades by number alone for years. That is why close enough is the best they have ever experienced.
Dear Brown Girl, the letter at the end of your shade name was always trying to tell you something. Now you know how to listen.
The letter at the end of your shade name was always trying to tell you something.
HerShade recommends by depth and undertone together. Always both.