HEXCHECK BEAUTY
Use comparison evidence to understand undertone
Undertone estimates are most useful when they remain transparent. HexCheck combines a lighting-corrected complexion sample with warm, cool, neutral, and olive reference directions, then shows the competing scores and ways to verify them in the real world.
Create a representative complexion sample
You may enter a known color manually, but multiple photo samples usually provide better evidence.
Avoid beauty filters, strong HDR, colored lighting, and heavy makeup on the sampled area.
These areas are usually more useful for foundation and clothing comparisons than the inner wrist.
Record three to five points under similar light while avoiding lips, eyes, hair, glare, and deep shadow.
A low average Delta E spread means the samples describe a more stable color region.
Choose the lighting condition honestly
The lighting correction attempts to reduce common camera color casts. It does not reconstruct the true spectral reflectance of skin.
| Condition | Use it when | Effect on confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Indirect daylight | The face is lit by diffuse window or outdoor light without direct sun | Strongest starting condition |
| Warm indoor light | Incandescent or warm LED lighting adds yellow and red | Correction is applied and confidence is reduced |
| Cool indoor light | Cool LED or fluorescent lighting adds blue | Correction is applied and confidence is reduced |
| Mixed or uncertain | Several light sources, colored walls, or unknown processing affect the image | Confidence is reduced substantially |
When possible, repeat the process in indirect daylight and compare whether the direction remains stable.
Read the directional result
The result is not a hidden classification. HexCheck displays:
- The leading warm, cool, neutral, or olive direction.
- The percentage assigned to every direction.
- A confidence estimate influenced by score separation, sample count, sample consistency, lighting, and sample area.
- Depth and clarity families derived from the corrected color.
- Lab values so the measurement remains inspectable.
Verify with side-by-side drapes
Use the warm, cool, neutral, and olive reference drapes as controlled comparison prompts.
- Look for a more even visual relationship, not whether a color is personally appealing.
- Notice whether redness, grayness, or yellow cast appears stronger beside one direction.
- Compare colors at the same depth and similar saturation.
- Use several colors from the same direction rather than judging one favorite or disliked color.
- Repeat the comparison near the face under neutral daylight.
The suggested palette is a test set, not a restriction on what you can wear.
Use foundation descriptors as a search filter
Foundation names are not standardized. A “warm” shade from one brand may resemble a neutral or olive shade from another.
Use the measured depth family to avoid comparing undertones at obviously incorrect lightness levels.
Look first for the leading direction, then include the adjacent family shown by the result.
Blend toward the neck and allow the product to settle before evaluating it.
Review the face, jaw, and neck together rather than matching one isolated patch of skin.
Compare metals and clothing colors
The jewelry cards show strong harmony, balanced options, and useful contrast. A lower score does not mean the metal is unusable; it means the visual relationship is more contrasting.
Open the suggested clothing colors in Palette Studio to reorder them, add personal favorites, test contrast, and save a more complete wardrobe palette.
Know the limits of complexion analysis
- Camera white balance and exposure can overwhelm subtle undertone differences.
- Skin varies across the face, neck, body, seasons, and health conditions.
- Redness, tanning, hyperpigmentation, facial hair, and makeup can distort a sample.
- Displays cannot reproduce every real-world color or material finish.
- Undertone is a practical color-description framework, not a medical or biological diagnosis.
- Always verify cosmetics on your own skin and review product ingredients separately.