How to find your Oxygenetix shade: depth, undertone and daylight
Find your Oxygenetix shade in two steps: pick your depth (fair, light, medium, tan or deep), then your undertone. Cool shades suit skin that looks pink or rosy; warm shades suit skin that looks peachy or golden. Check your skin in daylight, not on a screen, and if you are between two shades, ask us before you open a bottle.
This guide is the how-to: the undertone test, what to do between two shades, and why screens mislead. Our shade chart has the full list of every shade with its undertone and which formulas it comes in.
Which Original shades sit at each depth?
We stock 16 shades of Oxygenating Foundation, the Original formula. Oxygenetix groups them by depth:
| Depth | Original shades |
|---|---|
| Fair | Linen, Porcelain |
| Light | Pearl, Ivory, Opal, Creme |
| Medium | Taupe, Walnut, Beige, Almond |
| Tan | Coco, Honey, Tawny |
| Deep | Ebony, Mahogany, Cappuccino |
Each depth has cool and warm options. The shade chart marks which is which.
How do you find your depth?
Start with how light or deep your skin is, before you think about undertone. Look at your jaw and neck rather than your cheeks, because cheeks often carry more colour than the rest of the face.
Your current foundation can help. If another brand calls your shade "light", start with our light row and adjust from there.
How do you test your undertone in daylight?
The brand's undertone guide pairs cool, blue undertones with skin that looks pink, rosy, plum, wine or burgundy. It pairs warm, yellow undertones with skin that looks peachy, golden, honey or orange.
- Wash your face and wait a few minutes, so any flush from washing settles.
- Stand near a window in daylight. Indoor bulbs often make skin look yellower or pinker than it is.
- Hold a plain white sheet of paper under your jaw.
- Next to the white, decide whether your skin leans pink and rosy, or peachy and golden.
- Still unsure? Look at the foundation you wear now, in the same light.
What does it mean if a foundation looks pink or orange on you?
A foundation that looks pink on you is too cool for your skin. Its base carries more pink than your skin does, so the extra pink shows on top. Try the warm shade at the same depth.
The opposite also holds. A foundation that looks yellow or orange on you is too warm, so try the cool shade at that depth.
Why does a shade look different on your screen?
Every phone and laptop shows colour differently. Brightness, night mode and warm-light settings all shift what a swatch looks like. Our swatches are a screen guide only, so use depth and undertone as your main guide and treat the picture as a rough check.
What if you are between two shades?
- Get the undertone right first. A shade a touch too light or deep blends more easily than one with the wrong undertone.
- Match your neck and jaw, not your cheeks or the back of your hand.
- If your skin changes with the seasons, note which shade you wear now. You may want a second shade later in the year.
- Ask us. Send your current foundation brand and shade through the form on our shade help page and we will email a suggestion. It is a suggestion, not a guarantee.
Choosing carefully matters. Unopened items with the seal intact can be returned for a refund within 14 days of delivery, but opened makeup can't, unless it is faulty or we sent the wrong item. Our refund policy has the details.
Is there a shade for very fair, cool skin?
Linen is the fair, cool shade, and Pearl and Ivory are the light, cool shades. Some fair, cool-toned buyers report that the lightest shades look warm on them. On LovelySkin, a US retailer, several reviewers say Pearl looked orange or too yellow, and one says Ivory was still too yellow.
Many others are happy with those shades, so this is not a reason to rule them out. It is a reason to send us your current shade first, and to hold the sealed bottle against your jaw in daylight before you break the seal. Our look at the Oxygenetix reviews covers this and other common complaints.
Do Original and Oil Control use the same shade names?
Yes. If you know your Original shade, start with the same name in Oil Control. With us, Coco, Ebony, Mahogany and Cappuccino come in Original only, and Chakra comes in Oil Control only. Not sure which formula you need? Read Oxygenetix Original vs Oil Control.
Buy two or more and save 14%. UK delivery is free on orders of £50 or more.
Frequently asked questions
How many shades does Oxygenetix make?
The brand's US website lists 18 shade options for Oxygenating Foundation. We stock 16 of them in the Original formula. Chakra is Oil Control only with us, and we do not stock Espresso.
How do I choose a concealer shade?
The 8ml concealer uses its own codes: N0.0 and N1, Y0.0 to Y4.0, and B1.0 to B4. They do not map one to one onto foundation names, so tell us your foundation shade and we will suggest a concealer.
Do I need a different shade in summer?
Some people do, if their skin tans. Keep the same undertone and check in daylight whether you need a deeper shade.
Sources
Each source was opened and checked on 11 November 2026.
- Beauty Is Skin Deep: Shade help (depth and undertone of each shade, from the brand's shade chart and undertone guide).
- Oxygenetix: Oxygenating Foundation (18 shade options listed).
- LovelySkin: Oxygenetix Oxygenating Foundation reviews (reviewers on Pearl and Ivory, pages 4 to 8).