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Make-up for all skin tones

Your foundation shade – for every skin tone.

Which foundation suits me? INCEPTION comes in 15 shades: five depths from porcelain to ebony, each in warm, neutral and cool. Plus powder, blush and lipstick that look natural on fair, medium, olive and dark skin. Developed in Germany.

Find your undertoneTo the collection
Make-up for all skin tones
  • Developed in Germany
  • Since 2014
  • Free shipping from €100
  • Delivery in 3–5 days

Undertone finder

Which skin undertone are you?

Fair or deep: the undertone decides whether a foundation melts into the skin or looks grey, orange or pink. Three quick tests: veins on the wrist, jewellery, how your skin reacts to the sun.

Your undertone: Warm

Choose the W range with a golden base. Blush in Peach or Terra, on the lips Irene or Stefanie.

Matching from our collection:

INCEPTION Foundation W010 to W050 · Blush Peach or Terra · Lipstick Irene

See matching products

Your undertone: Neutral

The N range without a strong yellow or red cast fits. Blush Roots or Love, lipstick Mariette or Zaza.

Matching from our collection:

INCEPTION Foundation N010 to N050 · Blush Love · Lipstick Zaza

See matching products

Your undertone: Cool

Choose the C range with a rosy to red base so nothing looks yellow or grey. Blush Plum or Love, lipstick Liyah or Marina.

Matching from our collection:

INCEPTION Foundation C010 to C050 · Blush Plum · Lipstick Liyah

See matching products

Your undertone: Olive

Neutral-golden shades without an orange cast work best – usually N020 to N040. Blush Roots or Terra, lipstick Rama.

Matching from our collection:

INCEPTION Foundation N020, N030 or N040 · Blush Roots · Lipstick Rama

See matching products

The 15 shades

From porcelain to ebony

Five depths, each in warm (W), neutral (N) and cool (C). Foundation and compact powder share the same shades; the loose powder adds five tinted depths.

Skin depth guide

Which shade suits which skin?

W010 · N010 · C010

Very fair skin

Foundation for fair skin must not turn orange: depth 010 in cool for rosy porcelain skin, in warm for ivory with a golden glow.

W020 · N020 · C020

Fair to medium skin

Depth 020 for beige and sand tones. Neutral if you tan lightly in summer without turning red.

W030 · N030 · C030

Medium and olive skin

Foundation for olive skin needs a yellow-neutral base: depth 030 in N – for Mediterranean, North African and Asian skin tones.

W040 · N040 · C040

Dark skin

Foundation for dark skin without a grey cast: depth 040 with enough red and golden pigments – caramel, bronze, mahogany.

W050 · N050 · C050

Deep skin

Depth 050 for deep skin tones from espresso to ebony. Plus tinted powder in N500 instead of white translucent powder.

Matching products

Complexion products in 15 shades

See all

Guide

How to find your foundation shade

  1. 1

    Test on the jawline

    Apply two or three shades along the jawbone and check them in daylight. The right colour almost disappears into the skin.

  2. 2

    Undertone before depth

    If a foundation looks grey, orange or pink, the undertone is wrong – not the depth. Choose W, N or C first, then the depth.

  3. 3

    Set with tinted powder

    White translucent powder flashes back in photos – on fair and dark skin alike. Our loose powder comes in five tinted depths from N100 to N500.

Full undertone guide on the blog

FAQ

Foundation and skin tone

First determine your undertone (warm, neutral, cool or olive), then your depth. Test two or three shades on the jawline in daylight – the right one almost disappears into the skin. INCEPTION comes in 15 shades so there is a match for every skin tone.

Three tests: greenish veins on the wrist suggest warm, blue-violet ones cool, both neutral. Gold jewellery flatters warm undertones, silver cool ones. If you burn quickly in the sun you are usually cool; if you tan golden brown, warm. A slightly greenish glow is olive.

Olive skin has a yellow-green undertone. Foundations that are too pink or too orange look mask-like. Neutral shades with a slightly golden base fit – with INCEPTION usually N020 to N040.

Many formulas lack enough red, orange or golden pigments, so an ashy veil settles over the skin. That is why every INCEPTION depth comes in warm, neutral and cool – up to W050, N050 and C050.

Very fair skin needs depth 010: cool (C010) for rosy porcelain skin, warm (W010) for ivory with a golden glow, neutral (N010) in between. Apply sparingly and set with a light tinted powder.

Send us a daylight photo before ordering – we recommend the right shade personally. Unopened products can be returned within 14 days.