Knowing your skin tone is about as important as knowing your blood type. Okay, maybe that's a tad dramatic, but when it comes to your beauty routine, a good understanding of your skin's natural tone is key. Not only will it assist in picking the right makeup to complement your complexion, but it can also help you effectively protect your skin and address various issues to which you may be prone. To help you determine where you fall on the spectrum, we'll break down the basic skin tone types for you.

On the tanning scale, you porcelain beauties are at the very bottom. Containing cool, milky, blue-ish/red undertones, your skin skips the sun-kissed bronze phase and goes straight to sunburn. You are also prone to redness and skin conditions such as rosacea. Tip: Keep your beauty cabinet stocked with gentle moisturizers and sunscreens with a high SPF.

You fair-skinned babes are of the more pink variety but are still on the cooler side of the color scale. Containing rosy/peach undertones, your skin flushes easily and is most compatible with cool-colored makeup. Break out the blue eye shadow!

Medium/Neutral:

Talk about a happy medium. Your light beige complexions contain no traces of olive, pink or yellow tones, making the foundation search a breeze. Try L'Oréals True Match Super Blendable Compact Makeup for on-the-go coverage with a flawless finish.

Stepping into warm territory, your skin has lovely yellow, green and light brown undertones that makes for easy tanning, sans the burn. While not as easily tarnished by the sun, your skin is often oily and prone to enlarged pores and breakouts. Tip: Foaming cleansers (try SkinCeuticals Foaming Cleanser !) and oil-free moisturizers can help keep that oil and excess dirt at bay! As for makeup, stock up on neutral-colored products!

Dark-skinned complexions range from copper and espresso tones to dark brown and ebony. However, you are not exempt from sun damage such as hyperpigmentation, so hold on to that sunscreen. Tip: If you're already experiencing pigmentation and dark spot issues, try Dermablends Skin Perfector Pigment Correcting Primer under your foundation. Need help figuring out where you fall on the tone scale? Check out the veins on the inside of your wrist. If your veins are more of a bluish-purple color, you are in the cool-toned category. If your veins are green, you are more warm-toned. And if your veins fall somewhere between blue and green (meaning they have both tones), you probably have a more neutral-colored complexion.

Do you know what your skin tone is? Tell us in the comments below!

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