Start with your skin's undertone, then adjust for contrast. Warm undertones usually look best in tortoise, honey, amber, olive, gold and warm browns. Cool undertones lean toward black, gray, silver, gunmetal, blue, crystal, pink and purple. Neutral undertones can wear almost anything. Contrast matters even more: a frame color should be about as strong as the contrast between your hair, skin and eyes.
Treat all of this as guidelines, not rules. Below you'll find three at-home undertone tests, a color chart, advice by hair and eye color, and eleven Youtop frames grouped by color family, with the exact color names from each product page.
Table of Contents
- How to Find Your Skin Undertone
- Why Contrast Matters More Than Rules
- Frame Colors by Undertone: Chart
- Glasses Colors for Your Hair Color
- Using Frame Color to Bring Out Your Eyes
- Colors That Suit Almost Everyone
- One Everyday Pair vs. a Statement Pair
- How Lens Tints and Metal Finishes Change the Look
- Why Frame Colors Look Different in Photos
- 11 Youtop Frames by Color Family
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Quick Color Checklist Before You Order
How to Find Your Skin Undertone
Undertone is the hue beneath the surface of your skin, and it's separate from skin depth: fair, medium and deep skin can each be warm, cool or neutral. A tan changes the surface color but not the undertone. Do these tests in daylight by a window, without makeup.
1. The vein test
Look at the veins on your inner wrist. Mostly blue or purple suggests cool, green or olive suggests warm, and a mix (or no clear answer) suggests neutral. It's harder to read on deeper skin, so don't rely on it alone.
2. The jewelry test
Hold gold and then silver jewelry against your skin. If gold makes you look brighter, that points to warm. If silver does, that points to cool. If both look fine, you're likely neutral and can wear gold, silver and gunmetal frames.
3. The white-vs-cream test
Hold bright white paper or fabric next to your face, then something cream. Cool undertones look clearer next to bright white, and warm undertones look better next to cream. If neither wins, you're probably neutral.
Reading your results
Go with the answer that comes up at least twice. If your skin looks slightly green or gray next to both bright gold and stark silver, you may have an olive undertone. It usually behaves like neutral-to-warm, so muted, earthy shades such as olive, soft tortoise, bronze and burgundy tend to work well.
Why Contrast Matters More Than Rules
Undertone tells you which colors harmonize with your skin. Contrast, the difference in lightness between your hair, brows, skin and eyes, tells you how strong a color you can carry. To check yours, take a daylight selfie and switch it to black and white. If your hair, brows and skin are similar shades of gray, you're low contrast. If they're far apart, you're high contrast.
Low-contrast features
Low contrast doesn't mean pale. Fair skin with light blonde or gray hair is low contrast, and so is deep skin with dark hair and dark eyes. Frames near your own lightness look natural: light tortoise, translucent browns, crystal or soft gray for light coloring, and black or dark tortoise for deep coloring. Jet black on fair skin with light hair can look heavy.
High-contrast features
Dark hair with fair skin, or deep skin with silver hair, can carry strong frames: black, dark tortoise, navy, red, cobalt and two-tones. Pale frames can look faint against strong features.
Medium contrast
Most people sit in the middle and can go either way. Medium tortoise, gunmetal, olive and burgundy are easy starting points. And because the top of a frame sits close to your eyebrows, matching it to your brow color (or a shade darker) is one of the most reliable guidelines of all.
Frame Colors by Undertone: Chart
Use this as a shortlist, not a restriction. "Test carefully" colors can work but are worth trying on first.
| Undertone | Acetate colors that tend to flatter | Metal finishes | Test carefully | Easy first pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm (green veins, gold jewelry, cream) | Tortoise, honey, amber, caramel, olive, warm browns, coffee, orange, peach, warm red, cream | Gold, light gold, bronze, copper, brown | Stark black (fine if your hair is dark), icy pastels, cool blue-gray | Medium or amber tortoise |
| Cool (blue/purple veins, silver jewelry, bright white) | Black, gray, transparent gray, crystal, navy, blue, teal, pink, purple, plum, wine, burgundy | Silver, gunmetal, rose gold (on some), black metal | Orange, yellow-gold, warm caramel, very yellow tortoise | Black, gray or gunmetal |
| Neutral (mixed results) | Most colors, including tortoise, black, crystal, burgundy, green and two-tone combinations | Gold, silver, gunmetal, rose gold | Very saturated neon shades, which depend more on contrast than undertone | Two-tone or grey tortoise |
| Olive (green-gray cast) | Olive, khaki, soft tortoise, burgundy, wine, deep green, brown | Bronze, gunmetal, antique gold | Bright yellow, pale pastels that can make skin look gray | Olive or dark tortoise |
Glasses Colors for Your Hair Color
Hair frames your face from above, and it changes over time, which is why a color you wore for years can look off once your hair goes gray.
Gray, silver or white hair
You have two good routes. For harmony, choose silver, gunmetal or transparent gray, which echo the hair and look clean. For energy, add color: burgundy, wine, navy, purple or teal bring warmth back to the face. Salt-and-pepper hair with dark brows can still carry black. If gray hair has a yellowish cast, very yellow gold may emphasize it, so a cooler metal or grey tortoise is safer.
Blonde hair
Golden blondes tend to suit light tortoise, honey, amber and gold. Ash or platinum blondes look good in crystal, transparent gray, silver, pink and soft blue. Black on blonde hair is a deliberate high-contrast look: striking if you want the glasses to be the focus.
Red or auburn hair
Tortoise, amber, olive and gold share red hair's warmth, and green and teal sit opposite red on the color wheel, so they make it look richer. A frame in your exact hair shade can blend in, so go darker or contrast.
Dark brown or black hair
Dark hair gives you the widest range. Black and dark tortoise match your brows, crystal looks crisp, and bold red, cobalt, wine or emerald hold their own. With deep skin and dark eyes, choose tonal black to blend or a bright color to pop.
Bald or shaved head
The frame becomes the main feature of the upper face, so undertone and eyebrows do most of the work. Match the frame to your brows or beard: dark tortoise or black with a dark beard, gunmetal or silver with a gray one. Bolder frames often look great because nothing competes with them.
Using Frame Color to Bring Out Your Eyes
Eye color is a finishing touch, noticeable mostly up close. You can echo it, or choose a complementary color to make it stand out.
| Eye color | Echo it with | Make it stand out with |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | Tortoise, coffee, amber | Green, teal, navy, wine; most colors work |
| Blue | Navy, blue, gray | Warm tortoise, copper, amber, caramel |
| Green | Olive, deep green | Purple, plum, burgundy, copper |
| Hazel | Green, gold, brown tortoise | Purple, burgundy |
| Gray | Silver, gunmetal, transparent gray | Blue, purple, black |
Two-tone frames can do both at once: a dark top bar that matches your brows, with a color underneath that picks up your eyes.
Colors That Suit Almost Everyone
If you only want one pair, these four color families work for most people.
Tortoise shell: who suits it?
Almost everyone, because tortoise mixes light and dark tones. The trick is choosing the right one: amber, honey or red tortoise for warm undertones, grey, black or blue tortoise for cool. Dark tortoise suits dark hair and high contrast, and light tortoise suits light hair and low contrast.
Black
Black matches dark brows and goes with everything. It flatters cool and neutral undertones, high-contrast features and deep skin with dark hair. On fair, light-haired faces, gunmetal or dark tortoise is softer.
Clear and crystal frames
Clear frames suit most skin tones because they take on the color behind them, and they lighten a bold shape. On very fair skin they can almost disappear, so a faintly tinted transparent (gray, peach or green) adds definition. Clear frames also show the lens edge, so with a strong prescription consider a higher-index lens.
Gunmetal
This dark gray metal finish sits between silver and black. It suits gray hair, neutral undertones and anyone who wants metal glasses that don't look flashy.
One Everyday Pair vs. a Statement Pair
For an everyday pair, stay close to your coloring: a tortoise in your undertone family, black or gunmetal that matches your brows, or a transparent shade that works with your whole wardrobe.
A statement pair can break the guidelines on purpose. Stay in your undertone family but turn up the saturation: orange, red or olive for warm, cobalt, purple or pink for cool, or a patterned two-tone for anyone. Pick a shape you know suits you from our face shape guide, then go bold on color.
Tip: If you can only pick one color, choose a two-tone or a tortoise in your undertone family. These have enough variation to look interesting up close and still read as neutral from across the room.
How Lens Tints and Metal Finishes Change the Look
- Photochromic lenses darken outdoors. Dark frames then look like sunglasses, while light or clear frames make the tint stand out more. See Photochromic Lenses Explained.
- Anti-reflective and blue light coatings can show a faint colored reflection at some angles, one reason frames look slightly different in photos.
- Metal finish: polished looks dressier, matte or brushed looks quieter. Yellow gold reads warm, silver reads cool, and gunmetal, rose gold and light gold sit in between. Our frame material guide covers differences beyond color.
Why Frame Colors Look Different in Photos
Screens vary, and product photos are shot under bright studio light, so a frame can look slightly lighter or warmer in person. A few habits help:
- Look at every product photo. Angle and side shots show the color under different light, plus the temple color.
- Transparent colors depend on what's behind them. On a white background, clear frames look brighter than they will against your skin.
- Tortoise patterns vary slightly from frame to frame, because each is cut from a patterned acetate sheet.
- Use virtual try-on. Frames in our virtual try-on collection have a Try On button on the product page. Compare two or three colors of the same frame.
- Read color names, not just swatches. "Dark Tortoise," "Grey Tortoise" and "Amber" are very different looks.
11 Youtop Frames by Color Family
Each pick comes in several colors, listed exactly as they appear on the product page. Sizes are lens width, bridge and temple length; compare them with a pair that fits you or use our sizing guide.
| Frame | Color family | Colors to look for | Size (lens-bridge-temple) | Frame width | Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlow | Warm amber and tortoise | Amber, Dark Tortoise (also Black, Black/Clear, Clear) | 50-23-148 | 145 mm | Acetate |
| Hester | Tortoise and amber (flat top round) | Amber, Tortoise, Dark Tortoise, Grey Tortoise (also Black, Grey, Multicolor, Multicolor 2, Multicolor 3) | 41-27-145 | 142 mm | Acetate |
| Ella | Tortoise range (women's cat eye) | Light Tortoise, Red Tortoise, Dark Tortoise, Multicolor | 54-14-140 | 145 mm | Acetate |
| Laurence | Clear and crystal | Clear (Matte), Clear 2, Clear 3 (also Tortoise, Grey, Black) | 45-22-145 | 145 mm | Acetate |
| Bowen | Two-tone tortoise | Black/Tortoise, Grey/Tortoise, Blue/Tortoise, Green/Tortoise, Tortoise/Blue, Tortoise/Green | 46-25-145 | 142 mm | Acetate |
| Holden | Two-tone (men's rectangle) | Clear/Tortoise, Orange/Tortoise, Tortoise, Black | 55-18-145 | 144 mm | Acetate |
| Madison | Gold and cool metals | Gold, Silver, Gunmetal, Black | 43-23-143 | 135 mm | Titanium |
| Wesley | Gunmetal and silver | Gunmetal, Silver, Brown, Green | 46-23-140 | 146 mm | Titanium |
| Weston | Black classic and olive | Black, Olive, Tortoise, Grey, Transparent | 46-23-149 | 142 mm | Acetate |
| Darcy | Cool pink and purple | Pink, Purple, Silver, Gunmetal, Gold | 55-18-145 | 142 mm | Memory metal |
| Teagan | Colorful statement | Wine, Red, Orange, Peach, Caramel, Sky Blue, Beige (also Black, Gray, Tortoise) | 48-21-146 | 133 mm | Acetate |
How to use these picks
- Warm: Marlow or Hester in Amber, Weston in Olive, Madison in Gold, or Teagan in Caramel or Orange as a statement.
- Cool: Wesley in Gunmetal, Darcy in Pink or Purple, Laurence in Clear (Matte), or Teagan in Sky Blue or Wine.
- Neutral: Bowen in Grey/Tortoise, Hester in Grey Tortoise, or Holden in Clear/Tortoise.
- Gray hair: Wesley or Madison in Silver or Gunmetal, or Teagan in Wine for warmth.
- Light, low-contrast coloring: Ella in Light Tortoise. High contrast: Weston in Black or Ella in Dark Tortoise.
Laurence, Madison, Weston, Darcy and Hester support virtual try-on. For more, browse acetate frames for the widest color range, titanium frames for lightweight gold, silver and gunmetal, or women's eyewear and men's eyewear.
Try Frame Colors on Your Own Face
Compare two or three colors of the same frame with virtual try-on, then pick the one that suits your undertone and contrast.
Prescription lenses from $29.99, free shipping on every order, and a 90-Day Worry-Free Frame Warranty.
Shop virtual try-on frames → · Browse colorful acetate frames
Frequently Asked Questions
What color glasses frames are best for a warm skin tone?
Amber, honey or red tortoise, caramel, warm browns, olive, peach and gold or bronze metal. With dark hair and brows, black works too; with fair skin and light hair, lighter warm shades are usually softer than black.
What color glasses look best with gray hair?
Silver, gunmetal and transparent gray look clean, while burgundy, wine, navy and purple add color back to the face. If your brows are still dark, black often works; if everything is light, gunmetal is softer than jet black.
Who looks good in tortoise shell glasses?
Most people, as long as the shade fits: amber, honey or red tortoise for warm undertones, grey or blue tortoise for cool, dark tortoise for dark hair and light tortoise for light hair.
Do clear glasses frames suit everyone?
Nearly. They take on your own coloring and soften bold shapes. On very fair skin, a lightly tinted transparent gives more definition, and with a strong prescription a higher-index lens keeps the visible edges thinner.
What color frames suit olive skin?
Olive usually behaves like neutral-to-warm. Olive, khaki, soft or dark tortoise, burgundy, deep green, bronze and gunmetal tend to look good; bright yellow and pale pastels can make it look gray.
Should my glasses match my hair color?
Not exactly; the same shade can blend in. Matching your eyebrows (or a shade darker) is more reliable, since the frame's top sits right next to them.
Quick Color Checklist Before You Order
- Run the vein, jewelry and white-vs-cream tests in daylight; go with the majority answer.
- Check contrast with a black-and-white selfie.
- Match the frame's top line to your eyebrows, or go a shade darker.
- Pick the right tortoise for your undertone, not just "tortoise."
- Choose an everyday color first, then go bold with a second pair.
- View every product photo and compare colors with virtual try-on.
- Check the size against glasses that already fit you.