Ivory skin explained: what it looks like and how to find the right foundation shade

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Here at Redmond Mom, I get a lot of questions about ivory skin tones, such as ‘What is the difference between Maybelline’s Ivory shades’ and what exactly is ivory skin tone? Is it a color? Is ivory cool, warm or neutral?

This post will explain all you need to know about ivory skin tone.

What is ivory skin?

Ivory is a light skin tone. Some people consider ivory to be similar to an elephant tusk’s color, and others describe it as an off-white color with warm undertones.

The truth is, there is no general consensus as to what ivory skin tone is. Just check out the examples of ‘ivory’ foundation shades below.

Ivory foundation shades

To show you the various ‘ivory’ skin tones, I will use L’Oreal True Match foundation shades to illustrate.

All of L’Oreal True Match foundation ‘ivory’ shades (8 in total):

Neutral undertones (from light to darkest)

L’Oreal True Match in Fresh Ivory N0.5 is a very light shade with neutral undertones.

L’Oreal True Match foundation in Soft Ivory N1 is a light shade with neutral undertones.

L’Oreal True Match in Classic Ivory N2 is slightly darker than Soft Ivory and has neutral undertones.

Cool undertones (from light to darkest)

L’Oreal True Match in Fair Ivory C0.5 is a very light shade with cool undertones.

L’Oreal True Match in Natural Ivory C2 is a somewhat darker shade with cool undertones.

L’Oreal True Match in Ivory Beige C2.5 is the ‘darkest’ ivory shade and is for light skin with cool undertones.

Warm undertones (from light to darkest)

L’Oreal True Match in Cream Ivory W0.5 is a a very light shade with warm undertones.

L’Oreal True Match foundation in Light Ivory W2 is darker than Cream Ivory and has warm undertones.

Now check out Estee Lauder’s Double Wear ‘ivory shades’:

estee lauder ivory nude — Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation in 1N1 Ivory Nude is described as a light shade with neutral peach undertones.

Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation in 2C4 Ivory Rose is a light-medium shade with cool rosy undertones.

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation in 3N1 Ivory Beige is the darkest ‘ivory’ shade that is described as a medium shade with neutral/cool undertones.

As you can see, Estee Lauder’s ‘ivory’ shades range from light to medium with different undertones.

How to pick a foundation for ivory skin tone?

So, here’s the takeaway: don’t rely on a shade’s name to find the correct foundation shade. The word ‘ivory’ doesn’t tell you much about the shade color, and it’s not always a shade for light skin tones.

The first step is to figure out your skin’s undertone.

Next, test out the shade in person at the makeup counter or use a brand-specific shade finder or foundation matcher to find the correct shade.

Leave a comment below if you have any more questions about ‘ivory skin’!

Looking for ivory skin foundation shades? Check out these shades from the Foundation Matcher database.

very fair beige with neutral undertone for very fair skin