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Skin Tone Color Palette — Caramel & Umber

A warm five-color scheme that runs from soft porcelain through caramel to deep umber, balanced by tan and cream — every color matched to real paint you can buy.

By Emily Roberts · DIY Editor & First-Timer's Guide

Warm Caramel
Dominant
Kompozit Semolina · 1011
#B6774F
LRV 24
Deep Umber
Secondary
Kompozit Film Noir · 0144
#473933
LRV 5
Soft Porcelain
Base
Kompozit Hint of Vanilla · 0001
#EEE8DC
LRV 81
Honey Tan
Support
Kompozit Living Large · 0254
#D7B387
LRV 48
Bare Cream
Highlight
Kompozit What Inheritance? · 0293
#E8D7BC
LRV 69
View palette in

Skin-tone palettes are having a real moment right now, and it is easy to see why. These are the colors that flatter everyone, the soft caramels and warm tans that feel calm and lived-in without going beige and boring. This scheme stacks them from light to deep so you get warmth and depth in one go.

A rich Warm Caramel leads the way, with Deep Umber giving it that grounded, contemporary edge — think of it as the eyeliner of the palette, used sparingly. Underneath, Soft Porcelain and Bare Cream keep everything light and breathable so the warmer tones never feel heavy.

Honey Tan is the quiet bridge that ties it all together, the shade that makes the jump from pale cream to deep brown feel natural instead of abrupt. Lead with the caramel, sprinkle in the umber, and let the lighter three carry the rest.

Buy These Colors

Each color matched to the closest real paint in every brand, by ΔE2000. Kompozit first; take any SKU to the store — these mix on demand.

Warm Caramel
#B17A4E · LRV 24 · Dominant
Kompozit Semolina · 1011 ΔE 2.8
Backdrop Old Soul · BD-OS ΔE 18.83
Behr Roasted Cashew · S250-5 ΔE 4.03
Benjamin Moore Dark Mustard · 2161-30 ΔE 3.07
Clare Fire Sign · PNT100-DP-74 ΔE 10.13
Dunn-Edwards Saddle Brown · DE5264 ΔE 2.25
Farrow & Ball Red Earth · No. 64 ΔE 10.69
Magnolia Home Work Worn Wood · JG-35 ΔE 7.31
PPG / Glidden Cowboy Hat · 1082-6 ΔE 1.13
Sherwin-Williams Tigereye · SW 6362 ΔE 3.06
Valspar Leather Satchel · 3003-7B ΔE 2.17
Deep Umber
#4A372A · LRV 4 · Secondary
Kompozit Film Noir · 0144 ΔE 3.97
Backdrop After Hours · BD-AH ΔE 14.26
Behr Chocolate Coco · S-G-760 ΔE 3.31
Benjamin Moore Tarpley Brown · CW-170 ΔE 2.62
Clare Blackish · PNT100-DP-54 ΔE 11.1
Dunn-Edwards Black · DEA187 ΔE 10.7
Farrow & Ball Pitch Black · No. 256 ΔE 9.95
Magnolia Home Moments · JG-150 ΔE 6.17
PPG / Glidden Black Magic · 1001-7 ΔE 10.85
Sherwin-Williams Turkish Coffee · SW 6076 ΔE 2.53
Valspar Deep Earth · 6010-2 ΔE 3.28
Soft Porcelain
#F2E6D8 · LRV 80 · Base
Kompozit Hint of Vanilla · 0001 ΔE 2.69
Backdrop Don't Eat the Yellow Snow · BD-DS ΔE 5.09
Behr Spooky Ghost · HDC-FL14-1 ΔE 0.79
Benjamin Moore Antique White · 909 ΔE 1.6
Clare Like Buttah · PNT100-LT-62 ΔE 1.98
Dunn-Edwards Finest Silk · DE6127 ΔE 0.22
Farrow & Ball James White · No. 2010 ΔE 4.53
Magnolia Home Antique Rose · JG-23 ΔE 2.78
PPG / Glidden Elegant Ivory · 1081-1 ΔE 1.17
Sherwin-Williams Crisp Linen · SW 6378 ΔE 1.58
Valspar Antique White · 7002-20 ΔE 0.96
Honey Tan
#D9B48C · LRV 49 · Support
Kompozit Living Large · 0254 ΔE 1.42
Backdrop Boy Meets Girl · BD-BG ΔE 10.67
Behr Creme De Caramel · HDC-NT-04 ΔE 1.76
Benjamin Moore Natural Leather · CSP-1065 ΔE 1
Clare Greige · PNT100-LT-13 ΔE 13
Dunn-Edwards Adobe · DEC726 ΔE 3.65
Farrow & Ball Sudbury Yellow · No. 51 ΔE 7.4
Magnolia Home Cottage Feel · JG-40 ΔE 5.14
PPG / Glidden Nutmeg Glow · 1080-3 ΔE 1.11
Sherwin-Williams Bagel · SW 6114 ΔE 1.74
Valspar Feline Frolic · 8003-17C ΔE 1.99
Bare Cream
#EAD7C0 · LRV 70 · Highlight
Kompozit What Inheritance? · 0293 ΔE 2.1
Backdrop Cookies & Cream · BD-CC ΔE 4.88
Behr Writer's Parchment · N280-2 ΔE 0.45
Benjamin Moore Painted Sands · 1142 ΔE 0.43
Clare Neutral Territory · PNT100-LT-20 ΔE 3.08
Dunn-Edwards Floating Feather · DE6142 ΔE 0.81
Farrow & Ball Matchstick · No. 2013 ΔE 2.38
Magnolia Home Morning Snow · JG-167 ΔE 3.92
PPG / Glidden Antique Parchment · 1087-3 ΔE 0.48
Sherwin-Williams Lotus Pod · SW 7572 ΔE 1.21
Valspar Soft-Spoken · 8007-11E ΔE 1.46

Questions

Are these skin-tone colors only for warm-toned spaces?

Not at all. The whole point of a skin-tone scheme is that it reads as neutral and flattering on almost everything. The cooler your light, the more you can lean on the soft porcelain and bare cream so the caramel does not go orange.

How do I keep five close colors from blending into mush?

Let the deep umber do the heavy lifting. One darker color gives your eye something to land on, so use it on a single feature and let the caramel and tans build up around it in roughly a 60/30/10 split.

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