The shade file
Guerlain, beyond the shade name.
Compare the brand’s descriptions with readings from published swatch images.
What do the numbers mean?
L* describes lightness; a* and b* describe color axes. ITA° is calculated from lightness and the yellow–blue axis to group the swatch into a depth band. None of these readings measures coverage, wear or how a formula will look on your skin.
Guerlain names an undertone for 44 of these shades. Read off the brand’s own swatch under D65, 24 of them — 55% — land in a different undertone than the name claims. That is not an accusation of bad faith: undertone is a word, and a word is not a measurement. It is why the house publishes the number beside it.
L'Essentiel Natural Longwear Foundation SPF 2030 shades
| Shade | Brand says | L* | a* | b* | ITA° | Depth band | Swatch reads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00C | cool | 87.75 | 6.47 | 13.91 | 69.77 | very_light | neutral |
| 00N | neutral | 86.1 | 4.95 | 19.43 | 61.71 | very_light | warm |
| 00W | warm | 85.73 | 4.82 | 19.95 | 60.82 | very_light | warm |
| 01C | cool | 82.56 | 7.2 | 14.89 | 65.42 | very_light | neutral |
| 01W | warm | 82.35 | 5.98 | 17.77 | 61.22 | very_light | warm |
| 02C | cool | 82.24 | 8.51 | 19.28 | 59.12 | very_light | warm |
| 01N | neutral | 82.01 | 7.21 | 22.66 | 54.71 | light | warm |
| 02N | neutral | 81.29 | 7.67 | 17.89 | 60.24 | very_light | warm |
| 035C | cool | 81.29 | 10.6 | 19.57 | 57.98 | very_light | neutral |
| 03C | cool | 81.21 | 10.08 | 21.58 | 55.34 | very_light | neutral |
| 03W | warm | 81.1 | 7.9 | 23.51 | 52.91 | light | warm |
| 02W | warm | 80.77 | 6.62 | 21.94 | 54.51 | light | warm |
| 035W | warm | 80.13 | 7.17 | 19.97 | 56.46 | very_light | warm |
| 04C | cool | 77.58 | 11.69 | 21.27 | 52.36 | light | neutral |
| 04W | warm | 76.3 | 7.6 | 24.2 | 47.38 | light | warm |
| 03N | neutral | 75.92 | 9.42 | 20.46 | 51.71 | light | neutral |
| 045C | cool | 75.79 | 10.75 | 17.05 | 56.53 | very_light | cool |
| 035N | neutral | 75.76 | 8.65 | 21.85 | 49.69 | light | warm |
| 04N | neutral | 74.65 | 10.27 | 20.85 | 49.77 | light | neutral |
| 045W | warm | 72.13 | 11.37 | 30.34 | 36.11 | intermediate | warm |
| 045N | neutral | 69.7 | 11.02 | 24.78 | 38.48 | intermediate | warm |
| 05C | cool | 67.81 | 16.43 | 32.14 | 28.99 | intermediate | neutral |
| 05N | neutral | 67.11 | 11.2 | 25 | 34.39 | intermediate | warm |
| 05W | warm | 66.64 | 14.86 | 31.57 | 27.79 | tan | neutral |
| 055C | cool | 65.32 | 16.02 | 26.51 | 30.02 | intermediate | neutral |
| 055W | warm | 64.55 | 13.05 | 25.9 | 29.33 | intermediate | neutral |
| 055N | neutral | 64.25 | 13.53 | 23.83 | 30.88 | intermediate | neutral |
| 06N | neutral | 54.93 | 15.24 | 20.4 | 13.59 | tan | cool |
| 06C | cool | 54.78 | 15.87 | 24.23 | 11.16 | tan | cool |
| 06W | warm | 53.37 | 17.7 | 28.05 | 6.85 | brown | cool |
Lingerie De Peau Natural Perfection Foundation SPF 2014 shades
| Shade | Brand says | L* | a* | b* | ITA° | Depth band | Swatch reads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00N | neutral | 80.16 | 7.79 | 14.64 | 64.11 | very_light | neutral |
| 02C | cool · light | 75.38 | 9.44 | 12.59 | 63.62 | very_light | cool |
| 02W | warm · light | 75.2 | 8.31 | 16.69 | 56.48 | very_light | neutral |
| 02N | neutral · light | 73.11 | 7.55 | 13.63 | 59.47 | very_light | neutral |
| 03N | neutral | 71.73 | 7.51 | 18.78 | 49.17 | light | warm |
| 04C | cool · medium | 71.14 | 13.09 | 15.87 | 53.1 | light | cool |
| 03C | cool | 70.52 | 12.22 | 14.39 | 54.96 | light | cool |
| 03W | warm | 69.52 | 13.62 | 21.3 | 42.5 | light | cool |
| 04W | warm · medium | 69.02 | 12.82 | 24.97 | 37.3 | intermediate | neutral |
| 04N | neutral · medium | 68.48 | 12.48 | 20.88 | 41.51 | light | neutral |
| 05W | warm · deep | 67.61 | 10.1 | 25.67 | 34.45 | intermediate | warm |
| 05N | neutral · deep | 66.2 | 10.67 | 23.71 | 34.34 | intermediate | neutral |
| 05C | cool · deep | 65.03 | 13.7 | 22.71 | 33.5 | intermediate | neutral |
| 06W | warm · deep | 53.56 | 12.98 | 20.72 | 9.75 | brown | cool |
Match a shade you already wear
Colours are read from each shade’s own swatch image published by the retailer, not from a drawdown measured by the house — a screen swatch and a colorimeter are not the same instrument, and the house does not pretend otherwise. ITA° is the open dermatological standard, computed from the reading; no licensed colour library is used. A shade listed without a reading is one the house holds but has not yet seen.
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