The shade file
Kosas, 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.
Kosas names an undertone for 37 of these shades. Read off the brand’s own swatch under D65, 33 of them — 89% — 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.
BB Burst Tinted Moisturizer Gel Cream with Copper Peptides1 shades
| Shade | Brand says | L* | a* | b* | ITA° | Depth band | Swatch reads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Warm 40 | warm · deep | 46.77 | 8.5 | 18.08 | -10.13 | brown | neutral |
Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF 25 with Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide36 shades
| Shade | Brand says | L* | a* | b* | ITA° | Depth band | Swatch reads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Light Neutral 100 | neutral · light | 85.05 | 5.5 | 14.73 | 67.21 | very_light | warm |
| Light Medium Neutral Warm 190 | neutral · light | 81.85 | 9.32 | 26.21 | 50.55 | light | warm |
| Light+ Neutral Warm 170 | neutral · light | 80.56 | 6.91 | 25.91 | 49.71 | light | warm |
| Light+ Neutral Olive 160 | olive · light | 80.27 | 5.41 | 28.65 | 46.57 | light | warm |
| Light Neutral Warm 130 | neutral · light | 80.19 | 8.84 | 21.7 | 54.29 | light | warm |
| Very Light Neutral 110 | neutral · light | 80.12 | 7.33 | 17.81 | 59.4 | very_light | warm |
| Light Neutral 140 | neutral · light | 79.38 | 7.22 | 18.35 | 58.01 | very_light | warm |
| Very Light Cool 120 | cool · light | 78.61 | 8.67 | 17.82 | 58.08 | very_light | neutral |
| Light+ Cool 180 | cool · light | 78.43 | 13.6 | 21.99 | 52.28 | light | neutral |
| Light Cool 150 | cool · light | 78.03 | 10.62 | 20.27 | 54.13 | light | neutral |
| Light Medium Neutral Olive 210 | olive · light | 76.12 | 3.79 | 22.24 | 49.59 | light | warm |
| Medium Tan Olive 270 | olive · medium | 75.7 | 5 | 24.37 | 46.52 | light | warm |
| Light Medium Neutral 200 | neutral · light | 75 | 10.12 | 21.33 | 49.53 | light | neutral |
| Medium Neutral Warm 230 | neutral · medium | 72.63 | 13.78 | 25.15 | 41.98 | light | neutral |
| Medium Neutral 220 | neutral · medium | 70.64 | 11.77 | 25.02 | 39.52 | intermediate | neutral |
| Medium Tan Neutral 280 | neutral · medium | 70.63 | 14.92 | 22.91 | 42 | light | cool |
| Medium Warm 240 | warm · medium | 69.66 | 13.53 | 29.71 | 33.49 | intermediate | neutral |
| Medium Deep Warm 300 | warm · medium | 69.38 | 14.56 | 21.12 | 42.54 | light | cool |
| Medium Deep Neutral Olive 290 | olive · medium | 67.87 | 11.26 | 24.41 | 36.21 | intermediate | neutral |
| Medium Tan Warm 250 | warm · medium | 67.5 | 14.28 | 25.09 | 34.9 | intermediate | neutral |
| Medium Tan Neutral Olive 260 | olive · medium | 67.49 | 9.33 | 29.31 | 30.83 | intermediate | warm |
| Medium Deep Neutral 320 | neutral · medium | 66.71 | 11.74 | 17.22 | 44.14 | light | cool |
| Medium Deep Neutral Cool 310 | neutral · medium | 66.37 | 13.15 | 20.69 | 38.35 | intermediate | cool |
| Medium Deep Neutral Warm 330 | neutral · medium | 64.31 | 15.19 | 24.51 | 30.28 | intermediate | neutral |
| Medium Deep Neutral Warm 340 | neutral · medium | 63.14 | 16.8 | 21.8 | 31.08 | intermediate | cool |
| Medium Deep Warm 350 | warm · medium | 63.09 | 13.16 | 28.31 | 24.81 | tan | neutral |
| Deep Warm 370 | warm · deep | 62.3 | 20.41 | 26.89 | 24.58 | tan | cool |
| Medium Deep Neutral Olive 360 | olive · medium | 59.65 | 12.26 | 21.25 | 24.42 | tan | neutral |
| Deep Neutral 380 | neutral · deep | 55.44 | 18.38 | 22.93 | 13.35 | tan | cool |
| Deep Neutral Warm 410 | neutral · deep | 53.08 | 17.13 | 21.33 | 8.22 | brown | cool |
| Deep Neutral Warm 390 | neutral · deep | 51.64 | 19.01 | 22.27 | 4.21 | brown | cool |
| Rich Deep Neutral Olive 430 | olive · rich | 49.53 | 19.07 | 16.35 | -1.65 | brown | cool |
| Deep Neutral Olive 400 | olive · deep | 49.5 | 11.96 | 10.77 | -2.66 | brown | cool |
| Rich Deep Cool 420 | neutral · rich | 48.07 | 19.83 | 13.69 | -8.02 | brown | cool |
| Rich Deep Neutral 450 | neutral · rich | 45.34 | 17.1 | 16.9 | -15.42 | brown | cool |
| Rich Deep Neutral 440 | neutral · rich | 43.24 | 13.11 | 8.29 | -39.2 | dark | cool |
Tinted Face Oil Foundation16 shades
| Shade | Brand says | L* | a* | b* | ITA° | Depth band | Swatch reads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | — | 89.49 | 3.32 | 12.16 | 72.89 | very_light | warm |
| 02 | — | 87.96 | 5.66 | 15.25 | 68.11 | very_light | warm |
| 03 | — | 79.79 | 9.01 | 17.9 | 59 | very_light | neutral |
| 3.5 | — | 75.15 | 9.2 | 21.53 | 49.43 | light | warm |
| 5.5 | — | 73.24 | 6.79 | 28.51 | 39.19 | intermediate | warm |
| 04 | — | 73.14 | 11.45 | 23.63 | 44.4 | light | neutral |
| 05 | — | 72.14 | 14.85 | 24.5 | 42.1 | light | neutral |
| 06 | — | 71.51 | 8.04 | 20.13 | 46.9 | light | warm |
| 07 | — | 65.97 | 9.94 | 21.15 | 37.06 | intermediate | neutral |
| 7.5 | — | 54.71 | 17.6 | 39.62 | 6.78 | brown | warm |
| 8.2 | — | 48.67 | 17.3 | 43.33 | -1.76 | brown | warm |
| 08 | — | 46.42 | 16.41 | 19.6 | -10.35 | brown | cool |
| 8.7 | — | 44.11 | 21.27 | 43.02 | -7.8 | brown | neutral |
| 09 | — | 43.55 | 13.62 | 16.06 | -21.88 | brown | cool |
| 9.5 | — | 39.52 | 24.44 | 27.69 | -20.73 | brown | cool |
| 10 | — | 33.79 | 14.85 | 15.9 | -45.55 | dark | 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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