mediumdark

Mediumdark is an informal descriptor used to categorize colors or skin tones that lie between medium and dark on a continuous spectrum. It does not designate a precise color or standard measurement; rather it conveys relative depth or darkness of hue, brightness, and sometimes saturation. The term is used across industries such as cosmetics, fashion, textiles, art, and digital design to aid communication when standardized terms are lacking.

In cosmetics, foundation and concealer lines often include terms like light, medium, tan, deep, and their gradations such as medium-dark to indicate shade depth conducive to a range of undertones (warm, cool, neutral). The exact shade associated with medium-dark varies by brand and market, and undertones and pigment formulations must be matched by swatches or colorimeters.

In design and color science, medium-dark may correspond roughly to a luminance (L*) value in the mid-to-high 20s or mid-30s depending on color space, and to a hue depending on undertone. There is no universal standard for medium-dark in digital color naming, so the label serves as a qualitative cue rather than a fixed numeric value.

Cultural and social usage: The term is commonly used in consumer settings to describe skin tone ranges, but it should be applied carefully to avoid essentializing individuals. Discussions about skin tone often intersect with broader topics of representation and color bias. See also: skin tone, shade, undertone, foundation shade guide, color space.