We all know the foundation hunt is a tough one, and it’s even tougher for olive-skinned girlies. Amongst aisles upon aisles of foundation, finding even a single olive foundation, let alone one that matches, seems like a miracle.
Before we jump into the vast array of olive foundations out there, you may be wondering how to check your undertone in the first place. Generally, there are three undertone categories: warm, cool and neutral. Olive undertones are somewhat of a subcategory of these main three undertones. Keep in mind that it is certainly possible to have a neutral, warm, or cool undertone while also having an olive undertone!
There are a couple of ways to go about checking your undertone.
Vein Test
- Place your wrist under natural light (avoid doing this test in fluorescent or warm light)
- Check to see the color of your veins to determine your undertone.
- Blue or purple veins: cool undertone
- Green veins: warm undertone
- A mix of green, purple, and blue veins: neutral undertone
Jewelry Test
- If silver suits you best, you’re a cool tone
- If gold is your go-to, you have a warm undertone
- If you feel that both equally complement your skin, you likely have a neutral undertone
After you have found your warm, cool, or neutral undertone, it can be tricky to see if you lean towards an olive undertone. There are few tips to help you navigate the process, but overall identifying an olive undertone simply means searching for that slightly greenish tone in your complexion.
People with olive undertones usually have neutral undertones, but may lean slightly towards warm or cool undertones. This means when you check for your undertone, you may have trouble fully identifying just one set of vein colors or suitable color of jewelry. Also, Areas where skin is thinner (oftentimes around the eyes) may appear slightly more green for those with olive undertones.
Swatching Test
- Swatch multiple foundations with neutral, warm, and cool undertones that are closest to your shade onto your skin.
- Check the following:
- Does the neutral undertone foundation appear too orange?
- Does the warm undertone foundation appear too yellow?
- Does the cool undertone foundation appear too pink?
- Saying yes to all of the above can be a good sign that you have an olive undertone!
For a more comprehensive walkthrough on how to test your olive undertone, you can learn more here.
Once you’ve found your undertone, you can finally apply all of your research to picking a foundation that best suits you. Without further ado, here’s the list of recommendations that will save you time during your next Sephora visit:
The first set of recommendations comes from beauty influencer Monica Ravi, who has both a neutral and slightly olive undertone.
Armani Luminous Silk Foundation ($69)
- Great for dry skin
- Olive shades:
- 5.3
- 6
- 7.8
- 9
- 11
- 13.6
- 13.8
- *Be sure to check out Armani Luminous Skin Tint if you are interested in a lighter coverage version of this foundation that offers the same olive shades!
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Longwear Matte Foundation ($59)
- Perfect for long wear
- Oily skin friendly
- Longwear
- Matte finish
- Olive shades:
- 1W2 Sand
- 2W2 Rattan
- 3W1.5 Fawn
- 3W2 Cashew
- 4W2 Toasty Toffee
- 5W1.5 Cinnamon
Loreal True Match Foundation ($12)
- Combination skin friendly
- Great for daily wear
- Easy to find at your local drugstore
- Olive shades:
- N2
- W2.5
- N3
- W4
- W6
- N7
- W7
- N9
- N9.5
Fenty Soft Lift Foundation ($40)
- Works well with combination and dry skin
- Runs slightly warmer (neutral and cool olive undertones may have more trouble with this foundation)
- Seven olive shades:
- 130
- 140
- 225
- 265
- 290
- 360
- 425
MOB Beauty Cream Foundation ($26)
- Works well with combination and dry skin
- Thicker formula = fuller coverage!
- Six olive shades:
- Olive 30
- Olive 40
- Olive 50
- Olive 60
- Olive 70
- Olive 80
About-Face The Performer Foundation ($25)
- Works well with combination and dry skin
- Better shade range for fairer and deeper olive skin tones
- Nine olive shades:
- F2 Olive
- L2 Olive
- LM2 Olive
- M2 Olive, MD1 Olive
- MD2 Olive
- D1 Olive
- D2 Olive
- D3 Olive
Beyond Monica’s recommendations, there are few more foundation lines out there that have plenty of options for people with olive undertones.
EX1 Cosmetics Invisiwear Liquid Foundation ($20)
- *This entire makeup brand is dedicated to people with olive undertones!
- All skin types
- Medium to full coverage
- Luminous finish
- Olive shades: All of them!
Urban Decay Face Bond Self-Setting Waterproof Foundation ($40)
- Lightweight and medium coverage
- Skincare infused
- Matte finish
- Olive shades:
- 13 Light Medium Cool Olive
- 19 Medium Golden Olive
- 20 Medium Olive
- 25 Medium Deep Cool Olive
- 27 Medium Deep Olive,
Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Foundation ($52)
- All skin types
- Medium coverage
- Longwear
- Skincare infused
- Olive shades:
- 260 Light Medium Cool
- 440 Medium Deep Cool
- 470 Medium Deep Cool
Dior Forever Skin Glow ($60)
- All skin types
- Medium light coverage
- Hydrating
- Skincare infused
- Olive Shades
- 2WO Warm Olive
- 3W0 Warm Olive
- 4WO Warm Olive
In recent years, olive undertones have been somewhat more of a trending topic in internet circles. With this, however, comes misleading marketing; non-olive undertone foundations are pushed to those with olive undertones. This leads to the disappointment of an olive undertone foundation leaving your face bright orange after application.
This being said, one of the many examples of this was with the Huda Beauty Easy Blur Natural Airbrush Foundation. Some of the newer shades from the line were originally branded as suitable for olive undertones, but olive-toned makeup gurus, Monica Ravi included, were deeply disappointed that these shades were far too orange for olive skin. Still, some foundations, such as shade 355 Creme Caramel from the line, proved to still be worthwhile for those on the olive foundation hunt.
The reverse effect in the marketing department is also true: sometimes foundations not labeled as olive undertone friendly end up being the perfect match. So even if a foundation is not marketed as having an olive undertone, don’t lose hope! There’s a chance it could be your next perfect shade.
Take for example Morphe’s Lightform Extended Hydration Foundation in Shade 16N and Shade 22W, which many online users have attested work well with olive undertones despite being marketed as neutral and warm toned foundations. In fact, some reviewers sharing their favorite foundations for their olive skin tones, such as Melis Cifcili-Paredes, have included several foundations in their lists that are marketed primarily as warm, neutral, or cool toned foundations.
Working with What You Have!
Not ready to throw out the foundation you have for an olive one? No problem! You can easily fix up the foundations you already have without breaking the bank.
Option 1: Add a foundation mixer to bring out an olive pigment from your foundation. This works best with foundations that are too orange on your skin.
Here are some products to try out.
Blue Foundation Mixers
These are best for the foundations that really lean towards an orange hue. Be sure to use a little at a time to gradually mix your foundation to the perfect shade.
- L.A. Girl Pro.color Foundation Mixing Pigment in Blue ($10)
- e.l.f. Camo Color Corrector in Blue ($5)
Green Color Correctors
For foundations that are only slightly lacking an olive pigment, green color correctors can help subtly bring out that hue to better match your complexion.
Option 2: Mixing foundations together. You can view a quick demonstration on how to do this here.
- If your foundation is too yellow, mix it with a foundation that has a cool undertone.
- If you foundation is too pink, mix it with a foundation that has a warm undertone.
Option 3: Trying an olive color correcting serum to prep your skin before foundation.
- Isamaya Color Correcting Serum in Olive ($44)
- Bonus: this includes skincare ingredients!
- To see this product in action, view Monica Ravi’s olive skin makeup tutorial here.
Overall, it can be hard to (o)live without knowing about the options available for people with olive undertones. Still, with recent social media content advocating for better options for olive undertone foundation, it looks like the makeup market may have started responding for the better! Even if you are hesitant to try a new foundation, there are still plenty of useful tools to work with what you have, too. At the end of the day, makeup is all about finding what works for you, and whether you choose to try a new foundation or get crafty with mixing together your foundations, you are still sure to feel like your best self!