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Why aren’t we talking about the olive skin tone? 

by Gaby Agbulos

YOU may have seen those TikTok filters that try to determine whether you’re a cool-tone or warm-tone girlie, but what about those with olive skin tones?

Yes, there is such a thing as olive skin tones! Proven Skin Care noted that it isn’t very common, hence, not a lot of people know that they might have olive skin tone.

If you’ve been struggling to find the right foundation or if the makeup you’re buying looks off when you put it on, maybe it’s because you’re an olive-toned girlie.

What it looks like

People with olive skin tones have either a greenish or yellowish tint to their skin, often having a neutral undertone which allows them to tan rather easily. This skin tone can also be lighter or darker in nature.

This is most common among people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, as well as South Asian descent, though it is not limited to these ethnicities. Anyone can have an olive skin tone.

TikToker Sarah Novio, who has an olive-green skin tone, explained that if foundations look orange, pink or yellow on you, you might fall under the neutral olive skin tone.

If you stand beside someone with the same skin tone, but notice that you look gray compared to them, this may also be a sign. Another sign is when your skin seems to shine or stand out when you wear red clothes or makeup, or if you seem washed out by beige or gray clothes.

She also releases content that looks at celebrities with olive skin, such as:

  • Zoe Kravitz
  • Salma Hayek
  • Penelope Cruz
  • Hannah Simone

Other tests you can try to see if you have olive skin are the following:

  1. The vein test: Check the color of the veins in your arm; if they’re greenish, you have a warm or olive undertone.
  2. The sun exposure test: When exposed to the sun, and you tan easily without getting sunburned, you have a warm or olive undertone.

Take note, however, that your skin tone may not be the same as your undertone.

As per popular makeup brand Colourette Cosmetics, the skin tone is the actual color of your skin while the undertone is the hue underneath your skin.

You can have an olive skin tone, but you can also have an olive undertone, which is characterized by green and yellow or warm undertones, leading your skin to look either ashy or gray because of this.

Warm undertones may look peachy, yellow, or light orange in color.

Products to try

Since olive skin tone isn’t that common, not all makeup brands have products that suit those that have it. This is why many people with olive skin tones often get a warm foundation that makes them look rather yellow.

For people with this skin tone, it’s recommended to get a foundation with a slight golden color, for example.

Some colors recommended for people with olive skin tones to wear are the following:

Photo from Healthline

Some products you can get for your skin tone are the following:

  1. Strokes Beauty Lab’s Spot Veil Concealer 
  2. Colourette Cosmetics’s First Base Everyday Skin Tint
  3. Detail’s Fresh Filter Concealer
  4. GRWM’s All About That Base Radiance Tint
  5. Issy & Co.’s Active Concealer and Active Skin Tint

Remember: having skin that’s different from everyone else’s isn’t a curse—it’s a blessing! It’s something that makes you unique and allows you to stand out from the crowd.

In utilizing the right tools, such as figuring out your makeup shades or dressing in colors that accentuate your skin, you’re able to highlight your natural gift even more.

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