Best Colours for Olive Skin: Is Your Undertone Cool or Warm?
- Daria
- Mar 19
- 3 min read
If you have olive skin — or suspect you do — you’ve probably spent hours searching online for advice on clothes, hair colour, and makeup that make your complexion pop. It can be tricky because olive skin isn’t as straightforward as lighter or darker types: the undertones are complex and often compound, so a slightly different approach is needed.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of conflicting information out there. That’s why we decided to write this post — to give you clear, actionable guidance based on real colour principles.
The first thing to know is that olive skin isn’t automatically warm or cool. You can be either. For example:
Olivia Munn on the right has cooler olive tones while Eva Mendes (on the left) has warmer olive tones.
This is why simply assuming “olive = warm” doesn’t always work. Even when a colour like olive green suits you, the exact shade matters:
Warm olive skin tends to look best in yellowy or golden olive greens.
Cool olive skin is complemented by greener-grey or muted olive tones.
Olive skin but unsure of your undertone? Here’s how to find out.
Try our Free Colour Analysis Quiz
Learn about your colour type and your colour palette
Purchase £10 colour guide specially crafted for your type (colours, style, hair, jewellery, make up)
Discover more about Personalised Colour Analysis Services: Bloom, Blossom and Flourish.
How Clothes Can Brighten Olive Skin
Wearing the right colours is the fastest way to make olive skin look fresher, brighter, and more radiant.
Colours to Make Cool Olive Skin Glow
Jade green or sage green
Dusty blues or teal
Cool purples like lavender or violet
Soft greys with blue undertones
Colours to Make Warm Olive Skin Glow
Mustard, golden yellow, or amber
Warm oranges or peach tones (Discover how to choose the right orange shade here)
Terracotta or coral
Olive green with golden undertones
Pro tip: Avoid colours that are too close to your skin tone, as they can make you look dull. For example, greyish-beige or certain muted greens can wash you out if they don’t have the right undertone for your olive complexion.
How to Build a Wardrobe That Enhances Olive Skin
Step 1: Identify your undertone.
Take our free colour analysis quiz, explore how different colours look against your face on your own, or book one of our personalised services designed to help you discover your signature colours.
Bloom is perfect if you’re looking for a foundational colour analysis — for example, to determine whether your skin has a warm or cool undertone.
Blossom goes a step further, offering not only a full colour analysis but also a curated palette of the 15 shades closest to your complexion, along with outfit ideas tailored to your personal style.
Flourish is our most comprehensive service. You’ll receive everything included in Blossom, plus 50 signature shades and 5 personalised looks — giving you a deeper understanding of your palette and how to use it with confidence.
Step 2: Stock key wardrobe colours.
Pick 3–5 colours from your palette that you like the most and that make your skin look radiant and use them as staples.
Step 3: Mix neutrals carefully.
For cool olive skin choose: soft grey, charcoal, navy.
If you have warm olive skin go for beige, camel, warm brown.
Step 4: Layer for contrast.
Use brighter or deeper colours as accents to bring life to your outfit without overwhelming your natural tones. Personalised colour analysis will determine how bright and how deep your colours can go.
FAQs
What are the best colours for olive skin?
Cool olive skin: jade, sage, lavender, dusty blue
Warm olive skin: mustard, peach, terracotta, golden olive
Can olive skin be neutral?
It will lean either cool or warm in undertone.
How can I make olive skin look brighter?
Wear colours with the right undertones, avoid shades too close to your skin tone, and layer neutrals with accent colours.
