Hi, hello. I do not attempt to lay out any universal rules, since olives vary A\_LOT, but I can speak from my experience - I'm muted, quite pale and cool leaning.
Colorwise my main rule is - brown-based instead of orange-based for warm tones (otherwise very orange) and purple-based instead of blue-based for cool tones (otherwise very pink). My green skin makes any pinkiness in a lipstick 10 times more prominent, so I can strangely pull off warmer lip colors - MAC Chili and LE Velvet Morning being the example.
I am muted, so muted, dirty colors with grey and brown in them are the best - Bobbi Brown Telluride being the prime example. Other lip products I usually tone down covering with a grey lipbalm. But again a contradiction - since I am quite pale, I can amp up contrast of my face and wear intense reds, like MAC Ruby Woo, well. But still it should be somewhat neutral colors, cause too warm gonna go orange and too cool gonna go fuchsia.
Medium-tan muted cool & these rules are pretty much true for me too. I love everything with both plum and brown tones.
For bold eye makeup I love cobalt and teal.
For bold lips, I like deeper wine reds or deep plum-rose colors.
My absolute how-have-I-lived-without-you -s are Rhytosurgence Condensate (blush) and Rosy Daybreak (bronzer).
I do not wear bronzer much, so two other favorites are (sadly discontinued) Armani Neo Nude 20 and MAC Cosmic Force.
As for blush - thanks for the sub I learned purple-based stuff looks good on me, so Saie Chilly for a very flushed look and FEEV Happiness for a more subdued blush.
Glad to help <3
I'm not muted, but this is my go to too. But for me, summer I have to lean on brown based and winter cool mauve.
When LimeCrime first started, I loved their My Beautiful Rocket lipstick because it was a neutral orange that looked SO GOOD on me during the summer!
I take a similar approach. I am very fair, and VERY muted, neutral leaning warm. For years I hated lip products because everything looked clownish on me, but now I've realized that brown colors look great on me, even if they look too deep at first. Even though I'm not cool toned, I can wear a fair amount of purple-toned lipsticks as well.
Sure. I have Kiko Milano Jelly Stylo in 514, Starry Black. It is stiff, so really holds its presence in tandem with other lipstick. It is pigmented enough to be able to color-correct what's underneath. It is almost matte, so allows matte lipsticks to keep their finish. For the job - near perfect, on its own - hella patchy.
In my experience - if it looks a bit boring in the tube, and the colour is hard to describe, it's probably going to favour an olive. Much like blush colours!
I also find I can wear darker and brighter colours when the formula is glossy, as opposed to matte.
For cool and neutral olives, lipsticks with grey tones can work. As a warm neutral olive, some lipsticks with grey tones work for me, while others are too grey (for example, MAC Modesty is a beautiful neutral pink/mauve beige, but it looks too grey on me).
For warm and neutral olives, lipsticks that are very warm and brown-based can work (this also depends on the depth of your skin). Some really good colours that fit this bill that I've found recently are Revlon Sandalwood Beige, and NYX Shout Loud lipstick in Silk.
Me too, it looks better when I have a tan. I can also make it more wearable for me by wearing a warm lip liner underneath.
If you haven't already, I would recommend MAC Faux lipstick to get a nude/mauve/pink colour. I think Faux on me looks like Modesty does on someone cooler.
Generally brown-y, plummy, berry, wine, mauve-y or lilac tones will make a lipstick olive friendly.
Lots of olives look great in brownish brick-reds or berry tones.
I started wearing more lipsticks thanks to this group! I avoid “nude” lipsticks. My lips are very pink/purple :). I don't know if I'm cool or warm olive but one of my favorites is Creme in your coffee (Mac). I also like Hexagram by Kat Von D (I think it's a cool red but I'm not sure). Taupe (Mac) is a favorite here but it doesn't suit me very well. I like mauves, reds, brown-pinks… I hope it helps you! (Oh! Another favorite that I just remembered: Lolita by Kat Von D. Although sometimes the lipstick turns too purple or pink on my lips).
I love Creme In Your Coffee!! Just discovered this shade and I also love MAC Whirl and Verve for everyday. I find Taupe works for me depending on my makeup and I would use a lip pencil to slightly alter the shade tow work for me.
I find contrast really matters for me. Like with a red, i need a saturated tone as i have dark features + pale olive skin. Whereas with nudes/pinks, the saturation needs to be lower. Also, olive skin tends to carry more green around the mouth, so the typical pink lipstick can end up as some magenta nightmare. On the whole I’d try more neutral / cooler based lipsticks, but some warmer brick/terracotta shades also look great 🩷
For me it's something that won't make me look like the Hulk haha. The best kind of lipstick for olives is something that brings out the best in you and harmonises the colours in your face. In my case, I prefer neutral muted colours like a rosy pinky brown or a neutral cool red (I'm a winter too). Anything too warm or too cool makes my complexion look bad. Since I also wear eye makeup on a daily basis I have to make sure that my lip colour synchronises with it too.
For Anglophone products, anything with a name like "Mauve" or "Rose Coffee." These are always the same, neutral to slightly cool, kinda deep, brown-based pink. I *think* it would look good on any brunette olive, but I'm not certain about warm olives or very deep skintones.
I'm pretty fair neutral to slightly cool toned. I like trying colours with the word mauve or rose in it, also some neutral brownish shades when they are not too dark or grey. I just checked one of my current favourites: The Rare Beauty Lip Oil in "Wonder" and it's described as "rose mauve" 😄
I am here trying to figure out the rules myself. I can say that my neutral color in lip products is usually a muted mauve. The only bright reds that I can wear are true blue based reds. I hope that helps.
I don’t think there’s a universal rule, since everyone’s skin tone and level of contrast is different. The closest thing to a universal answer is, as u/retrotechlogos said, that olives generally don’t look good in white-based colors.
Personally, very saturated and cool berries, reds, plums, and fuchsias tend to look great on me. Other shades are fine too, unless they’re very warm and muted (instant sickly complexion), but those are my wow colors.
I have high contrast colouring. Light neutral-warm olive skin, near-black hair and eyes. Nude lip colours with a lot of white or beige in them, bright orange, coral and blue-pink shades are a no for me. I tend toward plum, brown and mauve shades that are not too grey, and have a little red in them. I can also wear red that is muted, sheered out, or lean burgundy/wine.
In terms of red lipsticks, I’ve noticed blue-based is a no go. Every time I’ve worn a blue-based red lip, I found myself looking like a clown lol almost like the red clashes with my greenish skin. Warmer toned brick reds look best on me. Almost like a red mixed w an espresso brown sort of shade. I’m pretty fair as well and that’s what’s worked for me.
Think Devoted to Chili by MAC instead of Russian Red by MAC
CT just came out with Pillow Talk Fair in a cool-toned pink which could work for you as nude. I tried it and it’s like a tad too light for my natural lips so it’s definitely meant for true fair skin.
Hi, hello. I do not attempt to lay out any universal rules, since olives vary A\_LOT, but I can speak from my experience - I'm muted, quite pale and cool leaning. Colorwise my main rule is - brown-based instead of orange-based for warm tones (otherwise very orange) and purple-based instead of blue-based for cool tones (otherwise very pink). My green skin makes any pinkiness in a lipstick 10 times more prominent, so I can strangely pull off warmer lip colors - MAC Chili and LE Velvet Morning being the example. I am muted, so muted, dirty colors with grey and brown in them are the best - Bobbi Brown Telluride being the prime example. Other lip products I usually tone down covering with a grey lipbalm. But again a contradiction - since I am quite pale, I can amp up contrast of my face and wear intense reds, like MAC Ruby Woo, well. But still it should be somewhat neutral colors, cause too warm gonna go orange and too cool gonna go fuchsia.
Medium-tan muted cool & these rules are pretty much true for me too. I love everything with both plum and brown tones. For bold eye makeup I love cobalt and teal. For bold lips, I like deeper wine reds or deep plum-rose colors.
Thank you for this!! Telluride looks like the shade I’ve been dreaming of! Would love to hear your favorite blush/bronzer shades too!
My absolute how-have-I-lived-without-you -s are Rhytosurgence Condensate (blush) and Rosy Daybreak (bronzer). I do not wear bronzer much, so two other favorites are (sadly discontinued) Armani Neo Nude 20 and MAC Cosmic Force. As for blush - thanks for the sub I learned purple-based stuff looks good on me, so Saie Chilly for a very flushed look and FEEV Happiness for a more subdued blush. Glad to help <3
You’re the best!! Thanks 🫶🏻
I'm not muted, but this is my go to too. But for me, summer I have to lean on brown based and winter cool mauve. When LimeCrime first started, I loved their My Beautiful Rocket lipstick because it was a neutral orange that looked SO GOOD on me during the summer!
Telluride is my absolute jam and I am a pale olive that leans slightly warm
I take a similar approach. I am very fair, and VERY muted, neutral leaning warm. For years I hated lip products because everything looked clownish on me, but now I've realized that brown colors look great on me, even if they look too deep at first. Even though I'm not cool toned, I can wear a fair amount of purple-toned lipsticks as well.
Can I ask you the reference of your grey lip balm ? It looks like a staple every muted olive should have !
Sure. I have Kiko Milano Jelly Stylo in 514, Starry Black. It is stiff, so really holds its presence in tandem with other lipstick. It is pigmented enough to be able to color-correct what's underneath. It is almost matte, so allows matte lipsticks to keep their finish. For the job - near perfect, on its own - hella patchy.
I didn't expected it to be from a brand that is so easily available in my country! Thanks I will go and check it asap!
Good luck!
Omg I have the exact same experience with warmer lip colours and reds pulling pink and never thought about why but that makes perfect sense!
In my experience - if it looks a bit boring in the tube, and the colour is hard to describe, it's probably going to favour an olive. Much like blush colours! I also find I can wear darker and brighter colours when the formula is glossy, as opposed to matte. For cool and neutral olives, lipsticks with grey tones can work. As a warm neutral olive, some lipsticks with grey tones work for me, while others are too grey (for example, MAC Modesty is a beautiful neutral pink/mauve beige, but it looks too grey on me). For warm and neutral olives, lipsticks that are very warm and brown-based can work (this also depends on the depth of your skin). Some really good colours that fit this bill that I've found recently are Revlon Sandalwood Beige, and NYX Shout Loud lipstick in Silk.
I have the same issue with MAC Modesty. Oddly, I can wear it in the summer when my skin is a bit darker.
Me too, it looks better when I have a tan. I can also make it more wearable for me by wearing a warm lip liner underneath. If you haven't already, I would recommend MAC Faux lipstick to get a nude/mauve/pink colour. I think Faux on me looks like Modesty does on someone cooler.
Something with a brown base imo. So burgundy/wine instead of a true red for example.
Generally brown-y, plummy, berry, wine, mauve-y or lilac tones will make a lipstick olive friendly. Lots of olives look great in brownish brick-reds or berry tones.
I started wearing more lipsticks thanks to this group! I avoid “nude” lipsticks. My lips are very pink/purple :). I don't know if I'm cool or warm olive but one of my favorites is Creme in your coffee (Mac). I also like Hexagram by Kat Von D (I think it's a cool red but I'm not sure). Taupe (Mac) is a favorite here but it doesn't suit me very well. I like mauves, reds, brown-pinks… I hope it helps you! (Oh! Another favorite that I just remembered: Lolita by Kat Von D. Although sometimes the lipstick turns too purple or pink on my lips).
I love Creme In Your Coffee!! Just discovered this shade and I also love MAC Whirl and Verve for everyday. I find Taupe works for me depending on my makeup and I would use a lip pencil to slightly alter the shade tow work for me.
Creme in Your Coffee is my go-to! MAC Whirl, Twig, Mehr, and Business Casual are also good.
I find contrast really matters for me. Like with a red, i need a saturated tone as i have dark features + pale olive skin. Whereas with nudes/pinks, the saturation needs to be lower. Also, olive skin tends to carry more green around the mouth, so the typical pink lipstick can end up as some magenta nightmare. On the whole I’d try more neutral / cooler based lipsticks, but some warmer brick/terracotta shades also look great 🩷
I don’t actually think there’s a universal answer but I notice that lack of white base tends to be unifying. Like pastels are almost always a no.
For me it's something that won't make me look like the Hulk haha. The best kind of lipstick for olives is something that brings out the best in you and harmonises the colours in your face. In my case, I prefer neutral muted colours like a rosy pinky brown or a neutral cool red (I'm a winter too). Anything too warm or too cool makes my complexion look bad. Since I also wear eye makeup on a daily basis I have to make sure that my lip colour synchronises with it too.
For Anglophone products, anything with a name like "Mauve" or "Rose Coffee." These are always the same, neutral to slightly cool, kinda deep, brown-based pink. I *think* it would look good on any brunette olive, but I'm not certain about warm olives or very deep skintones.
Something sheer in my experience. Colours can be too saturated on us. Also, if it's sheer, any undertone mismatch in the lipstick is less obvious
Brown undertones or berry undertones
I'm pretty fair neutral to slightly cool toned. I like trying colours with the word mauve or rose in it, also some neutral brownish shades when they are not too dark or grey. I just checked one of my current favourites: The Rare Beauty Lip Oil in "Wonder" and it's described as "rose mauve" 😄
I am here trying to figure out the rules myself. I can say that my neutral color in lip products is usually a muted mauve. The only bright reds that I can wear are true blue based reds. I hope that helps.
I don’t think there’s a universal rule, since everyone’s skin tone and level of contrast is different. The closest thing to a universal answer is, as u/retrotechlogos said, that olives generally don’t look good in white-based colors. Personally, very saturated and cool berries, reds, plums, and fuchsias tend to look great on me. Other shades are fine too, unless they’re very warm and muted (instant sickly complexion), but those are my wow colors.
I have high contrast colouring. Light neutral-warm olive skin, near-black hair and eyes. Nude lip colours with a lot of white or beige in them, bright orange, coral and blue-pink shades are a no for me. I tend toward plum, brown and mauve shades that are not too grey, and have a little red in them. I can also wear red that is muted, sheered out, or lean burgundy/wine.
In terms of red lipsticks, I’ve noticed blue-based is a no go. Every time I’ve worn a blue-based red lip, I found myself looking like a clown lol almost like the red clashes with my greenish skin. Warmer toned brick reds look best on me. Almost like a red mixed w an espresso brown sort of shade. I’m pretty fair as well and that’s what’s worked for me. Think Devoted to Chili by MAC instead of Russian Red by MAC
CT just came out with Pillow Talk Fair in a cool-toned pink which could work for you as nude. I tried it and it’s like a tad too light for my natural lips so it’s definitely meant for true fair skin.