How do I know if I have an olive complexion? - YouLookFab Forum

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How do I know if I have an olive complexion?

Nickie

I'm just wondering. And also if that is my natural color how do I get back there?

The thing is recently I was told on the fitzpatrick scale I'm a 4? But the person wasn't looking at me they were just doing the test on the phone. Everytime I do the test I'm a high 4. But I'm black... I tan really well and have yellow undertones so my veins are green. I tan to a medium brown not really a dark brown. I wear caramel in revlon. So I'm similar in complexion to halle berry but the thing is this foundation is too reddish for my cheeks. My face is three different colors but it's not been a non-brown color since I was 4 years old. My legs and the underside of my arms are a nonbrown color. I wouldn't call it olive as that's a caucasian color. But how would I know if I were really olive compleccted naturally or not? I've heard jessica alba is olive. I'm definitely a lot darker than her. Is there different kinds of olive skin tones? Also on my face it's definitely much more like a skin type 5. But I don't tan to a dark brown I get a really bright brown.

If not why on the scale am I a 4 instead of a 5? Also what foundation would be good if I have 3 different shades on my face? I have found caramel is good on my temples but toast is good on my cheeks and cappuccino is good on my forehead. What would be a good foundation for this? And how can I even out my skin And how can I get back to that color? If I take care of it will it go back naturally?

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21 replies

Latest reply was from Nickie

Nickie

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akam.....2285_o.jpg

Here's an example of my arm.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Nickie, I am very unwise in the ways of colour typing, but I do know it's awfully hard to tell from a photo online.

It does look as if you are quite light complected (relatively-- I mean for a black person) and if the undertones are warm, then I think it could be olive. But perhaps someone with more knowledge here will jump in.

Sal

Veteran

I can't help as I don't know the scale nor that foundation colour.

I can sympathise though as finding the right colour foundation can be very hard, and it is so difficult in store with the lighting.

Nickie

Main problem I find with my foundations is if it fits my cheeks it's got no chance to cover my temples and my forehead I wouldn't even try it. And if I try to get a foundation for my temples it won't fit my forehead and if I wear a foundation for my forehead it just looks like paint on the rest of my skin.

I'll put a link for the scale.

Also I know but it's not Mediterranean skin as 4 is described to be also the thing is my face is my adult years looks like a 5 and has since I was 5. And I didn't live in a sunny region until I was 15. Before I moved to vegas though my whole body was about that color but my face was a lot darker and uneven. I have had darker temples and a darker forehead since I started puberty at 7. I think it has to do with acne and the fact that hit these areas the most. I'm guessing.

DonnaF

Veteran

Hey, hey, hey, Nickie; I wouldn't call olive a *Caucasian color*. It is probably more common in people of color. If you are three different shades on your face, perhaps a single shade would not look natural. You may also want to change shades according to how much you've been out in the sun. Yeah, I know: Expensive. My face get more olive in the summer, and the rest of my body (that tends to be darker) is more olive than my face.

I would buy my makeup at places that gives out samples, preferably with SAs with similar skin tones as you. I am Asian (of Japanese descent), and the white girls never give me the right color. My daughter, who is half Filipina, tries to find Sephoras with Latina SAs as their skin tones are closest to hers. Some makeup lines don't have much choice for women of color because they are too pink or too orange. (I need something yellow-green that's not too light, lol.)

Getting the right foundation is really a Holy Grail thing. In addition to the right color, you want a formulation that works for you and doesn't irritate your skin or break you out. And is the right color not only when you apply it but also hours later!

Something sheer, like tinted foundation or BB cream, might also be a possibility if you want to use only one color. That being said, I had to go through trying five samples of Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer before I was given the correct color. Thank goodness 'cuz the stuff is $43/tube so you don't want to make a mistake!

Nickie

Here are a few links. I have two others but can't find them.

http://www.aesthetic.lumenis.c.....ntypes.pdf

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzpatrick_scale

https://thesuntaninsider.wordp.....ity-style/

http://store.medalase.com/fitzpatrick-scale.html

Anonymous

Have you ever gone to Sephora for your color matching? They will also give you samples to try at home. I do know they used to carry Illamasqua which has a foundation line specifically for yellow- olive skin undertones. One of the SA's at Sephora used to rave about this foundation because she had lighter black skin with olive undertones. I don't think Sephora carries Illamasqua anymore, but I think Bloomingdales does. When Sephora had it it wasn't a good match for me since I strictly have yellow undertones.

Nickie

I've tried 3 foundations on but I don't know how to blend them really. How do you blend different colors without being obvious? I owned caramel cappuccino and toast all at once and when I wore toast it brought out the color of my cheeks and the caramel brought out the color of the temples and the cappuccino brought out the color on my forehead. So it was even more obvious I have a multicolored face.lol.

Caramel does the best but bad undertones. And it gives away that I'm wearing it on my forehead. Sometimes I leave it out but I got acne a lot of it on my forehead so there is some scaring residue from it.

Nickie

What's the difference with olive and yellow undertones?@lara.

Because I'm pretty sure I'm yellow as my veins are green.

But no I've never gone to sephora. I've considered it. Maybe I should give them a try.

Anonymous

You can have both yellow and olive undertones. The olive tone looks a bit greyish or ashen - not golden.

Nickie

The bags under my eyes are gray. I don't like taking pictures without flash in the winter because my color isn't very bright. But in the summer it is a bright brown I have always had a very golden hue when I tan. But I have a dull look in the winter. Can undertones change due to sun exposure?

Anonymous

Nickie, just wanted to add that you might want to try some facial masks, or serums, or creams that might help even out your skintone. This is also something that Sephora can help you with and make recommendations. But if you could I would recommend getting a facial. Since I started getting monthly facials my skin has dramatically improved, no dryness, a more even skintone, etc. and I don't need to use a corrector anymore.

Anonymous

I wear sunscreen all the time, but I do know that many women wear one foundation color in the winter and another one in the summer if they get tan. I am not sure if a tan eliminates the olive undertone.

Nickie I think your best bet is to either visit a Sephora or a makeup artist who can really make the best determination for you.

Nickie

I've never tried facials. It does definitely seem like I should head to sephora and give that a try. I'm going to google something as well.

Nickie

Oh also I think that's in part my problem that I hardly ever use sun screen which is why so many years I've now got so much of my skin dis colored due to that.

Vix

Veteran

Hi Nickie --

I'm quite far from an expert about makeup having worn very little most of my life but these days I'm trying to catch up a bit!

It's very normal to have multiple shades in one's face -- it's one of the things that gives me trouble when trying to choose a new foundation, esp if the sales associates don't really understand undertones/overtones.

I found the below very helpful:

Video Tutorial -- how to find the right shade of foundation

One thing that's annoying with lots of liquid/cream foundations is that they oxidize/get more orange when exposed to air. So something that looks great in-store looks not-so-awesome hours later.

[Believe it or not I recently got into kind of a "thing" with a SA when I went to purchase a color after testing 2 samples at home for a few days, with her insisting the other one *would be* better. Uh, no.]

To track what works, I've actually splotched foundation samples on a white sheet of paper and made notes of how they looked on my skin after time ("too warm" "makes skin look dirty" "too light" etc).]

Another resource might be Alima Pure mineral makeup (rec'd from personal use) -- they have a LARGE range and you can order samples, get advice from their customer service folks, etc. Mix with moisturizer to get more of a creamy texture if you like.

Given some of your skin concerns, you might want to start with a dermatologist or licensed esthetician (one with lots of experience as a makeup artist would be great) instead of Sephora or something.

I say that because despite my overall avoidance of sun, I have damage from my early years beginning to pop up and damage from being a bit too casual at times. In trying to correct it with some very basic steps my skin did "lighten and brighten" enough to move me out of the foundation I was using (groan).

Of course you can find a good shade now and another if needed down the line. Good luck!

Nickie

Yeah I'm looking into giving my dermatologist another visit.

Nickie

@donna when I said caucasian I simply meant nonafrican skin type as 5&6 considered african skin tones.

Dixie

You should definitely go to Sephora, they find you the perfect match with a device they put next to your skin. I have two suggestions: the first is using a bb cream, something with light coverage so it doesn't look weird if you have different tones in your face. The second option is using two foundations. Mix the tones.
I personally wear the bb cream, concealer and sometimes I also use a matte highlighting+contouring+bronzer kit. That gives your face dimension and helps blending different skin tones (don't go crazy with it though).

About the olive skin, I get confused about those things too. I think it is used to describe a medium skin tone but also a green undertone.

Example:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iW67.....n_skin.jpg
Technically, the one in the right is olive but all of them could be considered olive.

Nickie

Wow that's a good idea I never thought of contour and never heard of be cream. I'll probably drop by sephora on Friday or Saturday.

Nickie

I just realized my undertones aren't quite olive. As I had yellow undertones. I have some symptoms though of similarities to olive skin tone like the grayish complexion and the bags the long lasting marks and the way I tan is a golden brown but I think it mostly has to do with my skin being type four. The gray is kind of inexplainable. But if I had to choose I'd say My color's naturally like aishwarya rai just deeper.