MAC has always been a pioneer in recognising different undertones with its NC/NW shade system.
Studio Fix Fluid Foundation, £26, MAC
NW stands for neutral warm and suits skin with red and pink undertones, while NC stands for neutral cool and is perfect for olive and yellow undertones. Plus, the foundation itself is super versatile, and can be layered with a dewy primer or finished with a matte powder to provide a totally bespoke finish.
Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, £26, Fenty Beauty at Harvey Nichols
Olive shades: 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350 and 360
Undertones: 260, 300 and 350 have neutral undertones, 270, 280 and 320 have warm peach undertones, 330 has warm yellow undertones, 310 has very warm undertones (but not yellow), 340 has cool undertones, and finally 290 and 360 have strong olive undertones.
Why we love it: When it comes to olive skin foundation Rihanna knocked it out of the park! We guarantee you’ll find your perfect shade in the Fenty line – no matter how unique your undertones are. The foundation that beauty vloggers are calling “Rihanna’s skin in a bottle” has a medium but buildable coverage; and the finish is rather matte but still has a healthy-glow to it.
Luminous Silk Foundation, £40, Giorgio Armani
Olive shades: 4. 5, 5, 5. 25, 5. 5, 6, 6. 25, 6. 5, 7 and 7. 5
Undertones: Shades 4. 5 and 7 have neutral undertones, shades 5 and 5. 5 have warm undertones, shades 6. 25 and 7. 5 are also warm but have peach undertones, shade 5. 25 has cool undertones, shade 6 has strong olive-green undertones, and finally shade 6. 5 has golden undertones.
Why we love it: When Kim Kardashian is off-duty this is her go-to foundation, so it’s no wonder it made the cut. A-list worthy, Armani’s cult formula is a favourite due to its seamless, silky and dewy finish. Ideal for those with dry and combination skin types.
Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Cream, £28, BareMinerals
Olive shades: Suede, Natural and Ginger
Undertones: Suede has cool undertones, Natural has neutral undertones, and Ginger has golden undertones.
Why we love it: This one is a big hit around the GLAMOUR office. BareMinerals own gel formula is true to it’s name, taking dull and tired skin to healthy-looking in seconds. Its soft texture sinks in like a hydration boost, locking in moisture for a flawless dewy coverage. Pro tip: layer it with the brand’s Original powder for extra coverage, or the brand’s Matte powder for those with oily skin type.
Long Wear Even Finish Foundation, £34, Bobbi Brown
Olive shades: 4, 4. 25, 4. 5, 4. 75, 5, 5. 25, 5. 5 and 5. 75
Undertones: A range of neutral, yellow, pink, beige and peach undertones.
Why we love it: As you might have noticed this is the ultimate foundation for olive skin beauties with warm undertones. The golden cast in the medium shades make it for the ultimate post-holiday (or faking a post-holiday) complexion. The finish is seamless and the coverage, although full, feels light on the skin.
Invisiwear Liquid Foundation, £12. 50, EX1 at BeautyMart
Olive shades: 4, 5, 7 and 8
Undertones: Mostly warm yellow undertones.
Why we love it: EX1 was specially developed for those with yellow undertones, which can be commonly found in olive skin types. This budget foundation has a super blendable formula making it ideal to build coverage up or tone it down.
Parure Gold Fluid Foundation, £57, Guerlain at House Of Fraser
Olive shades: Beige Naturel, Rose Naturel, Doré Naturel, Beige Moyen and Doré Moyen
Undertones: Beige Naturel and Beige Moyen have neutral undertones, Rose Naturel has warm pink and peach undertones, and Doré Naturel and Doré Moyen have golden undertones.
Why we love it: Guerlain is known to deliver golden goddess goodness with its bronzers and blushes, and this foundation is no different. For super radiant complexion with a second-skin finish, works wonders on mature or tired skin – also, it smells amazing!
Diorskin Forever, £35, Dior
Olive shades: 030, 031, 032, 033, 035, 040 and 043
Undertones: Shade 032 has cool undertones, shades 030, 035 and 040 have neutral undertones, shades 031, 033 and 043 have warm undertones.
Why we love it: For a flawless end and maximum coverage, this foundation has a velvety texture that masks pores without feeling heavy on the skin. Along with the Nude and Star foundation ranges, Dior has an amazing selection of colours that sit perfectly on olive skin.
Studio Flawless Finish Foundation, £7. 50, E. l. f
Olive shades: Tan, Honey, Caramel and Nude
Undertones: Tan has neutral undertones, Honey and Caramel have warm golden undertones, and Nude has cool undertones.
Why we love it: A budget hero! You will want to stock up on this foundation – and you probably can, since the price is so amazing. Seamless finish with medium to full coverage, ideal for oily and combination skin types as the result is more on the matte side – but complexion still looks radiant.
Magic Foundation, £29. 50, Charlotte Tilbury
Olive shades: 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8
Undertones: Shade 4 has cool undertones, shade 5 and 6 have neutral undertones, and shade 7 and 8 have warm golden undertones.
Why we love it: Weightless is what defines this foundation, ideal for those that cannot stand heavy makeup and adore a natural finish – very French! Ideal for a natural makeup look as it has medium (but buildable) coverage and brightens complexion for healthy-looking skin.
All Nighter Liquid Foundation, £29, Urban Decay
Olive shades: 4, 4. 5, 5, 5. 5, 6, 6. 5 and 7
Undertones: Shades 4, 5, 6 and 7 have warm undertones while 4. 5, 5. 5 and 6. 5 have soft pink undertones that can pass for cool or neutral.
Why we love it: We were already fans of the brand’s Naked Foudation, so when this long-lasting formula came out, we were thrilled. And honestly, the All Nighter does not disappoint. For the olive skinned clubbers out there, or those with oily to combination skin types that are tired of seeing their foundation slide right off throughout the day.
Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick, £42, Hourglass
Olive shades: Sand, Golden, Light Beige, Beige, Warm Beige, Golden Tan and Honey
Undertones: Sand and Golden have very golden undertones, Light Beige has cool undertones, Beige has warm undertones, and
Warm Beige has neutral undertones.
Why we love it: A blogger favourite – you’ve probably already seen this one on Youtube makeup tutorials. For those that love full flawless coverage. This is a must-buy if you have any special occasions on sight, as it has that red carpet/camera-ready effect. It’s also super blendable making it the perfect base for a heavy contour and baking. In other words, it’s pro’s stuff.
Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer, £27, Clinique
Olive shades: Golden Neutral, Neutral, Honey, Honey Wheat, Oat, Cork, Tea and Ecru
Undertones: A range of neutral and warm undertones, mostly with golden hints.
Why we love it: Clinique’s Beyond Perfecting range was designed with olive skinned ladies in mind. While most of the brand’s foundations have more pink and peach undertones, this range cares for warm yellow and golden undertones. The dual purpose brush is perfect for quick fix-ups, although its long-lasting sits perfect throughout the day. Pro tip: You need to let this foundation dry on skin to reveal its true colour, as it looks darker than it is during application.
Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation, £33. 50, Yves Saint Laurent
Olive shades: B40, BR40, B45, BR45, B50, BD50 and BR50
Undertones: Shades B40, B45 and B50 have neutral undertones, shades BR40, BR45 and BR50 have cool undertones, and shade BD50 has warm undertones.
Why we love it: This is the one for olive skin beauties with cool undertones – which as you might have noticed, is a little hard to find. For full coverage and radiance without looking dewy or oily, the finish is seamless and velvety – as it is the foundation’s texture, which is a major plus for contour fans as different makeup shades will blend smoothly with your base.
Perfectionist Foundation Youth-Infusing Makeup, £40, Estée Lauder
Olive shades: 2C1, 2C3, 2N1, 2W1, 2W2, 3C2, 3N1, 3W1, 3W2, 4N1 and 4N2
Undertones: All shades that have the letter N in between numbers have neutral undertones, as C is for cool and W is for warm undertones.
Why we love it: The olive shades selection from Estée is unbelievable, you will definitely find your perfect match with this one – even if you’re in the lighter or darker spectrum of olive shades. The finish is satin-like and it has medium coverage, fading all blemishes and spots off sight while still looking natural. Being oil-free, it works great in all skin types.
