Why do I look yellow in warm colors? | Club Q&A Excerpt

This is an excerpt from a Club Q&A I recently did, I hope you enjoy! Here's a link to Club where you can find the full video:
merriamstyle.com/club.php?rv=...
Get body typed by me:
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Get color typed by me:
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Body Typing and Color together, as well as how they interact, and essence reading:
merriamstyle.com/full_report....

[@justlivinglife465]

I used to have this question too. I am quite pale but with this yellow overtone. The important thing for me is what happens to the skin when you wear certain colours.. when I wear cool colours I look bright and clear. When I wear warm colours, I look muddy, dirty, grey, sallow. If you’re truly warm, you will look healthy, glowing, golden and warm in warm colours.

[@SuosSdeySreySros]

I gave up figuring what skin tone I am. I am clearly olive, but I have rosacea on my face - meaning, I can’t tell if I’m a warm- or cool-leaning olive. I just stick with a very curated color palette of cool jewel tones, warm earth tones, and blacks, whites and grays. I also remove all yellow-tones, pastels and neons.

[@sabrinapitt1466]

That's the palette I go for as well, I also believe I'm olive, I have mid brown skin

[@vasilikichaintini722]

OMG! I ve been thinking I am the only one facing some kind of difficulties with my color palette because of ROSACEA. Thank you for you comment. I am lucky enough to be very fair and cool, so my rosacea looks a bit more "natural" - like if I would be just blushing - and I know your struggle because my mother is warm/ golden and has lots of rosacea, which is very visible because of the contrast to her "yellowness". Anyhow...where I STRUGGLE is finding a hair color. I want to dye my hair but I don't know what color would suit my "color season", while not making my rosacea look worse..:/

[@danielleh831]

I'm the same. Pretty sure I'm olive I wore a skintoneiish peachy beige top once and looked very green. But I also have redness in my cheeks and chin but my neck is kind of muddy. I'm never really sure what colours are going to work until I put them on. I'm still not sure if I'm cool or warm delicate or whatever. I thought I might be neutral olive but that's not something that has been covered here that I can see. I too stick to black white and jewel tones plus denim and khakis and avoid yellows and beige but I have found a muted mustard item that works. Getting a foundation match is also a nightmare and I haven't found any content creators who are similar to me for reference they are either lighter or darker or more yellow. Sorry I rambled a bit.

[@di3486]

Exact same, rosacea and all. I can look good in cool and warm delicate colors (warms have to be more on the coolish side) so you just develop an eye for them. Instead of black and white (which are not great for delicates) I use navy, jewel green or even soft greens, light grey that is not overly cool.

[@bananayogurt8002]

Saaame grl 🙂 no neon, no pastels.

[@calliope6623]

This is so helpful. There seems to be a gaping hole in the 12 seasons system where high contrast cool and delicate folks should belong. I just visited my mom and we were playing around with colors on her. You would think "winter" because she has lightish (olive) skin and almost black hair, but the very soft grey blues and soft cool pinks are clearly some of her best colors, and she is overwhelmed by most brighter colors.

[@TheInspirefly]

Me exactly! I was so confused for so long, thinking I must be a soft autumn, and then a winter, and just all over the place etc because I have the yellowish tint to my features, but warm colors weren't good on me except the cooler and darker soft autumn colors, and I have high contrast but the winter colors were way too bright and overwhelming, but the "classic" soft summer palette was full of pastels that completely washed me out. Finally just got on PowerPoint and did a bunch of experimenting with color backgrounds on a photo until I found a custom range of colors that looked good, and then afterwards found the "soft summer - dark"/"smokey soft summer" palettes online and realized that I had basically created a custom version of them most suited to my cool and delicate olive skin.

[@victoriarobertson266]

I thought for a while that I was a Deep Autumn, so when I needed clothes last fall, that was the perfect time to stock up. There's a pair of dark/mid-tone olive green shorts that always make my legs look more yellow than they actually are. My skin doesn't look like that when I wear a more faded/grey olive. This warm brown tank I got does the same thing; I look sickly and yellow. It's so off on me, can't take pictures in it because it throws off the white balance and makes me look sick. I currently suspect Deep Winter, as the icy colors started clicking for me, but I feel I can pull from the muted Summer/Autumn colors and not look that off because they're on the neutral line. From what I've understood, if something is too warm, it will make your skin look more yellow than it is, which can make people who are actually cool look more olive, but in a sickly way. Same with if something is too cool. I'm finding I can pull from different palette values or even saturations, but they need to be as close to neutral as can be. I can get away with contrast, but muted still works, even though it maybe looks like I'm drifting away. Being pale, I can see many different colors in my skin. Silvery gold, reds, purples, yellows, greens, and blues. I have a soft radiance to my skin, but I still look good in clear true red, and I still look good, albeit, different, in a muted/grey olive or a muted navy. One is "Hey, hi, I'm here," and the other is like wearing camo; good for hiding in a crowd. Pale with naturally dark brown hair that has naturally lightened half a level since age 20. But I'm covered in freckles from sun damage. One would think Autumn or Spring, but they're just too yellow. Cool colors are still hard, though. Cobalt blue also makes me look yellow and sick. White, black, greys in every value, faded navy and true navy/deep royal blue are my go-to neutrals. Anything with black or navy as the base for the color just works as a neutral for me.

[@di3486]

A video about me 😂 🎉 (thank you SO much! Merriam!) this is the greatest dilemma of the cool olives. I have more blue than yellow but I have redness so it gets pretty confusing. Even knowing cool colors are best sometimes there are subtle conditions. In my case, light cool colors, Navy or black could also work. But not vibrant or rich cool colors. I also used to be typed as a dark winter and seems I am a true summer! Color is very complex!

[@ginadelfina5887]

I just love the way you explain things so clearly. The blue-yellow axis & red-green axis (and how they combine in different ways to make different skin colors) makes so much sense. I watched another channel's video one time where the person tried to say that olive skin tones can only ever be cool, with a blue undertone and weaker yellow overtone (whatever that means). Then, she demonstrated it by mixing a large dot of blue paint with a small dot of yellow, and vice versa, to demonstrate her point - but the results actually showed the opposite of what she was saying (the mix with more yellow paint than blue was the one that actually turned out olive green). So it made no sense at all.

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

Out of curiosity... are you talking about Audrey Coyne?

[@ginadelfina5887]

@@lifeontheledgerlines8394 Yes, it was her.

[@merriamstyle]

yes the mixing paint argument doesn't make much sense since you can have warm and cool greens, hence, warm and cool olives. just because someone has SOME blue to their skin tone, that does not make them cool whatsoever (we all MUST have some blue to our skin tone otherwise we'd be literally orange, which is the color complement of blue). to be cool, you must have a blue dominance. being olive doesn't automatically give you a blue dominance. you only have a blue dominance (are cool), if your green/olive tone leans blue rather than yellow. I have a video called 'olive, we need to talk' where I talk a lot about misconceptions about the olive skin tone. I'm not sure if I mention this there but there's lots of other good stuff in that video.

[@louisar4227]

Def makes no sense

[@AlexLouiseWest]

This is clear and very helpful for so many reasons, particularly when you speak in terms of axes. Thank you for debunking the "you can't see your true colour because it's under your skin and only I can magically do it for you..." approach. It reminds me of a second-rate psychotherapist who decides on their pet theory, applies it to everyone, and if they disagree just says "you're in denial ".

[@merriamstyle]

Don't remind me of that!! The magical skin undertone, my nemesis!

[@g3andrea]

I was typed as a "vivid winter" back in the 80's. I was in my 20's, and I also learned how to do the "Color Me Beautiful" draping. Everything I wear points to being "cool". I am of Greek and European heritage. My natural hair color has always been medium brown with golden/reddish natural hi-lights when I get in the sun. My eyes are hazel brown with central heterchromia, so I have golden and rust tones in the center with a brown/green iris surrounded by a rim of deep sea blue/green. My natural lip color is a pale to medium "mauve". My veins range from purple/blue to green. I have a strong "golden surface tone" when exposed to the sun. I keep a bit of that tan year round, because I walk & jog outside almost every day (with spf!). I feel like I am always balancing my warm "yellow" surface skin tone with cool clothing and makeup. Black and any cool colors like turquoise, cobalt blue, or purple (not muted, pastel, or dusty) look best on me. In fact, I can throw on a black top without any makeup and I don't look washed out. I feel like true red is too harsh on me all year round, but I can wear "blue-ish reds" in the winter months when my skin is less tanned. I look dreadful in orange! (dark circles, blemishes, greenish cast, and my face looks heavy and round like a pumpkin). If I color my hair, I feel like ashy tones balance out all the brassy tones that emerge when my hair is first being lightened (typical of brown hair). I look my best and more vibrant if my hair is either toned a neutral or cool dark brown (in the winter months), or if I have ashy blonde mixed in the hi-lights (in the summer months when I have more of my natural tanned surface coloring). In the summer I live in cool colors and wear very little reds or pinks. But, because I look "golden" I can wear camel mixed with gray tones for a monochromatic or nude look. Now I am 63, and my hair is going gray! When I do wear makeup or foundation I gravitate towards a "natural look". I usually wear a tinted moisturizer by It Cosmetics in "light", "medium", or "medium tan" depending on the time of year to blend my face into my overall surface coloration. I use a black or gray eyeliner pencil with gray, or neutral "deeper than skin tone" eye shadow in the crease. I keep my lip color neutral in a mauve or pinkish rose to make my eyes and teeth look clear and white. Red lips look entirely too harsh on me and make me look older! I am battling or at best trying to balance warm vs cool, and bright or deep vs muted. Help!

[@jc-gm1ee]

This comment is great!

[@ItsMe-eu8nx]

It's like you're describing meeeee 😅 I look like I have a warm undertone and I have hazel eyes in the exact same combo as yours. So everything points to me being warm or delicate, yet I look terrible in those. I find high chroma cobalt, reddish blue lipstick (imagine 50s screen siren lips) and high chroma, rich brown, purple, etc make me look alive and awake. Soft colours are just too muted for me and make me "disappear". I've given up on the colour seasons and just gravitate to what makes me look awake, fresh and alive.

[@nmvest]

It's such a relief to have stumbled upon your channel after a deep dive into 12 season theory. It did make sense to think of myself as a "Soft Summer," when I knew there were "Summer" shades that weren't great on me (the radiant ones!). But the whole thing seemed overly complicated, and I refused to believe that I needed to be draped in order to know that I belonged in cool, muted shades. And I refused to believe that somewhere in existence, there was some magic yellow that would flatter my coloring! I had also been baffled by my daughters, who seem fairly close to neutral in undertone (like me), but who can pull off both blue and yellow clothes (unlike me). Your "warm undertones look better in the wrong colors" explanation was a real "aha" moment. However, it is quite difficult to start to thinking of myself as a Winter now, some 50 years after Color Me Beautiful!

[@evelynrose925]

Love the differentiation of the blue yellow axis and red green one. Was still confused because I look decent in orange but I have a lot of redness to me. So yes still cool delicate and thats why i look so good in green… thank you so much! Your channel has helped me learn how to save while shopping ❤️‍🔥

[@hammypie]

Merriam you changed my life with your color system! I don’t understand other systems how they can recommend both warm AND cool colors in the same season - makes no sense! Your system is the only one that has worked for me IRL. 🙏

[@soffaerie]

Most analysts don't believe there is such thing as olive + warm... Life is hard out here for an olive dark autumn. I look yellow in most colors.

[@josiekoerner5345]

I always thought they thought all olives are warm.

[@melissat9120]

I love hearing your color wisdom. 😍

[@FadiaTR]

Such an excellent video. The youtube algorithm had just led me to watch some other color typing video which was WAY off for the person being typed and then I remember I hadn't kept up with your videos in some time and knew it would be the place to get me sorted out again. Thank you so much for always proving such factual/technical content! I'm a very analytical and methodical person as well and have never found anyone else who can convince me of their typing methodology.

[@tuxedoneko9837]

Ty! That's exactly like me. I finally understand my skin coloring. I am pale olive with high contrast. Will be adding muted dark purples, cool burgundy, etc. Yay!!!!

[@IncantationSadness]

I love these details no one ever comments! I was revisiting the photos of my color analysis and noticed some warm colors bring forth some soft yellow spots. I believe my skin might be uneven, just like you said. As always, thank you for having such an amazing channel!

[@Hikerphillips]

This really speaks to me and is a good reminder that everyone’s coloring is unique. A blanket approach of thinking that either all cool or all warm will suit you isn’t really helpful. I think this is why I played around with autumn colors mistakenly, because they are more deep and muted. I have started to try to keep in mind that my coloring is medium and my contrast is medium so the colors I choose shouldn’t generally go too light or too dark. I find burgundy really tricky though. A really deep red like scarlet seems to suit me so much more than burgundy. Thanks for this video, really helpful!

[@Carrie-sgda]

Great video, I have always wondered why I'm a deep autumn but look great in sage . Thank you

[@RoOoma1989]

Hi Merriam! I love your videos, and I’ve been obsessed with them for 3 months now. Very educational for me! I’d really appreciate it if you make a video explaining the difference between olive skin vs. red,peach, pink skin when it comes to the complementary red and pink blush and lipstick shades for olive skin tones? esp when they’re cool olive or warm olive. I hope you read this comment 🙏 Thank you 🤍🙏

[@ambersmith7849]

Love your work. You do such a great job

[@dragamboazulinqiacupuntura122]

Ever since i heard of warm and delicate i think that's meeee. And it clarifies a lot! So i want to thank you for explaining that in another video.

[@siblinginchrist]

Thank you for such a deep explanation! I suspect I'm a cool and delicate olive too, bc for instance every foundation looks ether yellow or pink. Funny thing, I bought a light khaki (? idk it's mostly gray but definitely cool) sweatshirt and omfg for the first time in years I don't hate the way my face looks without makeup! Previously i just wore dark colors and couldn't step outside without doing darker brows and some mascara

[@gillespieroad42]

Thanks Merriam I am a darker ethnic South East Asian, your channel and Gentleman Within are the best KZbin channels on this topic for me.

[@oliviapetrinidimonforte6640]

Thank you for clarifying about the red-green, and blue-yellow axis. It makes sense.

[@GhostofMrsMuir1443]

Thank you for the video! You are very knowledgeable.

[@danielasturm5353]

Such an informative video, Merriam! I am cool & delicate and olive, so this was very helpful. Video suggestion: Could you do colour analysis of some of the bridgerton characters?

[@victoriataylor5584]

I'm glad you mentioned.

[@vivalabeauty33]

Wow my best color is cool burgundy so that is so helpful to know why!

[@Rosesfor]

So helpful. Thank you.

[@Licoricebean]

Tysm for this vid! It helped me alot!!❤

[@myssangela4872]

that's an interesting question, I have the same problem, I thought I was warm and delicate but my skin can look really yellow with certain colors. I don't think I'm olive just really pale, I don't see any greenish tint to my skin, not even slightly. But I struggle to find a spot with neutral lighting and background at home and outside as well because in picture I always have a different colour than real life. Lately I've been wondering if I have some sort of cool and delicate undertone. It can be really hard to tell with your own self.

[@Spikypotato.]

Video suggestion: makeup for olive skin tones🫒

[@WhisperingRay]

I am a natural med/light blond with olive skin. Yes, we exist. No one has been able to give me a good skin analysis. Bright winter, summer, I don't seem to fit. Navy, taupe and grey are my go to colors. Would love more color, but can't figure it out.

[@Jessica_Jones]

That's mee tooo!!! Took me 32 years on this planet to work it all out and Merriam helped me to _finally_ lock all the pieces in place and make sense of my wardrobe, lol Have you tried soft oatmeal pink or any spectrum of sagey colors?? Those are two of my faves for bringing in color, as well as rich burgundy wine and forest green colors. Absolutely love those. Certain chocolate colors of similar intensity can also be great accents to the base navy, taupe and grey :)

[@Carrie-sgda]

It sounds like what you're struggling with is that you are muted. It can be confusing when your olive , I for instance am a deep autumn but I look good in sage, dusky pink, charcoal and light grey . If you do not look good in muted warm colours such as from the spring and or summer palettes (peach and pale warm pink ) then you are likely light summer cool and delicate

[@madhurimar8011]

Maybe you're soft summer? Have you tried color palettes from soft summer

[@louisar4227]

If those are your colors sounds like your run in the cool side

[@annade2094]

Don’t understand the difference between light summer and soft summer. I need colors to be dusty if darker but can be a little more clear if lighter shades (lighter shades If too dusty make me look grey) Dark colors of any kind are pretty harsh. I can wear a little taupe or blue grey but even greyed navy is too extreme. I think I’m a cool but close to the middle as I am light olive. If I get tan in summer I am yellow and can wear some light warm colors. Would this make me a soft summer or a light summer? Thank you!

[@s3rvana]

I was actually wondering this myself. I am cool and radiant, true winter with a very rosy complexion. But some warm colours make me look olive-toned or warm. Now I know why! You also answered my question on why I look so good in peach tones... Like when I wear cool toned blush it looks bad but peach blush looks so good, even though technically it seems like it shouldn't. Interesting!

[@tobelieve627]

Yes! The blush thing is a new find I just realized the cool toned colors makes my cheek look dark, but the warmer peach colors brightens them. How interesting!

[@hammypie]

Can u explain why that is? I’m cool radiant too. I only look good with blushes that are a cool purple/violet undertone (can’t even be a warm purple!!)

[@tobelieve627]

@@hammypie I think it has to do with how cool your skin is and how the warmth or yellow will change that. I don’t think my cool and radiant skin is as cool as yours so it may have more yellow already, so peaches isn’t too jarring. But if you really don’t have much yellow to start with, adding a little bit is very noticeable?

[@garbitasaha7242]

I have been told that dark colours look more flattering on me. I have yellow skin and I look good in brown but when I compare that to cobalt blue or royal blue, that makes me glow differently.

[@martamoreno6086]

great video!

[@Spikypotato.]

Hi Merriam, I’d love to get a color typing from you since you seem to understand the red-green role better then others! May I just ask if new videos will be coming every month at club if I join again? ❤ I was a member before but quit when nothing new came for a long time 🙈 lots of love❤

[@SpidermaninTimeOut]

You're awesome!!!

[@Celeste-.-marie]

Interesting. Im cool and rosy. I can wear foundations labeled as peach undertones. I look good in coral also. Based on this i think im cool and delicate. I was also typed as winter but the winter tones over power me. I love wearing navy, charcoal, burgundy, eggplant, and pine green.

[@spandabliss1708]

This is a fascinating conversation. I loved hearing you discuss this topic and the why's. I have a problematic coloring. My face can look sallow with the wrong foundation (makeup). I cannot wear lighter/ paler colors - they wash me out. I cannot wear bright colors that do not have depth- they are harsh.. Except I look fabulous in the spring green. I look surprisingly great in black (altho back in the day i thought I was a "Spring"). There is not a black i don't like. And white is ok. Good colors are: Deep Chocolate Brown, deep burgundy, midnight darkest (but not navy) blue, dark purple. It somehow anchors my delicate tones and provides contrast. Unfortunately my hair color is non descript.... dishwater grey. I have a sharp nose and weak-ish jaw w pointy chin. I can look surprisingly terrible, but also very good depending on my hair and weight. I would love to find the right color for my hair. All the highlights i have had in days gone by have washed me out.

[@spandabliss1708]

And a strong but soft enough peach looks great!!!

[@Jesus_is_Lord555]

I am no color expert but it sounds like you may be cool and delicate? And most likely fall into the winter category. Merriam did an entire video on this color type, you should check it out!

[@di3486]

Deep chocolate brown sounds like the worst possible color for a cool and delicate, as well as the midnight blue or the dark purple. You may be radiant then.

[@lynnfox8376]

I wonder whether you are a deep winter who needs to wear fairly dramatic clothing. I think wearing the wrong lines can confuse the colour issue sometimes. If delicate skin tones means pale possibly cool mid grey tones would work on your hair, or total white for more drama.

[@BlueSky-ff4oy]

@@lynnfox8376 Hi Lynn and everyone. I loved reading your comments. I'm not 100%sure what dramatic clothing is but yes, i believe dramatic clothing makes me stand out. As an introvert though i like to dress in plainest version of it on a day to day basis. Back to the color.... remember when Color Me Beautiful 's SPRING season had periwinkle as a shade. Periwinkle looks really good on me (don't see that color these days), i had a dress in a deeper/darker/ version of it -slightly luminous material: fa*bu*lous! The more anchoring contrast my skin gets the better.

[@ChromoFlow]

I look super green in cool bright colors, and I look pinkish/brown in warm radiant colors. I look only slightly pink/brown in warm delicate colors and slightly yellowy/green in cool and delicate colors. My only guess is that I'm muted. I have medium brown (I guess olive?) skin, my veins in my wrist are green and blue. I wear mostly silver jewelry now because at least it's visible and doesn't look off. I try rose gold off and on but it kinda disappears against my skin when I wear it because my skin is a mid-tone so sometimes it feels pointless to put it on at all. Gold always seems too yellow. I've tried every color in every lighting, photos and all and nothing seems like it jumps out at me as being the right color. Nothing makes me "glow" like everyone says. All I know is most pinks look terrible! I've been going into each of the 4 categories constantly and nothing fits, so I'm just gonna choose based on how much I like the color, as its becoming too much of a hassle.

[@oliviapetrinidimonforte6640]

Green/Red and Yellow/Blue make sense to me. I am not sure if I have more blue or more yellow. But when I look at myself I see red...and it is not warm tomato red; it is raspberry red. However, there are some dull purples that will sallow me up. Violets work very well.

[@solmare851]

Can you go a bit more into color theory, in reference to the dusty types? I know I'm a warm type, most likely a soft muted autumn. I have brown skin. But I find it hard to find colors I "glow" in because I am perpetually ashy and dull in most colors. Bright colors overwhelm me. Sometimes my face confuses me because it has less yellow than the rest of me and my features tend to appear a bit purplish, like a dusty lilac.

[@BumbleBee666-u5t]

That’s makes sense regarding undertones, overtones.

[@emiliemuffin3642]

I noticed she said undertone isn’t real and then further in the video started using the terminology “undertone” often..

[@LittleMissHoop]

Great info, Merriam! This was an excellent run-down of Cool and Delicate (bonus, happens to apply to me :). Question for you: I am also high contrast (light skin, dark hair), and bright pink like fuchsia (and other bright cool colors) SHOULD technically be ideal on me. (Hope I got that right, otherwise I need to review!) However I find myself drawn to more muted pastel colors, like light pink (my favourite), white, light grey. I was wondering if this is just because I prefer light pink over fuchsia, and I am just used to it that I can no longer "see" what looks best on me. Another theory I had was I think I have some Ethereal essence, could that be why I am drawn to pastel and other light colours? Would greatly appreciate your valuable input. I have been wondering about this for a while!

[@merriamstyle]

Actually as I was reading your comment, I was thinking to myself 'hm, maybe ethereal?' and then you said it in the next sentence. so yes, that's my first guess. if something looks good on you, there's a reason, we may not know it....but there's a reason. I would say follow your intuition and go with the pastels. for whatever reason, either ethereal, or maybe a body type effect.....or maybe you aren't the undertone you think (although I wouldn't go there that quickly but still). first and foremost, if something looks great, wear it, and worry about the explanation later.

[@LittleMissHoop]

@@merriamstyle Wow thank you for responding! And for the explanation- neat that you thought about the essence too! Indeed I am drawn to those low contrast/ lighter colours (I noticed in my home decor as well!). Also I am FG (mixed taut- I am certain of this), but I find that small prints and NOT large patterns (which I believe is more typical for FG) work best for me- again I think because of ethereal essence. BTW learned most of this from you :) Really appreciate your input! And I appreciate YOU. Sending you love and good luck for 2023 x

[@user-eo2th2lf6f]

I actually look more pink/bluish in warm colors especially warm brown, bright yellow, which doesn’t look good. I think I am a bright winter. I have high contrast, brown black hair with lighter skin (ivory, light sand) I think I am neutral-cool because I don’t look pink or blue in general. I used to think I was warm or light olive but I am not sure.

[@shirin9452]

Lol my best friend hated warm clothes but thought she was warm. She’s got very bright skin with dark hair and eyes. Years later I was like yeah I’m gonna say it I don’t think you’re warm at all it doesn’t make sense. You shouldn’t look orange in your “best” colors. I was like to me you seem like whatever Simone Ashley is, but a little bit lighter maybe. And no one thinks she’s warm toned. Then we realized she’s a cool and radiant/deep winter. Watched this and was like I effing knew it

[@dragonserene1877]

Can you do a video on why someone's skin tone would look more red with some colors? I find that is my issues, some colors make me look more red.

[@shaliah6827]

Can you be a peachy olive? I have light skin, and somehow I tend to look simultaneously yellow AND gray, despite having rosiness in my cheeks. I look best in burgundy, black, dark greens, and vibrant blues. I’ve chocked it up to the contrast simply working in my favor, because it seems like I can’t wear any light colors :/ any suggestions on how to brighten up my closet?

[@sofitocyn100]

I am very light, very pale. Yet I have come to the conclusion that I am a very light olive because my skin is yellowish

[@Jessica_Jones]

I'm still working out what exactly it is that will make a foundation work for me. I'm olive, cool and delicate, and quite fair, and even though I'm way better now at eliminating what won't work, I'm still unsure about when "neutral" is fine or when I need to just move on. I really don't want to have to mix in green or blue to anything I buy, but since I've switched to clean brands only I've severely limited my options 😂 Actually I'm impressed to see more and more light olive foundations, but they're still not quite at my degree of fairness, lol. I **think** Kosas 110 might be a spot-on match for me but I got so used to Luminous Silk 1.5 that I'm uncertain now 🙄

[@Lighthouse1852]

Yes! Fair olives are such a tiny % of the population, not many ranges cater! It's frustrating when brands label peach shades as "neutral" just because it's between pink and yellow. The ignore the green dimension entirely. Have you tried Hannah Poston's channel? There's a delicate pale olive. Alexandra Anele is also fascinating, has pale olive skin, but she's very warm, so not all her products translate to cooler olives. Kackie Reviews seems fair/neutral, which could be close. Arna Alayne, a New Zealand youtuber, is a very pale perhaps-olive. I haven't seen her videos in a while but she may have leads. Lisa Eldridge has some olive undertones in her foundation line. I've liked some old standbys like IT Cosmetics' CC cream in Fair. Missha BB cream in 21. I forgot how good they were. I modify the texture and sheerness by mixing in primer or moisturizer that gives whatever effect I'm after. Rose Inc and Rare Beauty apparently have pale olive friendly shades which I haven't tried. I'm not sure which brands count as clean.

[@Jessica_Jones]

@@Lighthouse1852 wow thank you so much for the recommendations! I know right it used to be so tough -- I mostly used to feel so bad repeatedly returning to Sephora for samples, and of course my skin confused them all, lol. I'll definitely check out those folks and will look up the brands as well! In the meantime I'm about to test out Ilia Mallorca 1.5...no olive, but we'll see how it fares!

[@tobelieve627]

Yes, I have been spending years trying to find a good match, it’s so hard! The other issue is that my face is redder and darker then my neck, so even if a foundation matches my neck very well, it still doesn’t quite adjust on my face…so you need both correction and matching… and yes, most “neutrals” are either too pink or too orange, and for me, funny enough, sometimes the olive tone foundations are too green… I’m at loss..

[@Jessica_Jones]

@@tobelieve627 I've been running into this as well in my hunt for clean foundation. The Kosas 110 and Ilia 1 are technically perfect (with Kosas pulling the tiniest bit yellow, Ilia pulling more peachy neutral) but I find that they are too perfect a match to my neck and arms, making my face *look* like I'm wearing makeup...almost like the wigged folks of the 18th century 😂 I remember now that Armani 1.5 was not quite perfect but simply the lightest available, yet as it turns out, it's actually my truest match. After getting a swatch at Ulta I'm going to give Juice Beauty's Buff 01 a shot...the shade range is pitiful for how long it's been on the market, but at this point I'm kind of over it and ready to just be done for a while, lol. Here's to all of us olives in our endeavor for our perfect shades!! 🫒 🐸 🥂

[@tobelieve627]

@@Jessica_Jones omg I’m so relieved to hear folks out there struggle with this as well. It’s one of the hardest searches ever in my life 🤣 Yeah I think I’m about done also, it’s been very exhausting. Im probably one tone darker than you but I will take a look at the Armani shade vs the other foundations to see what the “trend” is, and if I can borrow that and try it out myself. Best of luck to us! 🍷🍸🥂

[@victoriataylor5584]

If you're cool rosy, you may look warm, but the orange could look like deep rosy plum pink.

[@user-of4kk4in9f]

Ok you want to know how to check? If your skin looks more Tanned and Glowing in one colour, then you look pale and pasty in another colour, then the first one is your colour. I put on my blue gym shorts and my legs look so nice and tan:... THEN I put on my peach shorts and my tan disappears and I have white chicken legs. This is not hard people. Use your eyes!!!!

[@proudkitty4793]

Ive got biracial skin blk/white, Why do brown lip products appear more red on me? I think I am a warm and delicate buuut idk for sure lol. Brown lip products are either to dark and ashy or too red. 🤷‍♀️

[@Adulthoomanfemale]

In my late 30s realizing my undertones actually lean cool with muted olive skin. I look horrid in bright colors of any temperature.

[@tetyanalove6186]

I think that blue and other cool colors neutralize the yellows, they reflect cool shadows onto the face. Just face it, your primary skin color is yellow, what is wrong with it? My primary skin color is white, I'm very pale. I absolutely hate wearing pure white, it makes me look like dirty wall. And pastels also look intimidating on me. Even though I'm cool and delicate, light blue green eyes and cool light brown hair. I know some people whose primary skin color is pink, they look windblown and irritated, with non-existent acne wearing pink that is close to their skin tone. It's the game of shadow and reflection, pure optics

[@tetyanalove6186]

By the way, it's quite rare to have an obvious skin primary tone. We just need bright palettes to neutralize the "abnormalities". In your case, to neutralize yellow pale blue is probably not enough, you need something brighter then obvious, sky blue for example or so, just to get those maily blue(not mainly white, maybe)reflections to mix with the skin of the face on top. I noticed that color correction works best on women with large breast, because it works as an angled mirror

[@user-wm7gz8fv8k]

I really need to know the answer of my question when I was younger my skin was cool and delicate and pinkish but since i grow up my skin still cool and delicate but without any pinkish in it and my skin looks so pale why is that

[@user-vn5yx9rr8l]

What i dont get is when they say you cant wear cool browns if your warm yet my hair is ash brown and im warm lol so i can wear cool brown then

[@jenniferwright9388]

Is the olive vs. rosy distinction the same as delicate vs. radiant? I'm basically trying to understand if olive=delicate and rosy=radiant. Based on some of your earlier videos I was pretty sure I'm cool and delicate but given the choice between olive and rosy I'd say I'm more rosy. However, the color recommendations you were giving to the correspondent in this video are pretty much what I've been gravitating toward for myself

[@merriamstyle]

oh no no. Olive and Rosy are about red-----green. Cool vs warm is about blue-----yellow. They are two different and separate axes. You can be cool and delicate and olive, cool and delicate and rosy, warm and delicate and olive, warm and delicate and rosy......cool and radiant and rosy, cool and radiant and olive, warm and radiant and olive, warm and radiant and rosy.....etc. You can think of it as....you can have reds to your skin which would make you rosy. But if you're warm, those reds appear peachy, and if you're cool those reds appear more cool. If you're olive and you're cool, you look more cool green, if you're olive and warm, you look more warm green.

[@jenniferwright9388]

@@merriamstyleAh that clears it up, thank you so much!

[@kyleguersey5004]

Your link for having you do my colors doesnt work. It says thT site is no longer available.

[@ginglewis]

This is very interesting. I am struggling to find my undertone and foundation match but I'm apparently a very difficult match. Neutral I'm yellow, cool I'm ashy, warm I'm orange and olive is closer but is either too warm or too neutral which equates to too yellow green or too green. My veins are both blueish green and blue and a few purple (with more blue overall). I'm medium skin tone with very dark hair and eyes. I'm most often matched neutral but it never works out! My face is very sallow/ yellow green so I'm often matched to that and then it looks disconnected to my neck and rest of my body. I've been adding blue corrector to some of my foundations and I can get away with it but it's so tricky to get the proper combo. After reading this, I'm thinking I may be a cool muted olive? Do I need a neutral cool foundation then? What color foundation would a cool olive need?? I look terrible in cream, Khaki, and warm colors. So frustrating trying to find my undertone and foundation with such yellowish surface tones on my face!

[@Licoricebean]

Omg this is me 100%% I look green or yellow in everything I wear. I look sick which I hate. I think I look better in dark blue or pastel blue but even at that I still look weird :( I can probably wear my favorite pastel green shirt but idk

[@di3486]

I gave up trying to find foundation. I just use a good concealer (with peach undertone to cancel blue/purple) and use a tinted sunscreen.

[@di3486]

@@Licoricebean i am cool olive and i dont look well in pastel colors because I am delicate. You may be a radiant.

[@ginglewis]

@Di :3 This sounds like a good plan for me going forward! So tired of looking "off" especially after trying and mixing foundation! Any good suggestions on tinted sunscreens that won't cause breakouts?

[@di3486]

@@ginglewis Skinceuticals. Expensive but well worth the money.

[@ddflower7]

This is what i was thonking about the yellow in skin i think itcis sick looking yellow . i think of myself as cool but not sure.

[@darlamerrill8052]

I gave up trying to guess the darn season I am anymore. I realize I'm some kind of olive I think delicate cool and I look better with soft cool colors instead of real yellow based colors which make me look more yellow not golden.😊😊

[@victoriataylor5584]

Exactly, if you're cool olive you may have a: blue green undertone, you have more blue than you do yellow, you still have that yellow, but it is not that significant, 10% maybe, while the blue is 100%.

[@sophie1766]

Hi Merriam, could a warm skintype also look yellowish in too warm colors? Also, I'm a bit confused now with the terminology - the surface tones of which you speak, what exactly do you mean by these? Something like darker scars or inflamed (a.k.a. reddish) acne...?

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

look up her video called "olives: we need to talk" and she goes into further depth there

[@Taichientaoyin]

It happens to me. I look yellow in some warm color clothes

[@chhuh598]

I look good in olive but not in cream white I thought I’m a warm and delicate

[@pinkroses135]

I do look dirty or yellow in warm pinks and purples and green is my color. Soft summer. Probably rosy and blotchy. 😂

[@ABC-jq7ve]

This is the fundamental problem with the beauty genre overall: there’s no science around it, so it’s going to devolve into a competition of how many followers a beauty influencer can amass and that becomes the proxy for how right they are, or it boils down to solipsism (“it looks good to me so screw how it looks to other people”). Among the jungle of charlatans, I find your information to be trustworthy and useful.

[@ABC-jq7ve]

Also why I lost interest in Jungian typology as well: it’s a free for all of random charlatans on the internet claiming to know the truth. A fundamental problems with all things in the arts.

[@tobelieve627]

What’s a peachy under stone? I’m starting to hear such thing. Any thoughts? Thank you, Mariam!

[@Jessica_Jones]

I'm curious to hear what she says as well, but lately I've been thinking peachy is just those of us who have more yellow but aren't warm toned, lol

[@di3486]

Peachy undertone is the best match for me in terms of concealer. I think the reason it works on cool and delicate is that we have more blue and the peach cancels out blue, not that you have peachy undertone.

[@katitadeb]

Peachy means rose/red +yellow It's a warm undertone with some pink tint i.e Lindsay Lohan, Julia Roberts Pink/rosy is opposite to olive in the red green spectrum. Don't confuse it with the blue yellow (temperature) spectrum

[@merriamstyle]

Peachy is someone who leans both red and warm. There are two *separate* unrelated axes to skin tone. Everyone has a green-----red leaning. And everyone has a blue-----yellow leaning. Red/green is rosy vs olive, and yellow/blue is warm vs cool. So someone who is peachy....peach is just red with some yellow to it, so we can understand that they have dominant reds to their skin as well as dominant yellows, so this makes them reddish and warm. You can be peachy and muted, or peachy and bright.

[@Jessica_Jones]

@@merriamstyle ahh I see! It's so silly how confusing things can be until one has the right tools to make sense of it all. Thank you, Merriam for all you do -- you have made my life so much easier learning I am a fair cool olive!

[@Uspr73]

I have light warm olive skin, my eyes are olive green, my hair and eyebrows are a muted greyish dark brown and my eyelashes are fair almost gold-colored. True autumn. My heart-shaped face gives me a youthful look and I want to maintain it using hair coloring, nothing brassy. Would you suggest dark or light?

[@beatrizmoraes2310]

Lady you just helped me so much. I have olive skin tone and I look so yellow but my hair and eyes are almost black, and I look awful on warm colors and also on bright winter colors, so what you said made SO MUCH SENSE. I never know if I am dark autumn or dark winter, but I think I'm more dark winter, however I can't wear all colors from winter, specially bright. THANK YOU!

[@valentinantunezjr]

🎟️

[@karlafaulkner915]

She probably looked like she has jaundice. Been there.

[@janewind]

You look yellowish in this grey shade, is it for educational purposes? If it is not so and you just feel good in this turtleneck, then this whole speech does not make any sense. So people can wear whatever color they like and not bother.

[@luckystone2293]

Isn't obvious people CAN wear whatever they like anyway?

[@pechkram]

Thhank you Right

[@Taichientaoyin]

What rude you are

[@ang5798]

Wow, I really strongly disagree with the system you follow

[@user-ho5ht7mu4s]

Lots of mumbling… very confusing delivery of information. And why keep bragging about some private club when delivering info is always free KZbin?

[@SaadetOZTRK]

Why did I miss this

[@TabbyCat69]

Oh hey I just found you and on a find out all about olive 🫒 binge watch sooooooo glad I found you