As a cool-toned Asian girl, no foundation has ever been "just right" for me. Warm or Golden foundations were always slightly too yellow, and beige or neutrals always a little too pink. It wasn't until I came across this description on the Everyday Minerals website that I realised my skin belonged to a whole new class of foundation undertones - Olive.
"If you look at the underside of your arm, your veins are probably greenish. You tan very easily and never burn. You have probably found that many foundation colors end up looking ashy or pink on your skin"
Yep that's me alright. As a mineral foundation fanatic, I was thrilled! My beloved minerals had come through for me again. I immediately embarked on a quest to test olive-toned foundations, and here are the reviews.
Everyday Minerals Foundation
One of the best things about this affordable foundation line is the sheer amount of choice you have. You can select between 6 different undertones, 32 foundation shades, and 4 finishes - Original Glo, Semi-Matte, Matte, and Intensive. As I have very oily skin I chose to try the Matte finish in shades Light Olive and Fair Olive. Light Olive proved to be a perfect match, disappearing completely into my skin, and it provided light-medium coverage that stood up to my oilies fairly well. Although it faded towards the end of the day, it never caked or looked patchy.
Samples are $2.50 and a full-size retails at $12.50, but the best thing about the company is the free sample kit it offers. For only the cost of shipping, you'll receive sample sizes of your choice of 3 foundations, a blush / bronzer, and a concealer / finishing powder. Amazing! And it makes selecting the right shade so much easier.
Lily Lolo Foundation
For a local UK option you can't beat Lily Lolo Mineral cosmetics for wallet-friendly prices and quality. I sampled their olive-toned foundations in fortune cookie and butterscotch and found them both to be great matches for my skin undertones. As it's summer, Butterscotch was the better match, but Fortune Cookie would be perfect for winter. I adored the full-coverage the foundation afforded my blemished skin. With a sweep of their Shine Away finishing powder, my oilies were kept in check and the foundation lasted all through the hot summer days we've been having.
Lily Lolo foundations and finishing powders are £12 for a 30ml sifter jar and only 99p for really generous sample sizes. So don't be afraid to try and test until you get your perfect shade.
Youngblood Liquid Mineral Foundation
For girls who find powdered mineral foundations too drying for their skin, don't despair. Youngblood Minerals has a liquid mineral foundation that feels like a drink of water for your skin, and two of their shades - Suntan and Tahitian Sun - are lovely olive-undertoned foundations. As they were oil-free, these liquid foundations could be used even on oily skin like mine which has somehow managed to be both greasy and dehydrated. The foundation felt very light and comfortable, once its on you don't feel it anymore, and the coverage was excellent. You can layer the foundation for heavier coverage, or if you're combination to oily-skinned you can dust some loose mineral foundation over.
This foundation was very long-lasting, after an entire day and evening out it hadn't faded or budged. And when I washed it off my skin felt incredibly soft and hydrated probably thanks tot he foundation's "Deep-Sea Hydrating Complex" containing deep-sea-water, Allantoin and extracts of Calendula, Cucumber, Green Tea and Cactus Grandiflorus. Talk about chock-a-block with skin-loving goodies!
The foundation rings in at a substantial £42, but your skin will thank you.
Written by Emily Tan
Like this? Try: Mineral Makeup: The Big Boys- Bare Escentuals, Lily Lolo, Glo Minerals, Bella Pierre, and Youngblood | Product review: Afterglow Organic Mineral Eyeshadow