The Best Drugstore Olive Foundations & Concealers, Tested on Fair Olive Skin
Hello beautiful people! Today I’m sharing the best drugstore olive foundations and concealers with you. Drugstore olive foundation is almost a contradiction in terms. Fair shades at the drugstore reliably come in peach or pink, rarely neutral, olive shades start at medium depth when they exist at all, and porcelain and fair olives like me are left mixing, adjusting, and settling for something close enough. I’ve been testing what’s actually available at drugstore prices, and for the first time in years, there’s good news!
This post contains affiliate links, and my Aromaleigh code CORDELIA is an affiliate code, so I may earn a small commission if you shop through my links or use my code, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work! Everything purchased by me in my pursuit of having foundation and concealer that disappears into my skin and matches perfectly instead of sitting on top.
This article is for my fellow fair olives: the people who turn rosy in pink-based shades, and orange or muddy in warm ones. If you’re not sure that’s you, start with my guide Do I Have Olive Undertones? How to Tell and come back.
Below you’ll find the products I recommend, the closest workarounds if you can’t get my top picks, and one olive-labeled product I’d tell you to be careful with.
The Quick Verdict
The best drugstore olive foundation and concealer come from About Face. The About Face The Illusionist Concealer in F1 Olive and F2 Olive (and the rest of the olive shade range) and the About Face The Performer Foundation in F2 Olive (and the rest of their olives) are the only true olive shades in fair depths at drugstore prices. F1 Olive matches my porcelain fair olive skin perfectly and doubles as a spot concealer or a foundation.
For powder foundation, indie brand Aromaleigh has the widest olive selection anywhere at an affordable price: the YL line for cool olives, WL for warm olives, and Y for neutral olives. My code CORDELIA saves you 15% when you shop at Aromaleigh. If you used to purchase Alima Pure or Everyday Minerals, Aromaleigh will have a shade match for you.
These are the only olive products I can comfortably recommend right now. Everything else in this post is either a workaround or a warning.
Best Drugstore Olive Foundation & Concealer for Fair Skin
How I Tested
I swatched everything in three lighting conditions: indoors in indirect light, outdoors in indirect light, and outdoors in direct sun. I also striped the top contenders down my jawline, neck, and chest, because matching your neck and chest is the real test. Faces carry redness that will lie to you at the makeup counter.
For calibration: I’m porcelain fair with a neutral cool yellow olive undertone. My best shade matches for reference are Lisa Eldridge T1.5 Olive Seamless Skin Tint, About Face The Illusionist Concealer in F1 Olive, Lisa Eldridge 2.5 Olive Seamless Skin Foundation, Haus Labs 01 Fair Neutral Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer, and LYS Beauty LN1 Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick.
Olive Foundation and Concealer Swatches
From top to bottom left, then top to bottom right:
- About Face F1 Olive The Illusionist Concealer
- About Face F2 Olive The Illusionist Concealer
- About Face F2 Olive The Performer Foundation
- Lisa Eldridge T1.5 Olive Seamless Skin Tint
- Lisa Eldridge 2.5 Olive Seamless Skin Foundation
- Missha M Perfect Cover Serum BB Cream No. 21 Light Beige
Above is every single actual olive product that I own, all swatched together.
About Face The Performer Foundation and The Illusionist Concealer Swatches
- About Face F1 Olive The Illusionist Concealer
- About Face F0 Cool The Performer Foundation
- About Face F1 Warm The Performer Foundation
- About Face F2 Olive The Performer Foundation
- About Face F2 Olive The Illusionist Concealer
Here’s every shade that I’ve purchased from About Face in The Performer Foundation and The Illusionist Concealer. F0 Cool Foundation is what I purchased as the closest match for my skin tone but it is the wrong undertone and I have made it work by using a tinted loose setting powder on top to correct it. F1 Warm Foundation is slightly too golden for me, but again, I make it work with a tinted loose setting powder to color correct. F2 Olive Foundation is too dark (wrong depth) for me. F2 Olive Concealer is somehow deeper than the F2 Olive Foundation and it also doesn’t work for me. F1 Olive Concealer is my perfect skin tone match on my face and I like it for both spot concealing and to use all over the face as a foundation since The Performer Foundation isn’t available in F1 Olive.
Why Is Drugstore Olive Foundation So Hard to Find?
Porcelain and fair shades are often lacking at the drugstore in general. Most foundation lines at the drugstore default to pink or peach undertones, not olive, and often not enough neutral. When a brand does formulate olive undertones, it’s almost always starting at the medium depth, so light, fair and porcelain are left out. e.l.f.’s Camo line makes a Deep Olive, but there’s not a fair option. NYX has made a Medium Olive, but nothing lighter. The makeup industry seems convinced that porcelain, fair, and light olives don’t exist. We do, and our money spends just as well as others.
The Best Drugstore Olive Foundation and Concealer Picks
- About Face F0 Cool The Performer Foundation
- About Face F1 Warm The Performer Foundation
- About Face F1 Olive The Illusionist Concealer
- About Face F2 Olive The Performer Foundation
- About Face F2 Olive The Illusionist Concealer
About Face F0 Cool is what I bought originally as my closest shade match. AF F1 Warm is a much better match to my undertones, but still not perfect for me. AF F1 Olive is the closest match to my porcelain olive skin. AF F2 Olive are both deeper than my skin tone.
About Face The Illusionist Concealer in F1 Olive
$22 at Ulta and About Face, €25 at Douglas
About Face The Illusionist Concealer in F1 Olive is the shade that finally disappears into my face. On me, F1 Olive pulls double duty: it works as a spot concealer as well as a foundation. I prefer to use my fingers, followed by a brush to blend it out.
One important caveat to know before you buy: this is a skin-matching concealer, not a brightening one, at least on me. If you love a lifted, brightened under-eye, F1 Olive won’t give you that on its own. About Face F0 Cool should work to brighten under the eyes. If you hate the obvious halo-eye look and just want your skin but even, this is exactly what you want.
About Face The Illusionist Concealer in F2 Olive
$22 at Ulta and About Face, €25 at Douglas
About Face The Illusionist Concealer in F2 Olive is deeper than F1 Olive. If you’re fair rather than porcelain, or you have any warmth from sun, F2 Olive is likely your shade.
About Face The Performer Foundation in F2 Olive
$25 at Ulta and About Face, €27 at Douglas
About Face The Performer Foundation in F2 Olive is a lovely fair foundation but too deep in depth for my porcelain complexion. Heads up if you’re planning to mix and match: The Illusionist Concealer in F2 Olive and The Performer Foundation in F2 Olive are not the same color, despite sharing a shade name. I compared them in my About Face F2 Olive vs Lisa Eldridge 2.5 post. Swatch both rather than assuming your concealer shade carries over in this line.
Aromaleigh YL, WL, & Y Series Powder Foundation
$2.89-$52.99 at AromaleighCosmetics.com
Aromaleigh is one of the OG indie beauty brands. They’re not on the drugstore shelf, but they’re definitely more affordable than many of the options you find in the drugstore today. The YL series is for cool olives, WL for warm olives, and Y for neutral olives. The YL, WL, and Y series are the widest fair olive shade selections I know of anywhere, at any price point. This is a loose mineral powder foundation, so it’s a different animal for application than the liquids above. I haven’t worn Aromaleigh’s loose powder mineral foundation in years, but I believe I would match to 1YL in it. Additionally you can email Aromaleigh to get help with shade matching!
Aromaleigh Foundation prices vary by formula and jar size. Samples start at $2.89, mini jars are around $8.99, regular jars are around $21.39, large jars are around $44.49, and there’s even a custom blend option for $52.99. Use my code CORDELIA to save 15% at Aromaleigh.
Closest Drugstore Workarounds (Not True Olive)
If you can’t get About Face, these are the closest things on most drugstore shelves. They’re not true olive, but desaturated (muted) neutrals are the next best thing for us. I call these sister shades: not a true match, but close. That’s what foundation has been like for me until now.
Unleashia Satin Wear Healthy-Green Cushion Foundation in 16N Peach Fuzz
$24 at Ulta
16N Peach Fuzz is a desaturated neutral leaning cool yellow. This foundation is lovely but without a primer and setting spray it needs to be touched up after around 5 hours. It has lightweight buildable coverage in a satiny-matte finish. If you have dry skin like mine, you’ll need to make sure you properly moisturize beforehand so nothing clings to any dry patches. I absolutely LOVE the refillable packaging. Unleashia is an awesome Korean beauty brand and their products are cruelty-free and vegan.
L’Oréal True Match N1 / N1.5
L’Oréal True Match in the N1 and N1.5 shades are the classic pale olive workaround. They’re muted and light, so that many pale and light olives can wear them. Note that L’Oréal is not cruelty-free, which matters to me and many of you, and it’s part of why I’d steer you to About Face first.
Revlon ColorStay in Buff
Revlon ColorStay in Buff is another muted fair shade that keeps getting recommended online in olive communities. Revlon isn’t cruelty-free, which is why I’d also recommend you check out About Face instead.
One to Be Careful With: Missha BB Cream No. 21 Light Beige
Missha’s M Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 21 Light Beige is one of the only affordable products with olive tones, and it was the first product that made me wonder if I was olive because of how it blended into my undertones. On my skin it runs noticeably darker than a fair olive needs, in every lighting condition I tested. Missha is a grey area brand for me because they claim they don’t test but they’re not PETA or Leaping Bunny certified. I have Missha BB Cream swatches of 13, 17, and 21 if you want to see them.
Quick Comparison
| Product | Shade | Price | Where | Depth | Undertone | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| About Face The Illusionist Concealer | F1 Olive | $22 | Ulta | Porcelain-fair | Neutral olive | Spot concealing, sheer foundation |
| About Face The Illusionist Concealer | F2 Olive | $22 | Ulta | Fair | Neutral olive | Fair olives, deeper than F1 |
| About Face The Performer Foundation | F2 Olive | $25 | Ulta | Fair | Olive | Fair olives, deeper than F1 |
| Aromaleigh YL Series | 1YL | $8.99 | aromaleigh.com | Porcelain to deep | Cool olive (YL line) | Powder foundation lovers |
| Unleashia Green Cushion Foundation | 16N | $24 | Ulta | Fair | Muted neutral yellow | Workaround, not true olive |
| L’Oréal True Match | N1 / N1.5 | $13.99 | Drugstores | Fair | Muted neutral | Workaround, not true olive |
| Missha M Perfect Cover BB | No. 21 | $11.35 | Amazon | Light-medium | Olive | Light-medium olives, not fair |
Make Your Own Olive Foundation
If nothing matches you and you’re tired of wasting money on the wrong foundation shade, you can fix a near miss! Mix a green or yellow adjuster into a foundation that’s too pink. Blue is used to cool off a too orange foundation. White is great to lighten anything too deep. LA Girl Pro Color Foundation Mixing Pigments come in white, blue, and yellow at drugstore prices.
Top Questions and Answers about Drugstore Olive Foundation
Does the drugstore sell olive foundation?
The drugstore barely has any olive foundation or concealer options available. Most drugstore brands don’t label undertones, or have any shades designed for olive. The few that do, such as e.l.f.’s Camo line or NYX, only make olive shades in medium to deep depths. They pretend that porcelain, fair, and light olives don’t exist. About Face is currently the only brand at drugstore prices making true olive shades in fair depths, which is why I’m singing their praises.
What is the best drugstore foundation for olive skin?
For fair olive skin, my pick is About Face The Performer in F2 Olive, if it matches you, or use About Face The Illusionist Concealer in F1 Olive as a foundation if you match to my skin tone. It’s one of the only affordable foundations actually formulated with a muted olive undertone rather than pink or peach. If your depth is medium or deeper, you have a few more options, but in the fair range this is the category leader. The only shade that disappears into my face is About Face The Illusionist Concealer in F1 Olive.
How do I know if I have olive undertones?
The most reliable sign that you have olive undertones is the foundation failure pattern. If pink-toned fair shades make you look pink like a sunburn and warm-toned fair shades make you look orange or muddy, you might want to look at neutral or olive foundations. Your skin might be a muted yellow-olive like mine, which most makeup brands don’t make a shade for. I break down all six tests I use in my full guide: Do I Have Olive Undertones? How to Tell.
What undertone is olive skin?
Olive undertone is a desaturated (muted) yellow undertone that has a subtle grey-green quality to it. Olives can lean cool, neutral, or warm. It’s not a depth, as you can be deep and olive or porcelain and olive. Unfortunately, as with any extremes at either end of the spectrum, most cosmetics brands skip formulating shades to match.
Is there an olive concealer at the drugstore?
Yes, the best olive concealer at the drugstore is the About Face The Illusionist Concealer. F1 Olive matches my face perfectly. There’s also F2 Olive, which is deeper. On my skin, About Face The Illusionist Concealer in F1 Olive doubles as a spot concealer and a foundation. It matches me better than any of the other shades I’ve ever tried. Just know that for me F1 Olive is a skin-matching concealer, not a brightening one; if you want to lift under the eyes you need to use another shade.
Can I make my own olive foundation by mixing?
Yes, you can mix a green or yellow adjuster into a too pink foundation to make it a better match, while one that is too orange needs a blue mixer to cool it off. If it’s too dark, use a white mixer to lighten. LA Girl Pro Color Foundation Mixing Pigments come in white, blue, and yellow to help you mix a perfect match.
What happens if olive skin wears the wrong undertone foundation?
Just take a look through my blog archives over the years. I would always try to get the closest match possible, but you could see where things sit on top of my skin like a mask instead of disappearing into it. Pink shades make me look like I’m sunburnt or sick. Warm shades look straight up orange. Desaturated neutrals match me the best if it’s not an olive foundation, but even those are hard to find. When these are your only options and none of them match, it’s why olives think they’re hard to match, but the truth is the products just didn’t exist.
Is L’Oréal True Match olive?
L’Oréal is not cruelty-free and True Match is not officially olive. That said, the N (for neutral) shades are muted (desaturated) enough that many pale and light olives can wear N1 or N1.5. It’s the closest thing to olive on most drugstore shelves, so think of it as a sister shade. Again, I recommend About Face The Performer Foundation instead.
Is Maybelline Fit Me good for olive skin?
Maybelline Fit Me is not cruelty-free. That said, some of the shades, such as 220 Natural Beige, are famous for being olive undertoned, but that is at the medium depth. There’s no option for Fair or Light olives in this line. The closest might be L’Oréal True Match N1 or N1.5, but I recommend looking at About Face The Performer Foundation instead.
What celebrities have olive skin?
There are so many gorgeous celebrities with olive skin! Mila Kunis is often held up as a classic fair olive example. A lot of people also reference Anne Hathaway as a fair olive. I think of Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder, and Alexis Bledel as fair olives. Krysten Ritter is the best example I can think of for a porcelain olive. Aubrey Plaza, Kristen Stewart, and Keira Knightley are considered fair to light olives. Olivia Wilde is often debated as a light-medium olive. People speculate about Emilia Clarke and Zooey Deschanel being fair olive too. My observations are based on photos of these celebrities, taking into consideration their makeup and clothing choices.
Final Thoughts
Drugstore olive foundations are as rare as hen’s teeth. There’s a serious gap in the market. It’s really About Face and Aromaleigh who are making true dedicated olive shades, while everyone else has some sister shades that work. But that’s a massive improvement over even two years ago, when the honest answer for fair olives was mix it yourself or pay luxury prices. My bottom line is, if you’re looking for affordable olive foundation at the drugstore, I recommend About Face. Specifically, I wear F1 Olive as foundation and concealer and wish that About Face would expand their foundation line to include F1 Olive. If you’re looking for affordable from indie brands, check out Aromaleigh.
Still not sure if you’re olive, neutral or something else? Describe what foundations do on your skin in the comments and I’ll tell you what I’d suspect and what I’d swatch next. And if you want the full science of why we look grey in some photos and sallow in others, that’s all in Do I Have Olive Undertones? How to Tell.
