Pedicure Colors That Perfectly Flatter Olive Skin Tones

Have you ever gotten a pedicure and later realized that the color you picked wasn't flattering? If so, it's likely because the particular shade you opted for wasn't complementary to your skin's undertone. For nearly every facet of your beauty routine (such as picking hair, makeup, and nail colors), it is important to understand why your skin undertones matter and how to figure it out. When discussing undertones, the three most commonly discussed are cool, warm, and neutral. However, many have another undertone that is less catered to: olive. While cool skin contains traces of blue and pink, warm is gold and yellow, and neutral has a mix of both, olive is a bit more finicky. Olive complexions typically has a tint of yellow, green, and gold. One of the ways to determine if you have olive skin is by looking at the veins in your wrist — if they appear slightly green, you're probably a member of the olive skin club. 

If you have olive-toned skin, picking a pedicure color that is truly flattering requires more intentional color matching. Because of olive skin's unique blend, nail polishes that are overly cool toned (especially anything with a gray cast) will appear muddy and muted. Therefore, rich colors like burnt orange and terracotta, deep jewel tones, warm neutrals, and gold metallics are all excellent choices for your next mani-pedi. Here's what you need to know to ensure that you're more than prepared for your next salon appointment. 

Rich jewel tones are some of the best pedicure colors for olive skin. Deep burgundy, forest green, sapphire, and purple all flatter the green undertone of olive skin. If you're looking for a moody pedicure color most appropriate for the fall and winter, dark purple is the wine-adjacent shade you need. Given olive-toned skin's gold-green tinge, jewel tones provide a regal vibe that instantly elevates any manicure or pedicure. 

Just as purple became the bold makeup color of the moment, it is also popular in the nail polish world. For olive-skinned individuals with warm undertones, warm berry tones are endlessly flattering. Meanwhile, blue, purple, and red are all complementary pedicure colors for those with cool-toned olive skin. Whether you have warm or cool olive skin, you ought to give one of the many stunning jewel tones a try during your next pedicure appointment.

Orange-adjacent colors like terracotta and rust are perfect for olive skin. Given their subdued shade and warm undertone, these shades complement the green-gold vibe of olive skin. Especially for the chillier months during fall and winter, cozy colors like terracotta, burnt orange, cinnamon, and rust make for some of the best pedicure inspiration for olive skin tones. 

These warm shades manage to look elevated and polished on olive skin while avoiding the plain, muddy look that some colors have when paired with olive skin. Unlike unflattering gray-toned colors, warm oranges are dimensional and pull from the gold of olive undertones. Rich colors work on olive skin of all undertones, so if you have olive skin, earthy shades should certainly be on your shortlist of go-to pedicure colors that are eternally flattering.

You can't go wrong with a neutral mani-pedi during any season. A neutral pedicure is incredibly versatile and always in style for olive-toned skin in particular. Depending on the shade of polish, nude-adjacent colors look perfect on olive skin. Warm-toned olive skin pairs better with barely-there warm pink, cream, or nude polish that matches the color of your skin. For cool-toned olive skin, neutral colors like peach or beige (or a combination of the two) are some of the best shades — nothing that leans gray. 

While low-key shades may seem a bit pedestrian, there are plenty of neutral pedicure colors and designs that are understated without being boring which work well on olive skin. From trendy semi-sheer finishes to timeless French tips, you can give otherwise neutral pedicures a chic twist. Neutral polishes are never off trend, so they're an evergreen option for olive-toned individuals to indulge in year-round.

One of the most flattering pedicures for olive skin is gold chrome. While neutral chrome manicures are the nail trend for everyone, gleaming mani-pedis with a gold finish are particularly chic for those with olive-toned skin. Because of olive skin's green and gold undertones, gold nail polish (and, by extension, jewelry) is incredibly complementary. If you're looking to emphasize the striking, unique nature of olive skin, gold chrome pedicures are one excellent way to do so. 

While burgundy and berry chrome polishes can also be flattering on olive skin, steer clear of silver metallics. The icy finish works against olive undertones, clashing in a way that does your skin a disservice. While olive skin can be cooler toned in nature, ultra-cool colors like gray, silver, and ice blue don't mesh well. Warm metallics like gold and even bronze provide the glamour and modernity olive skin needs without conflict.