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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 ".

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!

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. 🙏

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 ❤️‍🔥

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!

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

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

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!

I love hearing your color wisdom. 😍

Love your work. You do such a great job

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.

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!

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!!!!

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

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.

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 🤍🙏

I'm glad you mentioned.

Thank you for the video! You are very knowledgeable.

Video suggestion: makeup for olive skin tones🫒

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.

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

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

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

So helpful. Thank you.

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?

great video!

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.

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❤

You're awesome!!!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

That’s makes sense regarding undertones, overtones.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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?

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

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

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

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. 🤷‍♀️

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

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!!!!

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

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.😊😊

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 🙄

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...?

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

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!

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

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.

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%.

Why did I miss this

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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!

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.

🎟️

She probably looked like she has jaundice. Been there.

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.

Wow, I really strongly disagree with the system you follow

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