The Right Shade of Purple
for Olive Skin
Purple is one of olive skin's most flattering colour families — but the specific shade makes an enormous difference. Olive skin carries a warm, golden-green undertone that harmonises naturally with warm-toned purples: plum, aubergine, eggplant, and warm violet. The cooler, bluer purples — icy lavender, cool mauve, blue-violet — can create a cooler cast that conflicts with olive's inherent warmth. Getting the right purple makes olive skin glow. Getting the wrong one can make it look sallow.
Discover Your ColorsWhy Olive Skin Needs Warm-Leaning Purples
Olive skin is characterised by a warm, golden-green undertone — sometimes also described as a yellow-green or yellow-brown undertone. This warmth is the defining feature that shapes which colours are most flattering. Unlike overtly warm skin with purely golden undertones, olive has both the warmth and that distinctive green quality.
Purple sits opposite orange-red on the colour wheel, making it a natural complement to olive's warmth. But purple exists across a huge temperature range — from warm, red-toned plum and aubergine to cool, blue-toned violet and lavender. The warm end of the purple spectrum (plum, eggplant, warm mauve) harmonises with olive's warmth while providing strong contrast. The cool end (clear violet, icy lavender, blue-purple) can clash with the warm undertone.
The depth factor also matters for olive skin. Olive skin has inherent depth and richness — it carries pigment well. This means deep, rich purples (eggplant, dark aubergine, rich plum) look particularly luxurious against olive skin because the depth of both the colour and the skin reinforce each other. Light, washed-out purples can look flat by comparison.
The Purple Shades That Work for Olive Skin
Plum and Deep Warm Purple
Plum is olive skin's signature purple. Its warm-red undertone harmonises with olive's inherent warmth, and its depth creates striking contrast against olive complexions. Rich plum has enough warmth to feel cohesive with olive skin's golden quality while being distinctly purple — not so red that it reads as wine, not so blue that it reads as violet. This is the shade of purple that olive skin consistently wears best.
Eggplant and Aubergine
Eggplant and aubergine are the deepest purples — they approach dark brown-purple at their most saturated. For olive skin, this depth is a strength: the richness of eggplant against olive skin looks luxurious and intentional rather than harsh. Aubergine has a warm reddish-brown quality that resonates particularly well with golden olive undertones. These are your statement dress colours, your evening choices, your power shades.
Warm Mauve and Dusty Purple
Warm mauve occupies the softer end of the purple spectrum while retaining a warm, rose-toned quality that suits olive skin well. Dusty rose-purple and warm lilac work as softer alternatives when you want purple without dramatic impact — for work, casual contexts, or as a layer under other colours. The key is that they retain warmth: pink-toned mauves rather than grey-toned or blue-toned mauves.
Warm Violet and Red-Purple
Not all violet is cool. Warm violet — violet with red undertones rather than blue — can work beautifully for olive skin when the warmth is maintained. Red-toned violet and deep orchid read as energetic and bold against olive skin without creating the cool-warm conflict that blue-violet can. These are vibrant choices for occasions when you want the brightness of violet without abandoning warmth.
How to Wear Purple with Olive Skin
Your everyday purple
Warm mauve and dusty plum are your most effortless purple options for daily wear. A warm mauve fine-knit, a dusty plum linen shirt, or a soft purple-rose blouse near your face makes olive skin glow without dramatic effort. These shades are sophisticated and versatile — professional contexts, casual settings, and everything in between.
Your statement purple
For occasions when you want impact, eggplant and deep plum are your go-to purples. A deep eggplant dress, a rich aubergine silk blouse, or a dark plum velvet blazer against olive skin looks luxurious and polished. These colours have the depth to complement olive skin's natural richness while standing out in any room. They photograph particularly beautifully.
Pairing purples with olive skin
Warm purples pair naturally with olive skin's companion neutrals. Plum and camel creates an earthy warmth. Eggplant and tan reads sophisticated. Warm mauve and cream is soft and elegant. Avoid pairing warm purples with cold whites or stark silver, which can highlight the cool-warm conflict. Ivory, cream, camel, and warm beige are better neutral pairings.
Makeup considerations
When wearing purple with olive skin, your makeup palette can be warm or purple-toned. A plum lip with a warm purple outfit amplifies the harmony. A warm bronze or terracotta eye with a deep eggplant outfit keeps the warmth cohesive and avoids any cool-cold clash. Avoid stark cool pink lips with warm purple outfits — the contrast of a cool lip with a warm outfit can look unbalanced.
Purple Shades That Can Clash with Olive Skin
Cool blue-violet and clear violet
Clear, cool violet with a distinctly blue undertone creates a cool-warm conflict against olive skin. The blueness of cool violet emphasises the green quality of olive undertones in an unflattering way, sometimes making skin look sallow or slightly grey-green. Warm violet — the red-leaning version — is the olive-friendly alternative.
Icy or pale lavender
Very pale, cool lavender — especially icy or washed-out versions — sits on the wrong side of both the temperature and depth spectrum for olive skin. The coolness conflicts with olive's warmth, and the paleness creates insufficient contrast against medium-to-deep olive complexions. If you want soft purple, warm lilac or dusty warm mauve are better choices.
Grey-mauve and cool dusty purple
Grey-toned mauve — mauve with grey rather than warmth as its modifier — can create a flat, muddy appearance against olive skin. The greyed-out quality of cool dusty purple can emphasise the green undertone of olive skin in a way that reads as unwell rather than sophisticated. Warm mauve is the olive-friendly alternative.
Bright, cold orchid or fuchsia-purple
Very bright, cold-toned orchid or purple-pink can look harsh and discordant against olive skin's warmth. The sheer saturation and coolness creates a jarring contrast. If you want vivid, warm orchid or purple-pink, look for versions with red-warmth rather than blue-coolness.
Purple Swaps for Olive Skin
Trading cool purples that clash for warm purples that glow.
Cool lavender creates a cold cast against olive warmth. Warm mauve harmonises with olive undertones and makes skin look golden and clear.
Grey-mauve looks muddy against olive skin. Warm plum has the depth and warmth to complement olive undertones beautifully.
Cool violet clashes with olive warmth. Deep eggplant and rich plum have warm undertones that harmonise with olive skin and look luxurious.
Icy lavender washes out against olive skin's depth. Aubergine and dark plum create the contrast and warmth that makes olive skin glow at events.
Cool orchid creates a cool-warm clash. Warm plum is authoritative, harmonious, and works as a strong professional colour against olive skin.
Even in accessories near the face, undertone matters. Warm plum enhances olive skin; blue-purple creates subtle discord at the neckline.
Which Season Fits Olive Skin?
Olive skin spans several seasonal palettes — the warmth is consistent, but your depth, contrast, and specific undertone determine your exact season and your most flattering purple range.
Warm Autumn
Learn moreOlive skin with warm, golden undertones and medium depth often falls in Warm Autumn. Your purples are earthy and warm: deep plum, dark aubergine, warm eggplant. Everything is rich and muted — not bright or vivid, but deep and warm.
Deep Autumn
Learn moreDeep olive skin with high richness and warm undertones often fits Deep Autumn. Your purples are the deepest and most saturated warm ones: eggplant, dark aubergine, rich wine-purple. You wear purple at its most dramatic and opulent.
Soft Autumn
Learn moreOlive skin that's softer, more muted, and less obviously warm often fits Soft Autumn. Your purples are dusty and warm: warm dusty mauve, soft plum, muted purple-brown. Less vivid than Warm Autumn but in the same warm direction.
Find Your Exact Purple
The best purple for olive skin depends on the specific warmth, depth, and muting of your olive undertone — all of which vary considerably. A personalised colour analysis identifies exactly which purples — from warm mauve to deep eggplant — belong in your palette, so every purple you buy is one that makes your skin glow.
Get Your Color AnalysisFrequently Asked Questions
What shade of purple looks best on olive skin?
Warm, red-toned purples — plum, eggplant, aubergine, and warm mauve — are the most flattering for olive skin. They harmonise with olive's warm undertone rather than conflicting with it. Avoid cool, blue-toned purples like clear violet and icy lavender, which can create a cool-warm clash that makes olive skin look sallow.
Can olive skin wear lavender?
Cool lavender — the distinctly cool, blue-toned version — tends to clash with olive skin's warmth. Warm lilac or dusty warm mauve (which are warmer-toned soft purples) are more flattering alternatives. If you love soft purple tones, look for mauves and lilacs with warm, pink undertones rather than blue-cool ones.
Does eggplant suit olive skin?
Yes — eggplant is one of olive skin's best purples. Its deep, warm, aubergine-brown quality harmonises with olive's warmth while providing the rich depth that complements olive skin's natural pigmentation. Eggplant against olive skin looks luxurious and polished, particularly for evening.
What is the difference between plum and violet for olive skin?
Plum is warm-toned purple with red undertones — it harmonises with olive skin's warmth and looks rich and flattering. Violet is cool-toned purple with blue undertones — it can create a cool-warm conflict against olive skin. Warm violet (red-leaning) is better than cool violet (blue-leaning) for olive skin.
Can olive skin wear purple to a wedding?
Yes — and it can look stunning. For a daytime wedding, warm dusty mauve or soft plum is elegant and appropriate. For an evening wedding, deep eggplant or rich aubergine creates a luxurious, impactful look. Avoid icy lavender or cool lilac, which can clash with olive warmth. Warm purple is one of the best occasion colours for olive skin.