Wear your strong colours
What is a colour analysis?
It’s a method used to determine a shade of colour that works in harmony with our skin undertone (the amount and type of pigment - melanin in our skin which doesn't change). Not to confuse with overtone (which reflects changes in our skin, like tan, redness, rash caused by reaction to some creams etc.).
So undertone is what you are given by Nature and overtone is what you do with your skin, how you treat it, what you put on it etc.
First, and most important is to decide whether your skin undertone is warm or cool. The seasonal colour method would classify you either as Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter.
There are few tests you could try, like checking your vein colour (blue for cool and green for warm tone), jewellery test (silver for cool and gold for warm tones) or comparing different colour fabrics against your skin. But it’s really hard if your eye is not trained. I actually struggled and couldn't decide whether my veins were blue or green (still can’t!). This is where stylists or colour consultants come to the rescue.
I had my online analysis done by @heybeautiful.eu. It wasn’t something I would consider before but it was eye opening. Thanks to it I look at my clothes in a completely different way. I’m still not an expert, but I’m starting to see how the right shades can elevate my look and help me in my day to day life.
I paired cool and warm green here for more contemporary look
Why is colour analysis so great? Because it is!
Having your analysis can be overwhelming at first, especially if you find out you’ve been wearing the wrong colours for years. It’s good to spend some time in your wardrobe trying on your clothes and comparing colours. Take photos with different tones of one colour and see for yourself which one really suits you. Don’t get rid of anything until you are absolutely certain you don’t need it. The wrong tone can be still worn but styled in a different way.
Here are some benefits of knowing your best colours:
Look amazing. When you choose right colours surrounding your face, you will look healthier, more rested, your wrinkles and under eye circles will be less visible,
Feel confident. It’s a cliche that when you look good, you feel good. But it's absolutely true. You gain confidence every time you look in the mirror and see your glowing skin and sparkle in your eye,
Save time and money while shopping. Whether buying new or second hand, when you know your strong colours, you’ll skip all the tones that may be beautiful but not necessarily on you. You’ll also save a lot of money and reduce shopping mistakes,
Cohesive and chic wardrobe. You’ll only have colours that flatter your skin undertone and work together to create pleasant and balanced outfits. After all, who doesn't like a tonal look,
Get dressed quicker and easier. When everything goes together, you can match any top with any bottom to achieve a classy outfit,
Your clothes work harder in your wardrobe and you get more versatility. For example, if you have trousers in a camel and cool beige, you’ll need different tops (including jackets) and shoes to create an outfit. But when you only focus on warm or cool tones, you’ll soon notice that every top will look good with every pair of trousers. Moreover, all accessories will go with every outfit.
Decluttering your wardrobe will be much easier and less confusing. And your clothes will be a great base for a capsule wardrobe,
Less waste. When you know what you like and what looks good on you (and you follow similar rules to the ones I talk about in my post: Investment Pieces in my Capsule Wardrobe) you’re more likely to buy clothes that will stay with you for a very long time.
My take on colour analysis
My wardrobe mainly consists of black, white, beige, grey and denim blue. My accent colours are blue and green. I was drawn to cool tones beforehand so my wardrobe didn't need an extreme makeover after the analysis. I embraced my cool palette by ignoring all warm tones, especially those extreme shades like rusty, mustard yellow or fire engine red. But I still need some training with colours that are not so obvious, like earthy greens.
I bought a dress a few years ago and wore it a total of 1 time, because I didn't feel comfortable in it and I looked sickly in a photo. I thought I had the wrong makeup on or I was tired that day. The solution (that I didn't understand at the time) was the wrong colour of the dress (very warm brown). Maybe you had a similar experience and you didn't know why something didn't work for you.
There are still warm colours in my wardrobe that I haven’t decluttered, because I really like the clothes and I know how to style them now. I also think mixing warm and cool shades of the same colour can add some interest and dimension to your outfit.
According to my colour palette, beiges are not my strongest colour, but I do love beige so I’m still wearing it on the bottom half (away from the face) or if I have a beige jumper I like to have a white tee sticking out or I put black blazer over it.
Tip:
Pay attention to the colour palette at specific shops. A beige will look differently in different shops as they have their unique colour palette. There are places I avoid because their beiges are too pink, yellow or green for me and they don’t go with the rest of my wardrobe.
Do I need to change my wardrobe?
It depends. Most of us intuitively feel what colours suit us best and we already have them in our wardrobes (with some exceptions).
The most important colours are the ones surrounding your face. You can start by revising your basics e.g. t-shirts, jumpers and shirts. Adding a scarf or jewellery in your colour palette is also a great way to experiment.
Always remember to buy accessories in the same colour tone, so if you're warm, stick to cognac, tan brown or warm beige. Same goes for shoes. When you need to put an outfit together, it’s so much easier with everything matching.
As a Cool Winter I look good in white and grey accessorised with silver jewellery .
What about neutral wardrobe lovers?
Not everyone, including me, loves vibrant colours. And you don’t need to change your preferences, only because your colour analysis suggests that you suit fuchsia or neon green.
You can tweak your wardrobe to emphasise your tone without adding any colours. I, for example, am a cool winter and I should stay away from any warm tones. Luckily my strong colours are white and black, so I add my cool beiges, greens or blues to the pool to create my personal neutral wardrobe.
There are few elements of your outfit that you can adjust without drastically changing your colour palette:
Cool or warm?
Every neutral colour (apart from black) can be warm or cool. So you can continue wearing your favourite grey, brown or beige but in a tone that suits you specifically.
It's a common understanding that black suits everyone, but in fact it's a rather hard colour to pull off. It can make you look tired and washed out and it can be aging on some of us. If you like dark colours, try navy which is less harsh on your skin or a very dark shade of your favourite colour e.g green, charcoal grey, aubergine etc.
Accessories
Add a scarf, beanie or hat in your flattering tone. Remember, things close to your face make the biggest difference. Maybe try swapping the strap of your favourite handbag to something in a bold colour or pattern. Roll up your sleeves on your blazer or Burberry trench and show some neutral pattern.
Jewellery
We all have preferences in terms of our jewellery tone because we either think it suits our skin or we simply like it. But the colour we choose can actually make us look more radiant and fresh.
I have been loving and wearing gold for years but only recently, when I had my colour consultation with an amazing Sarit from @heybeautiful.eu, I learnt that silver suits my skin undertone better. I’m still wearing gold but I purchased one pair of earrings and a necklace in silver to change things up a bit. Plus, now I have something to match my silver hardware on my handbags and leather jacket.
Tip:
Silver is much more affordable than gold (so you can look for sterling silver instead of bad quality high street metals) and it's much easier to find at antique shops than gold.
Make up
Make up plays an important role in how we look. First of all, foundation. If you choose the wrong shade you may end up looking too orange or too grey (it happened to me too many times). I’m no expert and will not try to advise you on anything make up, but there is a good way to tell if you're warm or cool from the way your skin reacts to sun: if you easily burn and your skin turns red\pink, then you are most likely a cool tone and you should look for foundation that looks pink in a bottle. Warm tone skin rarely burns and it’s in harmony with foundation that looks yellow or brown.
Also pay attention to what eyeshadow you apply and stick to the same rule as above.
Bold lip
I’m one of those women who are terrified of red lipstick (or maybe the only one!). Turns out red can be cool or warm, which means there is the right shade for everyone out there and it can completely transform your look. Same goes for other colours, like pink.
Hair
Never underestimate the power of the right hair colour. If you dye your hair, make sure to consult the colour with your hairdresser and match it with your skin undertone. I’m sure we all made the mistake of dying our hair too orange or too ashy and wondering why our face looks earthy and pale.
Nails
A very neutral wardrobe can look really interesting and modern when injected with bold coloured nails: red, coral pink, blue or any pastel.
Common myths about colours:
Colour analysis is just for women. Wrong!
Women pay more attention to their looks and are more open to experimenting with their colours.
Black skin is always warm. Wrong!
I used to think that until I realised it can be warm (Beyoncé) or cool (Michelle Obama).
Red, and colours known as warm, can only be worn by people with warm skin undertone. Wrong!
It all depends on a shade. Cool undertone can also look great in yellow or red but you need to know what suits your skin.
Black suits everyone. Wrong!
We often use black as a fail-safe colour when we don’t know what look good on our skin or we want to hide something. Black is slimming but it can be harsh on your skin and even harder to style at a certain age, because it emphasises wrinkles and under eye circles.
You need to get rid of the colours that don’t suit you. Wrong!
The best way to go is wearing your strong colours close to your face while keeping other colours away, like trousers, handbags, shoes or funky socks.
