The FAQ's on Seasonal Color Analysis
Troubleshooting the Seasonal Color Analysis
When it comes to Color Me Beautiful's seasonal color analysis I'm sure you have been asking yourself the same questions many other women
have been asking themselves.
If you already know what season you are, just click on it below.
When taking the analysis or when you can't seem to squeeze yourself in a season, questions pop in your head. The most common are:
And you might not even believe in the system and ask: Does wearing the right colors really matter?
Let me tell you this:
By knowing your colors that compliment your hair, complexion and eyes, you can simplify your life by avoiding bad shopping choices in
makeup, hair color and even jewelry and accessories.
Here is an example of bad and good choice of color:
Image credit: Bruce Gifford/Film Magic
Left: Bluish red lipstick overempowers Kim Kardashian's golden complexion. Makes her look bluish.
Right: Kim Kardashian looks hot with warm, nude lips.
Seasonal Color Analysis is Based on Science
Color analysis by season is simply based on science, and it's certainly not some cheap fad. It's a classic system that works everytime.
Colors can change the way you look -- in either a good or bad way -- based on what you choose to wear. I mean, what's the point
in wearing clothes that don't look good on you??
If you do it right, you can find your accurate colors. But you need to rely on your gut instincts as well.
Note: Remember that
you'll have to find your primary season first (Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter) and then determine if you're
a light - medium - or deep coloring within that season. So the system doesn't lack options.
Now ladies, let's go through some of the most frequently asked questions regarding seasonal color analysis.
What if I Don't Fit in a Specific Category?
Don't worry. A color analysis only gives a general idea of your colors.
Here are 4 pinpointers to finding your season and your colors:
1. You may belong to two seasons
Depending on the attributes (intensity, temperature and value) of your colorings, you may fit in several classsifications in:
- Another group within your own season
or
- Another group within another season
So you can have two color palettes.
As you may already know the color analysis is divided into 3 groups which makes
the whole system a 12-colored category analysis. This means that you can have other color choices within another group in another season.
It's called Flow Color Analysis.
It works like this:
The 12-colored color system takes into account that you may have color characteristics from more than one season.
Have in mind that you do have a primary season but with elements from another season.
Let's say you have dark brown hair with dark brown eyes and dark olive skin. This would automatically make you a Deep Winter
but you'll flow towards Deep Autumn. So that means you have the same palette from both groups.
Now you have double as many colors to choose from!
Or for example if you are a Cool Summer you can wear some of Winter's Cool Palette.
Or if you're a Warm Autumn you can wear some of the Spring's Warm Palette.
If you tan or color your hair you can also move up or down in your own season.
Like for example, from Clear to Cool Winter. I know by experience that whenever I'm tanned (my skin typically gets a medium-deep color when I tan)
I look good in darker and slightly stronger colors.
It's purely based on the undertones of your skin. If you're warm-colored then you are a gold, meaning either a
Spring or
an Autumn. Spring is a lighter and brighter shade of warm complexion,
Autumn being a darker and deeper shade. If you're cool-colored
then you are a silver, meaning either a Summer or a
Winter. Summer is a lighter shade of cool complexion and
Winter is very vivid and darker.
3. Find celebrities with approximately the same colorings (hair, skintone and eyes) as you
Gather as many pictures as you can and observe the
colors they're wearing. Collect the ones that make them glow and dump the others
that make them look drained. Try to find a pattern and figure out if it resembles one of the seasons.
Note: Have in mind that most celebrities often change their hair and skin color.
Like for example, Rihanna. When she's at her palest and keeps her natural hair color she looks bluish.
However when she tans and dye her hair she looks more golden and suit warm colors better. Observe the changes!
4. When picking a coloring within a season, pay less attention to the eye color and focus on your hair and skin tone
(ivory, bronze, porcelain, etc.)
Eyes should not be the biggest factor when deciding which coloring you are within a season. You can choose makeup separately to
enhance your eyes.
Understanding the 12 Categories in "Color Me Beautiful"
We all have 6 dominant characteristics in our skintone:
1. Deep -- Dark and rich
2. Light -- Delicate
3. Soft -- Muted
4. Clear -- Bright
5. Warm -- Warm undertones
6. Cool -- Cool undertones
With that in mind, you're either a:
- Deep Winter or Autumn
- Light Spring or Summer
- Clear Winter or Spring
- Soft Summer or Autumn
- Warm Autumn or Spring
- Cool Winter or Summer
If you discover that you suit different seasons and/or groups then double-check it by reviewing the color analysis again and have someone
look at your colors from an objective point of view. It works best in daylight.
Or Maybe You're Neutral?
If you still can't seem to categorize yourself in a specific group, then you might be a neutral who suits all colors!
Being a neutral means you don't have any dominant cool or warm undertones in your skin or hair.
Tip: If you're a neutral, then the only shade you have to avoid is ash tones as it can make you look bland.
Can I Wear Colors that Aren't on My Season Palette?
There are no colors that are off-limits. It's all in how you combine the colors and where you place them on your body.
What's most important is what color you place near your face. For instance, if navy blue clashes with your complexion,
wear it as a skirt instead!
Look For the Undertone of the Color
For some, true red can seem to be a warm color, but it has a blue undertone which makes it a cool color.
So it's the undertone you should look for. How to know if your skin is cool or warm.
How to Wear Basic Colors Like Black and White
If you take a look at my Wardrobe Essentials-section
(and throughout my website), you'll notice that I've mentioned
staples which you should buy in basic colors like black and white. As much as black and white can serve as a blank palette and go
with absolutely everything, the colors look in fact a lot better on cooler and deeper skin tones. Black
looks best on darker Autumns and Winters, snow white on Winters and Summer.
So if you are a warm season such as a Spring
or an Autumn, you just have to top it off in a color from your personal palette.
Examples are: a scarf, necklace, earrings or makeup. You can also opt for ivory, off-white and cream instead of snow white.
Tip: Black is not exactly an eye-popper. But if it's your favorite color,
try buying black pieces with different patterns or textures. And accessorise it with a color that really suits your complexion!
 Understanding Colors
The foundation of the color analysis is based on 4 vital factors:
- Hue -- the name of the color (blue, green, red, etc.)
- Intensity -- whether the shade appears clear or muted
- Temperature -- depending on the undertone of a color can be percieved as cool, warm or neutral.
Yellow-based colors are perceived as warm, blue-based colors are perceived as cool. Pure colors are neutral—that is neither cool nor warm.
- Value -- a color can be described as light, medium-light, medium, medium-dark, dark
Your main season has these attributes and so do clothes, accessories and makeup. Basically, you have to find a piece
that closely matches your season's attributes.
These points will help you choose the right colors when going shopping or have forgotten the color swatches at home.
What if I Change Skintone or Color My Hair?
The seasons mentioned are generally based on your natural skintone -- without any sun or self-tanning lotion.
But since it's natural to tan or color hair, your season colorings might change.
It's possible for your personal colorings to change from time to time, but it's usually nothing drastic. Like for
example, if you're a Summer with light skin and you smear on some tanning lotion, you'll likely have to switch to
soft or cool -- which are a slightly darker Summer group. Or go from Light Summer to Light Spring. See the Flow Color Chart further
up the page.
Note: Generally, it's not possible to completely change your skin color unless you've become really tan or are
on some heavy bleaching product.
When determining your best colors, it's the undertone (deep, soft, warm etc.) we're looking for.
And not to mention, your hair color and skin tone play a bigger role than eyes.
What If I Don't Like the Colors?
We tend to base our judgements from a non-objective perspective. So don't knock it until you've tried it!
Have Someone Else's Eyes Do the Judging
And not someone who'll tell you whatever she thinks you want to hear :-)
Let me tell you about my profound discovery when it came to wearing the right colors:
There was a time when I used to wear pure white, thinking that I looked good in it. Plus I looked at warmer whites as "dirty" and bland.
One day, I was at home and changing into other clothes because I was going to meet up with my boyfriend.
I put on my usual favorite V-neck (gotta love a little bit of cleavage) tunic top in pure white.
My big sister and her boyfriend were there for a visit so I asked them how I looked.
It came as surprise because my sister's boyfriend said I looked washed out and that maybe I should go for off-white.
Boy, I thought that he was nuts. I mean, OFF white? I've been avoiding that type of color ever since I was
a kid. But then I tried on an ivory white scarf (which I had never worn), and I looked so much better and healthier. It added a nice glow to my face
and made my light olive skin look less greenish.
Off-white (and also light beige and creamy white) has been one of my favorite color ever since that discovery. And with the seasonal color analysis, everything makes sense :)
Use Good Lighting
The next time you're in a clothing store go to the dressing room and experiment with different colors.
Unfortunately you can't always trust the lighting in a dressing room or even the sales clerk for that matter.
The best lighting, in my opinion is natural daylight. When I worked at Accessorize
I always let the customers try a scarf or clothing outside in the daylight.
Of course, it's not always possible as most stores are located inside a mall. However, you can pay for the items and return them the next day.
There are also some stores who have different lightening settings in a dressing room! This enables you to try something on in for example
"daylight", "lit light", "blue light", etc.
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