An Update On My Virtual Personal Color Analysis
Happy Tuesday ladies. Several of you have asked about my virtual online color analysis so I thought I would give you a quick update. My journey through virtual color analysis has been a bumpy one so it’s taking more time than I anticipated. My roundup will be a lengthy post so I may break it into two.
Personal Color Analysis: Is It For You?
I’ve had three virtual personal color analyses done in the last two months. They were all done in a similar fashion. I took and submitted pictures of myself with colors near my face in varying lights, with and without makeup. This was followed up with a zoom session with each color professional. They had all decided on my coloring before the zoom session.
I did walk outside with my laptop for two of the sessions so they could get a “live” look at my skin tone. During the zoom call, we talked about which colors they decided were my most flattering and how I should wear them. Here’s the problem…three professionals came to three different conclusions! And they’re radically different.
The Three Colors You Should Never Wear
I questioned why they made the decisions they did because I need to understand why they have come to the conclusions they have. I also want to be sure I can explain their system to you accurately.
Because of the confusion, I’ve scheduled a consultation with a fourth consultant and I’m hoping for some consistency. I still have the two-color pallets that were done by top color experts in the industry, in person and they are very similar. I have also reached out to one of them for some clarification.
How Our Colors Change As We Age
I do know our colors change as we age, but these pallets were done live by draping me in various colors and watching how my complexion changed…which makes them pretty significant.
My journey continues and I am learning a lot in the process. Many women had their colors done “back in the day” and were given the wrong pallet. The science and art of personal color analysis have come a long way in recent years and I hope to have some results to share soon.
Thanks for reading and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
For those who asked if it’s worthwhile to spend money on color analysis or don’t we all just know what looks good on us….
I was completely clueless. When I shopped I heard my mother’s voice: beige goes with everything, brown goes so well with your eyes, that pink is to loud. I had a very dull closet of beiges, brown and greys into my mid 40’s.
When I was 45, I admired a well dressed work friend’s outfits and she had read a lot about color analysis and she declared me a Winter. She came over to my house and removed 3/4 of my clothes from my closet, told me what worked and what didn’t and why, and told me which colors to start buying.
I loved those colors, but I had to get over the voices in my head. I bought dark reds, indigo, plum, deep fuchsia.
It opened my eyes. I started getting compliments daily, even random ones from strangers. “That color is gorgeous on you.” Saleswomen paid more attention to me when I shopped and made helpful suggestions about which pieces I might like. I had previously been invisible or gotten the question “looking for anything in particular?”
I went from being very insecure to reasonably confident. I began to enjoy shopping. A few years later I started to follow Jennifer (my first) and other style bloggers.
So yes, if you are looking for more confidence in choosing clothes and want to open your eyes to a whole lot of fun and satisfaction, and if you can afford a professional, then it’s very worth it.
Your motto of wearing clothes that build confidence resonated with me from day 1. I’m pretty confident in general but I wasn’t about clothes. But I got a lot better!
Btw, my 87 year old mother does not have a dull wardrobe. She wore all neutrals back in the 70s and 80s when most of her clothes were for the office. But now she wears all the loveliest pieces from Talbots and Chico’s. She dresses a lot like you Jennifer.
Hahaha! My mother’s voice goes shopping with me, too. She thought she looked bad in yellow (black not brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin) so she refused to even consider it up until she passed at 93. I adore yellow, and because I did not inherit her coloring, I guess, she gave me permission to wear it. She’s right there in my head every time I see a yellow anything.
I have no connections to Carol T or her company. I just wanted to share this weblink to a youtube video she has done about 4 types of energy & wearing the clothing colors & styles that go with them.It’s less than 19 minutes long and it’s quite an eye opener. And Janice over at theviviennefiles blog mentioned that looking at her eyes and rings around the iris is what one color analysis person did– she made this comment in the comments section on 7/20 post.
I’m aware of Carol. She has an interesting theory which I’m not a fan of. Profiling women into 4 categories is extremely limiting.
Great info. I was contemplating a virtual one but was skeptical. I have no idea what my color palette is. Anxiously awaiting your second post……
I think the simplest thing is to go to a dept store with someone who loves you..a daughter for instance…and hold up various colors to your face. Then she gives you her opinion of each. What illuminates your face? What drags it down? Obviously, you also look in a mirror and see what you think.
I think your great colors really pop out on you and the awful ones look obviously awful and then there are the so-so ones in the middle.
I say stick with the great ones and they may have everything to do with the color of your eyes. For me, who use to wear a lot of beige and black, the great ones are purple, lavender, lilac and some light yellow greens for connection to my eyes which are green. Who knew?
So trying to get over blacks, even though my hair is white.
Bottom line: I really don’t think you need expensive consultants. A trip to a dept store with someone who wants the best for you should do it.
PS, From the way you dress now, I think you instinctively know your best colors. Ditch the consultants and continue to be you but a trip with your nice daughter would be fun.
I found eyeshadow palettes from better cosmetic companies very helpful. The colors that brought out my eyes were the ones I should be wearing in my clothes. The good cosmetic companies know color like nobody else!
So no, an analysis is not absolutely necessary. There are other ways around this.
I found it difficult to adjust to my lightening hair color and skin tone. It was dramatic. So now, I continue to adjust, and figure it out again. Maybe a trip to the cosmetics counter is in order.
Hi Jennifer, this is really interesting to read, thank you. I provide personal color analysis in San Diego, though only in person. It’s just not possible to see someone’s real skin tone or how it changes unless they are draped in real life! It needs natural light and screens always “correct” in one way or another. Real life draping gives the true answer and the client is able to see it as well. I’ve seen people that have been “diagnosed” incorrectly at a distance, too.
I recommend you try the in-person consultation and see how it compares!
I agree in person draping is best but with that not available right now, virtual is being offered everywhere
Hi Jennifer, luckily CA state allows the service to be performed outside. I just moved my studio outside, so I’m “draping on the deck”.
I firmly believe that if you want to know 100% with confidence, it’s the best way, though of course may involve travel and can’t be done from the comfort of your own home! Good luck on your quest, I can’t to find out your conclusion!!
Goodness: it seems a tad confusing to get several radically different results. I imagine it is very difficult to achieve any result at all virtually, with so much variation in lighting, camera values and computer monitors. It’s really kind of you to share your experiences with us.
I had a Color Me Beautiful analysis done over 30 years ago (gasp – how did that happen??!!). I still hold with the results I got then – I even now have the little wallet with my “swatches” to which I refer occasionally. I must say that I love all my colors, and when I stray out of my comfort zone, I just look drab. I also agree that we instinctively choose colors that flatter us – though we may have to ignore whichever color fashion is pushing at us at any given time.
Enjoy your day!
I had mine done 30+ years ago (spring) again via iPhone photos and computer (soft smoky cooler summer) but most recently in person. I’m still a spring as was told the first time around. I don’t personally think you can get accurate results via screens. It’s a really fun process to do it in person, i highly recommend it. I’m curious if you’ll share where you got your analysis? 🙏🏻
I also had my colors done years ago and was found to be a winter and did them for others after training. I have noticed that sometimes who ever is doing the analysis can be biased by their own color preferences. So you may be a summer, ( light cool tones) but they push you toward being g a spring ( light warm tones)if they are. I had been sticking to my color pallet for years (bright cool). It has served me well both in make up and in wardrobe. However as I have matured, I have noticed I need to lighten up a bit and am closing some summer colors and giving the stronger winter colors a rest. I have also borrowed colors from other pallets especially teals and blues. We all change in our looks and preferences. Just have fu. Color is an expression of what you’re feeling. So experiment! But stay away from orange if you’re a winter, it looks ghastly on us! LOL!!
I’m not surprised at your results. No one has mentioned monitor calibration. Unless the viewer’s computer monitor is correctly calibrated, results can be all over the place. As a photographer, I’ve run into this several times, when clients said the color looked “off” on their computer. I even went to one client’s home and calibrated her monitor for her, and she was amazed at the difference. So if the people doing the color analysis don’t have a calibrated monitor, they really have no idea what they’re seeing. In this case, in-person is best.
Thank you. How does one get their monitor calibrated?
You can get something like this: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1456247-REG/datacolor_sxp100_spyder_x_pro_colorimeter.html .There are more expensive ones out there, but this one is fine for most consumers. Those in the business of color analysis, however, shouldn’t even attempt to do it remotely without calibration. There are too many variables, and they charge too much money to be wrong! If I were you, I’d wait until it’s safe to do it in person.
Thanks Corrie…I’m thinking it’s more important for the color expert to have it calibrated on her screen too.
What an interesting post with all the different opinions. Will be nice when you figure it out. I also think blue looks great on you. I had my colors done years ago and can’t seem to remember what they were, lol. I think winter or cool maybe but everything changed for me. My hair is now silver so wonder how much difference that might makes.
Oh how very frustrating. I wondered how the virtual sessions would work, and how a picture could convey all the subtlties of the skin and eyes. Even in person I was told I could wear all the colours at one session as i was a winter and autumn. Needless to say I tossed that idea out. I was planning to take a trip to see John Kitchener just as the pandemic hit, so will have to wait a long time to feel comfortabe enough to try that again. The Red Leopard team is also on my list if I ever get back to England. Sorry you are having such a hard time with this and I am certainly looking forward to hear you journey. I do think knowing your best colours narrows the choices and helps sort the confusion.
Red Leopard is one of the companies I hired who’ve done a virtual analysis. I’ve not heard of John Kitchener.
Am I correct that John Kitchener’s mother was the founder of Color Me A Season back many years ago? I was an analyst and used their products back in the 80’s. The concept is very sound.
I don’t know if you’ve contacted her but Kerry Jones from Indigo Tones https://indigotones.com/ is amazing. She’s done our whole family (12 women), numerous friends and clients and was spot on. Another great thing is her samples. They are cloth patches that are super easy to compare to fabrics. Systems that I’d used before were so much ardent to use while shopping. Good luck Jennifer. It’s such a great tool! Also thanks for your WONDERFUL blog!
Whoops…”harder to use”
I have not but I am familiar with the system she studied.
This is all very interesting. I believe I choose colors that look good on me. I think we all have a sense of what works. Using consultants and getting varied results makes me wonder…money well spent?
That is why I’m continuing my search.
Would I have a personal color analysis done? Based on your results so far, three consultants reaching three dramatically different results does seem troublesome. I was determined a “winter” years ago but my overall coloring has changed. My original dark brown hair now shows a lot of golden brown highlights as it’s colored a softer light brown. I still feel that I look good in white and black. I used to wear a candy apple red blush and line my eyes with a black eyeliner. Now, my makeup choices are more neutral. I have a sense of what color clothing looks and feels the best for me. No analysis for me but I look forward to seeing if you can get a good, solid confirmation of your colors!
Hi Jennifer…It is hard to believe that you had 3 different conclusions. I had my colors done in the 1980s. I really think this technique is old news! I am a summer,and I do think I look best in some of those colors. However, I have bought many things that I didn’t like because they were my “colors.” I have decided that this is for people who don’t really know what to wear. That is a help to them, and that’s a good thing. I have worked with clothing quite a bit and feel that I have the confidence to wear what I like. Of course, I avoid colors that really look awful on me! I love black, but I usually add a necklace or scarf to bring color to my face especially now that I am older. Also, the fashion industry isn’t based on the colors people are supposed to wear, so it is often difficult to find those colors. To each his own, but I continue to take this process with a grain of salt. Many people may be confused because the consultants have been wrong.
I haven’t a clue on my colors since the last time I hadmine done was many decades ago, and back then you were tagged as one of the 4 seasons. I was Spring. Good colors: Navy, teal, darker red…..that’s all I can recall. But, I tend to try on clothing in real stores (pre covid 19). Not trying something on which our stores do not permit, , though they’ve been re-opened awhile, is mildly upsetting, so i haven’t been buying much, except Talbots, as I know my sizes there to a T.
I very much agree with Yvonne’s response. Nothing quite replaces a hands on analysis with actual color draping done in natural lighting. You really don’t change from warm to cool skin tones, but will agree that there are some colors that can cross over in some cases. Also, as we age our “best” colors can soften to adapt to less bright skin and hair. I color my hair and that keeps my coloring from fading as much. Perhaps when this pandemic passes you will be able to get a hands on analysis. Thanks for sharing your journey. You can do some of the draping yourself by using garments, towels, or the like, draped across your chest and close to your face. I would start with cool colors, blacks and cool gray, cool white. Then warm versions like ivory, warm browns. You may already have determined which you are. Then you can move on to actual cool colors, then the warm colors. There are many books on the subject. The simplicity of the seasons method worked for me. I am a Spring. I am noting that my Spring colors need to be softened as I have aged. It’s very freeing to know what works for you. Not to say you can’t wear colors that don’t flatter your face on the lower part of your body. Or you can offset a less flattering color with a scarf or jewelry near your face in colors that enhance. It’s a fascinating study and very worthwhile journey!
Interesting. I am no color expert but I know what looks good on people being in the bridal industry, and you look great in blue!
Hi Jennifer! I never had my colors done but I think we instinctively know what colors we look good and feel great in. I have an olive complexion and love all shades of blue. Navy looks good on everyone. Sometimes I feel like wearing bright and other days black. I don’t know if it’s this pandemic but I have been choosing black less and less.You just should have fun with color and not be so concerned about what the so-called experts say. By the way I think you always look great!
Thanks for the update Jennifer. That is very concerning that you had 3 different results! I’m assuming that they all have different criteria as the basis for their concepts and am really curious as to what those are.
Back in the day when I was involved, we saw and corrected many women who were typed as the wrong season – partly due to consultants who were not trained properly, or did not do the consultations in the right environment. I’m still a firm believer in having this done in person, with correct lighting and a neutral background and seeing how the colours actually look on you.
I agree that you may have to fine tune your colours a bit as you get older, but the undertones (warm or cool) do not change. I haven’t noticed a difference yet (I’m 66) but I still colour my hair brunette (which still gives me a high value contrast), but I can see that when I decide to go silver grey, I may eliminate some of the darker colours in my winter pallet.
I agree with expanding the 4 seasons into 12 (i.e. you could have a lighter winter, a brighter winter and a darker winter) but when you mix warm and cool colours together in a pallet, that doesn’t make sense to me.
I could go on, but I’ve finished my cup of coffee…
Have a great day Jennifer.
Thank you Yvonne!