Monday Musings – Color Analysis, What I Wore, and Amazing Pie Recipe
Happy Monday ladies. I have a lot on my mind this week, so fasten your seat belts because it’s a twisty ride š We resumed our Sunday afternoon drives yesterday and realized we’ve been really missing them. It’s apparently Mandarin season because they were for sale along every country road we drove down, so we loaded up.
Our first stop was this cute painted roadside stand that had organic mandarins…my favorite. We only bought one bag because I knew there would be other cute places to stop. And sure enough, I was right.
These baby goats were bleating their little hearts out when we stopped at the second place. I walked up to video them, and they clammed right up. I turned my back and they started right up again the little rascals.
I came away from this stand with another large bag of Mandarins, a bottle of local honey, and some Mandarin hand soap too. Farm stands are dangerous territory for me because I love to support local farmers and try unique things I can’t find at the supermarket.
Personal Color Analysis
I know, random, right? I have not stopped delving into the different types of PCA systems available to us. In fact, I had another in-person analysis done last week. When she proclaimed that as a Spring, I would need to always color my hair, I discounted her theories altogether. Another analyst had suggested the same thing when she proclaimed me an Autumn, but it’s utter garbage. Just rubbish.
We are not mistakes. We do not break when we get older and allow nature to take its course on our heads. When our hair goes gray it’s not always cool and not just gray. It can be silver, dove gray, blonde gray, smoke, white, cool ash gray, platinum silver, mist, pewter, warm gray, charcoal mist, and on and on. It’s the right color for your body and coloring. Full stop.
If you are struggling with your newly natural color, it’s very likely that your clothes are now the wrong shade and reflecting that onto your face and hair. So many of us are walking around with old messages in our heads about what looks best on us and what doesn’t. What worked in our 30s, will not work now so we need to stay flexible and open to change.
As I look at the color pallets I have been given, many have similar colors, but they call me varying seasons. It’s semantics and because each system uses different criteria to determine the season you are, in their system. Skill plays an important role here as well. I was certified to do color analysis 15 years ago but knew I wasn’t competent enough to do them, so I didn’t. I focused on style.
Some systems take into account your eye and hair color, some do not. Some are very scientific and only consider what happens to your skin when you are draped in colors. They are looking at contrasts and determining what colors do not change your complexion. They are focused on finding colors that harmonize with what color you already have in your skin. When we wear colors that relate (harmonize) with the colors already present in our skin, we look healthy, visible, and vibrant.
Virtual color analysis is highly questionable because the analyst can only see your skin overtone, not your undertone on a monitor. To truly see how your skin reacts to drapes and colors, they need to see you in person.
I have several interviews upcoming with experts in color analysis that I think you’ll find fascinating and I hope will answer your questions and mine.
Pie
I consider myself ready for Thanksgiving because:
- I know what I’m cooking
- I know who is coming
- I know what I’m going to wear
Other than that, I have a whole lot of work to do to get ready. Hubs ordered an organic Turkey, and bought sweet potatoes…the rest is up to me. I’m not a control freak but very persnickety when it comes to important family dinners. What I like best about Thanksgiving dinner, besides being with loved ones, is this epic Pecan Pie I make which I shared with you here.
That was a rollercoaster of musings, whew.
Has your hair gone natural?
Thanks for reading ladies and be sure to wear what makes you feel confident.
Oh that pie looks good!
I believe we can wear any color. It depends on the intensity of the color. I can wear most blues but not pastel or dark. Since turning silver haired, I love the turquoiseās but I do not classify myself as warm season or cool season. I am equally happy with the greens in the so called spring pallet.
Watermelon red to burgundy makes me happy. Trust your own instincts. Thatās my opinion and Iām happy to give it whether itās asked for or not.šš
Me toošš
I am so jealous! My husband and I LOVE mandarins. The options available in our store are the tiny, tough ones. Glad you can enjoy this special treat.
I have been skeptical of color āanalysisā for some time. Certain colors and shapes of clothing suit us and others do not. After trial and error (oh, so many errors), Iāve learned that mid range cool tones are best for me. As my hair has come back in silver, I enjoy bumping up to jewel tones upon occasion. So, thatās my wardrobe formula.
I live in Lincoln, Placer County and know every place you took those pics! I currently use the Your Color Style system and am Bright, Cool, Light. I really enjoy your outfits because many times you are wearing my colors!
Wishing you a blessed holiday season š„§
I love your thoughts on natural hair! I totally agree.
Hi Jennifer! That pie looks delicious! Iām not a pie baker, but we usually have pumpkin and apple pies for our familyās Thanksgiving. I had my colors done back in the 80s by a Color Me Beautiful consultant. I was a pretty easy client; I had dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and very fair skināa textbook āwinter.ā My hair started graying in my early thirties, and I got off the dye train during Covid. My hair is now primarily white with a bit of dark gray and black in the back. I still look best in the bright and high-contrast winter colors and have stuck to those colors for the most part since my color consultation years ago. I did, however, recently add some cognac loafers and booties because I love that color with denim, black, and gray! The best part about sticking with my colors for years is that almost everything I own mixes and matches effortlessly. Happy Thanksgiving!
I went grey about five years ago now and l do occasionally think about dying it because l have -very grateful here-a face that looks younger than my hair!! And the grey puts me in the āmaāam ā territory which l loathe. A great haircut is needed. I now buy the best shampoo l can afford and take supplements for thinning. I love your Sunday drives and lm very enviousā¦l mentioned it to my ā34 years together hubbyā and he just moaned about the the price of petroleum and the crowds on the roads etc and l thought to myself l needed a new Sunday travel buddy just for trips and excursionsā¦.
I have let my hair go natural! Over the course of this year, I had two total knee replacements. General anesthesia really does a number on my hair so I decided not to color it and let it be. It hasnāt been this healthy since my teens. Iām pretty lucky and the grey is coming in slowly and in nice streaks so I donāt have to color my length to blend into my roots. At this rate, I donāt think I will have to worry about changing the colors I wear for a long time.
Having lost my hair twice this year, due to chemotherapy, Iām observing that what is growing in is a salt and pepper color that has a bit of curly texture. My hair was curly before all this, so not really surprised. I have no idea what colors to wear, since my skin tone is definitely affected too. No going out in the sun at all sunblock everywhere if I do. I seem to still be able to wear black and look good in it. White never looks good on me. Tans still wash me out. I can only shop online, no contact in the stores, so itās a bit of hit or miss. Thank goodness for Zappos and Amazon free returns.
Your pie looks amazing-we always have pecan pie at Thanksgiving too but since not everyone likes it my brother and I will share it out over a few miles this year.
Wishing you all the best with your recovery Susan. I’ve also lost my hair due to chemo, and have my last chemo session this Friday, and have the white “peach fuzz” look at the moment. I’m so looking forward to my hair growing back, and since I won’t be colouring it anymore, looking forward to inventing the new me.
Thanks Yvonne-best of luck to you too. And have a wonderful holiday. This hair journey is interesting to say the least! And new lip colors are fun to try too.
Loved this analysis! I was analyzed as a Summer many, many years ago. Then a Spring, also many years ago. Recently a Light Spring, and I do love most all the colors. And a True Summer, and I do love most all the colors. Crazy, right? What I’ve decided is to pick my favorite colors, and if they look fine with my hair and skin – wear them. I have moved to navies and grays for neutrals, but I always need some color. I let my hair color grow out during the pandemic, and I am now a pretty platinum blonde (really gray) mixed in with a little bit of regular blond left over. To give the Spring proponents their due, both times I was deemed Spring I did have highlighting in my hair. Since my color has grown out, I’m just plain Summer.
I decided to go gray, to my surprise my hair is white š. My hairdresser is putting a nice color blending white and blond. No more root cover up. I have changed my eye make up to a softer brown, Iām still playing with lip color. My daughter is the recipient of some of my clothes that just donāt work because of the color. Iām getting lots of compliments on the changes.
Love those mandarins!
Good Morning!
I am 59 – about 7 years ago I decided on a whim to see what would happen if I didnāt color my hair? I had just stopped a routine of straightening and coloring and was working on getting my natural curl back. I never went back! My hair is a subtle salt and pepper and I get a lot of compliments from hair stylists! I got another friend to try it and she converted as well! And to think women pay to have their hair dyed gray! š
The young women do
Those goats are adorable!
I find the whole color analysis topic fascinating, but also frustrating. I have been on my own journey to identify my personal style and best colors after realizing I had to rebuild my wardrobe after retirement and a little menopausal body “rearrangement.” I toyed with the idea of having a professional color analysis, but realized this process is highly operator dependent, so I decided to go it alone. Although I used a lot of resources focused on seasons, I found it was more useful for me to focus on “warm or cool” and “bright or muted”. I mostly fall into the soft autumn “warm and muted” category (emphasis on the muted), but have grey/green eyes, so find I can wear some dusty blues, greys and greens that would normally be considered part of a soft summer palette. This knowledge helped me understand why I never felt my best in very cool or saturated colors or patterns with high contrast. Recognizing this has allowed me to build a more cohesive wardrobe and made shopping more efficient and enjoyable since I now hone in on colors and styles that I know generally work for me. After a lot of trial and error, I think I am in the right place. Still, it would be great to have all this validated by a professional, or even a really color-savvy friend! I am looking forward to reading about your experience with this process.
It sounds like youāve thought this through thoroughly
I had my colors done when the trend first started. I’m considered a summer which seems correct. At least I have a guide line. But a color I can not wear ever is olive green ! I had a beautiful sweater in that color and when I wore it I was asked if I felt well. So I’m definitely not an autumn.
Love your posts !
Iām not an autumn either:)
I just love your posts Jennifer. You have such inspiring “common sense” suggestions and ideas. Thank you so much. I am late 60’s and decided a year ago to stop colouring my hair and to overhaul my wardrobe. It’s been a “work in progess” but it’s been fun and it’s been great determining what works and what doesn’t. This is an interesting time of life and I find if I feel good with how I look I can just get on with enjoying life. Doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Your ideas are invaluable. Thanks for sharing. Jan in Australia.
Pecan pie is my absolute favorite. Of course I found out it has the most calories of all pies! But I don’t care at Thanksgiving! I agree with your color analysis ideas. I mine done many years ago but don’t think it still applies as I’ve aged and let my hair go natural. How do you decide what colors to wear now? I’ve been experimenting with all colors and all I know for sure is black and grey seem to look good on me. Happy Thanksgiving.
I was told the same thing 37 years ago when I had my colors analyzed–that, as a spring (there was no warm or cool, just spring), I could NEVER stop coloring my medium brown hair. (Or what? People would run for their lives at the horror of my hoary countenance?) For many years I did only a few blonde highlights, because my scalp became very sensitive to the chemicals in the dye. Then along came Covid. Interestingly enough, as the white hair increased, the effect was similar to having my blonde highlights, so why would I go back to the expense and the hassle of that? At this point my hair looks rather taupe overall, my scalp is healthier, and I’m perfectly satisfied–and STILL wearing those spring colors.
My mom always made pecan pies. It wasn’t a holiday without one. Happy Thanksgiving, Jennifer!
Bravo!! Happy Thanksgiving
You’re right, your hair color isn’t the determining factor. It’s the hue of your skin.
Bingo! Itās all about the skin
Iām in the process of letting my grey hair grow in. I havenāt been able to grow my bangs out in 5 years because the hair bleach makes them break off. As far as color analysis I was told many years ago that I was a summer, however I refuse to only wear āmy colors ā. I wear any color I want. I love color and I donāt want to be limited.
Love pecan pie. We went over to friend’s house the other night and they offered us pecan pie, so good.
My natural is now all white, and has been going gray since my late 20’s. I have colored since my 30’s. During pandemic I let it grow out to see what it would look like, and at this time I would say with my coloring, fine flyaway thinning hair I will continue to color. My hair was med golden brown and now I dye it medium to dark blonde. I feel younger , look younger and my hair has body with color. I wish I did not have to color, but I just look better with it colored.
There are some beautiful women with white and gray hair and they are the lucky ones, but some of us just cannot pull out off.
Jennifer, you look good natural, your coloring works for you. Looking forward to more on color analysis.
Coloring is great for giving my hair body.
“I would need to always color my hair.” WOW! That is crazy. I can’t believe someone would tell you that. I stopped coloring my hair a few years ago, and haven’t looked back once.