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 my, That pecan pie is amazing. It’s my new go-to recipe. Thank you so much for helping to make Thanksgiving with my 96 year old father extra special!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Color seasons are a minefield. As my hair changed, my skin changed, too. I have softened my color choices into the mid-range, no longer the boldest ones: a neutral slightly on the warm side but also cool, if that makes sense. Moderate contrast is best for me — not too low, or I look washed out; not too high or I disappear and the color takes over.
If I were guessing, the “summer” season would be for you.
I do understand exactly what you mean:)
That pie looks sensational! I understand what you mean by colors done by a professional. I was certified to do that also. And personal shopping. Who am kidding. It is a constant system of change. Basically I am the same or similar, but preferences and best colors change.
I will be so interested in what you have to finally say about color analysis here in the Sacramento area. I can normally see the extremes of what colors are awful for me and I realize I am yellow based but I used to look best in primary colors and really bright colors. I have noticed that now I look better in slightly less loud colors more coral than primary red and I can fit in some warm more autumn colors like marigold and rust warm caramel/camel.
By the way, I did go gray and my colorist helped keep it attractive but ultimately we all hated it so back to the bottle!
But more than color, as I have aged I think the body changes are the hardest to deal with from a style perspective at least for those of us who are not genetically gifted! Either way, wearing clothes I feel good in is most important I agree.
My hair was dark, then when I started going grey I died it blonde for many years. It has grown out over the past year and is while on top and black and grey streaks at the side and back. I am quite pale and still deciding what colors suit me best now. My grey tops look awful now.
Also – about your recent post. I read every post of yours as you are a “real” woman living in retirement, like me now.
Jennifer, I didnātā respond the other day when you asked why we enjoy reading you and I wanted to make sure I told you ā hope you see it here. Going to list them because there are so many. Thanks for doing what you do Jennifer!
1) I love Nordstromās and I love that many of your recommendations are from there. Even though our heights are different (Iām 5ā10ā) you help me shop. Youāre great about specifying about lengths of garments, which is helpful.
2) I enjoy your real straightforward attitude.
3) I appreciate that you embrace your age and value it.
4) You are interested in Color. I am too.
5) I feel like you are a soft summer, as am I, and itās great to see so many clothes in colors that I too would wear. I love that you are wearing more colors and less black than you did years ago. Those soft colors look beautiful on you. As an aside when I was in my late 40ās I was diagnosed as a soft autumn. The same colorist recently said I was actually a soft summer and sheād gotten it wrong. She said Soft Autumn is the most misdiagnosed season. I feel so right in my soft summer colors.
6) Last reason and one of the most important: You are kind and I appreciate that.
I let my hair go natural several years ago thinking that the color would work with my complexion. I was white on the top and the sides and then various shades of brown/grey sides and back. However, the grey/white never really worked with my complexion. So, I went back to a blonde balayage. It know works with my complexion and I can wear colors that really work with my complexion. As much as I wanted to be natural, it just didn’t work. As far as “color analysis,” I think we know what works best and should wear what we feel good in.
Your pecan pie looks delish. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
The “have your colours done” thing drives me crazy because there are some basics that none of them take into account. You have named a few important things to consider but here are some more.
Dyes are a challenge because they appear quite different on each type of fibre. Wool, cashmere, silk, cotton, bamboo, polyester, rayon, acetate, etc. will all “take” the dye in their own way. If your colour analysis person uses polyester fabric to type your colour it will influence the outcome and it can be very different than if they used cotton fabric “scarves” to place under your chin.
The dyes are also tweaked to make it possible for the “Winter” colouring to wear them because they are the larger number in the total population. You need a good eye for colour to see this subtle change. One of the most obvious is brown….finding a good rich true brown is almost impossible since brown usually has more red in the dye so the clothing will not look bad on a “Winter”. Most dyes are adjusted in a similar way. Even the colour swatches you get after having your colours done are not fool proof since they too are just one fibre (don’t know of anyone who gives you your swatches with say cotton, polyester, wool, etc. to show the difference).
The best thing you can do is shop with a friend who is GOOD with colour…..stand in good natural light preferably outside with the item under your chin and ask them if it looks ok by your face (no grey, yellow, green, etc. tones coming out in your skin).
I grew up with a Mom who was a fibre artist so I learned colour by “osmosis” and yes Itten colour theory is real. The difference in colour on fabric can be subtle so find that friend to be your eyes in daylight and learn as you go