help with my colours

[muser31]

i was a light summer (self diagnosed!) and have dyed my hair dark brown ( looks almost black!) my skin is pale and i have blue eyes....

does this me one of the winters now!? i think i still suit pale pink and blue, and white looks good, have no idea where to go from here with make up and the rest of my colours

[RahRahRasputin]

No I don't think it changes your season. When they do the analysis they cover up your hair if it's not your natural colour. They also advise on suitable hair colours for your season. Season is pretty much permanent I think,. Hopefully one of the analysts will be around soon :)

[MissScatterbrain]

No.

Your season is based on your skin tone- not your eyes or hair colour.

You will always stay in your season -although over time, your best colours may change.

However, using hair dye that does not tone with your season, like wearing the wrong colours will not make you look good.

[Ilovecoodomol]

MissScatterbrain is correct, your colours are based on skin tone. Colour Analysis systems vary somewhat, but the best are based on skin tone. I have studied 3 systems (used to teach the subject) and skin tone dictates your primary season. The only thing that a change of hair colour would do would change your body harmony colours - sometimes people have a hair colour that isn't in their season (grey hair on a Spring or Autumn for example), but to tie in the colour with their overall look it could be used in accessories - belts, shoes, handbags etc. If you suit your dark brown/black hair, I would be surprised if you were a Summer to be honest, I may be wrong on that, there are exceptions, it's hard to say without draping you but you may be a Summer with a strong winter secondary, or a Winter with a strong Summer secondary....

How did you diagnose yourself? It may give me a clue if you are on the wright track or not.

[Ilovecoodomol]

I meant to say right track - typo, I can spell, honestly.

[muser31]

thanks. maybe i am not a summer then - i do think i suit my dark hair (with make up, whereas with the blonde i could get away without make up!) and others have said i suit it although they could be lying!

i diagnosed myself as light summer mainly through trial and error, using different coloured materials. i am not warm toned at all, so defo not spring or autumn. my hair was white blonde when i was a toddler and got gradually darker over time, it is naturally a dark blonde however i had it dyed platinum and it did suit me. i would love to get colours done properly but can't afford it!

i really don't think i am a winter (i don't really suit a lot of black)... what does it mean to be a summer with a winter secondary?

[MissScatterbrain]

I can't answer your last question.

But I can say that we do have blonde winters as well as dark summers on here - your natural hair colour is not what makes you a certain season.

If you feel you need to wear make up/fake tan to make your dyed hair work on you then perhaps its not the right colour/tone for you.

[MissScatterbrain]

As for not being able to afford it - you do save a lot of money in the long run in terms of clothes/hair dye/make up mistakes. I often find that on the HOC threads, people who have been diagnosed are much more selective about what they buy and having a more coordinated wardrobe where outfits match better means you need less clothes.

[whereisshe]

I have a similar conundrum. I know I suit cool colours rather than warm, and when I used to dye my hair dark brown I had a CMB analysis done and came out as a clear/cool (which I think is equivalent to HoC winter?)...

But now I'm having a paler ash brown put over the grey instead of the dark brown, so it looks like I have blonde highlights, and I'm sure the really bright winter colours don't suit me now. So I'm confused, and sticking to greys until I figure it out!

[muser31]

i think probably i am a dark summer. i don't like fake tan at all.... when i was younger and with blonde hair it was nice sometimes but pale skin suits me so now i never bother with tan, i think it would look awful with my dark hair to be honest! but i do think i need to make sure the circles under my eyes are covered, and i have eyeliner mascara and blusher on, to get the best from my dark hair. ultimately it was better light blonde but i couldn't afford to keep it up, thats why i think i must be summer - that and the fact that dark colours don't look so good on me and my pale skin.

whereisshe i think the hair colour does make a difference even though i understand now it goes by the skin tone - i wore my mums coat yesterday as i was cold, which was bright pink, and she was 'oh that colour really suits you now' - it didn't so much before! i hope you get it sorted out.

[SilkStalkings]

The way to tell whether you're a winter or a summer is to get a second opinion on whether black looks really good or just ok-ish. If the former, you are a winter.

[SilkStalkings]

My husband and I are both winter despite being totally different looking colourwise. He has brown eyes, blackish hair and tans beautifully while I have Scottish blue skin and eyes and my hair colour changes most years. But we both look best in striking black, purples, blues, true red, white - just wish I could get him in hot pink.

[muser31]

mum agrees black doesn't look great on me... but navy is fine! realise im a summer for sure but not sure which now.

silk thats so strange you both being the same seasons yet so different... must be handy as you both know what colours to buy each other!

travel i get the whole covering your hair until you find your season, but surely you would need to take into account your hair colour with finding your best colours, as your hair colour is part of your overall look and will have an influence on the best colours? for example the colours that would look best on a light summer with white hair would be different than the colours that would look best on a light summer with dark brown hair, same skin tone.

[muser31]

Ah yes this is what I mean! Looked at your pic you look lovely I am a similar colouring with blue eyes. Not brave enough to post my pic!

[SilkStalkings]

I would say that if you dye your hair colour and your previously perfect wardrobe no longer suits you, the new colour probably isn't right for you! I think other factors are more influential on the matter. Eg black hair would theoretically suit a winter but if you don't have strong enough eyebrows to compete with it you're going to look washed out. Strength and strikingness of features makes a difference to hair colour effectiveness too, a soft, pretty face may look better with more subtle hair colouring. Age too, faces lose their youthful definition so might require more make up to handle striking colours as you age (i believe older women dyeing are recommended to go 2 shades lighter than their natural colour.)

[muser31]

i do have one of those soft feature faces... maybe it would look better toned down a bit. i do really like it though, and my eyebrows are matching now. my wardrobe does still suit, but im realising that bolder colours look better than they did before. next time i get it done i will ask for a shade lighter to see if it makes a difference! my hair is not totally black but it just feels that way to me because it was such a change from light blonde. its medium/ dark brown.

[Ilovecoodomol]

Sorry been off this for a while, muser31 a winter secondary means that someone may have the look of another season, but aren't that season and would probably have some of the personality traits as well (fascinating part of Colour Analysis, how our personality affects our looks, but too much information for here). Very basically (bearing in mind a consultation would take into consideration a lot of other factors) A Summer/Winter would be someone who has the look of a Winter (think classic winters like Joan Collins, Dita Von Teese), but when draping their skin suits the softer Summer colours, the muted pastels. Summer/Winters often look best in the darker shades of their colour range - instead of baby pink, a stronger pink closer to the Winter colour spectrum. If you can't wear black then you are defo not a Winter, they are the only season where black actually brightens the face. If you have to wear make-up to balance your new hair colour then it isn't right for you - it may not be the brown per say that isn't right, it could be that the brown is too warm/cool for your season or maybe just a tad too dark, it is hard to say without draping - I have seen some Springs who I would swear are Summers because of their pale, delicate complexion, eye patterns and summer personality only to drape as a Spring/Summer. Maybe a consultation with a local consultant would help you, a good one will ensure your personality requirements are met, be properly trained in makeup application (a lot of colour houses only give half/one day courses in makeup, no time at all), will advise you on hair and makeup colours, jewellery styles and colours plus body harmony colours.

[muser31]

thank you i really would love to get my colours properly done, but i just do not have the money, im a student and on benefits. its something i can save for in the future though. i think maybe i have just gone a bit too dark.... i don't think the shade is too warm as its not got a lot of warmth at all in it as the warm colours don't suit me. im quite happy with it at the minute though i don't mind wearing a bit more make up. my personality would be going towards softer colours i think and ive been told im very delicate (in features too) so perhaps the colour of my hair is just a little harsh on me, maybe lighter ash brown would be the next one to try. the problem is i was a mousy colour of brown before and it didn't suit me at all, this colour actually suits me much better and i like the contrast of dark hair and pale skin. the whole colour thing really is fascinating, my mum is an autumn i think i would love to get the both of us done properly!

[Aquelven]

Travelin do HoC recommend which colour would suit each season?
It was never mentioned on my colour or style days. I don't colour my hair & it's a very, very cool pale blonde even though I am Spring. Would each season be better to colour it to something that would blend?

[MissScatterbrain]

My HOC consultant talked to us about hair dyes and there is a bit in your season workbook about this as well.

[SilkStalkings]

I had bright red dyed hair (think Amy Pond) when I was done and she said I could get away with it as a younger winter but one day...

[Ilovecoodomol]

Muser31, if you are a bit strapped for cash there is a book written by Bernice Kenter called Color Me A Season (american spelling when searching) available from amazon etc for next to nothing. The only issue with the book is that is a bit 70's now, but the majority of the best colour analysis systems stem from Kentner's theories so still good. It is a bit of a joke really, I spent thousands of pounds on UK training courses only to find that they have been nicked from a 70's US CA system that would have cost me a few hundred quid via distance learning had I known better.... Other colour houses ripping their trainees off for a small fortune have just taken Kentner's system, changed a few things around, named their seasonal blends different names and used clever marketing strategies to make them look different but basically it is the same thing. As you can imagine I was really pissed when I discovered this. The first CMAS book recommends using crayons in a certain brand to colour paper for testing, but that may be well out of date by now. You can buy large coloured cards from the CMAS website that have been developed for seasonal analysis, if I remember right they were about 20 dollars or so plus postage for the unlaminated ones. I used drapes, I did buy the cards to try them but found the unlaminated ones went a bit dog-eared although they would be fine for a non professional setting. You could also share with your friends, pool together to purchase what you need.

ps CMAS does do a large range of makeup as well, but like the makeup from most colour houses it isn't as good as what you can buy on the high street. I liked their company though as they didn't insist I sell their products after training unlike some others that rip their students off with vastly over inflated fees then have the nerve to tie them into selling substandard products to boot.

[muser31]

thanks for the tip ilovecoco that sounds awful. anyone who tries to push selling with me really turns me off... the girl who did my hair was amazing she told me the cost it was going to be first (i had to get extra stuff done) and made sure it was ok with me before she went ahead with it. i wish they were all like that it actually makes you want to spend the money and give her tips!

at this stage i don't think im going to spend any more money finding out about colours. i am sure im summer, and im just finding out at the minute which colours go best with my new hair colour, which seems to be the same colours that suited before except the brighter ones look a lot better on me now. i like experimenting and i will take some pics of myself in different outfits and then look at them on the computer and see what looks best. i enjoy doing stuff like this. i would probably get the book if i was unsure what season i was.

one thing i am interested in is what highlights would look nice on my hair. obviously no warmth, so would that be hazel or caramel tones? next time i get it done it will be medium ash brown, and some highlights might break it up nicely.