Yesterday I got an almighty shock whilst wearing black

[TheProvincialLady]

I wore black trousers and a black tank top with a silver/gray short sleeved silk blouse underneath. I thought I looked ok when I left the house.

But when I checked my reflection in the ladies at work, I found that I looked frightful. Black has always suited me, but I looked like the palest, most washed out person ever. It was quite frightening.

So what happened? I am 36...have I suddenly reached the age when black becomes a difficult to wear? I wear makeup and have blonde highlights, very similar to how my hair used to be before it suddenly went mousy after I had DS1.

Is this a common thing to happen and can I continue to wear black in other ways, or is it all over for me now? Any tips welcome.

PS Tatty, look at bright spring info here & see what you think.

I'm with MadammeCholet - think it may have been the pale grey. I've got similar colouring to you (until I tan anyway - cool blonde in winter) and usually look good in black, but pale grey washes me out.

However, have you considered revisiting your make-up bag? If I look washed out I tend to think it's time to get the pink blusher out and find a nice rosy lipgloss or lipstick.

Oh thank you, Whatswrongwithyou! No, I dont freckle at all. Hmm. It really is impossible to know for sure, I am so going to get draped!

Thank you Mittenkitten. Both those photos were salon colour. The one with hair-up was Loreal's Diacolor Richesse chocolate brown (it probably has a number not a name but my hairdresser would refer to it as that) with some very fine highlights dotted round to break it up a bit which you probably can't see.

The one with hair down was a different salon, who coloured over my chocolate brown with a slightly redder shade, it was only probably one shade warmer than the chocolate brown and sort of coated it, and they put red streaks through, which were vibrant red, only in the middle section, slices, but which may not be obvious in that photo depending on the resolution.

If you like that kind of colour and you home-colour, I wouldn't go anything darker than a number 5 - most of the boxes of colour have a number classification and people often go too dark.

Bright spring. Interesting. I have very very white eye-whites - to the extent they are actually blue if you get up close. (This is when they are not red with hangover!). Its a weird trait that my mother has too. Makes ya teeth look yellow in comparison - no not really but they are stupidly white sometimes.

I think having brown eyes really confuses things because I think they are very dark and they are, but not in a warm way (with the starburst or amber flecks like some people have) but they are not so dark they are black so perhaps they are a "bright" version of brown, if that makes sense? Which is what gives them their darkness - the darkness might just be vibrance as opposed to depth. Gah. I need drapage!!!

Going to re-take the quiz with that in mind...this is hours of fun. I'm almost glad the baby has a temperature and is asleep beside me so I can indulge in this frippery!

thanks Aquavit, I am positive its just the grey shirt....Op, can you post back tomorrow on your grey/black test...

Redvelvet I did go brown over the winter (dyed) and it was ok, but only ok. As soon as I went back to blonde again I felt more me and my clothes suited me again - apart from the black ones of course!

I always wear peachy pink blusher, it perks me up no end and always has.

I wish I wish I had lovely clear white eyeballs. Mine are a tiny bit yellowy and have red bits, ugh. You should see my feet though, they are really beautiful. As long as you look down when you meet me, you will be stunned by my gorgeousness.

Oh and the gray/black top combination is going to the charity shop, which is a pity as I like it but hey ho. I am definitely going to do the colours thing as soon as I can arrange it. Might try and persuade my mum to come with me. I can't work it out for myself.

I would have said tatty was 'autumn'!
Ignore me, it's the brown eyes though!
I am a winter. I am Welsh. I have quite pale skin, but I would tan if the sun ever came out here. I have very dark brown hair and green eyes.
I went to HoC. Had a brilliant consultant. Cost £95. Bought some make up too. All very good. But the best thing? After pulling the drapes off my head she said, I don't understand why you're covering your face. So I went to my expensive hairdresser who had never ever questioned my hairstyle and demanded he cut me a fringe. I have never looked back!

I think it is probably down to the lighting in the ladies. Harsh commercial strip lighting always makes eveyone look foul. I have a sort of jade/duck colour on my bathroom walls and it makes my skin look really sallow and sickly when I look in the mirror.

Thanks for the colour info Tatty! I have been mulling mixing a 5 and a 6, actually, so it's good to know I am more or less on the right track. I need to keep quite a bit of neutral in there for grey coverage, so will play around.

Almost definitely a combo of grey shirt and bad lighting then! Did you think you looked okay when you got home?
I'm REALLY pale and I look terrible under strip lights whatever I wear, but fine (I think :) ) in the sun or whatever.
Getting colours done sounds fun though.

I never have time to look in the mirror when I get home! Looking at myself is something I get to do between 9.15 and 9.16, whilst in the lift at work - and then again to put on lipstick at 9.18. That's my lot.