So, should I be panic-buying loads of coral coloured stuff or what?

[TattyDevine]

Right so I got my colours done on the weekend (!) and I'm a bright/clear spring and to cut a long story short one of my really good colours is that pinky orange/coral that is about a lot at the moment, or flamingo pink, or a peachy pink. Coral, basically, is what it tends to be called.

Since then I've seen shedloads of coral coloured stuff about, much of it in the sale or about to be. Its possibly passed me by before now but I suspect it has been one of the season's "fashionable" colours - or is it always about of a summertime?

Anyways. I've never been attracted to it on the hanger particularly but it does make me look 10 years younger and light up my face and make my eyes pop out in a good way and generally make me look like there's life in the old girl yet. Obviously there are lots of other colours that also looked good but none of them quite made the lady draping me and her other victim client's jaws drop to the floor quite so much

So is it a temporary thing, will this colour dissapear for approximately a decade till it comes back in again, or is it always about a bit in the summertime? If not, I guess I should buy a few key pieces in the size I ought to be my size?

Sorry my phone automatically does caps: www.shopstyle.co.uk.

Just looked online and it costs £380 for colour, style and makeup. That's quite a lot! Did most of you just have your colours done? Do you thinks it's worth paying out for all 3?

I simply paid £99 to get draped. I came away with a booklet and a swatch wallet that basically told me everything I need to know about what colours to wear. It took half a day with one other person, which enhanced the experience, because you get to see the magic working on them too.

The swatch wallet is very good quality and has your colours in it, the booket is basic but has your tick chart with your best colours and some notes about makeup and stuff that you make during the draping.

The draping includes a basic makeup application, starting with lipstick, they tend to do a red when you are being draped in red after determining your season and a pink and natural type tone as well, to show you the look with "correct" makeup and I had some basic mineral (but not sparkly) powder foundation applied (which I did end up buying, it was good!) and some blush. So they didn't do eyes or anything.

The 3 part thing you describe is draping, style and makeup. I personally think it would be too intense to do it all at once or is it over several days or weeks but discount for booking all 3?

I will do the style course one day but I'm thinking early next year. I may never do the makeup class though - I don't see what they can teach me, personally, (I'm arrogant perhaps but I have done so much makeup testing over the years) and they've taught me what I needed to know already in terms of what colours. I don't need application tips. Whilst I do sort of rate their makeup, I don't think its up there with major professional brands like Mac, Bobbi Brown etc and you should be able to glean enough info about what colours suit just from your draping.

If you are a makeup novice with no idea about foundation, contouring, eyeliner or anything then it would be useful and probably a very good place to start.

I might be selling it short though as I haven't done it.

I personally would start by just getting draped for £100 - you will not be dissapointed and you can very much "take it from there" in terms of how you wish to go forward. Even if you just change your makeup, tweak your hair (if applicable) and get the right coloured scarf this winter, it will feel a lot better I promise. The rest can follow.

Damn you, What'swrongwithyou for posting that link. Damn you to hell woman. In approximately one month, I will have to declare bankruptcy

< Enabler >

I had my make up done, and it was good for me as I'd been stuck in a neutral rut for years - coloured eyeshadow seemed to be sniffed at in most magazines I read, so I lost the habit and the confidence to wear it.
I was already pretty adept with the application, and how to enhance my features, but it was nice to have it confirmed that I was doing it right!

I actually came away wearing the pinks and lilacs I'd worn in my teens thirty years ago, but felt like I could see 'myself' in the mirror again, as opposed to the Invisible Woman. The consultant was also kind enough to re-drape me, as I couldn't let her do the full facial on my sensitive skin. She came out with loads more 100% colours, which was great - she reckoned she always tries to give people as many as poss, which was fine by me.

I agree if you already know your stuff you don't need it, but it cost me about £35 and was also a chance to ask more questions.

In that case I wouldn't rule it out. Its an opportunity to have a proper play with some of their colours without buying them if they turn out to be wrong (not that the colours would be "wrong" per se but if you buy off their website you are still buying blind)

So.... jeans anyone got any ideas for non-black or blue decent jeans please? E.g. A spring grey?

Or something close to our bright navy even.

Tatty, that sounds like good advice. I think I'm a warm autumn but just did an online quiz that says cool summer . hopefully the lady will reply soon.

This is a good site sycblog.com/category/what-to-wear/colours/ looking at this I'm a warm spring.

The best jeans I have for fit and colour are CofH Amber jeans in blue, got from Start, highly recommend them. they are £££ but cost per wear is tiny and have had loads of compliments in them (justifies to self) in fact, I'm thinking about getting some more cos I've lost a bit of weight.
Karbea, the makeup day was a bit meh, if you are already a dab hand with a mascara wand, you might be better off getting some mates round, some wine, get a load of different colours, maybe share your makeup or buy some cheapo eyeshadows and lippy and play, see what suits each other best. that's basically what happened at the HofC one I went to. Still fun tho. Best tip I had there was to try brown mascara instead of black.

Another site says soft autumn... Ooo I don't know.

I don't like min jeans, acne are good, but for day to day cheapies I like topshop or non blinged up river island ones.

Sorry min should be mih.

Cake, how about all those coloured jeans that are around at the mo? think top shop had some for about £20, or are they a bit passé now?

Oops, cross posted Karbea, great minds, eh?

Karbea, honestly, it's so hard to work your own season out, lord knows I tried and looked at loads of sites and read the original CMB book, still got it wrong, thought I was Autumn, but was Spring. It is fun trying to work it out for yourself and for everyone you know, but nothing beats having it done. Go on, go for it!

thank you for the jeans ideas. i do fancy some grey ones.

here's the [[http://www.monsoon.co.uk/new-knitwear/frill-edge-cardigan/invt/93300256/ monsoon cardi] i had on today, totally ingenue and perfect oatmeal colour

anyone know what red this cardigan comes up in RL?

Lovely cardies - haven't been into Monsoon lately so haven't seen the colour. Nice to see there seems to be more ingenue stuff in the shops lately - must say, though, I'm feeling the time for 3/4 length sleeves is over - it's positively chilly around here!

So despite being a couple of down the road I still find myself asking - is this really a "spring" colour?

For example, was browsing Topshop earlier.... here's a couple of things that I was thinking about and then thinking that you ladies might know (no comments on style, I was just looking at the colours), I'd appreciate thoughts - even if it's just "love, you're just waaaayyy wrong" :

apple green jumper

blue trousers

red dress

rip does that mean that you know go by 'eye' rather than wafting the swatch?

the blue and green look good - the red is an odd light/orangey red and i'm not sure about that one

rip - it is so hard from the web pics but FWIW I think the jumper might be a bit dark and it looks like it might have a blue undertone - you are looking for yellow greens.
The trousers look good.
The dress should be OK as it looks to be an orange red.
I find it helpful to think warm/cool when I glance around the rails in a shop. I don't even look at the specific colours but just head to the areas that look warm and then get down to the specifics; i.e some will be warm but too strong for me and therefore autumn shades. I also keep my words in mind 'light, bright, active, vibrant, warm'. It has helped me to shop with a friend who is Summer and DH who is Winter - if they go towards something, I move away!

Thanks ladies - I appreciate the feedback and agree that the web is very hit and miss on colours but is a good place to start before you go out I suppose.

Can I honestly tell you what I do - first I try and work out if gold or silver is the colour I would match with it to try and hone it down to cool or warm. Then I do a bit of the mantra thing Dorothy - light , bright etc

But I'm still not sure - as a result I usually just end up coming back to black and white which I know are wrong but at least I know. Does that make sense? I think I'm a weirdo

rip I do think a lot of it is practise and there is no substitute for that. You don't even have to go shopping - look at mags, people in the street etc. You just need to keep trying. One step is to substitute cream for white and hey presto, you are 'doing it'. No such thing as a cool cream! The silver/gold thing can be a bit misleading - if you look in the shops you see belts, bags & so on that are warm, but which have silver trims (and the other way too!).
You really are much better to try to get a hold on the difference. I found it helpful to look at the Kettlewell colours site. You don't have to buy the clothes! Look at the various seasons in relation to one another . I found I could start to see that Summer's pinks were cool in relation to my Spring ones etc.. Autumns colours are much stronger than mine and so on. Once you have some right stuff it gets easier to see other stuff that 'goes' with what you have.

that's really helpful dorothy. it makes much more sense than trying to match it to swatches given how many warm, bright shades there are over the 36 contained in there.

help please: do you think any of these joules shirts are springy? i can;t see any that are.

i'm looking for something feminine and not too smart for work with smocking or small frill and preferably in a pretty print - the Letton style from joules would be ideal if in spring colours. any ideas please?