So is getting your colours/style done really worth it?

[MissRead]

I've read threads about it on here and it sounds great but the pics I've seen on the websites or people I know IRL who've had it done always look a bit garish and matchy matchy. It's really obvious that they've been told they suit pink or green or whatever and they seem to be wearing clothes that colour the whole time regardless of fashion or occasion (head to toe orange with co-ordinated jewellery in shades of green on the school run - not the look I'm going for). It's just a bit try-hard for me. But then I read that it can transform your face and make you look younger and that if you are worried about dressing for your shape or looking mutton (which I definitely am) it can be a great help. It's a hell of a lot of money to splash out so I'd love to hear positive and negative opinions please :)

I think if you take it to the extreme you've described, it would put anyone off, definitely.

If you bear in mind your "palette" has 36 colours, it seems odd that anyone would do that, unless they've just got stuck on a favourite colour, which is their right of course, but not really what the process is about, to be fair.

In fact there are very few if any colours that are off limits, its just which "type" of green or which "type" of pink and which blue is yours, etc etc, so really nobody should look matchy matchy or constantly wearing the same colour, really, unless once again they just choose to.

I personally think its worth it just for the validation or confirmation or revealation, depending which is applicable, of which hair colour, makeup shades and shades close to your face are your best. Seriously if all you ever glean from it is that you now know of 3 or 4 really great lipstick/lipgloss shades that look good on your face even when you are wearing no other makeup, your ideal hair colour, and which pashmina you should wrap round your neck in winter, its worth it.

But when you get that far and see what it does for you, the natural progression is to study your swatch wallet and make sure the things you buy from now on tally up with that and tone with it....

I'm going to get my colours done before I go back to work, probably December time. I have a pretty good idea that I'm a winter, but not 100% sure if I'm a cool or warm! There's a stylist near me that does it for £90 and also does make-up to complement, and free make-over with the right make-up colours, so I think it's pretty good value.

My thinking is in my 20s I coasted along on being young and fresh-faced with a good figure and not bad taste in clothes. Now, I am permanently tired running about after a 3 yo and 7 month-old, and I need all the help I can get not to look it like I've been run over :o If the right colours can help me achieve that, great! I think I can trust my own style judgement not to come out looking too matchy-matchy, I know what you mean, but I think if you have reasonably good taste you can use it to enhance what you already have.

Tbh I also love the idea of being pampered and fussed over and feel good about myself again for a change, as it happens so rarely lately, so it's worth it!

I am not particularly confident about the way I look so would welcome advice and I think it would be fascinating to be told what will and won't suit me. I guess it's then up to you how you interpret that. Very tempted...

Go for it.

And chances are, if you don't like matchy-matchy, you wont end up matchy-matchy

These things tend to take care of themselves, I've found...

My 'local' HOC woman - doesn't have a photo of herself on the website - hmmm - is this a bad thing - should I travel a bit and go to one that has done a bit more on her profile??

When I started googling for one local to me I found a few, but some of them had really unflattering profile pics and/or dodgy style. And some had no pic at all. This definitely influenced who I contacted! I went for someone roughly my age (I think) and similar to how I would like to look. I'd say for a stylist you have to at least have a photo, seems silly not to!

Try one with a photo and try googling their name too, particularly if it is slightly unusual as it might come up on a forum someone talking about them and you can get inside info from that.

Can I just add that there are very few "magic tickets" in terms of style and beauty that can seriously change the way you look for the better. There are a lot of scams out there. But having your colours done is one of the magic tickets. Since finding out my "season", tweaking my haircolour because of it, changing my makeup, and now slowly changing the clothing I wear (starting with tops and jewelry, basically, I'm working from the top down!) I feel this has made the absolute biggest impact on the way I look and I'm no stranger to makeup, beauty treatments, hair colour, and even botox. Apart from perhaps botox which really is magic if its done right, this is the single most effective thing I've done that will have the biggest impact on my appearance over the next few decades (or forever!) than anything else.

I caught myself in the mirror in the car this morning, just a face/hair/shoulders shot of myself and just had to look again so pleased was I with the harmony and togetherness of the tones. I no longer need a full face of makeup or a tan or 10 hours of sleep to look "right". It just looked so very very right. I'm not blowing my own trumpet here really because I'm not talking about facial features or skin texture or anything, simply colours in harmony with each other. It really was a bit of magic.

Who did you go to Tatty. I know I'm far away but am planning a trip for a birthday in Oct with my friend-so we could try and plan to get ours done together as a treat.

I went to Trudy Cooper in a place called Thorpe Le Soken. I live on the Essex/Suffolk border. She was about a 25 minute drive from me but was pretty much nearest though I probably could have driven about the same distance in the other direction and gone to someone else.

Thanks Tatty - I'll have a look.
I googled my nearest one and it agve me this link www.lindsayjay.co.uk/Lindsay_Jay_Fitness/Home.html I was very excited - but then realised - she's in London - not Glasgow!