Taking plung, having colours done, please share your wisdom.

[Spottycurtains]

so, I'm fed up with looking like a 45year old student. I've tried to smarten myself up and lurked endlessly here in the vain hope that your stylish ways will rub off on me.
No luck so far.
I have now booked a colour analysis session with hoc for Monday.
I want to get the most out of it and know I will jabber on nervously if not prepared.
So, please could you help me out and tell me about your experiences, what went well, what didn't, what should I ask, what do you wish you'd done differently.
Thanks

I had mine done yesterday. I had to say I enjoyed it but it is a lot of staring at yourself in the mirror. When I go to the hairdresser I never look at my face so I found it a but uncomfortable at first. There was another girl in my group and I found it useful as she went first and I could see how the colours changed the definition of her bone structure, and that some colours made her look sallow or were wearing her. It made it easier for me going next in the chair to be able to see what I was looking for.

After speaking to me on the phone the lady said that I needed a private session. Two hours of talking about how I look and staring at myself feels indulgent and scary, don't know if I'm looking forward to it or dreading it.

You must feel free to ask anything - don't forget to ask about make up (ask if you could try some on to get a feel of what would suit you), hair colour and how to start rebuilding your wardrobe.

It is also vital that you can see what the colours do for you, otherwise the whole thing will not work in real life when you go shopping. So if you don't get it, tell the consultant who should be happy to work through the colours with you.

That is my problem, I'm really bad at seeing what will work.

If you don't "see" it you must say and get her to run through it again with you.

Once you are sure of the result ask things like how best to combine the colours into outfits, for instance it took me months to figure out I look best when I wear my darkest and lightest colours in one outfit. Too much of either doesn't work as well. SO ask her for outfit suggestions. They do give you a booklet with suggested colour combinations but ask her opinion on specifically YOU.

Don't get freaked out if the lippy looks weird on you. Almost everyone I know felt weird about it at first but it passes and you can experiment with lighter textures to find one that suits.

Relax and enjoy : )

Then come and join one of the Hoc threads on here, it helps enormously to get ideas and suggestions from others

I agree about the lippy.
Keep on one that she puts on you. Drive home in it & I bet you'll be amazed at just how much it suits you once you've got over the shock!

Why did she say you needed a private session? I found it really useful watching the difference the colours made on the two other people who were there on my day. They were draped before me & seeing the effects made me much more aware of the difference the colours made to me.

Thank you so much for very useful and reassuring advice.

Spottycurtains do let us know how it goes. I have mine in a couple of weeks (group session) and am so excited, but like you say don't want to waste the session. Tbh, I'm actually quite nervous too as I look truly awful without makeup on and I do that not looking in the mirror thing at the hairdressers!

Good luck and hope it's productive

I think she suggested a private session cos I jabbered on so hopelessly about how unlike me it was to do something like this.
Maybe she thought I'd put off her other clients.
I'm a competent, capable, confident person usually, honest.
I'll tell you how it went and thanks again.

I had mine done a couple of weeks ago, I found it useful doing it with others as you can see the effects on them more easily than on yourself sometimes. Don't panic if it takes a while to see which colours suit you, I took ages to be diagnosed but the consultant really took her time and went over and over my shades until we were both comfortable that I was a summer and I could see for myself what suited. Enjoy it! Tbh I'm finding it stressful now as I've gutted my wardrobe and nothing much to wear, no time to shop and keep looking online but scared to actually order anything in case it's wrong! But I enjoyed the day and taking time out for myself, so look at it in a positive way and hopefully you'll love it and come out with confidence in what colours suit you. Good luck!

Ooh whats "hoc"?

It stands for House of Colour, the company that does your colours. The other main one is Colour Me Beautiful.