HoC - am I supposed to like my colours ?

[didireallysaythat]

I'm a newly HoC winter. There's not a single colour I like in wallet. Is this normal at the beginning ? I can see a life of grey and black trousers with parrot scarves ahead of me !

I hated my colors too (wishy washy Summer colors) and the color consultant showed them on lurid poly scarves

Let them sink in, after quite a long period of adjustment I really started liking some of my neutrals. Still hating the mauves

I'm a winter but my colours are ones I've always been drawn to anyway (not that there are many colours I dislike, but beiges and khakis have never been for me). What colours do you like? Could you see that you are a winter/the colours suited you?

Maybe look at seasons you prefer that overlap with winter if that makes sense? Eg if you like autumn colours, look for pine greens or navy, if you like spring colours look for raspberry pinks or bright blue.

The colours I'm naturally drawn to are summer. Sort of more muted. Electric blue, purple, dark green and orangey-red are not colours I like. If they were mixed with grey well that would be fine. But I could try a scarf. An electric blue scarf. To go with black top and bottom ! Actually that sounds awful. I have a flecked grey skirt. With a black top and electric blue scarf perhaps.

I have to admit I could see that some colours made me look washed out but I didn't like most of the bold blue scarves. I think maybe I'm not the striking winter some may be, I presume it's possible to be on the edge.

It was still useful. And I'm looking forward to the style day. I'm probably thinking about single colours rather than patterns (I have an almostly entirely non-patterned wardrobe) which isn't helping me. I'll get there I know with time !

Well, I was rather alarmed at the verdict that I needed to wear 'bright, clear colours with lots of contrast'. (Still think cbeebies.) I'm a spring. And I know many autumns don't like 'their' colours a first... Getting used to them now though and I like the bright colours (in moderation). Still sad I look rubbish in beautiful pale dusty colours though but I know that's right...

I'm not thinking cbeebies so much as a cross between superman, robin hood and Batman's robin. O know.... I should be grateful I've got black to fall back on. Shame I wear dark blue (not bold enough) mostly and not black (washes better !).

Lipstick: how long does it take not to feel like the joker ?

I did not think I would be spring and it surprised my consultant too. I actually don't suit half my spring palette as I can't do anything with yellow in it.

I've struggled with the brightness of my colours but I'm learning to add a bit a bit here and there. So on a typical work day I might wear dark grey trouser, with silver grey cardigan and then a pop of colour in my top (bright blue, green or purple). I don't really "do" scarves as they just feel wrong on me but I can see how that's an easy way to add the right colours where it matters most, near the face.

I don't have much pattern either. Unless you count stripes of course!

I'm hoping to do a style day next month so maybe that will help me a bit more too.

I haven't had my colours done, but I think I am almost certainly an autumn. I hate the autumn palette, but I can see that it sort of works. I introduce a bit here and there. For example, a copper coloured scarf. Have to say, everyone raves about it.

I was diagnosed as bright leaf autumn. I still mourn for black but have resisted the urge to wear it. Love my ** colours: brick red, teal, moss green and cadbury purple. Have loved green since childhood. Mustard was a real revelation to me though. Would never have thought about it at all before. I have a friend who is winter and she sticks with black and white and the occasional splash of fuchsia. She looks wonderful and it's easy to find stuff in the shops (unlike the autumn palette!)

I was very surprised to be a winter. Had assumed I was an autumn and never wore black or charcoal (two of my 'wow' colours!). I had my colours done in November and have made sure all purchases since are in the right colours. I could really see it with the drapes and have embraced colours I never would have worn, like raspberry pink and fushia!

WRT lipstick - I hated it in the consultation. I'd never worn it and thought I looked like a little girl dressing up in mummy's make up. But I followed the advice and wore lipgloss to start with, every day, for work. Following a nice comment from a kind colleague (who I suspect has been diagnosed as an HOC winter!), I started to feel more confident with it and have been wearing actual real lipstick since the beginning of January. Only one colour at the moment. I don't do blusher yet. Next step is nail polish!

Looking at the wallet, what strikes me is that my ** colours are absolutely my least favourite ones ! So I'm going to start slowly and look for a dried blood red scarf at some stage.

I can see bright blue but only as a bikini if I get a tan. Still, I can aspire to the body and holiday that would allow both to happen.

I have the lip gloss so I will begin with it.

Does anyone know if the style day can include hair ideas ? I have the standard 2 children no time hair cut (ie get it cut to shoulder length once a year and wear up in between) but its doing me no favours. I find hairdressers don't want to think about cuts that suit your face or time restraints...

did come and join us on the winter thread. A lot of us are newly diagnosed and have been scared of colour and lipsticks.

I always thought I would be a summer so the bright stuff came as a shock but now I love them. The lipstick took some getting used to but now if I don't wear it or try a natural colour I look half dead. In the beginning the trick is to just dab it on your lips and add lip balm so that you have colour but it's very translucent rather than in your face iyswim.

Which are your ** .colours and what type of winter are you?

Queen I shall seek out other winters (I couldn't find an active winter thread)! I don't know what kind of winter I am, I'm just a winter. My ** colours are (at 100%) royal blue, lobelia, fushsia, carmine and ice hyacinth.

I'm fine with the lipstick really - I'm a low maintenance girl so anything up from a nude lip balm is good. And I knew it was going to be the most strikingly change to make at first.

The winters thread is definitely active. I'm about to post on there now.

Gorgeous colours especially having an ice colour as one of your best.

It certainly is active - no idea how I missed that so thanks for the link.

Feels like having the colours that suit the other seasons would be useful.. I have a lot of the sane shade dark blue which "goes" with the darkest winter blue but I think I'm kidding myself. If I found it in another season I'd know it was not meant to be but of course I'm just hoping it can be winter !

Royal blue looks fantastic on paler people imo. I am pale with dark eyes and hair (Anne Hathaway type) and royal blue is one of my favourites.

The bonus with winter colours is that you can stick to black and white for most of your outfits and then just add pops of colour, and you know the colour will always go with the outfit iyswim. What about bright coloured nails or jewellery? Cardigans? I actually love wearing lots of bright colours but being plus sized, most clothes in my size are black (unfortunately) so I am glad I can wear black well! Bright cardigans are a favourite way of adding colour. Can you wear chinese blue?

WRT lipstick, try one of the chubby stick knockoffs - they are more sheer than an actual lipstick. The Bourjois one has a nice fuchsia in amongst them, as do the Revlon ones (although the Revlon one is a bit more magenta/purple-ish).

What I was told is that nothing will ever match the swatches precisely but instead it's about how an item tones in with the swatches if that makes sense. So if you put our swatches next to a warm item of clothing then it would just look out of place. Once you get more used to it you can tell what works by how it makes you look. I had my colours done in April and I'm still getting to grips with some of it. Don't rush yourself and buy lofts initially especially if you're planning on doing the style day.

Good advice. To be honest I only buy clothes once a year or so, so it's more about recycling what I've got already.

Can't do nail varnish or jewellery as I work in a lab (lab coat, safety specs, gloves and closed shoes/boots). Luckily white works for me !

I've two small scarves I'll start with, which with grey/black basics is a good start.

I'm a Autumn and I struggle with my colours, I break the rules and wear proper navy...I know it suits me and looks less drab than coffee or mustard. And I probably wear the wrong red but it tones with my swatch and I can see it suits me. It's a real struggle at times finding the clothes I want to wear in autumn colours.
A scarf in your best colour can allow you to have a bit more freedom elsewhere. I'd love to be a winter though - everything lovely seems to be in grey and black!

I thought navy was okay for autumns.

It's ok as long as it's marine navy, you try finding marine navy....I don't even like marine navy...it can look really cheap!

OP I'm a bit surprised you weren't told what type of winter you are, e.g. jewel, sultry, etc. I thought that was standard. Maybe email your consultant and ask? It's not massively important but it does help - I'm a sultry winter and there's quite a few of the pinks and brighter colours that don't really suit me.

I know what you mean about not liking your colours at first. I used to be drawn to muted, subtle, dusty colours too. It took me at least a year of experimenting to realise that actually I do love electric blue and scarlet because they make me look great and don't look 'loud' on winters. You need to get your eye in gradually :)

I didn't realise Autumn navy looked like that - I would call that petrol blue, not navy anyway.

Snowdown if you can see that colours outside of your season suit you (and it's not just you wanting to wear them iyswim) then I'd ask for a reassessment. You shouldn't have to not wear colours that suit you!

And yes Elizabeth, the point about winter colours is that they don't look loud or harsh on us, they just look bright enough - anything more muted is dreary rather than subtle. My mum wears lots of muted colours and looks great (teal, mauve, dusty pink, Summer navy), because they don't look muted on her but just right for her. On me however, they would look really dull and faded.

Travel your link was exactly what I needed. I sorted my wardrobe out yesterday. I have 10 Sumner navy items in it. No winter navy..

Elizabeth my consultant did mention that she types into the four seasons and I think she said not variations on a season. Does it help to have another description or do you think the wallet is really the most use ? I'm going back in a month or two so I could ask...