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"Warm soft deep"- you what?! What does this colour analysis mean, and where can I buy colour cards/ swabs online?

20 replies

dairymilkpuffin · 16/06/2016 15:28

I volunteered for a trainee CMB consultant to have a free colour analysis as part of her training. She said I was a warm soft deep. I found her explanation of what this means quite confusing.

At the end we had the option to buy our colour swatches, which I was planning to do, but they were £56 which seemed excessive! I know paying for a full assessment by a qualified person is more than this, but for the swabs alone £56 seems a lot, and I wasn't 100% convinced by the whole thing so didn't want to spend so much on impulse (no option to buy later).

Can anyone explain what warm soft deep means? I've been reading online but most websites have a different system of naming. I was told that warm is my dominant palette (is that the same as autumn?), but that my two minor palettes are soft and deep, and other systems seem to have two descriptive terms eg 'soft autumn' rather than three as I've been given.

Also is there anywhere you can get colour swatches or cards for less? Would the Colour Me Beautiful book have pictures of the colour selections? Am happy to pay something for them but not over £50!

OP posts:
mowglik · 16/06/2016 17:53

I had mine done at a volunteer session too last week and was a deep warm clear. It was explained to me as it was to you as the first is your dominant characteristic so you would get the majority of your colours in the palette coming under the 'warm' palette for you. The soft and deep were add on cards (i think there were an extra 8 swatches for add ons). So thats how they make up your colours (might be helpful in looking for swatches online, mayne look on eBay).

In terms of what they mean the colours that suit you best are warm yellow based colours, of these soft hues rather than clear and stark hues. I have to admit the deep at the end throws me as that seems to contradict soft but perhaps that means colours that are warm and yellow based, darker colours and sort of dusky rather than vibrant.

Hope I haven't confused you, here is a website that helped, scroll down to choosing the right colours for you and the colour charts for more info

Hopefully · 16/06/2016 19:05

I'm a colour analyst (not colour me beautiful) and even I find the CMB classifications confusing!

I know they have a '16 season' system, which means you will have one of 16 palettes. I think that the first characteristic is your dominant one, the second is whether you are warm or cool, and the third is your 'influencing' characteristic, so it affects the other two.

If the analysis is correct, it equates roughly to a Deep Autumn, with some characteristics of a Soft Autumn.

Hopefully · 16/06/2016 19:05

Meant to say, you can look on Pinterest for deep Autumn and soft Autumn palettes.

HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 16/06/2016 19:29

Thanks for the advice.

My main swatch selection was warm, then there were two mini selections called "warm and soft" and "warm and deep". I hope I remembered that right.

I had thought we would get a colour card or at least our results written down so I didn't pay enough attention. Right at the end I was told we didn't get our swabs- although I did get a list of all the branded cmb they had used on me Hmm

HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 16/06/2016 19:43

Ok, according to this a warm and soft is a warm autumn renamed

colourmebeautifuldirect.co.uk/article.php?articleId=10

No mention of deep though!

Hopefully · 16/06/2016 20:12

You could also look at the Kettlewell site - if you click on the 'shop by colour' bit, then click on the 'tonal directions' bit, you can click on your dominant characteristic (in your case, warm) to see colours in that section.

FinallyHere · 16/06/2016 20:32

As PP said, thats an autumn. The way I learned is that there are three 'dimensions' or characteristics of colour:-

  • temperature which would be either warm (yellow based ) or cool (blue based)
  • depth which would go light (paler) to deep (darker)
  • clarity so clear (put high contrast colours together) or muted (stick to muted colours or a monochromatic colour range

Your warm, soft, deep thus means that you will have an affinity with yellow (not blue) based colours, dark rather than pale colours and soft (low contrast, monochromatic) rather than clear colours. Some system would call you a warm Autumn.

When colour analysis first became a thing, people were classified into 'seasons' autumn, spring, summer and winder. Because there are more than four colour styles, these were expended, so you are now classified on the three dimensions i mention above.

Your 'dominant' character as warm means that the most important part of your colouring is for warm (yellow based) and therefore not blue (cool based) colours. For example, if you put a gold chain on warm colours, it will look expensive, likewise a silver chain on cool colours. If you then swap the chains over , both will suddenly look cheap, or functional rather than jewellery. You are encouraged to ensure that colours, especially those near your face, are warm colours.

The muted (low contrast between colours) and deep ( dark to medium rather than medium to light colours ) are still important, but less so for you. High contrast would be putting white and black side by side. This would not be ideal for you, you would probably be better with a brown, and shades of brown, a dark and a medium put together. I saw dark and medium colour, rather than medium and pale colour, because you are deep.

In another colour system, you would be an autumn leaf, think of all the colours that trees go in autumn, all those colours would be worth looking out for you. Rather than buying swatches, I would encourage you to carry round something silver and something gold. I used a small piece of material, one gold lame and the other silver lame. Hold those up to any colour and see which makes it look good quality, expensive and which makes it look cheap. Anything you look at, think how it fits into warm/cool, light/dark and clear/muted, You will start to recognise these colours. Another place to start is the colour wheel that paint companies use, thats easy with lots of colours together. Hope you enjoy this as much as i do. I love that i could get dressed in the dark, and everything i own goes with everything else. A quick look round any shop tells me whether they have any of 'my' colours. YY to kettlewelll colours too.

If you are still reading, thank you, this is absolutely my favourite subject. HTH.

Dairymilkpuffin · 16/06/2016 21:48

Thank you so much for explaining that, finally, that makes sense now.

When she held up colour combinations they were mostly low contrast, that makes sense now.

The gold/ silver test is a good idea.

So it seems I'm looking for colours with yellow undertones, in deep colours, and low contrast between different colours in the same outfit?

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 16/06/2016 22:06

Well, yes, Dairy. Thats exactly what I meant. Hope you find it fun.

Transforms travelling for me. Not only do i know what to pack, i am endlessly entertained people watching. Sometimes i dream of slipping cards into people's pockets.."grey, you think gray could be...

evelynj · 16/06/2016 22:19

Great stuff-I'm also an autumn leaf but I like that explanation, I love it too. I did house of colour & had the style element too, which was great.

H&m always have good autumn colours & Sainsburys sometimes, if you're after some budget buys

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 17/06/2016 09:02

I'm a bit dubious about this, it sounds like a money making racket to me.

You can determine what colours suit you by looking in the mirror and trying clothes or make up on. Your friend has given you an idea of colours she thinks suit you but I think you should just wear colours that you like and feel confident in.
It sounds very limiting to stick to one palette.

Hopefully · 17/06/2016 11:37

lost some people can see it really easily, so for those people it is a waste, but others really struggle to see the colours that look best on them. There is too much baggage (colours that are meant to be slimming/colours that are 'in'/colours that we wore in a horrible bridesmaid dress aged 9/colours that our best friend loves us in because she is drawn to that palette) for some people to be objective about what looks good and what doesn't without a consultant to help them.

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 17/06/2016 12:57

Ok fair point Hopefully, I am still quite shocked at how much some colour consultants charge, but I accept some might find it very useful or gain some confidence in choosing colours.
I'm probably walking around in completely the wrong colours totally deluding myself that they suit me Wink

FinallyHere · 17/06/2016 14:19

Exactly that, hopefully When I started buying my own clothes, i flip flopped between my mothers and my sisters colour palettes. They were both brilliant at picking colours for themselves (and me) but not at explaining it in a way that I understood. Loads of people do it without even thinking about it. For anyone though who doesn't, learning how it works is just sooo useful. Shapes as well as colours, once explained its easy. I just needed it explained to me.

Having got the job idea, it definitely saves me loads of money because i no longer buy clothes that don't work with anything else (and so need more stuff 'to go') . I can also buy better quality pieces as i know they will work with 'everything' and i will get good wear from them. And yes, I have had stuff actually get threadbare, albeit after 15-20 years of frequent use. Cost per wear, peanuts.

Hopefully · 17/06/2016 15:20

I charge a fortune, but I'm amazing Grin

FinallyHere · 17/06/2016 17:16

Ohh, where are you based, hopefully?

The lady who did mine has now moved into making clothes, I would love to know someone to reger people to.

Hopefully · 18/06/2016 17:57

I'm in Devon finally - so not convenient for the vast majority of the population! I get clients all the way from Cornwall up to Bristol though.

FinallyHere · 18/06/2016 18:20

Thanks hopefully. Devon not ideal but good to know, thank you

workingclasslegs · 06/07/2016 20:50

Hopefully, really is amazing and worth every penny.

I've just rejoined mumsnet and have come looking for a colour thread.

Is there an autumn thread on the go?

Eli59 · 30/08/2017 15:49

Hi!
You sound so knowledgable re colours.

I have had my colours done by CMB and am a cool dominant with light and cool and soft and cool thrown in.

Trying to find my season in Kettlewell and I am confused, thought I would be a summer or spring but not sure. Can you advise me?

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