Have you had your colours done, and if so, would you recommend it?

[Abcd3]

I’m wondering whether to have a colour analysis with Colour Me Beautiful, where apparently they give you 42 swatches of the clothing colours that work best for you, and also advise on makeup. I’m thinking this might be useful for finding good lipstick (having spent an hour in Boots trying on lipsticks at the different counters, and coming back with 2 Clinique ones that I now think don’t suit me! I also visited Bobbi Brown and they didn’t have any lipstick that was right for me), and getting advice on the best eyeshadow. In terms of clothes, I don’t know how easy it’s going to be to find clothes in the colours recommended for me. I think I have a reasonable idea of what suits me, but don’t know whether I’m missing out on colours that might be good. If you’ve had your colours done, did you find it changed how you dress? Or did it just leave you thinking - well, those 42 colours would look great, but the reality is that I can’t often find clothes in those colours, so it hasn’t really changed anything?

I did House of Colour and found it useful. You leave with a wallet of shade samples that work for you, as well as ratings for which ones are your best colours of those options. The first few times I went shopping with the wallet I felt like an idiot holding up the swatches to shirts to find the right shades. But after a few times I didn't need the swatches anymore and now I find it makes shopping much simpler as I can rule out about 80% of the clothes on the racks on colour alone. Then factoring in cut, fabric etc I only have a few items to try on, but a much higher rate of success out of those items.

I used HoC too, I wasn’t confident on what suited me but now find it really easy. Only a handful of colours in the wallet are the best and they’re marked. I also found it helped with lipstick too by googling my ‘season’, I found sites with lists of suitable lipsticks. If you have the ££, I say go for it.

I did HoC and it is some of the best money I have ever spent. I had a good eye for shapes and styles which suit me anyway but was hopeless at figuring out colours. But now buying clothes in colours which really make me 'glow' is a doddle!

How much does it cost - roughly?

Thanks for the replies! The Colour Me Beautiful consultation costs £125. House of Colour sounds amazing but there isn’t a consultant very near me.

Yes I had mine done 18 months ago, then styling about 6 months ago, both with HOC. It’s totally changed how I shop and I feel loads more confident about my choices now.

It was £140 for the colours with HOC.

House of Colour about 25 years ago and it's saved me way more than the cost if the session in avoided mistake purchases. I had noth the style and colour analyses. You dont need to laboriously compare things to swatches once you get your eye in, you just know your palette (broadly either vibrant or muted, and either cool or warm toned, giving 4 seasons - and then variations within them) and can see at a glance whether things are worth trying on.

Yes, I did colour me beautiful. I just had colour session, with some make up advice. Really useful and i would absolutely recommend! Now I can scan racks, and head straight for my colour. I'm quite interested in the style session too.

OP, have you seen the old book it's a great start.
Got mine from Barnado's for £1
I didn't end up doing anything else after reading the book. It's very old and the clothes are old fashioned so you just ignore those, but the colours were spot on and I haven't looked back.
They only do the 4 seasons, I'm told other companies have sub seasons or more categories. I would pay to have it done if I needed more, but me me colours was enough.

www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Me-Beautiful-Carole-Jackson/dp/0861882997/ref=sr_1_4?s=gateway&crid=27XU5R0IX99GB&keywords=colour+me+beautiful+book&sprefix=colour+me+beayutiful%2Caps%2C141&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1560013681&sr=8-4

This was it, but they have newer ones, this is ancient

No idea about getting your colours done BUT wrt lipstick,try a tester on your finger pad and if it looks 'right' against your skin tone there it will look right on your lips. Works every time for me and haven't bought one that doesn't suit since doing this. Particularly good trying out nude colours ime.

Thanks, I didn’t know there was a book - just looked it up on Amazon.

@BedraggledBlitz In the session did they just say which season you are, or did they also help you to find your best colours within that season?

I had mine done 30 years ago - it was expensive but to me well worth it - I never dither about which colour to buy with clothes or house paint as I know that if I choose from my swatch it will all coordinate just right.

Worth it for me. I was in a black, blue and grey rut. I had assumed I was winter, turns out I'm autumn. I now have a rainbow of clothes in my wardrobe, everything matches. Shopping is easier like PP said, search by colour, then size, then style and fabric.

Best money I ever spent almost 30 years ago .

I did HoC too, over 20 years ago.
What was interesting was that all the colours that are "wrong" for me (I'm a winter) pretty much exactly matched all the clothes that hung unworn in my wardrobe, so it's as if my subsconcious knew (but obviously not enough to stop me buying them in the first place )

That’s really interesting!

Following as I’m waiting to have mine sent over to me

I am having my colours done next week. I am not good at editing my clothes and have now totally run out of storage (including a spare bedroom!), so I am hoping it will help me edit my existing clothes and guide me when buying new clothes.

I also need help with make up. I am now in my mid 50s a d largely apply make up in the same way as I did 30 years ago - if I can be bothered with makeup in the first place.

I'm happy to report back!

I had the House of Colour colour and style days last year. I wish I had done them years ago.

I am a 'blue' autumn and we found which colours from the autumn colours suited me and which didn't. There were some autumn colours that looked absolutely awful on me and were definitely ones to avoid and so the face-to-face colour analysis helped me with this.

It was great realising what colours look really good on me though - I could see that some looked really great whereas others were 'ok'.

I now wear colours that I didn't ever think to try before. It is a bit frustrating though because I can now completely see that black looks bad on me - but so many clothes are only sold in black!

That sounds really good!

@camrose, I’d love to hear how your consultation goes! Which company is it with?

Def worth it, I often felt drab in colours that I thought suited me (autumn colours) but could never figure out why. I had my colours done and was told I am actually a jewel winter.. I feel and look better in jewel tones, and my makeup choices are more satisfying too.

Re cost I didn’t actually pay for my sessions (I had colour me beautiful and House of Colour), I joined the mailing list for training sessions so had my colours done for free. You don’t get the swatches but you can buy them or just google them

Genuine question, and It might sound stupid but what happens if you change your hair colour?

I have gone from blonde highlights that I have had for 20 years, to my natural medium brown hair in the past 12 months.

Abcd3. My consultation is with colour me beautiful. I booked it a while ago and was beginning to think I had been foolish to do so but this thread has made me feel much more positive about it - thank you!