Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Cool Vs warm - I can’t tell

54 replies

SlicerAndEcho · 28/03/2023 10:07

I think I’m being completely incompetent. I have no idea if I’m cool toned or warm toned.

The veins in my wrist look purple. I mainly wear silver jewellery, but I don’t think gold looks any different. I’ve just tried looking at my skin against a piece of white paper, and to me it just looks the same…

I saw one YouTube video where a stylist said if you tan or you blush easily you’re warm toned. I do tan, but a kind of light golden colour, but if I’m in the sun too long I burn, and I blush easily. But then another video said blushing is a cool toned thing. And another said rosacea throws it all off anyway, and I have rosacea on my face and chest since last DC was born.

I thought maybe I was cool toned, but DH said he thinks I’m warm. I think my hair is dark ash blond, but in the sun it has golden and red highlights…

I have grey-blue eyes, but I have a ring of, hazel maybe, in the centre.

As you can tell, I’m trying to sort my colours. I used to look ok but between the rosacea and developing an ongoing medical problem I look tired and ill all the time (partly because I am) I thought maybe having the right colours would give me a fighting chance, but I can’t work it out at all.

Is there a fool proof way to work it out please? Maybe I’m looking for the wrong thing.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Matchingcollarandcuffs · 28/03/2023 10:21

I am similar - I have true grey eyes which look grey/blue/navy/green depending on light. I was analysed as summer twice and the finally as a light spring which does make sense, I have dark ash blonde hair which is going v grey, I blush yet also tan and in winter look v unhealthy as my skin is so sallow.

Have a look at the colour palette for light spring, it's the most 'neutral' of all of them I'd say - finding that I suit coral and warmer pinks has been a revelation!

YouveGotToGrooveIt · 28/03/2023 10:28

For me it was nail varnish Grin

When I put nail varnish on that is blue based (actual blue or bluey reds) my hands/feet look angry, red and old.

When I put nail varnish on that is orange based (eg coral reds) my hand/foot skin looks creamy and smooth.

I then extended that to lipstick. Blue-reds look bad and corals look much better.

I found both of those tests much easier than the traditional ones.

From there I have concluded I am warm-based but perhaps the warm side of neutral, iyswim? Mainly because I think silver looks find and some of my veins look blue/green rather than straight green.

CrispThief · 28/03/2023 10:30

Yeah I have similar issue! Also with grey eyes, interestingly. I think I look like a summer - mid brown hair, pale skin, can tan to eventually but can also burn.

I know my skin is the warm side of neutral due to a foundation matching thing, and a whole lot of the summer colours look incredibly drab on me. I think I'm probably "soft" and sit between summer and autumn.

I wonder if you have neutral skin too, meaning you might also sit between seasons?

CrispThief · 28/03/2023 10:32

That's so true about the nail varnish!

Original poster
SlicerAndEcho · 28/03/2023 10:35

Thank you so much for all the replies. I hadn’t thought of testing with nail varnish. I’m going to give that a go this afternoon!

My skin is very pale. So I guess I’d be a light something. I’ll let you know what the nail varnish reveals 😂

Thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
SlicerAndEcho · 28/03/2023 10:37

Actually my veins are purple at the wrists, but do look blue/green further up my arm.

OP posts:
MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 28/03/2023 10:43

For me, the easiest test is white vs cream. I'm cool-toned and anything cream-coloured near my face looks terrible.

dudsville · 28/03/2023 10:51

I found this impossible to work out on my own and was too tight to pay someone to tell me. Luckily, quite randomly an artistic friend once just told me. She also explained colour to me. Until then i was unable to see it myself. Good luck OP. I must say that, knowing what i know now, i think paying to be told your colours is completely worth it. That one random conversation revolutionised my wardrobe and I've gone from finding getting dressed a chore, leaving clothes scattered everywhere, and not understanding why some things worked, to it being an actual delight, with a neat wardrobe and the capacity to get dressed in what looks like an actual outfit in just a couple of minutes.

That said, it's important not to confuse this with the monthly ovulation time for women. I know that's throwing a huge curve ball into the mix but honestly it has a real impact on how i look.

thedevilinablackdress · 28/03/2023 11:02

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow aha! I am the opposite so that means I am warm toned right?

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 28/03/2023 11:03

thedevilinablackdress · 28/03/2023 11:02

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow aha! I am the opposite so that means I am warm toned right?

Yes - though I'm not claiming to be an expert!

thedevilinablackdress · 28/03/2023 11:16

I suspected I was warm as coral, rust, khaki etc. is good on me. But I do love a bit of cerise pink.
Cobalt, emerald nowhere to be seen in my wardrobe, and burgundy only worked when I was actually trying to look dead in the 1990s

Original poster
SlicerAndEcho · 28/03/2023 11:34

dudsville · 28/03/2023 10:51

I found this impossible to work out on my own and was too tight to pay someone to tell me. Luckily, quite randomly an artistic friend once just told me. She also explained colour to me. Until then i was unable to see it myself. Good luck OP. I must say that, knowing what i know now, i think paying to be told your colours is completely worth it. That one random conversation revolutionised my wardrobe and I've gone from finding getting dressed a chore, leaving clothes scattered everywhere, and not understanding why some things worked, to it being an actual delight, with a neat wardrobe and the capacity to get dressed in what looks like an actual outfit in just a couple of minutes.

That said, it's important not to confuse this with the monthly ovulation time for women. I know that's throwing a huge curve ball into the mix but honestly it has a real impact on how i look.

Oh the ovulation thing is interesting. What effect does that have?
I might have to wait a few days before I check then.

OP posts:
HyancinthsAndTulips · 28/03/2023 13:12

You sound a bit similar to me. I'm very pale with blue eyes and dark ash blond hair (used to be wheat / golden blond as a child). My skin has a definite yellow undertone (most foundations are too pink or orangey) and I tend to look quite sallow and unhealthy in the winter. Try holding a white sheet of paper next to your neck rather than your face - that's where the yellow undertones are extremely obvious on me.
I tan a light golden tone in the summer but still burn quite easily. Silver jewellery is okay on me, but gold looks much better. I look terrible in bright white but off-white and cream are really flattering. Most of the year cool bright pinks are the best blush colour for me but with a slight tan my whole face seems to warm up and I need pinky corals.

I've never had any sort of colour analysis but don't think I fit any of the seasons perfectly. All the palettes I've seen (and they also vary between websites) have at least a few colours each in them that would look dreadful on me, but I realise this will to some degree be skewed by personal taste as I generally much prefer neutrals and don't really 'do' colour.
The neutrals for light spring would all suit me, though, and some of the celeb examples given (Taylor Swift, Kate Hudson) do have quite similar colouring as far as I can tell.

lindyloo57 · 28/03/2023 13:17

I'm your coloring and not sure if warm or cool, I do know pink lipstick don't look right, I mostly wear peach or red shades, so I could be a spring, I wear alot of black so could be winter.

Original poster
SlicerAndEcho · 28/03/2023 13:28

Well I’ve painted my nails, and aside from reinforcing that my skin looks like hell since I’ve been ill I’m still not sure what I’m looking for. 😂 I have no eye for colour apparently.

I used a warm red, and the first blue was really dark, almost black, so I went over with a brighter blue, but it seems like a warm blue to me, so I might have got it wrong.

Any ideas? (Please excuse rubbish nail job).

OP posts:
happyharpy78 · 28/03/2023 13:37

Have you had a look at Style Me Happy?
www.stylemehappy.co.uk/book-online/colour-analysis

£35 for a colour analysis and there are other services too. There is also a Facebook group called Style Me Happy Community (you don't have to have had the analysis) - lots of useful tips on there and also people in the same quandary as you.

Original poster
SlicerAndEcho · 28/03/2023 13:39

HyancinthsAndTulips · 28/03/2023 13:12

You sound a bit similar to me. I'm very pale with blue eyes and dark ash blond hair (used to be wheat / golden blond as a child). My skin has a definite yellow undertone (most foundations are too pink or orangey) and I tend to look quite sallow and unhealthy in the winter. Try holding a white sheet of paper next to your neck rather than your face - that's where the yellow undertones are extremely obvious on me.
I tan a light golden tone in the summer but still burn quite easily. Silver jewellery is okay on me, but gold looks much better. I look terrible in bright white but off-white and cream are really flattering. Most of the year cool bright pinks are the best blush colour for me but with a slight tan my whole face seems to warm up and I need pinky corals.

I've never had any sort of colour analysis but don't think I fit any of the seasons perfectly. All the palettes I've seen (and they also vary between websites) have at least a few colours each in them that would look dreadful on me, but I realise this will to some degree be skewed by personal taste as I generally much prefer neutrals and don't really 'do' colour.
The neutrals for light spring would all suit me, though, and some of the celeb examples given (Taylor Swift, Kate Hudson) do have quite similar colouring as far as I can tell.

Interesting. I know I sometimes look in the mirror and think I look sallow which would suggest a yellow undertone.
I’ll try paper next to my neck, thanks.

OP posts:
xPaz · 28/03/2023 13:41

you don't have to be warm or cool, you can be neutral. I'm definitely neutral because I could never decide either, warm or cool!

twilightcafe · 28/03/2023 13:44

I think the cool nail colours look more striking on you.

Original poster
SlicerAndEcho · 28/03/2023 13:45

xPaz · 28/03/2023 13:41

you don't have to be warm or cool, you can be neutral. I'm definitely neutral because I could never decide either, warm or cool!

Genuine question, not a flippant one, is there a way to find your best colours if you’re neutral? Because I can’t seem to just look at myself wearing them and working out.

I think I will have to pay for draping. I’m so rubbish at this.

@happyharpy78 have you tried online analysis? Im wondering how accurate it is given the colours on a screen issue.

OP posts:
twilightcafe · 28/03/2023 13:49

Try the orange/fuchsia test.
If orange looks good on you, then you are warm. Cool tones look better in fuchsia.

HyancinthsAndTulips · 28/03/2023 13:58

Genuine question, not a flippant one, is there a way to find your best colours if you’re neutral? Because I can’t seem to just look at myself wearing them and working out.

I think I will have to pay for draping. I’m so rubbish at this.

The colour analysis fans on here will disagree with me, but I think even the draping isn't always massively convincing. I was watching videos and looking at comparison pics of people being draped in different seasons and in quite a few cases the difference/improvement seemed minuscule to non-existent. I really don't think it's an exact science and personal taste also plays a massive role. FWIW, I think your hand looks by far the nicest with the red nail varnish and that the blue does nothing for you.

Have you tried taking photos of yourself in different colours? Might be easier to look at pictures side by side.

hennybeans · 28/03/2023 14:13

I’ve been analysed by Style Me Happy and would absolutely recommend Emily. I’m a light spring, blond, blue eyes, golden skin. But before I was analysed, I gravitated towards winter colours, esp black with bright geometric prints. I never, ever, ever had even tried on something cream, camel, beige. I tried on a cream jumper and I absolutely glowed. I had always gone for bright white which I thought looked ok, but the cream was so much more my colour. Emily also recommend lipsticks and makeup in her analysis which have been spot on for me.

It’s worth the money, but if you don’t want to pay I’d try something white (cool) versus cream ( warm) and see which suits you best.

Original poster
SlicerAndEcho · 28/03/2023 14:14

The colour analysis fans on here will disagree with me, but I think even the draping isn't always massively convincing. I was watching videos and looking at comparison pics of people being draped in different seasons and in quite a few cases the difference/improvement seemed minuscule to non-existent. I really don't think it's an exact science and personal taste also plays a massive role. FWIW, I think your hand looks by far the nicest with the red nail varnish and that the blue does nothing for you.*

Thank you. I was just looking at the hand pics and whilst I can’t see any real difference against my skin I think the blue makes my fingers look short, when in reality they’re quite long, which shows up more with the red. I don’t know if that’s colour related though.

Have you tried taking photos of yourself in different colours? Might be easier to look at pictures side by side.

I don’t own a huge range of colours, but I might dedicate some time to that this weekend and see if I can come up with some answers.

Thank you!

OP posts:
JaneJeffer · 28/03/2023 14:16

Is this any help?