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Original poster

So should I get my 'colours' done?

74 replies

traceybath · 25/10/2009 21:52

A question I didn't think I'd need to ask until I was quite a bit older.

However, I have recently noticed that I'm looking rather haggard - 13 week old baby possibly not helping on that score.

And am beginning to realise that my usual colours are rather draining. Wore a rather nice mulberry coloured scarf yesterday and looked a little less tired.

So do I need to see a scarey lady with polyester scarfs or can I work it out myself online?

I'm fair skinned, blue/grey/muddy puddle coloured eyes and blonde hair. Well ok naturally its probably mousey but hi-lights make it blondey - actually possible too blonde at the moment.

OP posts:
PumpkinOnSourdough · 26/10/2009 12:47

Try stuff on in shops.

If it looks good, buy it. If it doesn't, don't.

Don't waste money on colour me beautiful (or whatever). Surely you can see for yourself if something suits you. I have items in my wardrobe that are by turns silver, pink, pea green, dark green, black - you name the colour - it's in there somewhere and no one colour looks better than another because I picked the items specifically for me. Trust your own judgement.

purplepeony · 26/10/2009 12:48

Why not try buying COLOUR ME CONFIDENT first and seeing how oyu go?

I had my colours done years ago by a colour me beautiful lady and I was disappointed, as she couldn't make her mind up which I was! Great- and it cost £75 then- more than 15 years back!
She put me down as a light spring but she was dithering with that and a warmer colouring.

I have since learned what suits me and what doesn't. What it DID do was get me out of wearing both navy and black next to my face- aging- and try lighter neutral tones. I think I dress younger now than I did in my 30s- somehow my fashion snese went out the window when I was at home with 2 small DCs!

CuppaTeaJanice · 26/10/2009 13:02

Apparently I'm a 'honeyed spring' which means that the only colour that really suits me is diarrhoea (sp?) brown.

Needless to say, I still wear a lot of black!!

clam · 26/10/2009 13:15

But the whole point is that people generally can't work it out for themselves. Which is why so many people trudge around in black (because it's supposedly flattering but in fact only looks good on 'winters') and grey.

I swear by my analysis - was done about 20 years ago and it's become second nature to go for the colours that I know suit me. Sometimes I break "the rules" and go for the "wrong" shades, but usually only in the summer when I have a tan and can get away with it.

I would say to go for it. Money well spent as is will stop you wasting money in future on clothes that just don't suit you.

3littlefrogs · 26/10/2009 13:29

I used to charge £30 for 2 hours, and sell swatches. I still use my swatch today. It is true that very subtle differences in shade and depth of colour make a huge difference. For people who do find it difficult, it is a revelation.

IME, the younger you are, the more colours you can wear. As you hit 40 and beyond, the shade of colour you choose makes a big difference.

purplepeony · 26/10/2009 15:05

If you can find osmeone good, it's worth it!

Basically, some colours make you look as if you have had a good night's sleep- others make you look as if you NEED one!

I found out that colours I like- such as olive, moss, apricots, peaches, beige etc- make me look vile- and colours that I don't like such as sugary pink make me look good!

However, i tend to live in grey, all muted shades of blue/teal/tuquoise, certain shades of brown if slightly pinky/oatmealy, or black for bottom half only.

I never wear black or navy or dark grey near my face- could when I was in my 20s and early 30s but not now!

SimonHowl · 26/10/2009 15:05

had mine done
ahve posted boringly about it
was very cynical
am now won over

HerBewitcheditude · 26/10/2009 17:04

oh i want to find out what my colours are. Are there any good sites? Failing that, tell me experts, I've got v. white skin and dark hair, with light grey/ blue/ green eyes. Am also 43. So what's that?

clam · 26/10/2009 17:25

You should never, ever guess. That way lies expensive mistakes. I've sat through dozens of coding sessions as my best friend "does" it, and I've got a reasonable eye for colour, but I would never attempt to self-code from a book or a website. Whilst I can look at someone in a certain colour and think "whoah, no, that's not doing anything for her" there are too many dodgy shades that are really hard to tell with.

Find someone who does it properly (phone book or google). Well worth the outlay.

But for the record, people like Liz Taylor or Joan Collins are "winters" (although Colour Me Beautiful et al have moved on from categorising in this way) and can carry off black, white, cherry red, deep sapphire blues and dramatic colours like that. The Queen is, I think, a summer, and looks good in muted pastels. Sarah Ferguson is an autumn, with russets, browns and mossy olives looking good. Springs can wear creams, tans, peaches etc.. with gold jewellery. Can't think of a sleb spring at the mo. And not sure I should count the Queen as a sleb, either!

fiercebadrabbit · 26/10/2009 17:32

If blues suit you, what season are you? (thinking of pressie for friend)

clam · 26/10/2009 17:42

Depends on the blue! A million different shades, and some will suit some, with others suiting others.
Can't guess.

RipMacWinkle · 26/10/2009 19:30

Just wanted to add that I had this done a while back but am still experimenting with what they told me. I did think it was worth it and enjoyed the experience. I was returning to work after mat leave and it was as much about the confidence as the colours I reckon.

For the record, OP, I'm a fair skinned (think lightest shade foundation generally), mousy dyed blonde hair, blue eyes and was told by HOC that I was a spring.

annoyingdevil · 26/10/2009 21:05

You can work it out from the book - I did. No doubt the consultants want to keep that one quiet.

I'm a spring - dark hair, green eyes, warm skin tone. I look great when I dress in 'spring' colours

Original poster
traceybath · 26/10/2009 21:17

Thanks for all your replies.

Spent a fun 10 mins holding up various colours to my face earlier and was quite interesting. Items of clothing that I don't wear much all seemed to be in quite dull sludgy colours which don't really suite me.

Electric/royal blue and pinks did a lot for my face - lordy I'll end up channelling lady di circa 1985.

Think I may get it done properly at some point though.

OP posts:
RipMacWinkle · 26/10/2009 21:19

I wonder if you may too be a spring - "bright and clear" was how the colours were described rather than muted.

hanaflower · 26/10/2009 21:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SpookyScattyKatty · 26/10/2009 21:26

My MIL had her's done, nightmare shopping with her now! 'Oh no I couldn't possibly, it's not my colours etc' Grrrrr

Montifer · 26/10/2009 22:31

Traceybath,the same blues, fuschia pinks, bright reds were all the colours best for me.
I've got dark hair and eyes and a cool skin tone and apparently I'm 'winter', the bluest one she's seen!

Scarey point about Lady Di, suspect she would have been a summer and shouldn't have been wearing those outfits, although the colours were probably the least offensive aspect of them

clam · 26/10/2009 22:55

Yeah, I read somewhere that she was a summer, yet much of her wardrobe was spring. But she could have worn an old sack and looked good.
But annoyingdevil, it's risky to "work it out from the book." Lots of people would get it very wrong. Don't forget that Autumns are also warm skin tones, specially with the green eyes. I'm blonde, with blue eyes, yet as 'spring' as you can get.

HerBewitcheditude · 27/10/2009 07:04

I think my big problem is my skin tone. How the hell d'you work out what that is?

Can't you just go to one of those scarey orange women at a make up counter and get
jumped as soon as you hover into conversation with them about what skin tone you are? Sounds a hell of a lot cheaper than getting colours done, I can't afford to be told what I suspect I might know already...

hanaflower · 27/10/2009 10:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OurLadyOfPerpetualBloodSucker · 27/10/2009 10:45

Skin tones are either 'warm' or 'cool' ie. if your complexion veers towards a peachy/creamy look then yours is warm - if pinky/blue it's cool.

Don't know how this works for non-Caucasian skins though.

But finding out whether you're cool or warm, or whether your metal is gold or silver is only the beginning; in my swatch there are about six or seven blues, all of which suit me to varying degrees, but I wouldn't know which I could wear head to toe or which should be limited to just a scarf, say, if I hadn't been given an objective appraisal.

I suppose the key thing is it's nigh on impossible to be objective about yourself.

I'm a 'sweet pea summer', which means the look I should go for is a mix of summer colours, like a jar of sweet peas to put it naffly - but I would never have come to this conclusion myself as I was more concerned with 'matching' colours before.

clam · 27/10/2009 10:59

And I wouldn't trust an orange lady on a makeup counter either! Not if they honestly think that's a good look.
I was told, rather superciliously, by one recently that I had obvious pink/blue undertones to my skin, when I'm a classic 'spring' with yellow/peach tones.

The way you tan is also an indication. And what jewellery looks like on you, as has been said already. There are many people who have platinum rings, which on a Spring or Autumn, just end up making the skin look grey.

I can't nick any sweaters off DH, as he is a winter and they just make me look ill. Great on him, though. And I got my friend to 'do' DD recently. She (DD) was gutted to be winter, for some reason, but she'll be grateful when she's a bit older and realises how fabulous she looks in black.

said · 27/10/2009 11:07

So, do pink/blue skins suit silver and peach skins suit gold? I'm pink/blue skinned, dark dyed auburn/brown hair, green eyes

annoyingdevil · 27/10/2009 11:33

Funnily enough Clam, most of my family are Autumns (including my children) I find that their eyes are a more brownish green. Whereas mine are bright green.