So should I get my 'colours' done?

[traceybath]

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.

Strange how families work, though. How I can look like my sister's twin, but be a spring to her autumn? And yet both our parents are winter?
That's another reason why I would say that being 'done' properly is advisable.

7 years ago I paid a really scary looking "colour me confident" lady in Liphook, Hants. She was in her 50's wearing a orange fishnet vest over green camoflage gear , it was amusingly terrifying and annonyingly she was right and did know her stuff.

I still use the swatches and I bought the book a few years later to remind me. At least once a year I rebel and buy something I love the look of (generally in deep warm colours) and then relucantly conclude a few months later that it's not as good on me as the colours that actually were recommended and really do suit me (soft warm).

Looking back now it was worth £70, my wardrobe has shrunk but everything gets well used rather then passed over for old favourites.

I'd say see it as a long term investment and a lovely treat similar to going for a facial or day spa experience, the whole pregency/ small baby thing is really hard work so to have an afternoon focusing on just you would be lovely.

Post baby I found I found the mirrors in shops a bit of shock and spent the precious baby free time buying childrens clothes. So I recommend stay out of the shops, enjoy a couple of hours just talking about you then march on town full of confidence.

i went to scary woman in hants too

A few years ago a friend of mine had a bad experience with the C o l o u r me b e a u t i f u l lady in Bath as she got her colours wrong - the Cirencester lady is very good though (Susan something I think)

But what if the consultant told me I couldn't wear purple? I love purple. I know brown suits me but I don't wear it as I have a long-standing aversion to it.

So is it just colourmebeautiful that do it, or do other people do it too?

How do you find these people?

Google colour consultants or image consultancy or similar.

And Cristina, she won't tell you you can't wear purple. Just advise you which shade of it looks best on you.

I recently chose the local House of Colour woman as the Colour Me Beautiful woman just looked too scarey on her website!

It was really useful and discovered I had been wearing the colours I liked, rather than what suits me.

Clam's right, it's all about the shades not the colours.

Since 'being done' have found the CMB book in my local library.

If you have a good eye for colour (I haven't) you might be able to work it out from the book.

I am really needing some post-baby wardrobe help and was wondering about getting a colour me beautiful done as a christmas pressie .

Has anyone ever had one done in the Edinburgh area ?

I have looked at the website and there appear to be 3 or 4 consultants in the area and I was just wondering if anyone has had any good/bad experiences with any of them??

I was interested to see that when Alesha Dixon wore blue on Strictly last week, it really made a difference, really brought her face alive.

TE how much did you pay in Tenterden? Have you got a link? Am shocekd that my local ones appear to be charging £120...

3frogs - do you mind if I pick your brain? I went to the lovely Cirencester lady and she told me my colours, which really work, but several years of sleepless nights and a lot of grey later, I am wondering whether I need to be re-done, or just tone down my colours to match my lightening a bit? Was told I suit contasting colours as have dark hair (when the sun hasn't got to it), very pale skin and light eyes. Told to wear the sort of colours a child would paint with.

But what about the actual seasons - of weather, I mean?

I wear black etc in winter and pink etc in summer.

Isn't it a bit daft to wear summery colours in winter and vice versa in order to flatter your skin tone if it's at total odds with the time of year?

no
its just a name to desribe shades that like you
I am a muted summer but can still wear soft marroon, cocoa etc

its no good, we can't do it for you on the internet. you will all have to go and get it done.

is fab i have saved a fortune in foolish purchases and am able to dress a lot younger than i did before - have more confidence in what will look good.

before i had it done i had retreated into jeans and black v neck jumpers.

I agree with Fishie that sometimes you do need to get it done properly or you can get it very wrong. It helped me out of a real rut.

I had been identified by the first consultant I saw as being a 'warm' because my hair colour is coppery when it has been in the sun. The colours she chose were vile - yellows and mucky green etc. Those colours make me look sallow, ill and tired.

Luckily I decided to follow it up a year or so later and went to an experienced lady (who I mention further up the thread). She identified that though my hair goes gingery in the sun, I should keep it darker as I am a 'cool'. That is someone with pale skin, dark hair and light eyes. I suit contrasting colours and should wear light with dark or bright colours with dark ones. The difference this makes is incredible.

This summer my hair went light and gingery again but because I had a little bit of a tan, I looked fine. Though my tan has now gone, my hair remained as it was and I was again looking tired and clashing with my clothes. Last night I put a semi-perm colour in it to make it brown again and I look 100% healthier this morning and can go back to wearing bright colours and not looking brassy and ill.

It took me 18 months to finally get mine done after a friend said it revolutionised her life. I was pretty surprised about my colours...I studied art, am very into colour but had got it totally wrong. I look SO much better now, my skin just glows in the right colours. I think it's worth £100 ... would def. recommend it, as you end up wasting so much money on things that don't suit you. I couldn't have figured it out myself because I should typicall have been a spring, but turned out was an autumn...and had been wearing colours that were too bright for me.
Do it!

I used House of Colour...

Pinkpanettone - can you link to your Cirencester lady please?

I realise this is a long dead thread, but I am feeling particularly haggard post baby and have come to the conclusion that they sludgy greys I am wearing are not helping the issue!

Someone mentioned in this thread about a great colour consultant near Bristol - can anyone recommend one please? I don't want to form out £100 for someone who doesn't know their stuff. Could also do Bath..?

Thanks ladies.