Why Get a Color Analysis?
The benefits
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Knowing how to dress for each moment in life
Color Analysis helps us to understand which colors we wear vs. which colors wear us. It can help us to choose colors that draw attention to our face, rather than to themselves, which is so important in situations where you’re trying to make a positive and lasting first impression. On the other hand, looking to go for a bold going-out look? Maybe you’ll even choose to wear something outside of your color season for a dramatic and contrasting effect.
This is where my philosophy of “tools, not rules” comes in — knowing our season gives us information, not an set-in-stone playbook.
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It's Sustainability Friendly
Buying clothes in the colors that make you look and feel your best will translate into you wearing more of your closet for longer, and feeling less need to continuously buy new pieces. Knowing your colors also makes it much easier to buy at thrifts and secondhand shops where the sheer volume of clothes and lack of organization can be a barrier to shopping there regularly.
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Define or refine your sense of style
Whether you are thinking about defining your sense of style for the first time, or are just looking to refine your style that you already love, color analysis can help. Colors communicate different moods and vibes, so knowing which colors look best on you can help give your wardrobe a cohesive color story and you a signature look.
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Shopping will be easier & quicker
Whether you LOVE shopping or get overwhelmed at the store (like me), being able to quickly scan for your best colors and not even pick up anything else makes shopping so much easier - especially at thrifts!
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Your skin & features will always look their best
The whole point of color analysis is to find the colors that most compliment your skin, giving it a healthy, even glow. If you’re an everyday make-up wearer, you may find that you don’t feel the “need” to reach for it as much as you used to anymore (this is me 100%!).
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You'll actually wear the clothes you buy
Say goodbye to the graveyard of clothes in your closet that you’ve never worn after buying them. When you primarily buy clothes in your season, you will know for a fact that your skin will look it’s best and that you’ll feel confident in them every time you put them on.
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More of your clothes will match
The beauty of color analysis is that once you figure out your color “season” - every color within that season’s palette will match. This is especially helpful if you’re interested in developing a capsule wardrobe or if you just want to throw on anything in the morning, no thought necessary!
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It's honestly just so fun!
Plain and simple! It’s rare that you get to try so many colors on back-to-back and compare/contrast both how they make you look and how they make you feel. Color analysis appointments, events, and parties are full of exploration, surprises, interesting information and insights, and a bunch of smiles and laughs along the way :)
Common Concerns
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It can feel limiting
What if I don’t like my season’s colors? What if I want to wear colors that I just like, regardless of whether or not they’re technically in my season?
First of all, you should always wear the colors that you want to wear, whether they technically lie within your color season or not, period! Color analysis shouldn’t feel limiting, it should just be about adding tools into your toolkit. I can’t promise that you’ll be the season that you were expecting to be (or hoping for), I can promise that I will not let you leave your appointment hating all of the colors in your color season, or feeling like you’re not “allowed” to wear colors outside of your season.
We’ll have an open and honest conversation about how you’re feeling post-analysis and you’ll have the opportunity to talk through every concern and worry that you have. You of course never have to wear any colors within your palette that you don’t like - so we’ll just focus on the ones that you do like! The truth is, “your color palette” is just that - yours - and we will find a way to make you feel that way by the time that you leave.
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You will see your current closet differently
It’s true - when you start to notice how certain colors interact with your skin and features, it can make you take a second look at your closet and see certain pieces of clothing differently.
That being said, I NEVER suggest that you throw out or donate all of your clothes that are technically outside of your season or to completely re-do your closet! Very few of us have the time or money for that (myself included!).
Instead, I’ll give you many tips and tricks to start thinking about how to maximize the clothes you have that are in your colors and how to best continue to wear your out-of-season colors as well!
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It is subjective (to a degree)
I see people “type” celebrities different seasons all of the time, is any of this real? Isn’t it all just kind of subjective?
That is absolutely true, there is a degree of subjectivity. While color analysis is solidly based in color theory and colors don’t have an agenda themselves, humans can often be biased.
After years behind the make-up counter, I have spent countless hours staring at a myriad of different faces and using trial-and-error (just like “draping” in color analysis!) to find which colors best match each person’s features. Trial and error is one of the best ways to reduce/eliminate our own personal biases and assumptions going in.
That being said, no one is perfect at it. Each color analyst is going to see your features a little differently, which is why you want to choose an analyst that you trust - who can communicate what they are seeing and what is leading them to make the decisions that they are making during the analysis.
I try my best to do just that. I explain what I am doing and seeing to my clients every step of the way. I encourage you to ask questions, to stop me, to ask me to slow me down, and to challenge what I am saying if you’re seeing something different than me, so that we can stay on the same page. And if my philosophy or style of color analysis isn’t resonating or vibing with you, that’s totally okay! Everyone needs different things. If what you need is not me, then it’s not me!
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It can be hard to understand how to actually apply the information
So I know “my” colors, now what?? How the h*ck do I know if a color is bright? or muted? or cool? or warm? or what about neutrals??? How do I even know if the colors in my closet right now are in my season? And what about undertones? and overtones? and makeup? and hair? WHAT do I even do with all of this information!?
This is a BIGGIE, and something that I have purposely aimed to fix through my color analysis philosophy & approach. One-half to two-thirds of your entire appointment time will be dedicated to talking through each of these questions, making sure you understand what it is you learned and how to actually apply it on the day-to-day. I’ll make it easy to identify if a color is within your season moving forward, will talk you through only the aspects of color analysis that make sense for your needs and lifestyle, and will be available after-the-fact for any follow-up questions that you may have.
I also send home every client with a PDF guide on their season and sub-season that reiterates most of what we’ll talk through during the appointment - plus a bunch more! - so that you’ll be able to easily remember and apply what you’ve learned in your real life.