I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love color! Colors make me cheerful and happy and I feel that I cheer up my surroundings by dressing up with colorful clothes. So how should you go about finding the colors that suit you? Sometimes it can be hard to decide if it suits you or not, especially when it comes to online shopping. That’s why I thought that today I will discuss colors with you and give you a little pointer as to which colors are most flattering on you.
The fact is – you fit in ALL colors – it’s just a matter of finding the right shade, the right strength of color and feeling which colors you feel best in. There are no rules or guidelines that stop you from using your favorite colors, regardless of what I say today or what you have been told before. Always wear what you feel comfortable in! But if you want to dare to use more colors I have some tips that can make it easier for you.
Humans are nature’s “work of art” – skin color, eye color and hair color all belong to the same color scale. Although we age, the outer colors do not change much. Even when the hair turns gray the hair color matches the eyes and skin. Likewise, the skin can be much paler in winter than in summer, but the colors are still in balance with each other, either as “warm”, “cool” or “neutral”. A lipstick, a shawl or clothing in a color with a different shade and tone can disturb this balance. Someone can of course strive for that particular effect, while others want to highlight the glow of the skin, eye color or hair color where everything is in balance.
‘More is more’ is a trademark of these celebrities from Finland and Sweden. Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 Picture 4
Seeing yourself objectively and trying colors without preconceived notions can be difficult! Maybe you love red but notice that red brings out the circles under the eyes and makes the skin look gray. How should one approach? Shouldn’t you choose the colors you like? Yes, you should, but if you don’t feel good in a color, you can try changing the shade and strength of the color. There is probably a red color right just for you, which highlights the color of your eyes and gives your skin a glow. Or maybe you can use red further away from the face, like red shoes or a red bag or just in your interior design? The advantage of finding the tone that suits you is that you then easily learn what works and what to look for. A trick I usually use, in case I like a color that doesn’t really work on me, is to break it off with a shawl in a matching color, so that my face borders on a “better” color.
In some colors you look good, but in others you can look even better!
There are warm and cool shades of each color, warm has a yellow undertone, cool has a blue undertone.
To choose the right shade
Warm and cool shades should not be confused with warm and cool colors. Warm colors are, as the name suggests, colors that make us think of sunshine, fire and warmth: red, yellow and orange. Cold colors, in turn, are colors that remind us of ice, cold and water: blue and purple. Even green is usually considered a cold color. But as I said, there are warm and cold shades of all colors.
Do you notice the shade differences in the following colors?
Purple – Violet
Christmas Red – Wine Red
Blue Gray – Graphite Gray
Lime Yellow – Lemon Yellow
Mint Green – Light Green
Baby Pink – Salmon Pink
Clear White – Cream White
Lime Green – Emerald Green
Just think about lipstick! Two red lipsticks can look very different if one has a blue undertone and the other has a yellow undertone. The blue undertone makes the lipstick shift towards purple and the yellow undertone makes the red color shift more towards orange. A lipstick with blue undertones has a cool undertone, while a lipstick with yellow undertones has a warm undertone, even though they are both “red”. This rule applies to just about any color. If you look better in lipsticks with blue undertones, you dress better in cool shades, and if you look better in lipsticks with yellow undertones, you look better in warm shades. Try!
Photon: Tyler Nix on Unsplash & AndriyKo Podilnyk on Unsplash
Although eye and hair color also play a role, by looking at your skin tone you can figure out which colors suit you best. Generally speaking, warm shades with yellow undertones suit you better if your skin tone is warm, while if your skin tone is cool, you should go for cool shades with blue undertones. Skin tone plays a big role!
Does your skin have a yellowish tone with veins turning green? Then you have a warm skin tone.
Does your skin have a reddish tone with the veins turning blue or purple? Then your skin tone is cool.
If your skin tone is natural, somewhere in between, you can go for both cold and warm shades.
Three celebrities who found a green shade, right just for them. Pictures borrowed here and here.
To choose the right strength and depth
It is not enough to just think about the shades of the colors, the strength and depth of the color is as important. Some people look good in strong colors and harsh contrasts, while others disappear in those same colors. These people need instead lighter and brighter colors with less contrasts, either in pure shades or in muted ones. Look at your eye color – is it deep, clear and strong or hazy with little contrast to the white? Do you have dark or light hair and is the contrast with your face big? Is your skin tone dark or light? If you have strong colors, color is also required in your clothes (and makeup) for a nice harmony. If your own colors are light and fragile, it may happen that you drown in colors that are too strong. You must strive for a balance, so that it is you who wears the clothes and not the clothes who wear you.
Martha Stewart, Nichole Kidman & Michelle Pfeiffer look good in light shades.
Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3
Sarandon, Weaver & Moore choose brighter shades, that go well together with their red hair. Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3
Michelle Obama, Lenita Airisto & Anne Hathaway love contrasts and strong, cold colors. Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3
Can the colors change over time?
Do you feel that the clothes you have in your wardrobe don’t feel just right when you change the color of your hair and makeup? Although you may be lucky enough to suit both warm and cool tones in terms of hair color, your wardrobe may still need updating. The more radical change you do to your hair, the better the difference is noticeable. Some can vary their hair color from cool to warm tones without any problems, without the skin’s luster being affected. Others may have so much warm pigment in their hair that it is not worth it to work against it. So don’t work against what you have, but live with it and make it to your advantage! Look at the example of Anne Hathaway – she knows the art of changing her wardrobe according to her hair color.
Find the pictures here, here, here, here, here and here.
Tip!
Are you a chameleon who suits both warm and cool shades and therefore often changes hair color?
Put away the garments that no longer fit and highlight your new hair color with scarves and sweaters in more suitable shades.
Tip!
Do you really want a sweater that might make you look tired and your skin gray? Add a shawl that fits closer to the face. If you are brave, you can carefully try changing the shade of your foundation, your makeup and your lipstick. Be careful though, make sure no sharp boundaries are visible. Practice makes perfect. Good luck!
The most important determinant component of what color you fit in is personal preference. Your taste will vary and a color that you thought suited you five years ago may not be your favorite anymore. A good thumb rule for finding new colors is to choose the ones that you think you look good in! Dare to discover new colors and rediscover old favorites!
Take a minute, and think about the differences between:
Warm vs. Cool colors
Contrasts vs. Tone-to-tone
Dramatic vs. Soft and feminine
Strong colors vs. soft pastel colors
Colors from spring nature vs. Autumn’s color splendor
Gold, copper and bronze vs. Silver, pearls, and mother of pearl
Clear and clean colors vs. Muted and spicy colors
Xoxo Marie