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An Update On My Virtual Personal Color Analysis

Happy Tuesday ladies. Several of you have asked about my virtual online color analysis so I thought I would give you a quick update. My journey through virtual color analysis has been a bumpy one so itā€™s taking more time than I anticipated. My roundup will be a lengthy post so I may break it into two.

Personal Color Analysis: Is It For You?

Iā€™ve had three virtual personal color analyses done in the last two months. They were all done in a similar fashion. I took and submitted pictures of myself with colors near my face in varying lights, with and without makeup. This was followed up with a zoom session with each color professional. They had all decided on my coloring before the zoom session.row of colorful shirts

I did walk outside with my laptop for two of the sessions so they could get a ā€œliveā€ look at my skin tone. During the zoom call, we talked about which colors they decided were my most flattering and how I should wear them. Hereā€™s the problem…three professionals came to three different conclusions! And theyā€™re radically different.

The Three Colors You Should Never Wear

I questioned why they made the decisions they did because I need to understand why they have come to the conclusions they have. I also want to be sure I can explain their system to you accurately.

Because of the confusion, I’ve scheduled a consultation with a fourth consultant and I’m hoping for some consistency. I still have the two-color pallets that were done by top color experts in the industry, in person and they are very similar. I have also reached out to one of them for some clarification.

How Our Colors Change As We Age

I do know our colors change as we age, but these pallets were done live by draping me in various colors and watching how my complexion changed…which makes them pretty significant.

My journey continues and I am learning a lot in the process. Many women had their colors done “back in the day” and were given the wrong pallet. The science and art of personal color analysis have come a long way in recent years and I hope to have some results to share soon.

Thanks for reading and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.

 

56 Comments

  1. Adrienne C Kushner says:

    Over 30 years ago, I had my color analysis. They said I was an Autumn. That works for me because I really like those colors. Even as a teenager, I preferred peach lipstick and blush over the pink everyone else was wearing. We didn’t really have too many choices back in the 60’s and 70’s. I now have a white streak around my face that looks amazing in my dark blonde hair. My complexion is lighter but still a warm, pale. Perhaps, going with your instincts is the best way after all.

  2. I had my colours done by ā€˜your true coloursā€˜ many years ago – again draping the large swatches across shoulders etc, but what I liked was that it was not a pre packed seasonal swatch of colours – it was individually put together and focussed in the clarity, depth and tones of colours that suited me. I had previously had another set of colours done by another company that presented me with an autumn swatch, with your true colours I was predominantly what other would describe as a winter palette but my colours were bright and deep colours

  3. Iā€™ve looked forward to your report on color analysis.
    Years ago I studied a system that I have found to be the golden standard. While other systems are interesting and have points of credibility, this one takes into account t more than skin tone and it has stood up to the test of time and competition.
    Several readers mentioned Carol Tuttleā€™s system which I have studied as well but find that, while her take on personality traits resonated with me, basing color on personality failed the litmus test. I see no correlation between skin tone and personality traits.
    Iā€™m not sure my source is still taking clients but I certainly hope someone is carrying on her theory.

    Thanks for sharing your experiences. As I have looked at your photo posts I have tried to determine what category you are in. Itā€™s hard to see all the elements in a photo so I donā€™t know how it can be done successfully via photo or zoom. So many things can influence the skins color.. reflection of wall color, or warm or cool sunlight, foliage color reflection… Iā€™m not at all surprised you received 3 different results! How frustrating though. Have you decided which one you agree most with? And can you share your thoughts on that? I remain curious!

    1. Could you share the system you like? I am leaning towards to pallets I had fine in person which did not have a season attached.

  4. Three different decisions is not really helpful. I was told many years ago I was Autumn and I thought that was correct as I could see for myself that those warm, deep colours look best on me. I had another analysis done about two years ago mostly because I kept reading that our skintone cools as we age. I am still an Autumn, true autumn as it is called now. I am still warm and deep even though I no longer colour my hair. It is deep grey not at all silver or white and I am 70 years old. So my skintone has not changed even though I read constantly that we are cooler as we get older. Some of us just don’t fit the “all of us” category:)
    I did find an “autumn” lipstick just recently in Cinnamon that makes my eyes sparkle with almost any colour I put on!
    I hope you can find an answer to your quest!

  5. I had my colors done, as they used to call it. The analysis was spring. The analyst told me that if I want to wear colors that are not spring, there are solutions. She said artful use of makeup, hair coloring or foils/highlights, or wearing a spring color near my face could address this, but wearing my best colors was the easiest solution. I had told her that I will not stop wearing colors that I like, no matter what. I will wear black!

    I am still spring, but the new system of cooler spring heading toward summer might be what I am now. This is why it would be interesting to do it again. Clear jewel tones still work for me, but not in the intensity that once suiited me. There is less contrast between my hair and skin tone now. I still wear black sometimes.

  6. Carol Tuttleā€™s Dressing Your Truth, more about personality type almost makes more sense to me. The color chart gives a range of colors you can personalize, with make up, hair and jewelry suggestions for each type. A quick quiz And some free videos will tell you what you want to know, it was spot on for me, but I hadnā€™t followed thru with my personal style, especially colors!!

  7. Thanks, Jennifer! I, too, have had different people say that I am this or that. I follow Imogene Lambert from Australia. She teaches colors and lots about how to look your best. I thought about a virtual consult, but thought the price too high for my budget. I am so glad you shared this! It has saved me quite a bit of money! I, too, think you look fantastic in blue!

  8. P.S. as a art major, I realize I may ā€œ like ā€œ certain colors on myself, but I want the knowledge of what really looks good on myself also. That way I can make the choice to utilize the information to my advantage. I try to ā€œ make friends ā€œ with my complimentary colors, as I know paintings often combine unusual colors and it works.

  9. Iā€™ve had my colors done in person in the past ( summer), and recently online ( blue autumn, basically slightly warmer summer mixed with autumn) . I felt more confident with in person appointment. As I tried to take pics on my iPad , the colors kept changing my ( no makeup) skin tone, warm/ cool, back and forth, back and forth. And I question the quality of a zoom/ virtual reading due to the variance of pics. Yes, how do you have your monitor calibrated! All my pics/ selfies/ posts, keep changing my skin tone.

  10. I’m a firm believer that you look best in the colors that bloom around you in the month you were born. I was born in June and I’m naturally drawn to those flower colors I see in nature at that time of year. The green in the trees is not the same as the spring or fall. I guess in a sense I follow the season colors but based on my birthdate. My husband looks great in the colors you see in the landscape in February. The Browns, the greys like tree bark, the color of the sky in winter. I’ll bet it’s as accurate as looking at your viens to see if they are green or blue.

    1. Super interesting! I’m a May baby and your info rings true for me.

      1. Same as me ( May). What colors suit you, if you donā€™t donā€™t mind sharing. I love spring green and blues . Dislike pink . More natural lip. Thanks .

    2. At one time I would have believed this to be exactly true… but….. this is what I experienced….. I am an October baby, so my wardrobe was mainly camel/taupe/black. I colored my hair, and depending on the season it was caramel brown to reddish brown. Then as I began to really go gray these colors made me look washed out. People would often ask is I was feeling ok because I looked tired. The color wouldn’t adhere and I was sitting with the dye on my head for way too long. Driving home my poor sore scalp would be irritated and itching. I had enough! I went natural, and my hair is not gray but white with a few dark streaks in the front and nape. My skin changed to having more pink undertones as well. So now I wear more raspberry, royal and navy blue items. No more nude lipsticks either. Rose shades looks so much better.

    3. My February baby was born into white snow, with gray, leafless trees. No brown anywhere at that time of year, just gray and white bark and white snow. Baby is a winter! His father, born in winter, has warm skin and looks good in autumn colors.

      February Florida babies are born into what is our northern summer, maybe even warmer.

      I am tending toward summer now as a June baby, but I am a spring.

    4. i think indian summer ( or spring ) colors look best on me, i was born in december.

  11. For those who asked if itā€™s worthwhile to spend money on color analysis or donā€™t we all just know what looks good on us….

    I was completely clueless. When I shopped I heard my motherā€™s voice: beige goes with everything, brown goes so well with your eyes, that pink is to loud. I had a very dull closet of beiges, brown and greys into my mid 40ā€™s.

    When I was 45, I admired a well dressed work friendā€™s outfits and she had read a lot about color analysis and she declared me a Winter. She came over to my house and removed 3/4 of my clothes from my closet, told me what worked and what didnā€™t and why, and told me which colors to start buying.

    I loved those colors, but I had to get over the voices in my head. I bought dark reds, indigo, plum, deep fuchsia.

    It opened my eyes. I started getting compliments daily, even random ones from strangers. ā€œThat color is gorgeous on you.ā€ Saleswomen paid more attention to me when I shopped and made helpful suggestions about which pieces I might like. I had previously been invisible or gotten the question ā€œlooking for anything in particular?ā€

    I went from being very insecure to reasonably confident. I began to enjoy shopping. A few years later I started to follow Jennifer (my first) and other style bloggers.

    So yes, if you are looking for more confidence in choosing clothes and want to open your eyes to a whole lot of fun and satisfaction, and if you can afford a professional, then itā€™s very worth it.

    Your motto of wearing clothes that build confidence resonated with me from day 1. Iā€™m pretty confident in general but I wasnā€™t about clothes. But I got a lot better!

    Btw, my 87 year old mother does not have a dull wardrobe. She wore all neutrals back in the 70s and 80s when most of her clothes were for the office. But now she wears all the loveliest pieces from Talbots and Chicoā€™s. She dresses a lot like you Jennifer.

    1. Hahaha! My mother’s voice goes shopping with me, too. She thought she looked bad in yellow (black not brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin) so she refused to even consider it up until she passed at 93. I adore yellow, and because I did not inherit her coloring, I guess, she gave me permission to wear it. She’s right there in my head every time I see a yellow anything.

  12. I have no connections to Carol T or her company. I just wanted to share this weblink to a youtube video she has done about 4 types of energy & wearing the clothing colors & styles that go with them.It’s less than 19 minutes long and it’s quite an eye opener. And Janice over at theviviennefiles blog mentioned that looking at her eyes and rings around the iris is what one color analysis person did– she made this comment in the comments section on 7/20 post.

    1. Iā€™m aware of Carol. She has an interesting theory which Iā€™m not a fan of. Profiling women into 4 categories is extremely limiting.

  13. Great info. I was contemplating a virtual one but was skeptical. I have no idea what my color palette is. Anxiously awaiting your second post……

  14. maryellen walsh small says:

    I think the simplest thing is to go to a dept store with someone who loves you..a daughter for instance…and hold up various colors to your face. Then she gives you her opinion of each. What illuminates your face? What drags it down? Obviously, you also look in a mirror and see what you think.
    I think your great colors really pop out on you and the awful ones look obviously awful and then there are the so-so ones in the middle.
    I say stick with the great ones and they may have everything to do with the color of your eyes. For me, who use to wear a lot of beige and black, the great ones are purple, lavender, lilac and some light yellow greens for connection to my eyes which are green. Who knew?

    So trying to get over blacks, even though my hair is white.

    Bottom line: I really don’t think you need expensive consultants. A trip to a dept store with someone who wants the best for you should do it.
    PS, From the way you dress now, I think you instinctively know your best colors. Ditch the consultants and continue to be you but a trip with your nice daughter would be fun.

    1. I found eyeshadow palettes from better cosmetic companies very helpful. The colors that brought out my eyes were the ones I should be wearing in my clothes. The good cosmetic companies know color like nobody else!

      So no, an analysis is not absolutely necessary. There are other ways around this.

      I found it difficult to adjust to my lightening hair color and skin tone. It was dramatic. So now, I continue to adjust, and figure it out again. Maybe a trip to the cosmetics counter is in order.

  15. Louise Hall says:

    Hi Jennifer, this is really interesting to read, thank you. I provide personal color analysis in San Diego, though only in person. Itā€™s just not possible to see someoneā€™s real skin tone or how it changes unless they are draped in real life! It needs natural light and screens always ā€œcorrectā€ in one way or another. Real life draping gives the true answer and the client is able to see it as well. Iā€™ve seen people that have been ā€œdiagnosedā€ incorrectly at a distance, too.
    I recommend you try the in-person consultation and see how it compares!

    1. I agree in person draping is best but with that not available right now, virtual is being offered everywhere

      1. Louise Hall says:

        Hi Jennifer, luckily CA state allows the service to be performed outside. I just moved my studio outside, so I’m “draping on the deck”.
        I firmly believe that if you want to know 100% with confidence, it’s the best way, though of course may involve travel and can’t be done from the comfort of your own home! Good luck on your quest, I can’t to find out your conclusion!!

  16. Goodness: it seems a tad confusing to get several radically different results. I imagine it is very difficult to achieve any result at all virtually, with so much variation in lighting, camera values and computer monitors. It’s really kind of you to share your experiences with us.

    I had a Color Me Beautiful analysis done over 30 years ago (gasp – how did that happen??!!). I still hold with the results I got then – I even now have the little wallet with my “swatches” to which I refer occasionally. I must say that I love all my colors, and when I stray out of my comfort zone, I just look drab. I also agree that we instinctively choose colors that flatter us – though we may have to ignore whichever color fashion is pushing at us at any given time.

    Enjoy your day!

  17. Le Anne Miller says:

    I had mine done 30+ years ago (spring) again via iPhone photos and computer (soft smoky cooler summer) but most recently in person. Iā€™m still a spring as was told the first time around. I donā€™t personally think you can get accurate results via screens. Itā€™s a really fun process to do it in person, i highly recommend it. Iā€™m curious if youā€™ll share where you got your analysis? šŸ™šŸ»

  18. I also had my colors done years ago and was found to be a winter and did them for others after training. I have noticed that sometimes who ever is doing the analysis can be biased by their own color preferences. So you may be a summer, ( light cool tones) but they push you toward being g a spring ( light warm tones)if they are. I had been sticking to my color pallet for years (bright cool). It has served me well both in make up and in wardrobe. However as I have matured, I have noticed I need to lighten up a bit and am closing some summer colors and giving the stronger winter colors a rest. I have also borrowed colors from other pallets especially teals and blues. We all change in our looks and preferences. Just have fu. Color is an expression of what youā€™re feeling. So experiment! But stay away from orange if youā€™re a winter, it looks ghastly on us! LOL!!

  19. I’m not surprised at your results. No one has mentioned monitor calibration. Unless the viewer’s computer monitor is correctly calibrated, results can be all over the place. As a photographer, I’ve run into this several times, when clients said the color looked “off” on their computer. I even went to one client’s home and calibrated her monitor for her, and she was amazed at the difference. So if the people doing the color analysis don’t have a calibrated monitor, they really have no idea what they’re seeing. In this case, in-person is best.

      1. Thanks Corrie…I’m thinking it’s more important for the color expert to have it calibrated on her screen too.

  20. What an interesting post with all the different opinions. Will be nice when you figure it out. I also think blue looks great on you. I had my colors done years ago and can’t seem to remember what they were, lol. I think winter or cool maybe but everything changed for me. My hair is now silver so wonder how much difference that might makes.

  21. Oh how very frustrating. I wondered how the virtual sessions would work, and how a picture could convey all the subtlties of the skin and eyes. Even in person I was told I could wear all the colours at one session as i was a winter and autumn. Needless to say I tossed that idea out. I was planning to take a trip to see John Kitchener just as the pandemic hit, so will have to wait a long time to feel comfortabe enough to try that again. The Red Leopard team is also on my list if I ever get back to England. Sorry you are having such a hard time with this and I am certainly looking forward to hear you journey. I do think knowing your best colours narrows the choices and helps sort the confusion.

    1. Red Leopard is one of the companies I hired whoā€™ve done a virtual analysis. Iā€™ve not heard of John Kitchener.

    2. Elizabeth says:

      Am I correct that John Kitchenerā€™s mother was the founder of Color Me A Season back many years ago? I was an analyst and used their products back in the 80ā€™s. The concept is very sound.

  22. I donā€™t know if youā€™ve contacted her but Kerry Jones from Indigo Tones https://indigotones.com/ is amazing. Sheā€™s done our whole family (12 women), numerous friends and clients and was spot on. Another great thing is her samples. They are cloth patches that are super easy to compare to fabrics. Systems that Iā€™d used before were so much ardent to use while shopping. Good luck Jennifer. Itā€™s such a great tool! Also thanks for your WONDERFUL blog!

    1. Whoops…ā€harder to useā€

  23. This is all very interesting. I believe I choose colors that look good on me. I think we all have a sense of what works. Using consultants and getting varied results makes me wonder…money well spent?

  24. Would I have a personal color analysis done? Based on your results so far, three consultants reaching three dramatically different results does seem troublesome. I was determined a ā€œwinterā€ years ago but my overall coloring has changed. My original dark brown hair now shows a lot of golden brown highlights as itā€™s colored a softer light brown. I still feel that I look good in white and black. I used to wear a candy apple red blush and line my eyes with a black eyeliner. Now, my makeup choices are more neutral. I have a sense of what color clothing looks and feels the best for me. No analysis for me but I look forward to seeing if you can get a good, solid confirmation of your colors!

  25. Hi Jennifer…It is hard to believe that you had 3 different conclusions. I had my colors done in the 1980s. I really think this technique is old news! I am a summer,and I do think I look best in some of those colors. However, I have bought many things that I didnā€™t like because they were my ā€œcolors.ā€ I have decided that this is for people who donā€™t really know what to wear. That is a help to them, and thatā€™s a good thing. I have worked with clothing quite a bit and feel that I have the confidence to wear what I like. Of course, I avoid colors that really look awful on me! I love black, but I usually add a necklace or scarf to bring color to my face especially now that I am older. Also, the fashion industry isnā€™t based on the colors people are supposed to wear, so it is often difficult to find those colors. To each his own, but I continue to take this process with a grain of salt. Many people may be confused because the consultants have been wrong.

  26. Paulette Levy says:

    I haven’t a clue on my colors since the last time I hadmine done was many decades ago, and back then you were tagged as one of the 4 seasons. I was Spring. Good colors: Navy, teal, darker red…..that’s all I can recall. But, I tend to try on clothing in real stores (pre covid 19). Not trying something on which our stores do not permit, , though they’ve been re-opened awhile, is mildly upsetting, so i haven’t been buying much, except Talbots, as I know my sizes there to a T.

  27. I very much agree with Yvonneā€™s response. Nothing quite replaces a hands on analysis with actual color draping done in natural lighting. You really donā€™t change from warm to cool skin tones, but will agree that there are some colors that can cross over in some cases. Also, as we age our ā€œbestā€ colors can soften to adapt to less bright skin and hair. I color my hair and that keeps my coloring from fading as much. Perhaps when this pandemic passes you will be able to get a hands on analysis. Thanks for sharing your journey. You can do some of the draping yourself by using garments, towels, or the like, draped across your chest and close to your face. I would start with cool colors, blacks and cool gray, cool white. Then warm versions like ivory, warm browns. You may already have determined which you are. Then you can move on to actual cool colors, then the warm colors. There are many books on the subject. The simplicity of the seasons method worked for me. I am a Spring. I am noting that my Spring colors need to be softened as I have aged. Itā€™s very freeing to know what works for you. Not to say you canā€™t wear colors that donā€™t flatter your face on the lower part of your body. Or you can offset a less flattering color with a scarf or jewelry near your face in colors that enhance. Itā€™s a fascinating study and very worthwhile journey!

  28. Interesting. I am no color expert but I know what looks good on people being in the bridal industry, and you look great in blue!

  29. Hi Jennifer! I never had my colors done but I think we instinctively know what colors we look good and feel great in. I have an olive complexion and love all shades of blue. Navy looks good on everyone. Sometimes I feel like wearing bright and other days black. I donā€™t know if itā€™s this pandemic but I have been choosing black less and less.You just should have fun with color and not be so concerned about what the so-called experts say. By the way I think you always look great!

  30. Thanks for the update Jennifer. That is very concerning that you had 3 different results! I’m assuming that they all have different criteria as the basis for their concepts and am really curious as to what those are.
    Back in the day when I was involved, we saw and corrected many women who were typed as the wrong season – partly due to consultants who were not trained properly, or did not do the consultations in the right environment. I’m still a firm believer in having this done in person, with correct lighting and a neutral background and seeing how the colours actually look on you.
    I agree that you may have to fine tune your colours a bit as you get older, but the undertones (warm or cool) do not change. I haven’t noticed a difference yet (I’m 66) but I still colour my hair brunette (which still gives me a high value contrast), but I can see that when I decide to go silver grey, I may eliminate some of the darker colours in my winter pallet.
    I agree with expanding the 4 seasons into 12 (i.e. you could have a lighter winter, a brighter winter and a darker winter) but when you mix warm and cool colours together in a pallet, that doesn’t make sense to me.
    I could go on, but I’ve finished my cup of coffee…
    Have a great day Jennifer.

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