How to find your personal color palette the easy way? In today’s post I’d like to introduce you to a series of easy self-tests you can do at home to start discovering your friends colors.
I’ve done them myself and it’s a topic on which I’ve received so many requests that I wanted to share the best tips and tricks on how to find your color palette!
In particular, today I would like to introduce you to some small tests that you can do at home, to begin to understand what your personal characteristics might be and what, consequently, are the most suitable colors for you to use in clothing, make-up, etc.
But what is color analysis in the first place?
In simple terms, it’s a technique – somewhere between art and science – that consists in identifying the most appropriate colors for each of us, based primarily on our skin tone, but also on the so-called undertone, our eye and hair color and many other factors, such as the contrast between our colors (hair, eyes, skin), intensity and more.
Actually, the whole concept of color analysis is not at all as new as we might think, but was born as early as the 1950s.
I still remember, as a young girl, that my mom with some friends underwent a color analysis called “Color me beautiful”, very much in vogue in the 70s-80s, which was actually very similar to the drape technique used today to perform the analysis.
I have to say that my mom was already very good at figuring out on her own what colors were the most flattering, so I don’t know to what extent she then put these concepts into practice.
In any case, color theory is another “weapon” at our disposal to enhance ourselves to the maximum, going precisely to the discovery of the colors that can enhance us at best, those colors that, often, induce others to compliment us or to ask us questions like “Have you been on vacation?”.
The most popular technique today for classifying people according to their personal colors is undoubtedly that of the seasons and their sub-seasons:
The different seasons and their sub-seasons:
SPRING: Light; Warm; Bright ; Pure
SUMMER: Light ; Cool; Soft; Pure
FALL: Deep; Warm; Soft; Pure
WINTER: Deep; Cool; Bright; Pure
Clearly, each season and sub-season has its particularly enhancing colors.
But how can we start to understand by ourselves if, for example, we belong to a “cold” or “warm” season and then to differentiate even more to understand which colors could suit us particularly well?
Since there is already a lot of “theoretical” material on the most suitable colors for each season, in today’s post I would like to propose something a little different: a series of “do-it-yourself” tests that you can do right away at home, in natural daylight, to understand something more about the perfect colors for you!
Are you ready? Let’s start discovering our most flattering colors!
1 – HOW TO FIND YOUR PERSONAL COLOR PALETTE: EXAMINE THE COLOR OF YOUR VEINS ON YOUR WRIST
An extremely effective first test, if done well, is to look at our veins on the inside of our wrist. Be sure to do this test in natural daylight!
If the veins tend more towards green, we easily belong to a warm season (spring/autumn);
If they tend to blue, we probably belong to a cold season (summer/winter).
Sometimes, the veins may appear purplish; in that case, it is possible that our colors are actually quite neutral, that is, somewhere between warm and cool!
2 – METALS TEST
Another effective and immediate test is whether we look better in jewelry made of warm metals (yellow and rose gold, sometimes copper) or cool metals (silver, steel, platinum, etc.).
Typically, we’re already instinctively drawn to one or the other…because we intuitively know it looks better on us!
Beware only if you have a very edgy style and prefer silver regardless: it may not be the most flattering jewelry on you!
3 – WHITE PAPER SHEET TEST
Another test to be done by ourselves, which simplifies to some extent that with the drapes done by professional color analysts, is to place a sheet of white paper next to our face, in front of the mirror.
Now, let’s evaluate if the skin of the face (with no makeup and in natural light) and even better the skin in the middle of the neck looks more yellowish or more pinkish (the neck is often better because the face always tends to be vaguely more pinkish for hormonal reasons).
Yellowish = warm colors
Pink/red tending = cool colors
4 – DIRECT COMPARISON OF SHADES BASED ON THE CONTENTS OF YOUR CLOSET
By this point, we probably have at least a rough idea of what our season might be, or at least if we tend to have warm or cool colors!
So it’s time to take all the contents out of the closet and put them close to our face (or try them on), training us to compare the various shades.
If, for example, we are comfortable with brown tones, let’s try to put different ones on our face and make comparisons. Are warm or cool tones better? And what is the right intensity for us? And so on.
5 – LET’S FIND OUR DOPPELGANGERS!
Photo via @thenewfashionista via Pinterest
One of the most useful and immediate tricks for finding some flattering colors to include in your wardrobe is to find an actress or other celebrity, Influencer etc. (whose photos are easy to find online) who has the same colors as us.
Generally, we intuitively know who these women are. I, for example, have colors that are similar (but fairer) to actress Eva Longoria, but also to other American actresses.
Looking at their outfits, it’s easy for me to figure out what colors they use most often and whether they look good on them. In fact, celebrities are almost always dressed by talented stylists who know one more than the devil and carefully select the palette – in short, the range of colors – that best suits them.
So, let’s find our doppelganger (color-wise!) and then spy a bit on what colors he or she wears preferentially!
The ideal tool for doing this is Pinterest, but also Google itself! We can also cut out some photos from magazines and create a moodboard, to remind us of the best colors for us!
Of course, I hope these DIY tests have provided you with lots of valuable clues for diagnosing your very personal color season and, therefore, your most flattering colors!
Of course, you can also go to a professional color analyst for a personalized analysis. I was diagnosed years ago by my friend Silvia, a very good color analyst, who promptly diagnosed me as a Deep autumn.
To find your personal color palette and the color shades that are most flattering on you, also watch this video!
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