Colour analysis has been on my radar for a while now but I had never worked up the courage to get it done for myself.
Until now, thanks to an incredible woman from Banchory.
Rosee Elliott has been a stylist and colour analyst for House of Colour ever since she retired from teaching 10 years ago.
She works in her studio in Banchory to help people feel and look their best using colour analysis and personal styling.
First Rosee talked me through the colour wheel and how the colour seasons work. Each person can be assigned a “season” of colours that suits them best, determined by their skin tone, undertones and eye colour.
Rosee explained, “Colour analysis is a process based on figuring out which colours are going to suit you best. The concept is the ‘right’ colours will give you a glow.”
“There’s a whole spectrum of those magical colours out there for you and colour analysis will help you find them.”
“The ‘wrong’ colours will make you look tired, drained and even old. That is definitely a look that you want to avoid.”
“On a practical aspect, being sustainable with our choices of clothes is no longer an option. We have to do more with less.
“Understanding the colours and styles that suit you makes this whole process easier and faster it will also save you time and money!”
She started bringing out the ‘drapes’; square sample fabrics in the same shades as the colour wheel, all separated into the seasons. She covered my hair and clothes and asked me to take off any make-up so she could analyse based on my face alone.
I was starting to feel a little nervous. What if all my favourite colours to wear are suddenly written off after I’m told they aren’t in my season? What if I have to overhaul my entire wardrobe after this?
My worries soon dissolved once Rosee took me through each colour in front of the mirror.
How the colour analysis process works…
She determined that I suited blue-based shades after wrapping me in two drapes – an icy white and then a warm cream.
It took me a second to see the difference it made to my features but after a second something clicked in my head. The white made my eyes pop and the cream made the redness in my cheeks a little too noticeable.
Seeing the two shades back-to-back made the difference obvious to me. Immediately, I could see how the shade of white brightened my features.
From there she ruled out autumn and spring seasons since the shades in those seasons are primarily yellow-based.
Next, we went through the summer and winter shades one after the other. The summer drapes are soft and muted and the winter shades are icy and bright.
Each time, I could see the subtle difference the colours make to my skin, the summer colours washed me out compared to the striking shades of winter.
Turns out, I’m a winter!
“You’re a Winter – there’s absolutely no doubt about it!” Rosee said, comparing the summer pink to the winter pink.
The bold winter colours complimented my eyes and made my imperfections – the ones I feel quite insecure about – much less noticeable.
“The right colours make you feel confident about yourself.” Rosee tells me.
“You look healthy and vibrant which means people are more likely to buy into that confidence – giving you a competitive edge, wherever and whatever you are doing with your life.
“I simply love seeing clients go through that transformation … it’s about that caterpillar evolving into that gorgeous butterfly. So confident, so courageous, so colourful!”
I understand what she means now.
‘A woman only needs three lipsticks’
Then she started taking out make-up. She gave me a foundation to even out my completion and began picking out lipsticks.
Rosee explains: “A woman only needs three lipsticks.”
After deciding I’m in the winter season, she brings out bright pink, cool red and burgundy.
This made a lot of sense to me. I have had plenty of lipsticks over the years but my red and burgundy shades are the ones I gravitate towards.
Pink lipstick has always been tricky for me, I have tried plenty of shades but I don’t seem to like any of them – despite pink being my favourite colour.
The pink Rosee picked out for me was brighter than I would normally use so I’m not entirely convinced. Maybe I’ll stick to my reds.
So what did I think of the whole colour analysis experience?
The whole experience was incredibly interesting to me – I’m the first to admit that I’m a fashion nerd.
Learning about the science behind fashion has given me a different lens to view my own wardrobe.
There were some shades Rosee recommended to me, that I probably wouldn’t have considered before. Electric blue and magenta are among those colours.
I’m not sure I can part with some pieces in my closet that aren’t in my season but I’ll be keeping the winter palette in mind on my next shopping trip.
This gives me an excuse to experiment with my wardrobe and introduce new colours to my closet – ones that complement my features and make me look my best.
In my eyes, fashion is all about experimentation and having fun so if I get to look great while doing that – that makes it even better.
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