COOL Clear (Cool Winter) and COOL Muted (Cool Summer)
Everyone can look fabulous in green, the trick is knowing which greens suit your season. There are a range of greens for all seasons! To find the ones which will look lovely on you, you must consider the three characteristics of all colours; temperature, intensity and value. When you share the same three characteristics as the green you're considering, you can be very confident that it will look fabulous on you.
Greens for the Cool Dominant Seasons: Temperature
By way of example, let's begin by focusing on the Cool Dominant categories: COOL Clear and COOL Muted. These two categories share a cool undertone or temperature as their dominant characteristic. The greens which will look good on them therefore have a COOL or blue undertone. They will both have several greens in common in their palette or swatch.
Greens for the Cool Dominant Seasons: Intensity
An important difference between the two Cool Dominant categories is intensity. COOL Clears look their absolute best in colours which have high to medium intensity meaning they are clear to slightly muted. So, blue- based greens which are clear to slightly muted will harmonise beautifully with them. COOL Muteds on the other hand, are best in slightly softer shades. Their best intensity ranges from low to medium high. They will look fabulous in softened, blue-based greens. And the greens these two categories have in common, as well as being blue-based, will be medium in intensity. It's worth mentioning here that a fabric's surface affects intensity. So, a factor to consider when choosing a garment is whether the fabric is shiny or matte. Highly reflective surfaces make colours appear clearer while matte ones soften colours. So, even when both seasons share the same greens, what can make the greens even more fabulous for each, is the surface of the fabric.
Greens for the Cool Dominant Seasons: Value
The third colour characteristic which determines whether a blue-based green suits a Cool Dominant is its value. COOL Clears can look wonderful in very light all the way through to very dark greens however, COOL Muteds look best in medium light through to medium deep greens. Bearing this in mind, the greens they have in common as well as being blue based and medium intensity will be medium depth; neither too light or too dark.
How to choose the perfect red for you, is the all important question.Red, the colour of passion, excitement and power never goes out of fashion. It attracts our attention, and at times even demands it. It empowers the wearer and can evoke impressions of strength, sensuality or romanticism. When you want to be noticed red is definitely your colour!
Most women express a love of the colour red, but finding the perfect red is important. Everyone can look absolutely fabulous in a red dress, it’s just a matter of choosing the right shade of red. The wrong red can overpower you, or create a sallow overtone or clash with your natural warmth. However, wear the red that harmonises with your own colouring, and magic can happen!
So, how do you know which is the perfect red for you? It’s not that difficult. Your perfect red will be a reflection of you. This means if your colouring is light, soft and cool then a red that is light, soft and cool will look fabulous on you. If your colouring is deep and warm, then a deep warm red will be your best.
So, firstly match the temperature of your red with the temperature of your skin. If your skin has a warm undertone you need a red with a warm undertone. If your skin has a cool undertone then always choose a cool red. Then, if you are fair choose a light or medium red, if you have dark hair and/or eyes choose a deeper red.
Finally, if you look great in clear and bright colours make your red a bright one and if you feel and look more comfortable in softer, muted shades choose a soft, toned down red.
Every year the Pantone Colour Institute declares its Colour of the Year. In 2016, for the first time ever Pantone has announced not one colour but a combination of colours; Rose Quartz and Serenity. This is an exquisitely beautiful pairing of two pastels, pink and blue. Together they are magical. They both have an ethereal and dream like prettiness reminiscent of a delicate sunset. However, like all things in fashion these colours will not suit everyone nor everyone's taste. As gorgeous as this combination may be, I know it will do little to flatter my deep, high contrast colouring and I will do better to leave it to others to embrace. So, who will suit this combination of pastels? Women with cool, light and medium contrast colouring will look stunning. If you're hair is silver/ash blonde, grey or brown, your skin is fair and your eyes are green, blue, grey or light brown this combo is a marriage made in heaven for you.
However, colouring is not the only consideration. Your Style Personality is an essential element of looking fabulous. Anyone with a strong dose of romantic femininity in their style will be attracted to these colours. But, even if you are blonde and blue eyed, if you shun most things girly, pretty and delicate then you will probably shun Rose Quartz and Serenity too.
However, there are many 'Classic', 'Creative' and 'Natural' style personalities who underpin their dominant style with some Romantic/Feminine and if this is you, then you should find ways to incorporate this colour story into your 2016 wardrobe. Even if you don't embrace the whole pink and blue catastrophe, a scarf, jewellery, shoes, bag and make-up all provide opportunities to update your look with the most on-trend colour of the year.
Check out the celebrities, past and present who would look absolutely fabulous in Pantone's Rose Quartz and Serenity.
Choosing the perfect pair of glasses can be a challenging exercise. There’s usually an overwhelming array of designs to select from, but the trick is knowing which ones to eliminate. When you do, the choices narrow considerably and the decision becomes much easier. The mantra of “harmony and balance” is just as valid for selecting glasses as it is for everything else that we wear.
The factors that affect whether frames looks fabulous on us are many, though they can probably be summed up under the headings of shape and colour.
Here are the important ones:
So, no wonder it can be confusing. Let’s look at these factors a little more closely.
Patterned pants are a very popular fashion 
trend this year. They are frequently colourful and just a little 'out there'. For the past couple of summer seasons, floral pants were the in thing, but in Summer 2014/15, there has seen a shift away from flowers to abstract and geometric patterns. The colour options have been varied, and of course that's great because with a little discernment we can a find a pair of patterned pants that blend beautifully with our own colour palette. However, all that being said there are a few things to consider before spending dollars on this latest trend.
We frequently write about focal points and just as frequently about the need for balance in our visual image. Both these style issues need to be considered before we buy those colourful pants.
Rest assured, these pants are a focal point. People will notice them and they will draw the eye of the onlooker towards your lower half. For some of us this is a problem, not up there with world peace, but still an issue. If you are a triangular body shape and/or short legged and/or carrying a few extra kilos on the hips, thighs and bottom then the following tips are especially important. On the other hand if you have the good fortune to be tall and slim, these tips can still help you to look absolutely fabulous in your beautiful patterned pants.
1. Choose your pair of pants in a colour that works with your own palette. No point in buying something that doesn't work with the items you already own.
2. As these patterns often feature many different hues, choose the one which is most fabulous on you and base your outfit around this colour.
3. To counter the downward attraction of these pants, do wear something eye catching on the top half. Choose a coloured top as opposed to a neutral shade or opt for an eye catching necklace, scarf and/or earrings. As well as taking the focus away from lower body figure challenges, this tip creates visual balance.
4. If you are hippy or short legged, avoid
elasticised cuffs. This style makes your legs appear shorter and wider. Instead select a straight or slightly tapered leg to elongate and slim your pins.
So, with a little careful shopping and clever accessorising, there is no reason why we can't embrace this fashion trend and liven up our wardrobes and ourselves with a splash of colour!
Understanding how colours impact our appearance is the first step to looking younger and fabulous. Understanding how the line and design of garments and accessories work for or against us is the first step to looking slimmer, taller and fabulous.
Know Your Colours
When we wear colours that share the same qualities as our own colouring our skin glows, lines and blemishes are less noticeable and our eyes shine. The qualities of colour are:
Every one of us has colouring that can be described in these terms. Know your colouring and you will know the colours to wear that make you shine.
Line and Design
When we wear clothes and accessories that use the elongating power of vertical influence to minimise the impact of broadening horizontal lines and enlarging circular influence, we appear taller and slimmer.
Take a Look at Julie.
In one guise she is wearing burnt orange which is medium in depth, has a warm undertone and has soft intensity. This conflicts with Julie’s deep, cool and bright colouring. As a result her skin has taken on an unhealthy sallowness and her beautiful eyes have lost their sparkle. In addition, the orange outfit is making her look heavier than she is.
In the 2nd outfit, the red and black colours are in complete harmony with Julie’s colouring. Look how clear her skin is now and how brightly her eyes shine. In addition, the 2nd outfit employs strong vertical lines and a lower neckline to help Julie appear taller and slimmer.
Looking great is not hard and does not take any more time. All that is required is a little information and we think that’s absolutely fabulous!
Whist we can wear most colours, Colour Consultants will tell you that it is the specific hue, clarity and undertone that cause some colours to make your skin glow with and your eyes sparkle with life. The wrong colours will dull your complexion and emphasize skin imperfections and make you look older. Some of us think we look old enough without colour adding on some years.
Great colours are those that:
Colour consultants clarify how a colour analysis can help co-ordinate your wardrobe. Planning your wardrobe around your best core colours gives you maximum wardrobe flexibility. Core colours include black, white, grey, beige, navy, mahogany, red brown, camel and brown. These colours are very versatile and can be used anywhere, anytime. For versatility and interest add a range of basic colours. These colours add life and interest to your core colours. They are best used next to your face. Basic colours include reds, blues, yellows and greens in medium to dark shades.
Professional Colour Consultants will determine your best colours and provide you with a colour swatch to take shopping. This will help you to purchase clothes in the right colours, intensity and contrast so that shopping becomes a breeze.
When you go to your wardrobe, do you see a closet full of clothes that have been carefully collected to harmoniously mix and match with each other, or doing you see clothing chaos? Creating wardrobe clusters is a great way to make your life much easier when it comes to recognizing what you need to purchase to achieve an interesting and effective wardrobe.
There are many ways to look younger. From anti-wrinkle creams to cosmetic surgery, and all of them offer some hope in the quest to defy our aging appearance. Another consideration and a much less expensive option is finding out how Colour Consultants can make a difference to your appearance and how they can make you look younger.
Colour Consultants won’t deny that lots of things help give you a more youthful appearance. Skin care treatments, anti-aging creams, Botox, cosmetic surgery, a healthy diet, exercise, drinking lots of water and sleep all affect the way we look.
But most important of all is knowing and understanding what colours will make you look fabulous and what colours will make you look tired and sick. All sounds a bit mysterious? Well it isn’t really.
The impact of colour should never be underestimated. Colour consultants are able to inspire others to enjoy the benefits of perceptive colour selection. We admire and appreciate the existence of our colourful world. We take pleasure from watching the colours of a setting sun. We are fascinated by the beauty of a rainbow or a field of spring flowers.
Many of us even have a basic understanding that colour is not only seen but felt. The whole experience of colour is influenced not only by light energy that enters the eye from our surroundings, but also by subjective factors from within the brain. So is it any wonder we can even have positive or negative reactions to colour. For example the colour red can evoke feelings of excitement or threat. Yellow can be associated with cheerfulness or apathy and purple can relate to Royalty or depression. These are just to name a few as there can be almost as many reactions and responses as there are actual hues.
So why does colour have such a profound effect on our appearance? Colour is reflective , and when worn near the face reflects up onto the skin, hair and eyes. When a colour is worn that is in harmony with a personal natural colouring, that person will appear healthier, brighter, more youthful and alive. The human eye responds positively to harmony and balance. It is aesthetically pleasing when colours relate to each other in some orderly logical way. In fact wearing the wrong colours can give the wearer the appearance of being older, unwell, and tired. So don’t reach for the expensive face creams or sign up for the Botox just yet. Simply find out what colours look great on you.
Colour Consultants can make us look younger because they have an understanding of certain areas of our colouring that are important and should be considered in combination. That is skin, natural hair colour and eye colour and intensity. We all have the elements that make up our colouring in varying amounts, i.e. hemoglobin, carotene and melanin.
Because the human eye responds positively to harmony and balance and it is aesthetically pleasing when colours relate to each other, it is logical then that the information from Colour consultants would be of huge benefit in the quest to look younger.
Do you want to know how to look ten years younger without plastic surgery? Ask a Colour Consultant. Many women in their forties may reach a moment where they look at themselves in the mirror and acknowledge that even though their face show signs of middle age they feel no different inside than when they were young women.
It’s at this time that many women may entertain the idea of plastic surgery. Looking at ways to turn back the clock on their aging appearance simply because it does not mirror how they feel from the inside out. A Colour Consultant would recommend that before you outlay all that money, go through all that pain and suffering, and put aside all that down time to recover - have your “colours done.”
A colour consultation will provide you with the knowledge about your unique colouring that will impact on what colour clothes will suit you, the best make-up colours for you and how to colour your hair. The result is harmony and balance with your natural colouring. Your complexion will look smoother, your eyes look brighter and your overall appearance will be one of health and vitality. In other words you will look ten years younger.
Colour is the first thing that is noticed about a person’s appearance. It affects mood, apparent body shape, apparent age, your outlook to life and the overall impression you make on others. Wearing your best range of colours will make you look healthier, vibrant and energetic. You can discover the colours that work best for you by contacting a colour consultant. From your consultation you will receive a professionally made swatch containing 50 of your best colours. This takes the guess work out of shopping so that you will come home with garments that look great on you.
But looking ten years younger doesn’t stop there. For a more youthful appearance wearing make-up plays a crucial part. As a woman’s face begins to show signs of aging it is very tempting to try to camouflage everything with a heavier foundation. With many things in life, ‘less is more’ and make-up is no exception. A good foundation will be the perfect colour for you. A Colour Consultant will establish whether it needs to be warm, cool, or neutral depending on your skin tone. Discovering which colours are best suited to and show off your fabulous eyes are also a part of the consultation, along with your best blush and lipstick colours.
And finally colouring your hair is probably the most dramatic thing you can do to turn back the clock, especially if you are grey. But turning back the clock involves more than grabbing any bottle of colour.
A successful colour is one that suits:
A Colour Consultant is mindful of this fact and will make a recommendation for the right colour hair for you.
Looking ten years younger, therefore, will be as a result of discovering the perfect colours for you through engaging the services of a Colour Consultant.
