Knowing your Personal Colour: Should I get a Consultation?

What is a personal colour and should I get one?

Personal colour is a term used within the cosmetics and fashion industry to determine the colours which suit an individual when it comes to choosing their clothing and makeup. These colours should complement a person’s skin complexion, eye colour, hair colour and enhance the overall look of the individual.

This term is also known as personal colour analysis (PCA), seasonal colour analysis or skin-tone matching.

In South Korea, many people opt to get their personal colour analysis done so they know exactly what to choose and wear. Personal colour analysis is not just limited to women or those interested in fashion and cosmetics. The benefits of knowing your personal colours range from your day-to-day styling to choosing what to wear for different events.  

Here us a quick explanation of personal colour types:

Personal colour type?

Generally, personal colour can be divided into 2 types:

1. Warm tone (yellow base)
2. Cool tone (blue base)

How to know my personal colour?

If you are unsure of what your tone is, here is a quick test you can do to help you determine the right tone.

When you look at your wrists, are the colour of your veins more green or blue?

• Green : Warm
• Blue : Cool

When you put on lipstick, which one seems to brighten your appearance? peachy/orange coloured lipsticks or pinkish coloured lipsticks? If you are not sure, you can apply half of your lips with peachy/orange coloured lipstick and the other half with pink and see which side appears more vibrant.

• Peachy/ Orange lipstick : Warm
• Pink lipstick : Cool

• Ivory/beige : Warm
• White : Cool 

Without any makeup, have a look at your face in natural lighting. Which side does your natural skin tone lean towards? Yellow or pink?

• Yellow : Warm
• Pink-red : Cool 

Subcategories for each type:

Now you should have a rough idea of your skin tone, there are 4 subcategories you should also be aware of:

Warm tone:

• Spring warm tone
• Autumn warm tone

Cool tone

• Summer cool tone
• Winter cool tone  

Spring warm tone:

This is a warm tone with a yellow or peach undertone. Spring complexions tend to tan very well and get a golden hue rather than burning when exposed to the sun.

Colours which work with spring warm tones include lovely colors that remind us of nature waking up after winter. Think of gentle pastels and bright shades that make you think of flowers blooming, new leaves, and sunny days.

Typically, shades which complement a spring warm tone would be:

1. Soft Peach
2. Light Yellow
3. Coral
4. Mint Green
5. Warm Lavender
6. Light Terracotta
7. Soft Sky Blue

These tones complement each other beautifully and can be used in various combinations to create a vibrant and harmonious spring-inspired palette. 

Summer cool tone:

Summer cool tone have pink or blue undertones to their skins. 

Colours which suit summer cool tones are pastel:

1. Powder Blue
2. Soft Lavender
3. Pale Pink
4. Mint Green
5. Dusty Rose
6. Periwinkle
7. Silver Grey

A summer cool tone colour palette typically consists of soothing, soft shades that evoke a sense of calmness and freshness. They give the overall impression of a muted appearance.

Autumn warm tone:

Autumn warm tones have a rich golden or olive undertone. 

1. Rust Orange
2. Deep Gold
3. Terracotta
4. Olive Green
5. Burnt Sienna
6. Mustard Yellow
7. Burgundy

Autumn warm tones tend to reflect the cozy, earthy hues associated with the changing colors of fall foliage and the richness of harvest season. Autumn skin tones look best in warm, rich colours.

Winter cool tone:

Winter cool tones are similar to summer cool tones in that they have a pink or blue undertone. However, winter cool tones typically have complexions which are very light or very dark.

Winter skin tones look best in cool, bright colours such as:

1. Icy Blue
2. Silver Grey
3. Snow White
4. Steel Blue
5. Slate
6. Mint Green
7. Lavender

Overall

Here is a simplified image to help you vidualise the colour schemes which work best with each skin tone:

When it comes to jewellery, for my lovely warm toned individuals, gold-based items will enhance your skin tone whilst for my charming cool toned individuals, silver toned items will help brighten your complexion. 

If you are still not sure about your type, you can also opt to wear rose gold jewellery.