How to Adjust Within Your Color Season
I?m often asked by those having a personal color analysis ?Will my color season change, especially when my hair goes grey??
The good news is that your season does not change as you age.
If you had an accurate color analysis, then you stay within the same season. You will remain a Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter.
Your skin tone is determined by genetics. Whether you are warm or cool is something you are born with and will remain a part of you during your lifetime.
This is often why color consultants will evaluate your coloring from your teens and 20?s, because that?s when your coloring is it?s brightest. If you were a Spring in your youth, you will stay a Spring.
Adjusting Your Colors
As you age, your hair and skin will lighten and your eye color will become more muted. These gradual changes in your coloring will affect what looks best on you, but your color season remains the same.
Even though you're the same season, changes in your coloring may cause you to shift within the Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter seasons.
Many Summers are blonde as a child, go dark ash blonde or brown as an adult, then transition to grey. Even with all the changes in their natural hair color, the Summer colors still look best.
If the colors that worked for you in the past don?t look as flattering anymore, you may want change your season type or adjust the colors you wear within your current color season.
Within each of the Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter seasons, there are four season types to provide a wider range of colors. Each season has the ?true? or original colors and three variations with subtle differences in undertone and intensity. Each sub-type will have slightly warmer, slightly cooler, slightly brighter or slightly softer variations of the seasonal colors.
To understand the differences in the season types, you can get my Color Analysis Guide where I explain each season in more detail. It?s an easy download.
There?s no hard and fast rule on adjusting the colors you wear, it comes down to your personal preference.
Everyone does not need to adjust their colors when their hair lightens. However if you feel that the colors you wore in your youth are too bright or too dark for you now, here's some options to help you.
Shifting Your Color Season
Here's an example of shifting your color season. This beauty was a Warm Spring during her twenties.
Her hair has turned creamy white and her coloring has lightened, however her skin tone is still warm. She?s still a Spring, but her coloring shifted to a lighter Spring season.
???????Since the warm and deep colors of Warm Spring are too intense for her now, she changed to the True Spring colors which suit her better. The lighter True Spring colors match her lighter coloring but still give her the brightness and warmth that she needs.
Adjusting to Lighter Colors
Here's an example of a True Autumn with stunning light hair who doesn't need to shift her season type.
You can see that even though this Autumn beauty has light hair, her eyes are still dark and her skin tone is warm and golden. She can still wear the True Autumn colors which are in harmony with her coloring.
Soft Autumn is the lightest and toned Autumn season. In comparing the color palettes, the True Autumn colors are better for her than the soft greyed colors of Soft Autumn. Do you see how the soft colors look blah on her?
If she ever feels like the True Autumn colors are too dark or intense for her, then she should lighten her Autumn colors, instead of shifting to Soft Autumn. She still needs the warmth of the True Autumn colors, so transitioning from the dark and intense colors to medium shades is her best option.
Sometimes, just adjusting the value or darkness of your color palette is the best solution when your hair turns lighter.
In both examples, these warm beauties remained within their color season even though their hair lighten.
Tips for Adjusting Your Colors
Once you know your color season, adjusting your colors or not is up to you! You should wear the colors that make you feel beautiful and energized.
As your coloring lightens, a little experimenting will help you determine if you need to lighten or soften your colors. When you look in the mirror, do you see your face first or the color you are wearing? Make adjustments to the colors you wear that feels right for you.
A daily makeup routine will brighten your face and perk up your complexion. Wearing your best colors in makeup and clothes should be your top priority to look attractive and youthful.
As you age the contrast between your skin, eyes and hair becomes lower and your overall coloring becomes lighter. You may find that you look better in medium shades, instead of dark colors. And lowering the contrast in your outfits may also be more flattering.
If you want to adjust your colors, be sure to check out my seasonal color palettes available for the 16 seasons. I know I have one that will suit you.
Evaluating Your Colors
I hope I have provided some guidelines on whether you should shift your color season or adjust the colors you wear within your current season.
Once you know your color season, you know the colors that are in harmony with you. Unfortunately, so many people were incorrectly classified in the 1980's by those who did not understand undertone or intensity.
Anyone who feels uncomfortable with their analysis should re-evaluate their colors.
My Color Analysis Guide is a great free resource to either confirm or determine your best color season.
If you?re still not sure of your best colors, it's a good idea to get a second opinion from a trained color consultant. Analysis techniques have improved over the past thirty years giving you more accurate classification now.
?????????????????????????????And thanks to technology, virtual color analysis has become more popular. My online color analysis is easy and effective.
Regardless of your age or hair color, you're a unique beauty and wearing colors in harmony with your coloring will let your true beauty shine.
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