Face shape and skin tone / under tone - length + color

[Mrstran]

I have an oval-ish shape face and have read that long hair will elongate my face even more. As well as more square shape faces with long hair creates more of an oval look.

I'm sure you've read this before

Also, I've read that lighter skin tones can only look right with certain hair colors, and the same for darker skin tones. In a nut shell, a close to "born with shade/ undertone color would not clash and wash you out like other colors.

In your opinion. Do any of these long written opinions matter to you? Have you gone against the "rules"?
What length and color did you ultimately decide looked better on you and did you stick with it?

I mixed it up several times with colors but not with length. ( 1x willingly anyway)
I've finally accepted my natural color, but man did I love the dark brown, black, blonde, and red!
Some of the colors just clashed too much with my skin tone. I felt for me, not anyone else that It would be better a little closer to my color.
As for length. Shorter hair would really look great and help to create the round face illusion. Though, it's just not for me. With how much I'd love the rounder look, I'd give that up for the longer hair. I'm not use to having short hair as I've only cut my hair twice in my life. Once ( recently) because I had to.

Do you care about the hair color and length "rules" talked about on TV, in magazines, or by stylists?


(This has nothing to do with pink, purple, blue dyes and so on)


Just my opinion and I speak for myself here but, I think these rules should be thrown out. Variety and seeing your own beauty, being who you are and unique should be pushed. Not strict standards to be socially acceptable and impress others.
:hmm:

[hayheadsbird]

I think the colour tone of skin and hair complementing so they are aesthetically pleasing are rules that will never be totally disregarded. At the same time though, people should pretty much do as they please, 'not here to decorate your world' is the phrase that comes to mind!
Personally I'd rather have a hair colour that works with my skin tone, but to me as long as I'm happy with my appearance I really don't care to much about fashion rules.

[mizukitty]

I don't really care what's currently "trendy" in terms of color/cut/style. But I do think certain colors of hair flatter the undertones and general tone of skin. Usually natural hair color complements your skin best - no idea why, but I guess mother nature does a good job at coordinating this :) I think good colorists will be able to help you go darker or lighter while taking into account your undertones to give you a really flattering look.

But yeah, I have cool undertones (which means I'm a bit pink, but not really *red*) and I once dyed my hair like blue black. It made me look awful! I looked like I was really sick or something - everyone kept asking me if I was okay. Basically it just washed me out a great deal. I look much better with a hint of warm in my hair.

[Aredhel]

I am of the opinion that rules are generally meant to be broken. :p However I tend to find that staying within these guidelines works best for me. I have relatively light skin (not "pale" though) on the pink side, and I've tried dyeing my hair all red, and also a blonde balayage before, and both colours washed me out like crazy. Black/dark brown hair suits me the best, which was what I was born with anyway.

I have a shape that is nigh perfectly round, and short hair does not work for me, nor do bangs. All they do is accentuate the roundness. Fortunately for me, long hair with no bangs are the most flattering for my face shape, which is what I have going on now. ;)

[MidnightMoon]

I think that's only true in very few cases.
I've heard people say black or dark hair doesn't suit them, but in my opinion it's only because they are too used to lighter hair framing their face, and because they don't go through the trouble of darkening their eyebrows and colouring their lashes (with a pencil or using mascara). Yes, it looks weird, but not because they're pale, but because the rest of the elements on their face seems off. I have almost the blackest hair and light skin and people like it. I also love it on others, including others with light eyes.

I do think people with dark features and skin don't look as well with caramel and yellowish blonde colours, mostly because there's barely any contrast, and because something looks off perhaps to a higher degree than in the contrary case. There are very pale people with very dark hair, but cases of very dark people with light hair are reduced to a specific native population as far as I know.

I also think yellowish/tan skin doesn't look very well with caramel or copper colours.

I have seen those combinations in their natural state, though. There are tan people with red hair, tan people with blonde hair, and so on, but those are few exceptions.

I do think that the reason why some people look weird with a colour that's not their natural has more to do with the rest of their features not looking accordingly. I've met people from Germany with blonde hair and blue eyes who are more tan than me, but still, their eyebrows and eyelashes are light, the hair in their arms is light. That helps create a sort of harmony in how they look.
If I dyed my hair, I'd still have the brows, the eyelashes, and the very evident roots sticking out in less than a week. I also feel I have a rounder face shape and features that people apparently recognise as slavic (happened last week in the Netherlands lol), and are usually accompanied by darker hair.

[lapushka]

In your opinion. Do any of these long written opinions matter to you? Have you gone against the "rules"?
What length and color did you ultimately decide looked better on you and did you stick with it?

I mixed it up several times with colors but not with length. ( 1x willingly anyway)
I've finally accepted my natural color, but man did I love the dark brown, black, blonde, and red!
Some of the colors just clashed too much with my skin tone. I felt for me, not anyone else that It would be better a little closer to my color.
As for length. Shorter hair would really look great and help to create the round face illusion. Though, it's just not for me. With how much I'd love the rounder look, I'd give that up for the longer hair. I'm not use to having short hair as I've only cut my hair twice in my life. Once ( recently) because I had to.

Do you care about the hair color and length "rules" talked about on TV, in magazines, or by stylists?


(This has nothing to do with pink, purple, blue dyes and so on)


Just my opinion and I speak for myself here but, I think these rules should be thrown out. Variety and seeing your own beauty, being who you are and unique should be pushed. Not strict standards to be socially acceptable and impress others.
:hmm:

My face is round. I haven't a clue what suits (or "should suit") me best. I like the colors blue & gray, so I wear them the most often, whether or not some pro thinks it suits me or not. I've seen the makeover shows, sometimes they do a lousy job. Yes, *sure* a dress and heels will make anyone look better than blue jeans and a hoodie and some Crocs, but I think it's ultimately about what makes you feel great about yourself, not about what suits you best.

Just my 2cts. ;)

I don't think I look that great in my bun, I don't think, as it is stern and pulled back, but it's quick & easy, and it suits my life. And that's what matters.

[Cherriezzzzz]

I have pink, very pale, cool toned skin and a very long face, brown eyes, with red hair... God made me with the rules already broken haha I never appreciated it. I always changed my haircolor and tanned my skin. Until I had a daughter with the same coloring (but green eyes... yes I'm jealous LoL) When I saw what I knew was exactly what I had, in front of me, not in a mirror, I loved it. I said something to my husband about how beautiful our daughter's coloring is lol He just looked at me with a blank "really" face! And said, "It's exactly like yours." Looking at "me" from outside myself it's easy to love. So from that day I started liking my "wrong" coloring! I'm so grateful I don't want to change it anymore.

[lapushka]

I have pink, very pale, cool toned skin and a very long face, brown eyes, with red hair... God made me with the rules already broken haha I never appreciated it. I always changed my haircolor and tanned my skin. Until I had a daughter with the same coloring (but green eyes... yes I'm jealous LoL) When I saw what I knew was exactly what I had, in front of me, not in a mirror, I loved it. I said something to my husband about how beautiful our daughter's coloring is lol He just looked at me with a blank "really" face! And said, "It's exactly like yours." Looking at "me" from outside myself it's easy to love. So from that day I started liking my "wrong" coloring! I'm so grateful I don't want to change it anymore.

That's a very sweet story! :) I'm glad you got to love yourself a bit more thanks to your daughter. :flower:

[Alex Lou]

I have pink, very pale, cool toned skin and a very long face, brown eyes, with red hair... God made me with the rules already broken haha I never appreciated it. I always changed my haircolor and tanned my skin. Until I had a daughter with the same coloring (but green eyes... yes I'm jealous LoL) When I saw what I knew was exactly what I had, in front of me, not in a mirror, I loved it. I said something to my husband about how beautiful our daughter's coloring is lol He just looked at me with a blank "really" face! And said, "It's exactly like yours." Looking at "me" from outside myself it's easy to love. So from that day I started liking my "wrong" coloring! I'm so grateful I don't want to change it anymore.
Beautiful! I feel similarly about having dark eyes. I never thought much of the dark hazel color until I got to see them on DH who has the same eyes.

[Hay_jules]

I too have an oval face and hair above my shoulders makes it look too round for my liking. I do believe APL-BSL to be ideal for my face shape. But I'm not too concerned if my face looks a little longer.
As for colouring, I'm actually neutral with occasional ruddiness in my cheeks due to rosacea. Nature gave me the colour that suits me best for sure, dark brown. Black is too dark, orange-reds are really bad and there aren't even words to describe how terrible I look as a blonde. I suits most shades of brown, cool or warm, and auburn. I think the "rules" are good guidelines and a place to start but ultimately whatever feels right individually is best.

If I *feel* ugly in the cut they say suits my face shape best, it doesn't really matter how many experts say different. That being said, I don't think the exerts that made the rules are wrong, I'm just more right. :cool:

ETA: I have green eyes that I love but i have felt on occasion that I would look better with dark eyes. But my mom, my son and myself all have nearly identical eye colour, shape and brows.

[Alex Lou]

I don't think unnatural colors should be excluded. I've certainly seen people who either don't know or don't care what colors wash out or clash with their complexion. Like, if that pure blue were shifted a bit green it would look so much better with the warm undertones in the person's face. I don't follow rules from magazines though, I'm just aware of how colors look together.

[Cg]

I'm not sure the "born with" idea is a rule so much as an observation. It's your hair, though. Do with it what you want and enjoy.

Yes, face shapes and hair styles can affect each other, but see above. If you have a square or round face and love pixies, or long narrow face and long straight hair, as long as you like your hair, who cares what someone else's opinion is?

[Hay_jules]

I don't think unnatural colors should be excluded. I've certainly seen people who either don't know or don't care what colors wash out or clash with their complexion. Like, if that pure blue were shifted a bit green it would look so much better with the warm undertones in the person's face. I don't follow rules from magazines though, I'm just aware of how colors look together.

I agree, I've gone a purple that was too blue and looked bad, but I've been blue with hints of purple and that worked surprisingly well with my colouring. I find for me it's a matter of finding the sweet spot that has undertones neither too warm nor too cool.

[MidnightMoon]

Well, as a child my hair was a medium brown, even a bit light, and I don't think anyone would say it looked bad. Now it's almost black.
Aside from my natural colour, I think blue-black looked really good on me.

I think too vibrant colours look bad on basically everyone, and I'm talking about almost neon like colours. It usually stands out so so much that it makes the skin look opaque in comparison. In pictures with filters it can look cool, but then in real life I don't like it.

[spidermom]

It depends. I'll only use the advice that resonates with my own opinion. For years, I'd see advice about hair styles and completely disregard anything that wasn't super-long. However, when I became dissatisfied with my own appearance, I began to search for advice. As far as I'm concerned right now, the advice for a new hairstyle was right on the mark; it suits me.

[unheardletters]

The hairstyles that are best suited for my face shape do not suit my hair type at all unless I straighten it everyday and shave huge chunks out because my hair is too thick. I know because my mom had me do that as a child and early teens because the haircut was what my face needed. I cannot dye my hair, because it will not take no matter what brand I've tried, even professionals cannot get my hair to take on any color, it just washes right out every time. But my hair used to be naturally platinum blonde and it darkened to brown and now I'm going grey.

[akurah]

One thing I consider more important than skin undertones or face shape is natural hair color. I used to dye my hair with henna. My natural hair color is ashy brown. My new growth looked greenish or grey. It's not a big deal if you stay on top of your roots, but if you don't it can look quite bad. I was incredibly self conscious about new growth, then later highly stressed about the contrast when growing out.

[Alex Lou]

One thing I consider more important than skin undertones or face shape is natural hair color. I used to dye my hair with henna. My natural hair color is ashy brown. My new growth looked greenish or grey. It's not a big deal if you stay on top of your roots, but if you don't it can look quite bad. I was incredibly self conscious about new growth, then later highly stressed about the contrast when growing out.

I'll add to that non-matching eyebrows. I think I look great with chocolate brown hair, but as my light roots and eyebrows grow out, dark colored hair looks wrong. I could apply heavy, dark color to my eyebrows but that would require wearing a lot of makeup every day consistently. I can't be bothered with that much maintenance.

[pailin]

That kind of advice is really best seen as a guideline. If you stay within it, you shouldn't end up with something that looks awful. And changing your hair is harder to fix than changing a shirt that turned out not to suit. But that doesn't mean that some things might be not be totally outside that and still look good.
For me, I've tried a red not much darker than my own hair and had it look terrible (at least to me) - because it was really orange. But I can do a red several shades darker than my own color, and everybody loves it- as long as it's more burgundy.
My hair doesn't really match my coloring in that I'm really a winter, and it's not any of the colors they say for a winter. But it really doesn't matter; it does matter that I figured out that all those bright bright colors actually suit me, and I should stop trying to wear the muted ones...​If I'm​embarrassed to wear bright colors, I can stick with black and it'll always look good.

[lizardspots]

A very interesting topic! I think these "rules" about face shape & skin tone are based on colour theory and optical illusion, so to an extent they are constants that will never go out of fashion. That being said, what is considered fashionable or not changes very often. I have never sought to follow fashions, purely through laziness and also because I am just a bit old-fashioned at heart. :)

I have a warm tan skin tone, and black hair. I tried caramel/blond highlights in the past, and they washed me out completely. Also the hassle of up-keep wasn't worth it for me.

As for my face shape, fashion rules state that my oval shape would suit any hair style, and this is not true at all. :P I have a straight across fringe and a side parting.

[Alex Lou]

It occurs to me that some of the most famous models are the ones with unusual face shapes. Why are we all trying to look the same? What's wrong with a long face? I get that hair can be used to frame the face in flattering ways and you can create different aesthetics with different lengths and cuts, but I don't think it should be so cookie-cutter.

[lucid]

I have a long/narrow face. My face looks really long if I have long hair and don't have bangs. I guess that my straight hair makes my face appear even more narrow as well. I have tried growing them out several times, but it just doesn't look good on me. I have long side swept bangs atm, but I think all kinds of bangs suite my face, side swept bangs look the best though. :)

I know that my opinion is shared by others, because I always get lots of compliments when I cut bangs after having grown them out :p

[FallFromGrace]

I, like lucid, do the bang thing. It really does help if you're wanting to play down your face shape. To top it off, I've got a ridiculous forehead, and the bangs really are a lifesaver. I trim them myself, because they're in front of my face and pretty easy to handle.

With the color thing, I'd call them more a set of guidelines than anything else. I'm of the mindset that the warnings about clashing colors really only apply to the more unnatural hair colors. Not that those colors are bad, you do you, but when things get unnatural like that, it starts to gain the same issues we have with choosing clothing that compliments us. My skin is practically pink, and my hair is blonde--now, I look horrible in yellow, but the more diluted natural gold that my hair is suits me wonderfully. However, if I were to dye my hair a yellow color, of a more unnatural color with yellow undertones (think neons, bright greens, oranges, etc.) I would completely clash.

I think it's pretty difficult to find a natural tone for your hair that would look bad with any skin tone. And in the end, it's really up to you to determine what looks best.

[mermaid lullaby]

I disagree with that system.
My diamond-ish face looks better without any bangs or pixie cuts and I think I defiantly look better with longer than waist hair. So, I dont read those things anymore. Just go whatever I like best :)

[yahirwaO.o]

I probably wont help but.... I think short hair does make more sense with my features and such, but I really hate it. Maybe long hair is not giving my best manly whatever to the world but I feel much happy with my silky blanket because I feel something different.

In terms of color I love super dark hair. I love my natural hair when its all long. I supposse aceptance is something that comes naturally easier for some.

For general cencious girls well I believe that whatever makes you feel better do it, as long as your hair health or your own does not get supper affected.

I love the rainbow colour outhere really, they are so much fun and creativity. But nothing beats to me the natural shine that virgin healthy hair has!!!!

[MidnightMoon]

I probably wont help but.... I think short hair does make more sense with my features and such, but I really hate it. Maybe long hair is not giving my best manly whatever to the world but I feel much happy with my silky blanket because I feel something different.

In terms of color I love super dark hair. I love my natural hair when its all long. I supposse aceptance is something that comes naturally easier for some.

For general cencious girls well I believe that whatever makes you feel better do it, as long as your hair health or your own does not get supper affected.

I love the rainbow colour outhere really, they are so much fun and creativity. But nothing beats to me the natural shine that virgin healthy hair has!!!!

Well, but men wore long hair for most of the time in history, eh, I can only think of a few places where short hair in men was the norm :p
I love dark hair too, specially the blackest black there is, and would love to have it like that, but unfortunately... I also like virgin hair, how low maintenance it is, the health, and feeling like it's *really* my hair, which is a feeling I for some reason don't have with my bleached parts.

[Milady_DeWinter]

Well... I have an oval face, my skin tone is medium, like yellowish and very dark in the summer... And I still wanna grow my hair long (I'm MBL at the moment). Even worst, from some months ago I decided to go "red" and started hennaing! I LOVE redheads, but I never thought I could be one because of my skin. My real hair is midbrown or very dark blonde, that was lighter in summer.

The thing is, I'm SO glad of breaking those rules!!! In the end, the red suited me after all, and almost everyone complimented me about it (well, my father doesn't like it but he hates changes in general). I have green eyes, dark, but still very green, and the red hair made them to pop out more.

About the oval face, yes, the long hair may elongate it, but I like how I look so I don't care lol. Doesn't hurt that I'm 2b/2c too.

My advice is, do whatever you want. As someone said before (I loved it), we're not here to decorate the world! :D

[MidnightMoon]

Well... I have an oval face, my skin tone is medium, like yellowish and very dark in the summer... And I still wanna grow my hair long (I'm MBL at the moment). Even worst, from some months ago I decided to go "red" and started hennaing! I LOVE redheads, but I never thought I could be one because of my skin. My real hair is midbrown or very dark blonde, that was lighter in summer.

The thing is, I'm SO glad of breaking those rules!!! In the end, the red suited me after all, and almost everyone complimented me about it (well, my father doesn't like it but he hates changes in general). I have green eyes, dark, but still very green, and the red hair made them to pop out more.

About the oval face, yes, the long hair may elongate it, but I like how I look so I don't care lol. Doesn't hurt that I'm 2b/2c too.

My advice is, do whatever you want. As someone said before (I loved it), we're not here to decorate the world! :D

I've seen about two photos of you on the braid thread and I would think it definitely suits you. I specially like the one with the brownish lipstick (lipstick addict here lol). I haven't seen a pic of you with a tan, only fair skin, but it definitely didn't look bad to me at all, and nothing wrong with your face/face length.

[OhSuzi]

Well I heard that you're supposed to be lucky if you have an oval face as most shapes and styles will suit you - both in hair cuts and glasses - however I have an oval face and the glasses thing is definitely not true!
I have to search ages for the right glasses and I nearly always end up with a similar set of styles & colours such as tortoise shell large squarey glasses
The tortoise shell goes with my skin & hair & the contrast of the square with oval seems to work. Round glasses / small glasses make my eyes look closer together solid black frames are too strong & look like someone has grafittied glasses frames on me with marker pen!!!

I have naturally olive skin & dark browny gold hair. It suits me.
Ive dyed it mayn different colours sometiems they suited sometimes they didnt - I was glad I experimented and sometimes even if they weren't the most complimentary colour it suited my personailty.

Black is a big no no for me it makes my olivey tan skin pale and brings out the sallow yellow ness & makes the dark circles under my eyes look worse. Red is hit n miss sometimes it emphasises the reddy bits on my face or brings out the green undertones in my skin.
I still dyed em those colours tho & I still enjoyed em when I was younger & when being black haired Id play up on the paleness & just wear paler foundation & go for a gothy look.

Surprisingly Ive discovered the things that suit me most is natural brown, or slightly more golden browny blonde and bright teal / blue. They make me looked tanned & healthy. Ive known my hair long enough to know side partings & side swept fringes suit me better than a big forehead on show.

You'll eventually be with your own hair long enough to know generally what it suits / what suits you. & you can often see in hindsight looking at photos if something was right or wrong & people tend to compliment you more if youve 'got it right'

But its always fun to experiment - perhaps youll find a new thing that really suits you
or you just want to enjoy a hairstyle /colour you like regardless of whether it is the perfect complimentary thing for you.

[MidnightMoon]

I think oval is the preferred shape too :p
Having a round face myself, or a chubby heart shape, I find very few beauty gurus, actresses, and such with my face shape. I guess it's not the most common anyway. I've been told I look like the actress from 13 reasons why, Charli xcx, and Michelle Trachtenberg... but aside from a few, I think most famous actresses have longer facer, or very thin shorter faces that look more angular.

I guess we all sometimes wish for what we don't have, but there's a way to make any face shape look good. I understand that blunt bangs on my forehead wouldn't help me, for example, even though I love it on others...
It's funny too how what is pretty for some is not to others. Taking your example, OhSuzi, I wouldn't like the tan look on myself, and enjoy in fact the contrast of dark hair, even though I've had red/copper hair myself too.
I also loved having blue black transitioning to teal. I think it looked great, and didn't have the tan effect on me.

I must confess I sometimes judge other people's hair, even though I later on convince myself I shouldn't.. specially in cases where I think the colour really doesn't suit the person or is poorly done, like the bottle blonde that's not properly done+hot roots.I promise I'm making an effort to stop caring and paying attention to that, though xD

[Milady_DeWinter]

I've seen about two photos of you on the braid thread and I would think it definitely suits you. I specially like the one with the brownish lipstick (lipstick addict here lol). I haven't seen a pic of you with a tan, only fair skin, but it definitely didn't look bad to me at all, and nothing wrong with your face/face length.

Thank you so much, I really enjoy being a redhead lol. Just to illustrate my skin in the summer, here's me a couple of years ago, with my natural hair -no highlights, it just went blonder in the summer. Not the darkest skin, but surely it has lots of yellow subtones.
Sigh, I miss that lenght :wail: In some months I'll be back there though :hmm:

http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/pp287/Ardid_ponies/summer%20hair.jpg (http://s420.photobucket.com/user/Ardid_ponies/media/summer%20hair.jpg.html)

I'm sure that some people will critize me because of the change, but surely they were being critic before... As much as I try not to judge anyone, it's difficult not to even opinate about the others at least in your own head, but I've noticed that I'm becoming much better avoiding it with age. We can't be likeable for everybody, doesn't matter how much we try, so we should just make what make us feel better and try not to care abot the world's opinion.

I remember a girl that had eyes that stand out, she told me that people in school used to call her "froggy" and she was so conscious about it that she made anything to disimulate his eyes, even as an adult, using such little make up. But the thing is, she LOVED sparkly eyeshadows with vivid colours. And one day, after years and years, she decided to purchase one of those for herself. And she felt gorgeus! Now she uses that kind of make up all the time, and she's really lovely with it. It suited her after all, and she finally could start forgetting the cruel things that people called her back in the day.

The thing is, we kind of magnify our "defects", or what we think that are defects. For other people they are not even visible, or they even like them :)


PD: The lipstick you are talking about was "Choker" from Limecrime lol. I love lipsticks too ;)

[OhSuzi]

Agreed midnight moon - there's definitely a truth in both the old sayings, the grass in greener and also beauty is in the eye of the beholder. theres all sorts of external influences on top of our own experiences & thoughts of whats pretty for example East Asian make up is currently natural pale and bright with pinky hues thinning lip techniques and straight brows, western ideals are more golden tans & stronger smokey eyes with cat eyeliner, thick arched brows and fuller lips - these are just general trends not the only style - I'm sure lots of people have all sorts of different make up styles or wear none at all.
I love the porcelain skin with jet black hair look, but it's uncomfortable on myself with out a foundation to even everything up I suspect I look yellow and tired, rather than pale and vampy! Also I always wanted a heart shaped face when I was young i thought they were rare & pretty.

I guess its the same with clothes - I remember thinking how pretty my best friend was (is still) & how nicely she always dressed but when I tried borrowing her clothes they did not suit my body shape & they felt not like me. She liked pastels & monochrome & angular straight clothes - where I was more fitted & loud bright colours.

So I guess people just look nicest hair clothes everything when they find a style that suits them naturally and or suits there personality and they can wear it with confidence & a smile and not feel uncomfortable.

[lucid]

Haha, I just got reminded of when I bought my first foundation just a couple of years ago. I went into the store, and the makeup lady tested colors on me and gave me one that was right for my skin. My skin looked good in the store, but when I got home I just looked pale and lifeless, especially in natural light. I just couldn't figure out why I looked sick when applying it, it wasn't too light or too dark, but it just looked plain wrong.. I went back to the store, and turned out the first lady had given me the wrong undertone. I have a warm undertone in my skin, and she had given me a cold/neutral.. It just looked horrible :P

[Aredhel]

Haha, I just got reminded of when I bought my first foundation just a couple of years ago. I went into the store, and the makeup lady tested colors on me and gave me one that was right for my skin. My skin looked good in the store, but when I got home I just looked pale and lifeless, especially in natural light. I just couldn't figure out why I looked sick when applying it, it wasn't too light or too dark, but it just looked plain wrong.. I went back to the store, and turned out the first lady had given me the wrong undertone. I have a warm undertone in my skin, and she had given me a cold/neutral.. It just looked horrible :P

This happens to me too, but with the opposite tones; I think the assumption is that all Asians always automatically have warm undertones just because of the colour of our actual surface skin. :rolleyes: So makeup artists would keep shoving warm foundations at me, but I'm actually cool-toned (but closer to neutral)... when I used to wear foundations with warm undertones back when I didn't know any better, I would look incredibly orange/yellow in certain lighting and I had no idea why. It was pretty gross.

[lizardspots]

This happens to me too, but with the opposite tones; I think the assumption is that all Asians always automatically have warm undertones just because of the colour of our actual surface skin. :rolleyes: So makeup artists would keep shoving warm foundations at me, but I'm actually cool-toned (but closer to neutral)... when I used to wear foundations with warm undertones back when I didn't know any better, I would look incredibly orange/yellow in certain lighting and I had no idea why. It was pretty gross.

Joining in the foundation woes bandwagon. I find it really difficult to find drug store foundation that matches my brown Bengali heritage skin tone. And I don't care enough about make up to want to spend heaps of money on a colour-matched MAC product or something. Lately I found a foundation that was the right shade, but wrong undertone (cool rather than warm) and it's the closest match I've found - I use it very lightly, diluted with my moisturiser, just to even up my skin tone a bit. It still makes me look ashy though. The search continues...

[Robot Ninja]

Somewhere out there is the mythical unicorn person with the skin tone that foundation is actually made to match. There is one drug store foundation I can wear, and it's L'Oreal so it's expensive, and I don't like the formula much. Everything else is too beige or too yellow. I need pink in my foundation. I'm very cool-toned. The one time I dyed my hair bright orangey red I looked like a zombie with jaundice. Even the dark burgundy red I stubbornly clung to for years wasn't the best color for me. Purple and blue-leaning turquoise looks much better.

As for face shape, I have a squarish face, which supposedly looks best with long wavy hair, to "soften" it because [deity] forbid women don't look soft, right? I happen to have long wavy hair, although of course much longer than the APL, maaaaybe BSL that passes for long among mainstream hairstyle advice-giving people.

[Alex Lou]

Well... I have an oval face, my skin tone is medium, like yellowish and very dark in the summer... And I still wanna grow my hair long (I'm MBL at the moment). Even worst, from some months ago I decided to go "red" and started hennaing! I LOVE redheads, but I never thought I could be one because of my skin. My real hair is midbrown or very dark blonde, that was lighter in summer.

The thing is, I'm SO glad of breaking those rules!!! In the end, the red suited me after all, and almost everyone complimented me about it (well, my father doesn't like it but he hates changes in general). I have green eyes, dark, but still very green, and the red hair made them to pop out more.

About the oval face, yes, the long hair may elongate it, but I like how I look so I don't care lol. Doesn't hurt that I'm 2b/2c too.

My advice is, do whatever you want. As someone said before (I loved it), we're not here to decorate the world! :D
I looked at your profile, and oh yes! That color looks fantastic on you.

I'm actually not sure that you're breaking the rules. I'd guess that you're an autumn, making deep, warm reds a recommend choice.

[MidnightMoon]

Thank you so much, I really enjoy being a redhead lol. Just to illustrate my skin in the summer, here's me a couple of years ago, with my natural hair -no highlights, it just went blonder in the summer. Not the darkest skin, but surely it has lots of yellow subtones.
Sigh, I miss that lenght :wail: In some months I'll be back there though :hmm:

http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/pp287/Ardid_ponies/summer%20hair.jpg (http://s420.photobucket.com/user/Ardid_ponies/media/summer%20hair.jpg.html)

I'm sure that some people will critize me because of the change, but surely they were being critic before... As much as I try not to judge anyone, it's difficult not to even opinate about the others at least in your own head, but I've noticed that I'm becoming much better avoiding it with age. We can't be likeable for everybody, doesn't matter how much we try, so we should just make what make us feel better and try not to care abot the world's opinion.

I remember a girl that had eyes that stand out, she told me that people in school used to call her "froggy" and she was so conscious about it that she made anything to disimulate his eyes, even as an adult, using such little make up. But the thing is, she LOVED sparkly eyeshadows with vivid colours. And one day, after years and years, she decided to purchase one of those for herself. And she felt gorgeus! Now she uses that kind of make up all the time, and she's really lovely with it. It suited her after all, and she finally could start forgetting the cruel things that people called her back in the day.

The thing is, we kind of magnify our "defects", or what we think that are defects. For other people they are not even visible, or they even like them :)


PD: The lipstick you are talking about was "Choker" from Limecrime lol. I love lipsticks too ;)

You're welcome :o
Looking at your pics, I was thinking it was more of a copperish tan, not yellow haha. I don't think It'll look bad anyway, and if you truly are committed you could always use a hat to at least avoid having your face tan. Anyhow, looks great on you, and I agree, you seem to be close to your goal, from what I've seen!

Now about the lipstick :whistle:
Did you buy it in Spain or overseas?, and is it good? I've hear mixed reviews, and my concern is it might be drying. I've never used the brand so I have no idea.

[Dwemeri]

Rules and guidelines are great in my opinion, because they give you ideas on what to try and what will (probably) work for you.

My least favorite colors are what look great with my skintone. Pink, white, and just pastels in general make my very pale skin look healthy and glowing. Unfortunately I don't like them, my favorite colors are all dark and on the cold side.

Hopefully at some point I'll find a solution, for now I just roll with it and dress in colors that make me happy, even if they don't suit me.

[MidnightMoon]

To add to that and deviate a bit... how brown is it irl? I seem to have a problem with my lipsticks leaning towards the pink side even when on other people they seem more brown lol. I have MAC's "Brave", and while it's supposed to be a darker pink it just matched my lips minus any spotting, or making them a bit more pink when they're pale.

Funny thing is, I was just looking for a description to give you a better idea of the colour and this review popped up "Brave is a creamy light mauve that for fair skin tones is a YLBB (your lips, but better) shade."

So... I guess it's not just me lol. And this might sound stupid but I'm just realising how different are people's natural lip colours .-.
I'm definitely going to pay attention to that from now on.

[MidnightMoon]

And to add a rant to this thread: the struggle to find models when looking for images of how a product looks and get an idea of how it would look on me is real.
If they have my skin: they're blonde and with light eyes
If they have my dark hair and eyes: they're tan or asian

Only people I can think of right now are Vanessa Marano, Anne Hathaway, and Winona Ryder. And they're not modelling lipstick shades in a blog :doh:

[MidnightMoon]

Agreed midnight moon - there's definitely a truth in both the old sayings, the grass in greener and also beauty is in the eye of the beholder. theres all sorts of external influences on top of our own experiences & thoughts of whats pretty for example East Asian make up is currently natural pale and bright with pinky hues thinning lip techniques and straight brows, western ideals are more golden tans & stronger smokey eyes with cat eyeliner, thick arched brows and fuller lips - these are just general trends not the only style - I'm sure lots of people have all sorts of different make up styles or wear none at all.
I love the porcelain skin with jet black hair look, but it's uncomfortable on myself with out a foundation to even everything up I suspect I look yellow and tired, rather than pale and vampy! Also I always wanted a heart shaped face when I was young i thought they were rare & pretty.

I guess its the same with clothes - I remember thinking how pretty my best friend was (is still) & how nicely she always dressed but when I tried borrowing her clothes they did not suit my body shape & they felt not like me. She liked pastels & monochrome & angular straight clothes - where I was more fitted & loud bright colours.

So I guess people just look nicest hair clothes everything when they find a style that suits them naturally and or suits there personality and they can wear it with confidence & a smile and not feel uncomfortable.

Hah I get it, the foundation part. It has happened to me too, but sometimes it's just awful lighting.. Funny thing is I think we all kinda see ourselves on the worst way, and just focus on a specific image of ourselves when we looked our worst. Sometimes I look at pictures of myself and I just can't believe I "actually" look like that because thats "too good" to be true, not me, and I shouldn't delude myself into thinking that's how I truly look. I've even made videos of myself just to see how other see me in real life :/
I just feel so ugly most of the time, but I realise other girls, when looking at themselves, probably feel that way too.

[Milady_DeWinter]

I looked at your profile, and oh yes! That color looks fantastic on you.

I'm actually not sure that you're breaking the rules. I'd guess that you're an autumn, making deep, warm reds a recommend choice.

Mmm, I never really knew what were "autum","spring" etc. people. May be you're right, I'll have to investigate a bit more... All I know is that when I shyly suggested from time to time "do you imagine me as a redhead?" People always said: "noooo, it would look terrible with your skin! Forget it!" :/



You're welcome :o
Looking at your pics, I was thinking it was more of a copperish tan, not yellow haha. I don't think It'll look bad anyway, and if you truly are committed you could always use a hat to at least avoid having your face tan. Anyhow, looks great on you, and I agree, you seem to be close to your goal, from what I've seen!

Now about the lipstick :whistle:
Did you buy it in Spain or overseas?, and is it good? I've hear mixed reviews, and my concern is it might be drying. I've never used the brand so I have no idea.

Well, for some reason my face is always less tanned that the rest of me (prob for reading in the beach lol), so I think that my new red will look good anyway. We'll have to wait until july/august to know anyway ^^

About the lippie :D I've been using Limecrime for several years now (8 o so atención least, I knew the brand ages ago!) and I can say say that their lipsticks are one of my faves. Recently they had some sales and I bought the mentioned choker, hoodie (very similar buy with a hint of mauve) and fishnet (a shirt of "brick" brown color, more intense and very 90's); I use to choose browny shadows for my lips for the everyday use. And Venus II, that's a set of eyedhadows, I adored Venus I and always recibe compliments when wearing it and I decided to go with the second too; I must say that it's prettier in person.

And yep, I buy it from Spain in their web. I'm quite happy with the brand, I know about the mixed reviews but they are perfect to me.

[Aredhel]

Joining in the foundation woes bandwagon. I find it really difficult to find drug store foundation that matches my brown Bengali heritage skin tone. And I don't care enough about make up to want to spend heaps of money on a colour-matched MAC product or something. Lately I found a foundation that was the right shade, but wrong undertone (cool rather than warm) and it's the closest match I've found - I use it very lightly, diluted with my moisturiser, just to even up my skin tone a bit. It still makes me look ashy though. The search continues...

That really sucks. :( I'm guessing the company that makes your current foundation doesn't make a warm version? The one that I ended up finding that matches my colour and tone perfectly was made by Urban Decay. I'm pretty sure they have a warm, neutral and cool version of every shade. I went for the cool one in my shade but before I left the store, the makeup artist working there kept insisting that the felt the warm version would be better for me.:rolleyes: Of course I knew better than to listen this time, because my foundation looks phenomenal in every light now and covers the pinkness in my skin perfectly.

[lizardspots]

That really sucks. :( I'm guessing the company that makes your current foundation doesn't make a warm version? The one that I ended up finding that matches my colour and tone perfectly was made by Urban Decay. I'm pretty sure they have a warm, neutral and cool version of every shade. I went for the cool one in my shade but before I left the store, the makeup artist working there kept insisting that the felt the warm version would be better for me.:rolleyes: Of course I knew better than to listen this time, because my foundation looks phenomenal in every light now and covers the pinkness in my skin perfectly.

That's fantastic that you found the right shade for you! As I've only bought drug store foundations, generally the ranges of colours available are limited. I have actually never been to one of those higher end shops with a make-up counter & make-up artist. I've always felt a bit intimidated by how scarily beautiful and made up they are. xD I feel self-conscious about my completely bare face, which is stupid because normally I couldn't care less, and I reckon they'll pressure me to buy things I wouldn't normally buy. I should go one day and get properly colour-matched.

[Aredhel]

That's fantastic that you found the right shade for you! As I've only bought drug store foundations, generally the ranges of colours available are limited. I have actually never been to one of those higher end shops with a make-up counter & make-up artist. I've always felt a bit intimidated by how scarily beautiful and made up they are. xD I feel self-conscious about my completely bare face, which is stupid because normally I couldn't care less, and I reckon they'll pressure me to buy things I wouldn't normally buy. I should go one day and get properly colour-matched.
Oh I get that indeed; I always think my makeup looks so pristine when leaving the house, but when I enter Sephora or Urban Decay and look at some of their makeup artists, then at myself in one of their well-lit mirrors, I almost pass out everytime ("OMG I left the house with my makeup looking like this???").:lol: I try not to wear too much makeup though... the less the better, I think, so you have the right idea IMHO.:D Whenever I wear makeup I try to at least wear just a light layer of foundation so that it looks natural. Those higher end stores are pretty good at selling people stuff that they don't need though, and I am the worst at shopping because I'm very easy to manipulate into buying all kinds of things I don't really want or need.:( It might be worth getting colour-matched though! At least you will have a better idea of what you're looking for the next time you're out shopping for makeup and it might save you money in the long run, from not having to buy more random shades to experiment with.

[Lady Stardust]

I think that understanding skin tone/undertones can be really valuable, I've found that I only need a tiny bit of foundation now because it blends in with my skin, whereas previously I would need to layer it on to cover up redness and dark circles. Also, if I wear clothes in the "correct" colours, my skin looks better for it, even without make up.

That's not to say that I follow the rules all the time, I often wear the "wrong" colours just because I like those particular clothes.

I have a long face but bizarrely it's petite at the same time, so both of those factors point to short hair suiting me. I had short hair for years and loved it but now I'm growing it long and I don't see any reason to be constrained by "rules" telling me otherwise.

I do think it's useful to know what the recommendations are for your colouring and face shape, because they might just point you towards something that looks amazing on you. But, rules are made to be broken!

[Flipgirl24]

I think people should do what they want with their hair. If they want to follow the so-called rules, go for it. If not, go for it. In my case, I prefer to have a colour that complements my skin tone- I have grey that I want to cover so I colour. I need length because I have a round face but I also need height. My hair is almost to my bra strap and probably should be cut to just below my shoulders. Longer than that drag my facial features down. So I guess I am half-following the rules.

[ghanima]

I actually find it so difficult to understand what the heck my color type is...

[MidnightMoon]

I actually find it so difficult to understand what the heck my color type is...

That makes two of us. And someone told me on another thread all that seasons thing is BS, so I have no guide whatsoever :rolleyes:
I also hate the fact that light plays such an important role on how I look. Some lights make me look translucent, some yellow, some even slightly tan (lamp on my room)...
I believe my eyes are very dark, but people have told me it's a light brown, it has hints of green in certain lights. My hair is almost black too, but then again, under some lights it looks very different... brown.
Some days I have awful dark circles but if I stand in a mirror with light on the sides I see no dark circles at all.

Thats one of the reasons why I don't do full face foundation, too. I feel like no matter how good you are and pick your shade, in at least some (if not a few) different lights it will look off, and weird against the colour of my neck, arms, or in general.

[ghanima]

I've always thought I was a winter but now it comes out I couldn't be more wrong as my skin has warm undertones, and my hair too. Autumn then? I am quite certain I don't look good in brown - or do I?

[ghanima]

Do you guys can recommend me a site or youtube where the color typing is explained well? I am having a aha moment here, finding out I may have used the wrong colors for me all my life lol. Because I am thinking of coloring my hair soon (or henna or henndigo or gloss it) to cover some grays I'd really love to understand this stuff a little better so I choose the right thing.
My skin has definitely warm undertones. Eyes are kind of aquamarine? blue-green-grey with some yellow in the middle, which would indicate a soft autumn coloring, right? but my hair are definitely dark, which would go for deep autumn if I understand? I had always thought that dark hair+light eyes=winter without taking the skin in consideration...
In the choice of hair color, do I need to go for warm or cool undertones? because it's not clear, I thought warm but then I read that if your skin is warm your hair should be cool so as to accentuate the warmness of the skin. Confused....Ha ha!

I actually dig this stuff... and all my clothes are wrong lol! new shopping spree! I'll need to stay chilled :p

[MidnightMoon]

Do you guys can recommend me a site or youtube where the color typing is explained well? I am having a aha moment here, finding out I may have used the wrong colors for me all my life lol. Because I am thinking of coloring my hair soon (or henna or henndigo or gloss it) to cover some grays I'd really love to understand this stuff a little better so I choose the right thing.
My skin has definitely warm undertones. Eyes are kind of aquamarine? blue-green-grey with some yellow in the middle, which would indicate a soft autumn coloring, right? but my hair are definitely dark, which would go for deep autumn if I understand? I had always thought that dark hair+light eyes=winter without taking the skin in consideration...
In the choice of hair color, do I need to go for warm or cool undertones? because it's not clear, I thought warm but then I read that if your skin is warm your hair should be cool so as to accentuate the warmness of the skin. Confused....Ha ha!

I actually dig this stuff... and all my clothes are wrong lol! new shopping spree! I'll need to stay chilled :p

From what I've read winters would supposedly be anyone with dark hair and either dark or light eyes. The thing is, this "system" was made only for a specific populations, and as far as I know doesn't really take into account the possibility of other ethnicities to fit under a certain "season". By the logic it uses, anyone with dark hair and dark or light eyes would automatically be a winter.

[ghanima]

Yes I thought I was winter all my life but my skin is definitely warm. I wonder if the skin undertones rule the typing much more than other factors.
I am a normal caucasian from the north of Italy, nothing particularly exotic.
Some examples they give on internet with celebrities may be misguiding. For ex. Brooke Shields, who has similar coloring to mine, she's my better version, ha ha! is used as an example for winter, while that may not be the case? in fact she looks better tanned, just like me.
Ancient celebrity reference sigh... I am that old! She and Linda Evangelista have always been my reference.

I certainly would love to know more! I feel new magnificent possibilities of glowing beauty are opening up to me lol - by just tweaking the colors I choose for hair, make-up and clothes, I could find out I look much better! A friend of mine, years ago, went to a professional that found her typing etc and told her what colors to wear etc. and first time I saw her after that she looked STUNNING.

And btw this could also explain why my (few!) grays don't look good on me. If I was winter they would!

[Fia]

Ghanima - an online quiz (http://www.truth-is-beauty.com/color-analysis-quiz.html) that might lead you a few steps closer to what season's color suits you. The instructions are to let someone else do the quiz for you. If you can look at yourself objectively it works just as well taking it for yourself.

[lizardspots]

I've never understood that seasons colour thing. It seems too restrictive. Also it doesn't work for non-Caucasian people I reckon.

[Lady Stardust]

Do you guys can recommend me a site or youtube where the color typing is explained well? I am having a aha moment here, finding out I may have used the wrong colors for me all my life lol. Because I am thinking of coloring my hair soon (or henna or henndigo or gloss it) to cover some grays I'd really love to understand this stuff a little better so I choose the right thing.
My skin has definitely warm undertones. Eyes are kind of aquamarine? blue-green-grey with some yellow in the middle, which would indicate a soft autumn coloring, right? but my hair are definitely dark, which would go for deep autumn if I understand? I had always thought that dark hair+light eyes=winter without taking the skin in consideration...
In the choice of hair color, do I need to go for warm or cool undertones? because it's not clear, I thought warm but then I read that if your skin is warm your hair should be cool so as to accentuate the warmness of the skin. Confused....Ha ha!

I actually dig this stuff... and all my clothes are wrong lol! new shopping spree! I'll need to stay chilled :p

Hi Ghanima

If your skin is warm then your hair should be too. Henna would be perfect for accentuating warm colouring, particularly the copper/red end of the spectrum rather than the burgundy/black cherry end. You would get burgundy/black cherry by re-applying henna all over a few times times, and you would get there faster if you use henna with a stronger stain. So, if you want to stay at the warm end of the spectrum, use henna with a weaker lawsone content (for example jamila, which is lovely to use). You could just do root touch ups to keep the colour more coppery too, rather than colouring the entire length each time.

I think the dark/light bit is more about fine tuning, someone with dark hair and eyes might look better in dark colours, and someone with light hair and eyes might look better in light colours.

[ghanima]

Thanks. I'd love to be able to do henna or a henna glow..
I'm not totally sure of being an autumn as my eyes color is more like Cool Summer type? I guess I am like another poster who observed she had a cool skin with warm hair that don't fit the scheme.

What if you have dark hair and light eyes, you wear dark or light colors?

Thanks for the quiz!

[likelikepenny]

I'm guessing this system doesn't really work for woc :/

[Aredhel]

Ghanima - an online quiz (http://www.truth-is-beauty.com/color-analysis-quiz.html) that might lead you a few steps closer to what season's color suits you. The instructions are to let someone else do the quiz for you. If you can look at yourself objectively it works just as well taking it for yourself.

Mine says I'm a "dark winter" which I'd have to agree with! Light warm colours are absolutely not for me. I tend to gravitate towards neutral colours though...neither cool nor warm. Less hassle. ;)

[Mrstran]

That's the thing, I've had like a yellowish blonde hair before ( usually when I don't tone for a long time after bleaching) and it looks just awful! It was too close to blended with my face, so I looked like a yellow mess. I do support others doing what their heart desires though.

That's the problem with blonde hair on me now. It has to be very ashy or it doesn't work. I so wish I could pull off that nice golden blonde though.

[ghanima]

After some study in these last days I found out at last, and I feel confident that this is it, that I am bright spring!
This has been REALLY helpful and inspiring, both in regards of what to do about my hair color and in regards to clothes, make up etc. I had known for ages about these seasons, but I couldn't pinpoint my type, because I didn't know it was possible to be a spring brunette, and I didn't know that skin undertones played such a big role in this typing. I think I will follow the general guidelines of bright spring, also with clothing, from now on. The little experimenting I've done today has been really successful! thank you for this thread Mrstran!

[lizardspots]

I found this website, which gives descriptions of the different colour seasons and their subtypes.
https://anuschkarees.com/blog/2013/09/24/colour-analysis-part-i-finding-your-type

According to this, I'm a deep autumn. Which makes sense, because the colours I gravitate towards are warm earthy dark colours, with occassional jewel tones. I guess this colour seasons thing is actually pretty accurate! Not that it will stop me from having clothes in other colours (which I do).

[Mrstran]

After some study in these last days I found out at last, and I feel confident that this is it, that I am bright spring!
This has been REALLY helpful and inspiring, both in regards of what to do about my hair color and in regards to clothes, make up etc. I had known for ages about these seasons, but I couldn't pinpoint my type, because I didn't know it was possible to be a spring brunette, and I didn't know that skin undertones played such a big role in this typing. I think I will follow the general guidelines of bright spring, also with clothing, from now on. The little experimenting I've done today has been really successful! thank you for this thread Mrstran!

That's wonderful you found what works for you, even with working clothing! It's a real struggle figuring all this stuff out I'll admit. Even I don't completely understand it all but still try. I'm so happy to hear that you were able to gain something from this. Very cool!

[Aredhel]

I found this website, which gives descriptions of the different colour seasons and their subtypes.
https://anuschkarees.com/blog/2013/09/24/colour-analysis-part-i-finding-your-type

According to this, I'm a deep autumn. Which makes sense, because the colours I gravitate towards are warm earthy dark colours, with occassional jewel tones. I guess this colour seasons thing is actually pretty accurate! Not that it will stop me from having clothes in other colours (which I do).

That's really cool! I'm a deep winter through and through, but I'm stubborn and only wear clothing in autumn colours.:p It's good to know what colours I should really try though if I ever decide to branch out to colours that suit me more.

[Milady_DeWinter]

I found this website, which gives descriptions of the different colour seasons and their subtypes.
https://anuschkarees.com/blog/2013/09/24/colour-analysis-part-i-finding-your-type

According to this, I'm a deep autumn. Which makes sense, because the colours I gravitate towards are warm earthy dark colours, with occassional jewel tones. I guess this colour seasons thing is actually pretty accurate! Not that it will stop me from having clothes in other colours (which I do).


That web is great! I've just discovered that I'm a very clear example of warm autumn... so of course henna worked great for my features lol. Also the colors are almost exactly the ones that I use to rock, that's nice :D

[Alex Lou]

After some study in these last days I found out at last, and I feel confident that this is it, that I am bright spring!
This has been REALLY helpful and inspiring, both in regards of what to do about my hair color and in regards to clothes, make up etc. I had known for ages about these seasons, but I couldn't pinpoint my type, because I didn't know it was possible to be a spring brunette, and I didn't know that skin undertones played such a big role in this typing. I think I will follow the general guidelines of bright spring, also with clothing, from now on. The little experimenting I've done today has been really successful! thank you for this thread Mrstran!

Awesome!

Imo, the color seasons are a great guide. But I notice for myself that I don't fit any palette 100%, so for those who have an eye for what looks good on them and what doesn't, I'd say trust your own judgment over the guide.

[hayheadsbird]

I'm guessing this system doesn't really work for woc :/
Apparently it's been updated now, quick Google found this. http://www.thechicfashionista.com/color-analysis-seasons.html

I know friends that have actually been and had a colour draping consult. I think someone basically uses swatches of fabric to compare against your face to get the most accurate match. Personally I find the whole system bewildering. All I know is yellow is not my colour!

[littlestarface]

Apparently it's been updated now, quick Google found this. http://www.thechicfashionista.com/color-analysis-seasons.html

I know friends that have actually been and had a colour draping consult. I think someone basically uses swatches of fabric to compare against your face to get the most accurate match. Personally I find the whole system bewildering. All I know is yellow is not my colour!

That goes double for me.

[triumphator!]

The day I realized I have neutral toned skin instead of cool toned skin, my mind was blown. I have dark hair and dark eyes, and was told I have cool toned skin my whole life. Turns out I'm neutral.

[ghanima]

That makes the two of you no-yellow-ers definitely rule out any of the three springs as your season.

Blown away is exactly how I feel. I had to take seriously each and every season before landing on the right one, as there were reasons for me to ponder on each of them, and then bam!... Now that I know it feels like an 'of course!', deep down I'd always known. And yet... I really didn't know!

I think that those who don't feel entirely fitting in their type may actually have mis-typed themselves, like I did until I didn't. I gave too much importance to hair color for ex., ruling out the blond seasons, funny thing is that the celebrities that are usually taken as spring or summer reference point are all box blondes!!! and then I found out that there were indeed brunettes in those seasons too. Mind you, as a child I was honey blonde and any good hairdresser spots it right away, and maybe that's the differentiating point? and a really blond and scandinavian friend of mine, appears to be a soft autumn, go figure, wasn't autumn dark?

A reason why I find having this point of reference very useful is that I am the kind of person who can talk herself into a mauve or a brown any time, I like each and every color so much! I admit I loose perspective. Having a clear type and a palette makes it all much simpler, no more ambiguities! Now it's very clear what works and what doesn't. I have verified it of course, and also to be honest, I have always known that I can take truckloads of saturation and contrast, and they just make my face jump out and bloom.

[Mrstran]

I'm going to have to find out what my season and colors are for fun. Still no clue. There are ways to see if you are cool skin tone or what not by looking at your wrist at your veins. (The only examining I've done) Mine suggests cool tone. That's as far as I got. Lol

[ghanima]

Warm/cool you can also see it in your hair, for confirmation. Do you have golden or red reflexes in them or are they ash colored?

Supposed that you're cool, a second question could be, do you usually go better with saturated colors or with muted colors?

[Mrstran]

I found this website, which gives descriptions of the different colour seasons and their subtypes.
https://anuschkarees.com/blog/2013/09/24/colour-analysis-part-i-finding-your-type
Ok I think I figured it out pretty fast with this website!

According to this, I'm a deep autumn. Which makes sense, because the colours I gravitate towards are warm earthy dark colours, with occassional jewel tones. I guess this colour seasons thing is actually pretty accurate! Not that it will stop me from having clothes in other colours (which I do).

lizardspots Thank you for posting this! It was extremely helpful to me and quite a few others I'm sure. Perfect for this thread. Do you mind if I edit the initial thread post with a credit to you with the link? (If I can get it to work)

[Mrstran]

Warm/cool you can also see it in your hair, for confirmation. Do you have golden or red reflexes in them or are they ash colored?

I'm cool toned in skin. I'm pretty sure. (Blue veins?) reading a sight I found in this thread (posted above) I found that I'm summer. I have very ashy blonde/ light brown hair. My hair and skin kinda does blend lol

[ghanima]

Wow that was easy! I'll have to send you those mauve shirts of mine...
Do you find you look best in muted tones?

[littlestarface]

Warm/cool you can also see it in your hair, for confirmation. Do you have golden or red reflexes in them or are they ash colored?

Supposed that you're cool, a second question could be, do you usually go better with saturated colors or with muted colors?

My hair is black but in the sun has this golden yellowy highlight, looks ashy in house lighting. My veins are very green and there is some blue/purpley veins at my wrist too, thats why I always get confused by those what color is your veins near wrist thingy.

[Mrstran]

Wow that was easy! I'll have to send you those mauve shirts of mine...
Do you find you look best in muted tones?

Yes! Except purple. I can't get that to work for some reason. How about you? What works or doesn't?

ETA sorry I meant do you have a clash in your matching colors lol

[ghanima]

You may be a Deep Autumn. Autumn is warm but bronze, nothing to do with Spring's yellows.
As far as I know the most important thing to watch is the skin, and in your case, if the veins are green, there's no doubt that you're a warm type. So going by exclusion, as you said that yellows don't agree with you, you must be an Autumn. Certainly not a Soft Autumn and not a Warm Autumn, given that your hair are so dark and that you also have some cool tones. Check a palette here (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/dc/f3/00/dcf3007f8dd575ae45db00763782d2c2.jpg)

[ghanima]

Yes! Except purple. I can't get that to work for some reason. How about you? What works or doesn't?

ETA sorry I meant do you have a clash in your matching colors lol
Of course, purple is not muted, only Cool Summers can get away with it because of vicinity to Winter, as far as I know. So you're left with either True Summer or Soft Summer.

I seem to be the perfect embodiment of Bright Spring. So far I haven't found anything that didn't fit. I am way less yellow and warm than the other two types of Spring, and can take plenty of saturation, the more the better.

[Ondine11]

Hmmm...I have what The Victorians called 'regular' features: oval face, balanced features. Despite having brown skin, my 5 Irish genes gave me a natural auburn/brown hair colour (with dark brown eyebrows. Really, Mother Nature: REALLY?!?) with that typical red head curly wavy texture. Against common sense, which says to learn to love what you have, I dye mine to a medium ash brown, to kill as much of the red tones as I can. I LOVE cool shades of brown hair & black hair. I also use a frizz-taming keratin treatment.

Having straight across bangs & long hair on the sides definitely elongated & narrowed my face in a sometimes unflattering manner. Having 'poofy' or BIG hair makes me look like a stick a voodoo priest would shake at some altar. I'm very short & very thin, so, the hair wears me. NOT cute. With normal volume & some waves, longer hair actually flatters my face shape. If it is flat-ironed pin straight, I need a side part, or it can make me look drab, at its current length (armpit) BUT, a funny thing happens with VERY long pin straight hair (tried clip in, classic length extensions just for a sneak preview. heehee!) it makes me look VERY young: even with a dead center part!

Face shape is one factor: the rest of your features also influences how long hair will look. IF you have a very prominent nose, center parted long hair just might drag your face down, as the eyes go straight to your nose.

[littlestarface]

You may be a Deep Autumn. Autumn is warm but bronze, nothing to do with Spring's yellows.
As far as I know the most important thing to watch is the skin, and in your case, if the veins are green, there's no doubt that you're a warm type. So going by exclusion, as you said that yellows don't agree with you, you must be an Autumn. Certainly not a Soft Autumn and not a Warm Autumn, given that your hair are so dark and that you also have some cool tones. Check a palette here (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/dc/f3/00/dcf3007f8dd575ae45db00763782d2c2.jpg)

Those are some pretty colors and fit me really good. thank you!

My face is oval shape, well every time I try to follow those ones where they say to draw your face on the mirror I always draw it and looks like that 0 shape. My skin when I get a tan is always greenish golden color. My skin now without tan is a light but still brownish green color with lots of yellow under it but my cheeks have this pinkish to it too.

[Alex Lou]

I think that those who don't feel entirely fitting in their type may actually have mis-typed themselves, like I did until I didn't.
Okay, well, I'm a ruddy redhead with golden freckles all over. But I'm not that pale for a redhead, there is some yellow in my skin. I've always known that there are colors that look bad on me just by looking at them, including true red and yellow, and yellow brown. Although I can wear orangy red or orangy-yellow. And I've been aware for some time of the colors that look best on me, the best of which are coral and dark blue green. I don't look great in the light blues of the spring palettes. My problem is, that in any of the autumn or spring palettes, there is one of the colors that I can't wear. Maybe the system just isn't fit for ruddy redheads.

[ghanima]

You sound to me a Warm Spring type, in some Warm Spring palettes (although not all of them) there's no light-blue, and instead there are many shades of Turquoise. See this (http://outfitideas4you.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/warm-spring-color-palette-shaded-spring-p-1.png) for example. Maybe you'd look good in turquoise - I think you would...
Anyway,there are within a palette colors that you wouldn't use for a whole dress or shirt, but can feel just right as a punctuation, used in an accessory or contained in a print. And they would give to the other colors some contrast that can look really good on your skin.

[Alex Lou]

You sound to me a Warm Spring type, in some Warm Spring palettes (although not all of them) there's no light-blue, and instead there are many shades of Turquoise. See this (http://outfitideas4you.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/warm-spring-color-palette-shaded-spring-p-1.png) for example. Maybe you'd look good in turquoise - I think you would...
Anyway,there are within a palette colors that you wouldn't use for a whole dress or shirt, but can feel just right as a punctuation, used in an accessory or contained in a print. And they would give to the other colors some contrast that can look really good on your skin.

See from that palette, I absolutely can't wear bright golden yellow, camel, warm olive, bright true red, clear red, warm red, lime. Aqua, and clear aqua are not good-I generally steer clear, along with violets. I can't even wear camel boots because it looks so bad against the skin of my legs. I suppose it depends on the definition of camel though. It's the yellowy ones that I have a problem with.

[ghanima]

Ah ok, ha ha! I don't know then... you've excluded a whole bunch of colors, light blues, yellows, reds, violets, lime, aquas. I guess you're favoring muted colors and /or neutrals then? I am not red-haired and have no experience whatsoever, I have just read up a few things in the last days. To me it took a while before I understood my type, it may be the same for you. Or you may not belong to a type at all, there's always an exception to every rule, right?

[Alex Lou]

Ah ok, ha ha! I don't know then... you've excluded a whole bunch of colors, light blues, yellows, reds, violets, lime, aquas. I guess you're favoring muted colors and /or neutrals then? I am not red-haired and have no experience whatsoever, I have just read up a few things in the last days. To me it took a while before I understood my type, it may be the same for you. Or you may not belong to a type at all, there's always an exception to every rule, right?


I can wear bright orange pinks, greens, and blue greens, yellow on the orange side, dark pinks and burgundy, red oranges, plum, and dark purple with a good dose of magenta in it even though I don't do well with magenta.

I do feel like my coloring is bright by default, which makes the colors that don't work look really obviously bad, probably moreso than for most people.

I think some of the autumn palettes are closer. I wish I could find the season color analysis thread. I think someone had suggested to me deep autumn.

[Robot Ninja]

I think some of the autumn palettes are closer. I wish I could find the season color analysis thread. I think someone had suggested to me deep autumn.

You mean this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=38350&)?

[ghanima]

I am sure that someone more knowledgeable could find a logic answer, and you also could give that answer to yourself by reading up on this subject and watching the palettes, if you're interested. As far as I can tell, which is very limited, the usual suspects for a red-haired are warm spring and warm autumn, but things may be more subtle than that, for you. You may also find out that colors you're not used to like on you are more becoming than you think, with the appropriate combinations and make-up.

Is there a season color analysis thread? I am going to look for it!

[Lady Stardust]

Ondine11 you made me laugh with your voodoo stick reference! I know exactly what you mean, you paint a very good picture! I get a similar effect from clothing with wide necklines or big lapels :)

Your point about different hair lengths is interesting, it's something I've been wondering about recently. In the past I've thought that longer hair could drag my face down, but then I realised that I haven't really noticed that on other people, their hair length can go up and down and not make a huge difference to how their face looks, and maybe I've been hyper critical about myself.

I've never grown my hair past shoulder length before. I have a theory that if hair is shoulder length, the ends are visible when you look at the face and so your eye is drawn down, and maybe this elongates the face? If the hair is very long, the ends aren't visible, so maybe the hair looks more like it's floating and then the face isn't elongated. Does that make sense?

[Alex Lou]

You mean this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=38350&)?

Yes, this one. :)

[lizardspots]

lizardspots Thank you for posting this! It was extremely helpful to me and quite a few others I'm sure. Perfect for this thread. Do you mind if I edit the initial thread post with a credit to you with the link? (If I can get it to work)

Of course Mrstran! I just did a quick google search and found it. :)