Put the client first
It seems there are restrictive colour analysis systems out there which are upsetting quite a few image consultants. All the more reason for those of us with the common sense to question all this, stuff the system, and put the client first. Putting clients into boxes should be a hanging offence!
Kim, I’m curious as to your opinion of some of the other color analysis systems that I’ve come across. One in particular says that only skin matters when doing an analysis, not hair and eyes. They also say that ‘any hair, skin, and eyes can be any season’ (i.e a fair ivory skinned redhead with green eyes could conceivably be a winter). Do you agree with these ideas? Just for the record, I think it’s nonsense but would like your opinion. Clementburga
Dear Clementburga
I’ve had several people refer me to this particular system and ask my opinion.
Personally, I think trying to do an analysis based on skin tone alone is total nonsense. Your skin tone doesn’t change throughout your life. Any CSI will tell you that your DNA cannot change so quite how anyone could think that their skin colour can change is beyond comprehension.
But you can appear to look completely different if you change your eye colour by wearing coloured contact lenses.
A client of mine has pale slightly-olive-green eyes, Californian blonde hair and very fair skin. When we first met, she was wearing bright sea-green contact lenses and looked fabulous in Bright Spring colours. She could wear Chinese blue, bright leaf green, strong coral pink, etc. But with her real eye colour, these colours just overpowered her. You didn’t see Lynn; you saw the clothes, and that isn’t what colour analysis is about (well, to me anyway). With her own natural eye colour, she was a Light Spring and looked gorgeous in lighter warm colours.
And we all know how utterly different we can appear to look when we colour our hair.
You’ve only to look at celebrities for evidence of this.
For instance, Jennifer Aniston is (in her natural state) a dark-haired, bright-green-eyed Spring. With her famous muted caramel hair colour, she has morphed into a Soft Autumn and you have to look hard now to notice the bright green eyes.
And what about little ol’ me? I was dark haired for the first several hundred years of my life and looked utterly fabulous in brilliant white next to my face. It used to be my absolute best colour. However, I went pearl blonde a couple of years ago and now I wouldn’t be caught dead in just white next to my face; I look as though I need an immediate dose of oxygen! And even though I find that a large gin and tonic usually puts the roses back in my cheeks, it has momentary value only and can never replace wearing my pinks and plums instead.
It’s the overall look that matters
I absolutely agree that any hair, eye and skin combination can be found in all the seasons, all the tonal directions, all the expanded, extended, flow, or whatever system you use. For instance, the ridiculous idea that dark-skinned clients can only ever be Autumns or Winters is, as I can only repeat, completely ridiculous.
An image consultant friend with a black skin fell out with the company who trained her because they insisted that she had to be Dark (Deep) in their tonal system. This is total nonsense. She is absolutely Bright (Clear) and in the seasonal system is a Bright Spring. At the end of the day, the proof is always in the pudding or, in this case, the wearing of bright, clear Spring colours and she looks absolutely splendiferous.
I have loads of client examples of all the seasons with every combination of hair colour, eye colour, and skin colour.
Total pomposity
The problem, however, with the purveyors of all these types of restricitive, rule-driven colour analysis systems is when they think they’re the only ones that are right. It’s the total pomposity of it all that gets my goat.
We’re working with human beings, and human beings are a moving target. You can’t lay down strict rules and regulations when you’re working with the real thing. And attempting to put people in boxes (of any kind) should be a hanging offence – because it’s totally offensive to anyone with common sense.
And all their talk of ‘matching exactly’ is just not viable. Your client will never, in a million years, find in the shops an exact match to any swatch in her colour wallet. It’s patent nonsense.
Put the client first
It seems these restrictive systems are upsetting quite a few consultants out there. Marvellous news!
All the more reason for those of us with the common sense to question all this to
STUFF THE SYSTEM and PUT THE CLIENT FIRST!
Comment:
Just wanted to say what a sensible, helpful blog post today. The systems that say the skin tone is the only thing to look at do rather miss the point. And I am SO glad that it happened to you too! I really miss my brown animal prints but they just don’t do it for me any more. They make me look dirty and dull. If I had followed my instructions from Colourflair and others I would still be walking around in them feeling and looking drab. My sister went to Colour Me Beautiful and came back with a warm swatch (OK) and the brights add on. Now my sister may have bright eyes but her personality just doesn’t match those colours. She will never wear them, this is where the way you teach comes to the fore. Sue Carter, UK