Top Tips on How To Be Your Own Colour and Make Up Consultant – by Jules Standish

Fri, Dec 11, 2009

This is the third instalment of Jules’s Top Tips, so read on to discover all you need to know about your getting the most out of your clothes.

Which category do you fall into?

Cool, Phlegmatic Summer

This complexion is usually light and rather colourless – never having red cheeks or broken veins although a general pinkness can cover the whole of the face. The eye pattern will be what is known as “the cracked glass” effect and is more often than not blue.

This skin does not tan well and should never go in the sun unless highly protected. Everything about the colouring of this individual is delicate and pale including hair and colours that are too strong may overpower the personality.

Top Tips

- Wear lots of lovely cool pastel colours of blues, purples and pinks which give the skin a fresh, soft glowing quality.
- Choose delicate fabrics, floral silks and soft cashmere.
- Keep make up simple with cool, blue, rose coloured foundations and purples and greys for the eyes. Lovely pastel pink lipsticks will finish off this look beautifully.
- Buy silver and white gold jewellery that glows but doesn’t sparkle.
- Use accessories that are soft navy and grey.
- Colour your hair in ash shades and go grey gracefully – it naturally suits you.
- Don’t put gold or red tones in your hair or go darker than your natural colour.
- Don’t wear colours that are too dark or strong, particularly black.

Cool, Melancholic Winter

The winter skin tone can be light or dark but will have a distinctive edge giving the whole appearance an unusual quality, even in black. Black is in fact their key colour with the absence of dark lines under the chin, shadows round the eyes and any lines on the face – the other seasons will all show signs of these when wearing black against their faces. This complexion has no high cheek colour, is very striking with a cool blue undertone. Look for long spokes in the iris of the eyes or deep crypts.

Top Tips

- Wear vibrant colours like rich reds and pinks combined with black and white for a dramatic and effective look.
- Covet black as it can be worn with or without make up day or night up against the face and provides the staple colour to this wardrobe.
- Enjoy luxuriant fabrics like satin and silk.
- Use cosmetics in strong, cool colours – foundations must have a blue base, blushers in pinks and blue/pink/purple eyeshadows all work in harmony with black mascara. To finish off the dramatic look of winter, strong fuschia or cool red lipsticks look best.
- Platinum, silver, white gold and diamonds are for you – all pieces that glitter and sparkle.
- Accessorise with black, navy and burgundy and white for the summer.
- Don’t wear muted, earthy warm colours.
- Don’t colour hair with golden/reddish tones they will clash with this cool skintone.

Warm, Sanguine Spring

These fun loving, vibrant women tend to have a yellow based skin which can vary from extremely pale to very dark but has a lovely healthy complexion often with high cheek colour and sometimes broken veins and possibly a tendency to blush! Skin when tanned will be golden.

The spring skin tone suits warm, clear, bright colours and their skin will have an even, golden, healthy glow when wearing them – a “peaches and cream” complexion. This is the only season that looks glorious in lime green. The spring eye is clear and can be either brown or blue sometimes with a yellow overlay making this eye appear green.

Top Tips

- Wear clear, warm toned bright colours with the neutral dark blues and greys.
- Bright gold jewellery that sparkles with pearls and bright colour jewels also looking great.
- Use foundations with warm peach or beige undertones, with green eyeshadows looking surprisingly fabulous to them! Purples and blue-greens work beautifully too along with golds for a stunning party look. Lip colour should complement the “peaches and cream” complexion in apricot and coral tones.
- Highlight and colour hair with golden shades.
- Accessorise with brown, cream and red.
- Don’t put an ash rinse in the hair it will cool it down and affect the skin.
- Don’t wear black up against the face it will highlight all the negative dark areas, shadows and lines.

Warm, Choleric Autumn

Autumn complexions can vary from very light to very dark but generally the colouring is rich and the skin may appear to have a lovely metallic sheen to it being able to wear a lot of make up without looking unnatural. As autumns tend to be dynamic and confident they love to wear strong muted earth tones. The eyes can be green or brown and sometimes blue, but the key here is to notice “petals or pockets” in the iris.

Top Tips

- Wear earth tones especially orange, olive green and all the browns.
- Tweeds and velvets are great fabrics on you.
- Your jewellery is antique gold and chunky combined with semi precious stones.
- Use peach and beige foundations with shades of reddish or golden brown blushers combined with brown and gold eyeshadows. They can also look great with greens and mauves on their eyes too. Lips can be made to harmonise by using brown, orange or warm red.
- Accessorise with cream, tan or other earthy combinations.
- Choose warm reds and browns to enhance the hairs natural sheen.
- Don’t put ashy or silver tones in hair.
- Don’t wear black up against the face unless it has a copper sheen to it.
- Don’t wear pink it will cool down this very warm skin tone.

For more information on colours and make up, styling and wardrobes go to www.colourconsultancy.co.uk.

Don’t miss next week’s top tips from Jules.