By Fiona Ingham
The latest from our House of Colour blogger Fiona Ingham
You probably already have a strong sense of which colours suit you best but if, like us, you really want to understand exactly which shades perfectly suit your skin tone, which are your best neutrals and what exactly are your 'Wow!' colours, then colour analysis could be for you.
House of Colour consultant and HBB blogger, Fiona Ingham answers some of our questions:
So why should you invest in colour analysis?
Firstly, because whatever your age or gender, wearing the right colours will make you look your best, with glowing skin, fine lines and dark circles reduced and the jawline defined. Your eye colour will look brighter and natural hair colour be enhanced. Clients are astonished to see the difference when draped in flattering colours.
How does it work?
Colour analysis discovers your best neutrals as a great basis to the wardrobe. For some this will be pure white through all the greys to charcoal and black, for me it's cream through the beiges, camels, coffees to darkest chocolate. There is a specific navy in each section. You'll be introduced to your bright colours too. It's so easy to be adventurous and wear a splash of fuchsia or buttercup yellow if you're certain it looks good. There's no need to get rid of all 'wrong' colours, although some clients do, but you can just make a start by getting great colours around your face, maybe as a scarf or top.
What's the benefit?
In the 90's the desire to be simply the best, to Dress for Success was a major impetus in 'doing Colours' but now clients want a more sustainable wardrobe, which meets the #30wears challenge. They aim to buy smart and less, eliminating mistake buys, wearing everything and so trying to avoid contributing to global textile waste.
Hannah Betts of the Sunday Times Style Magazine discovered that jewel winter colours suited her best and wrote that wearing our right colours "gives a kind of superpower and visual charisma"
Clients report that they feel more confident and save time, stress and of course money by knowing exactly what works and disregarding the rest.
You use a 'seasonal' colour analysis system, how does this work?
The colour wheel is divided into four sections, given the seasons names as a shorthand description. You discover which section your colouring fits into. If your skin undertone, eyes and hair colour need warm colours you will be an Autumn or Spring. Winters and Summers colours are cool. There always are surprises so it's wise not to self-diagnose or make assumptions in advance!
We work with specific contrasts from 144 precision dyed drapes. You can wear almost every colour but will discover the right hue. Make- up colours, including a range of lipstick colours are chosen. This is often a revelation for clients who suddenly discover a lipstick they love.
You don't simply learn your season, but the best colours within that season, aka your Wow colours! You take away a leather wallet with colour swatches to make colour matching easy and an individualised booklet to ensure that you shop effectively.
Fiona Ingham
Consistent holder of the House of Colour Star Consultant award each year since 1991 plus the new Double and Triple Star Consultant award for 2020. Winner of the Business Development Award and Team Productivity Award and also a 2017 Livewire Innovation and Excellence Award.
Colour Analysis can be a private, Individual session or Duo session where two friends attend together in the Primrose Hill studio.
Personal Style can be an Individual session or a Duo session for two friends in the studio OR an Individual session on Zoom for clients who live further away.
Please email or call for full information.
Fiona.ingham@houseofcolour.co.uk
@fionainghampresentation
07791 507534