Colour Analysis Blog

Susan’s season confirmation and rating review

26th October 2022 by Fiona Mobbs 2 Comments

Initial colour analysis

Susan had been colour-analysed ten years ago as a “Spring”. She was very happy with this and had a wallet of her colour spectrum to help her shop for clothes, glasses frames, accessories like jewellery, bags and shoes, and makeup.

Stop The Clock!

The natural ageing process affects skin elasticity and shine, as well as hair colour. Sadly we can’t “Stop The Clock!”. Nowadays we are more aware of the changes our bodies experience, and there are specialist products for mid-life skin, as well as great hair dyes.

Susan’s story

Susan had decided, about five years ago, to embrace her natural grey as a “fact of life” and with the help of her supportive hairdresser grew the dye colour out over a couple of years.

This was all fine until someone made a comment which made Susan question whether she could still be a “Spring” with her more mature look, so she sought Fiona to answer the question.

What Fiona did

Fiona went to Susan’s home and spent time explaining how her eye colour hadn’t changed (beautiful clear blue eyes) and the natural pigmentation in her skin hadn’t changed. Fiona also explained that she sees different shades of grey in her clients, which she would describe as warm or cool. If Susan had been correctly analysed as a Spring, and Fiona had no reason to doubt that, then Susan’s natural grey would be a warm grey.

Fiona went through the “Spring” colours of her drapes and proved to Susan she was still a Spring and looked lovely in the warm and bright colours, but the way she may now look best was a slight tweak to the shades of her colours. Susan rocked the medium shades now, not the deepest ones of her palette.

Susan said she could see this, and that our time together had been very useful. Not only can she now be more confident with any new purchases, but as the time of year had changed, Susan had just got her autumn and winter clothes out. Fiona showed her what she had that currently worked in her work wardrobe, and together they identified a few key pieces that would give Susan a capsule wardrobe when she is on the lookout for something new. They spent time looking at combinations of colours as well, especially after Fiona explained the “colour wheel” and left Susan with a mini version to remind her of the discussion.

Whilst Fiona was there, she showed Susan how she could make some new outfits and how to use her scarves to make some wardrobe pieces work better.

Conclusion:

We should not need to change our palette (if we have been correctly analysed) as we age, but the way we wear it may change.
Further consultations with your image consultant are never wasted as there’s always more to learn.
Fiona gives confidence and excitement to getting your clothes and wardrobe the best for you, and she will be helping Susan look for new pieces when the time is right, now we are clear about Susan’s best colours.

If you would like to see how Fiona makes you love your clothes and look your best, please get in touch for your personal consultation. It will definitely be worth it. Call or message Fiona on 07469 246722.

Going Grey … Gracefully? Lynne’s story

28th January 2022 by Fiona Mobbs Leave a Comment

Our natural colour

I always admired others who had dark locks, as I thought their hair stood out. Mine, on the other hand (being “mousey”), I felt was “something and nothing”. (We are never happy with what we have, are we!) However, when I reached the 40 mark, I realised that I was lucky, as any grey I might have was better hidden, and some I knew were paying quite a lot more at the hairdressers to have theirs coloured.

As we age

So, it’s a problem we will all face, actually, whether our hair is fair or dark, and it is a question that crops up a lot with my clients – shall I just go grey gracefully (as many were forced to do during lockdowns) or what?

What I say to my clients is that Mother Nature isn’t cruel, and we will go a grey that suits our natural skin pigmentation, be that a “warm grey” or “cool grey”, so leaving your fate to nature isn’t a bad option. It is, of course, all about how you feel about it and of course adjusting our self perception when we look in the mirror.

Why I created the “Confidence With Colour & Style Cards”

But, I wanted to write this blog to highlight another issue which was brought to my attention again recently, and is exactly why I created the “Confidence with Colour & Style cards”.

Lynne’s story

Lynne recently acquired her “Summer” box, and told me that she had read through them all, enjoying being reminded of her colour analysis experience, which had been a few years ago, and how some of the messages in there had been given to her at the time (although she couldn’t remember what jewellery colour suited her). I know there is a lot of information that is given at a colour-analysis session, and that it is hard for most people to remember it all, which is exactly why I created these boxes of cards. However, there is also more in the boxes than most people will be told at their colour analysis session, as it is meant to help people go beyond their initial experience, and give them some more things to consider, especially for those that take a while to go back to their image professional for more.

Now Lynne was currently in the hairdresser’s and texted for advice on hair colour, as she thought she had been told to avoid “ash blonde”, at all costs, so usually went for a warmer colour each time since her colour analysis. Funnily enough, hair colour isn’t covered in the Cards “Starter Set”, but I advised that Ash Blonde was in fact a good choice for her as a Summer, and although she had already chosen today’s colour by the time I had replied (an hour later), she had decided to go away from the usual warm tones. As soon as Lynne got home, she reported her first compliment: “It makes you look younger.” Boom!

The moral of the story is that had Lynne not looked at her new box of cards, which is a new item available for clients who have had some input from a stylist, she might not have thought to question her hair colour. Somehow she had got the wrong end of the stick all those years ago – which of course can happen when communication is involved – and wasn’t reaping the full benefit of having had a consultation with an image professional. This too is the point, that she did not go back regularly to her consultant, or they might have been able to correct that misunderstanding sooner.

So, ladies and gents, hair colour is important to looking your best, and you do need to know what colours suit you if you are paying to have some colour added. Of course, some hairdressers are good at advising but not all give advice and leave it to you to choose.

If you would like to know what suits you and why, please get in touch!

Fiona

Your Colour & Style Consultant

07469 246722

New Year, New Hopes

4th January 2022 by Fiona Mobbs Leave a Comment

New hopes and resolutions

As we turn our attention to new hopes and resolutions now a new year begins, have you set any goals that involve a new career or career change, or maybe getting your first professional role, or perhaps you’re thinking of retiring this year?

Different life goals

Maybe you’re thinking about a different kind of life goal: like getting married or starting/increasing your family.

Colour can help!

Whatever you are planning and whatever you are doing, bringing colour into your life can help!

Colour connects to feelings

There have been all sorts of studies over the years about the best colours to make you feel energised or relaxed, and I know from my own experience of having a blue coloured bedroom that it never felt warm until we re-decorated it pink! There is a definite link between colours and our feelings, and colour can be brought into our lives from kitchen utensils, furniture and furnishings, as well as clothing, accessories and makeup.

Brighten your mood and your life will follow

I think if we are in a place of happiness we generally might be more inclined to dress in colour – especially yellow, orange or red – whereas if we are not in such a happy place we may be more inclined to dress in darker colours like deep green, dark grey, navy and black. Some people, and I am one of them, believe we can alter our state of mind by wearing colour too. So if, for example, you want to be more happy, if you dress in brighter colours, not only may you attract more comments (hopefully compliments) which will cheer you up, but the colours themselves will lift your mood. Try it and see.

So, if you are taking on new, difficult challenges going into the new year, would it be worth having a consultation with me to see how you can brighten your clothes to give you more compliments and confidence?

Colour is not a fad, nor random. It definitely impacts the wearer as well as those around them, and can be used for positive change. I know that from my own experience: the career door opened once I started wearing the best colours for me, and I have never looked back.

I look forward to consulting with you to see what your colour experience unfolds.
Fiona

Your Colour & Style Consultant
07469 246722

The importance of knowing ‘your’ colours

10th November 2021 by Fiona Mobbs Leave a Comment

Comfort helps performance

I think most of us are on board with the idea that dressing well can help us do better in a job interview, but could it also help us score better in an exam? Remarkably, yes it could. It comes down to two factors: self-confidence (helping to ensure we bring our ‘A’ game) and comfort (so we can focus on the task in hand). Studies have shown that how comfortable you feel in what you wear has a positive impact on your cognitive performance and helps reduce distractions.

Boost your confidence and comfort

One of the ways we can boost both our confidence and comfort levels is by understanding what colours – and shades of colour – suit our style, our body shape and our personality.

Colour impacts on a number of levels

Colour theory tells us that, as humans, we respond to colours on a number of levels. The most obvious is the visual or biological response, how the light from colours reaches our eyes and is interpreted in our brains. For example, bright colours will usually appear larger or closer to us, where darker or dull colours will seem smaller or further away.

Then we might have a psychological response to colours, often through years of association with a colour. The hint of a blue flashing light in your rear-view mirror and your sub-conscious is already planning your next move; you would respond differently if it was an orange or green flashing light.

A small step on from the psychological is our emotional response to colours. This could be a passion for pastels, because we associate them with the comfort of Grannie’s flowery blouses, to a hatred of purple because it reminds you of that horrible teacher from school with the purple tights. Of course, this varies with colour temperatures, tones and hues, so you might find there is one shade of purple you actually like!

We have a complex relationship with colour

Partly because of our complex relationship with colour, it becomes a memorable feature and the one we will refer to most frequently. “That red car you used to have…”, “Those silver sandals you picked up in Greece…” It also helps to explain the urban legends of the ‘little black dress’ and the ‘lady in red’ (both are feminine, confident and stylish but I’d bet the lady in the red is probably bolder!).

Colour can make you memorable or feel braver, or it can help you disappear into the background. It can make you look taller and slimmer, or like you’re a woman with the confidence not to give a hoot!

What about how others respond to colour?

For all of these reasons, colour is usually the top motivation for buying an item of clothing. But that purchase is based on how we respond to the colour rather than how others will respond to it, or if it will suit our skin tone, hair colour and body shape. To understand the responses of others, we need to step outside of our own reactions and see ourselves as others see us, through the eyes of a trusted friend or an Image Consultant. Yes, you might have picked a ‘statement’ outfit but is it making the ‘statement’ you think it is?

Finally…

Understanding the colours that suit you will mean you have a wardrobe that you can be confident in, where garments will often blend or tone well with each other. You don’t have to worry about whether anything really suits you or feels comfortable; instead you can think ‘how bold do I feel today’?

Tips for sticking with your colours

1st November 2021 by Fiona Mobbs 2 Comments

The goal of every Image Consultant is to leave our clients with a wardrobe of clothes that are not just ‘easy’ to wear but that make them feel good when they wear them. (As one friend put it “My wardrobe makes me feel like a million dollars without costing me anything like that much!”)

Hopefully, that confident feeling you have gained from your consultation will last forever (what incredible value for money!) and you will continue dressing with comfort and confidence for years and years to come. However, we are all only human and it is only human to have little lapses or to revert to old habits. How easy it can be to get carried away in the moment, only to find you have bought a really expensive cashmere sweater in a colour that makes you look ill every time you wear it!

So here are my five top tips to help you stay on track and carry your new-found wardrobe confidence into the future.

Your Image Consultant will have left you with your personalised selection of colour swatches so, of course, the ideal is that you take them when you go shopping. If you don’t want to carry the whole selection around all the time, could you slip a few of your favourite colours into you purse so they are always handy? And, with technology today, Fiona has created some that can be kept handy on your phone, so you need never be without them again!
Make a note of how you feel in an outfit (and if you got any compliments) to keep yourself motivated. It will help remind you that your colour selections really do suit you and make you feel ready for anything. Just a notebook by your bed would do; read back over your notes whenever you need a little boost.
In your wardrobe, try hanging garments in colour order: all skirts in colour palette order, all shirts in colour palette order and so on (rather than random shirts here and skirts there). It will provide a visual reminder of what your colours are, as well as what contrasts or blends well together. It will help make those wardrobe decisions on busy mornings a little easier.
If you do ‘fall off the wagon’ and buy something that doesn’t suit you, don’t despair. Make a mental note of how often you actually wear it (I bet you’ll go with the tried and trusted garments that you know suit you instead!). If it’s hanging in the wardrobe more often than not, could you dye it, dress it up or donate it to a friend who it will suit?
From time to time, remind yourself why you visited an Image Consultant in the first place. Remember the ‘old’ you, who never knew what to wear, worried about if things suited her and never seemed to have the same style confidence that others seem to have. You are not that person any more and it’s down to what you have learnt about your personal colour and style.

If you need more motivation, I have designed just the product for you. It is being launched this month (November), so look out for more information and how you can obtain yours through me.

What a delight! Carole needs bright!

13th October 2020 by Fiona Mobbs Leave a Comment

I met Carole earlier in 2020, when she'd just started her business as a 'Virtual Office Manager'. She seemed lovely (just the type of person who I'd love to work with). I kept meeting her at different events throughout the year. She saw one of my posts, which prompted a conversation about colour analysis, and you can read Carole's story about what happened from her perspective over on her website:

www.caaadmin.com/new-blog/colour-your-life-with-change

I was really delighted to help Carole examine her wardrobe in a new light. She now knows she needs light, 'warm' and bright colours to light her up and make her look younger and healthier. She's happier in her clothes too, and enjoying quite a lot of compliments from what she tells me! Funnily enough, she already had some great pieces in her wardrobe to work with, and can now be more confident to wear them.

What do you think?

Carole's "before" photo, wearing darker colours she now knows to avoid.

Carole's "after" photo: with blue and pink already in her wardrobe.

Carole wearing a black cardigan over a grey cami

Carole's colour analysis was conducted in September using the 'remote' process I devised during the Coronavirus 'lockdown' in March. My process is to post a goody bag of essentials to my client. When they receive it, a two hour Zoom call is set up. After that a one hour meeting is held at the client's home to finish off the process when allowed, and it can be safely conducted. The process includes information about the make-up and clothes you already own, and a wallet of 30 colours to represent your "season", if the process can be concluded this way. (I cannot guarantee it will work over the internet as there are some variables like lighting and screen colours. If I cannot be sure of the result I will tell you and we can make alternative arrangements, or you can have your money back.)

If you would be interested to find out how £150 investment in yourself can improve your life, please contact me on the number below. I look forward to your call or email!