Golden Globes 2013

The Golden Globes aired this past weekend, so you know what that means–time for another Color Right and Wrong! For my post on the 2012 Golden Globes, go here. Let’s jump right in!

Right

                

Alyssa Milano is an Autumn and looks gorgeous in this citron/saffron-hued gown. Amanda Seyfried is a Spring and looks pretty in her blush/ivory combo. Amy Adams is a Spring and looks fantastic in her pale-nued mermaid gown. Anne Hathaway is a Winter and looks stunning in white. Claire Danes is a Spring and is gorgeous in red. Eva Longoria is a Winter and stuns in black. Jennifer Lawrence is a Spring (her natural hair color is blonde) and looks fabulous in this coral-red gown. Jessica Alba is an Autumn and looks beautiful in her shimmery peachy-coral gown. Katharine Mcphee is a Winter and hits all the right notes in black. Olivia Munn is a Winter and is on the mark in her dress. Sally Field is an Autumn and looks regal in her navy gown. Salma Hayek is a Winter and gets it right in black. Zooey Deschanel is a Winter and this red looks great on her.

Right and Wrong

Connie Britton is an Autumn (her natural hair color is brown) and though this metallic gown reads warm, it is a bit too light for her. A deeper gold would have looked awesome. Halle Berry is an Autumn and like Connie, is  wearing a gown that reads warm but is too light. Isla Fisher is an Autumn and again we see an example of warm tone but too light (this is an absolutely gorgeous gown though). Jennifer Lopez is an Autumn and while the nude works, the white read of the lacy design distracts. Kaley Cuoco is a Spring. Her gown is the correct color for her season, but her makeup is way too dark. Lea Michele is a Winter. White works for some Winters but it’s hard to tell here since she overdid the tanning. Lena Dunham is a Soft Autumn meaning brown is in the ballpark, but she needs a brighter brown. Rosario Dawson is a Winter and while her mint gown is cool, it is way too light for her. Taylor Swift is a Spring and this chocolate gown is too dark for her.

Wrong

Debra Messing is an Autumn (her natural hair color is brown), and black does nothing for her. Hayden Panattiere is a Spring. This pink gown reads too cool for her. Jessica Chastain is an Autumn and this seafoam gown is ALL WRONG. Jodie Foster is a Spring and this deep, icy blue is a miss in color for her. Julianne Hough is a Summer so the gold accents of her gown are wrong for her. Julianne Moore is an Autumn. Black=blah. Kelly Osbourne is a Spring (her natural hair color is blonde) so this look is too cool for her (I absolutely love her entire look by the way, it just isn’t making her glow). Kerry Washington is a Winter and looks washed out in this sheer nude. Kristen Bell is a Spring, so this silver is off. Kristen Wiig is an Autumn and looks sickly in her black gown. Lucy Liu is an Autumn, so this secret garden is wrong. Marion Cotillard is a Winter and the orange dress was too warm for her (this photo makes it look more red, but it’s orange). Nene Leakes is an Autumn; this black and white frock does nothing for her. Nicole Richie is a Spring; this pale blue is simply wrong.

If you would like me to do a color analysis for you (includes blog feature with pictures and customized color shopping list with your own personal power color) that will bring out your own unique glow, contact me at glowingcolor@gmail.com for rates.

Alma

Today I am doing a semi-feature on Alma, a violinist from Spain. I say semi-feature because she wanted to keep her photos private, so this will just be text and my thoughts on her (she received her detailed list via e-mail).

Alma wrote in,

Dear Gem,

My name is Alma and I am from Spain. I have found your web page while surfing the internet and I like it very much! I have been searching for information to be able to determine my season color, but I don’t find a clear conclusion…

 

I have pale skin and I think I have cold undertones. I was born with a very blond hair, almost white, but with the time it went darker. Right now is brown though under light it has a bit of gold or red reflects. My eyes are brown or dark hazel (is not easy to say..). After doing myself some questionaries I though I was winter, because of the contrast between my white skin and the hair, also because I think my veins are blue (also not easy to say!) and because I think I look good in black, blue, etc… But then sometimes I read that winters can not have any gold reflect in the hair! And that makes me a bit lost…

 

With kind regards,

 

Alma

I can definitely say Alma was my toughest analysis yet! She sent me some baby photos and her hair was this beautiful, shocking white-blonde that served a striking contrast with her big, deep brown eyes. Her adult photos showed a lovely woman with pale skin and dark eyes and hair. I could definitely see why she thought herself a Winter. Let’s take a look at her interview Q&A:

What color do you wear the most? The color that I wear most is black.

What color do you wear the least? The color that I wear less…actually many, but probably it will be an orange, yellow…something like that.

What color do you feel sexy in? I feel always sexy in color black. Could be possible also a dark red.

What color do you get the most compliments in? People…used to see me mostly in black, so when I wear a blue or a red I get compliments I think. I have always heard from blue.

Looking at Alma’s photos, she definitely dresses like a Winter. She sent in lots of photos with her in black. In fact, she sent in over 20 photos and only 1 was in a non-cool color. I kept noticing something though. None of the colors (black, blue, gray, red, purple, white, light green) looked BAD on Alma, but something was a bit…off. There was no glow. Just contrast. I focused closer on the plums in a couple of photos. Hmmm.

Ironically, it was her baby photos that gave it away. One in particular. Baby Alma, white-blonde hair, deep brown eyes, light pink and white dress. It clicked.

Alma is a Soft Autumn. I did indeed see the golden undertones of her brunette hair she mentioned, but something in that baby photo brought it all together. I believe Alma gravitates toward the black and blues of her wardrobe because they provide that deep contrast between her pale skin and dark hair and eyes. We all love contrast; it definitely attracts the eye. But it does not glow, and glow is what we want.

This was also an example of how I do not really rely on the whole “blue vein/green vein” thing to determine someone’s season. I think that information is a bit outdated and can be misleading.

In her Color Shopping List, I suggested some colors to Alma that will probably overhaul her wardrobe in the future. I can’t wait to see the results!

If you would like me to do a color analysis for you (includes blog feature with pictures and customized color shopping list with your own personal power color) that will bring out your own unique glow, contact me at glowingcolor@gmail.com for rates.

Leila

Today I am featuring Leila! Leila is a pianist, songwriter, and a piano teacher who lives in San Francisco, California. Her band’s name is Rabbit Quinn and their first full album comes out this fall! See her fan page here.

Let’s begin with her Q&A:

What color do you wear the most? Black. Flatters the figure, easy to match.

What color do you wear the least? Stark white. Reds…I am a redhead (not naturally) and reds are tricky with red hair.

What color do you feel sexy in? Earthy greens. Red lipstick,  I feel feminine and soft when I wear peach or blue. Black, of course!

What color do you get the most compliments in? Red Lipstick, Orange, and any shade of green. There’s this blue scarf I got in Paris everyone loves on me. I included a picture….

Very interesting answers! Let’s take a look at Leila’s photos.

First, notice how different Leila looks with the red hair and the brunette hair? It’s almost like looking at a completely different person! I am noticing that Leila is falling into two extremes with her hair. The deep red hair color washes her out and makes her look a bit pasty. The brunette hair makes her look dramatically pale. Not bad, just very pale. We need some kind of balance between the two, but what? Keep in mind that her natural hair color is light brown.

In this first set of photos, Leila does not look bad, but the colors she wears are doing nothing for her. They are sitting on her. Surfing the Internet. Reading books on a Kindle. There is no harmony; no flow. Where is her glow?

Let’s look at Leila in warmer colors.

Are you seeing anything? A glimmer of glow? Yes? Particularly in the 2nd photo. That hint of gold and the general brown tones of the photo are bringing out Leila’s glow. You would be able to see it more clearly if her hair was a different color (especially in the navy dress photo). Leila is an Autumn. A Soft Autumn, just like Jo.

Notice in Leila’s interview that she wears black the most because it flatters the figure and it’s easy to match. This answer is extremely common, both in my color interviews and in general. Black is definitely a safe color. But for Autumns (and Springs), it really doesn’t do us any favors (besides the aforementioned figure-slimming effect). Leila wears stark white and reds the least. That’s a good instinctual move regarding stark white because for Autumns, stark white is a one-way ticket to Deathface-ville. The reds however, we can tweak. Especially if her hair color changes.

Now, Leila’s most telling answer may be when she tells the color she feels sexiest in. Earthy greens! That’s an answer I definitely don’t hear every day and it’s definitely a color that many overlook. However, earthy greens (the ones that lean more toward warm and muted; i.e. have more yellow in them) are one of Autumns’ strongest colors. It has become one of my favorites to wear as an Autumn and I tend to seek it out more. She also mentions she gets complimented in orange, another Autumn all-star color.

Leila loves red lipstick, which is always a sexy classic. In her Color Shopping list, I go over the best reds to look for, and what hair colors would bring out her natural glow. Leila needs to go lighter and warmer with her hair color, and I think the results will be stunning. Keep us updated, Leila!

If you would like me to do a color analysis for you (includes blog feature with pictures and customized color shopping list with your own personal power color) that will bring out your own unique glow, contact me at glowingcolor@gmail.com for rates.

Jo

Hi everyone! I apologize for the absence. Shortly after my last post I found out I am pregnant and the entire first trimester made me its bitch. There is just no more eloquent way to put that. That’s actual and factual. But I am feeling better and have returned! I have several posts planned, including Spring-specific posts on which I need to catch up.

Today I am featuring the gorgeous Jo from Scotland! Jo wrote:

Hello 🙂

I have just come across your website while trying to find some advice on what shade I should colour my hair. I am a natural blonde, although it has darkened over the years, and I am very pale.

I have tried several different hair colours over the years (mainly blondes – based on the opinions of hairdressers, make up artists and friends/family mainly) yet I still don’t feel like I have ever found the right shade for me.

I also struggle to find clothes that suit me and people always say I look tired, so I really think I could benefit from your expertise 🙂

Here is Jo’s Q&A:

What color do you wear the most? Probably black.

What color do you wear the least? Brown.

What color do you feel sexy in? Black, but probably because it flatters the figure more than anything else.

What color do you get the most compliments in? Pastel colours-lemon, lilac, baby blue, etc…

Now let’s take a look at Jo’s photos; cool colors first.

As you can tell from these photos (and Jo’s interview) she mainly wears cool colors. I see a range of things in these photos. In the white-based tops, Jo does not look bad, but the colors are just sitting on her. In black, cobalt blue, pure red, and light/bright purple, Jo looks washed out. Hmm, what about Jo in warmer colors?

And then….the heavens opened and the angels sang. Do you see the difference?? This dusty pumpkin color is marvelous on Jo. So she’s definitely warm. Since she’s a blonde, shouldn’t that automatically make her a Spring?

NEIN.

Jo is actually an Autumn, what is commonly referred to as a Soft Autumn (due to her light hair). Jo has the darker features that put her firmly in Autumn. Being a Soft Autumn is extremely versatile because you can wear a lot of the deeper colors Autumns love while still being able to wear some of the softer colors Springs love.

Jo’s photos fit her original inquiry where she mentioned that people tell her she looks tired. If Jo mainly is wearing cool colors that wash her out, she can end up looking too pale, sick, or tired. She wears brown the least, but a few items in different shades of brown; light, rich, and dark would look gorgeous on her. She admits she gravitates toward black because it flatters the figure (which is what a lot of people do), but once she branches out into the warmer tones, she will be much happier.

Regarding hair color, you can see in the photos where Jo’s hair is lighter or darker. She has colored her hair mostly in the lighter blondes and some darker ashier blondes while trying to get back to her natural color. A lot of these lighter blondes are also washing her out. Jo would definitely glow in some honey blonde to strawberry blonde shades, or if she wants to go darker, a rich warm brown would work (I included more details in her customized color shopping list). I suspect the compliments on pastel colors she was getting was more about the contrast with her light blonde hair, which is a common thing for people’s eyes to be drawn to.

Jo, get out there and add some Autumn colors to your wardrobe! I think you will notice an immediate difference.

If you would like me to do a color analysis for you (includes blog feature with pictures and customized color shopping list with your own personal power color) that will bring out your own unique glow, contact me at glowingcolor@gmail.com for rates.