Around the summer of 2022, TikTok users’ for you pages began to fill with content surrounding the idea of personal color and its analysis. Whether it was simple filters with color swatches for people to compare their skin tone to or reviews of studios in South Korea with professionals who could tell clients if they were a ‘Spring Warm,’ ‘Summear Cool,’ ‘Autumn Warm,’ or ‘Winter Cool,’ teens and young adults started to become fascinated with where their skin tones stood. As the seasons turn into spring and summer, makeup routines and fashion styles may change to fit the new mood. Learning about the importance personal color analysis can provide you, along with the science behind it, may boost your looks for the upcoming sunny days.
The idea of personal color analysis, contrary to popular belief, has been around since the 1980s. CNN touched on this, stating, “Many women in the 1980s [… were] introduced to personal color theory by the artist Carole Jackson’s bestselling book ‘Color Me Beautiful.’ In the book, Jackson classified women into one of four categories, based on seasons of the year. These categories became a rough rubric for deciphering which colors would be the most flattering for their clothing and makeup choices.” Usually, personal color analysis aims to make your face and skin tone appear more vibrant and lively. Some tests may tell individuals to look at the color of their veins or if gold or silver jewelry look better on their skin to determine what they can categorize themselves as. The ideas presented in Jackson’s book later gained traction again during the COVID-19 pandemic as individuals became isolated and had to focus on themselves more than usual. South Korea, as mentioned, especially became quite fond of personal color analysis and started to bring its aspects into the entertainment industry. Sophomore Daphne Chen recalls this introduction of personal color analysis and says, “I have seen many beauty products marketing their brand identity and perks as different warm and cool toned eyeshadow shades. This is applicable to lip, contour, and blush products too.” With the constant uprise of K-Dramas, K-Pop, and K-Beauty, the rest of the world started to become curious about themselves in this realm too.
It is important, though, to acknowledge what makes personal color analysis work. Like some things in art, color theory is the foundation for personal color analysis. The Interaction Design Foundation explains, “Color theory is a concept used in visual arts and design that explains how colors interact with each other and how they can be combined to create certain feelings, moods, and reactions.” There are many elements that go into color theory, but basics like complementary colors (colors across from each other on the color wheel), analogous colors (colors next to each other on the color wheel), cool-toned colors (greens, blues, purples), and warm-toned colors (reds, yellows, oranges) are what personal color analysis really deal with. For example, junior Ryuya Yonekura uses the concept of complementary colors to note that “a lot of skin tones are orange based so blue would naturally compliment it.” Color theory also deals with lighting, which can differ at every place one is standing. Depending on the source of light like the sun’s rays, as senior Jamie Hsieh says, “The color of the sun will turn people and objects more towards the yellow part of their color spectrum.” This is especially important to remember when you are trying to find out your personal colors either alone or with a professional, as light can completely change how you perceive your skin tone and furthermore how other colors interact with your complexion.
As all things do, personal color theory has its pros and cons. On the positive side, knowing what colors truly boost your appearance helps narrow down the shopping experience and cuts down the amount of money you spend on products. Sarah Priest, interviewed by The Guardian, expands, saying, “I think it is super important for sustainable, slow fashion to know what colours actually look good on you […] It can stop you from over-consuming and getting trapped in fast fashion and trends.” Additionally, this concept can provide people with well-paying jobs as many turn to professional personal color analysts when categorizing themselves gets too confusing. The Japan Times states that “In the U.S., a three-hour long session at a place like House of Colour in Brooklyn, New York, can cost $545; in most South Korean studios, the rates hover from $80 to $160.” On the negative side, however, knowing your personal color analysis can limit your creativity when it comes to choosing outfits or makeup looks. You may be pushed away from amazing statement pieces just because they do not fit into your palette. Freshman Tina Chen says, “I think not everyone needs to follow [personal color analysis] but knowing more about colors [is not] a bad thing.It’s interesting and fun to learn about but don’t let it limit yourself!” Personal color analysis may also not be inclusive of all skin tones – especially those with much darker complexions. YouTuber Khensani Mohlatlole, interviewed by The Guardian, explains this frustration as a South African woman: “All these things are geared to white people. I mean, even if you look at the references of people they use, it’s like – are you fair and cool-toned? Are you fair and warm-toned? I don’t think any of these colour theories … were made with non-white bodies in mind.” This can dabble into the problem that makeup brands have when creating diverse complexion products. Many often fail to cater to deeper skin tones because they do not know what colors to mix together or furthermore how to utilize color theory in their products, often creating too red or too ashy undertones that do not suit any person’s skin. Learning about these little factors can help you truly determine what presence personal color analysis can or should take up in your life. Never feel pressured to conform to what is recommended to you, though – that goes for anything.
To this day, I still cannot figure out whether I am neutral-toned or cool-toned, nor if I am an ‘Winter Cool’ or ‘Spring Warm’. However, I never seemed to ignore Instagram posts on my explore page that tell me where I lean towards based on some of my facial features. The world of both personal color analysis and color theory has so much to offer and can become very useful to those like influencers, stylists, makeup artists, graphic designers, and businesses overall. There is endless amounts of information to learn about personal color analysis, as there is when learning about yourself. If you ever find yourself going down this colorful rabbit hole, remember that the things you love wearing (whether it be colors, makeup looks, or hairstyles) are what truly make you stand out. Not all rules are meant to be followed, and one size never really fits all, anyways.
