why DO WE struggle To reach our ultimate potential for beauty?
Our personal image is the visual expression of our unique identity. Consciously or not, we take inspiration from the world around us and are constantly re-defining who we are and how we choose to express ourselves.
Where most of us go wrong is that instead of looking at ourselves as the starting point for creating our personal image, we often try to mould our appearance to the latest trends, social norm or gender stereotypes.
We know how we want to be seen and perceived so in theory starting with the outcome in mind should work. However in practice, this approach will only work for people who happen to have the body geometry and personal colouring that is 'socially matched' to their personality and taste.
Here is the problem...
If you are a softly spoken quiet person with a simplistic taste and your colouring turns out to be contrasting e.g. bright and clear, then you're pretty much screwed because if you wear 'soft and quiet' colours in order to express your personality then you're doing yourself a huge disservice. Brightly coloured people look washed out, puffy and frail in softly coloured clothing or makeup and if you're thinking that you couldn't possibly be 'bright and clear' in your colouring then I need you to consider this:
"A brightly coloured person will never know that they're coloured that way, if all their life they wear colours that make them look medium, 'mousey' and average."
This is not to say that your colouring will be bright or that it might clash with your taste. This is just to illustrate that personality and genetic design don't always align in a way one would expect so you must keep an open mind for all kinds of possibilities for the process to work its magic the way it's designed to.
So the reason why most people struggle to reach their ultimate potential for beauty is because they try to dictate to their bodies what it's supposed to appear like as opposed to looking at what their bodies already look like and allowing those features to determine what they should wear in order to achieve the desired image.
If you always choose your clothes (and makeup) based on your taste and personality without considering your body geometry and colouring, then you're putting your 'personal image fate' into the hands of luck. Because without procedurally testing all options and possibilities, you won't know for sure whether that hard earned cash you're spending is for items that will harmonise with your 'genetic make-up' fully, partially or not at all.
How colour analysis will get you 90% of the way there
When it comes to assessing your genetic attributes there are 2 important elements to consider:
- your personal colouring (which is your unique blend of coolness-warmness, lightness-darkness, clearness-softness and vividness-muteness ranges)
- your body geometry (which is a fusion of your individual curviness-straightness, tallness-shortness, narrowness-wideness and sharpness-bluntness scales)
Both geometry and colouring are very important components of your personal image, but here is why I recommend that you start by discovering your genetic colouring:
- According to research by CCICOLOR (Institute for Colour Research) people make a subconscious judgment about us within 90 seconds (!) and between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on colour alone. What goes on in the subconscious is out of our control, but in any case if up to 90% of how you're perceived is based on the 'subconscious critique of colours' then the single most important factor to consider when it comes to making a good impression is how you choose the colours you wear.
- as long as you wear your most flattering colours, regardless of whether the cut of your outfit is perfect or not, you're still going to appear confident, approachable, fresh and radiant every time.
If you take a closer look at the photos below, these women are not wearing 'perfectly fitting clothes' as such. Just a few pieces of fabric draped over their shoulders, yet their personality shines through effortlessly and every single one of them is glowing with health when wearing their best colours.
It's a beautiful demonstration of how you can have presence, charisma and a striking glow when you wear colours that are innately harmonious with your genetic design; and the pictures also clearly help visualise the findings from CCICOLOUR: that as much as 62 - 90% of the impression we give out is indeed based on colours alone!
How TO find your best colours?
There are pretty much 2 things you can do to find your own personal colour space:
- experiment at home by yourself, or
- go and see a professional colour consultant
If you're serious about building a successful image then I recommend you book a consultation with a certified analyst as it'll save you a great deal of time, effort and money even in the 'short run'.
Experimenting at home has it's merits too of course, so if that's the only option available to you then by all means definitely do it. It's much better than doing 'nothing' and if you have good colour vision then you might be able to eliminate at least your 'worst parts' of the visible spectrum to narrow down your options. (Colormunki has a fun, online colour vision test by the way - just search Google for 'Colormunki Munsell Hue Test')
If you decide to consult an analyst, make sure that:
- he or she works in a neutral grey environment (inc. walls, mirrors, table, clothing etc), because even the slightest amount of 'colour' can subconsciously interfere with the process and potentially influence the accuracy of your result
- only full spectrum daylight lamps are used to illuminate the room and you, because common household or industrial lights have varying colour temperatures and will interfere with your results
But most importantly...
- ask to see photographs of their work, because aesthetic harmony is subjective
Seeing client photos from your analyst is crucial because some of them prefer creating 'surface harmony' and others choose to seek 'undertone harmony'. Both methods are valid in their own right, but often bring different results. The easiest way to know if you and your consultant share the same 'vision' for optical harmony is to look at their work and see if you like the 'art' that they're creating. (You can see a selection of our client photos here.)
THE COLOUR ANALYSIS PROCESS
Your Personal Colour Analysis consultation at Chromology will take approximately 3.5 - 4 hours and costs £375, which includes:
- a 2 to 3 hour draping session, during which we compare 60 - 70 different coloured fabrics and their visual effects on your skin texture, bone structure and pigmentation, and at the end of which we determine your SciART™ colour tone
- a colour swatch book filled with 65+ of your best colours to help you with future clothing and makeup purchases and help you save a great deal of wasted time and money on potential shopping mistakes
- a demonstration of how to correctly use your colour swatch book, for which you are welcome to bring 5 - 10 pieces of your personal makeup, accessories and items of clothing to practice with
- with those who wear makeup we swatch makeup items and try on additional season specific lipsticks to demonstrate how colour cosmetics and clothes come together to support and enhance your natural colouring. *Please note that due to the nature of colour cosmetics being frequently discontinued, we don't guarantee that the examples we try on you will be still in production at the time of your session. The purpose of the makeup session is to check where you're at with your current makeup kit and to teach you how to look out for what is harmonious with your palette and colouring and what is off. Basically we want to supply you with the skills and tools for finding your best makeup colours rather than with a cosmetics lists that will go out of date too soon. That said many of the studio kit consists of brand classics, so if you need a quick pick-me-up item, you should be able to buy some of what we tried on without having to worry about getting stuck
- an optional free bonus at the end of your appointment is a short photo shoot in your best colours. The images are colour corrected and white balanced to make sure that each colour is as true to life as possible. If you prefer not to have your photos included in our portfolio you're also welcome to bring a camera and snap a few shots of yourself instead
Chromology is conveniently located inside the beautiful Light Centre Belgravia in Central London (SW1W 9LX) - just a couple of minutes walk from Victoria Train, Tube and Coach Stations. Kings Road and Harrods are also within walking distance, so if you're eager to start building a new wardrobe in your very best colours, you can hit the shops straight after your session.
Clients who discovered their genetic colours in order to build a successful image:
more client photos >>
"In the right colours your eyes sparkle, your skin glows, your presence is calm and your personality shines with confidence. In the wrong colours your eyes look indistinct, your skin appears patchy, your presence is weak & anxious and your personality just seems unexceptional." - Gabriella Winters, Chromology
Simply click the button above to reserve an appointment and join the dozens of men and women who have built the confidence and personal image they deserve thanks to colour analysis. This is what our clients have said after their consultation:
I cannot speak highly enough of Gabi and her incredibly talented eye for colour. I had the most exciting experience watching her work her magic. It was, quite literally, like watching myself slowly come into focus as she methodically worked her way through the drapes in a standardised and logical manner, explaining and showing each step of the way what effects she was seeing in my face in reaction to each drape, and what clues that gave us about my colouring. The story unfolded before my eyes, as I watched the definition snap into place on my face, the skin clear, the eyes deepen and brighten.
It has to be seen to be believed, and for me I am convinced it will be nothing short of life-changing.
Now I take my fan of colours with me whenever I go out. I've only bought a few new pieces of clothing so far but every one has had people telling me how well I look and how much that colour suits me. My eyes, my skin, my hair, even my teeth look better when I am wearing "my" colours.
There was one particular lipstick that I had previously reserved for an evening but hearing that I 'can' more than pull off a darker shade in the daytime, I went forth and wore said shade for the past 2 days. I have never received so many compliments. An absolutely positive experience that has made me feel more confident about embracing my darker shade as a full-time pursuit. The future looks brighter for me... in a dark winter kind of way, thanks to Gabi.
I learned so much in four hours with Gabi and it changed the way I thought about how colours work together and how they look on me. I was so impressed with her eye for colour - I wish I had it - and she took a systematic approach to finding the right colours for me: Bright Winter. It will take me a long time to put all that I learned into practice, and I think that's a good thing as it shows the depth of the whole process. The colour analysis was a gift to myself and it was well worth it - thank you Gabi!
LIFE WILL ALWAYS GET IN THE WAY AND IF YOU'RE READING THIS THEN THIS IS YOUR TIME.
MAKE IT COUNT!
REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT BE HESITATing
REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT BE HESITATing
"It's too far for me to travel"
Think about how far you're willing to travel just for a week or two's peace of mind when you go on holiday. What you gain from your personal colour consultation will last much more than just a couple of weeks' of comfort and joy. We're talking about life-long confidence and contentment, so if that's not worth a few hours of travel then you're probably not ready for this life-changing transformation yet.
"It's too expensive"
Too expensive compared to what? So how much is it currently costing you not knowing your best colours from your worst? Those tops that don't go with bottoms, the dresses that make you look 'blah', the makeup items that look a bit too unnatural. Can really you afford many more years of shopping mistakes to come?
"Other companies are cheaper"
Let me ask you this. Do you own the cheapest car, cheapest phone, cheapest house or cheapest clothes? I'm guessing the answer is 'no'. There will always be cheaper providers for everything you buy, so the real question is: what standards are you willing to settle for when it comes to your appearance? If you're serious about building a successful image then choose your analyst carefully. As they say 'you get what you pay for'.
Many of our clients have visited multiple image consultants before investing in our expert level services, only to become more confused and frustrated about what looks good on them. If you're looking for a highly technical and reliable service then don't waste your time and money on budget options. Instead, read our client testimonials and see what our happy customers say.
"What if it doesn't work for me?"
What if it does? Don't let your self-doubt play up. If colour analysis changed the life of so many women for the better, then why can't you be next?
What's your worst case scenario? That you won't understand how we got the results? The analysis process is thorough and participatory, so you'll know exactly how, why and what we're doing every step of the way. Or perhaps you worry that you might hate the colours that we find for you? Don't get me wrong it's possible that your results end up different from the colours that you're used to wearing. And if you normally gravitate towards wearing 'safe options' then it's possible that your new colours might feel intimidating, because they will present you in your best light and that can feel a little exposing and uncomfortable at first. But that unsettling feeling will dissipate as soon as you start receiving positive feedback all around you.
And I don't mean artificial feedback about how 'pretty' you look. People will experience you as more approachable, more confident and more accomplished at everything you do. Imagine how it will feel when people take you more seriously, show more respect and pay more attention when you talk.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to Contact Us or read our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
"One day you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you've always wanted. Do it now."
- Paulo Coelho, author