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    • color analysis faq
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      • Please explain WARM and COOL.
      • Please explain BRIGHT and SOFT.
      • Please explain CONTRAST.
      • Is color analysis just for white people?
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    • ♂ DRAMATIC style type
    • ♂ NATURAL style type
    • ♂ GAMINE style type
    • ⚥ CLASSIC style type
    • ♀ INGENUE style type
    • ♀ ROMANTIC style type
    • ♀ ETHEREAL style type
    • Blends of 2 types
      • ⚥ ♂ Classic Gamine -- The Prep Schooler
      • ⚥ ♀ Classic Ingenue -- The Class President
      • ⚥ ♂ Dramatic Classic -- The Art Critic
      • ♂ ♂ Dramatic Gamine -- The Punk Rocker
      • ♀ ♂ Dramatic Ingenue -- The Childlike Czarina
      • ♂ ♂ Dramatic Natural -- The Amazon Queen
      • ⚥ ♀ Ethereal Classic -- The Delicate Sophisticate
      • ♀ ♂ Ethereal Dramatic -- The Sorceress
      • ♀ ♂ Ethereal Gamine -- The Sprite
      • ♀ ♀ Ethereal Ingenue -- The Fairy
      • ♀ ♂ Ethereal Natural -- The Earth Goddess
      • ♀ ♂ Gamine Ingenue -- The Girlish Mod
      • ⚥ ♂ Natural Classic -- The Prep
      • ♂ ♂ Natural Gamine -- The Tomboy
      • ♀ ♂ Natural Ingenue -- The Outdoorsy Sweetheart
      • ⚥ ♀ Romantic Classic -- The Sexy Sophisticate
      • ♀ ♂ Romantic Dramatic -- The Vamp
      • ♀ ♀ Romantic Ethereal -- Aphrodite
      • ♀ ♂ Romantic Gamine -- The Firecracker
      • ♀ ♀ Romantic Ingenue -- The Demure Seductress
      • ♀ ♂ Romantic Natural -- The Babe Next Door
    • Blends of 3 Types
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Classic-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♂ ♂ Dramatic-Classic-Gamine
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Dramatic-Classic-Ingenue
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Dramatic-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♂ ♂ Dramatic-Natural-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♂ Dramatic-Natural-Gamine
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Dramatic-Natural-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Classic-Gamine
      • ⚥ ♀ ♀ Ethereal-Classic-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Dramatic-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Ethereal-Dramatic-Gamine
      • ♀ ♂ ♂ Ethereal-Dramatic-Natural
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Dramatic-Ingenue
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Natural-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Ethereal-Natural-Gamine
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Natural-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♂ ♂ Natural-Classic-Gamine
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Natural-Classic-Ingenue
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Natural-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Classic-Gamine
      • ⚥ ♀ ♀ Romantic-Classic-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Dramatic-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Romantic-Dramatic-Gamine
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Dramatic-Ingenue
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Romantic-Dramatic-Natural
      • ⚥ ♀ ♀ Romantic-Ethereal-Classic
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Ethereal-Dramatic
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Ethereal-Gamine
      • ♀ ♀ ♀ Romantic-Ethereal-Ingenue
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Ethereal-Natural
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Natural-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Romantic-Natural-Gamine
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Natural-Ingenue
  • Shop
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  • home
  • Blog
  • Color Analysis
    • Virtual Color Analysis
    • your season's makeup list
    • What Season Are You?
      • home color analysis
      • Color Analysis Quiz
    • SPRING
      • Bright Spring
        • Your Bright Spring look
        • Bright Spring Celebrities
      • True Spring
        • Your True Spring look
        • True Spring Celebrities
      • Light Spring
        • Your Light Spring look
        • Light Spring Celebrities
    • SUMMER
      • Light Summer
        • Your Light Summer look
        • Light Summer Celebrities
      • True Summer
        • Your True Summer look
        • True Summer Celebrities
      • Soft Summer
        • Your Soft Summer look
        • Soft Summer Celebrities
    • AUTUMN
      • Soft Autumn
        • Your Soft Autumn look
        • Soft Autumn Celebrities
      • True Autumn
        • Your True Autumn look
        • True Autumn Celebrities
      • Dark Autumn
        • Your Dark Autumn look
        • Dark Autumn Celebrities
    • WINTER
      • Dark Winter
        • Your Dark Winter look
        • Dark Winter Celebrities
      • True Winter
        • Your True Winter look
        • True Winter Celebrities
      • Bright Winter
        • Your Bright Winter look
        • Bright Winter Celebrities
    • color analysis faq
      • frequently asked questions
      • Please explain WARM and COOL.
      • Please explain BRIGHT and SOFT.
      • Please explain CONTRAST.
      • Is color analysis just for white people?
    • for men
  • Style Analysis
    • Book your virtual style analysis
    • ♂ DRAMATIC style type
    • ♂ NATURAL style type
    • ♂ GAMINE style type
    • ⚥ CLASSIC style type
    • ♀ INGENUE style type
    • ♀ ROMANTIC style type
    • ♀ ETHEREAL style type
    • Blends of 2 types
      • ⚥ ♂ Classic Gamine -- The Prep Schooler
      • ⚥ ♀ Classic Ingenue -- The Class President
      • ⚥ ♂ Dramatic Classic -- The Art Critic
      • ♂ ♂ Dramatic Gamine -- The Punk Rocker
      • ♀ ♂ Dramatic Ingenue -- The Childlike Czarina
      • ♂ ♂ Dramatic Natural -- The Amazon Queen
      • ⚥ ♀ Ethereal Classic -- The Delicate Sophisticate
      • ♀ ♂ Ethereal Dramatic -- The Sorceress
      • ♀ ♂ Ethereal Gamine -- The Sprite
      • ♀ ♀ Ethereal Ingenue -- The Fairy
      • ♀ ♂ Ethereal Natural -- The Earth Goddess
      • ♀ ♂ Gamine Ingenue -- The Girlish Mod
      • ⚥ ♂ Natural Classic -- The Prep
      • ♂ ♂ Natural Gamine -- The Tomboy
      • ♀ ♂ Natural Ingenue -- The Outdoorsy Sweetheart
      • ⚥ ♀ Romantic Classic -- The Sexy Sophisticate
      • ♀ ♂ Romantic Dramatic -- The Vamp
      • ♀ ♀ Romantic Ethereal -- Aphrodite
      • ♀ ♂ Romantic Gamine -- The Firecracker
      • ♀ ♀ Romantic Ingenue -- The Demure Seductress
      • ♀ ♂ Romantic Natural -- The Babe Next Door
    • Blends of 3 Types
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Classic-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♂ ♂ Dramatic-Classic-Gamine
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Dramatic-Classic-Ingenue
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Dramatic-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♂ ♂ Dramatic-Natural-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♂ Dramatic-Natural-Gamine
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Dramatic-Natural-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Classic-Gamine
      • ⚥ ♀ ♀ Ethereal-Classic-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Dramatic-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Ethereal-Dramatic-Gamine
      • ♀ ♂ ♂ Ethereal-Dramatic-Natural
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Dramatic-Ingenue
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Natural-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Ethereal-Natural-Gamine
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Ethereal-Natural-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♂ ♂ Natural-Classic-Gamine
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Natural-Classic-Ingenue
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Natural-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Classic-Gamine
      • ⚥ ♀ ♀ Romantic-Classic-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Dramatic-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Romantic-Dramatic-Gamine
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Dramatic-Ingenue
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Romantic-Dramatic-Natural
      • ⚥ ♀ ♀ Romantic-Ethereal-Classic
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Ethereal-Dramatic
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Ethereal-Gamine
      • ♀ ♀ ♀ Romantic-Ethereal-Ingenue
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Ethereal-Natural
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Gamine-Ingenue
      • ⚥ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Natural-Classic
      • ♂ ♂ ♀ Romantic-Natural-Gamine
      • ♀ ♀ ♂ Romantic-Natural-Ingenue
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Truth is Beauty 

Makeup Guides Are Finally Here!

8/23/2021

55 Comments

 
For several years, my readers have been asking for makeup guides for each of the 63 style types.   I started doing the research necessary to create these guides in 2017, and I'm finally done!​​
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Your makeup's color palette comes from your color season. But two women with the same color season  won't apply makeup the same way to look their most beautiful.

Have you ever wondered why certain makeup trends -- a matte lip, a cat eye, contoured cheeks -- just don't work for you, even when you know that the colors you're using harmonize with your skin?

The reason is that the lines of your face, which determine your style type, harmonize with certain makeup looks and not others. 

Not everyone looks harmonious with fuller lips.

Not everyone looks harmonious with contoured cheekbones.
Not everyone looks harmonious with a smoky eye.
Not everyone looks harmonious with ​delicate, plucked brows. 

Here are two pics of me in two different makeup looks. In both pics, I'm wearing Soft Autumn colors. But I think you'll agree that I'm lovelier in the pic on the right than the pic on the left. 
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My style type is Ethereal Natural, and the pic on the right shows me in an Ethereal Natural makeup look.
The pic on the left is a look with elements of Classic, Romantic, and Dramatic -- all essences that are unimportant for me. 

On the right, my skin finish is less powdery and matte, my eyebrows are less intense, I'm not wearing foundation, my makeup's overall level of contrast is lower, and my overall impression is less made-up. These are all features of an Ethereal Natural makeup look. 

Now, if I were a Romantic-Dramatic-Classic, chances are I would look gorgeous in a more matte, more made-up, higher-contrast look. Angelina Jolie is a Romantic-Dramatic-Classic, and that kind of makeup look is gorgeous for her:
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It's interesting to note that Jolie and I both have the same Soft Autumn color palette.  Yet because the geometry of her face is Romantic, Dramatic, and Classic, her best makeup look is much more sexy, intense, and traditionally feminine than mine. My best makeup ​look combines Natural's no-makeup aesthetic with Ethereal's lightness and delicacy. 

​
The makeup guides are about 30 pages long. Here's what each guide includes:

  • Specific, illustrated instructions for how to express each of your essences in the following aspects of your look:
    • overall contrast level
    • color
    • lines and blending
    • skin finish
    • contour and highlighting
    • eyes
    • brows
    • cheeks
    • lips
  • Ideas for how to combine your essences to create your makeup look
  • Several full-color examples of your style type's makeup look, with annotations explaining how each example expresses your style type.
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  • Guidance for how to determine which of your  facial features corresponds to each essence
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​
Since I expect a high volume of initial orders, please allow UP TO A WEEK for your makeup guide to be delivered by email. All guides will eventually be instant downloads; at that point, you won't have to wait. :-)
Order your makeup guide here!
55 Comments

All Makeup Lists 20% Off!

8/12/2019

1 Comment

 
Once we turn the corner from July into August, I start to think about summer ending, and I feel a little bummed. Maybe you feel that way too.

To cheer us all up, I'm discounting makeup lists 20% this week.  :-)
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From now through August 19th, use the code SUMMERMAKEUP to get 20% off of your seasonal makeup list. 

If you're still not sure what your color season is, this is the perfect time to buy a seasonal list, Take it into Ulta or Sephora, and try some products. When you're using the list that is right for you, you'll see that product after product looks amazing on you. 

Have I told you lately how powerful it is to own your seasonal makeup list?

Every one of the hundreds of products on the list matches one of the colors in your seasonal palette. That means every product is harmonious with your skin. Every lipstick and blush is one of your reds or pinks. Every eyeliner and eyeshadow is one of your greys or browns (or blues, or greens, or purples, if you feel like getting creative.) 


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It's been more than 10 years since I started using only makeup that matches the Soft Autumn palette. So that's ten years since I got off of the makeup merry-go-round. 

​Not once in the last ten years have I bought a lipstick because a magazine told me it was in style, or it was a "universally flattering" color. (There's no such thing!)
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Not once in the last ten years have I bought an eyeshadow because I thought it looked awesome, only to have it look awful on my face.

​I spend very, very little money on makeup now. I use every product until the pan or tube is empty, because everything I buy looks great on me. I have one extended-wear lipstick that's perfect for me, and I buy it in bulk on eBay. (I actually buy most of my makeup online; I just order from my list.) And I have one lippie I use for a fancy night out -- it's Soft Autumn's version of a deep red.  (Dozens of products match this exact shade of red, but the one I use is Tarte Tarteist in Bling.)

​
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Soft Autumn's version of a deep red.
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And my S.O. still doesn't realize when I'm wearing makeup. That's because my makeup colors blend perfectly with my natural coloring. (I had at least five products on in the photo at the top of this page, but he had no idea.)

 ​Remember -- use SUMMERMAKEUP   to get 20% off, this week only!

Soft Summer makeup list

$15.99
Add to Cart

Bright Spring makeup list

$15.99
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Bright Winter makeup list

$19.99
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Light Spring makeup list

$15.99
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True Spring makeup list

$15.99
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Light Summer makeup list

$19.99
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True Winter makeup list

$19.99
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True Autumn makeup list

$15.99
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True Summer makeup list

$19.99
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Dark Autumn makeup list

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Dark Winter makeup list

$19.99
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Soft Autumn makeup list

$19.99
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1 Comment

Find your Best Lip Colors

3/4/2019

24 Comments

 
Last week I talked about the fact that, though all of your palette colors are gorgeous on you somewhere, they don't all look natural on your lips. 

Now I want to describe a good way to figure out which of your palette colors are best on your lips. 

In a nutshell, the colors that will look most natural on your lips are
 - your MLBB,
- darker versions of your MLBB, and
- a handful of colors very close in hue and value to these

Your MLBB is your "my lip but better" lip color. You may already have a lippy in your stash that you know is your MLBB. If you don't, stand in front of a mirror with your palette and locate the peach, pink, red, or violet that is precisely as dark as your lip and the closest to it in warmth or coolness. (Your natural lip color will be less saturated than any  of these palettte colors; you're basically finding the more saturated version of your natural lip.) 

A lippy that's an  MLBB will always look natural on you. Additionally, colors that are the same hue as your MLBB but darker will also look natural on you. Going very dark within your MLBB hue might be your evening lip, but it won't look unnatural.

In general, avoid opaque colors that are lighter than than your MLBB. This usually looks unnaatural. 

The other colors that will look most natural on your lips will be the colors closest in hue to your MLBB, and as dark or darker.  So if you're a Bright Spring whose MLBB is on your fuchsia strip, you may indeed be able to wear one of Bright Spring's violets as a lippy; the violets are close in hue to the fuchsias. You will find less luck with one of BSp's orange lippies, because orange is pretty far  from fuchsia. 
My MLBB is a neutral Soft Autumn pink that's medium-dark.  I'll wear other pinks and reds that are very close to this color in hue, but I won't go all the way to a Soft Autumn brown -- even though those lippies exist.
​Also, I'll go darker than my MLBB, but not lighter. 
​A lippie lighter in than your natural lip rarely looks natural. 
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This pink is beautiful on me in a dress, or as lingerie, but it looks weird as an opaque lippy, because it's much lighter than my natural lip.
If a lippy matches one of the pinks or peaches that's lighter than my MLBB, I'll only buy it as a balm or gloss; anything lighter that's also opaque looks a little strange on me. ​​​
Tarte Quench Lip Rescue in Nude is an MLBB for me. It's easy to throw on when I want some moisture but I don't feel like bothering too much with makeup.

CoverGirl Outlast in Wine to Five is a slightly darker version of my MLBB. It's been my staple daytime lippy for about five years; I order it in bulk on eBay or Amazon. 

My sexy lippy these days is Tarte Tarteist in Bling, which is a very deep version of my MLBB. It's a Soft Autumn red lip -- which means it's striking on me, and would be rather blah on most other seasons.  :-)

Though they vary quite a bit in value, all three of these lippies are similar in hue.
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If I feel like it, I''ll go somewhat warmer or somewhat cooler within my palette. But I won't stray super-far from this central MLBB hue, and I won't go lighter in value, unless it's a gloss.

And this is what I recommend you do as well:
Find the hue that looks most natural on your lips, and choose lippies that stay relatively close to that hue.

For example, if your MLBB is an orange, experiment with your reds -- but don't stray all the way to a violet, unless you  want to make a statement.  :-) 

And if your MLBB is a violet, experiment with your reds and purples -- but don't stray all the way to orange.

When you know your  MLBB, use your seasonal makeup list and a computer to find the lippies from the list that will look the most natural on your face.

(Computer images aren't completely color-accurate, but you don't need them to be if you have the seasonal makeup list; if it's on the list, it's a color from your season.)

Just check the computer image to make sure the hue and value of the lippy seem right for your lips. Then buy it! 




​
This post was originally published in March of 2017. 
24 Comments

Can't I Wear All of  My Colors on My Lips?

2/25/2019

43 Comments

 
In seasonal discussion groups, women spend a lot of time working out which palettte-matching lipsticks and glosses are their best colors.

Why should they have to spend time answering this question? Aren't all of the peaches, pinks, reds and violets in your palette automatically good lip colors for you?

Not exactly.

Every color in your palette is a color that harmonizes with your natural coloring somehow. 

But not every color will actually look good on your lips. 
​
Your right colors look right because they look natural. So if you wear them in an unnatural way, they won't look right.

​Consider my Soft Autumn palette:
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All of these colors look amazing on me. But not every one of these colors would look natural on my lips. 

Would I wear the greens or blues on my lips? No way.  It would look completely unnatural. That goes without saying, right?
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I also woudn't wear one of my neutrals on my lips. None of them looks natural on my face. 

​This brown, for example, is one of my favorite colors for pants. But you can see it doesn't belong on my lips. It's unnatural for that part of my body, and so it looks bleh.
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So far, these decisions seem self-evident. But let's move around the wheel into the range where we expect to find our lip colors: the purples, pinks, peaches and reds.

​Here's me wearing one of my dark purple-browns as a lippie:
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This color, though gorgeous on me as an evening gown, still isn't natural  on my lips... despite the fact that I can find lippies in the drugstore that swatch this color. Now, if I want to make a statement with my lippy, this could be a good choice for me... but most of the time, I just want to look like the most beautiful verison of myself. And this lippy's not helping me do that. 
​Now, this pink isn't that far from the unnatural purple-brown -- yet it's great! Now we're finaly into the section of the Soft Autumn palette that actually looks natural on my lips.
​
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Every peach, pink, red and purple in your palette looks natural on you somewhere.

But not every peach, pink, red and purple  in your palette looks natural on your lips. 

This is where many of us -- Winters and Bright Springs in particular -- can get lost. 

For example, there are plenty of lipsticks that match Bright Spring's violets. 
​

But a Bright Spring who expects a BSp violet lippy to look natural on her lips may be disappointed.  (Soft Autumn's dark purple sure doesn't look natural on my lips!)
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The peaches, pinks, reds and purples in your palette that will look natural on your mouth are a smaller subset of your total set of peaches, pinks, reds and purples.  

​It can be tough to know where the line is.

My unnatural-looking brownish- purple isn't really that far away from my natural-looking  pink: 
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So you're probably wondering, "How can I know which of my peaches, pinks, reds and purples will actually look natural on my lips?"

It's not too difficult. This post is getting long, so I'll publish the second half, in which I describe how to find the best colors for your lips, next week.  :-)



​
This post was originally published in February of 2017.

43 Comments

True Winter Makeup Word Cloud

10/29/2018

19 Comments

 
​
Every product on the True Winter makeup list has been swatched to match a color-accurate True Winter palette book. 
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If you're a True Winter, these are your best makeup colors. They look natural and healthy on your skin. 
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​These colors are very vivid and very cold (bluish).  Even the yellows are as cold as yellow can be -- you can't detect a bit of orange. 
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​On the makeup list, which has over 400 precisely matched products, you tend to see the same color names appear over and over. That happens on every list, because each color season represents a very specific section of color space.

Here are the most frequently-occurring color words on the True Winter makeup list:
​
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​Last week I said I love Dark Autumn because it's so complex. This week I find myself thinking that I love True Winter because it's so focused!  (I guess I love all 12 palettes.  :-) ) 



Black, plum, red, pink, blue, berry. That's True Winter, all right.  
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Above, compare True Winter, which is in the center, to True Summer on the left.  They're both cool-toned, but see how important grey is for True Summer, while black is True Winter's biggest makeup neutral.  Red is also very important for True Winter, but only shows up for True Summers as shades of berry. 

Also, compare True Winter to Dark Winter, on the right. Notice how Dark Winter stays intense, but brings in warmth with colors like brown, chocolate, moss, coral, and cinnamon. 
On True Winter skin, this makeup doesn't look shocking or extreme; it looks natural and healthy. Looking at these faces, you'd never guess how saturated and cold the makeup appears on a piece of white paper. 
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If you're not sure of your color season, consider trying the home draping cards. 

19 Comments

Dark Autumn Makeup Word Cloud

10/22/2018

22 Comments

 
Where I live, the trees are still an Autumny orange and red, but the nights are cold, and it's dark more of the day than not.  It's the perfect time of year to talk about Dark Autumn, one of my favorite seasons.  
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Dark Autumn is Autumn verging on winter.  Still Autumn, but darker and colder.

Dark Autumn colors are mostly warm and rich, because it's an Autumn season. But they have a bit of added coolness, and they're also very dark. In fact, these colors are dark first and foremost; their warmth is a secondary quality. (Hence the name: Dark Autumn, sometimes known as Deep Autumn)
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(The light colors you see in Dark Autumn's palette actually make sense as darks as well: they're deepened versions of what would be a tinted white in another palette.  Dark Autumn gets a white too; it's an ivory, though, not a pure white.) 

When you're a Dark Autumn, your makeup colors all come right from your color palette.  
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For years now, I've been keeping a list of makeup products that are precisely matched to the Dark Autumn color palette.  If you want to spare yourself the trouble of rubbing makeup on white paper and comparing it to the Dark Autumn palette, my list is a good investment. It has hundreds of products on it.
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Because this palette (like all seasonal palettes) occupies a very precise section of color space, we see the same color words appear over and over on the makeup list. 

​Here's the Dark Autumn makeup word cloud, which shows the most common color words. The size of the word indicates how often it appears on the list. 
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Dark Autumn makeup
What I love about Dark Autumn is its contradictions. Somehow, it seems more complicated than other neutral (not purely warm or cool) seasons. How do you put together pink, rose, and violet with brown, red, and chocolate? Dark Autumn, that's how.  I love seeing gold, cherry, and plum right next to each other.  Or amber, ink, and fig.  So unexpected, yet Dark Autumn makes it work.

Last week, I did the True Autumn makeup word cloud, and I did Dark Winter a while back.  Here is True Autumn on the left, Dark Autumn in the middle, and Dark Winter in the right. (I actually redid the Dark Winter word cloud in  font that's consistent with my more recent clouds.)
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True Autumn
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DARK AUTUMN
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Dark Winter
I find it really interesting how Dark Autumn represents a middle place between a season that's very rich and warm, and a season that's coolish and very dark.  Autumn foliage plus jewel tones!

​I had fun making this graphic showing how Dark Autumn color words combine important words from both True Autumn and Dark Winter.
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Isn't that fun to look at?

This season makes more sense when you see it on a human being. These Dark Autumns beautifully combine warmth and coolness. You see greys, blacks, navies, and purples with oranges, browns, olives, and rusts.
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You who are Dark Autumns, do you enjoy the contradictions of your palette? Or do you even experience your palette that way?  Maybe this is your normal!  :-)
22 Comments

Soft Summer Makeup Word Cloud

10/1/2018

20 Comments

 
If you've been following my blog recently, you know I'm trying to complete my series on color words in the 12 makeup palettes.

Last week, I wrote about True Summer's makeup, which is somewhat light, a bit faded, and very, very cool-toned.

This week, I'm writing about True Summer's neighbor, Soft Summer.

As we move from True Summer to Soft Summer, our colors become

 - a bit more dark,
 - even more faded,
- and a bit warmer.

Soft Summer's colors are still light, cool, and soft relative to the other seasons, because Soft Summer is Summer first and foremost. 

Soft Summer and Light Summer, its near-neighbor on the other side of True Summer,  have in common that neither palette, unlike True Summer, is completely cool; Light Summer adds a bit of Spring's clear warmth to its palette, and Soft Summer adds a bit of Autumn's toasty warmth. 

​The Soft Summer makeup list currently has about 650 products on it, every one of which has been matched to original the Sci/Art Soft Summer palette.  
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(You'll find many versions of the Soft Summer palette online, but only those that derive from Sci/Art palettes are truly accurate.)
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​Here are the color words that appear most frequently on the Soft Summer makeup list. 
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I'm not surprised to see pink appear so often: pink is light, cool red, and as such it is a defining color of all three light, cool seasons.  And rose is just a synonym for pink.

But notice the supplemental colors: brown, plum, mauve.  The importance of these colors to a Soft Summer's makeup reflects this woman's need for slightly deeper and warmer colors on her face.

If you look at the less-frequently-appearing color names, you'll see some that hint at Soft Summer's move toward Autumn richness: bronze, moss, spice.

Compare the warm colors in Soft Summer's makeup to the warm colors in Light Summer's makeup. Both Summer subtypes have a touch of warmth, but Soft Summer's hint of warmth is deep and rich, while Light Summer's warmth is light and bright: peach, floral, and flamingo. 
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Soft Summer on the left, Light Summer on the right.
It's also interesting to compare Soft Summer to its lighter, cooler neighbor, True Summer. Blue, the coldest hue, is more important for True Summer. Brown, which is warm, is much more important for Soft Summer. 
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Soft Summer on the left, True Summer on the right. 
Soft Summer women can have any hair color, any eye color, and any apparent skin tone, but they are united by the fact that their best colors are mostly (but not completely) cool, a bit (but not a lot) on the light side, and very, very faded. These are cool pastels that are smudgy and smoky. 
Check out Soft Summers Leona Lewis, Carmen Electra, Emma Roberts, and Emilia Clarke looking like the most beautiful versions of themselves. No masks here. 
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If this makeup is your makeup, you may be a Soft Summer. You might consider trying the Soft Summer makeup list; compared to expensive in-person color draping, the list is a steal at $15.  It could confirm your season.
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You might also consider home draping cards; they are Sci/Art color-accurate, and at $24 or $48, much more affordable than in-person draping (which costs hundreds.) 
20 Comments

True Summer Makeup Word Cloud

9/24/2018

14 Comments

 
The True Summer (a.k.a. Cool Summer) makeup list has almost 800 products on it that have been precisely matched to original Sci/Art True Summer colors. 

​(For those of you just joining us, if you're a True Summer, the colors in your True Summer palette are your most beautiful makeup colors.) 
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In terms of hue, value, and chroma, True Summer's colors, and therefore its makeup products, are 

 - very cool (appearing blue-toned)
 - somewhat more light than dark
-  somewhat faded


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​When you look at a list of makeup products that all match a very defined palette, you start to see certain color words over and over again.  Let's look at the list of ~800 products that match the True Summer palette, and see which color words appear the most often.
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Pink, blue, and grey.  That pretty much sums up True Summer, actually. 
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​Here's True Summer's makeup word cloud next to Light Summer's makeup word cloud, which I talked about last week:
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Pink is super-important for True Summer, as it is for Light Summer. But as we move from Light Summer into True Summer, the colors become both cooler and darker. The increase in coolness explains why blue and grey suddenly become much more important, while brown almost disappears; the increase in darkness explains why plum is now making a huge showing. 

While we're on the subject of darker colors, you may be wondering why "black" appears in any True Summer makeup names, since True Summer technically does not contain black in its palette. (And True Summers are overwhelmed by black.) In the True Summer makeup list, you see "black" appear as a modifier indicating a darker shade: for example, Estee Lauder's Black Plum eyeliner, or CoverGirl's Black Sapphire mascara. True Summer neutrals don't go as dark as pure black, but True Summer does have some deep blues, purples, charcoals and purple-browns.  (By contrast, there's no Light Summer makeup color that could be described as "black" anything.)

Here are  True Summers Ashley Green and Georgina Chapman in makeup that's great for their season. 
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If you're a confirmed or suspected True Summer, do you recognize your best makeup in these color names? Share in the comments!

(If you don't know your color season, consider trying the at-home draping cards.)
14 Comments

Light Summer Makeup Word Cloud

9/17/2018

16 Comments

 

Many of you will be very happy to see me continue my series of posts about the word clouds I've made from products in the seasonal makeup lists.  :-)  I apologize for the delay!

To orient those just joining us, there are 12 color seasons, each with its own palette of colors that exist at precise points on each of these three spectra:

light  ............................... dark
saturated..........................faded
cool...................................warm

Light Summer is a color season. Its colors are  mostly cool-toned, a bit faded, and very light. 



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​The Light Summer seasonal makeup list has hundreds of products that have been precisely matched to the Light Summer color palette. (Because a Light Summer's perfect makeup is makeup that matches those colors.) 


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​Since the products on the list all occupy a small, defined area in color space, one tends to see the same color names over and over.

Here's what happens when I feed all of the color names from the Light Summer makeup list into a word cloud generator.  The size of the word represents how freqently the word appears in the list. ​
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Pink! Wow. Pink is important for Light Summer.

​That makes sense if you think about it; pink is technically just light, cool red, and Light Summer is a light, cool palette. Light Summer's "oranges" are peachy pinks, and Light Summer's "reds" are deep pinks. 
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"Rose" is basically a synonym for pink, so it makes sense to see it feature so prominently in Light Summer's makeup word cloud. 

The importance of "brown" in Light Summer makeup reflects the fact that, for deep neutrals (like we typically use in eyeshadow and eyeliner), Light Summer will never get black or charcoal. It's just too light a season.  Brown and grey are the neutrals that lighter seasons rely on in makeup. 

Light Summer's browns will always be cool browns: pinkish browns or purplish browns or greyish browns or silvery browns.  You'll see words like "cocoa," "mink," "taupe," and "stone" use to describe these cool browns. 

In the background of the word cloud, we have many more forms of pink: fuchsia, watermelon, cherry, berry, and raspberry.  We also see coral, which is a peachy pink; Light Summer borders light and warm Light Spring, and has a hint of warmth. (Light Summers, but not True Summers, look gorgeous in a buttery yellow.) 

If you have cool undertones, and you see the makeup that flatters you reflected in this word cloud, you may be a Light Summer.

If you're not sure which of the 12 color seasons is your perfect fit, consider trying the home draping cards. They're precisely matched to original Sci/Art colors, the gold standard of seasonal color palettes. 
16 Comments

True Spring Makeup Word Cloud

2/5/2018

4 Comments

 
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Last year, I got the idea that it would be fun to make word clouds from the seasonal makeup lists showing which color words occur the most frequently.  Each list has hundreds and hundreds of products on it; what patterns occur?

Here's a snapshot of the first page of True Spring's list: 
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​You can see color words right away there: "apricot," "cantaloupe," "rose," "poppy."  That's just the first of perhaps 15 pages. 

​Here's the word cloud for all of the color words, with the size of the word indicating how frequently it occurs:
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Wow, brown is important for True Spring, right?  

​It makes sense if you think about the fact that we rely on our darker neutrals for eyeliner, eyeshadow and mascara. Which dark neutrals does each season get?  A lot of seasons get brown *and* charcoal, or brown *and* black, or charcoal *and* black. But True Spring, being purely warm, doesn’t have black, or even charcoal. Its darkest neutrals are basically versions of brown:
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True Spring colors, and makeup, are warm, warm, warm. (Brown is just dark orange, and orange is arguably the warmest color.)
​​
If you compare this word cloud to Light Spring’s, you’ll notice that the True Spring cloud features “red” much more prominently. That reflects True Spring’s turn to more vivid primaries, from Light Spring's comparatively pastel-y hues.

Compared to Bright Spring’s word cloud, “pink” is de-emphasized here. True Spring doesn’t have any real pinks to speak of; they’re all quite orangey and coraly:
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​Is it just me, or are these True Spring makeup words particularly food-oriented relative to the words from other seasons? I mean, makeup names often sound edible. But this list is extremely tasty. I think that’s a function of True Spring’s warmth; we associate food and eating with warm, comfortable feelings.  

Wow, these True Spring makeup food words are really tasty together:
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Peach vanilla jam.
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Ginger cream cake.
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Honey-flavored chocolate.
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Champagne with apricot brandy.

​If you think you’re a True Spring but you don’t yet own the makeup list, try googling cosmetics with words from the True Spring word cloud in the name. (For example, lipstick apricot, or blush coral, or eyeliner cocoa.)

And if you’re not sure what your season is, try the at-home draping cards. They're the most affordable option for accurate color draping. 
4 Comments

Are Your Reds and Pinks the Color of Your Pinched Skin?

1/15/2018

2 Comments

 
Is matching the color of a pinched cheek or pinched finger a good way to pick your lippy and blush colors? 
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Well, the answer is a little complicated.

The color of your pinched skin is usually the effect you're going for. That's true.

​But you won't achieve that effect by matching that color and then putting it on your skin. 

Why not?

When you pinch your cheek or finger,  you're seeing a color that combines the red of your blood with the brown of your skin tone. (All human skin is some variation of brown.)

This is why your  pinched-skin color is  less saturated than the actual reds and pinks in your swatches. (Try it and you'll see.)

If you choose a red or pink that you've matched to a pinched finger, it's already desaturated, because it's a combination of your body's red with your skin. As this matched color mixes with your skin color, it gets further desaturated -- most likely too desaturated for you. 

So, to create that same pinched-skin effect on your skin from the outside,  you need to add a purer, less browned red or pink to the brownish tone of your skin. 

This is where your swatch reds and pinks come in.

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 ​When you apply a purer red or pink from your swatches to your skin, the result that the viewer sees is a color that combines that red or pink with your skin.  So the color you end up with is very similar to the pinched-skin color.

That's the effect you're going for. It's a less saturated version of the pure swatch red or pink because it's blended with your skin color, and it  looks perfect on your skin. 

That's how your palette reds and pinks are supposed to function. They shouldn't sit on top of your skin like red circle​s of blush on a Raggedy Ann doll, right?
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Probably not what you're going for!

This is the same reason that matching makeup colors to your palette by swatching them on your skin is wrong, wrong, wrong. For purposes of matching your palette, makeup should only be swatched on white paper.

If you "swatch" makeup on  your skin, you're not learning what color it really is; you're learning what color it looks like mixed with  your skin color.

That information is interesting information. But it's not the information you need in order to know whether a pink or red matches your actual palette colors. You're looking to match those reds and pinks.

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For matching colors, swatch on white paper, not on your skin.
2 Comments

When It Comes to Lipstick, How Bright Is Too Bright?

12/4/2017

29 Comments

 

This is an interesting issue that Bright Spring and Bright Winter women often discuss -- whether the makeup can possibly be right, translated literally from the palette to the face.  

Women draped as Bright sometimes say the colors feel too saturated on the face.  If this is you, I think there are a couple of things possibly going on:

 1. A given color might be right in clothing, but not on a person's face.

How far does a color have to be from red for it to no longer be a lip or  cheek color?  Bright Spring and Bright Winter have a lot of reds and pinks. They also have many purply pinks and orangey-reds. For some women, some of the pinks and reds are so close to purple or orange that they're no longer good as lippies (though they'd be fine as shirt colors, for example.) You can't wear every single palette color on your lips.  Goodness knows not all True Autumns can wear pumpkin orange in a blush.

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Could JLo wear this orange as a blush? Maybe not.

 2. For some Brights, the intensity of the color just feels weird, even if it's objectively flattering.

​This is often true for women who are totally new to the palette. If you're accustomed to wearing very muted lippies, the reds and pinks of Bright Spring and Bright Winter might feel odd to you. The only cure for this is time. As weeks and months go by, you'll slowly grow accustomed to your palette, and you'll come to see how natural these supposedly bright colors look on you.


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An intimidatingly saturated palette, perhaps! But if you're a Bright, it's just right for you.

3. Unfortunately, some women draped as Bright aren't actually Bright.

​Draping is an art, and analysts do get it wrong sometimes.  If you're a Bright, your reds and pinks should look natural on your face. They shouldn't look startling. 
​

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In the tube, this pink is probably scary bright. But it looks just right on Ni Ni and Kerry Washington.
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I hate to sow the seeds of doubt! I know we are all looking for peace of mind. But if your reds and pinks consistently jump out of your face, that's not color harmony.  

4. Some colors are too bright for anyone to wear as a lippie.

The colors in your Bright Winter and Bright Spring palette aren't the brightest possible colors. There's a limit, it seems, to how saturated human coloring can get. There are definitely lippies for sale that are brighter than any Bright Spring or Bright Winter color.  They won't look harmonious on anyone. (Color harmony isn't everyone's aesthetic.)
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Not going for color harmony.
29 Comments

Light Spring Makeup Word Cloud

3/27/2017

10 Comments

 
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 I've been making word clouds out of the color names found on my seasonal makeup lists. 



​They're interesting to look at, because they help you see which colors are key in a season's makeup palette.

Like the other 11 makeup lists, Light Spring's list has hundreds and hundreds of products.  Among all Light Spring cosmetic products, here are the color names that occur most frequently:

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If you compare this word cloud to the Bright Spring cloud from a few weeks ago, you'll notice that both seasons prominently feature "coral" and "pink" -- but a key difference is that Light Spring has many more products called "brown." That reflects the fact that Light Springs have a few great browns, while brown is mostly a non-starter for Bright Spring. 
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It's not common to meet women of color who fall into the Light seasons, but Alicia Keys is one such, I believe. She looks her most natural in Light Spring's delicate, light, pure and warm colors. 

If you think you might be a Light Spring, but you're not sure, try the affordable at-home draping cards. When you know your season, you save a lot of time and money.  :-)
10 Comments

Dark Winter Makeup Word Cloud

3/20/2017

9 Comments

 
In last week's post, I shared my Bright Spring makeup list word cloud.  This week, I want to show you the word cloud I made for Dark Winter.  

The Dark Winter makeup list  has hundreds of cosmetics that have been matched to color-accurate Dark Winter fans.  
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As you page through the list, you'll notice that certain color words pop up again and again. Here are the colors words you'll find most frequently on the Dark Winter list:
​
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"Plum" is the clear winner, huh?  Dark Winters are indeed all about the plums. Dark Winter makeup is cool-toned, rather saturated, and generally pretty dark (as you'd imagine!)

Of course, on a Dark Winter, these colors don't look dark -- they look exactly right. 
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Dark Winter Anne Hathaway.
If you don't yet own a Dark Winter makeup list, you might still get lucky at the drugstore if you focus on cosmetics with words like "plum," "wine" and "burgundy" in title.

And if you're not sure what your color season is, consider trying the affordable at-home draping cards. When you know your color season, you save a ton of time and money because you buy the right makeup every time.  :-)
9 Comments

Bright Spring Makeup Word Cloud

3/13/2017

9 Comments

 
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Each of  my 12 seasonal makeup lists features hundreds of individual products that have been matched to color-accurate palettes. 

I thought it would be fun and instructive to create a word cloud for some of the makeup lists, using all the words from the list that are color names.

​Here's the word cloud for the Bright Spring makeup list:

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Neato, right!?

If you don't yet own a Bright Spring makeup list, seacrhing for cosmetics with these words in the title might help you increase the odds of choosing a product that will work for your Bright Spring face. 

Notice that "pink" and "coral" are the two most frequently occuring color words in the names of Bright Spring cosmetics.  Pinks (both cool and warm) and orangey-pinks are so important for Bright Spring.
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Bright Spring makeup colors are pure, warm-toned, and generally not very dark. (Thought Bright Spring can wear black, particularly as a liner or mascara, other colors on her face tend to be on the lighter side.)

In your correct seasonal makeup, you'll look like the most gorgeous version of yourself.

​Not sure what your season is? Try the at-home draping cards -- they're an affordable way to figure out your color season.  :-)
9 Comments

My Sisters, Self-Care Is Important Right Now

11/10/2016

4 Comments

 
"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation."  - Audre Lorde

When the world wants to diminish you or make you feel less-than, taking care of yourself is a revolutionary act.

When you feel good about how you look -- when you know you're showing the world who you truly are​ -- you are stronger. 

I want to make self-care a little easier for you right now. 

Today, I'm offering 20% off every single product.

Every Makeup List 
Every Style Identity Calculator 
Every Home Draping Cards set 
All  Seasonal Color Cards 
Every Shopping Guide
Every Visual Style Guide 
Every Fragrance Guide
Every  What Not To Wear 

Use promo code TAKECAREOFYOU20.

Take care of yourselves today, beautiful women.
​
Fill yourselves back up, so you can get back out there and do what needs doing.

<3


Promo ends Sunday, 11/13/16.


​
4 Comments

Shop for Makeup by Season

7/22/2014

2 Comments

 
Check out my new Dark Winter makeup store! 

You'll find a selection of makeup matched to the Dark Winter palette.

I hope to have stores for all 12 seasons up soon, so check back often.

Happy shopping!
2 Comments

Updated Lipstick Drape List

5/22/2014

7 Comments

 
Hello, truly beautiful people. I hope you're well.
I'm excited to say that I've expanded my list of "lip drape" colors for each season. There are now ten lippies per season. Check it out!

I recommend that you try as many of the colors as you can. In your correct season, not every color will be your favorite, but all will be perfectly respectable and none will be bad.

If you already know your season, you may want to pick up a makeup list. It makes shopping for cosmetics a lot easier.

Good luck figuring out your season!  :-)
7 Comments

Buy Seasonal Makeup Lists

3/6/2013

4 Comments

 
 I hoard data like a squirrel with nuts.

You could painstakingly gather recommendations from
12 Blueprints, Luminosity, discussion boards, and your own swatching... but if you want to save yourself that trouble, just buy my lists.

Each list has at least 100 products matched to your seasonal palette.  I've been keeping these lists for almost four years, and I update them regularly.

Both high-end brands like Chanel and drugstore brands like Revlon are represented.

Most products are lippies, but blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara matches are included too.

Some products are discontinued; those are typically available on eBay. Most products are still in stores.

If you're stuck between seasons, buy two lists and try out products from both.

If you already know your season, this list will be invaluable. You can confidently order products online without having to test them.

Buy a list of palette-matched makeup here.
4 Comments

Last but Not Least: True Summer Lippies

10/16/2012

1 Comment

 
The last of 12 - finally!  Scroll down and click through older posts to see the recs for the other 11 seasons.



All the lippies on the list are recommendations from the women of the 12 Blueprints Facebook Page, Christine Scaman of 12 Blueprints, Mary Steele of Luminosity, or my own swatching. 

If you're a True Summer, you'll look natural in almost all of these colors, and
be able to use them as blush as well, if you do that. (I do.)

A few of these shades may seem less than perfect for your individual face. Not all True Summers wear the same colors on their face equally well, because of individual
variation in the way the palette colors manifest themselves in your bodies.

Many of these colors will be discontinued, but you can often still find them on
eBay.

"Try before you buy" is prudent advice. But I
personally buy Soft Autumn - recommended colors sight-unseen all the time, and
I'm rarely let down.

Please do share additional recs in the comments section.  :-)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 
Aveda
Lipstick in Sugar Apple


Beauty
By Jeunique Lipliner in Pink Velvet


Bobbi
Brown Blue Raspberry


Burt's
Bee's lip shimmer in Watermelon


Clinique
gloss in Bonfire


Clinique
Stellar Plum Gloss


Covergirl
565 Rose Cashmere


Covergirl
Nature Luxe 205 Tulip

Covergirl Outlast All-Day Lipcolor: Blossom


Covergirl
Outlast All-Day Lipcolor: Pink Delight


Covergirl
Outlast Double Lipshine: Party Pink


Dior
lipstick in Fantastic Plum


Estee
lauder Stay Plumberry


Girlactik
gloss in Smooch


Lancôme
lipstick in Provocative


Laura
Mercier Healthy Lips


L'Oreal
Color Rich Serum in Freshly Mauve


L'Oreal
Glam Shine 6H in Always Pink


L'Oreal
Glam Shine Shine Reflexion in Sheer Watermelon


MAC
Crème de la Femme


MAC
New York Apple


MAC
Plumful (or TW?)


MAC
Sweetie


MAC
Total Wow


MAC
Up the Amp


MAC
Viva Glam Cyndi


MAC
Viva Glam Gaga


MAC
Viva Glam IV (also recommended for TW)


Maybelline
Color Sensation Bit of Berry


Maybelline
Color Sensation Mauve Me


Maybelline
Color Sensational in Pink Petal


Maybelline
Color Sensational in Stellar Berry


Maybelline
Colorstay Pearl


Maybelline
Colorstay Raspberry


Maybelline
Colorstay Ruby


Maybelline
SS lipgloss Glass Rose


Maybelline
Superstay 24 Blush On 105


Maybelline
Superstay 24 On and On Orchid 70


Maybelline
Superstay 24 Very Cranberry 100


Maybelline
Wildberry


Maybelline
Yummy Plummy


Nivea
Volume Shine in Berry Jelly


NYC
404B AirKiss


NYX
Narcissus


NYX
Strawberry Milk


Revlon
Berry Haute


Revlon
ColorBurst Lipstick Lilac


Revlon
Colorburst Raspberry


Revlon
Colorstay Overtime Sheer 850 Sheer Pomegranate


Revlon
Mineralglaze Infinite Rose (may lean warm)


Revlon
Pink Pout


Rimmel
110 Kiss & Stay First Kiss


Rimmel
140 Kiss & Stay Forever Rose


Rimmel
Drops of Sherry


Rimmel
Lasting Finish Dizzy


Rimmel
Lasting Finish Heavenly


Rimmel
London Pink Champagne


Rimmel
Pink Blush


Sephora
Violet Party 06


Smashbox
Photo Finish Lipstick in Pout


YsL
No. 7 Rouge Volupte Lingerie Pink


  


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


1 Comment

About Damn Time:  Light Summer Lippies

10/16/2012

2 Comments

 
All the lippies on the list are recommendations from the women of the 12 Blueprints Facebook Page, Christine Scaman of 12 Blueprints, Mary Steele of Luminosity, or my own swatching. 

If you're a Light Summer, you'll look natural in almost all of these colors, and be able to use them as blush as well.

Though none of these palette-matched colors will look awful on you, Light Summer, the occasional shade may seem less than perfect for your individual face. Not all Light Summers wear the same colors on their face equally well, because of individual variation in the way the palette colors manifest themselves in your bodies.

Many of these colors will be discontinued, but you can often still find them on eBay.

"Try before you buy" is prudent advice. But I personally buy Soft Autumn - recommended colors sight-unseen all the time, and I'm rarely let down.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Bobbi Brown Bright Pink gloss


Bobbi Brown Nectar


Boots Stay Perfect Mischief


Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Watermelon (works for Ssu
too)


Chanel Imaginaire


Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy


Clinique Different Lipstick in Glazed Berry (BSp too?)


Clinique Glosswear Kissyfit


Clinique Think Bronze lipstick


Cover Girl Smoky Rose


Cover Girl Midnight Mauve


Cover Girl Rose Cashmere


Cover Lip Perfection in Coquette?


Jane Iredale Lip Fixation in Fascination.


Lancome Provocative


Loreal Sparkling Rose


MAC Hot Gossip?


MAC Lovelorn


MAC On Hold


Maybelline Pink Wink


Maybelline Superstay (new formula) in 010 Raspberry


Maybelline Superstay (new formula) in 130 Cinnamon


Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor Plus Conditioning Balm in
Cherry


Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor-Flame


Maybelline Wildberry


Merle Norman Hot Stuff Gloss


MUFE Rouge Artiste 33


MUFE 's #426


NARS Flamenco


NARS Jungle Red


NARS Manhunt


NARS Niagara


NARS Scandal gloss


NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Baroque


NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover


Revlon Blushed


Revlon Colorburst Lilac 
(leans quite cool)


Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick Carnation (also LSp?)


Revlon MineralGlaze Gloss in Continuous Pink and Eternal
Blossom


Revlon Rose N Shine


Revlon Softsilver Rose


Rimmel Drop of Sherry


Silk Naturals Shrieking Violet


Silk Naturals Wisteria


Stila Mystic




2 Comments

Light Spring Lippies

6/14/2012

4 Comments

 
Sorry for the long delay in this series!  My babies, my students and my graduate professors thank you for your patience.


All of the lippies in this series are recs from the ladies of the 12 Blueprints Facebook page, Christine Scaman, Mary Steele of Luminosity, or my own swatches. 

If you're a Light Spring, most of these colors will work on your lips  -  and on your cheeks too, if you use them as blush.

Some may be a touch too warm, too cool, too light or dark. This is normal, because the variation of human coloring within a season means that not all women in a season wear the same colors on the face equally well. 

Several of these are discontinued. Check eBay for them. I just bought a four-pack of my favorite discontinued Soft Autumn long-lasting lippie.

Try before you buy. (Good advice, right? But I don't always follow it. I've bought a lot of Soft Autumn lippies sight unseen and been happy with all but one, which was too light.)

Please do share feedback on the recs, or additional recs, in the Comments section.  

:-)
____________________________
Chanel Levres Scintillantes in Twinkle

Chanel  Rouge Coco Shine no. 44 Sari D’Eau

Chanel  Rouge Coco Shine no. 46 Liberte,

Chanel  Rouge Coco Shine no. 68 Monte Carlo

Chanel  Ruban Rose

Chanel Tempt

Clarins Coral Tulip

Clinique Butter Shine in Baby Baby

Clinique Butter Shine in Pink Beach

Clinique Colour Surge Butter Shine in Ambrosia

Clinique Colour Surge Butter Shine in Pinkaboo

Clinique Colour Surge Butter Shine in Poppy Love

Clinique Full Potential Extra Apricot

Clinique Full Potential gloss in Mimosa Blossom (cooler)

Clinique High Impact Lip Color in Peach Pop

Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Sugared Grapefruit

Clinique Superbalm in Apricot

Cover Girl  Natureluxe Gloss Balm in Anemone

Cover Girl Wetslicks Peaches and Gleam Gloss

Elizabeth Arden  Ceramide Lipstick in Melon

Elizabeth Arden Perfect Melon, Petal.

Estee Lauder  Pure Color Gloss Stick in Honey Pink

Estee Lauder  Pure Color Gloss Stick in Orange Poppy

Estee Lauder  Pure Color Gloss Stick in Pink Seduction

Estee Lauder lipgloss  Sweet Pea

Lancôme  Sunbaked Coral Colorfever Gloss

Laura Mercier  Pink Dawn Shimmer Lip Color

Laura Mercier Poppy Gloss Stick

Laura Mercier Rosewater Gloss Stick

Laura Mercier Tea Rose Crème Lip Color

L'Oreal's Color Riche "Pretty Peach"

M.U.F.E.  no. 37 Bright Pink Satin

MAC Chatterbox (may be bright)

MAC Creme Anglaise gloss

MAC Fresh Salmon

MAC Instant Gold Lustreglass.

MAC Prr Lipglass

MAC Viva Glam Cyndi?

MAC Viva Glam V

Maybelline   Born with It

Maybelline Pink Please

Merle Norman  Pillowtalk Lip Glaze

Merle Norman Hot Stuff Gloss

NARS  Niagara Lipstick

NARS Barbarella Lipstick

NYX Louisiana

Revlon  Super Lustrous Lipstick in Coral Reef

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick Carnation (also LSu?)

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Peach

Revlon lipglosses  Pink Pursuit, Pink Whisper

Revlon Moon Drops Lipstick in Sugar Poppy

Revlon Super Lustrous Pink In The Afternoon.

Rimmel  Stay Glossy Lip Gloss Dare to Say

Rimmel  Stay Glossy Lip Gloss in Always Lovely

Rimmel  Stay Glossy Lip Gloss Nonstop Glamour

Rimmel  Stay Glossy Lip Gloss So Fabulous

Rimmel Airy Fairy (also SSu?)

Rimmel Fashion Icon gloss

Stila Convertible Color in Petunia

YSL Rouge Volupte 09 Caress Pink


 
4 Comments

Maybelline's Hooked on Pink: Which Season?

6/14/2012

3 Comments

 
Erin writes,

My mom and I went makeup shopping yesterday and I was looking for a good, every day lipstick. We were looking at Maybelline Summer Sunset and Hooked on Pink. The latter did a better job of clearing the skin, so we went with that one. Once in the car, I tried it on and it did seem to clear some blotchy-ness away. It also seemed to whiten my teeth (always a good thing). I decided to look in your blog to see if the colour had been mentioned and it had, to my surprise, in Dark Autumn. Would it work for any other season? I've never really considered Dark Autumn before (or any dark season).

I do indeed have Hooked on Pink on my list of recs for Dark Autumn. But I don't know where I got the rec from. :-(

Erin adds, "Since I sent the question, my mom and I are also considering that I could be a Bright Spring as well."

Feedback, readers? Any experience with Hooked on Pink? What's your season, and how did it work for you?


3 Comments

True Spring Lippies

12/5/2011

7 Comments

 

All the lippies on the list are recommendations from the women of the 12 Blueprints Facebook Page, Christine Scaman of 12 Blueprints, Mary Steele of Luminosity, or my own swatching. 
  • If you're a True (a.k.a. Warm) Spring, most of these colors will work on your lips  -  and your cheeks too, if you use them as blush.

  • Some may be a touch too warm, too cool, too light or dark. This is normal, because the variation of human coloring within a season means that not all women in a season wear the same colors on the face equally well. 

  • Some of these are discontinued. Check eBay.

  • It's always a good idea to try before you buy. Having said that, I've bought many recs for my own season sight unseen from eBay and been happy with most. 

  • Please do share feedback on the recs, or additional recs, in the Comments section.  

  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  

Bobbi Brown Coral Pink Creamy Lipcolor

Bobbi Brown Canary High Shimmer Lipgloss

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine no. 44 Sari D’Eau and 

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine no. 68 Monte Carlo

Clinique Different Lipstick in Ripe Raisin 

Clinique Golden Brandy Long Last Lipstick (may be too cool)

Clinique Buttershine Lipstick in Ambrosia

Clinique Lipsticks in Peach Pop

Clinique Lipsticks in Poppy Love

Cover Girl LipPerfection no. 405 Fairytale 

Cover Girl LipPerfection no. 400 Temptress

Cover Girl LipPerfection no. 300 Flame

Dior Addict New Look 

Estee Lauder Stay Coral Doublewear Lipstick; 

Estee Lauder Pure Color Sensuous Rouge in Nectar 

Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss Stick in Honey Pink 

Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss Stick in Orange Poppy

L'Oreal Charismatic Coral

L’Oreal – HIP Shine Struck Liquid Lipcolor in Precarious

Laura Mercier Gloss Stick in Poppy

MAC Crosswires

MAC Prolongwear in Clingpeach

MAC Sheen Supreme Full Speed

MAC Ravishing Lipstick

MAC Instant Gold Lustreglass

MAC Lady Bug (?)

Maybelline Color Sensational Coral Lustre

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Siren

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick Peach

Revlon Superlustrous in Ravish Me Red

Revlon Colorburst Coral

Revlon Super Lustrous Peach Me

Revlon Super Lustrous Siren?

Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss in All Day Seduction, 

Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss Dare to Say

Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss Non-Stop Glamour

Smashbox  Photo Finish Lipstick in Legendary 

Smashbox Photo Finish Lipstick in Splendid

Stila - Convertible Color in Petunia

Stila Long Wear Lipcolor in Adorable

YSL's Le Orange lipstick

7 Comments

Bright Spring Lippies.

11/23/2011

10 Comments

 
All of the lippies in this series are recs from the ladies of the 12 Blueprints Facebook page, Christine Scaman, or my own swatches. 

If you're a Bright Spring, most of these colors will work on your lips  -  and your cheeks too, if you use them as blush.

Some may be a touch too warm, too cool, too light or dark. This is normal, because the variation of human coloring within a season means that not all women in a season wear the same colors on the face equally well. 

Some of these are discontinued. Check eBay.

Try before you buy, if possible. 

Please do share feedback on the recs, or additional recs, in the Comments section.  

:-)



 *   *   *   *   *   *   *  
Burt's Bees All Natural in Rose

Burt's Bees All-Natural Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus`

Burt's Bees in Rhubarb

Clinique AllHeart

Clinique Bonfire

Clinique Cabana Crush

Clinique Fireberry

Clinique Glazed Berry (or LSu?)

Clinique Sugared Grapefruit

Cover Girl lipstick Fairy Tale

Covergirl Outlast Red Affair

Elizabeth Arden Perfect Tulip.

Estee Lauder Gloss Stick in Pop Pink

Estee Lauder Gloss Stick in Summer Melon

Estee Lauder Lush Rose

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Last in Apricot Sun

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Last in Chelsea Rose

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Last in Lotus Pink

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Last in Nectarine

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Last in Raspberry Pop

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Last in Spiced Coral

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Last in Wild Rose

MAC Bombshell

MAC Lady Danger (but might be closer to BW)

MAC Sea Sheer

MAC Sheen Supreme Insanely It

MAC Speak Louder (also rec'd for BW)

MAC Viva Glam Cindy

Maybelline Coral Lustre 840

Maybelline Disco Pink 810

Maybelline Fruit Punch 825

Mercier’s Lip Pot in Hibiscus

Merle Norman Persimmon

Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm in Healthy Blush

Revlon Colorburst Carnation

Revlon Colorburst Cherry Ice

Revlon Colorburst Coral

Revlon Colorburst Fuchsia (may work for TW too)

Revlon Colorburst gloss in Papaya

Revlon Colorburst Peach

Revlon Coral Berry

Revlon Ravish Me Red

Revlon Strawberry Suede

Revlon Superlustrous Kiss Me Coral

Rimmel Moisture Renew Coral Shimmer

Smashbox Afterglow

Smashbox Fame

Smashbox Starlit (may not be just right)

Sonia Kashuk Azalea

Sonia Kashuk Nectar

 

10 Comments
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"My closet has totally transformed into something I like, but don't think about much. How amazing is that? I just walk in, grab something for the occasion and the weather, and go. Because it's all the same color season, it all blends. Because it's all the right style (my style, so who cares if it's 'in'? It looks good on me) I can rest assured it looks about right. It's really amazing.

"I waste a lot less time and money now with shopping. I can walk into a store and rule out 90% of the inventory. I now try things I never would have dared and happily pass over things I used to think I had to have. Shopping is just a hunt now, not a source of guilt. I feel like I'm a lot less wasteful and more mindful this way."
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