It is common to think about which colors best match a situation, be it a party or a common work day, for example. But have you ever wondered what color of clothing, makeup or hair suits you? For that there is colorimetry, and we have prepared an article for you to understand everything about this subject, check it out!
What is colorimetry?
According to color consultant Bruna Michel, colorimetry is an analysis performed with fabrics to discover which colors value their natural beauty the most. For example, a color can disguise dark circles, blemishes, imperfections, as well as make the skin brighter and smoother.
“I like to say that color works as if it were a light, so when that light – which would be color – is used close to the face, it will interfere in a positive or negative way. (…) So, colorimetry is an analysis that is carried out to discover which colors make the skin more beautiful, smoother, more uniform”, he explains.
Colorimetry divisions
To understand colorimetry, you need to know the divisions of colors and how they behave in existing skin tones. Check out the colorimetry divisions by skin tone and season of the year below:
by skin tone
Warm skin: they are dark or light skins with yellowish, golden or orange tones. They usually tan faster and get a yellowish or golden hue.
Cool Skin: Characterized by dark skin with varying shades of blue or olive green and pale, pale skin with pink, purple, and faint blue tones. When exposed to the sun, the whites or pale ones burn easily, leaving the region reddish.
Neutral skin: they can be white or black, but they don’t burn easily in the sun. Many people can fall into this category.
But for a more accurate analysis, it is recommended to test with a color consultant.
by season
According to Bruna, the first analyzes were made only with the 4 stations, however, substations were discovered that help to better understand the person’s skin tone. Generally speaking, autumn and spring represent warm skins, while summer and winter represent cold skins. Therefore:
Autumn: it has divisions in warm (warmer tones), dark (colors such as navy blue, light blue…), soft (salmon, olive green and other softer tones);
Spring: it has divisions into warm (warmer and more vivid tones), clear (lighter and more opaque colors) and bright (more vivid colors);
Summer: it has divisions into warm (opaque and cool colors), cold (bright and strong colors, for those with high contrast between hair and skin), soft (for those with medium contrast) and light (lighter and cooler tones, for who has less contrast);
Winter: has the divisions in dark (when the hair, skin and eye tones are darker), bright (closer and more colorful tones) and cold (tones with not so evident contrast).
A tip for you to try to identify your undertone is to put several colored scarves, of different shades in front of you, to see what suits you best. But it is worth remembering that having a professional helping you and guiding you is the best option.
Colorimetry in practice
This analysis is for clothing color, hair color and makeup color. For Bruna, what brings more results is the makeup and hair color, because the wrong color can bring aging and, in makeup, appear to be a very heavy look. Know more:
Colorimetry in clothes
Underneath the skin tone is the undertone. And it’s the undertone that determines which color palettes fit best in your everyday life. For this, Bruna says that the colors are always analyzed at the top: blouses, earrings, makeup and hair. From the waist down, you can wear whatever you want!
- Cool skin: Jewels in silver tones look best in this tone. The colors that go best with cool tones are lilac, blue, green and classic white.
- Warm skin: Gold-toned jewelry works best with this skin tone. The colors that match here are orange, red, yellow and white with a more ivory tone.
- Neutral skin: if you know that your tone is neutral and matches all types of tones, you should keep in mind that your undertone is balanced between warm and cool tones, being able to explore all existing tone combinations.
Pay attention to your tone and undertone to choose the most appropriate colors, but don’t limit yourself to them. It is important to use what makes you feel good, but also to understand what favors you and makes you even more beautiful.
hair colorimetry
To classify the hair tone, there is a table that can be used to define the natural and artificial colors present in the hair. There are 9 shades that make up the table, get to know them below:
- Tone height 1: bluish black color;
- Tone Height 2: Black;
- Tone height 3: dark brown color;
- Tone Height 4: medium brown color;
- Tone height 5: light brown color;
- 6 tone height: dark blonde color;
- Tone Height 7: Medium blonde color;
- 8 tone height: light blonde color;
- Tone Height 9: Very light blonde color.
To define the reflection tone, hairdressers can use intensifiers or “fancy colors” (grey, gold, matte, copper, among others), according to your skin tone, whether warm, cool or neutral.
Colorimetry always seeks to bring something different to those who want to learn new ways to apply and combine colors. In addition to the study, it is necessary that professionals are always up to date and prepared on the use of this guide in the world of beauty.
Colorimetry in makeup
Before applying makeup, you need to know the colors to harmonize your skin tone, in addition to choosing the correct foundation for you and also understanding the color correctors, among other products.
For this, you must understand that the primary colors, red, yellow and blue, are basic and cannot be formed by mixing other colors. Through them, we can create secondary colors, such as orange (yellow and red), green (blue and yellow) and violet (red and blue). And from there, tertiary colors are born.
- Complementary colors: These are contrasting colors used side-by-side, such as mixing orange eyeshadow and blue eyeliner.
- Camouflage: There are also complementary colors that serve to neutralize. A good example is color correctors: if you have a red stain, it is the opposite color that will neutralize it, that is, green.
- Analogous colors: Analogous colors are colors that give uniformity to the makeup. For example, if the color chosen is red, the analogous colors are pink and orange. Together they form a harmonious combination.
To find your ideal tone, it is best to carry out the colorimetry test, which begins by studying the contrast, depth and intensity. Another point to be analyzed is the temperature, arriving at the division of the seasons.
Interested in doing your analysis? Don’t waste time and find out what your color palette is. And to learn more, check out this article that shows how to match makeup with eye color.