Can your coloring change from warm to cool? - YouLookFab Forum

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Can your coloring change from warm to cool?

JAileen

Veteran

When I was in my 20s a SA said I should not wear navy and white because I was an "Autumn". Of course I read the book about this and started wearing olive, chestnut, pumpkin, off white,etc., and felt great in those colors. Meanwhile I continued to deny the passage of time and kept my hair the same color it was when I was a teen and in my 20s - brown with gold and reddish highlights.

Fast forward thirty years. I grow out my hair, which turns out to be very silver, or maybe platinum. I find wearing off white and beige are bad. Really really bad. Yesterday I got my hair cut and my stylist said my coloring is cool. I know my hair is silver, but is it likely my face itself would change from warm to cool or is it as simple as my hair stylist is wrong? Could it be an optical illusion?

General

28 replies

Latest reply was from JAileen

Ledonna N.

Veteran

I say bump what people tell you and try out color for yourself. As we age the "rules" kind of fall by the wayside. You will look beautiful in any color if you feel it on the inside it will radiate on the outside. Your hair color will really shine. I say go for it.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Yes, our colouring can change from warm to cool as we age. Or at least it can become "cooler."

Also, there's a chance that your first analysis was wrong. Going by hair colour is supposedly not a terribly accurate measure. Skin tone is better.

In the end I agree with Ladywone. Just go with your own estimations! Go with your gut.

Silver or platinum hair looks amazing with optic white or winter white, pewter and silver, navy, purple, fuchsia...blues....greys....black (if you can wear it)...pinks and berries....so yes, cooler tones. But it will depend on your skin tone, for sure.

Gaylene

Veteran

Maybe aging moves us from the ends of the cool vs warm spectrum to somewhere in the middle? I've always been a cool Winter who looked great in blacks and saturated jewel tones, but, in my mid-sixties with my hair a mixture of grey and dark tones, I'm surprised to see that there are some shades of orange, olive green, and brown that look surprisingly good on me. I've even ventured into the formerly verboten realm of pastels!

It makes sense that, if our hair changes color, our skin tones would also be subject to change. At least my eye color still seems to be the same.

JAileen

Veteran

Ladywone, Thank you for your boost. You have a great style and I could learn a lot from you.

Suz, you may be right about the initial analysis. However, the Autumn colors really did make me feel fab, and a few do still, such as olive. I used to feel sophisticated in off white. Now, yucky, yucky, yucky. You may have seen some of my posts where I've become obsessed with grey and silver (leather jackets, tees, scarves, boots, sandals, handbags, etc). Sterling silver jewelry should be my friend, but if the small percentage that is not silver is nickel, I can't wear it.

Gaylene, it's interesting how your "good" colors have changed, too. I've looked online for discussions about this possibility of coloring shift, but have been unsuccessful so far. My eyes haven't changed either - greenish brown.

carter

Veteran

By some miracle of chemicals, my hair color has not changed in the past 50 years;-). However, my skin that used to be a golden/olive is now kind of a golden/pink/ivory. My eyes also used to be decidedly hazel. Now they are brown, gold and grey. Go figure. I suppose that's why some cool colors and some warm colors work on me but not all cool or warm colors.

crutcher

Veteran

I bet you look lovely with the silver hair..It is my understanding that we sorta fade as we age...Maybe you are ready to embrace the cool tones of a winter..I am amazed at how beautiful being a winter can be...

MsMaven

Veteran

I've read that our colors do tend to get cooler as we age. (Sorry--can't remember which color experts say that.) I've found that I feel more comfortable in cooler colors now. However, I am much more open to experimenting these days and letting rules go by the wayside.

Gaylene

Veteran

Hmm, I'm wondering if eye color might not be an factor here because my eyes are a bluish green with gold flecks. Maybe it's the mix of warm and cool that plays a role? My formerly dark brown hair, pale skin, and blue-green eyes definitely looked good in a winter palette. My current mix of white, light-grey, and mid-brown hair colors seems to bring out the warmer tones in my skin and eyes which lets me wear some of the deeper or clearer spring and autumn shades. But mustard yellow and pumpkin orange looks as awful as it always has on me so it seems the transition has its limits!

Alana in Canada

(website)

Veteran

I don't know if it an effect of my colouring having changed--or simply my confidence having stepped up as I have gotten older, but when I was younger I stuck to pastels and the darkest I went was navy. Now, I am loving black and white and sharp clear colour. I also stopped smoking about six years ago and that has done wonders for my skin. (Smokers tend to get more sallow and the skin takes on a grey tinge--at least it has with my mom.)
Regardless, yes, skin changes, and your colouring can definitely change. Sorry you can not wear your stand by's anymore. That has to be frustrating.

JAileen

Veteran

Carter, yes, I experienced that same miracle every month! Since your skin tone and eye color has changed, have you changed your hair color at all? Before I went grey, I started going lighter. I think Nancy Reagan recommended doing that some point. It wasn't really better for me. BTW, I'm not very much like her.

Crutcher, thank you for the boost. I am embracing my hair color, even when people tell me I've given up or I must be embarrassed. People can be weird.
The only drawback is once when I was visiting my mother at her retirement home, someone asked me if I lived there. Really? My husband kindly said the person probably had "lost it".

MsMaven, I think that's what's going on. Even now I don't like to wear black. It feels overpowering. I am kind of obsessed with wearing grey and silver, though. I never wore grey before, but it makes me feel great, now.

Gaylene, I used to love pumpkin and mustard. Eye color definitely can change. My son had china blue eyes as a little boy, but now they're kind of grey. So anyway, if hair and eye color can change, it makes sense that skin color could too.

I guess I'm changing teams (Autumn to Winter).

Alana, Congrats on quitting smoking!

rachylou

Veteran

Maybe it's just the beige and off-white? Too much neutrals. Hmm. I wonder if the actual flash of silver - from a necklace or similar - would do anything for the beiges and off-whites.

carter

Veteran

Jaileen, I've tried a little bit darker and a little bit lighter over the years, but I always come back to my "natural" color. Growing up, my hair would develop golden highlights every summer. I used to mimic those artificially every summer, but I stopped that a few years ago when they just weren't working for me anymore.

JAileen

Veteran

Rachylou, off white and beige clash with my hair. I've adopted grey as my new neutral, from khaki/ beige. Unfortunately, I have a lot of khaki and beige. Also, it feels like I'm moving to a different color scheme. For example, last winter I got a heather grey turtleneck sweater and I felt fab in it. Well, it looks bad with khaki. A deeper grey like charcoal would probably look ok with khaki. BTW, I got two more grey sweaters - V neck cardigan and a boat neck pullover.

Carter, it sounds like we had similar hair color. Mine turned gold and red, especially around my face, from being outdoors.

Angela K

Veteran

My natural hair color was once deep brunette almost black. When I was younger I loved purples, lavenders, kelly green. Basically cool colors. As I matured, I liked to play with color so I was red (vivid!), blonde, chestnut with blonde streaks you name it. I mean it's hair right? It will grow back or out so I went for it! I loved being able to change on a whim and my choices of wardrobe colors followed those whims. I loved fall colors and found they worked for me. Burnt orange, khaki, olive, and rich mocha brown. Now I find that since going natural (heavy salt and pepper) and cutting my hair very short these colors are not nearly as flattering as the cooler, clearer tones so I've almost come full circle. I still love orange but find tomato red more flattering. The same is true for other colors. Instead of brown, now I love charcoal gray, black, and ink blue. They just feel more flattering to me. All of this has been trial and error. But IMHO the bottom line is wear what feels best to you. Find colors that speak to you and that you feel fab in and wear those. Never mind what the "color experts" say. True beauty comes from feeling good about yourself. Find what makes you feel good and you will be beautiful in it.

JAileen

Veteran

Angela K, what you're describing, in terms of color, is exactly what I've experienced. I love grey. I never ever wore it until now.

I love that you've had fun experimenting with your hair. I never did that, but my son did lots of stuff with his hair. I figured it would grow out so I didn't sweat it too much, even when I didn't like it.

deb

Veteran

I always thought I had warm coloring until I was at the hairdressers and realized how ashy my blond hair actually was. I have noticed my face becoming cooler as I have aged, though. My understanding is that our skin becomes thinner as we age and the blue undertones of out blood system show more through the thinner skin. I imagine that is what you are seeing along with the silver hair.

deb

Veteran

Imogen has an article about this issue.

http://www.insideoutstyleblog......age-2.html

JAileen

Veteran

Deb, I think you're right. That must be what is happening. Thanks for the link!

ImogenL

(website)

Absolutely your colouring can change. I have met quite a few clients who had real warmth in their skin when young who have lost most of it as they age (and some all of it). Many people move towards the centre of the warm/cool spectrum as they age too, rather than staying at the extremes which is why suddenly colours that didn't used to work now work.
If you consider that black and white are cool, and grey is therefore on the cooler end of the spectrum, then aging and your hair changing colour and greying, skin changes at the same time to match hair (usually) so most people cool down somewhat, as they age, and they also mute down (grey being a muted colour.
Over time, though, if you go really white, you can become a bit brighter again, but really looking at tinted (white added) colours, rather than softer smoky colours (grey added).

JAileen

Veteran

ImogenL, I read your posts on coloring that Deb linked to. They explain a lot! I wore autumn colors happily for years. But last year I went grey, and now my hair is actually silver. As I said, I am embracing my new hair color, and love wearing grey, as long as it is a different shade of grey from my hair. I get a lot of compliments on my hair. Mother Nature makes the best highlights!

Adelfa

Veteran

I seem to be warmer than before. But it could be that I didn't realize before. I had very dark brown hair, but in a bright sunlight there were a lot of red highlights. I never thought of that as a clue that I wasn't totally cool. My skin was paler before--I was sometimes called "Snow White" because of pale skin and very dark hair--but now I definitely don't wear the palest shade of foundation or even the second palest (and I don't suntan and I do wear sunscreen).

Long story short, I'm wearing some different colors than I used to! Lighter and warmer.

Sheila

Veteran

For 20 years I had put gold foils / highlights in my hair. I had always thought I was a Spring... due to light green eyes and my "blonde" hair. There may have been some reflection on my skin from that blonde making me look warmer than I actually am. Now that my hair is natural... I realize there is ZERO yellow in it... it is taupe with silver streaks- very high contrast.
Later last year I had a color analysis done... she told me to get away from the yellows , brown and heathered colors and to focus on higher contrast fully saturated colors. I realize now... when I wear a tweed or even denim that I totally disappear. Also those spring colors- no good. I am bright winter.
I know now that I cannot wear ALL the colors on that pallette as two of the neutrals "clash" with my hair color. I unfortunately purchased a trench in one of them... and it is awful.
I stepped away from the nude lipsticks... and peach blushes and I think I look more like myself... not as faded. I was shocked at first.. but am not adjusting.

JAileen

Veteran

Adelfa, you seem to be marching to the beat of a different drummer, as most people seem to become cooler rather than warmer. But it's lucky that you realize it. And to be called Snow White is very sweet. After all she was the fairest in the land. I got called much worse names!

Sheila, I know what you mean about neutrals clashing with your hair color. That's exactly how I feel about off white which, by the way, is just a general term for a lot of whites mixed with other colors such as tan, yellow, pink. I don't think I paid that much attention before. It's great that you figured out your best colors. I bet you feel better in them now. I have a jacket that I love except the fake fur lining is horrible with my hair. So I just have to bite the bullet and toss it. Taupe looks fab with my hair, so I think taupe must be an underlying color, too.

Sheila

Veteran

Well... I am still learning about color for sure. BUt I know it is not as forgiving as it once was. I loved khaki's, beige cargo's etc... I have a significant amount of contrast in my hair now... but I have lost a color block and am into "neutral" territory now. When I was younger... I did not truly look too bad in anything. Now, I have potential to look poorly, tired, bags under my eyes.. etc... Color and the RIGHT color are becoming more important. I truly love my gray hair though... love it ! So happy I took the plunge... although the transition was not pretty. It is high contrast within itself - and I have seen recently that I can get away with high contrast prints... wild stuff... that I would never have worn. And that small, sweet prints do NOT look good. Here is a recent pic ...and a RED coat !

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JAileen

Veteran

Sheila, your hair is beautiful! I love it too! I ended up here at YLF because I needed to find out how to look like I'm part of this modern world even though I have grey hair. I had a sense that things needed to change, but I wasn't sure what or how.

Angela K

Veteran

JAileen and Sheila, I totally agree that going natural is so freeing and flattering. Especially when you are still somewhat adventurous with your fashion and color choices. The high contrast between the hair color and fashion can make a striking statement. (As with Sheila and the fab red coat!). I get tons of complements from young and old, men and women just on the fact that my hair is so unexpected. I find that to be great fun!

Ps. Sheila. When I saw the Pic of you in the red coat, my first thought was WOW! She looks like Emmy Lou Harris. Another beautiful silver-hair lady. very inspiring.

Anonymous

Like Jody (Adelfa), I appear warmer than I did when I was younger. Changing to a plant-based diet and moving from grey Pittsburgh to sunny Phoenix has put a lot more golden in my skin and hair (even though I'm greying). My avatar picture was taken in the winter, so there aren't any blonde streaks in my hair there, but I have at least three colors going on in there, lol! Even though I look warmer than I used to, I still look my best in colors and neutrals from the cool side of the spectrum. Maybe the warmth in my skin is just an overtone? I look truly putrid in avacodo, moss, rust and mustard. Camel looks nice against my hair, but not with my complexion. Since my hair is a weird mix of tones, the color grey is tricky for me right now. Blue-grey is perfect, since it goes well with my eyes. Taupe is a little better with my hair, and probably will be until I'm completely grey.
It's funny how our coloring can change. I think it was Carol Jackson who said (in the 80's) that we would have the same color palette for the rest of our lives, but I think that idea is a little outdated. It's fun experimenting with new things as we get older; it makes the ageing process a little less daunting.

JAileen

Veteran

AngelaK, I agree, definitely freeing. When I was thinking about going grey I read a blog by a woman who had gone through it. She was very inspiring to me. Unfortunately she took the entire blog down. I think of grey (or silver) as just another color, rather than as hair color for the elderly.

Clearlyclaire, I hadn't heard that before - that a plant based diet (vegetarian?) helped warm up your coloring. I definitely think a sunny climate will change your coloring, at least temporarily. Was Carol Jackson the person who wrote about the seasons? I think it was an interesting concept, even if it wasn't perfect. I started wearing colors I'd never worn before. BTW, I've seen threads on your micro wardrobe and I really think it's lovely.