It's been almost two weeks since I had my colors analyzed and discovered that I am a Bright Spring (clear, bright, warm, light) and not (as I'd convinced myself) a Soft Autumn (soft, muted, dusty, dark). Talk about a turnaround! Up is down, down is up. All the colors I thought were my best (olive, burgundy, browns) are actually my worst. And the colors I'd steadfastly avoided (pinks, tomato red, bright greens and blues) are actually my best. Huh.
After I got over my initial shock, I tried wearing some brights as well as brighter makeup and realized that I actually do look better in bright, clear, high-contrast colors. Most amazing has been how much the right makeup (blush, foundation, lip color) can make a difference in your appearance. My face is so much younger and softer looking in my new makeup. (I wish I could share the before/after shot from my session, but I haven't been able to upload it here) I also have to say that my closet is a brighter and happier place without all the dark, muddy pieces. I actually feel a little jolt of happiness when I open the doors and see the bright, clear colors.
So, to work! I've spent the past two weekends sorting through my closet, weeding out the muddiest and dustiest colors and pulling the brights to the front. I actually own some brights and a few suitable neutrals, so I won't have to completely overhaul my wardrobe. Of course, I can't realistically get rid of everything that doesn't match the color swatches, so I'm holding onto some less-than-perfect colors--some for practicality's sake (black, white, navy) and others out of love for the color (cognac, warm taupe, dark teal).
Angie's recent post on how to wear your worst colors couldn't have come at a better time as I sort through my clothes and try to make my less-than-perfect colors fit into my new Bright Spring colorscape. Right now my closet is a mashup of bright and muted colors, and I'm not exactly sure what will work together going forward. Here's where things stand:
Colors I purged
Olive (except for a jacket and pair of pants)
Burgundy
Dusty medium blue
Colors I'm hanging onto for now although they're not in my palette
Black
White
Navy (one blouse, one tee)
Cognac
Warm taupe (one sweater, one dress, one jacket)
Chocolate brown (one sweater, one dress)
Dark Teal (two blouses)
Denim blue
Bright colors from my new palette that I'm focusing on
Bright yellows (marigold, mustard, saffron, mango)
Clear reds (watermelon, tomato red)
Light clear corals (salmon)
Bright blues (light teal, turquoise)
It's actually been easier to choose the bright colors I want from my new palette than it has been to identify the new neutrals I want to incorporate. My "best" neutrals vary from ivory to charcoal, with some odd and seemingly disparate colors in between. It's going to take some experimenting to decide which neutrals will form my new core.
Right now, the only neutrals I'm certain of are eggshell/ivory and denim. And of course, black has to stay because it's just so useful!
I know this is rambling. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and muddled...but excited, too! Thanks for listening as I start to sort this out.
#1 - my yellows/golds
#2 - my corals/reds
#3-4 - my blues
#5 - my neutrals
#6 - yellows in my closet
#7 - corals/reds in my closet
#8-9 - blues in my closet
#10 - ivory/eggshell in my closet
#11 - cognac (not in my palette)
#12 - warm taupe (not in my palette)
#13 - dark teal (not in my palette)
