Wow, I'm so glad I started this thread. I'm really leaning towards some sort of summer after reading all these replies and thinking about it more myself. Fascinating. I see a new rabbit hole opening up before me...

Suz, it's especially especially helpful to hear your input because you have seen me in person, and because your wardrobe choices prove have a fantastic eye for colour. Thank you for chiming in!

Crackers, are we neighbors? I'd love that info if you find it!

K, Ariadne lives in Vancouver...I live in Ontario. We met when I was passing through on my way home from China last year.

I wasn't crazy about the person who did my colour analysis. It was pre-YLF. Truthfully, I pretty much knew what colours suited me before I went -- none of it was a surprise to me and the fact that it surprised her made me feel a bit less confident in her judgement! Which was a weird place to be in, psychologically.

But she did remind me about the whole plum family, which I had been completely ignoring, for reasons unknown. So that was worth something.

I think I went because I was knew I had to buy a whole new wardrobe after weight loss and so I just didn't want to buy a ton of stuff that would turn out to be a waste. Of course I promptly went out and bought all kinds of stuff not officially in my colours anyway.

But I do mostly stick to a range that is on the summery side.

I think you are a classic cool; that is why most of these colors look great on you. The only one that is warm is the orangey color; see how the pink makes you look healthier?

Based on your photos, the colors you describe being drawn to sound right on. Love your make-up choices (and that navy/white top on you too). I am kind of surprised how well you can carry off the chartreuse though.

First off - you are so pretty!
OK - my favorites on you are 1, 4, and 9 - I think they are all fantastic!
Others that I think look good on you are 7 and 12.
Least favorites are - 3, 5, 6, and 11

In my eye you definitely lean towards cool colors - and based on what I know about color analysis, I believe that you are some type of summer. Have you ever tried a black mascara? - or a more cool lipstick? I know that you said that you use the NARS orgasm blush - I think of it as more of a neutral than a warm color - I am extremely cool in my coloring and I can wear the NARS orgasm blush. I also sometimes wear the NAR orgasm lipstick - have you tried it? I think it would also be considered a more neutral color - that is, a balance between warm and cold.

I like the softer colors on you. The bright ones seem to overpower you but I am no expert and struggle myself with colors.

Have you crunched the numbers from the responses here yet?

I thought you looked healthy in: #3, 4, 5, 8, 11-19.

Essentially I didn't think you looked as healthy in pinks, greys, and blues...

Your camera is probably set to auto white balance (so the camera decides per each shot what to use, based on the values in the shot). To get a consistent white balance across the shots, you can choose from among the pre-programmed modes, depending on what the lighting situation is (e.g Sunlight, Cloudy, Snow, Fluorescent etc or whatever your camera has available).

I liked you best in 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 14 - to my eye those are the colours that seem to match your colouring rather than fight with it.

This is so fascinating. I haven't worn colors in years, so I have no idea what looks best on me. I liked 5 quite a lot on you - it brings out a different aspect of your face than the brighter colors. I guess I would have called that a cool color combination but I'm just looking at the PYW site and it's a very different approach than I've seen before. Lots for me to read!

Wow, Ariadne, this is fascinating! Without reading any other comments, I would say you're some sort of a summer - most likely soft summer. I like the soft and rather cool colors on you. The very bright citron drape is the one that seems to clash the most with your natural coloring.
You are very beautiful, even without makeup Now off to read the other comments...

Hello Ariadne, I'm so excited you're trying out the color palettes! I love seeing people in the colors that make them glow. Here are my favorites on you: 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15.

I agree with the others that your natural coloring sounds very much like a summer, whether soft or true (12 season system). I'm not sure that you're light enough for light summer. Do you have any fabric around the house in plum/berry/cranberry, ranges of pink, & ranges of blue? Just to get more focused on whether the summer palettes are right.

About contrast: my husband is a summer. He doesn't have much contrast either - hazel eyes, light brown hair - but in summer colors, I see him & his healthy, glowing complexion - never a mousy-looking person. Low contrast is beautiful too! When you wear your colors, people see your unique beauty.

Ariadne, your coloring is very similar to mine. I'll echo others' thoughts that you're a summer. Whether you're soft, true or light -- I'm not sure. For whatever it's worth, I think you look good in most of these colors, with the exception of the citron, orange and black. (It's possible that I'm projecting a bit, as I know *I* don't look good in them!)

I'm not surprised by your makeup colors at all. It looks like you're wearing cool-ish colors that have hints of warmth. That sounds about right to me. Anything too far in either direction would be too harsh.

another thought is that, even if you get it down to a specific type of summer (assuming that's where you're headed), you'll still probably need to pare down the options and your best ones - so based on everyone's feedback, it seems like you could probably pick your faves from the "some combo of cool and/or softened" range and you will look great!

I like the softer (more toned down) cool colors. The warmer colors don't look so good, and the bright colors overpower you. My guess is that you might be a Soft Summer. You are definitely not light, so rule that out. The fact that warmer makeup colors look the most natural on you probably points to Soft Summer. I think you're on the cool side of neutral, if that makes any sense. I could be wrong, but that's what I see. The navy you look so fab in is not a Soft Autumn navy, that's for sure. It belongs to one of the cool color palettes.

I love all of the COLORS on you, but not the black or light gray so much.
You have alot of options!

Thank you all again so much for your extremely helpful and constructive comments. I feel like I'm seeing things more clearly now, both in the mirror and in photos. And thank you a thousand times over for your compliments too. As someone who's struggled my whole life with crippling low self-esteem, it's hard for me to accept positive comments, but I'm trying! I spent the week unsuccessfully attempting to potty train my younger child and let's just say it was NOT pretty, in any sense, so I really, REALLY appreciate the boost. It's only 8:00 and I'm about to collapse into bed!

I tallied up the votes and numbers 14 and 9 were the clear favourites, with 1, 4, 7 and navy next. 3 and 11 were the least-liked. I'm SO happy to hear all the love for navy! I adore it but I'd convinced myself I was a spring and therefore shouldn't wear it. Glad to hear I was wrong.

fieldmouse, thank you for the tip on white balance. If I get a chance I'll re-take some photos using what I can find that seems to fit the summer palette.

Marley, I actually use an inexpensive drugstore dupe of Nars Orgasm (Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso) but I am interested to try the lipstick. Fascinating that it's actually not the warm tone I thought it was. I can wear black-black mascara fairly successfully.

Alassë and Ruth, I agree that light summer is not very likely--I'm guessing soft is going to turn out to be the best bet. Alassë, I do have most of the colours you mentioned, so I'll try to deploy them in re-take session when I have the chance.

I'll be doing some serious shopping (for a special event dress) on Saturday so this thread will be in the forefront of my mind; I'll be trying on LOTS of colours.

I've not read the replies and don't have much faith in color "seasons" myself, but, for what it's worth, I thought that you looked better in true white than the warm, more ivory white. I guess that means cool tones.

Ariadne - total sidebar, and not to be an annoying advice-giver, but on the potty training - as someone whose been through it twice, once a snap and once I thought would never, ever happen, I feel fairly confident I can assure whatever you are doing, you are doing it JUST FINE. They'll get there, promise

And now you will be confident and look chic in all your navy blue as you are trying to do it!!

Joy, interesting--I always thought I looked better in the off-whites than the pure whites. See why I'm constantly confused?!

Thanks for the encouragement, torontogirl! It was a snap with our first, but I had a feeling it would be a different story this time around. I have a year to get her sorted before preschool starts, so we have time. It's just such an... unpleasant process, to put it delicately Oh well! Onwards and upwards.

Ariadne,

Summers look better in off white (soft white) than they do in bright white. Bright white is cool and looks best on Winters.