What Happens in a Colour Analysis Consultation? A Real Conversation to Put Your Mind at Ease
Have you ever wondered what actually happens when you book a colour analysis consultation?
Maybe you've seen the colour swatches on social media, or perhaps a friend mentioned having it done. You're curious, but you're also a little unsure what to expect.
You're not alone. Many of the women who come to me have the same questions before they arrive. They want to understand the process, they want to know it will be worth their investment and they want to feel comfortable that I am the person who can help them before they show up.
This post gives you a behind-the-scenes look at exactly what happens during a colour consultation with me. It's drawn from a real discovery call(put link here)conversation I had recently, and maybe you'll recognise yourself somewhere in it and gain some clarity.
Once you understand what this process involves, everything starts to feel a lot simpler.
What You Will Learn
Why women in their 40s and 50s often feel stuck with colour (and why it's not their fault)
Exactly what happens in a colour analysis consultation, step by step
Why professional colour analysis gives you something no app or quiz can replicate
How your colour palette helps with jewellery, hair, glasses, makeup, and everyday dressing
What to do if you're worried about body changes or major life transitions
Why So Many Women Feel Lost with Colour as They Get Older
Not long ago, I spoke with a woman in her 50s who had spent over three decades working in beauty before retraining into a new career path. She had lost 12 kilos, was getting her hormones under control, and was ready to start socialising and putting herself out there again.
She said something that I hear so often: “I'm looking really tired and drab. I've moved away from wearing all black and now wear a lot of navy, but I want to add some colour, but don’t know where to start. The problem is I keep buying the wrong shades. They look great in the shop, then I get home, see them in natural light, and think: that's just not right.”
This is one of the most common things women tell me. It's not a shopping problem, it’s not a style problem, it’s and identity and colour information problem.
She had also picked up bits of advice along the way. She knew pastels didn't look great on her, and she had noticed that some pinks and reds drew out redness in her skin. That kind of self-awareness is actually a great starting point.
Without a clear framework, though, it still leaves you second-guessing everything and probably even more confused.
What she needed wasn't more clothes. She needed her personal colour blueprint identifying for her.
Why What You Wear at Home Matters More Than You Think
One thing came up in our conversation that I always love to address with my ladies is what we wear at home matters more than you think.
She mentioned she only avoided certain colours when going out, and said wearing the wrong shades around home was “fine.”
I gently challenged her on this.
What we wear at home matters a great deal, because most of us spend a huge of our time there.
The way you feel when you look in the mirror on an ordinary morning affects how you carry yourself through the whole day. Your pyjamas, your weekend clothes, your around-the-house layers: all of it has an impact on how you see yourself, your mood and therefore how you show up.
Comfort and colour are not opposites, you can feel completely comfortable and at ease and still look (and more importantly feel) wonderful. The two are not in competition.
What Actually Happens in a Colour Analysis Consultation?
Here's the part many women are most curious about.
When you arrive, we first have a cuppa so I can get to know you, what you are struggling with and what you want to get out of our session together. I also demonstrate the theory behind colour analysis and talk over any concerns.
Then we move to the colour station where we take your before photo, I take various photos and videos throughout our session, which are yours to keep afterwards as a reminder that you can go through at your leisure to refresh and cement the information. These photos are for your personal use unless of course you give me permission to share them otherwise they are always kept private.
When you arrive for colour analysis I request you to come without makeup on. If you have coloured hair, I'll place a small white cover over it temporarily. This removes the influence of any dye so we can read your natural colouring accurately. Hair colour can make a huge difference, even if you believe it’s close to your natural colour, we will cover to ensure an accurate result.
Large earrings come off, and glasses come off for the initial draping process (don't worry, if you can’t see well without them, once I am clear on your result, I will repeat the draping for you with your glasses in place ).
I suggest you wear something comfortable for the session. It doesn’t matter what colour it is since I’m going to cover you up with a white hairdressers cape. Many people think they have to come wearing neutral or be a blank canvas, but you can come as colourful as you like.
Then we begin the draping.
In front of natural light and a mirror, I hold a series of fabric samples close to your face and neck. We're not working from a questionnaire or a quiz, I am not going to ask you what colours you like or dislike, my job is to find out what colours like and complement you. We are literally watching how each colour responds with your skin in real time.
This is the part that always surprises people. The difference a single shift of colour tone makes is incredible and you will see it yourself. Sometimes we see it almost instantly sometimes it takes a little bit more discovery.
People are often blown away of why they didn’t see this but the truth is it takes an impartial eye which is why I do not ask what colours you like or dislike. We have biases, we are used to seeing ourselves in certain colours and we have colours we like and colours we don’t like which means we will not make an accurate impartial decision ourselves.
Before my own analysis, I did not like pinks or purples but they love me and I’ve learnt to love them and what they do to my complexion. However don’t worry that’s not always the case, sometimes the colours you love, do love you back.
The first thing we establish is whether you are warm-toned or cool-toned. Once that's clear, we narrow it further to determine whether you sit in the muted or brighter range. This is how we identify your season: Winter, Summer, Autumn, or Spring.
Within that season, we also then look at the highs and lows. Every season has some shades that are truly exceptional on you, and others that are just average. We find the ones that genuinely lift you and discuss how best to use each shade within your own wardrobe, so the advice is practical and easily implemented.
I always show women what an “off” colour does, not to make them feel bad, but so they understand the contrast. Seeing an “Off” colour create shadows under the jawline, dark circles under your eyes or instantly age you is genuinely eye-opening. It's information, and once you have it, you can't unsee it.
What Colour Analysis Covers Beyond Just Colours
A colour consultation is not just about fabric swatches. During your session, we also discuss:
Hair colour. Whether you're colouring your hair, going grey, considering going grey, or navigating the transition, your season informs the best approach and your best hair colour. We go grey in the palette we were born with, which means your natural grey is actually working with your colouring, not against it. Whether you are ready to embrace it or not is entirely your decision, and either is completely valid.
Jewellery. Which metals suit you best (gold, silver, rose gold), and how shade variations within those metals affect the result.
Makeup. Which lipstick tones, blush shades, and foundation undertones will harmonise with your colouring rather than fight against it. We will try on samples to ensure we get the best shades for you.
Glasses. If you wear them, we discuss frame colours that support rather than clash with your palette, we also discuss sunnies too.
Tweaks for items that don't quite work. If you already have clothes in your wardrobe that aren't the right shade, we talk through how to work with them. A scarf or a lipstick near the face can shift the balance considerably. Some of my clients are even dyeing garments to bring them into their correct palette, which is a brilliant budget-friendly option.
This is not about throwing away your wardrobe. It's about understanding what you have, knowing what to add, and shopping with clarity from here on.
If you'd like a practical starting point before booking a consultation, the free Midlife Style Checklist is a useful resource:
Can You Trust What You Read Online About Colour Analysis?
This is an important question, and one that came up naturally in our conversation.
When it comes to colour information, particularly around which metals suit which seasons or which undertones correspond to which palettes, there is a lot of conflicting advice online. Some of it is helpful, some of it is oversimplified, and some of it is simply wrong.
The reason professional in-person colour analysis exists is that no online quiz, AI tool, or self-assessment can accurately replicate what happens in person. Real colour analysis requires watching how your skin responds to fabric in natural light. It involves subtle visual comparisons that cannot be captured through a screen or a set of tick-boxes. The variables are simply too individual, it is not a one size all service, every clients nuances are different.
Your instincts are worth something, but they do come with that personal perception filter. Until those instincts are validated by a professional in real conditions, though, there will always be gaps and second-guessing.
The woman I spoke with had already noticed that black was looking harsh on her as she'd aged. That observation was probably correct, as we age it can often happen. The missing piece was knowing why, and knowing what to do about it.
What About Buying New Clothes Before a Consultation?
I am asked this regularly, and my answer is always the same: please do the consultation before you go shopping.
It doesn't have to be an expensive shopping process to start making a difference. Buying two or three pieces in your correct palette colours, even from an inexpensive shop, will do far more for how you look and feel than a full wardrobe of the wrong shades. Colour is one of the most powerful and most accessible tools available to you.
Key Takeaways
Feeling confused about colour is not a personal failure. It simply means you haven't yet had access to the right information.
What you wear at home shapes how you feel about yourself every day. Comfort and good colour are not in competition.
Professional colour analysis is a visual, real-time process that cannot be replicated by online quizzes or AI tools.
A colour consultation covers much more than fabric swatches. It includes hair, makeup, jewellery, glasses, and practical wardrobe strategies.
Your colour season is information you will use for the rest of your life.
FAQ
Do I need to come without makeup?
Yes. Coming bare-faced allows the draping process to work accurately. We are reading your natural skin tone, so anything sitting on top of it will affect the result. I will put a basic makeup on you during your session (unless you request otherwise) so you will leave in makeup and feel free to bring yours to the session too.
What if I'm going grey or my hair colour has changed?
Hair colour if dyed is removed from the equation during the consultation by placing a white cap over your hair. This means your current hair colour does not influence the result. We then discuss the best hair colour approach for your season as part of the session.
I've been wearing black my whole life. Does that mean it's wrong for me?
Not necessarily. Black works beautifully for my Winter’s. But what can happen as we age is that very high-contrast colours can start to dominate or create shadows around the face, even in people they once suited. The consultation will show you clearly whether black is right for you, and if it isn't, we'll look at what to do with the pieces you already own.
I'm in the middle of a big body change. Should I wait until I reach my goal weight?
No. The core principles of colour that we identify in a consultation will serve you at any size. Your colour season does not change. Your clothing personality, the way you naturally want to express yourself, is not dependent on a number on a scale. But if it’s a big change start now with colour first (you can do image and style later) and the clarity will support you through the transition.
Can I do colour first and add styling later?
Absolutely. Many women do exactly this. Starting with colour gives you an immediate, practical framework you can apply to shopping and dressing straight away. Style analysis can follow when you are ready, but colour should always come first.
Ready to Find Out What Colours Truly Suit You?
Your colour season is not a fashion trend. It is based on your individual colouring, your skin, your eyes, your natural tone, and it is information you will carry with you for life.
When you know your colours, shopping becomes easier. Getting dressed in the morning feels lighter. You look at photographs of yourself and recognise the person you know yourself to be, rather than seeing something unexpected.
That clarity is available to you.
To find out more about the Personal Colour Consultation, visit:
To find out more about the Personal Colour Consultation, visit:
What's your biggest challenge with colour right now? Share it in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.
