Combining Colors

Gone are the Color Me Beautiful days, when color temperature was queen and color swatches were prime minister. Want a color philosophy that is timelessly flattering to you? Learn to mimic the way your personal coloring combines colors.

Color characteristics:

What hues are present in your coloring? How do they relate to each other on the color wheel? You may want to wear color schemes that use the same color harmonies.

Is your coloring dark, medium, or light, or a combination? Basic color value combining repeats the darkness of the hair and skin in the garments, and accents with the color value of the eyes.

Finally, which elements of your coloring are clear and which are muted? Is your skin or hair visually textured or patterned? Wearing heathered colors is very attractive with muted skin tones, and vertical stripes enhance streaked hair. Again, repetition is the concept.

Does this seem elementary to you? More sophisticated color combining takes the concept of repetition and adds drama with contrast. Just add black or white.