'I have witnessed people's lives change': How to find the colours that are perfect for you

Are you warm, cool or neutral? How the retro trend of "getting your colours done" made a comeback with personalised colour analysis on social media – and how your perfect colours can "spark careers, conversations and connections".

Do you have cool or medium undertones? Does red brighten your skin or dull you down? Questions like these, that may not have crossed your mind before, are now prominent on social media, as users try to define their colour palettes. Colour analysis, once considered niche, has seen a surge in popularity, with appointments booked months in advance and apps including TikTok and Instagram flooded with tutorials on how to determine which colours suit you. 

"Before I started offering online consultations, I had people fly in from around the world to see me," says Canadian image consultant and colour analyst Carol Brailey. 

Since Brailey launched her business back in 2012, and has done thousands of consultations. "It appeals to people from all walks of life," she tells the BBC. "There's everyone from 17-year-olds to those in their 70s – I find people are tired of gravitating towards black clothing."  

On TikTok, Brailey's client transformations have gained millions of views, as has the hashtag #ColorAnalysis, which is often accompanied by filters allowing users to find their palette. But although this technology is new, the practice has been around for decades.  

Colour analysis enjoyed a spell of popularity in the 1980s and early-90s, when "getting your colours done" meant visiting a professional colour consultant in person, and being assigned a particular set of hues – often based on a system of seasons – that suited you. Broadly speaking, spring meant bright and fresh colours, summer cool and light, autumn was burnt oranges and mossy greens, and winter was deep jewel tones. This surge in interest was largely thanks to the bestselling books Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson (which sold more than 13 million copies worldwide) and Color Me a Season by Bernice Kentner.

However, it was in the early-1900s that seasonal colour theory was born in the studio of Johannes Itten, a Swiss painter and art professor. Itten noticed that some of his students' portraits looked more vibrant than others, a difference he attributed to colour. By analysing colours that "harmonised" well together, he developed the seasonal analysis tool still used today, grouping people into summer, autumn, winter or spring. 

Brailey puts the modern-day revival down to how visual we have become. "Whether it's uploading Instagram pictures, recording TikTok content, or even Zoom meetings, we have become a very visual society."  

After her consultations, it's not unusual to see tears, she says. "People cry because they've never seen themselves look so vibrant. In my years of being in the industry, I have witnessed people's lives change, with promotions and new jobs, because it starts a confidence boost." 

Tabitha Lofts didn't cry after her colour consultation, but she did opt to have a total makeover, dying her hair, switching up her make-up routine, and introducing colours to her wardrobe that she hadn't previously worn. "I did the whole shebang", she laughs, adding, "I liked it, and I felt so different." Before her consultation, Tabitha thought she had a warm spring or summer palette, explaining, "I was so sure that I was warm toned, because I burn in the Sun, but it was the complete opposite. I learnt I'm cool toned, suit silver jewellery, and my favourite colours weren't my colours at all. Now I wear lots of cobalt blue, a shade I'd never worn before." 

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For Lofts, who is a nutritionist and content creator, colour analysis was a way of building confidence. "I was quitting fake tan, as I was addicted, and relied on it to bring my outfits together," she says. "It was confidence in a bottle, but I need to find it elsewhere." She described getting dressed and not "understanding" her skin tone, which is where she got the idea for the image consultation. "The results really changed my mind about my pale skin. I used to think about it with negative connotations and assumed it made me look icy, but now I know I can be warm, even without warm visuals." 

To those who are dismissive of colour analysis, Lofts, who lives in Dubai, admits it is not the be all and end all. "Although I got a lot from it, I still wear colours that aren't in my palette. It's not a prescription." 

Growing up in Costa Rica, fashion designer and stylist Micah Lumsden has always gravitated towards bright colours, as she finds that wearing them lifts her mood. But it was an experience while at fashion school that made her want to better understand colour theory. "We were studying colour analysis, and my skin tone wasn't understood by my teachers. I got several back-up consultations from other students, but there were so many misconceptions about dark skin," she tells the BBC. "Comments like, 'Every black person looks good in red,' as well as the idea that 'those with darker skin look good in every colour'." 

It was this lack of awareness that prompted Lumsden to launch styling consultancy Cocoa Styling. "I started working with painters and make-up artists, the people who really understand colour theory." She now has clients around the world, and has noticed more male clients on her books. "Guys do care about fashion," she says. "I used to see one man per 10 clients, but now it's one per five." 

As a stylist, she approaches wardrobes with colour at the forefront, rather than design. "Most people will look good in a tailored blazer and T-shirt, but the personalisation of colour gives an outfit a special touch."  

Colour analysis is often expensive, but Lumsden doesn't want that to be a deterrent. She's also sceptical of online colour-analysis filters being the answer. "It's hard to give an unbiased reading of filters, and screens also reflect light."

Instead, she suggests holding up items from around the home against your face, or going to a local craft store to buy felt patches. "You can use blankets, cushions... whatever. Hold them up against your face in the mirror, and take a selfie. Once you've got a collection of selfies, place them next to each other and ask, do I look better with blue and purples? Or yellows and oranges? If it's the latter, you have a warm palette, if it's the former, you're probably cool." 

We know fashion runs in cycles, but many believe that knowing your personal palette could be a way to break up with fast fashion. "Trends rotate so quickly, so knowing your best colours is a great way of harnessing what suits you and eliminating everything else," Ellie Richards tells the BBC. She's the founder of Nuude Studio in Queenstown, New Zealand, and approaches fashion through psychology. Colour, in her opinion, is the most important tool.  

"There is a science to clothes changing your mood, your behaviour and people's perception of you," she says. "When you put on a colour that suits you, it's a powerful tool, because we're instantly more confident and aligned in personal identity." 

The easiest way to see colour psychology in action, she says, is in films and TV series. "If we look at Euphoria, for example, Cassie (played by Sydney Sweeney) is often dressed in light blue to show an angel-like innocence, whereas Maddy (played by Alexa Demie) dresses in more dark maroon tones to signify her influence."  

Look at some of the trending colours of 2025, and black doesn't feature. Instead, we're seeing bold cardinal reds, striking marigolds and dusty-rose pinks. According to Richards, we've entered an era of being "bold". 

"The pandemic days of wearing grey sweats are over, and instead we've emerged seeking fun, playful looks." She cites social media as influencing our style, too. "It's had a massive effect. On TikTok, creators need to stand out and they can do so by wearing bright, eye-catching colours. Those videos are seen by millions of people, and so it's normalised these bold looks."

Richards is passionate about the benefits of colour analysis. "A deep understanding of personal style and colour can spark careers, conversations and connections," she says, acknowledging that it can be a little daunting at first, but advising the curious to start by adding colour little by little. "One option is to wear muted shades of a colour, or accessories."

Despite a colour consultation confirming that cobalt blue suits her best, Lofts still gravitates towards black. "It's easy to wear," she says with a smile. "But I'm trying to be more adventurous."

As a personal trainer, she sees plenty of online content pushing "optimisation" and "being the best version of yourself". She views colour analysis as part of that trend, but believes the most important thing is feeling comfortable in your own skin. "Everyone is focused on self-improvement, and there's a vanity to it," she says. "But it doesn't have to be serious. Experimenting with colour should be fun, playful, and free from judgement." She laughs. "Even if you don't stick to your assigned palette."

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