Beauty editor Kelly Andrews is a new woman thanks to House of Colour’s expert colour analysis Ever worried about how to feel your authentic self on your wedding day? A House of Colour analysis is the first step to discovering your own unique style. For brides, the stakes are high; there’s a much wider choice of colours available now. Is white right for you, or would an ivory or blush make you shine? Once you discover your season, you’ll have the answer, and knowing your spectrum gives you the confidence you need when choosing a dress that’s right for you on the day. House of Colour consultations are increasingly popular with gents too, so I’d highly recommend booking your session as a couple before you decide on your wedding’s palette. If you’d prefer to stick with the girls though, group sessions of three are so much fun, so why not grab your mum and maid-of-honour? I had the opportunity to experience a consultation for myself and haven’t stopped talking about it since! Here’s why… FIRST IMPRESSIONS My very first impression of my House of Colour consultant, Kelly Caira, when she welcomed me into her home was how stunning the colour of her blouse looked on her. Happily, she was about to share her secrets with me! We started with the colour wheel, the system House of Colour uses to determine your individual palette: winter, autumn, summer or spring. It’s based on a theory of Johannes Itten’s from the Bauhaus School of Art, who was interested in the psychology of colour and asserted that we’re all naturally drawn to our own. Over time though, as we progress through adulthood, many other influences creep in, and the contents of our wardrobes might become scattered throughout the colour wheel. So, the overall goal here is that you end up wearing the colours that show you in the best light. The first step for Kelly and I was to look at the comparison between yellow-based warm hues and blue-based cool tones using scarves draped across my shoulders. Kelly was looking for the ones that made my eyes shine bright, and gave me a healthy glow, or on the flip side, which are dulling my complexion or making me look old – no one wants that. We had the whole spectrum to work with, so it’s not the case that I wouldn’t be able to wear a particular favourite anymore, but more a question of which tone. As a side note, winter is the only palette to include black, so beware LBD lovers! Every palette also has its brights, which do take a bit of confidence to wear when trends come around, so knowing the ones for you gives you the power to choose. THE RESULT I’m winter! Relieved that I didn’t need to throw most of my black wardrobe out, we were about to delve a little deeper and next work out my subseason: the WOW colours, the ones that look truly amazing and will be the foundation of my outfits. Damson and pine were the revelations for me, and the ones I rushed out to look for, having discovered they’re much better matches for me than my beloved black. That decided, we moved on to make-up. The same theory applies here, so once you’ve been assigned your season, you can apply this to the products you buy. This was music to my ears as my skin undertone has been a mystery to me for a long time. The knowledge that I’m cool-toned has taken the stress out of foundation shopping I can tell you! House of Colour has its own ever-expanding make-up range, and the 90-second routine Kelly devised for me using these products never lets me down when I’m in a hurry to get out the door in the morning (which is always). I love the Mineral Foundation with a light formula that can be built up according to the finish you’re after – it’s a great product for those of us who don’t tend to wear a lot of make-up day-to-day. House of Colour takes the confusion out of shopping for eyeshadows too, offering a palette for each season. Even lipsticks can be a minefield with so many reds, but since my session I’ve been obsessed with a plum shade of the new HoC gloss that’s totally ‘me.’ WHAT NOW? There’s certainly a lot of information to take in on the day, so one might be tempted to submit to the overwhelm and do nothing with the new knowledge as soon as you leave. No need. The support when you return home is not only fun but invaluable. You’ll get your season’s swatches in a handy fan to take away with you, as well as your personalised colour book, and your consultant will follow up with your MyHOCLookBook link where you have access to the community and online closet. My favourite feature is the recommendations page, where Kelly had saved winter pieces she’d seen online. I don’t mind admitting I did some damage with the credit card using that page when I got home! Colour me happy TO FIND OUT MORE… Get in touch with your local House of Colour consultant at www.houseofcolour.co.uk/find-consultant or shop the make-up range at www.houseofcolour.co.uk/shop House of Colour consultant Kelly Caira My WOW colours! © Rosie Smith © Rosie Smith © Rosie Smith FASHION & BEAUTY FEATURE 73
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