How to Tame the Color Palette Demons

We've all done it. Run into a store, see the perfect dress / skirt / blouse / outfit, race to try it on, give it the nod of approval, pull out the Mastercard, then get that perfect purchase home and ... HATE IT. The perfect purchase gets returned or stuffed into the back of the closet. Who knows, it might change to a better color after being stored for a few years.

One thing that may lie behind bad choices like those is the truth of the color. What looks great in the lighting of the store and dressing room may not look great at all in sunlight or the lighting in your bathroom. One way to avoid lying color is to become very comfortable with your own personal color palette, and that alone will guide you away from that particular color palette demon.

But that's not why we're here for Part 2. It's time, instead, to get used to what colors and color combinations look like. Don't laugh too hard - of COURSE you know what blue looks like. Right?

(Don't be surprised, though, if someone swears that navy skirt they've got on is really black. Some people cannot tell the difference.)

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Part 2: Exploring Color Palette Variations

Rather than get into a great big discussion about color palettes and how to select one that matches your hair, skin, and eyes, spend some time looking at the dropdowns to the right of the color bar display - click on a few things, fiddle with the knobs, and get used to how the widget responds.

Pay particular attention to the Nature dropdown. Notice that, in addition to the standards of Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter selections, you can visualize Tropical, Wood, and Water. Other dropdowns are Colors, Types and Moods. Spend some time with them before we go further.

Color Palette Tools

Are You a Summer, Winter, Spring, Autumn or What

Each of us has a particular range of color palettes that flatter our natural coloring the best. A special shade of blue that makes our eyes dazzle. That certain green tone that brings out those highlights in your hair. We may not yet know exactly why we gravitate toward a certain color or palette, but it's not voodoo or witchcraft.


Anyone can find their true colors, and we're going to get started in that direction in a moment. Let's demystify a few of the terms first:

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Part 1: Working the Color Wheel

Terms and Definitions

• Primary: red, yellow, blue
  
• Secondary: orange, violet, green - formed by combining primary colors
  
• Tertiary: red-orange, red-violet, yellow-green, yellow-orange, blue-green, blue-violet
  
• Warm: red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green
  
• Cool: green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet, violet, red-violet
  
• Hue: color
  
• Tint: a color blended with white
  
• Shade: a color blended with black
  
• Value: the darkness or lightness of a hue
  
• Saturation: the strength or weakness of a color (the more the color is mixed with other colors, the less saturated it becomes).
  
• Monochromatic: of one color, variations on a single color
  
• Analogous harmony: two or more neighboring colors (red, red-orange, orange)
  
• Complementary: colors on opposite sides of the color wheel (red and green, violet and yellow)
  

Here's what you will want to have on hand, to get ready for the next part of our exercise.

• Hair color
  
• Skin tone (warm or cool)
  
• Eye color (without the contacts)
  
• Your absolutely positively most favorite blouse or scarf
  

Sponsored by The Beauty Lass, part of the Perfectly Shaped World.