I recently had the opportunity to have a color consultation with Image Mentor Joseph Rosenfeld. The process took 4 hours, and I was very happy with the experience. If you’re serious about the impression you want to make, I recommend you take the time to have a color consultation done.
Looking good is not superficial. You make an impression in everything you do. Why not have that very important first impression be right on target?
What did the process entail? We spent about 2 hours in his studio going through thousands of colors, which he held up to my face. I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup, and he draped a neutralizing beige cloth around me so no color was reflected upward, giving him a more accurate reading. He looked at all of the colors in my eyes, on my teeth and within my eyebrows, and he asked if I was going to keep my current hair color, as all of these components affect the outcome of the color palette.
After Joseph narrowed the colors down, we went to the mirror and eliminated even more colors. It was amazing to see how a color that was just one or two shades off didn’t look nearly as nice with my coloring.
After a week or two, the palette came back assembled, and Joseph showed me how to shop with it and what the colors mean. My colors ranged from subdued to quite a few bold colors. He explained my essence through color, and I felt like he was right on target.
My color essence is:
- Supportive – able to give something greater credibility by being consistent with it or providing further evidence of it
- Adaptable – able to adjust easily to changes and new conditions that suit a higher ideal
- Sensible – able to be perceived through the sense
- Philosophical – concerned with or given to thinking about the larger issues and deeper meanings in life and events
The palette is used to pick out clothes, accessories and even makeup. Apparently, I do better in solids as opposed to patterns, and smooth rather than textured fabrics. Since obtaining my palette and shopping with it, I’ve gradually revamped my wardrobe and made a few interesting observations:
- People look at me, not my clothes. The purpose of the color palette is to find colors you’re harmonious with, which seems to have worked.
- I get more compliments on my clothes.
- It really does take the guesswork out of shopping. By sticking to the colors in the palette, it looks like you paid more for what you’re wearing because the color is right – even if you bought it at a discount store. It helps you save money and time.
As I’m currently in a career and life transition, I figured knowing my color palette would be an important first step, and I’ve already seen it make a difference! Next year I plan to hire Joseph as a personal stylist so he can help me further-define the look and image I want to convey.
Have you ever had a color consultation? What was your experience like? What did you learn about yourself?
Wow, a color consultation sounds like a lot of fun – and also a valuable exercise. I’ve never had one done. I’ve come up with what I think are good colors for me. But I would love to see how my picks compare to the picks of an expert.