Is finding your personal color palette confusing? Today I’m pulling back the curtain to reveal what these systems are really looking for and why understanding their hidden criteria can finally help you trust your own judgment.
I was having a Marco Polo conversation with a long-distance friend the other day, and she said something that perfectly captures why so many women feel disconnected from their style. She said, “My own aesthetic is not something I feel like I understand – it’s easily malleable. Like if I think someone I care about will like something, I like it.” But then she said something that inspired this episode: “Having a few things I can pin on to say ‘this makes my lips look redder’ gives me some data points.” She’d discovered the key to showing up as who she actually is – understanding what YOU are looking for, not just following what someone else thinks looks good.Â
What Different Systems Are Actually Looking For in a Personal Color Palette
The reason you get conflicting personal color palette results isn’t because one analyst is right and another is wrong – it’s because they’re looking for completely different optical illusions.
A few weeks ago, I explained that analysts in the Caygill tradition are looking for specific energetic effects by season. Springs should look fresh and animated, Summers should appear refined and graceful, Autumns should look rich and substantial, and Winters should appear dramatic and striking. These aren’t just aesthetic preferences – they’re systematic goals.
• Korean color analysts prioritize making clients look paler and more delicate
• Some European systems focus on enhancing natural hair and eye color
• Certain approaches emphasize making skin look uniform
• Some systems focus on making skin look most perfect, eyes clearest, and teeth whitest
• Other approaches seek balance where all features harmonize and colors within your face look like they belong together
• Some analysts are specifically looking for definition of features and bone structure
My friend figured this out for herself. She’s been frustrated by color analysis for years because, as she put it, “It’s so subjective, it’s not objective.” She realized that what we call color analysis is really about optical illusions – and the question becomes: who decides which optical illusion we prefer?
Why Color Analysis Feels Subjective Despite Trying to Be Objective
Even when trained analysts use the same system, they don’t always agree – and there’s a good reason for this.
I have a colleague who trained in professional draping techniques. She told me that at her certification workshop, several expert instructors were present, and they didn’t always reach the same conclusions about clients. Even with standardized drapes and controlled lighting, human perception introduces subjectivity.
• The famous artist Johannes Itten discovered this when he had art students paint self-portraits – they instinctively chose colors that matched their own personal coloring
• What analysts consider “harmony” varies based on their own aesthetic preferences and training
• Cultural backgrounds influence what looks “healthy” or “attractive” to different analysts
• Personal biases about skin tone, contrast levels, and color intensity affect professional judgment
My friend articulated this beautifully: “My own aesthetic is not something I feel like I understand. It’s easily malleable. If I think someone I care about will like something, I like it.” This is actually common for people with her personality type – EJs often struggle with trusting their own aesthetic instincts because their inferior function (Introverted Feeling or Introverted Thinking) makes them uncertain about personal preferences.
But here’s the interesting part: people with dominant Introverted Feeling or Thinking can have the opposite problem – they’re very sure of their personal aesthetic but uncertain how others perceive them. This can also introduce uncertainty.
What You Can Look for in Your Own Personal Color Palette Assessment
Instead of just asking “Do I like this color?” you can develop more specific criteria for evaluation.
My friend started with a simple metric years ago: “What makes my lips look redder versus making them disappear.” Not surprisingly, reds became some of her best colors. But then her sister-in-law shared a completely different priority – she didn’t want to wear reds because they highlighted her skin issues. She preferred colors that made her skin look yellower rather than adding red undertones.
Positive effects to look for:
• Colors that make your eyes appear “lit from within”
• Colors which create what I call “a wash of highlighted beauty” across your face
• Colors that even out your skin tone and make it look smoother rather than splotchy
• Colors that make your teeth appear whiter and your eye color more defined
• Colors make you feel energized versus drained when you look in the mirror
Warning signs that a color isn’t working:
• White patches appearing around your chin and under your eyes (common when colors are too cool)
• A stone-like gray complexion or overall sallowness with yellowed appearance
• Your eye color becoming less defined or the whites of your eyes looking dull
• Facial features appearing to “pinch in” toward the center of your face
• The color making skin imperfections more obvious
• An instantaneous gut reaction that makes you feel tired or even slightly nauseous
My friend had a breakthrough when she chose light pink glasses specifically to make her face look smoother and less splotchy. She said, “They really did make my face look smoother – that was an optical illusion I liked for my skin.”
The Secret That Changes Everything: Value Contrast
Here’s what most personal color palette systems don’t emphasize enough: getting your value contrast right often matters more than finding the perfect hues.
Value contrast refers to the difference between your lightest and darkest natural features – your skin, hair, and eyes. Some people are naturally high contrast (think snow white skin with dark hair), others are low contrast (blonde hair with fair skin), and many fall somewhere in the middle.
• A high-contrast person can wear stark combinations like black and white beautifully
• A low-contrast person looks washed out in high-contrast combinations but glows in tonal dressing
• You can wear “wrong” colors successfully if you get the value contrast right for your natural contrast level
This explains why some people feel like their color analysis “worked” for special occasions but felt too intense for everyday life – they might have been given high-contrast recommendations when they’re naturally medium or low contrast.
Most people think personal color palette analysis is objective science, but it’s actually deeply subjective – and understanding what different systems are really looking for can help you trust your own judgment.
Here’s something simple you can do this week to integrate these principles into your wardrobe: Choose one special effect you want to start looking for. For me, the first place I look is do my eyes look lit from within. Every time you put something on, train your eye to look for this one effect.
If you’re ready to discover your natural contrast level and learn how to work with it effectively, I invite you to explore my Essential Signature Style Guide. This comprehensive analysis reveals your contrast level and includes pages of examples showing how to apply this knowledge to create a signature style that truly works for your unique features.