<![CDATA[Truth is Beauty - Blog]]>Sun, 17 Nov 2019 13:57:50 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Finding Your Best Colors as a Dramatic]]>Tue, 05 Nov 2019 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/finding-your-best-colors-as-a-dramatic
All of the colors in your seasonal palette will be harmonious on you. But some of them will work better for you than others.
Part of that will have to do with the unique way your individual body  -- your skin, hair, and eyes -- displays your palette. And part of it will have to do with your style type. Different style types use colors differently to achieve their best looks. 
​ So if you're a Dramatic or a Dramatic blend, how should you use the colors in your palette?
Bold color contrast reads as Dramatic -- one of your very light is colors with one of your very darkest colors, for example, or two colors that are far apart in hue.

(Dramatic color contrast feels serious or intense, not playful;  playful color contrast is Gamine. The difference here is sometimes just the size of the color blocks. The lines of the overall garment can push the effect one way or the other -- intense or playful -- as well.)
This color contrast feels playful -- that's Gamine.
This color contrast feels more serious and intense -- that's Dramatic.

​Any  head-to-toe monochromatic look generally reads as Dramatic.
A monochromatic look in what may be a Soft Summer pink.
A monochromatic look in what may be True Autumn green.

​​A monochromatic look in one of your palette neutrals will feel particularly intense. 
A monochromatic look from a gentle palette like Soft Summer still feels powerful.

Even if you're a Light Season or a Soft Season, color blocking and monochromatic schemes will look Dramatic on you. The colors have their effect relative to each other and to your skin tone.  :-)
Extreme color blocking from a palette like Light Summer still looks Dramatic.

Are you a Dramatic or a Dramatic blend? How have you combined your palette with your style type? Please share in the comments! 
<![CDATA[Finding Hair Ideas for Your Style Type: What to Google]]>Mon, 28 Oct 2019 15:39:30 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/finding-hair-ideas-for-your-style-type-what-to-google8544794Most of us go to the internet to get hairstyle ideas. But how can you zero in on the best hair for your style type? Some of us aren't sure how to go about searching. 

You'll want to do a Google image search, of course. Here are some specific search strings I suggest you use to find visual inspiration for your style type's best hair. I use some search operators in my search strings, such as   -   and   OR  , so try pasting the exact search string. 

(Google recently removed some of its most helpful image search tools, such as the ability to get only faces as search results. To get this and other tools back, do an advanced image search here. )


    hair glamorous long  -wig -extensions

(The minus signs tell Google terms to exclude. If you're doing an advanced search, you can just type "wig" and "extensions" into the field for words you want to exclude.)

Other Romantic keywords to try:  curls   full   sexy


    mermaid waves
Other Ethereal keywords to try:  flowy   long   curls


hair neat curls medium  "little girl" -frizz -wild​
Other Ingenue keywords to try:  sweet  girlish  ringlets

(I know it may seem odd, as an adult Ingenue, to search for pictures of little girls as hair inspiration. But many of the best pics online of Ingenue hair are pics of little girls.)  


    hair mature medium  

Also, this one works well:

    hair tv anchor

​Other Classic keywords to try:  elegant   coiffed  "first lady"


    hair long layers shag OR wild

Other Natural keywords to try:  natural  mane  messy


   hair sleek

Other Dramatic terms to try: "slicked back" futuristic  -men 


    hair short boyish

Other Gamine keywords to try:  spunky  tomboy

You may have noticed that these search results are mostly white ladies.  :-/  That's obviously not helpful if you're a WOC with a specific hair texture!  If you want hair styles specifically for women of color with specific hair textures,  try adding, for example, "african american" or "asian" to your search string. 

If you're a blend of two or more core types, try searching for a few key terms from each core type.

For example, for Romantic-Dramatic-Classic,
used "glamorous" for Romantic, " sleek" for Dramatic, and "elegant for Classic. Here was my search string:

hair glamorous sleek elegant

 I got some pretty good RDC ideas:

I'm an Ethereal Natural.  When I combine Natural and Ethereal search terms, I get my favorite hair for myself: 

    hair layers long curls

​My best hair has Ethereal's mermaid curls, but Natural's layers and wildness.

Tip: if your hair has a particular texture that's non-negotiable, try adding that to your search string. For example, if you're predominantly Ethereal but you have straight hair, try searching 

    straight hair long mermaid

(If you don't want all the dyed hair results for 'mermaid', try adding this to the end of the search string:  -dye  -ombre  -pink  -blue)

Do you know some search terms that have worked well for your style type? Please share them in the comments!

Not sure of your style type? Try the Style Identity Calculator, or consider a Virtual Analysis. 

A version of this article was first posted in December of 2018.

<![CDATA[How Should I Wear Separates?]]>Mon, 07 Oct 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/how-should-i-wear-separatesI didn't even think about separates before I knew my style type. But how you put separates together actually has a big effect on the impression you make. 

Romantics, Ethereals, Classic, and Dramatics are each best in a head-to-toe look. If you think about it, this makes sense, because all four of these types are formal and grown-up in their own way: the Romantic is mature womanly sexiness, the Classic is a "ladylike" adult woman, the Dramatic is a powerful ruler, and the Ethereal is an immortal being. None of these pure types is youthful or casual enough to look her best in an obvious use of separates.
Creating a head-to-toe look can seem difficult, because pretty much everything in the stores these days is separates. You'll occasionally have opportunities to purchase items as a set, but they can be hard to find. 

Often, the easiest way to create a head-to-toe look is to choose separates that are all the same color. When the color is a shocking hue, or pure white or pure black, this is an especially good look for Dramatics. 

​If you want to avoid the drama of a monochromatic look, you can also create a head-to-toe effect by repeating two main colors in different places. 
Two main colors repeated in different places in the outfit creates the impression that the garments were purchased as a set.
Another easy way to do a head-to-toe look is to just wear a dress.  Ethereals, Romantics, and Classics have a lot of great dress options. 
Two fairly Ethereal separates, thrown together casually.
If you find it very difficult to create a head-to-toe look, the good news is that if even one of your essences is an essence that looks good in separates -- Natural, Ingenue, or Gamine -- you can bring in that essence through your use of separates. I'm an Ethereal Natural, and I tend to do this, because it's easy. I own a lot of very Ethereal separates, and when I throw them together casually, the effect reads as Natural. 

​Speaking of which: the message a Natural sends with her use of separates is, "I own nothing but separates, and I basically just throw them together because that's how confident I am, but the effect is never weird, because I can't be bothered to put in enough effort to make it deliberately weird, because that's how casual I am." 
A Natural use of separates looks unplanned, but not attention-getting. If it were an attention-getting look, that would imply that a Natural cares what anyone thinks, and part of the Natural impression is the sense that she's not dressing for the viewer. 
A Natural: not dressing for the viewer! She's dressing for comfort, and she's not overthinking it.
You can tell an Ingenue is wearing separates, but you can also tell she's paired them carefully to look harmonious and pretty.

An Ingenue's use of separates says, "Because of my childlike quality, I own mostly separates, but I am careful to put them together in a way that is harmonious and lovely to the eye, because I want to look pretty and finished." 

​A Gamine's use of separates says, "I deliberately combine separates no one else would dare to put together, because that's how fun and quirky I am. I want you to notice!"
Gamine's use of separates says, "You bet I did this on purpose. I want to make you chuckle!"
Like Naturals, Gamines don't aim to carefully coordinate separates. But unlike a Natural, a Gamine looks like she's definitely dressing for the viewer: she wants to make you smile and laugh. So the use of separates looks simultaneously carefully planned and really unusual. 

If you're a blend of two or three types, as most women are, and you manifest Natural, Gamine, or Ingenue through your use of separates, you'll want to lean a bit more heavily on your other essence (or two) to balance the effect. So, for example, A Natural-Classic-Ingenue combining separates in a casual, Natural way would take extra care to bring in Classic and Ingenue in other aspects of her look.

If you're not sure of your style type, try the Style ID Calculator!
<![CDATA[Style Types: The ROMANTIC]]>Tue, 01 Oct 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/style-identities-the-romanticRomantic beauty is feminine beauty in its mature, womanly form. 

It may be the easiest type of visual feminine to spot, because it's the kind of feminine beauty hetero men are most interested in -- so it's a beauty we often see portrayed in popular culture.

Other systems call this type Sensuous, Soft, or Alluring. They're beating around the bush.                  

The straight truth is this: Romantic beauty is sexy beauty. 

Kat Dennings
Jennifer Lopez.
Aishwarya Rai
I've thought for months about a better way to word this, because I have been afraid of coming across as objectifying Romantic women. 

Of course, it could be argued that Style Type Analysis is inherently objectifying, because it analyzes women based purely on their physical qualities. I don't  believe this is true, though. We're not ranking women, or judging their inherent worth, based on their appearance -- we're analyzing appearance for the purpose of helping all women have tools to feel simultaneously authentic and beautiful, if that's something they want. The point of Style Type Analysis is to empower women in their own authentic beauty.

Yet talking about Romantic women's appearance is difficult for me because, traditionally, all women have been judged by how well we conform to the standard of Romantic beauty. And we're all pretty sick of it, aren't we?

Even the Romantic women, who "win" in that system of judgment, are probably tired of being valued for their sexiness.

Is it possible for us to celebrate Romantic beauty without implying that Romantic women's worth lies in that beauty? 

I believe it is. I hope it is. 

Because there's no way around it: Romantic women embody sex appeal. 
It goes without saying that Romantic women are no more or less sexual than any other women. But visually, they read as pure womanly sexuality.

Romantic women tend to have sensuous mouths, smoldering eyes, narrow jaws, large foreheads, and full hair. A Romantic woman looks mature and powerful, not inappropriate, with boob and butt emphasis and a super-cinched waist. 
Christina Hendricks
Liris Crosse
Monica Bellucci

Dark hair reads as Romantic because human hair naturally darkens with sexual maturity. (Just as light hair reads as youthful because prepubescent children tend to have lighter hair than adults.)
Fran Drescher

A flush in human skin is an indicator of sexual arousal. So palette-appropriate reds, which echo that flush, look perfect on Romantics.
Anita Marshall

Romantics look like themselves with half-closed eyes, a cocked eyebrow, and a knowing smile -- or no smile at all. This "come-hither" face is silly on pretty much everyone else, but on Romantics it's perfect. It looks wise and confident.
Eva Mendes
Sherilyn Fenn

Romantics look great with the impression of cleavage, even if they're small-busted. (While some large-busted women, such as Gamines and Dramatics,  look best with de-emphasized chests.) 

Feminine beauty is defined by the curving line. Perhaps because a curved line is more visually complicated than a straight line, Ethereals and Romantics look great surrounded by a lot of detail. (While Naturals and Dramatics are unattractive in highly detailed contexts.) A Romantic looks gorgeous in ruffles, gathers, ruching, elaborate hair, and ornate jewelry.
Kate Dillon
Deepika Padukone
Keira Knightley is known for her lean physique, but because she has a lot of Romantic she's gorgeous with the *impression* of cleavage.

Red roses symbolize romance and sexuality, and a Romantic woman is like a red rose: beautiful, delicate, detailed, and composed entirely of curving lines.
The ultimate Romantic flower: delicate, curved everywhere, and passionately red.

So you're a Romantic, but you don't want to be defined by your sexy appearance. As a woman, I completely get that. 

But if you dress in a way that doesn't create an impression of softness, curves, and delicacy, the result will be that you look less dignified. 

​Stiff, structured clothes make your feminine, alluring features look out of place. It can actually create the impression that your intent is for people to stare at you. 

And in shapeless clothes, you'll look insignificant and  unprepared. (A Natural would look confident in the same clothes. )

Honor your Romantic beauty by creating looks as feminine and sexy as you are. That reads as dignified and self-aware. 
Blogger Tanesha Awasthi has a lot of Romantic, and she's so beautiful in lush, draped, sexy, Romantic looks.
If you know what looks good on you, but you don't know your style type, try the Style Identity Calculator.﻿

​A version of this post was published in May 2015.
<![CDATA[What Are Constructed and Unconstructed Clothes?]]>Mon, 23 Sep 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/what-are-constructed-and-unconstructed-clothesA reader writes, "​Your guides have been incredibly helpful to me. However, there is one part of your guides that confuses me. What exactly does it mean for a piece of clothing to be "constructed" or "unconstructed"?"
Great question!

​Constructed garments have a defined shape that's not simply the shape of the body underneath the garment. You can't easily ball up a constructed garment in your hand; it wants to hold a shape. 
The way a garment is sewn can give it a defined shape. This is easier with heavy, stiff, or crisp fabrics. 

Manufacturers also use lining, padding or interfacing to make garments have a defined shape. 
Interfacing makes sections of garments more stiff.

Dramatics and Gamines are flattered by sharp-cornered squares and rectangles. These aren't the shapes of the human body, so Dramatics and Gamines usually need constructed garments to create those shapes. 

Ingenues are also flattered by some structure in their clothes, though their shapes will be more rounded. 
Romantics, Ethereals, and Naturals all look their best in unconstructed clothes. For Romantics, this means sexy draping that appears to hug the body. For Ethereals, this looks like floaty, trailing garments that seem about to take flight. For Naturals, this looks like garments that are supremely comfortable and unfussy. 
Romantic's lack of construction takes the form of draping that follows the shape of the body.
Ethereal's lack of construction is elongated, floaty, and flowy.
Natural's lack of construction is slouchy, roomy, and comfy.
Classics are lovely with a few sharp corners, but they shouldn't overdo it. Classics represent the beauty of balance, moderation, and perfect proportion. This means they are gorgeous in clothes that fit them perfectly, with a lot of tailoring that's precise but not dramatic, and some draping that's feminine without feeling excessive. ​​

It's not as easy to find constructed clothes as it was 100 years ago. As a society, we've all mostly agreed to dress like Naturals most of the time.  Which is great for us Naturals, but a challenge for everyone else.

Garments that are tailored into defined shapes are usually more expensive than unconstructed garments, because that kind of sewing is labor-intensive. If your style type calls for construction, you may choose to spend the money on those more expensive items. You might also save some money by focusing on clothes that are stiff not because of their tailoring but because they're made from stiffer fabrics.

If you're willing to buy second-hand, you'll find that a lot of vintage clothes are more structured than what you typically see in stores today. 

​Also, consider using spray starch to give your garments more stiffness! You don't hear much about it these days, because fashion is mostly so unconstructed, but clothing starch is still a thing. 
<![CDATA[Do Light Season People Look "Light"?]]>Mon, 09 Sep 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/do-light-season-people-look-lightThat is, do Light Summers and Light Springs have pale eyes, pale hair and pale skin?
Often, but not always.

Do Soft Summers and Soft Autumns look "soft? Are they visually very low-contrast?
Often, but not always.

Let's think about Light Spring and Soft Autumn, which I discussed here. 

The Light Spring palette is light, warm, and clear. The Soft Autumn palette is muted, warm, and medium-dark. 

Ultimately, what determines your season is how your skin reacts to color, not what your skin, hair, and eyes look like. So it's not precisely true to say, for example, that a Light Spring is herself light, warm, and clear; instead, we say that her best colors​ are light, warm, and clear. 
Both of my kids are Light Springs. It's true they're both fair-skinned, but they also both have hazely-brown eyes,, and my son has brown hair. The only way I know they're Light Springs is that their best colors are Light Spring colors. They are both gorgeous in light fuchsia, light lime green, light aqua, camel, light peach, and khaki.
Light Spring colors.

I'm a Soft Autumn.  One could argue that my overall contrast level is higher then either of my kids', because I have fair skin but darker hair than either of them.  Yet I know I'm a Soft Autumn because my best colors are Soft Autumn colors. I look my most lovely in warm, dusty rose, gentle olive, gentle yellow, muted turquoise, and dusty periwinkle. 
Soft Autumn colors.
PictureCarmen Electra's best colors are cool and very, very gentle. (So are Denise RIchards' best colors. I initially mislabeled this pic as Denise Richards, LOL! Thanks to those who pointed it out. )

​You can absolutely be a Soft season even if you don't think you look low-contrast. Many Soft Summers and Soft Autums have fair skin and dark hair.

​And you can be a Light season even if you have brown eyes, brown hair, and/or tan skin. (Think about it this way: both Light seasons have versions of brown in their palettes, right?)​​  People with all three -- darker hair, eyes, and skin -- aren't usually Light seasons, but it does sometimes happen.
Alicia Keys' best colors are warm, clear, and very light.
The test is always which colors make your skin look the most healthy. 

​If you're not sure of your season, try the quiz!
<![CDATA[For Labor Day, 25% Off!]]>Sun, 01 Sep 2019 16:13:52 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/for-labor-day-25-offI'm bummed that summer is over (for those of us in the northern hemisphere.) Here's something to cheer us up: a sale!

​From now through September 3rd (Tuesday), take 25% off every document on my site!

If you're a mom, you've probably spent a lot of money on your kids this month. I know I did. I wanted a treat for myself as well, so I got my nails done.  :-)   

If you want a treat for yourself too, consider trying the Style ID Calculator (now $11.25!) and determining your style type. Once you know your type, you start saving money on clothes. 

Or if you already know (or suspect) your type, complete your collection of documents by picking up the Shopping Guide (now $19.50), the Visual Style Guide (now $11.99), the What Not to Wear (now $11.99), the Infinite Outfit Generator (now $8.99), or the Fragrance Guide (now $8,99).

If you know or even suspect your color season, try your season's Makeup Guide (now $11.99), which lists hundreds of products that will harmonize perfectly with your skin.

Or buy your mom, sister, or BFFL a gift card, and send it to her in an email that says, "This is that thing I've been telling you about!" 

Use promo code LABORDAYTREAT.


Makeup Lists

*NEW!* Infinite Outfit Generator

Style ID Calculator

Shopping Guides

Visual Style Guides

What Not To Wear

Virtual Style Analysis

Swimwear Guides

Fragrance Guides

*NEW* Gift Cards!

<![CDATA[Which Type of Autumn Are You?]]>Mon, 26 Aug 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/which-type-of-autumn-are-youIf your best colors are warm and earthy, you're an Autumn. But there are actually three Autumn palettes. Determining which Autumn you are can be tricky. At first glance, these palettes all look pretty similar. 
Soft Autumn
True Autumn
Dark Autumn

​Soft Autumn

Soft Autumn is the most faded Autumn palette, and it's the lightest as well.  Soft Autumn colors are faded earth tones -- desert colors, or safari colors.
Soft Autumn colors are desert colors.
If you're a Soft Autumn, black is one of your worst colors, and you may feel that almost every color makes you look "blah." You may feel your natural coloring is rather mousy and boring.  Any attempts you make to enliven your coloring with extreme makeup or hair dye will only make your actual skin look even more washed out and "blah." You'll only come to life in very subtle, very gentle colors. And they won't look subtle or gentle on you! When it comes to color, context is everything.
Soft Autumn Gisele Bundchen. She's anything but "blah" in her correct colors. She needs faded earth tones to bring her to life.

(If you know your coloring is warm and gentle, but you also look good in lime green, you're probably a Light Spring, not a Soft Autumn.)

Dark Autumn

​If you're a Dark Autumn, you may be confused, because on the one hand you know you're best in rich earth tones, but on the other hand you seem to be able to wear black.  That's correct -- Dark Autumn is the darkest Autumn palette, and also the most vivid.  Dark Autumn is the only Autumn palette that includes black. 
Dark Autumn Kim Kardashian.
I think of these colors as Halloween colors, or Byzantine colors.  They're definitely warm, and definitely earthy, but they're intense too. Sort of charred and vivid at the same time. When I think of Dark Autumn, the combination of black and gold is one of the first things that comes to mind, 
Dark Autumn colors are Autumn at midnight.
Dark Autumn = glorious Byzantium.
Dark Autumn colors.
(If your best colors are warm, and you know you can wear black, but you also look good in a light, bright fuchsia, you're probably a Bright Spring, not a Dark Autumn.)

True Autumn

True Autumn Jennifer Lopez. Black is too dark for her, so she's not a Dark Autumn. But Soft Autumn would be too faded for her -- she needs richer hues.

​If you can rule out Dark Autumn (because you're overwhelmed by black) and Soft Autumn (because those colors are much too weak for you), then you're likely a True Autumn, also known as Warm Autumn.
​True Autumn is one of the rarer seasons, so congratulations, unicorn! :-)   

Your colors are the stereotypical Autumn foliage colors: very rich, very warm, neither super-light or particularly dark. 
True Autumn colors are the colors of fall foliage.
The True Autumn palette.

Are you an Autumn? How did you figure out your exact type? Share in the comments!
<![CDATA[All Makeup Lists 20% Off!]]>Mon, 12 Aug 2019 12:30:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/all-makeup-lists-20-offOnce we turn the corner from July into August, I start to think about summer ending, and I feel a little bummed. Maybe you feel that way too.

To cheer us all up, I'm discounting makeup lists 20% this week.  :-)
From now through August 19th, use the code SUMMERMAKEUP to get 20% off of your seasonal makeup list. 

If you're still not sure what your color season is, this is the perfect time to buy a seasonal list, Take it into Ulta or Sephora, and try some products. When you're using the list that is right for you, you'll see that product after product looks amazing on you. 

Have I told you lately how powerful it is to own your seasonal makeup list?

Every one of the hundreds of products on the list matches one of the colors in your seasonal palette. That means every product is harmonious with your skin. Every lipstick and blush is one of your reds or pinks. Every eyeliner and eyeshadow is one of your greys or browns (or blues, or greens, or purples, if you feel like getting creative.) 

It's been more than 10 years since I started using only makeup that matches the Soft Autumn palette. So that's ten years since I got off of the makeup merry-go-round. 

​Not once in the last ten years have I bought a lipstick because a magazine told me it was in style, or it was a "universally flattering" color. (There's no such thing!)
Not once in the last ten years have I bought an eyeshadow because I thought it looked awesome, only to have it look awful on my face.

​I spend very, very little money on makeup now. I use every product until the pan or tube is empty, because everything I buy looks great on me. I have one extended-wear lipstick that's perfect for me, and I buy it in bulk on eBay. (I actually buy most of my makeup online; I just order from my list.) And I have one lippie I use for a fancy night out -- it's Soft Autumn's version of a deep red.  (Dozens of products match this exact shade of red, but the one I use is Tarte Tarteist in Bling.)

Soft Autumn's version of a deep red.

And my S.O. still doesn't realize when I'm wearing makeup. That's because my makeup colors blend perfectly with my natural coloring. (I had at least five products on in the photo at the top of this page, but he had no idea.)

 ​Remember -- use SUMMERMAKEUP   to get 20% off, this week only!

Soft Summer makeup list


Bright Spring makeup list


Bright Winter makeup list


Light Spring makeup list


True Spring makeup list


Light Summer makeup list


True Winter makeup list


True Autumn makeup list


True Summer makeup list


Dark Autumn makeup list


Dark Winter makeup list


Soft Autumn makeup list

<![CDATA[What Do True (Cool) Summers Really Look Like?]]>Mon, 05 Aug 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/what-do-true-cool-summers-really-look-likeI haven't found a more comprehensive gallery of real-life True Summers than this one, on Elea Blake Cosmetic Studio's Facebook page. 

Personal color systems other than the 12-tone system  usually rely on hair and eye color to determine your color palette. These systems tend to incorrectly type light-eyed, fair-haired women as Summers, even when they're not. And they tend to to ignore the possibility that women with darker hair and eyes can be Summers. 

A quick glance through Elea Blake's True Summer album will give you a snapshot of what True Summers really look like. It's a varied picture!

You'll see loads of brunettes. You'll see women with red hair,  brown eyes, freckles, and other features that you don't think of when you think of True Summer. You'll see women of color who would surely be mistyped as Dark Autumn or Dark Winter in most other color systems.

In the 12-tone system, all that matters is which colors best complement you-- and that's determined by your skin's undertones.  That's the correct way to determine your best colors.

If you're not sure of your color season, consider trying the Truth is Beauty Color Analysis Quiz. When you know your color season, you can stop buying the wrong makeup because makeup that matches your color palette also complements your skin. 

Here's to really seeing ourselves.  Truth is beauty!
A version of this post ran in July of 2011. 
<![CDATA[What Color Season is Judy from "Dead to Me"?]]>Mon, 29 Jul 2019 17:45:27 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/what-color-season-is-judy-from-dead-to-me
I recently binge-watched Dead to Me  with my special someone, and I was happy to see Linda Cardellini in it. I liked her in Mad Men. 

On Dead to Me, Cardellini's character is styled as a True or Dark Autumn. Her costume colors are consistently warm-toned and somewhat dark. Her makeup is browns, golds, and peaches, and her hair has warm caramel highlights. 

​But in a previous post about the actors on Mad Men, I typed Cardellini as a True Winter. I thought she was gorgeous on that show in very dark hair and Winter colors.  I especially liked her in black and white, which is excellent on True Winters.
So I've been asking myself, was I wrong about Linda Cardellini?

She's beautiful on both shows. But at least one of these shows is successfully presenting her in colors that aren't her best.

(An actor can look lovely in the wrong colors if her costume, hair, makeup, and lighting work together to create the false impression; see Light Summer Cate Blanchett passing as an Autumn in The Aviator. Notice how orange the lighting is! That's necessary to make a cool-toned actor like Blanchett look warm.) 

To figure out actor Linda Cardellini's actual color season, we need to focus on real-life pictures of her. I like using pictures from premieres, because those pics are generally taken outdoors, with a lot of light. 

First, we find pictures where Cardellini looks healthy and alive, not tired and not overly made-up.  Then we try to identify the color season of her clothes and makeup in the flattering pics. 

I think she looks really good here:
The first thing I notice as a color analyst is that she's not overwhelmed by this big block of black right under her face.  Her skin looks healthy, not blurry or washed out. We're seeing her​, not her  dress. So I feel confident she's one of the five seasons that can handle black -- the three Winters, Bright Spring, and Dark Autumn.  All three Winter seasons are cool-toned, while Dark Autumn and Bright Spring are warm-toned.  (You can see this more easily if you just look at the reds and pinks.) 
Bright Winter
True Winter
Dark Winter
Dark Autumn
Bright Spring

​I really like her here in a cool-toned pink lippie and a black, white, and grey dress. That makes me think Winter.

​​Here she is again in black, but with warmer makeup and warmer hair. Are these pictures as good?

In these pics, I feel like the warmer color is sitting on her, not emanating from her-- the warmer hair especially. 
I do think she's a Winter. Perhaps she's a Dark Winter instead of a True Winter; sometimes Dark Winters can look almost right in the colors of neighboring Dark Autumn. 

​Here are more pics of Cardellini that I think are color harmonious. What do you think? Is she a Winter? If so, which one? If not, what do you think is her correct season? 
<![CDATA[What You'll Receive with Your Virtual Analysis]]>Mon, 15 Jul 2019 18:39:59 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/what-youll-receive-with-your-virtual-analysisI've worked hard to develop tools that help women identify their own style types. But some of you may still want more specific, personal help. That's why I also offer virtual style analysis.

What I provide with each virtual style analysis has evolved and expanded in the years since I first started offering personal analysis. Here's an example of the report you'll receive from me when I complete your virtual analysis. 

This particular sample report is 20 pages long; they're generally 15 to 20 pages. 

First, you'll learn which of the 63 style IDs is yours, as well as your exact percentages of each core essence.   The woman in this sample report, for example, is an Ethereal-Classic-Gamine,  with 50% Gamine, 30% Classic, and 20% Ethereal. 

Then I'll give you a narrative describing how I arrived at your answer. Usually I'll explain which essences were your least flattering, and why, and which style types were runners-up for you. 

Next you'll see a graph showing your exact essence percentages, along with words I've personally chosen to describe your unique beauty. 

After that, you'll see detailed descriptions of each of your individual essences, and then a handy chart summarizing key style elements from each of your essences.

At this point, you'll start to see pictures of outfits that I've hand-picked because they are perfect for you, personally.  These pictures continue to appear throughout your report.

Now I'll talk about your personal style ID in minute detail. 

You'll get exact percentage recommendations for:
* your best line lengths
* your best line shapes (straight or curving)
* your best shape sizes
* your best amount of tailoring
* your best amount of detail
* your best use of separates
* the overall maturity of your best look
your best feminine/masculine balance

You'll also get tips for how to balance any aspect of your look if you lean too strongly in one direction. (For example, how to pull off a high-detail look if your essences are mostly low-detail.) 
With your personal style analysis, you'll also receive the Visual Style Guide and the What Not to Wear for your style type, as well as a 10% off coupon that works site-wide and never expires.  :-))

​In-person style analysis costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  If you've struggled to find your style ID, virtual style analysis may be a good investment for you. 
<![CDATA[Take the Seasonal Color Analysis Quiz!]]>Mon, 08 Jul 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/try-the-new-seasonal-color-analysis-quiz-betaIt's been a while since I talked here about my Seasonal Color Analysis Quiz.  But I used it myself just the other day. I was trying to determine the color season of a male friend of mine, but I didn't have my drapes with me, and I was stuck between a couple of seasons. On my phone, I went to my own quiz and took it on his behalf; lo and behold, the answer I came up with turned out to be correct. 

I think my quiz is the most accurate quiz available online. 
Unlike most color analysis quizzes, this quiz doesn't depend on a person's hair, eye, or skin tone - since none of those factors can tell a person's season.

Instead, you'll be asked about colors that flatter or don't flatter the person in question.

The quiz is best used by you on a celebrity or a friend, but you can use it to determine your own season if you ask a friend to take it for you.

Two notes on the quiz:

1. I do not include color images in this quiz, and here's why:  If I include a picture, the person taking the quiz will naturally answer Yes or No based on the picture, not on the color name. And I can't control how pictures appear on other people's monitors.

Someone taking the quiz for a True Spring might choose No for a picture of bright yellow-green if it doesn't appear as a True Spring bright yellow-green on
her monitor. So a picture, I fear, might define the color too narrowly.

By contrast, any Springs, and many Winters, will probably get a Yes for the term "bright yellow-green," even though each quiz taker may have a slightly different mental image of that color, because the quiz-taker can picture some bright yellow-greens that flatter them.    

2. Don't take my Yes/No paths as endorsements of particular colors for particular seasons. I have built the quiz based on how I think people may answer, not on what I think actually looks good on them.

For example, I wouldn't recommend any color called "hot pink" for a True Autumn, but a person can answer  Yes for hot pink and still reach TA - because I'm guessing that some people will think their TA friend looks good in hot pink. (Because that TA friend probably looks good in some colors that are pretty similar to hot pink, because some of the TA colors are kind of similar to hot pink.)

A version of this post was first published in February of 2014. ]]>
<![CDATA[A Romantic-Classic-Ingenue Stay-At-Home Mom: Casual Solutions For A Formal Style Identity]]>Mon, 01 Jul 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/a-romantic-casual-ingenue-stay-at-home-mom-casual-solutions-for-a-formal-style-identityA reader writes, 

I loved your style calculator and found out that I am a Romantic-Classic-Ingenue.  It fits me perfectly! But I am a stay at home mom with three small children and need to dress casually a lot of the time. I'm having a hard time finding casual looks that fit my current stage of life. Any ideas?

Gamine and Natural style identities and blends lend themselves easily to casual clothes; the others, not so much. But with a little creativity, you can dress comfortably while still projecting your style identity.  Let's do this for Romantic-Classic-Ingenue:


I see bottoms as the biggest hurdle in adapting RCI to a casual look.

Romantic and Ingenue both call for dresses and skirts... but "casual" probably means dresses and skirts are out.

Let's assume we'll be wearing pants, then. That would probably be manifesting the Classic element, since Classics are better in pants than Rs and Is.

But, for a SAHM, slacks aren't practical either. S

​o the key is choosing casual pants that are as Classic as possible: they should fit well, they should have straight legs, they shouldn't be particularly detailed, and they should be medium-weight.

If they're somewhat stiff and tailored, like khakis, that would be ideal . But if you absolutely must wear yoga pants, make sure they're heavier and as elegant-looking as you can find.

Alternately, tight pants that show the ankle would be R/I and could be quite comfortable. They should look cute and sexy, not boring; you could manifest the cuteness and sexiness with pattern and color. 


If you are implementing C from the waist down, focus on R and I from the waist up. Try R shirts: emphasize your waist and show your cleavage, but in more in comfortable fabric.


Cs and Is both get simple flats, so go with those. Choose feminine colors and patterns.


Consider  I earrings, since bigger R earrings might be impractical with kids. Accessorize as much as you practically can, to bring the feminine impact from the waist up.


Consider a headband (I) to keep your hair back, if it's straight. If you have curls, consider wearing them layered around your face. If you've managed to work in a lot of R or I in other parts of your ensemble, perhaps go with a simple chignon or low bun (C). 


Patterns and prints would be an easy way to bring in C, R and I without sacrificing any comfort. 

​First published Feb. 2016.

<![CDATA[Style Identities: Your Best Hair﻿]]>Mon, 24 Jun 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/style-identities-your-best-hair Here are hairstyle ideas for the two-identity blends.

For each blend, the suggestions are jumping-off points. Use them as inspirations.

If you're a blend of three identities, try combining suggestions from the different two-ID blends that apply to you.  For example, if you're a Romantic-Ethereal-Natural, take a look at suggestions for Romantic Ethereal, Romantic Natural, and Ethereal Natural. 

Don't know your style identity? Try the Style Identity Calculator!

Romantic Ethereal: Aphrodite 

Soft & flowing. 
Fullness and height at the crown.
Long, luscious and full.
​Side parts.
​Low side pull-backs.
Touchable curls or waves.  
​Soft, sexy updos with lots of free curls.

​Ethereal Dramatic: The Sorceress 

Flowing but controlled. 
Dramatic in length. 
Low, sleek side pull-backs.
Striking winged effects.
Long blunt cuts.
Frozen waves or cascades.
Severe or sleek updos with side parts.

​Ethereal Natural: The Earth Goddess

Flowing & free.
Low, wispy ponytails. 
​Low side pull-backs.
Tousled or braided updos.
Loose, floaty braids.
​Hair that's more narrow than full.
Fishtail braids. 

Diaphanous & tousled.
​Long, cascading layers.

​Ethereal Classic: The Delicate Sophisticate

Flowing but controlled.
Elegantly wing-like.
Symmetrical waves.
Braided or "period" updos.
​Low, neat side pull-backs.
​Crown braids.
​A narrow hair silhouette.
Neat, elegant braids.
​Neat bobs with some float or wisp.

​Ethereal Gamine: The Sprite.

Spunky, diaphanous, floaty, boyish, tousled.
Short and wispy.
Choppy waves.
Cute or witty "period" looks.
​Playful, unexpected braids.

​Ethereal Ingenue​: The Fairy.

Diaphanous;  floaty.
Longer hair. Narrow, not wide.
High or low side pull-backs.
Wispy bangs.  
​Long, wispy, low pigtails or pigtail braids.
Medium-length, gently cascading, sweet.
Innocent "period" looks, such as crown braids.
Center parts with curls or waves. 
Mystical floral accessories.

​Romantic Dramatic: The Femme Fatale

Dramatic in length or shape.
Touchable, but sleek and intense.
Exaggerated asymmetry.
​Side parts.
Sleek, oversized updos with rounded shapes.
Exaggerated height at the crown.
Sexy and striking.
​Full, sculpted waves or curls.
​Full, wavy blunt cuts.

​Dramatic Natural: The Amazon Queen

Shaggy, extreme, intense.
Exaggerated layers.
Dramatic ponytails.
​Big and wild.

​Key ideas: Dramatic Classic: The Art Critic

Avant-garde, but neat.  
Face-framing and striking.  
​Dramatic, stiff updos.
Sculptural bobs and blunt cuts.
​Every hair in place. 

​Dramatic Gamine: The Punk Rocker

Playfully  geometric.
Short and striking.
Spunky high ponytails.
Piecey hair.

Dramatic Ingenue: The Childlike Czarina 

Simple, sculptural curls.
Modest and controlled, but striking.
Dramatic bangs.
Narrow profile.
​Sleek or striking low pigtails.
Simple, sharp bobs.
Sleek center or side parts.
​Sleek, high side pull-backs.
​Avant-garde accessories.
Striking floral accessories.

​Romantic Natural: ​ The Babe Next Door.

Medium to long, but with face-framing layers.
Waves or soft curls.
​Asymmetry. Side parts.
Messy crown bumps.
Touchable, uncontained, uncomplicated, free & easy, tousled and full.
​Sexy low ponytails with loose curls.

​Romantic Classic: The Sexy Sophisticate. 

Soft, face-framing.  
Sexy but restrained.
Sideswept, curly updos.
Height at the crown.
​Side parts.
Full but neat.
Soft, touchable  bobs with curls or waves.
​Rounded shapes.

​Romantic Gamine: The Firecracker.

Short but touchable.
Playful height at the crown.
Side parts.
Face-framing, with some tousle.
Sexy and spunky.
​Full curls, waves, or playful ringlets. 

​Romantic Ingenue: The Demure Seductress.

Sweet, touchable, face-framing, styled, medium-long.
Center parts with full, sexy curls or waves.
​Side parts with simpler, neater curls.
Soft, sexy bangs.  
​Crown bumps.
​Gentle, high side pull-backs.
Sexy pigtails (high or low) ​or pigtail braids.
Larger feminine accessories, perhaps with sparkle.

​Natural Classic: The Prep. 

Simple, neat, medium-length, relaxed, face-framing.
Pulled back simply but not severely, perhaps with a little tousle.
Simple, loose updos.
Subtle layers.
Simple ponytails, low or straight back.
​Simple, low-maintenance bobs with movement.

​Natural Gamine: The Tomboy

Boyish and spunky.
Shorter, messy ponies or pigtails.
Short and tousled.
​Overgrown pixies.

​Natural Ingenue: The Outdoorsy Sweetheart

Relaxed, unstructured bangs.  
Messy low pigtails; loose pigtail braids.
Simple ponytails with neat curls.  
​Casual high side pull-backs.
Center parts; tousled or mussed.
Layers of sweet curls.
​Simple floral accessories, or simple ribbons.

​Classic Gamine: The Prep Schooler. 

​Boyish, but neatly styled.
Simple, neat updos with bangs.
Neat, elegant pixies.
​Face-framing, with just a bit of tousle. 

​Classic Ingenue: Nancy Drew.

Simple, neat bangs.
Symmetry, always.
Precise center parts.
​Precise, high side pull-backs.
Neat-as-a-pin pigtails (low or medium-height).  
​Longer simple, sweet bobs.
Controlled curls.  
​Modest, simple updos and buns.
​Elegant, modest floral accessories.

Gamine Ingenue: The Girlish Mod.

Spunky bangs.
Short, sweet, tousled.
Playful, short pigtails -- low or high.
High side pull-backs, perhaps with barrettes.
Cute floral accessories
​Center parts.
​Witty accessories.

This post first appeared in January of 2016.
<![CDATA[Ethereal Elements, Explained]]>Mon, 17 Jun 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/ethereal-elements-explainedFirst published May 2016.

Elements of the Ethereal style identity haven't been clearly and fully articulated before.

Here, I'll identify several of them, and -- more importantly -- explain the logic behind them.

​My hope is that you’ll be able to extrapolate from this this logic to predict other Ethereal elements .

Braids are Ethereal because they are visually busy and they involve S curves.
Let's start with braids. I love braids.

​Braids are Ethereal because
1) they are visually busy -- there's a lot of detail --


2) they involve S curves.
For Ethereality, put that shape -- the S curve -- in your head.

The S curve is crucial to Ethereality.

​That’s because it's a line that's elongated, but that also curves. (Elongation is Ethereal.)
The S curve is essential to the Ethereal because it's a line that's elongated, but that also curves.

​Braid detail is, of course, also Ethereal then. This includes braided metal in jewelry.
Braid detail is Ethereal.
In jewelry, braided metal is Ethereal.

​Spaced beads -- like those you see on a rosary  -- are Ethereal, again because of the S curves created.
Spaced beads are Ethereal because of the sinuous line created.
See the S curves?
A reader in a previous post asked about handkerchief hemlines. They are Ethereal (when they are gradual, not excited) because of the diagonal lines.
Diagonal lines, as long as they're not sharp or geometric appearing, are Ethereal.

This is because, as lines, they're elongated, but they're also in motion, and movement is Ethereal.

​(Diagonality suggests movement; the diagonality is a way of  a line traveling from one point to another.)
Handkerchief hems are also Ethereal because they flutter, and fluttery movement is Ethereal in part because it suggests birds and flight. 

​For that same reason, flutter sleeves are Ethereal, winged shapes are Ethereal, feathers are Ethereal, and birds and winged motifs in prints are Ethereal  -- as long as they're abstracted or stylized, not realistic. If they're realistic, they can be Ethereal plus a more literal style ID, such as Gamine, Ingenue or Classic.
Abstracted prints of winged creatures are Ethereal.
Flutter sleeves are Ethereal.
Feathers are Ethereal.
Wing and feather motifs are Ethereal.
Abstracted bird and butterfly motifs are Ethereal.
Winged-style tops are Ethereal.
Abstract prints are Ethereal, because Ethereality transcends literal reality.

​Abstract prints and motifs are Ethereal because ethereality is about transcending physical reality and the literal.

Realistic prints and motifs are not Ethereal; they're good for Classics, Gamines, and Ingenues

​Shimmer, shine and sparkle are Ethereal, in part because light itself is Ethereal, and in part because a shiny or sparkly finish reads as feminine. 

A shimmery or gently sparkly finish is more Ethereal than a hard shininess because Ethereality is a gentle energy, not an aggressive energy.

Iridescence, which has a very gentle quality and  suggests the sea, is particularly Ethereal.
Iridescence and opalescence are Ethereal because they are gentler forms of shimmer and they evoke the sea.
Abstract prints and motifs that suggest the heavens or the cosmos, or that you'd describe as celestial, are Ethereal. Prints that suggest the sea are also Ethereal. (Think of the sea and the heavens as other worlds, and this will make sense.)

If the prints are realistic, they're Ethereal plus another, more literal style ID, such as Gamine.
Abstract celestial prints are Ethereal...
...as are abstract prints that suggest the sea.

​Godet skirts are Ethereal because they create sinuous lines and because they evoke mermaids, which are Ethereal. For the same reason, flares are Ethereal. (If they're flared jeans, that's Ethereal Natural.)
Godet skirts are Ethereal because they create S curves and they evoke mermaids.
Flares are Ethereal because of the S curve/mermaid tail effect. (Flared denim is Ethereal Natural.)
Hi-lo hemlines are Ethereal because of their fluttery movement, their diagonal lines, and the way their shape suggests a mermaid's tail. 
Hi-lo hemlines are Ethereal because of the diagonal lines and because they suggest a mermaid's tail.
Layeres, especially if cascading and translucent, can be Ethereal.

​Layers can be Ethereal, if they create a waterfall or cascading effect, or if some of the layers are translucent.

Translucence is Ethereal, of course.

Speaking of which, waterfall effects, cascading effects and tiers are Ethereal, partly because they create the impression of gently diagonal downward movement, and partly because they evoke waterfalls, which we associate with infinity, beauty, and the ephemeral and intangible.
Cascading effects are Ethereal because of the gently diagonal movement and the suggestion of a waterfall.
Waterfalls are Ethereal because they represent infinity, beauty, and the ephemeral and intangible.
Cut-outs and mesh, if they're delicate but not sexy, can be Ethereal, because they're airy and light, because they suggest a world behind the current world, and because the very open weave generally creates S curves.
Delicate cut-outs can be Ethereal because they're airy and sinuous and they suggest layers of reality.
A fish-scale effect can be Ethereal if it's not too literal.

​A fish-scale effect, if it's not too literal, can be Ethereal, because of its association with mermaids, because it's extremely detailed, and because it evokes the sea. 

​A very textured finish can also be Ethereal, if it's delicate, because it has the effect of being very visually busy -- i.e., highly detailed. Profusion of detail always reads as feminine, and Ethereality is highly feminine.  ​
Extreme texture, if delicate, can be Ethereal because it's highly detailed.
Art Nouveau designs, if rather abstract, are often Ethereal, because they consist of narrow, elongated lines, they're very detailed, and the edges are generally rounded.
Abstract Art Nouveau designs are often Ethereal because of the narrow, elongated lines, profuse detail, and rounded edges.
(I know David Kibbe assigns Art Nouveau jewelry to Soft Natural.

But realize that Kibbe groups all feminine identities -- Romantic, Ethereal, and Ingenue -- into one descriptor: Soft.

As a result, his recs for Soft types are sometimes more accurately assigned to Ethereal types and Ingenue types.

​For example, Art Nouveau jewelry is really better for Ethereal Natural than it is for Romantic Natural. Romantic Natural needs more sexiness in her accessories; Art Nouveau design is generally rather chaste.)

​Long hair is Ethereal because elongation is Ethereal. And of course S curves in long hair are particularly Ethereal.
S curves in long hair are particularly Ethereal.
Wispy, floaty hair is Ethereal because it feels insubstantial and suggests a halo.
Wispy and floaty hair is more Ethereal than smooth or slick hair, because it feels more insubstantial, and because it suggests a halo. 
Sandals are Ethereal because their open, airy nature suggests that the foot is only partially connected to the earth.
Sandals are Ethereal because they suggest a tenuous connection between earth and body.
Delicate period looks are Ethereal because they suggest agelessness.
"Period" looks, if delicate, are Ethereal because they suggest agelessness, which is Ethereal.

​(Distinguish "retro" and "vintage" from "period"; the first two terms imply decades of age, while the last one implies centuries. Vintage and retro aren't great for Ethereal, but can be good for Ingenue.)

This isn't an exhaustive list of Ethereal elements, but I hope it helps you think more clearly about the Ethereal style identity.  

If you think you might be Ethereal, please check out my tools for identifying your own style identity!

And if you know you're Ethereal, please check out my 
Visual Style Guides and What Not To Wear guides.
<![CDATA[Style ID Calculator Only $9.99 This Week!]]>Mon, 10 Jun 2019 15:42:31 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/style-id-calculator-only-999-this-weekJust because!

If you've been thinking about trying the Style ID Calculator, but you've felt unsure whether to go for it, now is the time. 

Your promo code is JUNECALC. 
It's good for a week; it expires June 16th. 

What do people say after using the Style ID Calculator?

Joy writes:

Wow! That was incredibly helpful. I have been struggling with finding the right shapes and styles to wear. I was quite surprised to get Ethereal Natural - but it fits, perfectly! Thank you for creating and sharing this wonderful tool.

And Lilac says:

Your style calculator is no less than genius!!! And I am not easily impressed. I was kind of  skeptical about it. I'm often told that I look like a completely different person, when I change my hair. So I tried the test with 3 different hairstyles.  I had to choose completely different boards each time. So there I thought - I've confused the system.
Imagine my surprise, when I got the same results each and every time! 😮
Well, almost the same. The percentage for the identities was different, but the identities where the same... 
It really works 😁
Thank you SO MUCH. You are incredible 💖

If you're as nerdy as I am and you'd to read one customer describe, in detail, her work validating the Style ID Calculator as an instrument, click here. 

<![CDATA[How Natural Style Types Do Sexy]]>Mon, 03 Jun 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/how-natural-style-types-do-sexyRomantic is the style type that's most flattered by traditionally "sexy" clothes and details, such as cleavage emphasis, skirt slits, cinched waists, red lips, et cetera.  

On a woman without a lot of Romantic, these elements will read as awkward or unharmonious, not sexy.

But many of us want to appear "sexy" at some point. 

How does a woman who's strongly Natural -- a woman like me,  whose beauty has a rough-hewn, masculine quality  -- create a sexy impression?

Not like a Romantic would, with pouty lips, smoky eyes, an abundance of jewelry, and butt & bust emphasis. Those tend to make us Natural women look mannish. 

Instead, Naturals do sexy with bare arms and legs, mussy hair, very open necklines, little makeup, tank tops,  oversized sweaters, and cowboy hats.

You might be thinking, "Those are elements Naturals always look great in."

You're right!

If a Natural simply turns up the intensity on an already Natural element, it tends to look sexy.

Go with even barer​ arms and legs. Make that hair even more messy. Go with an even bigger sweater, perhaps falling off one shoulder. 

​Below, see Sheryl Crow, Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Oh, and Elisabeth Shue. These are strongly Natural women who look sexier and more confident when they don't try so hard. In looks with bust emphasis, jewels, shiny finishes, careful curls, and lots of makeup, they appear awkward. 

If you're a strongly Natural woman, one of your gifts is the ability to look your best with almost no effort. (Typically, the more effort you put in, the less good you look!) 

This is why Natural beauty is often described as "confident"; the viewer assumes you must have a lot of courage to present yourself so casually. 

<![CDATA[Quick Tricks for Finding Your Style Identity]]>Mon, 27 May 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/quick-tricks-for-finding-your-style-identityWhen you know your Style Identity, you save time and money because you only buy the clothes that are right for you, and you don't spend unnecessary  time agonizing about whether something looks good on you. You also feel more confident, because you leave the house knowing you look your best.

This is beauty for women who want beauty to be quick and easy.  :-)

There are seven core style essences, and most people are a blend of two or three of them. For example, I'm an Ethereal Natural, and my sister is a Romantic-Dramatic-Classic.

Figuring out your Style ID can be a little tricky.  The Style Identity Calculator has helped many women, but there is an an element of art  to identifying beauty, and that art eludes some of us.

Also, it can be hard to see ourselves objectively! (Pictures help a lot with this -- I always use pictures instead of a mirror when I'm judging myself in a particular outfit.)

Fortunately, you can often close in on, or rule out, a few essences without too much difficulty,  and this can bring you closer to your Style ID.

Having at least a rough idea of your Style ID can significantly increase your confidence, because even if you haven't IDed yourself with 100% accuracy, once you've ruled out the essences that are no good, you know you still look a lot more authentic than you used to. 

Here are some tips for ruling out certain essences, or narrowing your Style ID down a bit. 

1. Positioning yourself on the masculine-feminine spectrum can help rule out or zero in on certain essences.

If you could pass as a boy in the right clothes, you might have a lot of Gamine

If you could do drag convincingly, like Glenn Close or Julie Andrews, you might have a lot of Natural or Dramatic.

If you could never do either in a million years, you have probably don't have much of those three essences, and that leave Romantic, Ingenue, Ethereal, and Classic. 

Adorable Emma Watson could pass for a boy. She has a lot of Gamine.
Striking Glenn Close passes well as a man. She has a lot of Dramatic or Natural (or, I suspect, both.)

​2. How childlike or mature do you look? Have you always look older than your age, or younger than your age?

If your overall look is rather childlike, and if you're often mistaken for much younger than you are, or called "cute" or "adorable," that can signal that you have a lot of Gamine or Ingenue, the two youthful essences. 

If, even as a child, you looked like a little adult, that can signal that you have a lot of Dramatic or Ethereal. (Or, occasionally, a lot of Natural. )

Young Anjelica Huston, who has a ton of Dramatic. Was she ever "childlike"? I doubt it.
Halle Berry is 56, and still adorable AF. She has a lot of Gamine.

3. If your face is impossible to caricature, that's a hint that you have a lot of Classic

Caricature relies on the existence of a feature that sticks out and can therefore be exaggerated. If you're a Classic, no one feature sticks out. In your less confident moments, you may have called yourself plain or boring -- but you're not. You require a very, very simple fashion context in order for the beauty of your perfect average-ness to be revealed. 
​You can't easily caricature a perfectly average face. A caricature should look a little grotesque or bizarre, but that just can't be done with a strongly Classic woman such as Zhang Ziyi. There's nothing to exaggerate. 

4. What hairstyles can you never pull off?

If you can't do shaggy or tousled hair, you can probably rule out Natural -- both male and female Naturals look awesome in shaggy layers. 

If you can't do big, luscious curls, you can probably rule out Romantic. An extravagant circle is the defining shape of Romantic, and Romantics look great with these circles near their face. (Ingenues get smaller, neater circles, so if curly hair of any kind is really bad on you, you can probably rule out both Romantic and Ingenue.)

If you can't do super-long hair, you may be able to rule out Ethereal, Natural, and Dramatic. All three of these essences are defined in part by elongated lines, so people high in one or more of these three essences are usually flattered by long hair.

If you can't do super-short hair, you can probably rule out Gamine and Dramatic. Gamines, our boyish beauties, are easily identified by how good they look in very short cuts. Dramatics, in addition to being flattered by long and narrow hair, are also flattered by hair that's completely off the face -- whether it's extremely short or slicked back. 

​As a woman with a lot of Dramatic, Kim Kardashian can pull off both long, straight hair and slicked-back hair. 

The Style Identity Calculator, as I mentioned above, has helped a lot of women, and it's pretty affordable. For best results, use it with the input of a brutally honest friend or relative, and use pics or yourself, not a mirror. (A still, frozen image is much easier to analyze.) 

If you're absolutely lost, consider investing in a virtual style analysis. 

Are any of these tips helpful to you? Please share in the comments!

This post first appeared in July of 2018. 
<![CDATA[True, Soft, or Light Summer? Kristen Stewart and Emily Blunt.]]>Mon, 20 May 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/true-soft-or-light-summer-kristen-stewart-and-emily-bluntA reader asks, "There are a lot of nuances between Soft Summer and True Summer. How do you know that Kristen Stewart is Soft Summer and Emily Blunt is a True Summer?"
This is a really good question.

I often find Summer celebs difficult to narrow down into subseasons - perhaps because the differences in the muted colors of Summer are harder to discern on a computer screen than the differences in the vivid colors of Spring or Winter.

But after a lot of thought, I eventually came to the conclusion that Kristen's a Soft Summer and Emily's a True Summer.
I'll describe my thought process:

To my eye, both look obviously coolish, but not particularly saturated. Cool and muted is Summer.

But my first impression might be wrong. To determine season, we can't rely on what a person looks like; we have to examine how a person looks in certain colors. So I'll check the other seasons.

Could either woman be a Winter?

Well, both are clearly overwhelmed by black.  That rules out all three Winters.


Notice how the black jacket and black eyeliner jump out at you. That's because they're more saturated than she is. More saturated colors appear closer than less saturated colors.
Ohh, really not good. Kristen's healthy skin tone is lost here.


Compare this pic of Winter Mary Louise Parker. Notice how her eyes are just as intense as her black top. She's a Winter, and not overwhelmed by black.
Winter Taylor Cole balances black, instead of being overwhelmed by it.
I do make note of the fact that Emily is less overwhelmed by black than Kristen. So I think perhaps Emily has a higher natural saturation.

How about Autumn?

Hmm. I think both are meh in Autumn colors. 


Next to this rich, warm background color, Emily's lovely, porcelain skin looks a little muddy.
The warm makeup on Kristen seems to be sitting on her face instead of emanating from it. And the orange around her eyes especially seems wrong; it reads like discoloration.


Against a similarly warm background, Autumn Eva Longoria just looks like herself.
This is Autumn makeup that looks like it's emanating from the skin. It's applied heavily, yet the colors are still harmonious with Noa Tishby.
Notice, though, that Kristen is almost pulling off Autumn color, while Emily isn't at all. So I'm thinking Kristen has more Autumn-like warmth than Emily.

Spring: Testing Spring will be tough, because it's very difficult to find either woman in sure-fire Spring colors like peach, lime, or sunny yellow. So I need to test Spring for them in another way.

I've already seen that both women are overwhelmed by black, so Bright Spring's unlikely for either one. (Black alone is not a great look for Bright Spring, but it's not so much overwhelming as it is boring.)

How can I test Light Spring and True Spring? Hmm... Well, neither woman is a convincing blonde, to my eye. Most "blonde" True and Light Spring celebs are actually brunettes, but they do typically make convincing blondes. Yellow is Spring's soul color, so it makes sense that yellow hair would work on Springs.

Yellow hair is clearly not right for these two women, though.


Yellow hair on Kristen seems wrong. Most Hollywood blonde is artificial, but this blonde reads as particularly unnatural because it doesn't harmonize with Kristen's skin.
Yellow hair on Emily seems to diminish her rather than bring her to life.


Blake Lively's also a natural brunette (see those roots), but because she's a Spring she can pull off yellow hair. See the light golden highlights in her skin that the yellow hair picks up.
Another naturally brown-haired Spring who's enlivened by blonde hair. With yellow hair, Cat Deeley's face shows a subtle variation in color that signifies health, instead of uniform pallor.
 So I think my initial idea was correct: both women are Summers.

But what kind of Summer - Light, Soft, or True?

I'm thinking Light Summer is unlikely for Emily, for the same reason I think Spring is unlikely: I don't find her a convincing blonde. Light Summers can often pull off blonde pretty well. Their palette contains many lovely light yellows, so this makes sense.

Laura Linney
Naomi Watts
Elisha Cuthbert
You can tell from their roots that these Light Summers are brunettes, but blonde looks appropriate on them.

Again, Emily Blunt with blonde hair: not her best.
On Light Summers, yellow hair can emphasize the delicacy of their coloring; Emily's skin seems to be calling for more depth.

So, Soft or True for Emily perhaps?

In weighing these two seasons, I think about how Emily often wears super-bright colors that look a little but not a lot overwhelming. Here she is in some high-sat choices:
I notice that she can tolerate some brightness of color.  In these two pics, she's certainly farther away than the color - but not miles farther away.

So, of Soft and True Summer, I think True Summer  - the more saturated of the two seasons - is right for Emily Blunt.

Yes. I like her in these purely cool, somewhat muted colors.  They certainly don't look muted next to Emily Blunt - they're exactly the right saturation for her.

With Kristen Stewart, one of the things I notice is that neutral-warm colors aren't awful on her.
On the left, the eyeshadow is warmish, and in this pic it's not glaringly disharmonious. (The skin might appear more even with a cooler shade, but as-is, it's not so bad.) On the right, I could almost believe her as an Autumn.

So I suspect True Summer, which is purely cool, is unlikely for her.

I already decided that a big block of yellow next to Kristen's face was not her best, so that makes Light Summer seem unlikely as well.
Yellow next to her face = not so great. Light Summer's unlikely.
That leaves Soft Summer.

Does Soft Summer make sense for her?

Well, Soft Summer's TMIT is softness or mutedness of color. Is Kristen awesome in very muted tones?

Yes, I think. The more subtly colored her makeup and clothes are, the better she looks. She seems so natural in very, very soft shades.
Is she overwhelmed by very saturated colors?

Oh yeah.
Overwhelmed by too-saturated color.
Too, too bright for Kristen.
So, I say Soft Summer for Kristen Stewart.
Let's see her against a Soft Summer palette.
Oh, yes. I love this.

This post originally appeared in January of 2014. 
<![CDATA[Adele, a Soulful Soft Autumn]]>Mon, 13 May 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/adele-a-soulful-soft-autumn3290256A version of this post was published in September 2012. 

I have an adorable memory of  watching a video of Adele performing "Rolling in the Deep"  seated next to my then-three-year-old son. He listened very carefully. When it was done, he turned to me and said, quite solemn, "Mommy, that lady has a fire in her heart."


A reader, C.T., asked me what season I believe Adele is.  She pointed out that Adele's often in black but it's clearly not her best color. I have to agree. 

Certainly this look is not right for her. The woman is invisible; we only see the too-bright color.

​Yet she often gets her makeup right, don't you find? With the exception of the  too-black eyeliner and mascara that are sadly de rigeur in show business, her  lip and cheek are often natural and not overdone.
Those lip and cheek colors lean warm, to my eye, and are definitely subtle and blended rather than bright or contrasting. Her coloring is so very delicate. The black of the dress and the eye does not belong.

Here, again, eye and top are darker than she is, but not as painfully so. The rest is lovely. I see Autumn  -  don't you? Warm, blended, rich.  

Could she be a True Autunm? Hmm. These very warm colors look, to me, a tad stronger than she is.

​I find this warm, deep green, which could be True or Dark Autumn's green, just a tad too much for her. 

She really is very neutral.  The pink in those lips is actually pink, not salmon.

​I think Soft Autumn. Here she is in more SA colors and I think they balance her wonderfully. Gentle, soft, blended, not overdone.  We really see her.
I'm calling Adele a beautiful, soulful, Soft Autumn. 

ere's hoping that one day she chooses to exchange the black eyeliner for, say, taupe or putty. 

What color season do you see here?
<![CDATA[What Do They Call Your Beauty?]]>Mon, 06 May 2019 16:24:09 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/what-do-they-your-beautyOne way to think about the seven style types is to think about the words we use to describe the type of attractiveness each identity embodies. 
  • Romantic beauty is sexy , glamorous, and womanly. ​

These are probably the women who hear  "gorgeous" and "hot" the most often. When they look their best, their friends might call them "glamorous," "alluring," or "sexy." 
Monica Bellucci

  • Ethereal beauty is otherworldly and delicate

Ethereal woman are often described by admirers as "unusual-looking." Other adjectives they might hear are "otherworldly," "exotic,"  "fascinating," or "magical." 

Riley Montana
Cate Blanchett

  • Dramatic beauty is striking and intimidating.

These are women who hear things like, "You have a really strong look," or "only you could pull that off."  Dramatic women get called "majestic," "stunning," and "magnificent."  Like Ethereals, Dramatics also often hear "exotic" and "unusual-looking." 
Agatha Mougin
Liu Wen

  • Natural beauty is friendly, often handsome.

We don't use "handsome" to describe women very often these days, but in another time Natural women would often have been described this way. Natural women hear that they look "confident," "healthy,"  or "approachable."  There aren't a lot of one-word synonyms for Natural's type of beauty, but, growing up, Naturals might have heard from friends (as I did), "You can get away with not wearing makeup," or "You always look great when you wake up."
Chloe Sevigny
Catherine Keener

  • Classic beauty is ladylike and elegant.

Classic women might hear  "lovely," "elegant," and "attractive" a lot.  They'll receive a lot of positive but restrained comments like, "You have a timeless look" or "You always look classy."  "Graceful" is another word Classics may have heard. This is a beauty that doesn't stand out at all, but is undeniable once it's examined. 
Zhang Ziyi
Diane Kruger

  • Ingenue beauty is pretty and girlish.

​Many Ingenue women received compliments on their appearance throughout their childhoods, and they will have heard "pretty," "precious," "darling," "cute," and "adorable" a lot, even as adults.
Lupita Nyong'o
Jayma Mays

​Gamine women, like Ingenue women, will have heard "cute" and "adorable" in adulthood.  They'll also get adjectives like "feisty," "spunky," or "sassy," and "loveable" seems to pop up a lot.
Amber Rose

I'd love to hear in the comments what your style type is, if you know it, and which compliments you've received in your life. 

I'd also love to learn which compliments you've rarely or never received!  I'm an Ethereal Natural, and I've rarely, if ever, been described as "classy,"  "adorable," "feisty," "darling," "majestic," or "glamorous." 

Not sure of your style type? Try the Style ID Calculator!
<![CDATA[Style Types: The ROMANTIC]]>Mon, 29 Apr 2019 14:56:03 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/style-types-the-romanticRomantic beauty is feminine beauty in its mature, womanly form. 


The straight truth is this: Romantic beauty is sexy beauty. 
Kat Dennings
Jennifer Lopez
I initially searched for a better way to word this, because I have been afraid of coming across as objectifying Romantic women. 

Of course, it could be argued that Style Identity Analysis is inherently objectifying, because it analyzes women based purely on their physical qualities. 

I don't  believe this is true, though. We're not ranking women, or judging their inherent worth, based on their appearance; we're analyzing appearance for the purpose of helping all
 women have tools to feel simultaneously authentic and beautiful -- if that's something they want. The point of Style Identity Analysis is to empower women in their own authentic beauty.

Yet talking about Romantic women's appearance is difficult for me because, traditionally, women have been judged by how well we conform to the standard of Romantic beauty. And we're all pretty sick of it, aren't we? 

Even the Romantic women, who "win" in that system of judgment, may be tired of being valued for their feminine beauty.


I believe it is. I hope it is. 

Aishwarya Rai
It goes without saying that Romantic women are no more or less sexual than any other women. But visually, they read as pure womanly sexuality.  Romantic women tend to have sensuous mouths, smoldering eyes, narrow jaws, and large foreheads.

Think about what happens to the female body at puberty. Push those changes to the extremes, and you're picturing a Romantic's best look.  Romantics are flattered by clothes that create the impression of an extreme hourglass figure. They benefit from cinched waists, hip emphasis, cleavage emphasis, and butt emphasis. 
Let's put aside that this may be the embodiment of the hetero male fantasy. What's important is that it's the Romantic woman's particular form of beauty. For that reason, and no other, we celebrate it. 

Dark hair tends to read as Romantic because human hair naturally darkens with sexual maturity. (Just as light hair reads as youthful because prepubescent children tend to have lighter hair than adults.)
Fran Drescher
​A flush in human skin is an indicator of sexual arousal. Palette-appropriate reds, which echo that flush, look perfect on Romantics.
Anita Marshall
Eva Mendes
Sherilyn Fenn
Deepika Padukone
Kate Dillon
​Red roses symbolize romance and sexuality, and a Romantic woman's beauty is like a red rose: beautiful, delicate, detailed, and composed of curving lines.

But if you instead choose shapeless, roomy clothes, you risk looking dumpy and unprepared. (Though a Natural could pull this off.)
When you honor your Romantic beauty by choosing feminine, figure-hugging clothes, it reads as dignified and self-aware. 
But you can also perfect your Romantic beauty with an over-the-top use of jewelry or profuse detail near your face. This is a great choice for Romantic women who don't want to wear figure-hugging clothes.  
Cardi B
Deepika Padukone
The more jewelry you put on a Romantic, the better she looks. The rest of us start to look silly or mannish very quickly. 

​If you know what looks good on you, but you don't know your style identity, try the Style Identity Calculator.

​A version of this post was published in May of 2015.

<![CDATA[Style Types: The ETHEREAL]]>Mon, 22 Apr 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/style-identities-the-etherealThe Ethereal type embodies a variety of beauty that exists, but that most systems don't allow for: feminine beauty that's neither youthful nor sexual. 

Some systems describe the Ethereal type as the most "yin" -- a synonym often used for "feminine." But I don't think that's accurate.

Physically, the Romantic type -- not the Ethereal -- most closely embodies a physical form with exaggeratedly estrogenized features. So Romantic, I think, comes closest to being the most feminine type. Romantic is certainly the most womanly type.

Ethereal beauty, like Ingenue beauty, reads as distinctly feminine but not overtly sexy. Ingenues are girlish and perpetually youthful, while Ethereals are at the other end of the spectrum:  even at a young age, they have an air of great maturity and wisdom. You might use the word "ancient" to describe them, but in the sense that they seem to be old souls. It's easy to imagine that they've traveled here from a far-distant time.
Joyce Carol Oates.
Rooney Mara.
Physically, Ethereals are defined first by the curving line, as all feminine types are. But their curving line is an elongated S or oval. Their faces tend to be long and gently sculpted. 

Carolyn Bessette.
Carolyn Bessette.
Ingenues: small, neat curving lines.
Romantics: lush, generous curving lines.
Ethereals: long, cascading curving lines.
Ethereals look very much like themselves when they're looking into the distance, with a knowing half-smile or an air of distraction. One gets the impression they're actually looking inward, or seeing something others can't see.
Cate Blanchett.
Corinne Bailey Rae

Faded-looking, subtly colored hair and skin read as Ethereal, for a few reasons:

- Subdued colors suggest age, since human coloring naturally fades with age. So muted coloring helps create the ancient or timeless quality that Ethereals have.

- As objects move farther away in our vision, they appear less saturated. So people of low saturation often have the Ethereal quality of seeming to retreat or fade into the distance.

 - Misty coloring on an Ethereal contributes to the impression that she is a misty entity, only partially present on this plane. 

Vanessa Redgrave.
Corinne Bailey Rae.
Iekeliene Stange
Look at actors who have played magical beings or figures from myth or legend, and you'll likely see people with Ethereal qualities. Casting directors know how important appearance is in communicating a character's nature.
Cate Blanchett as an elf.
Bryce Dallas Howard as a nymph.
Daryl Hannah as a mermaid.
Tilda Swinton as an angel.
Uma Thurman as a goddess.
Carol Kane as a sort of fairy-ghost.
Cara Delavingne as a mermaid.
Ethereal beauty is aesthetically appealing but not erotically appealing. It's passionless. For this reason, Ethereal women are often the women that other women find beautiful but that some straight men find weird-looking. If a rude guy has ever looked over your shoulder at a fashion magazine and asked, "Is she supposed to be pretty?" you were probably looking at an Ethereal.
Lindsay Scott.
Amanda Swafford.
Ethereal beauty is often confused with Dramatic beauty, because it's unusual-looking, and rare, and because both types tend to have long faces and frames. 
Najarra Townsend.
Riley Montana.
But Dramatic edges seem pointy, while Ethereal edges are gently rounded.  And Dramatic energy is aggressive, even threatening, while Ethereal energy is peaceful. Dramatics look ready to attack; Ethereals look as if they can maintain Buddha-like calm even if they're punched in the nose.  Dramatics feel like they're moving toward you and Ethereals feel like they're drifting away. 
Jamie Lee Curtis: Pointy. Headed right at ya. Possibly about to kick your butt.
Frances Conroy: Rounded. Drawing back from you. Very calm.
Ethereals are flattered by light-as-air fabrics, translucency, ornate detail, and anything suggesting flight, such as winged shapes or feathers. Ethereals look like themselves when they look as if they're clothed in clouds, mist, starlight, or moonbeams.
Lisa Bonet
Corinne Bailey Rae.
Cate Blanchett.
Uma Thurman.
And so ends my series on the seven basic style identities. Most people aren't a pure type, but rather a blend of two or three. If you know what looks good on you but don't know how that translates into a style identity, try the Style Identity Calculator!

Originally published July 2015
<![CDATA[The "dominant trait" method of personal color analysis.]]>Mon, 15 Apr 2019 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.truth-is-beauty.com/blog/the-dominant-trait-method-of-personal-color-analysisWhen you read about personal color analysis, you'll often come across the term dominant trait.
We know - hopefully we know! - that color has three dimensions, and any given color can be described as being high or low in each of the three dimensions.  So a color can be

 - warm or cool in hue
 - light or dark in value
 - high or low in chroma (bright or soft) 
The palettes of each of the 12 seasons are harmonious within themselves. Any given palette can be said to show a dominant trait in its colors.
The Dark Winter and Dark Autumn palettes, for example, are predominantly dark, or low in value. The Bright Spring and Bright Winter palettes are predominantly bright, or high in chroma.
Now, some writers will suggest that you can identify a person's season by identifying the dominant (and secondary) traits of that person's coloring. You see this a lot online. I call it the "dominant trait" method of color analysis. 

The thinking goes like this: you can look at a person's skin, hair and eyes, and judge whether her personal coloring is mainly dark, light, soft, bright, cool or warm. Once you figure this out, you immediately have her narrowed down to two seasons. 

Unfortunately, personal color analysis doesn't work this way. If only it did!
Departure from this idea is part of what separates the followers of Kathryn Kalisz's teachings from other thinkers in the world of color analysis.

Season can't reliably be determined by identifying the "dominant trait" in someone's appearance. It can only be determined by identifying the traits that characterize the best colors for that person.
A Bright is not always obviously bright in personal coloring. A Dark is not always obviously dark. A Soft is not always obviously Soft. And so on.

A great example: Lupita Nyong'o.
Lupita Nyong'o. Try the "dominant trait" method of color analysis on her: what dominant trait do you see?
If you're using the "dominant trait" method to determine Ms. Nyong'o's season, you will likely think something like this:  
"Her skin tone is quite dark. Her eyes are very dark. Her hair is very dark. 'Dark' must be her dominant trait; she must be a Dark Autumn or Dark Winter."

But that's not right! 
Lupita Nyong'o: Not awesome in Dark Winter's dark, saturated blue...
...nor is Nyong'o fantastic in Dark Autum's dark, rich orange.

Her best colors are not dark and rich. Instead, she's most fantastic in super-bright hues.
The dominant trait of Ms. Nyong'o's best colors is brightness. 

Would you have looked at her face, hair, and eyes and called "brightness" the dominant trait of her personal coloring? Probably not easily. 
(This is one big problem with the "dominant trait" method of determining season:  it often results in women of color getting automatically, inaccurately slotted into Dark Autumn and Dark Winter.)
Avoid the "dominant trait" method of determining your own season. It may well lead you astray. Instead, focus on figuring out your best colors. You can do it.  :-)

First published in March 2014.