For Years I Thought Color Analysis Was Another Beauty Scam. Then I Tried It.

Seven times: that’s when I stopped counting how many times my five-month-old woke me up the night before my appointment. No amount of concealer could hide the dark circles under my eyes. No amount of mousse could tame my freshly cut bob. I had just chopped off 10 inches the week before, and as I suspected, some days my new hair made me look either 12 years old or simply deranged. No one warned me how having a baby would upset your physical identity. I don’t mean necessarily just your physical changes, but something that went deeper but is intrinsically linked to your outward appearance. Yes, my body has changed. Yes, I look more tired. But I wasn’t prepared to feel so… lost . When it came to buying maternity clothes or dresses conducive to breastfeeding, I was constantly frustrated by the lack of variety and outrageous price points for clothing that would last me only a season. I borrowed clothes from friends that didn’t feel like me. Those first few weeks after having my son, I would look in the mirror and see a much younger version of myself, someone who was scared, who wanted her mom, who didn’t feel perky or sexy or confident. One day while perusing Instagram, still freshly postpartum, I came across photos of women swathed in various colored drapes against a pale gray background. There were dozens of headshots. Each woman was bare-faced, and radiant . I squinted. Did it really just come down to the color? My inner skeptic I had heard about color analysis years ago, and I was skeptical from the beginning. It felt like something only for women with money to blow. “ Really? ” I thought. “ You pay someone to figure out what color looks best on you ? ” Isn’t that something women can just find out on their own? Like blue brings out the blue in my eyes, obviously; ergo, half of my closet is blue. And when in doubt, isn’t black and white the classy default? Aren’t neutrals safe and effortlessly easy? Color analysis felt like something akin to other gimmicky, expensive pseudosciences and just another beauty trend telling women they aren’t enough. Color analysis felt like something akin to other gimmicky, expensive pseudosciences and just another beauty trend telling women they aren’t enough. But why, then, was everyone doing it? And why did the women look so radiant in those photos? Three months postpartum, I decided I needed help. I didn’t want to feel like a frumpy mom, and I definitely didn’t want my baby to always remember me wearing black. So I decided to give it a shot. I contacted Natalie Peters of District Color Studio. District Color Studio Natalie greeted me in her coworking space in her effortless True Autumn getup. Her outfit and makeup were perfection, but that’s not what I noticed first: her best accessories were something like a natural poise, kindness, and quiet confidence that just emanated from her. That morning I had struggled to decide what to wear to this appointment and ended up going with my mindless Mom Uniform: tube socks, thrifted mom jeans, and a plain black T-shirt. In other words, I was a blank slate, but I quickly learned that to Natalie, we’re not supposed to be empty canvases, ready to be dolled up by the latest trends and complimentary beauty products that we’re sold on the daily; we ourselves are the works of art. “I studied color analysis six years ago and founded District Color Studio a year after that,” she told me as we settled into her sunny office. “Back then I really had to explain to my friends and family what color analysis was.” In some ways, it’s still not the easiest one-line pitch, but at least more people have heard of it. Interest in personal styling has grown a ton in the past year, with ‘color analysis’ search volume growing by 139%. Color analysis, according to Natalie, is a process that discovers the colors that harmonize with your unique color tone and enhances your natural beauty rather than detracting from it. The keyword is harmony. Interest in personal styling has grown a ton in the past year, with ‘color analysis’ search volume growing by 139%. She works specifically with the 12-Tone True Color International (TCI) Method , which is a color analysis system that actually has its roots based in color science, specifically the Munsell color system and the science of natural color harmony. As she began to explain the process to me at the start of our hour-and-a-half appointment, she explained how countercultural color analysis is. “It’s about doing a lot less ,” she emphasized. “When we find the colors that harmonize with your natural beauty, we can wear less makeup, do less with our hair, and even as we invest in certain pieces and build our wardrobe staples, we can buy less and know that piece will complement us forever.” I won’t lie, I was also grateful when she shared that this was a one-time process. That didn’t feel very gotcha-esque if this consultation was a one-time splurge. ( The average in-person color analysis in a major U.S. metro area costs approximately $325. ) The process Natalie had me sit in a chair facing a mirror. She switched on two big, full-spectrum lights and wrapped me in a gray, neutral drape as she began sharing the process. For several years in my late 20s, I struggled to look at myself in the mirror, and even now I blushed. It can take courage for a lot of women to sit there. Natalie prattled on about the process, and I got a little lost in the technical verbiage, but its history and concept are fascinating. Color analysis starts with an understanding of the three dimensions of color: hue, value, and chroma. Once you find where you lie on those three spectrums, you home in on your color palette, which (in color analysis world terms) is called “ your season .” With the TCI Method, there are 12 seasons , with each season offering “True, Bright, Light, Soft, and Dark” tones. So, for example, a person could be classified as a “True Autumn” or “Light Summer.” At the end of the process, you will have a personal color palette with over 65 of your best colors and neutrals for clothing, makeup, and more. Natalie began draping different colored fabrics on me, and much like Harry Potter and the Sorting Hat, I found myself whispering, “ Not fuchsia. Not fuchsia. ” Because what if I found out my most complementary colors were bold, electric, and vibrant (in other words, not me)? What if I ended up feeling even more lost than I already was? Throughout my appointment, I found myself repeatedly nodding to what Natalie pointed out. She had a whole new vocabulary for everyday experiences, such as why we may have bought “that dress” but have never worn it and can’t figure out why, and it’s probably because something about the color accentuates something we don’t love. Natalie pointed out the ways each color and its coordinating dimensions affected me, and even with a deep crimson red (a color I wouldn’t ever touch) draped over me, I found myself smiling. “Oooh, that’s nice,” Natalie smiled warmly. “See how that makes you look perky and awake?” She tried another drape. “And see how this yellow is on the cooler side of the spectrum? Notice how it makes your skin look a little green and sickly.” I balked. I did. She draped black over me. “And look how harsh the black looks against your softer features. Black tends to make a lot of people look tired and drawn and gaunt. But if we try this chocolate brown…” whoosh went the drape “…now see how that just brightened your face and evened your skin tone? It makes you look more alive!” At the risk of sounding melodramatic, it was kind of miraculous. I was glowing. My hellish night and two-hour drive disappeared from the lines on my face. An inner beauty was being drawn up and out of me. It’s not about a new identity It’s not easy to stare at yourself in a mirror and analyze what looks good and doesn’t, but Natalie affirmed my natural beauty when all I saw earlier that morning was what was left over from the motherhood trenches. “A lot of soul-searching can happen,” Natalie shared warmly, making eye contact with me in the mirror. “Some women whose season includes more vibrant, bold colors are uncomfortable with it because they don’t want to be so seen, or they want to hide, and they have to figure out why.” Gratefully, when we landed on “Soft Autumn” season for me, I felt so validated. Muted, warm tones felt way more in line with my personality than, say, the deeply saturated colors of a Dark Winter palette. But instead of just whites and neutrals, I learned about the hues of each color that complemented me, and moving forward, as I slowly introduce more colors into my wardrobe, I can understand where I best land. "The effect is that we really see her, not just what she is wearing.” “Many women have been told they are not enough,” Natalie continued, “that their hair or skin is wrong, that they are too dark or too light. But their natural coloring is in perfect harmony, just like all colors throughout the natural world. When a woman learns what complements her natural harmony, she is empowered and feels much more confident. And the effect is that we really see her, not just what she is wearing.” Color analysis does get very practical too. When I asked Natalie what her advice would be to women who are in love with the wrong color, she was quick to share that it’s important to keep pieces that mean a lot to you. “You need to keep it if it brings you joy!” she exclaimed. “If something is particularly special to you, turquoise jewelry or a particular dress that falls outside of your season, don’t get rid of it.” Practically, moving forward, you can do as much or as little as you’d like when applying your analysis to your life. Some women go so far as to paint their entire houses the correct shade of white so they don’t look so washed out in photos. Others simply start with swapping out the shade of their lipstick . “My main piece of advice is to start small,” Natalie said. “As you phase out your wardrobe, only add in pieces that are in your palette. When you buy makeup, check your swatches. It takes time.” Bringing out your inner beauty Ultimately, color analysis is not about building a new identity with a brand-new wardrobe and makeup routine, but it’s about uncovering the beauty that’s already there and, at the same time, recognizing places of disharmony in our lives. Plus, Natalie added with a smile, “This should feel like play. Color is fun . Life is short!” It’s about uncovering the beauty that’s already there. With that in mind, I bought a $5 new and entirely unnecessary tube of chocolate-brown mascara that evening. Hello, old self , I thought as I applied it the next morning. The tiniest little perkiness arose in me, even after yet another night of frequent nursing calls. I smiled. It’s good to see you again.