How I Became a Personal Color Analyst
My relationship with beauty was haphazard.
Growing up, people said I was pretty, but I never felt comfortable with their words. I questioned the real value of beauty and whether beauty was overvalued in our society. But, I would also spend hours both admiring and critiquing my looks while secretly afraid that I was valued only for my outer appearance. It fueled my cyclical habit of overindulgence in the beauty industry contrasted by long periods of willful abstinence.
There was resentment, confusion, and insecurity.
I carried these pains into adulthood and into the corporate/business world. I was eager to leave these problems behind me as I focused on growing my competency and my career.
I could finally see that beauty can be afforded to all. All the empowerment of increased self-esteem without the doubts and insecurities that marketing feeds us.
But I noticed that in this new professional setting, the colleagues and business partners who enjoyed good reputations along with quick career progressions always looked sharp and confident. My concerns quickly pivoted to finding sustainable, functional solutions.
- How do I pick a foundation that is flattering for eight hours in stark office lighting?
- How do I pick the right lipstick that is both flattering, approachable and professional?
- How do I pick the right color shirt/blouses to highlight my personality and potential as a budding career woman?
I could not accept that, even in the shadow of a fashion and beauty industry with a combined market size of over a trillion dollars, we had still not figured out a way for each woman to find their best colors. There must be a well considered and thoroughly documented system that can articulate the answers that I was looking for. This is when I remembered that I had seen a segment on Korean TV about something called Personal Color years ago and began my research of color in earnest.
I learned that it’s possible to have a complete makeup toolkit with only 3 lipsticks and one eyeshadow palette.
I was hooked on Personal Color and it quickly became a passion. I learned so much. I learned that an individual’s unique proportions of melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin pigments are responsible for each person’s unique flattering colors. I learned that it’s possible to have a complete makeup toolkit with only 3 lipsticks and one eyeshadow palette. I learned that it’s possible to have a wardrobe that coordinates beautifully together both with itself and I, the wearer. And most surprisingly, I learned that the right colors will bring vitality, authenticity and richness of character to the surface.
The only logical next step was to invest and receive formal training as a color analyst and spread the functionality and joy of personal color analysis. In my research, I found the personal color analysis system as taught by Christine of 12 Blueprints to be exceptional in its structured methods and insight into natural color harmony.
The evidence during training was overwhelming. It’s one thing to understand the theoretical workings of personal color, it’s entirely another to witness the transformations in the mirror. The training cemented my calling as I learned to interpret changes that occurred in both my own and others’ reflections.
I felt peace. I could finally see that beauty can be afforded to all. All the empowerment of increased self-esteem without the doubts and insecurities that marketing feeds us. This was a message that more women and men needed to hear.
By Michelle Boni
Written on July 31, 2020